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.
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.
-
'Tariff stacking' is creating problems for businesses
The Explainer Imports from China are the most heavily affected
-
Can MAGA survive a US war on Iran?
Talking Points Trump's wavering sparks debate about 'America First'
-
'The Minnesota attacks join a grim catalog of political violence'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Israel strikes Iran, killing military and nuclear chiefs
Speed Read Israeli officials said the attack was a 'preemptive' strike on Iran's nuclear program
-
Israel deports Thunberg after seizing Gaza aid boat
speed read The Swedish activist was delivering food and medical aid to Palestine, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis there
-
Colombian senator shot on streets of Bogotá
speed read Miguel Uribe Turbay, who has announced his candidacy for next year's presidential election, was shot at a rally
-
Trump says Putin vowed retaliation for Kyiv strike
speed read The Russian president intends to respond to Ukraine's weekend drone strikes on Moscow's warplanes
-
Dutch government falls over immigration policy
speed read The government collapsed after anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders quit the right-wing coalition
-
South Korea elects liberal Lee as president
speed read Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, was elected president following months of political instability in the wake of Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment
-
Nationalist wins tight Polish presidential election
speed read Karol Nawrocki beat Rafal Trzaskowski in Poland's presidential runoff election
-
Ukraine hits Russia's bomber fleet in stealth drone attack
speed read The operation, which destroyed dozens of warplanes, is the 'biggest blow of the war against Moscow's long-range bomber fleet'