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How well did you pay attention to the news in 2023? It’s your chance to prove yourself on this end-of-the-year news quiz. Call in and win a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap if you answer questions correctly about local, national, and international news, plus pop culture, health and science, too. Weekend Edition host David Furst and All Of It's Alison Stewart join Brian to test your 2023 knowledge
Brian Lehrer: It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Michael Hill. Thank you, George Bodarky. Thanks to all of you who've donated this morning in our one-day pledge drive for the end of the year. We know people make your charitable donations, I know I do, right at the end of the year, so we're putting this in your way, just in case you want to keep WNYC on your list. Keep them coming. We have a dollar-for-dollar match in effect for The Brian Lehrer Show only today. Thank you for those.
Today, it's our annual end-of-year news quiz. Were you paying attention in 2023? Who wants to play? Our lines are now open at 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Get two in a row right and you will win bragging rights for your New Year's Eve party, those are important, and a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap. It's our chambray blue unisex baseball hat that I'm happy to say has proven very popular as a membership drive thank-you gift this year, but it'll be yours free, plus those priceless bragging rights, and feel free to use them, if you've been paying attention in 2023 and can answer two in a row right on our end-of-year news quiz. 212-433-WNYC. Give it a shot at 212-433-9692.
How's this going to go today? Well, I've got an opening set of national politics questions ready to go as soon as we get some players on the line. Still have some open lines, half are full, half are open. 212-433-WNYC. We'll have some local news ones as we go as well. We're adding two new features to our end-of-year news quiz this year that we think will be really fun.
Alison Stewart, culture maven extraordinaire, of course, will join us later for the arts and entertainment section of the quiz, and our weekend edition host, David Furst, will join us for a section of the quiz that we're introducing for the first time that we're calling Furst's Firsts, things that happened for the first time in 2023. Furst's Firsts coming up later this hour. Listeners, were you paying attention in 2023? Who wants to play for bragging rights and a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap? 212-433-WNYC. 212-433-9692.
Katie in Astoria, you're up first. Hey, Katie, welcome to WNYC. Happy New Year.
Katie: Hi, Happy New Year.
Brian Lehrer: The special counsel prosecuting Donald Trump for his January 6th activities is Jim Smith, Jack Smith, or John Smith?
Katie: Jack Smith.
Brian Lehrer: That's right, that's one. Now, Smith has charged Trump with three big things. Can you name any one of them fairly specifically? Not as easy as the first question.
Katie: Interrupting a congressional proceeding. Preventing a congressional proceeding from happening.
Brian Lehrer: Yes, I will say that is close enough, so cue up the trumpets, [trumpet sound] and you're our first caller, and you're our first winner of a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap, and bragging rights for your New Year's Eve party if you're going to a New Year's Eve party. Here are the three, Katie. One was conspiring to defraud the United States. Conspiring to disenfranchise voters was the second one. The one that you basically got right, conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding. There's where Congress comes in.
Katie, hang on. We're going to take your address, mailing address off the air, and we're going to go on next to Lydia in Brooklyn. Hi, Lydia. Happy New Year. Ready to play?
Lydia: Yes, sir. Happy New Year to you.
Brian Lehrer: All right. True or false, Fani Willis is an American tennis player who made it to the women's semifinals of the US Open in Queens this year. True or false?
Lydia: True.
Brian Lehrer: Oh, I'm sorry, Lydia. That is false. Fani Willis is the prosecutor in the Georgia election interference case against Trump and the others. Thanks for giving it a try. Hatim in Suffolk County, you're on WNYC. Happy New Year, Hatim.
Hatim: Happy New Year.
Brian Lehrer: Did you know Fani Willis?
Hatim: Yes, I did.
Brian Lehrer: Too bad. All right. Now, Trump faces all these criminal charges. 40 of them are from one well-known case, which one?
Hatim: The Washington DC one, with the documents?
Brian Lehrer: Ah, with the documents is right, the retention of classified documents. You were a little wrong because I think that's technically a Florida one, and the January 6th is Washington DC, but yes, you've got classified documents right. All right, for the baseball cap and the bragging rights. A little harder question, just this month, the New York Times and CNN reported that a 2,700-page binder of classified material went missing as Trump was getting ready to leave office. Can you name what famous investigation the missing documents are from?
Hatim: Is it the Muller investigation?
Brian Lehrer: It is the Muller investigation. Where are those trumpets? [trumpet sound] Yes, the Russia investigation on election interference in 2016. This just got reported maybe a week ago by the New York Times and CNN, a 2,700-page binder of classified material pertaining to the Russia investigation went missing just around the time that Trump was leaving office. You got it right.
Hang on, we're going to take your mailing address off the air and send you a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap. We'll go a little far field here for Mark in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Hey, Mark, Happy New Year, you're on WNYC.
Mark: Happy New Year, Brian.
Brian Lehrer: Still on the Trump pit here. The Colorado Supreme Court has struck Trump from the Republican primary ballot next year for violating what clause of what amendment to the constitution?
Mark: That would be the 14th Amendment. What clause? Well, it's the insurrected clause. I don't know if it has a number.
Brian Lehrer: That's the answer, the insurrection clause is right. That's the answer. The insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment. I think it does have a number. It might be clause 3 or something like that, but we were going for the name of it, which was the insurrection clause, so you got that right.
Mark: That's the easy one, good.
Brian Lehrer: Ha ha, you figured out the format. This one, you'd have to be have been paying a little bit more attention. If that ruling stands from the Colorado Supreme Court, the Colorado Republican Party is discussing a way around it in which Republicans could vote to nominate Trump anyway without a primary. What do they have in mind?
Mark: Oh, I hadn't heard that one. Are they going to try the fake elector scheme in some way, have a stand-in?
Brian Lehrer: They could use you on their team being creative like that. Unless you have another guess right away?
Mark: No, sorry. I don't know.
Brian Lehrer: The answer is, they're saying, "Well, if the court says they're going to take him off the primary ballot, we're going to have a caucus instead of a primary." Think Iowa. Some states have caucuses, some states have primaries. Would that really satisfy the court because the language is so specific as to designate a primary and it doesn't include caucuses? I guess they'd have to figure that out, but they're talking about it. Mark, thanks for giving it a try.
Amy in Washington, hi, you're on WNYC. Are you ready to play?
