The Annual Can't Let It Go Year End Extravaganza

Summary

Summary of "The Annual Can't Let It Go Year End Extravaganza" – NPR Politics Podcast

Release Date: December 27, 2024

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I. Introduction

In "The Annual Can't Let It Go Year End Extravaganza," hosted by Susan Davis, the NPR Politics Podcast delves into the memorable moments of 2024 that leave enduring impressions on individuals and the broader public. The episode features discussions with colleagues Myles Parks, Tamara Keith, Elena Moore, Domenico Montanaro, and members of the production team, each sharing personal and professional highlights they can't let go of from the past year.

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II. Personal Milestones and Coping Mechanisms

A. Myles Parks on Parenthood and Unexpected Comforts

Myles Parks opens the conversation by reflecting on the profound experience of becoming a parent. He shares, “the birth of my first child” as a pivotal moment he couldn't let go of ([02:23]). Transitioning into the challenges of new parenthood, Myles describes seeking solace in unexpected places, notably immersing himself in online poker streams. He remarks at [03:17], “I think I have watched more than 100 hours of Internet poker this year just because it has been the most... mindless enough that I multiple times just straight up fell asleep to it.”

B. Susan Davis on Parenting and Escapism

Susan Davis echoes the sentiment of seeking comfort Amidst parenting’s sleepless nights. She mentions turning to “mindless television” and listening to music to cope with the exhaustion of nighttime baby cries. At [05:35], she humorously admits, “I thought I was gonna finish the Wire, but I didn't,” highlighting the struggle to balance personal interests with parenting responsibilities.

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III. Political and Cultural Highlights

A. Tamara Keith on Presidential Developments

Tamara Keith shares a significant political moment she can’t forget: President Biden’s unexpected announcement of dropping out of the presidential race via tweet. She recounts the immediacy and personal impact of this news, describing being with her children in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, when the tweet was released ([06:14]). Susan Davis adds context by juxtaposing this event with Wolf Blitzer’s casual tweet about enjoying a "Wolf Spritzer" at a restaurant ([07:15]).

Notable Quote:

“Few things can sober you up really fast than a breaking news alert. That means you need to get to work right away.” — Susan Davis ([07:15])

B. Elena Moore and Domenico Montanaro on Taylor Swift's Tour and Sports Dynamics

Elena Moore discusses the monumental impact of Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour," not only as a cultural phenomenon but also in economic terms. She highlights the tour's contribution to local economies, citing Pittsburgh's $46 million in direct spending ([12:19]). Additionally, Elena praises Taylor Swift’s generosity, noting the significant bonuses she provided to her support staff.

Domenico Montanaro shifts the focus to the sports realm, specifically the dramatic turnaround of the Mets' 2024 season. From being 11 games under .500 to a surprising playoff run, Domenico humorously attributes some of the magic to unconventional events, such as Mets backup second baseman Jose Iglesias's double life as a Latin pop star ([15:00]). He shares anecdotes about fan enthusiasm and the unique energy surrounding the Mets, contrasting it with longstanding rivalries like that with the Yankees.

Notable Quotes:

“Suprisingly, this might be the place I go.” — Myles Parks on watching online poker ([04:34])
“This is like Swiftonomics. Move over Bidenomics.” — Elena Moore on Taylor Swift's economic impact ([13:21])

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IV. Behind-the-Scenes Insights and Personal Anecdotes

A. Production Team on Unique Events and Personal Experiences

Kelly Wesinger shares her fascination with celebrity lookalike contests that swept across various cities in 2024. She recounts attending a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest in New York, where the event was so popular that even Chalamet himself made an appearance ([27:03]). Kelly emphasizes the communal and joyous spirit of these events, regardless of participants' resemblance to the celebrities.

Casey Morrell contributes a personal story about unexpectedly appearing on live television during a soccer match in Estonia. While attending a local game, Casey and his girlfriend are captured on a TV broadcast without realizing it, leading to a moment of disbelief and amusement upon receiving a photo of themselves in the footage ([25:57]).

Notable Quotes:

“It really doesn't matter if you look like the person or not. It's more the fact that people are gonna just show up to do this really random event.” — Kelly Wesinger on lookalike contests ([28:49])
“The idea that you can be on the other side of the world and see someone that you know on television... makes my mind go. I just can’t stop thinking about it.” — Casey Morrell ([25:57])

B. Jung Yoon Han’s Farewell and Future Endeavors

Finally, the production team shares personal updates, including Jung Yoon Han’s departure from NPR to join WXXI News in Rochester, New York. Jung expresses gratitude for the collaborative experience and hints at future appearances on the podcast ([30:42]).

