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00:00:06,919 --> 00:00:09,640
Hey there, it's me.
The show hasn't started yet.
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00:00:10,279 --> 00:00:13,556
It's started a little bit.
I'm already talking to you.
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00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:18,399
But before the music and the lights
and, theoretically, the laughter,
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00:00:19,199 --> 00:00:22,879
I wanted to briefly talk to you
about what has been a terrible week.
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00:00:23,359 --> 00:00:27,396
The immense suffering in Israel
and Gaza has been sickening to watch.
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00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,755
We're not going to be covering it
in the main body of our show tonight,
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00:00:30,839 --> 00:00:33,156
for a couple of reasons,
first, it's horrific.
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00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,116
I don't really want to tell jokes
about carnage right now,
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00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,476
and I'm pretty sure
that you don't want to hear them.
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00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:40,756
And second, we're taping this
on Saturday afternoon,
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00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:42,955
and you'll be watching it
Sunday night,
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00:00:43,039 --> 00:00:45,836
or Monday morning
through an illegal VPN...
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00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:47,635
I do know who I am talking to.
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00:00:47,719 --> 00:00:53,035
But the point is, given how fast things
are moving, a lot could change
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00:00:53,119 --> 00:00:56,476
between the time I'm saying this,
and the time that you hear it.
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00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:01,116
But I do have a few broad thoughts
that I think will still apply.
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00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,759
And they have to do with sorrow,
fear, and anger.
18
00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,995
Now, sorrow is the first
and most overwhelming feeling.
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The images that we've seen this week,
from last Saturday onwards,
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have been totally heartbreaking.
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00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,916
Thousands are now dead
in Israel and Gaza.
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It has been devastating,
not just to those in the region,
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00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:21,676
but to diaspora communities
across the world.
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00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,116
Whatever thoughts you have
about the history of this region,
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or the current state of affairs,
and I've shared mine on this show,
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it should be impossible to see
grieving families and not be moved.
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So there's been sorrow this week,
a lot of it, and also fear.
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Fear of further attacks in Israel,
and for those taken hostage,
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and fear of what's to come in Gaza,
as Israel's leaders seem intent
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on embarking
on a relentless bombing campaign,
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00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,635
mass displacement,
and a potential ground invasion.
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00:01:53,719 --> 00:01:57,316
I don't know where things stand in Gaza
as you watch this right now,
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but all signs seem to be pointing
toward a humanitarian catastrophe.
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00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:06,075
Israeli officials announced plans to
cut off food, water, fuel, and power.
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Hospitals are running on generators.
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00:02:08,319 --> 00:02:11,316
That has all the appearances
of collective punishment,
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which is a war crime.
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00:02:14,199 --> 00:02:16,835
And I think
many Israelis and Palestinians
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00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:21,520
are feeling justifiable anger,
not just at Hamas,
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whose utterly heinous terrorist acts
set this week's events in motion,
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00:02:27,199 --> 00:02:30,240
but also at the zealots and extremists,
across the board,
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who've consistently thwarted attempts
at peace over the years.
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Israelis and Palestinians
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have been let down by their leadership
time and time again,
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00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,355
and I don't have
a great deal of faith
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00:02:42,439 --> 00:02:45,639
in the leaders currently in charge
to steer us toward peace.
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00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,479
But I do still have some hope.
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00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:54,596
Because the easiest thing to do
in the world after a week like this
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00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,115
is to engage
in bloodthirsty rhetoric.
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00:02:57,199 --> 00:03:00,555
And there's certainly been plenty
of that from those in power.
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00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:04,355
But I will say, I've been struck
by the many ordinary citizens,
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00:03:04,439 --> 00:03:06,355
both Israeli and Palestinian,
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00:03:06,439 --> 00:03:09,639
who've called for restraint this week,
and not revenge.
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Just listen to how Noy Katsman,
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00:03:12,479 --> 00:03:15,835
whose brother Hayim
was murdered by Hamas last Saturday,
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chose to end this interview.
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{\an8}- I'm so sorry for your loss.
- Can I say one more thing ?
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{\an8}Yeah. Thank you so much for...
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{\an8}What I wanted to say is,
the most important for me,
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{\an8}and I think also for my brother,
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{\an8}was that his death won't be used
to kill innocent people.
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00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,395
{\an8}I don't want anything to happen
to people in Gaza
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{\an8}like it happens to my brother.
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00:03:38,719 --> 00:03:41,360
{\an8}And I'm sure
he wouldn't have any, either.
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{\an8}So that's my call to my government.
Stop killing innocent people.
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00:03:47,879 --> 00:03:52,800
{\an8}And that's not the way that brings us
peace and security to people in Israel.
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00:03:53,919 --> 00:03:57,199
Right. People want
and are entitled to peace.
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00:03:57,919 --> 00:04:00,635
And I'm not going to tell
either side how to get it,
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certainly not in this accent,
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00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,115
which has frankly
done enough damage
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00:04:05,199 --> 00:04:08,159
in that particular region
to last a fucking lifetime.
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But just know, in the long term,
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all the people who want to live in that
region are going to keep living there.
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So peace is not optional,
and will require some tough decisions.
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And I can't say
where a peace process ends,
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but it just has to start
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with that kind of ability
to recognize our common humanity.
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That's honestly
all I've got for you right now,
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00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,519
but we do still have
our regular comedy show.
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00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:37,916
And if you're interested,
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00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,195
I'll see you on the other side
of our opening titles,
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00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,276
when there will be lights,
there'll be music,
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00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,460
and, again, purely theoretically,
no pressure on this audience,
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00:04:47,439 --> 00:04:49,600
at least some sporadic laughter.
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And now, this !
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Welcome to "Last Week Tonight" !
I'm John Oliver.
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Thank you so much for joining us.
It has been a busy week.
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RFK Jr. announced he's running
for president as an independent,
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00:05:26,199 --> 00:05:27,355
Jada Pinkett Smith
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00:05:27,439 --> 00:05:30,755
revealed that she and Will
have been separated since 2016,
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00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:32,235
and Senator Bob Menendez
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00:05:32,319 --> 00:05:36,160
found himself in what's known in
the legal world as "even deeper shit".
