PETER SAGAL, HOST:
Now it's time to move on to our final game, Lightning Fill In The Blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill-in-the-blank questions as he or she can. Each correct answer now worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores?
BILL KURTIS: Paula and Roy each have two. And Alonzo has three.
SAGAL: Hey.
KURTIS: What a lead.
(APPLAUSE)
SAGAL: Well done. We flipped a coin. Paula has elected to go second. So, Roy, you are up first. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank. This week, the FBI revealed that they had raided the home of President Trump's former campaign manager blank.
ROY BLOUNT JR: Paul Manafort.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: On Monday, the Justice Department said it had no intention of targeting journalists as it cracks down on blanks coming from the White House.
BLOUNT JR: Leaks.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: On Sunday, Eric Bolling was suspended by blank pending an investigation into a sexting scandal.
BLOUNT JR: Fox.
SAGAL: Yes, Fox News.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: On Wednesday, Tropical Storm Franklin strengthened into the first blank of the Atlantic season.
BLOUNT JR: Hurricane.
SAGAL: Right. This week...
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: ...Bill Murray was spotted blanking two days in a row.
BLOUNT JR: Oh, attending the musical of his movie.
SAGAL: Yeah. Exactly. Going to see "Groundhog Day."
BLOUNT JR: "Groundhog Day."
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Best known for his songs "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Wichita Lineman," Grammy winner blank passed away at the age of 81.
BLOUNT JR: Glen Campbell.
SAGAL: Glen Campbell. Yes.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: A wedding party taking a helicopter tour in Bangladesh...
(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)
SAGAL: ...Caused a bit of a stir when they mistakenly landed in a blank.
BLOUNT JR: In the middle of someone else's wedding.
SAGAL: No. Even better, they landed in the courtyard of a maximum-security prison.
BLOUNT JR: Oh.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: According to officials, the wedding party accidentally landed their helicopter in the grounds of the Kashimpur Central maximum-security prison causing a lockdown. The chopper was surrounded by armed guards as soon as it landed. And the wedding party was detained. But don't worry. The couple had registered for matching shivs at Bed Bath & Beyond.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Bill, how did Roy do on our quiz?
KURTIS: He had six right giving him 12 more points. And that total of 14 moves into the lead.
SAGAL: All right.
(APPLAUSE)
SAGAL: Paula, you're up next. Fill in the blank. This week, President Trump attacked blank for his failure to repeal and replace Obamacare.
PAULA POUNDSTONE: McConnell.
SAGAL: Right. Mitch McConnell.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: In response to Russia's decision to remove 755 people from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, President Trump blanked.
POUNDSTONE: Thanked him.
SAGAL: Yes, thanked Putin...
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: ...for lowering his payroll. According to USA Today, President Trump privately sent messages of appreciation to special counsel blank.
POUNDSTONE: Mueller.
SAGAL: Right. Robert Mueller.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: This week, an early investor in ride-sharing app blank sued co-founder Travis Kalanick.
POUNDSTONE: Uber.
SAGAL: Right. This week...
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: ...Bill Murray was spotted blanking two days in a row.
(LAUGHTER)
POUNDSTONE: Gee, going to the musical "Groundhog Day."
SAGAL: Yes.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: On Thursday, social media network blank introduced a new streaming-video site.
POUNDSTONE: Facebook.
SAGAL: Yes.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: This week, electric carmaker blank announced they developed autonomous semi-trucks that move together as a caravan.
POUNDSTONE: Tesla.
SAGAL: Right. After being...
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: ...Forced to evacuate his house for a week due to wildfires...
(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)
SAGAL: ...A Canadian man was arrested for celebrating his homecoming by blanking.
POUNDSTONE: Setting off firecrackers.
SAGAL: That's exactly what he did.
(APPLAUSE)
SAGAL: Emergency officials in British Columbia just lifted the mandatory evacuation order, and residents were thrilled to be finally back home. One guy was so excited, he started lighting off fireworks prompting another mandatory evacuation...
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: ...This time to the police station. The man was released a day later saying that he had learned his lesson and will be celebrating his second homecoming with a simple trash can fire.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Bill, how did Paula do on our quiz? Quite well, I thought.
KURTIS: Quite well.
POUNDSTONE: (Laughter).
KURTIS: Eight right...
SAGAL: Oh, my God.
KURTIS: ...Sixteen more points.
(APPLAUSE)
POUNDSTONE: Yeah, baby.
KURTIS: It gives her the lead with 18.
POUNDSTONE: (Shouting) Look at the size of these hands.
(APPLAUSE)
SAGAL: OK, Bill. How many does Alonzo need to win?
KURTIS: He needs eight.
SAGAL: He needs eight. All right...
UNIDENTIFIED AUDIENCE: Ooh.
SAGAL: Only way you're going to do it.
ALONZO BODDEN: Can I concede?
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: What would Jerry Rice do? Would he give up? No.
BODDEN: No, but he practiced beforehand.
SAGAL: Yeah.
(LAUGHTER)
BODDEN: I just sort of wandered in here.
SAGAL: On Sunday, Vice President Pence dismissed suggestions that he was positioning himself to blank in 2020.
BODDEN: Run for president.
SAGAL: Right. On Wednesday...
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: ...President Trump was sued by five service members over his proposed ban on blanks in the military.
BODDEN: Transgender.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: This week, Bill Murray was spotted blanking two days in a row.
(LAUGHTER)
BODDEN: What did he do? Did he - I think he went to see a play.
SAGAL: Yes.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: "Groundhog Day."
BODDEN: "Groundhog Day."
SAGAL: On Monday, hackers said that if HBO did not pay them $7.5 million, they would continue leaking episodes of blank.
BODDEN: "Game Of Thrones."
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: Announcing plans to start their own streaming service, blank revealed they would pull all of their movies from Netflix in 2019.
UNIDENTIFIED AUDIENCE MEMBER: Disney.
BODDEN: Disney.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: This week, a four-hour traffic jam in Alabama...
(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)
SAGAL: ...Was caused by the biggest blank spill on record.
BODDEN: In Alabama?
SAGAL: In Alabama.
BODDEN: There was traffic in Alabama?
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: There was now.
BODDEN: I didn't - was there a NASCAR race going on?
SAGAL: No.
(LAUGHTER)
BODDEN: I don't know. Chickens got loose.
SAGAL: No...
BODDEN: I have no idea.
SAGAL: It was pizza.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: A giant pizza spill happened when a semi-truck carrying frozen pizza brushed up against a highway support railing. The trailer burst open, sending pizzas flying across Interstate 30. The frozen pizzas were spread out all over the hot asphalt in a messy goo of cheese, dough and pepperoni. But it was still better than Domino's.
(LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE)
SAGAL: Bill, did Alonzo do well enough to win?
KURTIS: No.
SAGAL: No.
BODDEN: No.
(LAUGHTER)
KURTIS: He got five right, but he could not catch Paula. She's our big winner this week.
SAGAL: Paula Poundstone.
(APPLAUSE)
POUNDSTONE: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.