Amy: Hey, Brian. I don't need a hat because my boyfriend bought me one through the donation drive, so I'm just playing for bragging rights.
Brian Lehrer: Just the bragging rights, which are probably more valuable than the hat. The new Speaker of the House is Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, or Michael Johnson?
Amy: Michael Johnson.
Brian Lehrer: Michael Johnson. Okay, that was pretty to see if you're awake. That's Mike Johnson. Mike Johnson, elected this year as Speaker. Also elected to a prominent job this year was Brandon Johnson. What office does he now hold? You'd have to have been paying a little more attention.
Amy: Alas, my bragging rights end here. I do not know the answer.
Brian Lehrer: Oh, sorry. The answer is Mayor of Chicago. He is the new Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson. Sorry, Amy. At least you have the hat.
Jennifer in Long Valley in Jersey, you're on WNYC. Hi Jennifer.
Jennifer: Hi. How are you?
Brian Lehrer: Good. Did you know Brandon Johnson?
Jennifer: You know what? The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember where he was elected. I would bail on that one.
Brian Lehrer: Here's one of the reasons that people in New York might've heard the name recently. Mayor Johnson and Mayor Adams have a similar complaint about the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott. What's the complaint?
Jennifer: Oh, the complaint is the fact that he keeps sending immigrants to New York and Chicago.
Brian Lehrer: On those buses, right?
Jennifer: Yes, on those buses.
Brian Lehrer: 80,000 in all so far, according to the Texas Tribune. Now here's the question where you'd have to be paying a little more attention. In an escalation, after Chicago reportedly started cracking down on those buses, Abbott upped the ante sending more migrants to Chicago and New York too. In a new way, what's Abbott doing now?
Jennifer: Wow. I hadn't heard about that, but I'm going to guess, he's sending them by plane.
Brian Lehrer: That is correct. [trumpet sound] The band was ready for you. Yes, he has started flying migrants to Chicago and New York in airplanes. The first plane load, by the way, to New York, arrived just this week. Though the plane had to land in Philadelphia due to the weather, and the rest of that trip was by bus. Eric Adams was just talking about this yesterday, like, "Oh, now look what he's doing. Now he's sending people by plane."
Jennifer, congratulations. Hang on. We'll take your address off the air and send you a baseball cap, and don't forget about those bragging rights, even if you're alone on New Year's Eve, call up your friends and say, "Hey, guess what I did near the end of this year?"
Let's go next. Who's next in line? I think Jonathan in Jersey City has been waiting the longest. Hey there. Hi, Jonathan. Happy New Year.
Jonathan: Hey, how's it going?
Brian Lehrer: Good. We've been talking about the Mayor Adams of New York, Mayor Johnson of Chicago. Thanks so much for the mayors of New York and Chicago. One mayor of a major US city has the same name as a major city in Europe. Who's that Mayor?
Jonathan: A major city in Europe, you just said, right?
Brian Lehrer: Yes. The mayor has the same name. The person has the same name as a major city in Europe. You'll probably know it when you hear it.
Jonathan: I'm going to go off on a whim and say London.
Brian Lehrer: Well, London is right. Even without saying her whole name, we're going to give you credit for that because you got the city right. London Breed is the mayor of?
Jonathan: Oh, San Francisco.
Brian Lehrer: San Francisco. That's one.
Jonathan: Oh, very good.
Brian Lehrer: Let's see. Two major state governors, one a Democrat, the other a Republican recently debated on TV as if they were the candidates for president, which who knows, could even wind up being the case, but probably not. Can you name the two governors or their states. Either both governors or both states.
Jonathan: Yes. Gavin Newsom in California and Ron DeSantis of Florida.
Brian Lehrer: That is absolutely right. [trumpet sound] Jonathan, hang on. You win yourself a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap and bragging rights at your New Year's Eve party, or however you want to use them, or misuse them.
Jonathan: Thank you so much.
Brian Lehrer: Jerry in Toronto, you're on WNYC. Hey, Jerry.
Jerry: Good morning, Brian. How are you?
Brian Lehrer: Good, and you didn't even have to go through border security to get on the show. All right, let's see. Which one should I do next? We do a climate story of the week every Tuesday on the show. One week recently during the COP 28 Climate Summit, we discussed that the summit almost ended in acrimony because they had trouble agreeing whether to do what? This was the big debate.
Jerry: Whether to get rid of fossil fuels.
Brian Lehrer: Well, that's right. Phasing out fossil fuels. That is correct. Little harder. At the end, they agreed to call for what? How did it wind up? There was certain language after they were debating whether to say that, "We're going to phase out fossil fuels in our countries." How did [crosstalk]
Jerry: To convince the delegates that because they'll deal with it next time in terms of asking companies to look into alternates.
Brian Lehrer: You're telling me they kicked the can down the road. I mean, in a way yes, but I'm sorry that one's not quite going to qualify. The answer was transition away from fossil fuels. They landed on the word transition, which a lot of people are considering weaseling out softer language than phase them out. Thanks for giving it a shot, Jerry.
All right, that is part one. That is part one of our end-of-year news quiz, were you paying attention in 2023? We will continue. Up next will be that special segment. First time ever, we're going to call it Furst's Firsts. David Furst is going to join us with questions about firsts in the year 2023. Stay with us as The Brian Lehrer Show continues.
[MUSIC - Hijack: Marden Hill]
Brian Lehrer on WNYC, and we continue with our annual end-of-year news quiz. were you paying attention in 2023? Get two in a row right, and you will win bragging rights for your New Year's Eve party or your New Year's Eve Zoom, whatever you're doing, and a Brian Lehrer Show Baseball cap will be sent to you in the mail. Give it a shot at 212-433 WNYC, 212-433-9692, though our lines are full right now, so as people finish up, you can try to get in.
Now we introduce a new feature for our end-of-year news quiz. I'll call it a first time feature because the name of it is Furst's Firsts. With us now is our weekend edition host, David Furst who has a section of the quiz. We're calling Furst's Firsts, firsts, things that happen for the first time in 2023. Who wants to play? 212-433 WNYC. Hi, David. You've never been a guest. You've been our newscaster, but you've never been a guest on the show before. I don't believe.
David Furst: We'd have to go all the way back to Sandy for that, I think.