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V. Closing Reflections

Susan Davis wraps up the episode by celebrating the diverse experiences shared by her colleagues, emphasizing the importance of fandom, community, and personal growth. She extends heartfelt thanks to the production team and bid farewell to Jung Yoon Han, wishing everyone a Happy New Year ([31:16]).

Final Notable Quote:

“This is the motivation we should all be bringing into 2025.” — Susan Davis on Celine Dion’s performance ([24:28])

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Conclusion

"The Annual Can't Let It Go Year End Extravaganza" offers a heartfelt and engaging reflection on the significant moments of 2024, blending personal anecdotes with broader cultural and political insights. Through candid conversations, the NPR Politics Podcast captures the essence of what made the year unforgettable for its hosts and guests alike.

Transcript

[Susan Davis]

This message comes from Progressive and its name your price tool. Say how much you want to pay for car insurance and they'll show coverage options within your budget. Visit progressive.com, progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Price and coverage match, limited by state law. Hey, it's Sarah McCammon. It's almost the end of the year, and it's that time when npr, which is a nonprofit news organization, asks for your support. Maybe you're already an NPR supporter, and if so, thank you so much. But if you've never given to public media before, or maybe you haven't in a while, please consider doing so now. NPR's mission is to create a more informed public for the Politics Podcast. That means sorting through all the noise coming out of Washington to focus on the news that matters. It means breaking down proposals and policies so you understand what they do and who's affected. It also means holding institutions and people in power accountable. In 2025, as a new administration takes over, we can doing this work with your help. The easiest way to support the Politics Podcast and NPR is to sign up for npr. A small recurring donation gets you special perks for more than 25 NPR podcasts, like sponsor free listening, bonus episodes and even discounted items from the NPR shop. It only takes a few minutes to sign up, and you can do it right [e-mail] and thank you. Foreign hey there, it's the NPR Politics Podcast. I'm Susan Davis. I cover politics. And 2024 has been quite the year for me personally. When an election year is over, I'm ready to let it all go. But today we're going to talk about the things from the past year that we still can't let go. You know, the things we just can't stop thinking about, politics or otherwise. And to kick off this year's Can't Let it go extravaganza. That's what I'm calling it. I'm first joined by my friends and my colleagues, Myles Parks and Tamara Keith. Hello to you both. Hello.

[Myles Parks]

Hi, Sue.

[Susan Davis]

I want Kligapalooza. Oh, I like that. Kligamageddon. Kligmageddon is a good one.

[Myles Parks]

That's not good.

[Susan Davis]

Depends on how good your can't let it go is.

[Myles Parks]

Myles, no pressure, no pressure.

[Susan Davis]

Why don't you kick it off for us? What couldn't you let go this year?

[Myles Parks]

Well, so I feel like the obvious can't let it go for me is the birth of my first child. But I was like, too obvious. I was like, I was like, can I just do, like, the beauty of watching birth happen?

[Susan Davis]

The beauty of life itself?

[Myles Parks]

Yeah, I don't think we could do that. So. But related to that, you both have children of your own in that first few months, which I feel like a lot of people had told me about how there's a lot of words that could be used to describe the first couple months of parenthood, but I definitely found myself searching for things that would give me comfort at 2 in the morning. I remember, sue, before my baby was born, you gave me some great advice. You were like, if you need to order a pizza at any time of the day, if you need a beer at any time of the day, you just do it. Like, you just do what you got to do.

[Susan Davis]

It's like airport rules.

[Myles Parks]

But for parenting, I found the most random of things which has given me comfort this year in the last seven months, which is watching people play poker on the Internet.

[Susan Davis]

Interesting.

[Myles Parks]

You can just watch endless. I'm not kidding. It is an infinite stream of watching human beings play poker on the Internet. And I swear to God, guys, I think I have watched more than 100 hours of Internet poker this year just because it has. Has been the most, like, for whatever reason, I find it, like, just the perfect amount of, like, oh, I'm vaguely thinking about this, but it's like, mindless enough that I multiple times just straight up fell asleep to it, like, while, like, sitting on the couch waiting between feeds and stuff like that.

[Susan Davis]

So wait, this is not like World Series of Poker with.

