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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Now for the last day of our membership drive democracy and other stuff quiz series that we've been calling, is it the truth, or is it a lie? A lie by me as I frame these questions. Get three in a row right and we'll send you a Brian Lehrer Show Pro-democracy sweatshirt. Let's see if we can give some away. Lori in Brooklyn is going to be our first contestant. Hi Lori, you're on WNYC, ready to play?

Lori: I had that. I don't know, but I'll [creosstalk]

Brian Lehrer: We will find out. If you were listening to the last segment on Dark Money and Campaign Spending, you will be at an unfair advantage. Is this the truth or is it a lie? The 2010 Supreme Court case Citizens United versus Federal Election Commission made it so that small donors have an outsized impact on candidates in elections. That the truth or is it a lie?

Lori: Small donors have an outsized impact?

Brian Lehrer: Yes. Citizens United set that up. Small donors would have an outsize impact on politics.

Lori: I would say is false.

Brian Lehrer: That is false.

Lori: Is that a trick question?

Brian Lehrer: That is not a trick question, it's just false. That's one to see if you're awake. Citizens United versus FEC ruled of course that corporations have the same free speech in campaign season rights as human beings and that independent groups can spend unlimited amounts of big money.

All right. Question number two, speaking of Citizens United and Corporations as people, back in 2011 comedian and host of the Late Show on CBS Stephen Colbert was able to get a referendum on the ballot in his home state of South Carolina that asked voters to decide whether corporations are people or only people are people and corporations are people one in that referendum. Is that the truth or is it a lie?

Lori: Oh God. That I have absolutely no idea. I'm going to have to take a wild guess. Corporations are people. Did that win?

Brian Lehrer: Sorry Lori, but you didn't win a sweatshirt in this round. We talked about it in the segment that that is a lie. Colbert did get the question included on the Republican Primary ballot at first, but then a few days later as was reported in the New York Times, for example, the State Supreme Court ruled that the referendum question was not allowed. He got a lot of publicity around it, but the voters of South Carolina never did get to weigh in on whether corporations are people or just people are people. Roxanne in Queens, you're on WNYC, ready to play?

Roxanne: Yes, I am. Good morning, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: We're going to start with a follow-up question to that last one about Colbert. Colbert did however go on a show and say that since corporations are the same as people under the law, parents should allow their daughters to date corporations. Is that a true statement that he said that on a show?

Roxanne: I will guess true.

Brian Lehrer: True. He did say that a Colbert joke, parents should allow their daughters to date corporations if they are people, too. Is this the truth or is it a lie? There is no limit on the amount of money a super PAC can raise or spend on a candidate as long as they don't give it directly to the candidate.

Roxanne: There's no limit I--

Brian Lehrer: On what they can spend or raise as long as they don't give it directly to the candidate.

Roxanne: I will say that is also true.

Brian Lehrer: That is also true. That was at the heart of the segment that we just had. That's two in a row. One more and you win a sweatshirt. Democrats traditionally are against so-called dark money in politics where the source of the funding is unknown. Is this the truth or is it a lie? In 2020 group supporting Democrats vastly outspent Republicans and helped Democrats defeat Donald Trump.

Roxanne: I will say that is true.

Brian Lehrer: That is true.

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Brian Lehrer: Yay, Roxanne, you win a sweatshirt. That too was in the conversation that we had. I said you'd be at an unfair advantage if you were paying attention. As reported by the New York Times this year, spurred by opposition to then-President Trump, donors, and operatives allied with the Democratic Party embraced dark money with fresh zeal, and it went on from there. Roxanne, don't forget to give our screener your sweatshirt size as well as your mailing address. We're going to go on next to Nicholas Englewood Cliffs. Hi, Nicholas. Ready to play?

Nicholas: Yes, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: We're done with our dark money questions. Now we're going to pivot to the [unintelligible 00:05:37] variety pack section of the quiz. There is still heart leftovers from earlier in the week that we didn't get to on their original days. Let's see. Here is a Supreme Court question. While he was President, Trump was able to get four new Supreme Court Justices confirmed. Is that the truth or is it a lie?

Nicholas: I going to say true.

Brian Lehrer: I'm sorry, Nicholas. Thanks for trying. He didn't have that much success. He had three openings and he got three confirmations not four. Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett. Todd in Somerset, New Jersey. Ready to play?

Todd: Yes, I'm ready to play. Thank you.

Brian Lehrer: Here's a Supreme Court-related history question. John Jay after whom we have John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the CUNY system was once Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, but he actually resigned from the Supreme Court to run for Governor of New York. True or false?

Todd: I don't really know, but I'll guess it's true.

Brian Lehrer: True. That is true. He was Supreme Court Chief Justice then John Jay was governor of New York. All right. Staying on the Supreme Court, is this the truth or is it a lie? The Constitution says that federal judges can serve during "good behavior." Those words are in the Constitution good behavior, which essentially allows for life terms instead of set limited terms unless they exhibit bad behavior. True or false?

Todd: It sounds pretty weird, but I think I have to say true, but I'm just going to guess.

Brian Lehrer: You are right again. According to their own website, supremecourt.gov, the constitution's authors did this to ensure an independent federal judiciary and to avoid partisanship. That was the reason for the term limits, but the good behavior clause is in there. For the sweatshirt as a follow-up, another way the Constitution tries to protect the court's independence is by allowing for the lowering of the salaries of Supreme Court Justices who exhibit poor behavior. Can they do that?

Todd: That sounds crazy. I'll say false.