Brian Lehrer: Oh wow. Well, that probably would've been in a newscaster role as well.
David Furst: Yes, but I'm glad you- [crosstalk]
Brian Lehrer: So I guess we can say this is a Furst's First.
David Furst: I'm glad that you're taking full advantage of my last name here, Brian.
Brian Lehrer: You're so enjoyable to wake up to on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Are you getting New Year's weekend off, or you have any plans or New Year's resolutions?
David Furst: I plan to celebrate by hosting Morning Edition tomorrow morning and Weekend Edition on Saturday and Sunday. Then I'm off on Monday.
Brian Lehrer: There you go. Starting off the New Year right. Sleeping it off or whatever. I don't know about your personal habits.
David Furst: By the way, Happy Holidays to you. Happy early New Year to you, Brian.
Brian Lehrer: Thank you, David. All right. George on the Upper West Side, I think has been waiting next longest in line. Hi, George. You're on WNYC.
George: Good morning,
Brian Lehrer: David, hit him
David Furst: Okay. These are firsts we are going for here. Here's the first question. Mayor Adams appointed the city's first ever what, to lead a fight of species against species? A fight against a very particular species in New York City. What is this newly created New York City government job?
George: I don't know if you call it the rat commissioner or what, but that's the--
Brian Lehrer: Yes, we'll take that. Rat czar.
David Furst: Rat czar. That is close enough. We do have a bonus question here, you got credit.
Brian Lehrer: Well, just let me say about the Rat czar. That's kind of a nickname that I think Adams himself may have given this position. I'm not sure, just the media gave it. It's officially known just for the record, as the director of rodent mitigation.
David Furst: Oh yes. A much more sober title.
George: I think it should be called the First Commissioner.
Brian Lehrer: Like first Deputy Mayor. Yes, we've got a job for David if he gets time for the [crosstalk]
David Furst: I might have a new [crosstalk]
Brian Lehrer: All right. Yes, bonus question. We know this is really hard. You have to be paying so much attention to the rats czar story, but this is a bonus question. You get credit if you get it right and win the hat. No penalty if you get it wrong.
David Furst: Okay. The bonus question is, who is that rat czar?
George: Oh my goodness. The name of the person. I don't remember the name if I ever knew it.
Brian Lehrer: She hasn't been much of a public figure. The name is Kathleen Corradi. When I first heard the name before I read it in print, Corradi, like she's going come and chop, with her hands, the rats and kill all the rats. It's C-O-R-R-A-D-I, Corradi.
George: It's like the carotid artery, which was what they have to go after anyway, so it makes sense.
Brian Lehrer: Ouch. All right, but you've got a second question to try for the that. David, go.
George: It's just having--
David Furst: Here's the second question. On June 7th of this year, a certain measurement hit an average of 204 for that day in New York City for the first time ever. What was that measurement?
George: Wow. I'm trying to think. It has nothing to do with the homeless. 204?
David Furst: This was on June 7th.
George: It's got to be around something with the heat, but I don't remember.
Brian Lehrer: Three-
George: I'm stumped.
Brian Lehrer: - two, one. Sorry, George. It was the air quality index for PM2.5 particulate.
George: Oh, that thing is fire.
Brian Lehrer: Remember that was the day the sky turned orange. That's why we gave the date June 7th. That was the day the sky turned orange from the Canadian wildfires and all of that.
George: I was out of town.
Brian Lehrer: Very lucky you, George. Thanks for giving it a shot. Remembering that day and shuddering as I do, the peak was 460 at one point that day. Unheard of for New York. The average reading for the day was 204, which shattered the old record of 86, so shattered. 35 or below is what the EPA considers safe according to The New York Times, and we hit 204 that day.
Beth on the Lower East Side, happy New Year. Ready to play?
Beth: I am ready to play. Happy New Year, Brian.
Brian Lehrer: David, go.
David Furst: Here we go. Here's your first question. The Bronx this year elected its first what in 40 years?
Brian Lehrer: Another Furst's first.
Beth: A first Republican.
Brian Lehrer: In 40 years. That's right. Kristy Marmorato defeated incumbent Democrat, Marjorie Velazquez largely over-
Beth: That's right.
Brian Lehrer: - her position to affordable housing construction. We'll make this a bonus question. Get it right and you'll win the hat. No penalty if you get it wrong. What neighborhood was that affordable housing construction approved for and there was the backlash?
Beth: Oh, gee, I know this because I heard your show that had the woman who was just defeated. Oh my God. I know. Was it Hunts Point?
Brian Lehrer: Wasn't Hunts Point. Think bridge between the Bronx and Queens. You didn't get that one. It's Throggs Neck, but that's okay. I said it was a bonus question. You still get one more shot at the hat and bragging nights. David, you want to hit her?
David Furst: Here we go. West Point Academy has been around for 221 years, but this year was the first year that a woman, who happens to be in politics, gave the commencement speech. Who gave the speech this year?
Beth: Oh, was it Vice President Harris?
Brian Lehrer: Absolutely, yes. [trumpet sound]
Beth: Oh, gosh, that was such a guess.
Brian Lehrer: She comes with her own brag section. Maybe it's the West Point-
Beth: That was such a guess.
Brian Lehrer: - Army band to play the fanfare and wish you congratulations. Beth, hang on. We're going to take your address off the air, and we're going to go on to Ellen in Montclair. Hi, Ellen. Happy New Year. Ready to play?
Ellen: Yes. Thank you, Brian.
Brian Lehrer: Again, for those of you just joining us, this section of our end-of-year news quiz is called Furst's Firsts being presented by our weekend edition host David Furst and all firsts of the year 2023. David, what do you got for Ellen?
David Furst: Here's the next one. In a gender bending first, scientists in Japan did what for the first time ever with cells from two male mice?
Ellen: I have no idea.
Brian Lehrer: No guess?
Ellen: With two male mice, one of them was pregnant.
Brian Lehrer: You're getting into the right category, but no, Ellen. Thank you for giving it a try. Ellen's line is going to open up at 212-433-WNYC. Here's the answer. They produced live offspring. As The New York Times described the study published in the Journal Nature, "Scientists from Osaka University took skin cells from the tails of male mice and used them to generate eggs that were implanted into female mice, eventually producing live offspring." The Times says, "The reproductive feed could have future implications for fertility treatments and the preservation of endangered species." There was an interesting first from 2023.