[Myles Parks]

So sometimes. So there's two versions, and I actually kind of went down both rabbit holes. I actually found myself definitely drawn to the versions that had color commentary. So you can also find, like, live streams where you could just watch people play for many, many hours. That wasn't exactly my jam at 2 in the morning. That was easier to fall asleep to. But most of the time, there was a show on Fox Sports called the Big Game, and it was these great color commentators, and there's, I think, close to 100 episodes. They're just straight up just on YouTube now. And I watched from episode one all the way to the completion of that show, the entirety of it over my parental leave. And honestly, now I think for the rest of my life, when I am, like, looking for that sense of, like, peace, calm, I think this might be the place I go.

[Susan Davis]

Do you think that you are a better poker player after watching all of this poker yourself?

[Myles Parks]

This is the question. I'm so glad you asked this, Sue. Cause it's a question I think about all the time. I have not. I've played poker one time since I gained this obsession with my high school friends, and I did win $90.

[Susan Davis]

Oh.

[Myles Parks]

So I don't know what that means. The sample size is very small. My high school friends, not the brightest bulbs in the shed.

[Susan Davis]

Wait, do they listen to this podcast?

[Myles Parks]

If they do, they. Jacob. Sam, I'm sor. Maybe you made some bad decisions that night. So I would say. I doubt it would be my guess. I've never been very good at poker, so I doubt that. Like me watching videos at 2 in the morning of other people do. It has, like, had some radical impact to the point where I'm going to be like a savant now. But maybe we'll find out. You know, sue, if you. In the new year, we could. We could hit the casinos or something.

[Susan Davis]

You know, I actually, I enjoy playing cards, and I. I've learned how to play poker when I was a kid. My dad taught all of this. So, Miles, if you want to start a little NPR poker league in 2025, I'm open to the conversation is what I'm talking about. Just amongst friends. No money.

[Myles Parks]

You guys have, like, a comfort thing or comfort content shopping?

[Susan Davis]

Yeah. Purchasing things that you think will solve your parenting problem at 3am is definitely a pastime. I also did more mindless television. I would watch a lot of reality TV things with low stakes, low plot. Like you said, you could fall asleep during it. And I also would just listen to a lot of music with my earbuds in. Especially when you had a crying baby in the middle of the night. Like, the crying can just get really exhausting, but if you just, like, turn up music really loud, you can. You can deal with a lot. I thought I was gonna finish the Wire, but I didn't.

[Myles Parks]

I've actually just started a rewatch of the Wire. That's so weird. So you never finished it? You gave up again?

[Susan Davis]

I gave up again.

[Myles Parks]

Oh, my God.

[Susan Davis]

And now the kid is 6, so I don't know. Might not just be for you. Tam. Tam, what about you? What can't you let go of? This is news adjacent, but there are some news events where everyone remembers where they were when the news happened, where you were. The event of this year is when President Biden announced via tweet that he was dropping out of the race for president. My story is that I was with my kids in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, there to cover the President, but we weren't expecting any news. And I was walking them to go get ice cream. And then bam, the tweet came out. We were right in front of the ice cream shop. I was like, boys, we're running. We're running back to the hotel. We are running. We are going to get. Mommy's gonna go on the radio. And the look of, like, utter disappointment. What does that mean about the ice cream? Like, there's no time for ice cream. But my story is like, eh, it's okay. The best story, the one that we will all remember, where Wolf Blitzer was when this news came out.

[Myles Parks]

I don't know this.

[Susan Davis]

Oh, you don't know this?

[Tamara Keith]

No.

[Susan Davis]

So Wolf Blitzer, the CNN anchor, very serious man. You know, it was Sunday, Sunday Funday, aka Sunday Funday. Yeah. 12:47pm he sends a tweet. Enjoying a Wolf spritzer at El Presidente restaurant here in D.C. and the wolf spritzer is an alcoholic beverage that involves aperol, mezcal, lemon juice, sparkling wine.

[Myles Parks]

Yeah. And then did he go on air after that? Yes. Oh, man.

[Susan Davis]

Unstoppable, that blister. Like, he was probably still drinking the spritzer when his phone blew up. And then he too was probably running. Although in Wolf Blitzer's defense, I will say, and I think we've all experienced this at some point in our journalistic career, few things can sober you up really fast than a breaking news alert. That means you need to get to work right away. Oh, yeah. That Sunday brunch can take a quick turn really fast. All right. Well, thank you both for being here. And a happy New Year, my friends. Stay sober. Happy New Year.