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But we're going to focus on what's
been happening on Capitol Hill.
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It's now been a week
and a half since eight representatives
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staged a coup
against Kevin McCarthy,
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00:05:44,439 --> 00:05:47,115
and ever since, the party's been
struggling to pick a new speaker.
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00:05:47,199 --> 00:05:49,516
Steve Scalise
won a secret ballot on Wednesday
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00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,036
to be put forward
for a vote as speaker,
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00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:53,716
only to withdraw
the following day,
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after it became clear that he wouldn't
be able to win a majority,
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and one notable House member
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summed up why he personally
could never vote for Scalise.
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00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,795
{\an8}I've reached out numerous times
to Congressman Scalise,
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00:06:04,879 --> 00:06:07,995
{\an8}and me reaching out and asking him
for guidance and his leadership
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00:06:08,079 --> 00:06:09,675
{\an8}and him not reaching back out,
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00:06:09,759 --> 00:06:11,959
{\an8}that's a dereliction
of his duty as a leader,
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{\an8}so I'm not voting for somebody who
lacks fundamental leadership skills.
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{\an8}- Is he snubbing you ?
- I don't know, I don't care, frankly.
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Are you sure about that ?
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'Cause it really seems
like it's because Scalise snubbed you.
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Santos saying "I don't care"
in a tone that makes it clear
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00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,079
he absolutely cares
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00:06:29,639 --> 00:06:32,195
might be the most transparent lie
that he's ever told.
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Which is saying something,
because this is a man who said
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he was a star volleyball player
at a college he didn't even go to,
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00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,235
and said nine/11 claimed his mother's life
even though records
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show she wasn't in New York
and she died in 2016.
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For George Santos,
an almost clinically chaotic man,
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to decide that you don't have
fundamental leadership skills
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is truly damning.
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Republicans met behind closed doors
to try and pick a leader.
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Although glimpses of chaos
kept leaking into public view,
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like when one representative was seen
bringing a lasso into the session.
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And you know things are messy
when a U.S. congresswoman
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walks down the hallway
with some horse equipment
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00:07:11,279 --> 00:07:14,759
and all anyone can say is
"That's not important right now !"
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Representative Nancy Mace,
one of the eight who ousted McCarthy,
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00:07:19,319 --> 00:07:23,600
showed up wearing a red A,
and offered an incoherent explanation.
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{\an8}I'm wearing the scarlet letter after
the week that I just had last week,
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{\an8}being a woman up here and being
demonized for my vote and for my voice.
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{\an8}I'm here to let the rest of the world
know, and the country know,
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{\an8}I'm on the side of the people.
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{\an8}I'm not on the side
of the establishment.
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{\an8}I'm gonna to do the right thing every
time, no matter the consequences,
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{\an8}'cause I don't answer
to anybody in D.C.,
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{\an8}I don't answer to anyone in Washington,
I only answer to the people.
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Wait !
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What do you think "The Scarlet Letter"
is about ?
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And nobody help her,
let Nancy answer !
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I want to hear exactly
what she thinks
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the 19th century novel
"The Scarlet Letter" is about.
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Do you think Hester Prynne
had to wear a scarlet A
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because she girlbossed too hard
for puritanical New England ?
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I'm just saying,
maybe read a book,
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before you try and compare yourself
to its protagonist.
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There's a reason that I wouldn't say
I'm like Christian Grey
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because I also wear a suit.
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That's not what the book is about.
Let's be honest, this suit wears me.
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It wasn't just Mace and Santos,
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lots of members
were talking shit to the press,
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with one comparing discussions
to a "marriage counseling session"
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and another likening the party's antics
to the TV show "House of Cards".
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Which I guess is true, in that
it was kind of fun to watch at first,
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but now I'm just exhausted by it.
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There's actually another way in which
this drama is like "House of Cards",
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and it involves something one
of its key protagonists, Matt Gaetz,
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has in common with Kevin Spacey.
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Sadly, my lawyers told me
that I can't say what it is.
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But I can think it.
And so can all of you.
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And to hear some frustrated
House members tell it,
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the fundamental problem
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is that their party as a whole
is now set up to reward bad behavior.
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{\an8}These guys
want to be in the minority.
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{\an8}I think they would prefer that,
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{\an8}because they can just vote no
and yell and scream all the time.
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{\an8}And, but governing,
you've got to work together.
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{\an8}It's a tough scenario,
but there are people in there
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{\an8}that are honorably
trying to get to the right place,
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{\an8}and then there are people in there,
as you know, that like to go on the TV
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{\an8}and are not necessarily negotiating
for anything other than TV time.
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{\an8}- How does that make you guys look ?
- Like a bunch of idiots.
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You're right.
You do look like idiots !
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And the fact that some of your members
are dressing like they decided
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they were going to a Halloween party
20 minutes ago isn't helping things.
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00:09:42,799 --> 00:09:46,116
But those incentives they mentioned
aren't just at the national level.
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As the AP pointed out this week,
"internal conflicts and power struggles
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have become hallmarks
of the modern GOP",
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right down to the state
and local levels.
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In Ohio,
Democrats had to cross party lines
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to end a standoff over who would
become speaker of the House.
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In Texas, this week,
the Republican attorney general
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suggested he'd request criminal charges
against members of his own party,
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00:10:06,919 --> 00:10:10,636
who incidentally led an impeachment
trial against him last month.
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00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:12,236
And in Michigan,
back in July,
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a state Republican party meeting
devolved into violence,
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00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,250
with this county chair getting
into a brawl with a party delegate.
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Surveillance video from the hotel
doesn't capture the initial encounter,
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{\an8}but it does show the melee
moving into the hallway
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{\an8}as DeYoung
falls hard on his back.
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{\an8}He told police his dentures
were damaged during the fracas.
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00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:34,276
{\an8}I literally opened the door,
and he kicked me in my crotch.
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{\an8}I didn't even have a second.
I didn't have a second.
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Yeah, he was kicked in the balls.
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00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:43,636
I know that's the eye-catching part
of this story,
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00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:47,240
but don't sleep on "his dentures
were damaged during the fracas".
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Which I assume is something
that will be said verbatim
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00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:53,000
after the fantasy suite episode
of "The Golden Bachelor".