Nina in Basking Ridge. Hi, Nina. Happy New Year. Ready to play?
Nina: Yes, Brian. Thank you.
David Furst: Here's the next Furst's Firsts. I don't know if that mouse experiment was okay with Pope Francis, but another first this year indicates that maybe it was. What was that Pope Francis first?
Nina: The blessing of same-sex couples partnerships.
Brian Lehrer: Stop there. Yes, because he told priests it's okay to bless same-sex relationships, but they still cannot, however, endorse same-sex marriage. That's one. David, let's see what question will hold the bragging rights and the hat in the balance for Nina.
David Furst: Here we go. This year, the House of Representatives voted for the first time in history to remove someone from their job. This is not about kicking out George Santos. That has happened before. Santos was, I believe, the sixth house member to be expelled from the Chamber, but what was this other first firing?
Nina: I'm stumped there. Sorry.
Brian Lehrer: No guess? All right, Nina. Some people, when they know they're stumped, they just say they're stumped and we move along. Let's see. Let's give Andy in Bay Ridge, who's up next, a shot at that one. Andy, Hi. Happy New Year. Did you hear that last question?
Andy: No, I didn't, Brian. Can you repeat it please?
Brian Lehrer: Sure.
David Furst: This year, the House of Representatives voted for the first time in history to remove someone from their job. We're not talking about George Santos. What was this other first firing?
Brian Lehrer: In other words, they did not kick somebody out of the house altogether. They removed the person from a job they had, but it's the first time that the House of Representatives ever took this step.
Andy: Oh, crumbs. I'm sorry. I do not know this.
Brian Lehrer: The answer was-
Andy: I wish I can get an alternate one.
Brian Lehrer: - that they removed Kevin McCarthy as speaker. They've never before removed a speaker of the house. Andy, thanks for giving it a shot. Scott in Manhattan, are you ready to play?
Scott: Ready.
David Furst: Here we go. This is another first. This year, the FDA approved the very first pill to treat what in new mothers?
Scott: I don't know.
Brian Lehrer: Another person who admits he doesn't know. Let's give one more person a shot at this one. Heather in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Happy New Year.
Heather: Hi, Happy New Year, Brian. Happy to be on.
Brian Lehrer: David's going to repeat the question and we're going to give you a shot at this.
David Furst: This is another first. This year, the FDA approved the very first pill to treat what in new mothers?
Heather: Oh, is it immunity from COVID?
Brian Lehrer: Ooh, sorry, Heather. We're going to call that a bonus question because one person had already gotten it wrong. The answer is postpartum depression, which is reported to affect one in five mothers in the months after giving birth. There's an FDA-approved pill for that for the first time. That was a bonus question because we held it over from the previous caller who had gotten it wrong. David, give Heather a first question of her own.
David Furst: It's another Furst's Firsts. This is a sports story, a really big story from the year. In sports, the most significant moment of the whole football season for the Jets came during the very first drive of their very first regular season game of the year. What was that most significant moment for the Jets?
Heather: The new quarterback, Aaron, maybe injured himself and was out for the season.
Brian Lehrer: That is correct.
David Furst: Aaron may be out for the season.
Brian Lehrer: Aaron, may be. Aaron definitely not. Aaron Rogers got injured on their first drive of the season. That is correct.
David Furst: That's great.
Brian Lehrer: And has been out. Now for the bragging rights and the baseball cap, David, what you got here?
David Furst: This is perfect for a baseball cap. Someone became the very first baseball player ever to sign a contract for $700 million. That's $700 million over the next 10 years, although it's complicated how that gets paid out. Can you name that player?
Heather: Oh, it's a Japanese name and I can't, but could I get it for that? He's a Japanese player and it's very historic.
Brian Lehrer: It's a big country. No, I think we needed the name on that one. Thanks for trying, Heather.
David Furst: Good job.
Brian Lehrer: We've got one more pair. We're going to have one more contestant in the first section of our annual end-of-year news quiz. Let's see who's been holding the longest. It is Joe in Manhattan. Joe, are you ready to give it a shot?
Joe: Sure.
David Furst: Brian, are we carrying that question forward, or are we moving on?
Brian Lehrer: Oh, the answer was Shohei Ohtani. We are moving on.
David Furst: We're moving on, here we go.
Brian Lehrer: We have one more pair. You see what they are, right?
David Furst: I do, yes. Something happened to Donald Trump 91 times this year, and he's the first former president to have this happen even once. What is this first?
Joe: Indited 91 times? Charged 91 times.
Brian Lehrer: That's absolutely right. Criminally indicted on a total of 91 counts in the various prosecutions against him. One more, Furst's Firsts for the baseball cap and the bragging rights.
David Furst: We are so close to the trumpets. The first of those indictments came on April 4th. Can you tell us either what those first indictments were for, or who the prosecutor was who brought them?
Joe: I'm going to say that Jack Smith brought them, and they were for the documents case.
Brian Lehrer: You could have gotten bragging rights if you said Alvin Bragg, who brought the Stormy Daniels hush money case. He went first.
Joe: Oh, that's right.
Brian Lehrer: He was just on the show the other day saying that even though he issued the first indictments, he would sit back with pushing it forward for a while if certain other ones, probably the Jack Smith or Georgia, are ready because they would take precedence over this. Thanks for giving it a shot. Joe, thank you very much, and David Furst, thank you very much. That was too much fun.
David Furst: It was great to be with you, Brian, and I'm glad I got to hear the trumpets at least one time during this contest.
Brian Lehrer: All right. We will give away more baseball caps and more New Year's Eve bragging rights to be sure as our end-of-year news quiz continues for the whole show this morning, stay with us.
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It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Good morning again, everyone. Again, it's our end-of-your news quiz today. Were you paying attention in 2023? Who wants to play? 212-433-WNYC, get two in a row right and you'll win bragging rights for your New Year's Eve party and a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap. This section is local news, New York, New Jersey, and around here, 212-433 WNYC. This will be a short section around 10 minutes.
Then WNYC's Alison Stewart, host of All Of It, culture maven that she is, will join us to stretch out a little with a longer segment on arts and entertainment. That's coming up, but it's local news first. Were you paying attention in 2023? Let's dive in. Stanley in Long Island City, you're on WNYC. Hi, Stanley.
