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Lightning Fill In The Blank

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

It is now 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, BYLINE: Brian and Amy each have three. That must mean Paula has two.

SAGAL: All right. Let's see, that means, Paula, that you're in third place.

PAULA POUNDSTONE: Yeah.

SAGAL: So you go first. Here we go, Paula.

POUNDSTONE: All right.

SAGAL: Fill in the blank. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Thousands of people gathered in the Place de la Republique to show their support for the victims of the terror attack in blank.

POUNDSTONE: In Paris.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Tuesday, Bob McDonald, the former governor of blank, was sentenced to two years in prison for corruption.

POUNDSTONE: Yeah.

SAGAL: Former governor of blank.

(LAUGHTER)

POUNDSTONE: Oh, I'm sorry. Virginia.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Thursday, the Federal Reserve reported that the value of the blank rose to an 11-year high.

POUNDSTONE: The dollar.

SAGAL: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: For the first time in five years, the price for a barrel blank dropped below $50.

POUNDSTONE: Oil.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Proving once and for all that they're closely related to humans, a pack of rhesus monkeys were given mirrors and immediately blanked.

POUNDSTONE: Preened themselves.

SAGAL: No, they immediately checked out their own butts.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: This week, a Chicago man had his bike stolen while he was blanking.

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

POUNDSTONE: Chicago man had his bike stolen while he was riding it.

SAGAL: No, while he was at the police station reporting a stolen iPhone.

(LAUGHTER)

AMY DICKINSON: Oh, no.

SAGAL: Guy gets his iPhone stolen, he rides his bike to the police station, doesn't bring his lock so he brings it inside, fills out his police report, hands it in, turns around, the bike is gone. And this is what he did - he turned back around, and he said to the officer, I'd like to file another police report please. He then remained at the station until police could make sure that he also got dumped by his girlfriend and fired from his job.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Bill, how did Paula do on our quiz?

KURTIS: Paula got four right for eight more points. She now has 10 points and the lead.

POUNDSTONE: That's pathetic.

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: All right. We have flipped a coin to break the tie. Brian has elected to go next. Here we go. Jury selection in the trial of the blank bomber began on Monday.

BRIAN BABYLON: Boston Marathon.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: During funeral services this week, members of the NYPD once again turned their backs on blank.

BABYLON: Mayor of New York.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Former Arkansas governor and Fox News host blank announced Sunday that he was considering running for president in 2016.

BABYLON: The Huck - Huckabee.

SAGAL: Yes, indeed.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: A story in The New York Times about a harrowing adventure in the country of Kerzbekistan had to be corrected because blank.

BABYLON: They spelled it wrong.

SAGAL: No, there is no such country as Kerzbekistan.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Pitchers Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez were among those elected into the blank this week.

BABYLON: Hall of fame.

SAGAL: You bet.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: A train passenger was relieved and somewhat embarrassed when his tweeted requests for more blank was answered...

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

SAGAL: ...Almost immediately by the trains operators.

BABYLON: Blankets.

SAGAL: No, toilet paper. Guy named Adam Greenwood was in a Virgin Train, that's the name of the line in England. And he noticed too late when he was in the restroom that there was no toilet paper. What is he going to do? So he got on his phone, and he tweeted @VirginTrains, hey I'm in the bathroom, and I have a large need for some TP, and there isn't any.

After some back-and-forth with the company's social media person, a man in a suit showed up and handed Adam a rescue roll. It's an inspiring story of customer service done right, but we think the real lesson here is nobody touch Adam Greenwood's phone.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: So how did Brian Babylon do on our quiz?

KURTIS: Well, Brian got four right for eight more points. Now he has the lead with 11.

POUNDSTONE: There you go.

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: Well, hey. So how many then does Amy Dickinson need to win?

KURTIS: Four to tie, five to win, Amy.

SAGAL: Here we go, Amy. This is for the game. Fill in the blank. Dangerous weather conditions slowed divers' efforts to recover the wreckage of the blank flight that downed over the Java Sea.

DICKINSON: The Air Asia.

SAGAL: Yeah. Air Asia is all we need.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Tuesday, Florida became the 36th state to legalize blank.

DICKINSON: Gay marriage.

SAGAL: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: After new sanctions from the U.S. took effect, North Korea again denied their role in the blank hack.

DICKINSON: Sony.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Spectators are accusing a Washington State basketball referee of not paying attention to the game after he blanked in the middle of the play.

DICKINSON: Fainted.

SAGAL: No, answered his phone. Heisman trophy winner Jameis Winston said he would skip his last year of college and enter the blank.

DICKINSON: NFL.

SAGAL: No, the monastery. Of course the NFL.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Monday, Bess Myerson, the only Jewish woman to the crowned blank, passed away at the age of 90.

DICKINSON: Miss America.

SAGAL: Indeed.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Surprisingly, a Florida man wearing a shirt that read blank...

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

SAGAL: ...Was arrested on drug charges.

DICKINSON: I'm high. I'm dealing.

SAGAL: No, even better. It said - the shirt read, who needs drugs? No seriously, I have drugs.

DICKINSON: Wow.

SAGAL: Fortunately, the man found a lawyer immediately after he was busted for drug possession while wearing that shirt when he spotted someone in the parking lot wearing a T-shirt that said, who needs a court-appointed public defender? No, seriously. I'm a court-appointed public defender.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Bill, did Amy do well enough to win?

KURTIS: Well, she got five right, 10 more points. And that means she has a total of 13.

POUNDSTONE: There it is.

SAGAL: Very well done.

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: And does that mean that she's our champion?

KURTIS: She is the champion.

SAGAL: Oh, that's awesome, Amy.

DICKINSON: What a low-scoring game.

KURTIS: Yeah. Very low-scoring.

POUNDSTONE: I don't think you need to say that.

BABYLON: Yeah. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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