Hey, listeners Sam here, quick note before we start the show, we taped this episode Tuesday morning

when it seemed as if a government shutdown was inevitable. So we talked about why it was happening and what it might look like.

But after we taped Tuesday morning, briefly on Tuesday,

it seemed as if the Senate and maybe even the House

had found a deal, reached a deal that might keep the

government open. That seemed to be the case for a few hours, but then that deal

itself seemed in peril.

All this to say, by the time you hear this episode,

who knows what will have happened.

There might be a shutdown coming, there might not be.

Either way, we're leaving our conversation in the episode, because even if a shutdown doesn't happen

now, it might very well happen later, and all the points we talk about will still stand.

All right, that said, let's get to the show.

Thoughts and prayers to Capitol Hill.

Also, one more quick note, the strike is officially over.

The writer strike is officially done.

The writers are free to start working on Wednesday,

the day that you can first hear this podcast episode.

Hurray for the writers!

I was trying to think of songs that have the singular lady,

and the one that comes to mind first is De Angelo's lady.

De Angelo is literally why I'm gay.

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