Stanley: What up, Brian? I want that hat.
Brian Lehrer: All right. Let's see if you can get it. There's a little Queens element to this, though not Long Island City. Because George Santos was removed from Congress, there will be a special election in New York's third congressional district in February, Northeast Queens and parts of Nassau County. Can you name both the Republican and the Democrat running?
Stanley: I got the Republican, Mazi Pilip.
Brian Lehrer: Yes, she says Mazi, but that's right. Boy, I thought that was the hard one.
Stanley: Tom Suozzi?
Brian Lehrer: I think you just looked it up, but all right we'll give you that Tom Suozzi. Tom Suozzi is right. He was the previous Congress member from that district and he vacated that seat to run for governor in 2022. That's why it was open and George Santos won it. Now it's open again and all Tom Suozzi wants is to have his old job back. That's one.
Now, Mayor Adams made several large rounds of budget cuts here in the city recently. These cuts have meant a very specific thing for the city's public libraries. What have they meant to the public libraries?
Stanley: They're going to cut the time, how long the library's open.
Brian Lehrer: I need it a little more specifically than that.
Stanley: They're going to close library's outright. Come on, Brian.
Brian Lehrer: Sorry, Stanley. It's that they're all going to lose a weekend day. I believe it's Sunday in all cases, although it could be that some are going to close Saturday and stay open Sunday. They've been seven day-a-week institutions, and now they're going to close a day on the weekend. I think it's eliminating Sunday service all the way around. Stanley, sorry we couldn't give you baseball hat, but thanks a lot for trying. This is a local news section of the quiz. Peter in St. Petersburg has been waiting the next longest. Peter, you're on WNYC. Hi, there.
Peter: Thank you. You know, I got to end this year with a pun. You reminded me of Stormy Daniels. How is she the opposite of Shirley Temple?
Brian Lehrer: Oh-oh, how, Peter?
Peter: One is an adult film star. The other is a child film star.
Brian Lehrer: Okay. Let's go right on to the question now. Both SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild held long strikes in 2023 until they were settled in the fall. The actors were led by their President, a Queens-born New Yorker. Here's a short clip of her giving a speech this past July. Give a listen and see if you recognize this voice.
Fran Drescher: The entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, AI. This is a moment of history that is a moment of truth. If we don't stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines.
Brian Lehrer: All right. Peter, who was that?
Peter: Drescher. That's the last name.
Brian Lehrer: Correct.
Peter: I'm a SAG member.
Brian Lehrer: Oh, really?
Peter: Yes.
Brian Lehrer: We'll give it to you for the last name, Fran Drescher.
Peter: Fran Drescher, right.
Brian Lehrer: There were several other major strikes in 2023. The question is, which of these unions, only one of these unions, did not strike this year? The UAW, the UFT, the Teamsters, or the WGA? Which one did not strike in 2023?
Peter: Oh, boy. That's hard. God, I haven't thought of the Teamsters since Hoffa, and I go back to Hoffa. I want to say, Teamsters.
Brian Lehrer: Unfortunately, you're wrong, Peter. They did strike UPS.
Peter: Oh, right.
Brian Lehrer: Although, hang on a second. Can we double-check something? I think they may have only threatened to strike, UPS, and they never did walk out. Peter, we're going to put you on hold and double-check, because there may be a mistake in this question. We're going to double-check that, and if it was the Teamsters, we're going to send you a baseball hat. The answer that I know is right is UFT. The New York City Teachers' Union did not strike. The United Auto Workers did. The WGA, the Writers Guild, they definitely did. Give us a minute, Peter. We're going to check this out and get back to you. We're going to go next to Peter in [unintelligible 00:39:20]. Peter, you're on WNYC. Happy New Year. Are you ready for a question?
Peter: Yes.
Brian Lehrer: You're there, right?
Peter: Yes, sir.
Brian Lehrer: We've got a bad connection, but we'll give it a shot. Several people in Mayor Adams' orbit are being investigated by state and federal prosecutors. What country is involved in one of these investigations?
Peter: Egypt.
Brian Lehrer: It is not Egypt. I'm sorry. Egypt is somebody else's scandal. Maybe we'll get to that question, but it's Turkey in the case of the connections to Eric Adams that are being investigated. We're going to go next to David in Spuyten Duyvil. You're on WNYC. Hi, David. You ready?
David: Hello.
Brian Lehrer: Hello. Yusef Salaam is a member of the Exonerated Five, formerly known as the Central Park Five, all Black and Brown teenagers who were accused and convicted of raping the so-called Central Park jogger back in 1989. They were exonerated and Salaam was just elected to a political office this year. What office was he elected to?
David: New York City Council.
Brian Lehrer: New York City Council is correct. Now, earlier this summer, a famous TikTok streamer incited a riot in New York City when he announced a giveaway. Let's take a listen to the announcement.
Kai Cenat: Now, look, it is a public area, so we don't know. Anything can happen, bro. Anything can happen. Make sure you pull up with somebody. Just make sure you pull up with a friend so y'all make sure y'all good like that. I call this the stay off the streets and go stream project.
Brian Lehrer: All right. Who was that TikTok streamer who incited that riot by accident?
David: I know it was at Union Square, but I do not know the name.
Brian Lehrer: Thanks for trying, David. That was Kai Cenat, and yes, it was at Union Square. Let's see. Phyllis in Morristown, you're on WNYC. Ready to play?
Phyllis: Is that me?
Brian Lehrer: That is you. Are you Phyllis?
Phyllis: Yes, I am. I'm ready.
Brian Lehrer: A storm hit our area in September. That was the biggest rain event since Ida back in 2021. The subways were shut down, roads were flooded all over the region. The Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn is still closed from the flooding. What was the storm called?
Phyllis: Oh gosh.
Brian Lehrer: There was a person's name.
Phyllis: In September. Can you give me a first letter?
Brian Lehrer: How about a clue? Think Hamlet.
Phyllis: I don't know. Thanks anyway.
Brian Lehrer: I'll give you that first letter. It's O.
Phyllis: Oh, I'm thinking Othello.
