Late night hosts celebrate permanent Daylight Saving Time, crush Elon Musk's Putin 'single combat' dream
Russian President Vladimir Putin's "war has been brutal and monstrous for Ukraine, but it's also not going so great for Russia," Stephen Colbert said on Tuesday's Late Show. "The Russians are bogged down pretty much everywhere," and "the world continues to rally around Ukraine. Today, leaders from Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia traveled to Kyiv to express solidarity. Wow, that is super brave. Probably not the easiest trip to pack for, though."
Russia's Ukraine war has even leaked into space. "Whack-a-doo billionaire" Elon Musk stepped in when Russia threatened to cut U.S. rocket access, Colbert said. "Of course, it being Elon Musk, he immediately had to get the doo all wacky, tweeting: 'I nearby challenge Vladimir Putin to single combat, stakes are Ukraine.' Come on, Elon, you might be the richest man who ever lived, but you can't go challenging evil dictators to fist fights."
The Late Show was fine turning Musk vs. Putin into a video game, though.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Elon Musk yesterday challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to 'single combat' — aw, come on! Give me somebody to root for!" Seth Meyers joked on Late Night. "This is like hearing the New York Yankees want to play against Duke."
The prime ministers of Poland, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic bravely traveled to Kyiv, an "active war zone," Trevor Noah said on The Daily Show. "Meanwhile, some of us too scared to go back to the office." Russia just slapped toothless sanctions on President Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Hunter Biden, for some reason, but it's "carrying out a way more serious crackdown on its own citizens," he added. "Even people holding up blank signs — nothing on it — are getting arrested in Russia," a sure sign of Putin's "insecurity showing."
"Today the Senate unanimously passed a bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent," Jimmy Fallon said on The Tonight Show. People got super excited, but "every wall clock said, 'But, that's the only time you ever touch me.'"
Yes, in "a day that I have been waiting for almost my whole adult life," the Senate just "voted across party lines to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, meaning we may never have to change the clock on the microwave again," Jimmy Kimmel cheered on Kimmel Live. "Various politicians have been trying to do this years, but they kept getting clock-blocked," until now, he added. "I'm exceptionally proud to be an American today: We finally agreed on something."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The ultimate films of 2025 by genreThe Week Recommends From comedies to thrillers, documentaries to animations, 2025 featured some unforgettable film moments
-
Political cartoons for January 3Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include citizen journalists, self-reflective AI, and Donald Trump's transparency
-
Into the Woods: a ‘hypnotic’ productionThe Week Recommends Jordan Fein’s revival of the much-loved Stephen Sondheim musical is ‘sharp, propulsive and often very funny’
-
Trump considers giving Ukraine a security guaranteeTalking Points Zelenskyy says it is a requirement for peace. Will Putin go along?
-
Vance’s ‘next move will reveal whether the conservative movement can move past Trump’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Biggest political break-ups and make-ups of 2025The Explainer From Trump and Musk to the UK and the EU, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a round-up of the year’s relationship drama
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
