PETER SAGAL, HOST:
Now time for 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: Well, I believe Faith has 4. Peter has 3. And Bim, as smart as she sounds, only has 1.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: No.
BIM ADEWUNMI: That is so much shade. I thought we were friends.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: OK. Bim, you're in third place. That means that you'll be up first. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank. This week, President Trump said he was looking forward to being interviewed by blank about possible obstruction of justice.
ADEWUNMI: Robert Mueller.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said that a weak blank is good for the U.S. economy.
ADEWUNMI: A weak dollar.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: This week, 100 people in Alabama participated in a candlelight vigil memorializing blank.
ADEWUNMI: The goodness of Roy Moore.
SAGAL: No.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: A Taco Bell that had been destroyed in a fire.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: With 13 total nominations, "The Shape Of Water" led the pack for the 2018 blanks.
ADEWUNMI: Oscars.
SAGAL: Yes.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: A local paper in Rhode Island got unprecedented reader response this week...
(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)
SAGAL: ...When they published an obituary for blank.
ADEWUNMI: I don't know - a sentient crab.
SAGAL: No. A pet chicken. The chicken was known to her family as Big Mama. She passed away peacefully in her coop. When she died, the Rhode Island Eagle newspaper ran an obit in her honor. The community response was incredible, with hundreds of people reaching out to offer condolences and dipping sauces.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: According to the obituary, Big Mama was 6 years and is survived by two omelets and a souffle.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Bill, how did Bim do on our quiz?
KURTIS: Bim moved into the lead with 7. She got three right and 6 more points. So she's the one to catch.
SAGAL: All right.
(APPLAUSE)
SAGAL: Peter, you're up next. Fill in the blank. This week the Justice Department urged Congressman Devin Nunes not to release a secret memo alleging political bias within the blank.
PETER GROSZ: FBI.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: This week, the Senate confirmed Jerome Powell as the next chairman of the blank.
GROSZ: Board.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Federal Reserve. This week, the White House issued new sanctions against companies believed to be supporting blank's weapons program.
GROSZ: North Korea.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: This week, a man in Tennessee explained to police that the reason he flipped his truck five times was blank.
GROSZ: He was tired.
SAGAL: No, because he let Jesus take the wheel.
(LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE)
SAGAL: On Tuesday, Senator Tammy Duckworth announced she would become the first sitting senator to blank.
GROSZ: Give birth while sitting.
SAGAL: Right. Yes.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: After being diagnosed with Parkinson's, legendary musician blank announced he is retiring from touring.
GROSZ: Oh, Neil Diamond.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: After the Eagles beat the Vikings to move on to the Super Bowl...
(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)
SAGAL: ...Police in Philadelphia prepared for fan celebrations by blanking.
GROSZ: Stealing everyone's batteries, so they couldn't throw them at Santa Claus.
SAGAL: No. By greasing all the light posts with Crisco.
(LAUGHTER)
GROSZ: Thats right. I saw that.
SAGAL: They were called the Crisco cops. They're part of Philly's long, slippery arm of the law. So during the playoff game, the cops outside the stadium - they greased all the poles to prevent revelers from climbing up and smashing the street lights, as they have occasionally done. Unfortunately, it didn't work, as people still managed to climb the poles. It wasn't a complete loss, though. Being covered with Crisco just meant that the rowdy fans smelled really good when you tased them.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Bill, how did Peter do on our quiz?
KURTIS: Well, he got four right - 8 more points. And he takes the lead with 11.
SAGAL: All right.
(APPLAUSE)
SAGAL: So how many does Faith Salie need to win?
KURTIS: Only four to win.
SAGAL: Oh, Faith, you can do this with one brain tied behind your back. Here we go.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: This is for the game. On Monday, Vice President Pence said that the U.S. would move its Israeli Embassy from Tel Aviv to blank by the end of 2019.
FAITH SALIE: Jerusalem.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: On Thursday, the Justice Department threatened to subpoena 23 so-called blank cities.
SALIE: Sanctuary.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: This week, struggling toy store blank announced it was closing down 180 locations.
SALIE: Toys 'R' Us.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: On Tuesday, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake shook the coast of blank.
SALIE: Alaska.
SAGAL: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: On Wednesday, Larry Nassar, a former doctor for the blank team, was sentenced to 175 years in prison.
SALIE: U.S. Gymnastics.
SALIE: Right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: This week, Jim Thome, Chipper Jones, Vlad Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman were all elected to join the blank.
SALIE: Baseball Hall of Fame.
SAGAL: Yes, indeed.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: A Florida man was arrested for a DUI after he repeatedly attempted to blank.
(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)
SALIE: Avoid hitting a comfort turkey.
SAGAL: No. He tried to order a burrito at a bank drive-through. According to the bank's manager, the Tampa man was passed out in his car for several minutes before he rolled down his window and asked for a burrito.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: After being told he was at a bank and not a Taco Bell, the man drove off and was quickly apprehended by police. At his trial, a man is - the man is expected to ask the judge for leniency and extra hot sauce.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Bill, did Faith do well enough to win?
KURTIS: Yes, she did. Faith got six right, 12 more points - total of 16. That means she did win.
SAGAL: Congratulations, Faith.
(APPLAUSE) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.