Brian Lehrer: Five, four. Oh, not Othello. It was Ophelia. Phyllis, thank you. You know what? We are out of time for this segment. Thank you all for giving it a shot. We do believe that the Teamsters did not strike UPS and they did avert that strike. Just those of you who are waiting to know the resolution of that. Coming up next, we will have the section of the quiz featuring none other than Alison Stewart. It's going to be the arts and entertainment section of the end-of-year news quiz with All Of It host and culture maven Alison Stewart as our special quiz master. Alison and the arts and entertainment questions, coming up next.
[music]
Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. As it's our annual end-of-year news quiz. Were you paying attention in 2023? Get two in a row right and you win bragging rights for your New Year's Eve party and the Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap. 212-433-WNYC. Now, we come to the arts and entertainment section of the quiz and I am so thrilled that Alison Stewart is joining us for this. Hey, Alison. Happy New Year.
Alison Stewart: Hi, Brian. Happy New Year to you and to your listeners.
Brian Lehrer: I was thinking about you in the context of arts and entertainment. How many novels do you think you consume in whole or in part to do your show in the course of a year?
Alison Stewart: Novels? Oh, gosh, with novels, I'm going at least 30 books.
Brian Lehrer: Wow.
Alison Stewart: I could go up to-- I read about two or three books a week actually. We're there. I'd say like 30 and then maybe 40 non-fiction books. Guessing.
Brian Lehrer: One of the great institutions that you brought and created here at WNYC, the Get Lit Book Club and you do a book a month, right? [crosstalk]
Alison Stewart: Do a book a month with that, and then I do a book a month, a full bio where we read one of those big fat 600-page biographies and talk about it over the course of the week. We do one of those a month as well.
Brian Lehrer: Just a little appreciation for how much time Alison spends reading, and now she's going to read you arts and entertainment questions. Get two in a row right and you win a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap and bragging rights for your New Year's Eve party. We're going to start with James in Los Angeles for this round. Hi, James. You're on WNYC. Happy New Year.
James: Happy New Year to you. Good morning.
Brian Lehrer: Ready, Alison?
Alison Stewart: I am indeed. Now, this one should be pretty easy because I actually heard about this on your show, Brian. First question is who was this year's Person of the Year according to Time Magazine?
James: Oh, that would be Taylor Swift.
Brian Lehrer: Sure would.
Alison Stewart: Sure would.
Brian Lehrer: That was an easy one.
Alison Stewart: Yes. Fun fact. Her middle name's Alison. Who knew? Number two, what was the name of her world tour, which broke the Guinness World Record for the highest-grossing music tour ever?
James: Eras.
[music]
Alison Stewart: Somebody's getting a hat.
Brian Lehrer: I don't know if she had a brass section like that on the Eras Tour. Now, you know what I wonder? I got this wrong, Alison, when I first talked about the tour on the air. I always thought that word was pronounced Era, but everybody says Eras. I guess she says Eras.
Alison Stewart: It's her various eras of her life.
Brian Lehrer: Yes. Eras of her life.
James: It's Taylor's world. We're only living in it.
Brian Lehrer: I guess so. Merriam-Webster is going to have to change the pronouncer guide for that word because of Taylor Swift. Good job, James. Hang on. We're going to take your mailing address off the air and I guess we will ship a hat coast to coast. Next up is Brett in Brooklyn. Hi, Brett. Happy New Year. Ready to play?
Brett: [unintelligible 00:46:48]
Brian Lehrer: Alison. Go for it.
Alison Stewart: 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of Hip hop, and this year the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its first female hip hop artist over two decades after she first put out this 2001 hit.
[MUSIC - Missy Eliot: Get Ur Freak On]
Is you with me now?
Then biggie-biggie-bounce
I know you dig the way I sw-sw-switch my style
(Holla) People sing around
Now people gather 'round
Now people jump around
Go, get your freak on
Alison Stewart: Holla. What do you think?
Brett: That's Missy Elliot?
Brian Lehrer: Oh, yes.
Alison Stewart: It is.
Brian Lehrer: Oh, yes.
Alison Stewart: Missy Elliot. Love that. Second question. We're going to stay with music. Who was the other female musician, another iconic musician on a world tour this year that grossed more than $579 million? What do you think?
Brett: I don't know that.
Brian Lehrer: Three. Well, if you want to take a guess, you can because we are talking icon here.
Alison Stewart: You might be right.
Brian Lehrer: We already told you that.
Alison Stewart: That's my hint. You might be right if you guess.
Brett: I don't know. Sorry.
Brian Lehrer: Sorry. Okay, Brett. Reveal Alison.
Alison Stewart: It was Beyoncé. I was trying to give him a beehive.
Brian Lehrer: I know. I almost said Queen B, but I thought that would've been too much of a hint.
Alison Stewart: I think we have to put an asterisk next to that one though. Can I share this with you because-
Brian Lehrer: Yes. What do you mean?
Alison Stewart: -Taylor Swift had 151 performances and Beyoncé only had I think 56. When you think about that, and also I think that the Beehive and the Swifties, we want to be friends. I'm not trying to pit one against the other, but I think Beyoncé's numbers might've been a little higher had she done as many shows as Ms. Swift.
Brian Lehrer: Per capita, it's still Beyoncé's world and Taylor Swift is living in it.
Alison Stewart: I think they can coexist arm in arm. I'm going there. Girl power all the way.
Brian Lehrer: Tracy on the Upper West Side, you're on WNYC. Happy New Year, Tracy. Ready? Maybe not ready. No, Tracy? Is this a technical problem on our end? Oh, my goodness. I think we're having trouble with our phones. That's not very good timing.
Alison Stewart: Oh, that happens. I love when the little gremlins get in the machine.
Brian Lehrer: Let's see. Let me try one more here just to see if-- No, it's not clicking on. You know what I think we're going to do, I think-- let's see. We could do this one way or another. Boy, live radio folks.
Alison Stewart: There you go.
Brian Lehrer: We could take our next pledge break, which was going to come up in a few minutes while we try to get this fixed. That probably makes sense, but Alison also, you and I can play for a little while.
Alison Stewart: We could. You're driving the boat, friend. I'll go with either way. I'm yours for the rest of the hour if you want to do the pledge or I'm yours to continue with the [crosstalk]
Brian Lehrer: All right. Let's see. We may have fixed this problem already. Do I see that we can put Tracy on the Upper West Side on the air, that one of us from our computers has the ability to do that? Let's see. Tracy, you there?