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00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,675
This sort of chaotic
Republican infighting
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is now a firmly entrenched pattern.
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00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:03,675
Back in Washington, Jim Jordan
was nominated to be speaker on Friday,
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00:11:03,759 --> 00:11:07,595
but most people think he's unlikely
to get the necessary votes, either,
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00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:09,195
meaning we are left
without a speaker,
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00:11:09,279 --> 00:11:12,435
a position absolutely vital
to a functioning government.
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00:11:12,519 --> 00:11:15,319
But I guess this is what happens
when a party, for years,
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00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,279
simply refuses to keep
its extremist factions in check.
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00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:22,236
The sad fact is, many current
Republicans, at every level,
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00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,955
don't seem to want to serve
in government at all,
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00:11:25,039 --> 00:11:28,559
they want to dismantle it
and stand atop the rubble for a TV hit.
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00:11:29,039 --> 00:11:32,315
That is the key reason why,
as of taping, any hopes
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00:11:32,399 --> 00:11:36,159
of an orderly transition of power
from one House speaker to another
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00:11:36,519 --> 00:11:40,480
have been, much like this Michigan
GOP county chair's testicles,
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00:11:41,159 --> 00:11:42,720
humiliatingly crushed.
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00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:44,799
And now, this !
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00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:46,876
And Now:
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00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:50,679
Jim Cramer Is Totally
Untroubled By His Haters.
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00:11:51,399 --> 00:11:53,795
{\an8}Getting it right
means making logical decisions,
217
00:11:53,879 --> 00:11:56,179
{\an8}even when they fly
in the face of your beliefs.
218
00:11:56,279 --> 00:11:59,795
{\an8}That's tough to do, especially
when you're doing it in public as I do,
219
00:11:59,879 --> 00:12:03,236
{\an8}and you've got a legion of haters
who frankly wish you'd quit.
220
00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:06,955
{\an8}I love the haters. I wouldn't be
doing this if it weren't for them.
221
00:12:07,039 --> 00:12:08,589
{\an8}I would've gone down years ago.
222
00:12:08,639 --> 00:12:12,675
{\an8}I am a spiteful,
driven guy to the haters,
223
00:12:12,759 --> 00:12:14,756
{\an8}and everyone in my personal life
knows that.
224
00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:16,916
{\an8}To all the haters out there,
first of all, hi, haters.
225
00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:18,039
{\an8}Hi, haters !
226
00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,276
{\an8}The haters
are coming out of the woodwork.
227
00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:22,435
{\an8}In your face, haters.
Haters gonna hate, right ?
228
00:12:22,519 --> 00:12:25,369
{\an8}Even my haters say I got this right.
Must just crush them.
229
00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:27,220
{\an8}I ain't got no haters anymore.
230
00:12:27,279 --> 00:12:30,429
{\an8}I've got people I converted to people
who don't like me as much.
231
00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:34,200
{\an8}I don't fear the haters. Perhaps,
it should be the other way around.
232
00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,600
{\an8}David, if all I cared about
were people who hated me,
233
00:12:38,159 --> 00:12:41,156
{\an8}then you know what, I would be
under that table just saying:
234
00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:43,440
{\an8} "What do you want, David ?"
I'd be a lap dog.
235
00:12:43,919 --> 00:12:46,619
{\an8}- No, that's not gonna happen.
- No. I'm not a lap dog.
236
00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:49,356
{\an8}- Don't you worry about the haters.
- You'd be feeding me Purina.
237
00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,240
{\an8}- Yeah. I would.
- No. Maybe Kittles.
238
00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:54,555
{\an8}- You like Kittles ?
- I do.
239
00:12:54,639 --> 00:12:57,435
{\an8}- Maybe Blue Buff from General Mills.
- That's very healthy.
240
00:12:57,519 --> 00:13:00,835
{\an8}Or Chewy. You could send me...
I'd be an automatic Chewy.
241
00:13:00,919 --> 00:13:05,279
{\an8}- You could put me right down there.
- Let's get to an Opening Bell.
242
00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,279
Moving on.
Our main story tonight concerns food.
243
00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:15,679
Whether you're a vegan, a carnivore,
or somewhere in between,
244
00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:18,759
all of it is either ripped
from its home or dies screaming.
245
00:13:19,399 --> 00:13:20,440
Food is fun !
246
00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:23,636
Specifically, we're going
to talk about food safety.
247
00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,595
A vital component of public health,
as demonstrated by this old PSA
248
00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:31,029
about a military base having to deal
with an outbreak of salmonella.
249
00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,759
At midnight, about 40 of us
in the duty section got a light meal.
250
00:13:35,639 --> 00:13:38,839
It was just about this time that things
were beginning to happen.
251
00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:41,000
It began like this.
252
00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:45,590
At first, a few of the men who
weren't in the duty section got sick.
253
00:13:47,799 --> 00:13:49,120
And it got steadily worse.
254
00:13:49,799 --> 00:13:52,399
Vomiting, abdominal pains,
and diarrhea.
255
00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:55,570
It was hard to tell
which caused the most trouble.
256
00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:00,440
Except it isn't, because diarrhea
causes the most trouble.
257
00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:02,636
There is no doubt about that.
258
00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:04,195
If you had to choose
between those three symptoms,
259
00:14:04,279 --> 00:14:06,600
diarrhea is dead last,
every single time.
260
00:14:07,279 --> 00:14:11,435
Abdominal pains, not fun.
But sometimes your tummy hurts.
261
00:14:11,519 --> 00:14:15,159
Vomiting, awful, but at least you can
somewhat control the trajectory.
262
00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,279
It is possible
to daintily vomit in public.
263
00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:22,315
But there is absolutely no way
to retain any shred of dignity
264
00:14:22,399 --> 00:14:24,879
once you have shat yourself,
it is game over.
265
00:14:25,559 --> 00:14:26,756
You can't come back from that.
266
00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:29,480
You're basically an animal,
you live at the zoo now.
267
00:14:31,159 --> 00:14:35,075
You've probably experienced
getting sick from food at some point.
268
00:14:35,159 --> 00:14:37,036
It happens a lot.