[Myles Parks]

Happy New Year. Thanks, Sue.

[Susan Davis]

We're going to take a quick break and we'll be back with more Can't Let it go.

[Tamara Keith]

Support for NPR. And the following message come from SimpliSafe. If you ever worry about the safety of your home and family, there's no better time to act than during Simplisafe's massive Black Friday deals. Protect your home at Simplisafe's lowest prices of the year. Right now, Simplisafe is offering listeners 50% off any new system with a select professional monitoring plan. This is their best offer of the year. Head to SimpliSafe.com NPR Politics. There's no safe like SimpliSafe. This message comes from BetterHelp. This holiday season, do something for a special person in your life. You give yourself the gift of better mental health. BetterHelp online therapy connects you with a qualified therapist via phone, video or live chat. It's convenient and affordable and can Be done from the comfort of your own home. Having someone to talk to is truly a gift, especially during the holidays. Visit betterhelp.com NPR to get 10% off your first month.

[Susan Davis]

This message comes from Strawberry Me. Making personal coaching accessible to everyone. Feeling like life's gotten messy? Or maybe you're just not moving forward like you hoped. A certified coach from Strawberry Me could be the turning point. You need to find clarity, set achievable goals, and stick to a plan. If you're ready to unlock your full potential, visit Strawberry me NPR for 20% off your first month membership. That's Strawberry Me, NPR. And we're back. And NPR's Elena Moore and Domenico Montanaro are here. Hello to you both.

[Elena Moore]

Very happy to be here.

[Domenico Montanaro]

That's great.

[Susan Davis]

Elena, let's start with you. What can you let go of?

[Elena Moore]

I cannot let go of is very much to say an end of an era. I would say the era's tour just ended. Taylor Swift's insanely successful, highest grossing tour ever just ended. And I haven't been able to stop thinking about it for literally a year and a half since it started. March 2023 just ended in December. As a, you know, human being who grew up listening to Taylor Swift, it, it was kind of amazing. Like there were so many crazy things that happened. You know, each show had these like little Easter eggs. At one point, you know, we, you know, Taylor Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce came on stage and was a backup dancer for her. At another show, you can literally hear the crowd sing so loud that it out, you know, it, it drowns out Taylor Swift's voice.

[Susan Davis]

Did you see any of the shows?

[Elena Moore]

So that's a can't let it go from last year. I will say I always thought I was a tech savvy, very intense woman. I still think those things. But there is a different level that you need to be to get those tickets. Shout out to our incredible Hill correspondent, Claudia Grisales. Who is that person? Yes, you went multiple times. Multiple times. But that requires you have to be subscribed to like 10 different fan websites. You need to have alerts, you need to have multiple phones. You need like a burner phone. Basically, I was not cut out for that. Huge fan. One of the biggest regrets of my long life so far is not being able to go. Hopefully one day I will. But the reason I can't let this go on top of my own personal remorse is that this tort, like actually changed people's lives, like economically changed people's lives. It benefited cities around the country in ways that are like, pretty striking. You know, there was some reporting from CNN that showed that it pulled all these different, like local reports. In Pittsburgh during the tour, the city generated $46 million in direct spending. So this is like outside of her own sales.

[Domenico Montanaro]

It's like a primary.

[Elena Moore]

Yeah, it's like they compared it to like these fans spent what you spend going to a Super Bowl. But like at every Single show in LA, it increased local employment by 3,000, more than 3,000 workers.

[Susan Davis]

And that's LA.

[Elena Moore]

Yeah. And local. The site says local earnings by 160 million. Kansas City, the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. When Taylor Swift is of course dating Travis Kelce, one of the stars. That, that tour, when she finally went to Kansas City, it brought in 200 million as well. And the city has seen huge impacts from her just attending those games, living there, attending those games. So like, not only is she like, you know, making so many people's dreams come true, doing all these old songs, new things, she also had all these albums come out. She's like making people have like, she's benefiting jobs, which I feel like, you know, someone, one of these articles called it, it was actually a local NPR station called it Swiftonomics. So like, move over Bidenomics. Like, this is crazy. So.

[Susan Davis]

And the thing I'll give Taylor Swift, she's a really good boss. There was reports that she gave up to $200 million in bonuses to the support staff, to the dancers, to the truck drivers, to everyone who helped put that show on. And that's like a really unnecessary but wonderful thing to do, especially because I can only imagine how much money she personally made over this global dominating tour.

