The Late Present host delves into New York Metropolis’s congestion pricing and Bigfoot possibly turning into California’s official state cryptid.
Stephen Colbert
On Thursday night, Stephen Colbert took on a subject near his skilled residence at New York’s Ed Sullivan theater: congestion pricing, a toll on most autos getting into Manhattan’s central enterprise district between 5am and 9pm to chop visitors and emissions.
The brand new tax was launched in the beginning of this 12 months, “and it’s working”, Colbert defined, as January noticed a 7.9% discount in visitors, and the governor’s workplace famous that foot visitors to native companies spiked. “Or, because the New York Instances put it, ‘Ay! Individuals are strolling right here!’” Colbert joked.
“This looks as if factor,” he continued, “so Donald Trump ruined it.” On Wednesday, Trump posted on Fact Social: “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
“Sure, the basic area of an omnipotent king, what all kings do: regulate native toll roads,” Colbert laughed. “So the president of those United States has known as himself a king. Which is the factor presidents usually are not speculated to do.” After which the White Home social media posted a picture of Trump sporting a crown.
“You realize he’s trolling us and we shouldn’t take the bait, however with this man, each troll is a trial balloon. So right here we go: Mr Trump, America won’t ever bow earlier than any king … not named Burger,” Colbert joked earlier than donning a crown from the quick meals chain.
In the meantime, New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, didn’t again down on congestion pricing, tweeting merely: “The cameras will keep on.”
The brand new mannequin appears prone to survive the president’s assault – the federal authorities already permitted it final 12 months, and it can not unilaterally terminate a program as soon as it’s begun. “To place that in layman’s phrases: we’re already stated sure to the gown!” Colbert defined. “Kleinfeld doesn’t get to have it again. We’re sporting it to the marriage, dancing all evening in it after which saving it for our daughter, who will hate it.”
In different information, “we dwell in actually paradigm-shattering occasions,” stated Colbert. “Which is why I used to be not stunned to be shocked by how startled I used to be” when this week, California launched a invoice to acknowledge Bigfoot because the state’s official cryptid, a creature that individuals imagine exists with out proof that it does.
“Nicely, that’s unusual and pointless,” stated Colbert. “California already has a mystical furry creature: Randy Quaid.”
If the invoice passes, it should open the door for different states to formally have a good time their very own cryptids, resembling New Mexico’s Jackalope, the New Jersey Satan, “and naturally probably the most hideous beast of all: the New York Giuliani”, Colbert joked.
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