Every year,
269
00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:40,795
an estimated 46 million Americans
are sickened by foodborne illnesses,
270
00:14:40,879 --> 00:14:45,279
and of them, 128,000 are hospitalized,
and about 3,000 die.
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00:14:45,799 --> 00:14:49,636
It is in the public interest to try
and prevent any of that from happening,
272
00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,370
which is why, so often, you'll turn on
the TV and see stories like these !
273
00:14:53,879 --> 00:14:55,629
{\an8}Kraft Heinz
has voluntarily recalled
274
00:14:55,679 --> 00:14:59,756
{\an8}7.000 cases of Taco Bell salsa
con queso mild cheese dip
275
00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:01,435
{\an8}out of botulism concerns.
276
00:15:01,519 --> 00:15:05,080
{\an8}An expanded recall of peaches
linked to a salmonella outbreak.
277
00:15:05,399 --> 00:15:08,799
{\an8}Several Jif peanut butter products
are being pulled from the shelves.
278
00:15:08,879 --> 00:15:12,480
{\an8}Stores cannot sell this cereal legally
because of this recall.
279
00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,840
{\an8}If you have the Honey Smacks
in your pantry, please throw it out.
280
00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,795
So, couple of things there.
On the first one, honestly,
281
00:15:20,879 --> 00:15:23,756
I'd always assumed
that all Taco Bell jarred products
282
00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:25,040
could give you botulism.
283
00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,320
You want the spice, you roll the dice.
Everyone understands that.
284
00:15:28,759 --> 00:15:31,116
And as for
"throw out your Honey Smacks",
285
00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,236
that's pretty good advice
even when there's not a recall.
286
00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:38,595
Look at this shit ! It looks
like maggots glazed with sugar.
287
00:15:38,679 --> 00:15:41,479
And that's without getting
into the mascot. Who is this ?
288
00:15:42,279 --> 00:15:44,075
Cereal mascots
are supposed to be charming,
289
00:15:44,159 --> 00:15:47,595
whether they're a cultural stereotype
that this accent doesn't get to enjoy,
290
00:15:47,679 --> 00:15:50,039
or an inappropriately sexy tiger,
but this ?
291
00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:53,396
This is nothing.
Why does your shirt say "dig 'em ?"
292
00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:57,440
Dig what ? The Honey Smacks ?
Absolutely not, you amphibian pervert.
293
00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:02,795
When you see stories like those,
you would assume that the government
294
00:16:02,879 --> 00:16:05,276
is constantly on the lookout
for potentially dangerous food.
295
00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,835
But it's become increasingly clear
that our food safety system,
296
00:16:08,919 --> 00:16:11,276
in particular,
the Food and Drug Administration,
297
00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:14,559
which oversees most of it,
has some serious shortcomings.
298
00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:17,795
In 2016, an audit
done by the agency itself
299
00:16:17,879 --> 00:16:21,475
found unacceptable delays in getting
dangerous food off the shelves,
300
00:16:21,559 --> 00:16:23,116
finding that in 30 recalls,
301
00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:27,756
it took an average of 57 days
from when the FDA was notified.
302
00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,090
And the author of that report
acknowledged that was a big problem.
303
00:16:31,399 --> 00:16:34,899
{\an8}Unless you get all the product
off the shelf, people still are at risk.
304
00:16:35,399 --> 00:16:37,756
If you are playing Russian roulette,
you took all the bullets out of the gun
305
00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:39,795
and you put it to your head,
there's no risk.
306
00:16:39,879 --> 00:16:41,475
But if there's still
a couple of bullets left in there,
307
00:16:41,559 --> 00:16:44,059
you're still playing Russian roulette,
aren't you ?
308
00:16:45,879 --> 00:16:50,156
That is an alarmingly apt metaphor for
the current safety of our food supply.
309
00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,116
Although, real quick,
if you are playing Russian roulette
310
00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:55,396
and you take all the bullets
out of the gun,
311
00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:58,630
for what it's worth, you are no longer
playing Russian roulette.
312
00:16:58,919 --> 00:17:01,116
You're in a community
theater production of "The Seagull".
313
00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:05,079
I had to leave at intermission,
but you were so good !
314
00:17:06,759 --> 00:17:10,316
The FDA's shortcomings
were badly exposed last year,
315
00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:14,755
when Abbott, a company that makes
40% of this country's baby formula,
316
00:17:14,839 --> 00:17:17,755
shut down its factory
over serious safety violations,
317
00:17:17,839 --> 00:17:21,559
violations that the FDA clearly
should've acted on much sooner.
318
00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,799
{\an8}A sign of trouble came last September
in a report to the FDA.
319
00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:29,480
{\an8}An infant who became ill
with a rare bacterial infection
320
00:17:29,839 --> 00:17:32,559
{\an8}had consumed formula
made at the Abbott plant.
321
00:17:33,039 --> 00:17:35,235
{\an8}In October,
an Abbott whistleblower
322
00:17:35,319 --> 00:17:38,515
{\an8}sent FDA officials
this 34-page document
323
00:17:38,599 --> 00:17:42,475
{\an8}alleging that "lax practices,
including regulatory violations,
324
00:17:42,559 --> 00:17:44,396
{\an8}were consistently overlooked".
325
00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:47,755
{\an8}It wasn't until January 31st
that the FDA
326
00:17:47,839 --> 00:17:50,400
{\an8}sent a team to the Abbott facility
to investigate.
327
00:17:50,839 --> 00:17:52,755
{\an8}There, they found evidence
of bacteria
328
00:17:52,839 --> 00:17:55,235
{\an8}in a powdered
infant formula environment
329
00:17:55,319 --> 00:17:57,000
{\an8}that can be deadly to infants.
330
00:17:57,799 --> 00:17:59,995
It's true,
the FDA took four months
331
00:18:00,079 --> 00:18:03,275
from their first sign something
was wrong to do a follow-up inspection.
332
00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:07,319
And at that point, at least four babies
had been hospitalized, and two died.
333
00:18:07,839 --> 00:18:10,739
Even an internal FDA report
afterwards concluded the agency
334
00:18:10,759 --> 00:18:12,916
had "systemic vulnerabilities",
335
00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,596
and a much more scathing
outside audit faulted them
336
00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:19,000
for "lack of communication
and engagement across the agency".