[Elena Moore]

She made so much money during this tour and I think my, my, you know, end of an era is the era's tour. I'm really hoping she doesn't rest for long, which she usually doesn't.

[Domenico Montanaro]

So you know how long this show has been going on, this tour has been going on. I was just thinking about how my daughter is a huge Sabrina Carpenter fan. And Sabrina Carpenter was one of.

[Susan Davis]

Wasn't born yet.

[Domenico Montanaro]

But she was one of the openers early on in the tour in South America and she wasn't really at peak Sabrina Carpenter yet. She was just kind of coming up a little bit and my daughter was a big fan of hers then and I was like, who is this person? And then like now here we are. And it's, it's, you know, one of those crazy things because it's really sort of the touch that Taylor Swift has, whether it's on these local economies or other artists.

[Susan Davis]

I also, on a personal level, just have to give a shout out to my friend Senna, who is one of those Taylor Swift super fans. I think back of the envelope, she was one of the people who saw her eight times.

[Elena Moore]

Yeah, that's crazy.

[Susan Davis]

In three different countries. And we joke that, like, she's like, I don't have kids to pay for college. Instead of that, she went to Taylor Swift concert. Domenico, what about you? What can't you let go of?

[Domenico Montanaro]

You know, I, I have to say I was not sure that I was going to be in the podcast with you two. So I'm. I'm not sure that this is the best. Can't let it go. To be talking about with a Phillies fan.

[Susan Davis]

Oh, it must be sports related.

[Elena Moore]

If you say what I think you're going to.

[Domenico Montanaro]

It is the 2024 Mets that I cannot let go of.

[Elena Moore]

No, that's fine.

[Domenico Montanaro]

What did you think I was going to say?

[Susan Davis]

I don't know. Domenico, with you, it can go in so many directions.

[Elena Moore]

I actually think this is going to annoy him if two people from winning sports teams are like, oh, yeah, it's.

[Susan Davis]

Okay, you can talk.

[Kelly Wesinger]

Okay, keep going.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Wow. And this is why people don't like the Phillies or the Yankees. I mean, it's just the reality, guys. Like, the fact is the wheel has turned in New York and we know that now. And, and that's not just like getting Juan Soto to sign with the Mets, which is the end of the year thing, which, because, you know, the Mets owner has more money than any owner in baseball and is loosely the character who's based on, you know, Bobby from Billions is the.

[Susan Davis]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Elena Moore]

I didn't know that either.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah, it's. It's kind of crazy, but it's really because of the vibes of the 2024 season. I mean, I had Yankees fans, including Elena, coming up to me and saying, you know, I'm kind of rooting for the Mets. And it's like, that is a big deal because, you know, my dad is a Yankees fan, my brother's a Yankees fan, who I call, you know, front runners because I grew up two miles from Shea Stadium and you could see the glow of the lights from my bedroom. And, you know, they just picked the Yankees because they won. And I did, because I picked the Mets because, you know, it's the Mets. And.

[Susan Davis]

Have you always been a Mets fan?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Always. Yeah. I mean, when I was.

[Susan Davis]

When you were A little kid. You were a Met.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah, when I was seven years old, the Mets won the, the World Series in 86. The last time they did. I remember during the playoffs in that, in that year the Mets were playing the Astros and they were is one of those multiple inning, extra inning games. I'm not sure if it was like the 14th or 16th inning, but it was about 11, 11:30 at night. And I'm up, you know, sitting cross legged, watching in front of the tv and my dad comes out from the bedroom and he's just like, what are you doing? You have to go to sleep. And I was like, but they're in like the 16th inning. He was like, ah, okay. You know, he's a gym teacher and a coach. He got it. You know what I mean?

[Susan Davis]

You'll just be tired in homeroom tomorrow.

[Elena Moore]

Those are magical games.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I will say. Yeah. I mean, 86 was the best team I've ever seen, obviously best year I've ever seen in my lifetime. But nothing will be like 2024. And that's because of just what happened this year was kind of magical. I mean, starting off the year, The Mets were 11 games under.500. It looked like a season that was just going to be dirt. And we were just like, you know, it's another Mets year. And then this happens.

[Susan Davis]

Fans, please direct your attention to the.

[Myles Parks]

Pitcher'S mound for a ceremonial first pitch.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Introducing the ultimate baseball fan, all the way from McDonaldland.

[Myles Parks]

Please welcome the one, the only, Grimace.