Tracy: Yes, I'm here.
Brian Lehrer: Yay.
Tracy: I'm here. Hi, Brian, yay. Brian, I'm a longtime listener. First-time caller and forever a fan of yours. Thank you.
Brian Lehrer: Well, thank you very much.
Tracy: Thank you and your whole team for what you do.
Brian Lehrer: The team is amazing and I'm going, whew, because one of the things Alison, as you know, that we learned in live radio is how to vamp, but you don't want to have to do it.
Alison Stewart: Exactly
Brian Lehrer: Right. You don't want to have to do it, especially during a segment that's all about the call ends. All right, we're back on track. Ask Tracy an arts and entertainment question.
Alison Stewart: All right, we're moving on to my favorite topic. Books. Well, music, they're equal. Books, books, books. Who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction this year? This one is a special year. That's the hint I'm going to give.
Tracy: A special year. Alison, can you give me more of a clue?
Alison Stewart: I can give you one of the books is a take on David Copperfield.
Tracy: One of the books is a take on David Copperfield. Hold on.
Brian Lehrer: One of the books.
Alison Stewart: That was a double hint, by the way.
Tracy: Oh, one of the books was a take on David Copperfield. Is it, Barbara Kingsolver?
Alison Stewart: It is. I think we're going to take just--
Brian Lehrer: We're going to give her for the author instead of the title of the book, yes.
Alison Stewart: I think so.
Brian Lehrer: I'd say yes. Do you?
Alison Stewart: I think so.
Tracy: Oh, and the title is Demon Copperhead.
Alison Stewart: There you go.
Brian Lehrer: Oh, because you just looked it up.
[laughter]
Tracy: I just did. [unintelligible 00:52:02]
Alison Stewart: Well, the trick question part of this is that for the first time, there were two Pulitzers given for fiction, and the other was Trust by Hernan Diaz, who was one of our Get Lit authors. I thought that was a fun question.
Brian Lehrer: Why did they give two Alison?
Alison Stewart: I guess maybe the committee split, but it was an unusual thing. Actually, Barbara Kingsolver was our first book guest of 2023 on All Of It. Both of those books are excellent, by the way.
Brian Lehrer: One more question for the baseball cap and the New Year's Eve bragging rights. Alison, what you got for her?
Alison Stewart: This is a different kind of book. What was the name of the autobiography released by Britney Spears this year?
Tracy: Oh gosh. This one. This is not my genre, Alison. I remember reading about it in the news. What was it called? There was so much publicity. Oh, I can't believe I'm going to lose the baseball hat on Britney Spear's autobiography.
Brian Lehrer: Sorry, Tracy. Sorry. Thank you for calling though. Call us again during the regular show on time. We're going to go on next to Joe in Queens. Joe, you're on WNYC. You ready? Happy New Year, Joe.
Joe: Is it me?
Brian Lehrer: It is You.
Joe: Okay. We had phone problems, go.
Brian Lehrer: That's right. I tried to pull you down before, but couldn't so you probably knew you were up next because I had said your name. Alison, what you got for Joe?
Alison Stewart: All right, we're staying with books. Which member of the royal family released an autobiography titled Spare earlier this year?
Joe: I think it was Prince Harry.
Alison Stewart: I think you're 100% right. Excellent.
Brian Lehrer: One more for the baseball cap.
Alison Stewart: All right. Who performed at the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show after not performing live for five years, the most-watched Super Bowl Halftime show of all time?
Joe: Oh, Jesus.
Alison Stewart: [unintelligible 00:53:56]
Joe: It wasn't that guy. I don't know.
Brian Lehrer: That guy? Sorry, Joe. You want to give one more person a shot at that one?
Alison Stewart: Sure.
Brian Lehrer: All right. Let's see. Let's try Desiree in Brooklyn. Desiree, Happy New Year. Ready to play?
Desiree: Yes, I am.
Alison Stewart: Who performed the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show after not performing live for five years?
Desiree: Rihanna.
Alison Stewart: There you go.
Brian Lehrer: There you go. That's one. Now, we're going to skip what I think is the next question on your sheet, Alison.
Alison Stewart: Sure.
Brian Lehrer: Because we asked another version of it before, so we'll go on to what I think you have as number nine.
Alison Stewart: Yes. Which underrated New York sports team was the only team to not disappoint the city this past fall.
Desiree: The Yankees?
Brian Lehrer: I'll give you a clue. I'll give you a clue.
Desiree: Yes?
Brian Lehrer: Very underappreciated because of their demographic.
Desiree: Because of their demographic. Oh, the Nicks?
Brian Lehrer: No. Oh, the answer is in New York Liberty, the women's basketball team.
Desiree: Oh, right, right.
Brian Lehrer: They got all the way to the WNBA finals. All right. Thanks for giving it a shot. Let's see, who's up next? Mario in Merrick, you're on WNYC. Happy New Year, Mario. You ready?
Mario: Hey, how are you, Brian? Good. Thanks for picking me.
Brian Lehrer: You bet.
Alison Stewart: All right.
Brian Lehrer: Alison.
Alison Stewart: What is the name of the American singer born in Harlem to Jamaican parents and civil rights activists with hits like Jump the Line and Day-O who passed away this past April?
Mario: Harry Belafonte.
Alison Stewart: Yes, sir. Congratulations on that. Brian, do you want to do 11 or 12? What do you think?
Brian Lehrer: Well, we'll do the bonus question.
Alison Stewart: Bonus question.
Brian Lehrer: Bonus questions means credit if you get it right, no penalty if you get it wrong.
Alison Stewart: Okay. This is regarding Mr. Belafonte. Which New York City-based academic institution held the acting classes he attended
Mario: The American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Brian Lehrer: That's a nice guess, but it was the new school.
Alison Stewart: Yes, very logical guess. Here's your real question. What is the name of the iconically bald and outspoken Irish singer known for hits like Nothing Compares to You who passed away this past July?
Mario: Sinead O'Connor.
Brian Lehrer: There we end it with giving away a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap to Mario from Merrick. Mario, congratulations. Don't forget, you also get the bragging rights for your New Year's Eve party. Alison, thanks for coming on and doing this. You want to tell people what you've got coming up on your show today?
