♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: WELCOME BACK,
EVERYBODY.
LET'S SAY HELLO TO OUR FRIEND, MR. JON BATISTE.
JON, HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> Jon: HELLO, HELLO.
>> Stephen: HOW ARE YOU FEELING TONIGHT?
>> Jon: MAN, IT'S LIKE WALKING ON A TIGHTROPE.
>> Stephen: WE'RE GETTING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE.
DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO HOPE.
>> Jon: YES, LIKE OOOH!
I HOPE THERE'S A NET DOWN THERE.
( LAUGHTER )
IT'S SO MUCH.
>> Stephen: WELL, I JUST-- I JUST HOPE WE CAN BE BACK
TOGETHER SOON.
LISTENING TO YOU GUYS PLAY MAKES MEANTIME TO HEAR YOU MORE.
>> Jon: YOU KNOW, MUSIC IS A BEAUTIFUL THING, AND THE LAST
FOUR YEARS THAT HAVE LED TO THIS MOMENT HAVE BEEN A PLEASURE TO
DO WITH YOU.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR -- >> Stephen: OH, IT'S BEEN A
PLEASURE DOING IT WITH YOU.
YOU HAVE BEEN-- YOU HAVE BEEN A GREAT SOURCE OF ENERGY AND
POSITIVITY ON THIS SHOW, AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL BAND, YOUR
BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, HAS MADE EVERY DAY BETTER, YOU KNOW.
GOOD, FREE, FINE WITH ME.
( LAUGHTER )
I LOVE THAT!
>> Stephen: STAY FREE.
I'M GOING TO MISS YOU AT THANKSGIVING THIS YEAR, I'M
AFRAID, MY FRIEND.
>> Jon: YEAH.
>> Stephen: WE'LL CATCH YOU NEXT YEAR.
>> Jon: UNDERSTANDABLY.
WE WILL GET TOGETHER AGAIN.
I BELIEVE IT.
>> Stephen: JON, COULD YOU GIVE US A LITTLE MUSIC FOR THE
MOMENT?
>> Jon: OH, YEAH, YES.
♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: FALLING LEAVES.
JON BATISTE, EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU, JON.
>> Jon: THANK YOU, STEPHEN.
>> Stephen: FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, LAST NIGHT WASN'T
JUST ABOUT THE FATE OF DEMOCRACY.
IT WAS ALSO ABOUT GETTING HIGH, BECAUSE VOTERS ACROSS THE
NATION, AMERICANS OF ALL STRIPES VOTED YES ON THE PROPOSITION:
"YOU GUYS PARTY?" FIRST, THE RECREATIONAL
MARIJUANA WAS LEGALIZED BY NEW JERSEY VOTERS.
SO WE MIGHT FINALLY GET AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION: WHAT IF
CHRIS CHRISTIE GOT THE MUNCHIES?
IN WASHINGTON, D.C., VOTERS PASSED A MEASURE TO
DECRIMINALIZE THE USE OF MAGIC MUSHROOMS.
NOW THAT IS-- WAIT A SECOND, ARE WE SURE D.C. DIDN'T
DECRIMINALIZE MUSHROOMS FOUR YEARS AGO, AND THIS HAS ALL BEEN
A BAD TRIP?
BECAUSE THAT WOULD EXPLAIN A LOT, LIKE WHY TRUMP'S COMMERCE
SECRETARY IS A MUMMIFIED COUNT CHOCULA.
( LAUGHTER )
STEP FURTHER, BECAUSE OREGON HAS BECOME THE FIRST STATE TO
DECRIMINALIZE HARD DRUGS LIKE COCAINE AND HEROIN.
THIS HAS UPSET A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT ON THE PLUS SIDE, IT WILL
BRING MILLIONS OF JOBS IN THE TINY SANDWICH BAG INDUSTRY.
IT'S NOT JUST DRUGS.
THERE WERE OTHER PROMISING BALLOT MEASURES LAST NIGHT.
MISSISSIPPI APPROVED A NEW DESIGN FOR ITS STATE FLAG, WHICH
HAD BEEN THE LAST ONE IN THE COUNTRY TO FEATURE A SYMBOL OF
THE CONFEDERACY.
NOW, I WAS HESITANT TO CELEBRATE THIS UNTIL I KNEW WHAT THEY'RE
CHANGING IT TO, BECAUSE I WOULD NOT PUT IT PAST
MISSISSIPPI TO GIVE THAT CONFEDERATE FLAG ITS OWN
CONFEDERATE FLAG.
FORTUNATELY, THEY DID NOT DO THAT.
THEIR NEW FLAG HAS THEIR STATE FLOWER, THE MAGNOLIA, AND THE
PHRASE "IN GOD WE TRUST," WHICH NARROWLY BEAT OUT MISSISSIPPI'S
OTHER MOTTO, "YOU SAY OUR NAME WHEN YOU'RE COUNTING."
BUT IT'S NOT ALL GOOD NEWS.
CALIFORNIA VOTERS VOTED "YES" ON SOMETHING CALLED PROPOSITION 22,
A BALLOT MEASURE FUNDED BY COMPANIES LIKE UBER, WHICH LETS
THEM DENY THEIR WORKERS HEALTHCARE, UNEMPLOYMENT
INSURANCE, AND OTHER BENEFITS.
SURE, IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, I THINK WE ALL WANT TO
BE STUCK IN A CAR WITH SOMEONE WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO GO TO THE
DOCTOR.
AS THE ELECTION HAS REMINDED US, OUR COUNTRY IS PAINFULLY DIVIDED
RIGHT NOW.
BUT SOME COURAGEOUS SOULS ARE STILL PUSHING FOR COMMON
GROUND-- SPECIFICALLY, THE GAP, WHICH THIS MORNING DEBUTED A NEW
BLUE AND RED HOODED SWEATSHIRT, USING THE TAGLINE, "THE ONE
THING WE KNOW IS THAT TOGETHER, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD."
NOT NOW, THE GAP!
READ THE ROOM!
STICK TO WHAT YOU'RE GOOD AT: BEING A PLACE TO KILL TIME
BEFORE YOUR MOVIE STARTS AT THE MALL.
GAP GOT SOME BACKLASH FOR THIS TWEET, AND I UNDERSTAND IT.
NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRY TO FORCE TOGETHER TWO
OPPOSING SIDES.
WE HERE AT "THE LATE SHOW" LEARNED THAT THE HARD WAY, WHEN
OUR LABORATORY TRIED TO GENETICALLY COMBINE THE TWO
PARTIES' MASCOTS: >> KILL ME.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH CHIEF GENERAL NEWS ANCHOR
FOR CNBC, SHEP SMITH.
STICK AROUND.