[Domenico Montanaro]

There is no other organization in baseball where this season could have happened where we had Grimace throw out the first pitch and the Mets go on this crazy winning streak. Then we have Jose Iglesias, who was the Mets backup second baseman who was signed to a minor league contract, who apparently moonlights as a Latin pop star condolita. And he had a number one Latin pop hit. Omg. And that became the soundtrack of the Mets and he performed it at Citi Field with the entire team. I'm sorry, Elena.

[Elena Moore]

No, you're right.

[Domenico Montanaro]

There is no way the Yankees would ever allow that to take place. If Aaron Judge was like a pop star somewhere where they're like, yeah, everybody grow beards and have a big, you know, celebration on the field. They, they would have, Halstein Brenner would have a heart attack. I mean, not allowing that. And then this crazy run through the playoffs where we saw, you know, just magic happen. It felt like, you know, home runs, playoff, getting to the, to the, to, to the very end of, of the playoffs and the championship series wind up losing to the Dodgers and winning one more game than the Yankees did in the World Series versus the Dodgers.

[Elena Moore]

I mean, listen, you know, my mom is also from Queens, and families are always divided on the Mets and the Yankees, and you always got to just respect that. Also, the Mets have the best fan base. Like, I shouldn't say. I'm not gonna say it.

[Susan Davis]

The Mets, he's like, strike that producer. Strike that redactive. Don't put that out there.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Please keep it. That's the. That's. That's truth. Syrian.

[Elena Moore]

No, the. The Mets have a really iconic fan base. And yeah, I think I'm fingers crossed for you, Domenico and Sue.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I always. I always joke that, like, the difference between Mets and Phillies fans, because we're very close. We use the same, you know, swear words and we even yell at our own players.

[Susan Davis]

We don't throw batteries.

[Domenico Montanaro]

We don't.

[Elena Moore]

Not that different.

[Domenico Montanaro]

We don't throw. We don't throw batteries at our own players.

[Elena Moore]

Yeah, sorry, Beh.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And, you know, I would say that if a Phillies fan fell at Citi Field and, you know, Mets fans might curse at them, but then help them up. I think if I fell at Phillies Park, I might not survive.

[Susan Davis]

Well, let's not cast as here. The thing I would say is that. And also, I always joke that I grew up in a Philly sports fan family and I married into a New England sports family.

[Elena Moore]

Red Guns.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Red Sox.

[Susan Davis]

So, like, I just come from the two most hateable portions of sports fandoms. But I would say this. I am a big fan of fandom. I don't actually aggressively dislike any music artist or any sports team. I really respect people like Domenico who like lifelong Mets tonal, like the childhood association with it. I think, like, that is a wonderful thing. We need to take one more break, and I need to let both of you go. And of course, Happy New Year.

[Elena Moore]

My New Year's resolution is that I get to see Taylor Swift and that Domenico gets a World Series.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah, let's not go that far. I mean, Mets fans are always hopeful pessimists. Thank you very much. So Happy New Year. That's all I'll say.

[Susan Davis]

All right, we'll be back with one more. Can't let it go. This message comes from GiveWell. You're a details person. You check at least half a dozen reviews before making any big ticket purchase. So when you're giving to charity, check out GiveWell, an independent resource for rigorous, transparent research about great giving opportunities.

[Myles Parks]

Over 125,000 donors have used GiveWell. If you've never used GiveWell.

[Susan Davis]

You can have your donation matched up to $100 before the end of the year or as long as matching funds last. Go to givewell.org and pick podcast and.

[Myles Parks]

Enter NPR at checkout.

[Tamara Keith]

This message comes from NPR sponsor Shopify, the global commerce platform that helps you sell and show up exactly the way you want to customize your online store to your style. Sign up for a $1 per month trial [e-mail] NPR this message comes from Warby Parker. What makes a great pair of glasses at Warby Parker? It's all the invisible extras without the extra cost, like free adjustments for life. Find your [e-mail] or visit one of their hundreds of stores around the country. This message comes from Warby Parker. What makes a great pair of glasses at Warby Parker? It's all the invisible extras without the extra cost, like free adjustments for life. Find your [e-mail] or visit one of their hundreds of stores around the country.

[Susan Davis]

And we're back and we have some special guests here for our final Can't Let It Go segment. These are the voices you don't often get to hear in front of the mic, but are absolutely crucial to actually getting you the episode every day. And they are our stellar production team of Jung Yoon Han, Casey Morrell and Kelly Wesinger. Hello, my friends.