Alison Stewart: We have a show we're calling The EGOT Show. We have an Emmy winner, a Grammy winner, an Oscar winner, and Tony winners. It's an EGOT Thursday on All Of It.
Brian Lehrer: Nothing special on All Of It with Alison Stewart coming up at noon. Happy New Year, Alison. Thanks for sitting in with us and bringing the arts and entertainment with you for the news quiz.
Alison Stewart: Oh, my pleasure. Thank you for asking and happy New Year everybody.
Brian Lehrer: Our end-of-year news quiz continues with health and science. Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Stay tuned.
[music]
Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. In our right, one more time around the block for our annual end-of-year news quiz. Were you paying attention in 2023? Get two in a row right and you'll win bragging rights for your New Year's Eve party and a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap 212433-WNYC. 212-433-9692. Happy to say that the Brian Lehrer Show baseball caps broke out as one of the favorite Thank You gifts of the year that people have taken this year. Our Chambre blue, unisex baseball caps. So happy to give them away as prizes for those of you who get two in a row right.
Now, we come to the final section of the quiz for our final few minutes, questions about health and science stories of 2023. Give us a call. Our lines are full so when people finish up, you can get in at 212-433-9692, and let's see here. Let's see here. Who's been waiting the longest? We're going to go to Rosemary on Staten Island. You're on WNYC. Hi, Rosemary.
Rosemary: Hi, I am here.
Brian Lehrer: Okay. Happy New Year. You ready to play?
Rosemary: I certainly am.
Brian Lehrer: Turn your radio off, there you go. There has been opposition by some along the Jersey Shore to offshore wind farms with opponents saying the projects are responsible for dead whales, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that offshore wind farms might adversely affect marine life, but they will not seriously injure or kill whales or other marine life. I'm sorry. You know what? I blew that whole question. That was a true or false question, but I accidentally gave away the answer so forget about that. The answer was true, that the National Oceanic and-
Rosemary: I was going to say true.
Brian Lehrer: -Atmospheric Administration, included those findings. It was similar to an earlier report. Bottom line being, no, the wind farms don't kill the whales. In June of this past year, New Yorkers walked outside and saw a darkened orange sky in the middle of the day and a burning smell. What caused it?
Rosemary: Wildfires in Canada.
Brian Lehrer: Wildfires in Canada. For the baseball cap, true or false? The air quality as a result of the wildfire smoke was classified as hazardous. In fact, the worst the city had ever recorded that day. True or false? Was that the worst day ever for New York City air quality?
Rosemary: True.
Brian Lehrer: That is true. You win a baseball cap on the backs of the worst air quality day that New York City ever had. Rosemary, hang on. We're going to take your address off the air and mail you a baseball cap. Russell in Rockaway Beach. Hey Russell, Happy New Year. You ready to play?
Russell: Yes. Can you hear me?
Brian Lehrer: I can hear you. Can you hear me?
Russell: I can.
Brian Lehrer: I'm not going to give you that clue. I'm just going to say, New Jersey became the first state in the country to mandate curriculum in this subject area. First state in the country this year, became it this year, to now mandate curriculum in the public schools in this subject area, as we are in the health and science section of the news quiz. What is that subject in school?
Russell: Is this for Russell?
Brian Lehrer: For you, Russell? Yes.
Russell: I hear another person in the background. Anyway, I'm going to just take a stab and say Black history studies.
Brian Lehrer: Ooh, sorry, Russell. This was a health and science question. We're going to give another person a shot at this. How about Caleb in Mashpee, Massachusetts, you're on WNYC. Is it Caleb or Caleb?
Caleb: It's Caleb in Mashpee.
Brian Lehrer: Thanks for calling from Mashpee. I'm going to give you that same question that Russell got. I don't think he registered the clue, which is that this is a health and science topic.
Caleb: If it's health and science, I know that they have to have information literacy, but I think also now climate change.
Brian Lehrer: Climate change is the right answer to that question. Very good. We're going to stay on the climate beat here. The person who was the head of the UN climate talks at COP28 in Dubai, the UN Climate Summit, incorrectly insisted that there is no science behind the idea that phasing out fossil fuels would prevent catastrophic warming. We're going to ask you a question about this person after we play the controversial clip of what he said.
Sultan al-Jaber: I respect the science, and there is no science out there or no scenario out there that says that the phase-out of fossil fuel is what's going to achieve 1.5.
Brian Lehrer: That's right. He was the president of the COP28 summit, and he said there's no science out there that says that the phase-out of fossil fuels is what's going to achieve staying within the 1.5 Celsius degree increased limit. Here's the question. Besides leading the climate talks, what was that person's day job?
Caleb: He was the head of the oil company in the UAE, the national oil company there.
Brian Lehrer: That is exactly right. Sultan al-Jaber. A lot of people saw that as a conflict of interest.
Caleb: It was like a fox guarding the hen house.
Brian Lehrer: What's that? Oh, a fox guarding the hen house. A lot of people saw it that way. Caleb, you win a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap. Hang on. Let's see if we can give away at least one more as we take Caleb's address off the air. Rachel in Manhattan, you're on WNYC. Hi Rachel. You've been hanging on the next longest. Hey there. Happy New Year.
Rachel: Hi. Happy New Year. Oh my gosh.
Brian Lehrer: All right, here we go. This one's hard. What country was the first to successfully complete a lunar landing on the dark side of the moon this summer? They had never landed from anywhere on the dark side of the moon. What country did it?
Rachel: Oh man.
Brian Lehrer: Even though it was the dark side of the moon, it was not Pink Floyd, but it was a country.
Rachel: Was it India?
Brian Lehrer: It was India as a matter of fact. They landed on the southern polar region of the moon in August. Last question of the entire news quiz and for a baseball hat. What is the first letter of the latest COVID-19 variant that's on the rise, J, B or X?
Rachel: Oh my gosh. Is it B?
Brian Lehrer: I'm sorry, Rachel. Nice try. The B's were the previous variant to be on the rise, but it's J. JN1 is now the most widely circulating variant in the US per the CDC. Thanks to everybody who played. We gave away a decent number of baseball caps. You have been paying attention in 2023. Certainly, most of the people who listen to this show have been paying a lot of attention in 2023. Congratulations to those of you who won. Thanks to everybody who played. Thanks to everybody who listened. Stay tuned for Alison in All Of It coming up right after the latest news.
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