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Opening Panel Round

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

We want to remind everyone to join us most weeks back at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago. For tickets and more information go to wbez.org, or you can find a link at our website: waitwait.npr.org. Right now, panel, time for you to answer some questions about this week's news.

Alonzo, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg hates going from an air conditioned building to a hot and sticky car. So, to get his official SUV cooled down faster the mayor equipped the SUV with what?

ALONZO BODDEN: A remote starter?

SAGAL: No.

BODDEN: No. A homeless guy.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: To do what?

BODDEN: You know, to start it up, cool it off, get it ready for him.

SAGAL: No, that's not powerful enough for him. I'll give you a hint. He also needed an eight-mile-long extension cord.

BODDEN: A portable air conditioner.

SAGAL: Yes, a window air conditioner for the backseat window.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Mayor Bloomberg's aides hung a big boxy window AC unit out the window of his SUV. It seems a little wasteful. Consider what he used to do on really hot days was just park the car in his kitchen in front of an open fridge.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: It works. It works; actually it's just very powerful to blast cold air right into the passenger compartment. But he keeps having to buy a new one every time he drives by a toll booth.

(LAUGHTER)

BODDEN: I guess it's true what they say, the rich truly are different.

SAGAL: Yes, they are.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: He's basically turning his SUV into a freshman dorm. He's got the AC. He's got the little mini-fridge with beer. He's got a Klimnt poster covering the back window. He's all set.

(LAUGHTER)

BODDEN: But in that fridge there is no soda over 16 ounces.

MO ROCCA: Exactly.

KYRIE O'CONNOR: Right.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.