Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon gape at the 27-hour I-95 snow-in, round up 'dumb' COVID comments
With some schools closing on only a few hours' notice due to surging COVID-19 numbers, many "parents need emergency child-care help now," Stephen Colbert said on Tuesday's Late Show. "I am calling on the federal government to release our strategic reserve of mothers-in-law."
And "we've got an update from the opposite of schools, Florida," Colbert joked. "Omicron is hitting Florida hard. In fact, in two weeks, COVID cases rose there by 948 percent," but "Florida has a surefire bring their number of cases down, thanks to Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo." That solution? "Unwind" Florida's "testing psychology." Well, "this no-testing approach isn't surprising," he added. "Ladapo has a long history of being what the Orlando Sentinel called a 'COVID crank' — COVID crank, also the most popular drug in Florida, because in Florida, even the meth has COVID."
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Fla.) also said "dumb stuff about COVID," telling right-wing radio listeners "interested in the vaccine to get a second opinion — from God," Colbert said. "I get it, God created our immune system — but He also created Ron Johnson, so He has been known to shank it." Johnson "raised the question: Does the Lord want you to have the vaccine?" he noted. "I don't know, but take Ron Johnson's advice and you might have a chance to ask God face to face."
Subscribe to 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.
If you do test positive for COVID, "right now there's probably no better place on the planet to quarantine than I-95 in Virginia, where cars have been trapped in a traffic jam for nearly 27 hours," Colbert said. "Holy Never Getting to Toledo!"
Yes, "because of a huge winter storm, a 50-mile stretch of I-95 in Virginia was shut down and drivers were stranded on the interstate for more than 24 hours," Jimmy Fallon said on The Tonight Show. "Meanwhile, there was a dad sitting there like, 'If I can just get over the one lane....' The only happy person was the cab driver whose fare got up to $14 million."
"This week Twitter permanently banned congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene after she kept posting misinformation, but just because she got kicked off of Twitter doesn't mean that she's not posting on other sites," Fallon said. The fake posts included a rant about the D.C. snowstorm and Jews using space lasers to control the weather.
The Daily Show's Desi Lydic, like Fallon, needled the CDC for its shifting COVID guidance.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
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.
-
US foodies brace for tariff war
Under The Radar Shoppers stocking up on imported olive oil, maple syrup and European wine as price hikes loom
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
How Canadian tariffs could impact tourism to the US
In the Spotlight Canadians represent the largest group of foreign visitors to the United States. But they may soon stop visiting.
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Entitlements: DOGE goes after Social Security
Feature Elon Musk is pushing false claims about Social Security fraud
By The Week US Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Arab leaders embrace Egypt's Gaza rebuilding plan
Speed Read The $53 billion proposal would rebuild Gaza without displacing Palestinian residents
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Germany's conservatives win power amid far-right gains
Speed Read The party led by Friedrich Merz won the country's national election; the primary voter issues were the economy and immigration
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Russia frees US teacher Marc Fogel in murky 'exchange'
Speed Read He was detained in Moscow for carrying medically prescribed marijuana
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Hamas pauses Gaza hostage release, upending ceasefire
Speed Read Hamas postponed the next scheduled hostage release 'until further notice,' accusing Israel of breaking the terms of their ceasefire deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Baltic States unplug from Russian grid, join EU's
Speed Read Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are disconnecting from the Soviet-era electricity grid to join the EU's network
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
At least 11 killed in Sweden adult ed school shooting
Speed Read The worst mass shooting in Swedish history took place in Orebro
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published