[Casey Morrell]

Hello.

[Kelly Wesinger]

Hey. Hi, Sue.

[Susan Davis]

A little bit of behind the scenes magic is that I don't normally get to decide the order. We do can't let it go in. That is a power generally housed by Kelly, I believe. But since you guys are the ones in front of the microphone today, I'm gonna make the decisions and I'm gonna say, Kelly, what can't you let go of? Oh, no, I can't let go of Celine Dion's insane performance from the Olympics. So my husband is a teacher, so obviously he has summers off.

[Tamara Keith]

And I came home from work and.

[Susan Davis]

He immediately was like, I recorded something. You have to watch it. You're gonna cry. So he played Celine Dion's performance from the Olympics.

[Tamara Keith]

And for those of you that don't.

[Susan Davis]

Know, she has stiff person syndrome, which is a neurological disease where you lose control of your muscles. So she was having a very hard time singing and hadn't sung publicly in a long time. And then she made her debut from the Eiffel Tower in the Olympics opening ceremony. And I just burst into tears.

[Kelly Wesinger]

I started sobbing like immediately.

[Susan Davis]

It was amazing. She's an amazing performer and I think that everywhere she especially like, you know, she had her whole Vegas residency that was, like, sold out every night. I mean, she is just one of the most spectacular vocal talents, not just, like, today, but maybe ever. Like, I don't know how you could even compare. She's iconic. Her sound is so singular. Like, you never hear a song and you're like, who sings this again? There's no one else.

[Kelly Wesinger]

Like Seline.

[Susan Davis]

She's incredible. And also, to be clear, like, I will quit anything at the slightest inconvenience. So it was so inspiring to see her overcome this disease. I mean, she still has it, but, like, to sound like she did while singing with this disease, I was just totally in shock.

[Kelly Wesinger]

It was fantastic.

[Susan Davis]

That is the motivation we should all be bringing into 2025. Celine said. Agreed. Casey, what about you? What can't you let go of?

[Casey Morrell]

You know, this was hard for me to decide, sue, because a lot of things have happened this year. But the thing that I can't let go of is just how small this world is. And this is a super broad way of putting it, but I will explain it. Earlier this year, I went on a great vacation to the Baltic. So we went to Finland, Estonia, and Latvia. And I highly recommend, if you've never been to that part of the world, you have the chance to do so, go for it. But the thing that, like, blew my mind while I was there, people who know me, friends of mine, know that I'm a huge sports fan, which is not necessarily something that comes across in making the politics podcast every day or in the work that I do, but. But if there is a sporting event to go to, if there's sports to watch on tv, I'm there. So one of the things that my girlfriend and I did while we were in Tartu, Estonia, is went to a top league Estonian soccer match. And, you know, this is one of those things where, like, you just roll up. It's like a high school football game. There's no assigned seats, tickets are super cheap, drinks are super cheap. And I'm talking to one of my best friends as I'm at this game. I'm texting him, and I'm like, I'm at the game. It's really fun. And like, a minute later, he sends me a photograph, and it's a picture of the TV broadcast of the game, which he somehow found. And he said, is this you?

[Susan Davis]

And it's.

[Casey Morrell]

The camera had gone to a point on the sidelines, and you could clearly see, like, me and my girlfriend sitting there. And he's like, I would recognize you. With that Kansas City Royals baseball cap anywhere. And I just thought to myself, like, the idea that a. You can be, like, on the other side of the world and see someone that you know on television, like, doing a random thing in real time in real time is just. It's one of those things that makes my mind go. I just. I can't. I can't stop thinking about it.

[Susan Davis]

Casey, I have to say that you would probably be easy to spot at a sporting event because you do do have a lot of very loud shirts.

[Casey Morrell]

I do have.

[Susan Davis]

I do a lot of loud, sporting jerseys that you like to wear to the office. So I think I could spot you on a camera, too.

[Casey Morrell]

I think that, like, you know, the idea of, like, dress for the job that you want. Mine is clearly just like, court jester at this point. So it's that.

[Susan Davis]

Casey Drip. Jung Yoon, I'm going to give you the honor of 2024, and that is to give us the last. Can't let it go of this otherwise unforgettable year.

[Kelly Wesinger]

One of the things that has been stuck in my head ever since it first started was the lookalike contests that have just taken over cities across the world. So for context, this is. This first started off with a lookalike contest for Timothee Chalamet in New York. There was a group that started to say, show up here at the Washington Square park in Manhattan. And the number of people that flocked to that park on that day was insane.