337
00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,559
But the truth is, "Scathing Report
Finds Fault with the FDA"
338
00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:24,759
is just not a new story.
339
00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,400
It has happened again and again,
340
00:18:28,039 --> 00:18:31,440
you can find similar reports
in 2010, 1991,
341
00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,319
and even this one,
from back in 1969.
342
00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:36,435
The American consumer
343
00:18:36,519 --> 00:18:40,160
is surrounded by an arsenal of products
which can kill or maim him.
344
00:18:40,559 --> 00:18:42,356
The Food and Drug Administration
345
00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,480
has neither the money
nor the authority to do much about it.
346
00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,035
That's the gist
of a confidential report
347
00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:50,319
prepared by seven senior members
of the FDA.
348
00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:53,916
That is Walter Cronkite
flagging the state of the FDA
349
00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,240
as a serious problem
half a century ago.
350
00:18:56,599 --> 00:18:59,076
And if something
that he reported on is still an issue,
351
00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:00,836
you know you've got a problem.
352
00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:05,156
I'm just saying, if JFK was still
regularly getting shot in Dallas,
353
00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:08,540
you'd really hope somebody would've
done something about it by now.
354
00:19:09,079 --> 00:19:12,116
But given that we've known
the way the FDA regulates food
355
00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:14,359
is some version of fucked
for decades,
356
00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:19,515
tonight, let's talk about why that is,
and why it's been so hard to fix.
357
00:19:19,599 --> 00:19:24,275
Despite the FDA standing
for Food and Drug Administration,
358
00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,916
the two parts of that are not given
remotely equal weight.
359
00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:29,759
Drugs are prioritized heavily.
360
00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:33,069
"FDA commissioners almost always
come from the medical side,
361
00:19:33,079 --> 00:19:35,675
and have almost no experience
with food issues."
362
00:19:35,759 --> 00:19:38,559
Apparently, it's a "long-running joke
among FDA officials
363
00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:40,960
that the F in FDA is silent",
364
00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,435
Its own staff,
including some FDA commissioners,
365
00:19:44,519 --> 00:19:48,396
have been known to slip up and call it
the "Federal Drug Administration".
366
00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:53,119
There's only two things to remember
in the name: food and drugs.
367
00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,636
If you need a helpful mnemonic for it,
remember this simple phrase:
368
00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,960
"food and drugs",
it's two fucking words.
369
00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:07,076
Also, the FDA doesn't actually oversee
the safety of all food in the U.S.
370
00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,955
It oversees around 80% of it,
but the remaining 20%
371
00:20:11,039 --> 00:20:15,035
largely falls under the USDA's
Food Safety and Inspection Service.
372
00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:19,039
And the division of responsibilities
can get maddeningly complicated.
373
00:20:19,519 --> 00:20:24,195
While the USDA oversees beef,
poultry, and some egg products,
374
00:20:24,279 --> 00:20:26,039
and the FDA oversees the rest,
375
00:20:26,599 --> 00:20:30,759
in practice, where the exact lines
get drawn can get ridiculous.
376
00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:36,796
{\an8}Take a look at this. Beef broth, made
in a plant regulated by the USDA,
377
00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:38,400
{\an8}which inspects every day.
378
00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:43,000
{\an8}But chicken broth,
made in a plant regulated by the FDA,
379
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,636
{\an8}which is inspected
once every five years.
380
00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:50,559
{\an8}In the frozen food aisle,
cheese pizza is regulated by the FDA.
381
00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,880
{\an8}Pepperoni pizza ?
That's the USDA.
382
00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:59,599
{\an8}The fish ? That's FDA,
except one, catfish, that's USDA.
383
00:21:00,559 --> 00:21:01,959
Yeah, it's pretty confusing.
384
00:21:02,039 --> 00:21:06,195
It can be very difficult to guess which
agency oversees which kinds of food.
385
00:21:06,279 --> 00:21:08,556
For example: eggs in their shells ?
FDA.
386
00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:12,116
Eggs processed into egg products ?
USDA.
387
00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:14,960
The feed that egg-laying hens eat ?
FDA again.
388
00:21:15,519 --> 00:21:17,599
Open-faced meat sandwich ?
USDA.
389
00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:21,079
But closed-faced meat sandwich ?
That's FDA.
390
00:21:21,759 --> 00:21:24,515
And if you make a half-cheese,
half-pepperoni pizza
391
00:21:24,599 --> 00:21:28,000
and then put an egg on top,
the whole government explodes.
392
00:21:33,599 --> 00:21:36,396
That fractured structure
393
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:39,636
can create a lot of cracks
for problems to fall into.
394
00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:41,836
Then, there are the funding issues.
395
00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,680
Because despite the fact the FDA
oversees, remember, 80% of food,
396
00:21:46,039 --> 00:21:47,195
they and the USDA
397
00:21:47,279 --> 00:21:51,275
"receive close to the same amount
of funding for food safety oversight",
398
00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:55,039
Meaning that the FDA has to make
the same budget go four times as far.
399
00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,000
On top of that, the FDA's job
is actually much more complex.
400
00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:03,995
While the USDA's work is concentrated
in large meat-processing plants,
401
00:22:04,079 --> 00:22:06,720
of which we have relatively few,
around 800,
402
00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:11,076
the FDA's purview includes
about 35.000 produce farms,
403
00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:14,156
300.000 restaurant chain
establishments,
404
00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:16,836
10.500 vending machine operators,
405
00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,759
and roughly 275.000
food processing facilities,
406
00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,160
more than half of which
are overseas.
407
00:22:22,799 --> 00:22:27,279
The FDA is spread extremely thin,
and the USDA isn't.
408
00:22:27,599 --> 00:22:30,599
And this discrepancy
helps explain a shocking fact
409
00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,796
that came to light after that
baby formula incident last year,
410
00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:36,680
regarding the size of the FDA team
411
00:22:37,039 --> 00:22:39,889
that is tasked with overseeing
those particular factories.
412
00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:41,715
{\an8}It's a total of nine people
413
00:22:41,799 --> 00:22:45,000
{\an8}who are focused on infant formula
at the FDA in the budget.