Brian Lehrer: False is correct. Congratulations, Todd. You've won a sweatshirt. No. There is no clause under which Congress can lower the salaries of Supreme Court Justices as a punishment for bad behavior. Hang on, Todd. We'll take your address and don't forget to give him your sweatshirt size. All right? Let's see who's next. How about Alex in Park Slope? Hi, Alex. You're on WNYC. Ready to play?

Alex: Good morning, Brian. Yes.

Brian Lehrer: It's New York City plus geography questions. Albany is closer to New York City than Montauk is. Is that the truth or is it a lie?

Alex: I think that's a lie.

Brian Lehrer: That is a lie. Albany is 152 miles from the city according to Google Maps. Montauk is just 118 miles. Next one in this same category, Richmond, Virginia is closer to New York City by car than Buffalo is. Truth or a lie?

Alex: I'm going to say true.

Brian Lehrer: That is true. It may seem like Virginia is in another part of the country, and Buffalo is here, but Richmond is 335 miles away via I-95. Buffalo is 373 miles away after you spend forever on the New York State throwaway. Next, we have some local performing arts questions. Philharmonic Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and David Geffen Hall are all the same place. Is that the truth or is it a lie?

Alex: That is the truth.

Brian Lehrer: That is the truth. [music]

Brian Lehrer: Three in a row right, you win a sweatshirt. Hang on, we're going to take your size and your mailing address. Listeners are doing well today. That's our third sweatshirt already given away. That is true, Philharmonic Hall, well, it's the place in Lincoln Center where the New York Philharmonic plays, first of all. It was originally Philharmonic Hall when Lincoln Center was built in the 1950s, it was renamed Avery Fisher Hall when the founder of Fisher Electronics made a big donation to renovate the hall.

It was later named David Geffen Hall, it's current name after the music mogul who made a big donation decades later. Let's see who's next. How about Bowen in East Windsor? Hi, Bowen. You're on WNYC. Ready to play?

Bowen: Yes, I hope so. Good morning.

Brian Lehrer: Good morning. You're in New Jersey.

Bowen: Yes.

Brian Lehrer: The New Jersey Performing Arts Center is on the campus of Montclair State. Is that the truth or is it a lie?

Bowen: Montclair State, yes, it's true.

Brian Lehrer: Sorry, Bowen, that's wrong. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center is in Newark. Let's go to Jim in Milburn, New Jersey. Jim, you're on WNYC. Ready to play?

Jim: I think so.

Brian Lehrer: Is this the truth or is it a lie? Hip hop was born at a birthday party in the Bronx.

Jim: Oh my, I'll say false.

Brian Lehrer: Sorry, Jim. Thanks for giving it a shot. That is at least arguably true. We'll cite the history channels version of the story. It says, like any style of music, hip hop has roots in other forms, and its evolution was shaped by many different artists, but there's a case to be made that it came to life precisely on August 11th, 1973 at a birthday in the rec room of an apartment building in the West Bronx 1520 Sedgwick Avenue.

The man who presided over that historic party was the birthday girl's brother, Clive Campbell, better known to history as DJ Kool Herc, and it goes on from there, but there it is, the History Channel says hip hop arguably was born in the Bronx. How about Gabriel in Georgia, you're on WNYC. Ready to play?

Gabriel: Hit me, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Those were some performing arts venue questions. I don't know if in Georgia, you know anything about New York sports venues, but that's the next little set. Is it the truth or is it a lie that the new Yankee Stadium, which I know Yankee fans are very depressed, they don't even want to hear the word right now, but the new Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009, was built across the street from the old Yankee Stadium. Truth or a lie?

Gabriel: The new Yankee Stadium built across the street.

Brian Lehrer: That's the question.

Gabriel: That's true.

Brian Lehrer: That is true. Same subway stop, different corner. Next one, of New York City's two NFL football teams, only the Jets actually play in New York City, the Giants play at Giant Stadium in the Meadowlands. Is that the truth or is a lie?

Gabriel: That's a lie, Brian. They both play in New Jersey.

Brian Lehrer: You know it too at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands, the only NFL team that plays in New York is the Buffalo Bills. Finally for the sweatshirt, Madison Square Garden, which is now over Penn Station, used to have no roof. It was originally an open-air Madison Square Garden. Is that the truth or is it a lie?

Gabriel: Are we talking about the current Madison Square Garden or the original?

Brian Lehrer: We're talking about the original, way back whenever that was [crosstalk]

Gabriel: The one with Madison Square?

Brian Lehrer: It was in Madison Square, the actual name, Madison Square Garden?

Gabriel: I'm going to say-- Wait, I kind of lost track of the truth or false here, but I'm going to say it did not have a roof.

Brian Lehrer: Sorry, Gabriel. Nice try. Oh, yes, no, no. Gabriel, you are right. It did not have a roof. That is the correct answer.

Gabriel: Pabaam.

Brian Lehrer: Even with your own fanfare, yes, Gabriel, hang on. We'll take your dress and your sweatshirt size. According to attractionpass.com, it dates the 1800s when a square in New York City was called Madison Square, named after President James Madison, you know it, it's at 23rd and fifth. Nearby, a facility was built in 1879 to facilitate larger crowds and was leased to PT Barnham.

However, it did not have a roof and was subject to inclement weather. This led to other versions of what is now called Madison Square Garden, other versions were built in 1890, 1925, and the current location in 1968. Boy, did we give away some sweatshirts. Thanks, everybody for playing. Glad we were able to get some winners on there. Some Brian Lehrer show pro-democracy sweatshirts on their way to you all. That's our truth or a lie quiz for today.

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