[Casey Morrell]

Every waif in Brooklyn was there.

[Kelly Wesinger]

And Timothy was there himself. He showed up.

[Susan Davis]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Kelly Wesinger]

That was the first one. Ever since then, there have been a bunch of different celebrity lookalike contests in different cities, like Dev Patel in San Francisco, Jeremy Allen White in Chicago. And I've been watching this just unfold on social media. The energy at these crowds are just so fun to watch because there are people cheering for their friends because they look like this person. They think that they look like this person. They want to root for them. So they all show up. And so actually, I'm in DC and there was a lookalike contest for DC and that was Jack Schlossberg. So dc, which he is a member of the Kennedy clan, the famed political family.

[Casey Morrell]

He's Caroline Kennedy's son.

[Kelly Wesinger]

Right, Caroline Kennedy's son. I went just to see what it would be like, and it was like my city, and I wanted to go see if there was anyone who looked remotely like him. I will say there were about 10 people. And I was a little disappointed. I just didn't think the people who showed up had the evidence.

[Susan Davis]

They didn't bring their all.

[Kelly Wesinger]

I think they tried. It was a lot of fun to see. I'm not gonna yuck their yum, but I will say I wasn't floored by the people.

[Susan Davis]

Caliber. Okay, maybe I'm a hater, but, like, I feel like nobody looks like the people in the lookalike contest. Maybe it's more about having the same energy. You have to project that energy. All right, fair enough.

[Kelly Wesinger]

And that's the thing that I really like and enjoy about these lookalike contests, is that it really doesn't matter if you look like the person or not. It's more the fact that people are gonna just show up to do this really random event in their home city or wherever they are, because they wanna have a good time, they wanna laugh, see who shows up and mingle. And this is the kind of energy that we need to have in 2024 and now 2025.

[Susan Davis]

I'm gonna ask you all maybe arguably the most loaded question I've asked all year long. But have any of you ever been compared to a lookalike to anyone I knew you were gonna ask, and if so, who? Oh, my God. This is terrifying.

[Casey Morrell]

Yes. I used to get, somewhat facetiously when I started wearing glasses and had longer hair, would get Rachel Maddow also.

[Kelly Wesinger]

I think it's the glasses.

[Susan Davis]

Yeah, yeah, Casey, that's so good. I get Natasha Lyonne sometimes. Oh, yeah.

[Kelly Wesinger]

I have big hair.

[Susan Davis]

I like that one, though. If there's a Natasha Lyonne lookalike contest, you have to participate.

[Kelly Wesinger]

I will.

[Susan Davis]

I promise. This is my vow to you, Sue. She's also someone like. She has distinct energy. Like, you would have to. To win that contest. You would have to project a certain vibe, for sure. Yeah, I feel like I'm up to the challenge.

[Casey Morrell]

I believe in you.

[Kelly Wesinger]

I don't really have anyone, but my mom will say that I look like a mini her. It's just really sweet whenever she says it. So that's. That's my celebrity lookalike, which is my mom.

[Casey Morrell]

Your mom's a celebrity?

[Susan Davis]

Now we know who Jong Yoon's mom's favorite is, which is kind of sweet. Yeah.

[Kelly Wesinger]

Sorry, Hae Min, if you're listening to this.

[Susan Davis]

All right. Thank you all for all the work you did this year. And we should note a special farewell to Jung Yoon. She is leaving us at npr, but she's staying within the public radio family. Jung Yoon, tell us what you're gonna go do.

[Kelly Wesinger]

Yeah. So I am going to be going over to WXXI News, which is based in Rochester, New York, but I'll be working out of Albany, which is the to do political reporting there. So very much in the line of the NPR Politics podcast. And I've really enjoyed working with you all. And maybe I'll show up on the pod for some New York coverage.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Absolutely.

[Susan Davis]

I've heard there's some stories to cover up there. So hopefully we'll have you back. And we'll have you back soon. I love y'all. Thanks for doing this. It was super fun to get you on the other side of the glass. We love you.

[Casey Morrell]

Love you, Sue.

[Kelly Wesinger]

Love you all.

[Susan Davis]

I like ending on this note. Thank you all for everything you do to make the podcast. And we should also give a shout out to our executive producer, Mathoni Matori, our boss who also makes it all happen. I'm Susan Davis. I cover politics and Happy New Year. And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics Podcast.

[Tamara Keith]

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