414
00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,515
{\an8}We got an additional four people
allocated last year.
415
00:22:48,599 --> 00:22:50,499
{\an8}But we're going to need
more than that.
416
00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:55,356
The entire department overseeing
infant formula was just nine people.
417
00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:56,876
That is just not enough !
418
00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:00,880
This show has four interns,
and we need all of them !
419
00:23:01,559 --> 00:23:04,480
But the stakes of their jobs
are just not nearly as high.
420
00:23:04,799 --> 00:23:06,515
Their only life-or-death duty
421
00:23:06,599 --> 00:23:10,235
is making sure that Mr. Nutterbutter
never gets out of his cage.
422
00:23:10,319 --> 00:23:14,079
Shit ! Everybody stay
incredibly still.
423
00:23:15,599 --> 00:23:18,195
So, clearly, some of the FDA's
issues come from without,
424
00:23:18,279 --> 00:23:19,929
in how it's structured
and funded.
425
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:21,876
But some of its problems
come from within,
426
00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:23,836
like the fact that even
by government standards,
427
00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:25,960
it has an infamously slow
bureaucracy.
428
00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:29,940
Take this very specific announcement
that they made at the end of 2020.
429
00:23:30,599 --> 00:23:34,435
{\an8}A shakeup for French dressing fans.
The Food and Drug Administration
430
00:23:34,519 --> 00:23:37,995
{\an8}is proposing removing ingredient
requirements for the salad dressing
431
00:23:38,079 --> 00:23:41,359
{\an8}at the request of the
Association for Dressings and Sauces.
432
00:23:41,759 --> 00:23:46,316
{\an8}Dressing must include vinegar, oil,
and lemon or lime
433
00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:47,950
{\an8}in order to be called "French".
434
00:23:48,319 --> 00:23:50,596
I know that was
about an FDA ruling.
435
00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:52,796
But the only thing that I'm thinking
about after watching that clip
436
00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:55,160
is the Association
for Dressings and Sauces.
437
00:23:55,519 --> 00:23:57,396
I now want to know
everything about them.
438
00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:00,195
I'm guessing ranch and barbecue sauce
are the heavyweights there.
439
00:24:00,279 --> 00:24:01,916
Mayo too, obviously.
440
00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,100
And then there's probably turmoil
over the hot young newcomers:
441
00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:08,755
truffle ketchup, green goddess
dressing, all the flashy stuff.
442
00:24:08,839 --> 00:24:11,889
But who do you think the black
sheep of the organization are ?
443
00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:15,116
Worcestershire ? Maybe some
of the more fucked up mustards ?
444
00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:18,755
This is the only thing
I'm interested in talking about now.
445
00:24:18,839 --> 00:24:22,916
Any time I'm talking about something
else, 90% of my brain is still focused
446
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,515
on the Association
for Dressings and Sauces.
447
00:24:25,599 --> 00:24:27,755
But the point of showing you
that clip is that the FDA
448
00:24:27,839 --> 00:24:29,556
made that announcement
at the end of 2020,
449
00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:33,475
after my new favorite trade group
asked them to do something
450
00:24:33,559 --> 00:24:37,680
about the definition
of French dressing, back in 1998.
451
00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:39,796
And when they announced
the decision,
452
00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:43,030
they didn't even explain why
it took them more than two decades,
453
00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:46,209
spanning one nine/11,
and the dissolution of the Spice Girls,
454
00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:48,119
to arrive at that decision.
455
00:24:48,839 --> 00:24:51,195
But all of this dysfunction
has real consequences.
456
00:24:51,279 --> 00:24:55,119
Because it's not just baby formula
or Honey Smacks that can cause illness.
457
00:24:55,720 --> 00:25:00,160
One of the biggest vulnerabilities
has to do with leafy greens.
458
00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:05,636
They are overseen by the FDA, and are
a major source of food contamination.
459
00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:07,636
And one of the key reasons for that
460
00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:10,636
is that large industrial farms
have become more common,
461
00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:14,675
with livestock raised extremely
close to where crops are being grown,
462
00:25:14,759 --> 00:25:17,160
and sometimes even
sharing a water source.
463
00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,519
And that, as this expert explains,
can be a real issue.
464
00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:24,475
How we raise animals can fuel
the growth of these bugs.
465
00:25:24,559 --> 00:25:26,319
If we crowd the animals together
466
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:30,836
and you have one that's carrying
a bad pathogen like E. coli O157,
467
00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:36,960
then they can poop those bacteria out,
and then the shit from the cattle
468
00:25:38,079 --> 00:25:42,519
washes off into the streams
or into canals, irrigation canals.
469
00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:46,040
{\an8}And then those can be used
to water these plants.
470
00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:50,916
We have this distribution system
for these pathogens
471
00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:52,720
from animals to produce.
472
00:25:53,759 --> 00:25:56,995
There are a lot of excellent production
choices in that documentary,
473
00:25:57,079 --> 00:26:00,680
including deciding to both
cinematically shoot a cow shitting,
474
00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:03,755
and allow someone
to say the word "shit".
475
00:26:03,839 --> 00:26:05,156
I support that choice.
476
00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:07,876
You can keep your little pleasantries
like "feces" and "manure",
477
00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:09,356
but it's cow shit !
478
00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:13,190
Call it what it is. We know it when we
see it, if not always when we eat it.
479
00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:18,156
But the point is, that shit
can go from the animals, into water,
480
00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:20,876
which is then sprayed
directly onto the lettuce.
481
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,556
And given the growth
in boxed and bagged salads,
482
00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:28,556
one head of contaminated lettuce can
get spread out across a lot of people.
483
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:29,876
And while, with meat,
484
00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,076
you can kill off a lot of the pathogens
simply through the act of cooking it,
485
00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:37,400
with produce like leafy greens,
your options are more limited.
486
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,675
Rinsing fruits and vegetables
is always a good idea,
487
00:26:40,759 --> 00:26:44,119
but health experts say
E. coli isn't easily washed away.
488
00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:48,720
{\an8}A professor who used to say "You can't
sterilize lettuce with a blowtorch".
489
00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:53,550
That is a striking thing
for your professor to have said to you.
490
00:26:53,599 --> 00:26:55,755
Although, to be fair,
it's technically not true,
491
00:26:55,839 --> 00:26:59,319
because you obviously can sterilize
lettuce with a blowtorch.
492
00:26:59,839 --> 00:27:02,240
And the reason I know that is,
just watch me !
493
00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:08,356
I'm not saying this is a good idea,
or that it tastes good afterwards,
494
00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:12,319
I'm saying you clearly can sterilize
lettuce with a blowtorch.
495
00:27:13,799 --> 00:27:14,799
Facts matter.
496
00:27:19,079 --> 00:27:22,195
And all of this
would make you hope
497
00:27:22,279 --> 00:27:25,556
that our produce is as thoroughly
inspected as our beef,
498
00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:27,275
but the opposite is the case.
499
00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:31,039
While there are over 7,000 workers
overseeing beef for the USDA,
500
00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:36,319
there are 614 FDA field investigators
responsible for leafy greens.
501
00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:39,570
And I would say that this is
a disaster waiting to happen,
502
00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:42,240
except it already has happened,
and repeatedly.
503
00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,836
In 2018, an E. coli outbreak
in leafy greens
504
00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:50,195
sickened 240 people and killed five
across 36 states.
505
00:27:50,279 --> 00:27:53,715
Later that same fall,
a different E. coli outbreak hit,
506
00:27:53,799 --> 00:27:56,356
again in leafy greens,
507
00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:58,916
but the FDA was so tied up
dealing with the first one
508
00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:00,995
that an FDA executive
wrote to his colleagues
509
00:28:01,079 --> 00:28:03,079
"I have no resources to deploy".
510
00:28:03,839 --> 00:28:05,076
It's a little disconcerting
511
00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:07,710
that messages from a modern
public health department
512
00:28:07,759 --> 00:28:10,160
sound a lot like missives
from the Civil War.
513
00:28:11,279 --> 00:28:13,596
And as this
food safety expert explains,
514
00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:16,000
all of that leads
to a truly striking truth.
515
00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:18,440
{\an8}When you eat a hamburger,
516
00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,240
{\an8}the most dangerous part
of that is not the burger.
517
00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:26,440
{\an8}It's going to be the onion,
lettuce, and the tomatoes.
518
00:28:27,319 --> 00:28:28,969
That's not great to hear, is it ?
519
00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:30,836
I don't want to live in a world
520
00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:32,955
where lettuce, onion, and tomatoes
are dangerous,
521
00:28:33,039 --> 00:28:36,759
and I don't want to live in a world
where going to Panera is edgy.
522
00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,076
Panera is, and should always be,
a milquetoast suburban destination
523
00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:44,160
where women in their 50s gossip,
girls in their teens gossip,
524
00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:47,599
and one very old man eats a bagel
over the course of three hours.
525
00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:49,680
Panera should not be edgy,
526
00:28:50,079 --> 00:28:53,195
but as the FDA seems to have turned
a Greek salad into a loaded gun,
527
00:28:53,279 --> 00:28:54,680
I guess it fucking is now.
528
00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:59,515
So, it should be clear a massive
overhaul is needed here.
529
00:28:59,599 --> 00:29:02,960
And you should know,
overhauls in food safety can happen !
530
00:29:03,559 --> 00:29:06,796
It happened
to the USDA 30 years ago,
531
00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:09,515
after undercooked hamburgers
at Jack in the Box restaurants
532
00:29:09,599 --> 00:29:12,759
led to "one of the worst
E. coli outbreaks in U.S. history".
533
00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:16,955
Four children died during that,
something that, just as a side note,
534
00:29:17,039 --> 00:29:20,759
Jack in the Box executives at the time
could've handled with more tact.
535
00:29:21,279 --> 00:29:23,429
The company's president
says Jack in the Box
536
00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,080
will pay all medical expenses
for those who got sick,
537
00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:30,240
and he urged customers to come back
to avert another blow to the company.
538
00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:35,640
{\an8}And that second tragedy
would be loss of jobs.
539
00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:41,235
That is a shitty response.
How is it the customer's responsibility
540
00:29:41,319 --> 00:29:44,039
to keep your employees
from losing their jobs ?
541
00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:49,000
If we accidentally killed four people
during one of our stupid explosions,
542
00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:51,876
I wouldn't be begging you
to keep watching our show.
543
00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:53,460
I'd be getting sent to prison.
544
00:29:53,519 --> 00:29:56,569
Except I'm kidding, rich white
celebrities don't go to prison.
545
00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:00,170
Felicity Huffman took one for
the whole team, so now we're square.
546
00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:04,515
The point is, after Jack in the Box,
there was a public outcry,
547
00:30:04,599 --> 00:30:06,880
prompting a major overhaul
to the USDA.
548
00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:12,039
The FDA almost had a similar
moment back in the late aughts.
549
00:30:12,359 --> 00:30:14,359
There were a series
of horrific outbreaks
550
00:30:14,359 --> 00:30:16,596
in peanut butter,
spinach, and other foods.
551
00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:20,596
And in response, Congress passed
the Food Safety Modernization Act,
552
00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,876
which gave the FDA sweeping
new powers to regulate food.
553
00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,796
And at the time, everyone thought
this was a pretty big deal.
554
00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:30,519
{\an8}Today, President Obama signs
a bill for the first major overhaul
555
00:30:30,839 --> 00:30:33,440
{\an8}of the U.S. food safety system
in almost a century.
556
00:30:33,799 --> 00:30:35,636
{\an8}It will give
the Food and Drug Administration
557
00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:38,515
{\an8}new powers
to force mandatory recalls
558
00:30:38,599 --> 00:30:40,556
{\an8}when food borne illness
or other hazards
559
00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:42,636
{\an8}are found
in the U.S. food supply.
560
00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:47,079
{\an8}If this law is a huge success, a lot of
that success is going to be invisible.
561
00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,880
{\an8}You are not going to be seeing
as many people sick.
562
00:30:51,519 --> 00:30:52,916
Yeah ! It sounded great !
563
00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:57,035
Except if all of that had happened,
I wouldn't be doing this story now.
564
00:30:57,119 --> 00:31:00,876
We'd be back to our regularly scheduled
programming of hamster loneliness
565
00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:03,039
or fuckin' trout gout.
566
00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:07,670
Spoiler alert: it's more common than
you think, and Congress refuses to act.
567
00:31:08,279 --> 00:31:11,356
There were two small problems, though,
with the Food Safety Modernization Act.
568
00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:15,836
We didn't fund the FDA to do all the
new things that we'd asked it to do.
569
00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:19,359
And the agency was still hamstrung
by its glacial bureaucracy.
570
00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:21,876
For instance, the law mandated
that the FDA come up
571
00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,876
with a standard for water
being used in agriculture,
572
00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:26,596
a way to keep your salad
573
00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:29,720
from getting lightly misted
with microscopic cow shit.
574
00:31:30,079 --> 00:31:34,720
It's 12 years later, and it still
hasn't produced a final rule.
575
00:31:35,359 --> 00:31:38,076
They did, in December 2021,
unveil a proposed rule,
576
00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:42,079
but it had some problems, including
that it didn't mandate any testing.
577
00:31:42,559 --> 00:31:43,995
Onstead, it asked producer growers
578
00:31:44,079 --> 00:31:46,715
to identify and address
their own potential hazards.
579
00:31:46,799 --> 00:31:51,640
Which is less of a water standard
and more of a self-graded water quiz.
580
00:31:52,079 --> 00:31:53,636
While it would be great
581
00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:56,076
if businesses could be trusted
to keep themselves in check,
582
00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,440
but that's not generally
how things go.
583
00:31:58,799 --> 00:32:01,880
For a good example of this,
look at literally any business !
584
00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:06,675
Some people might argue that the FDA
simply needs to be funded better,
585
00:32:06,759 --> 00:32:08,796
and that its lines of authority
need to be clearer.
586
00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,730
And to be fair, there has been
some recent progress there.
587
00:32:12,039 --> 00:32:15,515
Just last month, they established
a new role at the agency,
588
00:32:15,599 --> 00:32:19,759
so one person could be in charge of
the FDA's entire food safety program.
589
00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:24,480
It's a bit incredible that that role
didn't exist until just now,
590
00:32:25,119 --> 00:32:26,519
but still, I will take it !
591
00:32:26,839 --> 00:32:30,759
The problem is, history strongly
suggests that it won't be enough.
592
00:32:31,319 --> 00:32:35,475
A much bolder plan would be
to break the FDA up completely,
593
00:32:35,559 --> 00:32:39,076
and in doing so, create a new agency
solely devoted to food.
594
00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,636
That's a big move, and one
likely to face significant resistance,
595
00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:44,316
and it would need to be done
very carefully.
596
00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:46,400
But I would argue
it might be worth it.
597
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,475
So many experts
we talked to for this story
598
00:32:49,559 --> 00:32:52,715
said that if we were to build
a food safety system from scratch,
599
00:32:52,799 --> 00:32:56,279
it'd look nothing like the fractured
system that we have today.
600
00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:59,116
And the fact is,
under the system we have right now,
601
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:03,240
future outbreaks aren't just possible,
they're absolutely inevitable.
602
00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:05,916
And I, for one,
do not want to live in a world
603
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:10,920
where the only 100% safe way
to prepare a very, very basic salad...
604
00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:13,599
Is this.
605
00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:17,200
And now, this !
606
00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:22,156
And Now:
Check Out the Sexual Tension
607
00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:26,359
Between Fox Business's Liz Claman
and Charlie Gasparino.
608
00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,316
{\an8}My DNA came back
from 23andMe.
609
00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:30,475
{\an8}Do you have some of us in you ?
610
00:33:30,559 --> 00:33:32,680
{\an8}- I am part of the tribe.
- Impossible.
611
00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:36,079
{\an8}- 60% Southern Italian.
- Okay.
612
00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:41,440
{\an8}- 30% Eastern European Jew.
- Now I know why I like you.
613
00:33:41,799 --> 00:33:44,556
{\an8}I went to a conference once
and I had Chick-fil-A. Delicious.
614
00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:47,275
{\an8}- That's very alluring.
- What's the other one ?
615
00:33:47,359 --> 00:33:49,960
{\an8}The other one I went
to that was excellent, Cinnabon.
616
00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:53,799
{\an8}We can start our own exchange.
Redhead exchange.
617
00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,755
{\an8}- That's right. Testerosa.
- You're called Big Red.
618
00:33:56,839 --> 00:33:59,235
{\an8}Your show is amazing. Why shouldn't
they give you a good review ?
619
00:33:59,319 --> 00:34:00,960
{\an8}Thank you. Good to see you.
620
00:34:01,839 --> 00:34:03,880
{\an8}Chris Hemsworth
and Scarlett Johansson...
621
00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:07,119
{\an8}Stop !
622
00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:09,159
{\an8}- I'm sorry.
- ... Cheating on me !
623
00:34:09,679 --> 00:34:12,196
{\an8}You're not here in studio.
Are you scared ?
624
00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:15,035
{\an8}- I'll be back tomorrow.
- I will scratch you.
625
00:34:15,119 --> 00:34:17,075
{\an8}I might get up at nine o'clock
and do this.
626
00:34:17,159 --> 00:34:18,756
{\an8}Baby. You scared ?
627
00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:21,475
{\an8}Get back in the studio tomorrow.
My goodness !
628
00:34:21,559 --> 00:34:23,356
{\an8}I'm just thinking about how good
it is to have you back.
629
00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:25,559
{\an8}Thank you.
How do you like my tan ?
630
00:34:28,599 --> 00:34:31,039
{\an8}I'm sorry,
did I talk past my time again ?
631
00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:33,515
{\an8}No, you did perfectly.
632
00:34:33,599 --> 00:34:36,899
{\an8}I figured you were the one person
around here that would know that.
633
00:34:37,599 --> 00:34:39,840
{\an8}- You fingered or you figured ?
- I figured.
634
00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:43,760
{\an8}- Thanks, Charlie. Great to see you.
- You want me to leave ?
635
00:34:46,679 --> 00:34:49,920
{\an8}Thanks so much for watching.
We'll see you next week !
59192
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