BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW."

I AM YOUR HOST, STEPHEN COLBERT.

LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT TO TALK ABOUT ON

THIS TSUNAMI OF A NEWS DAY!

SEEMED LIKE EVERY MINUTE THERE WAS A NEW DEVELOPMENT WITH

MASSIVE IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR UNCERTAIN FUTURE.

CASE IN POINT: I WENT TO cnn.com FIRST THING THIS MORNING AND

SAW THE BANNER HEADLINE WAS, "IT'S FRIDAY BEFORE ELECTION

DAY."

BOOM!

BOMBSHELL!

THAT STORY'S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.

CAN WE FACT-CHECK THAT?

IS THAT TRUE?

YES, I'M BEING TOLD IT IS FRIDAY.

THEY ARE CORRECT!

THANK YOU, CNN-- AMERICA'S NUMBER ONE SOURCE FOR DAYS OF

THE WEEK.

OF COURSE, IT BEING FRIDAY IS NOT THE REAL BIG STORY.

THE REAL BIG STORY, FRESH OFF THE STEAMING-HOT PRESSES: COSTCO

IS PULLING PRODUCTS FROM ITS SHELVES THAT ARE ALLEGEDLY MADE

WITH FORCED MONKEY LABOR.

FORCED MONKEY LABOR?

THAT'S TERRIBLE.

MONKEYS SHOULD NEVER BE USED AS FORCED LABOR, UNLESS YOU HAVE

1,000 MONKEYS, GIVE THEM TYPEWRITERS, LET 'EM TYPE FOR A

MILLION YEARS.

THEY WILL EVENTUALLY WRITE TONIGHT'S MONOLOGUE.

BUT BACK TO THE NON-UNIONIZED MONKEY LABOR: THE PRODUCT IN

QUESTION IS CHAOKOH BRAND COCONUT MILK, WHICH ALLEGEDLY IS

MADE WITH THE HELP OF CHAINED-UP MONKEYS, WHO PICK AROUND 400

COCONUTS A DAY AND ARE THEN STUFFED IN THEIR CAGES UNTIL

THEIR NEXT SHIFT.

SOMEWHERE, JEFF BEZOS JUST SAID, "HOW OFTEN DO THESE MONKEYS ASK

FOR BATHROOM BREAKS?

OH, THE FLOOR IS THEIR BATHROOM?

INTERESTING.

INTERESTING.

WOULD THESE MONKEYS BE WILLING TO RELOCATE TO QUEENS?"

NOW-- THAT'S MY BEZOS, BY THE WAY.

THAT'S MY BEZOS.

NOW, ON ITS SURFACE, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A SUREFIRE MONEY SAVER.

BUT I'M SURE A MONKEY WORKFORCE HAS ITS CHALLENGES.

IN FACT, WE HAVE FOOTAGE-- DO WE HAVE THIS?

WE HAVE FOOTAGE OF A RECENT UPRISING, WHERE THE MONKEYS

STARTED ROLLING COCONUTS AT THEIR MANAGER.

( VIDEO GAME NOISES) >> Stephen: MANAGER'S FINE.

HE HAS THREE EXTRA LIVES.

NOW, CHAOKOH DENIES USING MONKEY LABOR TO PRODUCE ITS COCONUT

MILK, EVEN COMMISSIONING A REPORT ENTITLED THE "MONKEY-FREE

COCONUT DUE-DILIGENCE ASSESSMENT" -- WHICH, OF COURSE,

IS ALSO THE NAME OF MY FAVORITE '60s PSYCHEDELIC BAND.

I WANT TO REITERATE MY POSITION THAT EXPLOITING MONKEYS IS

ABUSE.

IT'S WRONG.

IT'S NEVER ACCEPTABLE.

EVEN WHEN IT'S FUNNY, LIKE DRESSING THEM AS ASTRONAUTS,

TEAMING THEM UP WITH CLINT EASTWOOD TO FIGHT CRIME, OR

WASHING A CAT.

BUT I WILL SAY, IF YOU DO NEED TO WASH YOUR CAT, YOU'RE NOT

GOING TO DO BETTER THAN A MONKEY FOR GETTING IN THE NOOKS AND

THE CRANNIES.

BUT AS ELVIS PRESLEY ONCE SAID, "TOO MUCH MONKEY BUSINESS."

IT'S TIME NOW TO TURN TO THE STORY THAT HAS SET THE

PUNDIT-SPHERE A-BUZZ.

IN NEW YORK, A MAN WAS WAITING FOR THE BUS WHEN A HOLE SUDDENLY

OPENED ON THE SIDEWALK, AND HE DROPPED 15 FEET INTO AN

UNDERGROUND VAULT TEEMING WITH RATS.

OKAY, LET ME SEE.

LET ME SEE ( CLEARS THROAT )

YEP, THERE IT IS ON MY 2020 BINGO CARD: 15-FOOT RAT HOLE.

RIGHT NEXT TO "HUGS KILL GRANDMA NOW."

ALSO ON HERE, Q-TIP UP MY NOSE EVERY DAY.

BY THE WAY, WHO CAN FORGET WHEN "15-FOOT RAT HOLE" OPENED FOR

"MONKEY-FREE COCONUT DUE- DILIGENCE ASSESSMENT" AT FILMORE

EAST?

NOW-- LONG WALK, BUT WORTH IT.

NOW, DON'T WORRY, THE MAN'S OKAY, THANKS TO THE MANY, MANY

BUT THERE'S FOOTAGE OF THE INCIDENT.

THERE HE IS.

AND, BOOM-TOWN RATS!

AND HE'S GONE.

OF COURSE, IT WAS MORE WHIMSICAL IN SHEL SILVERSTEIN'S BOOK,

"WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS-- OH, DEAR GOD!

IT'S FULL OF RATS, HELP ME!" NOW, FOR ALL OF YOU NOT FROM NEW

YORK, THIS IS VERY COMMON.

THERE ARE MASSIVE RAT PITS ALL OVER THE CITY, WHERE THE RATS

JUST COLLECT AND THE PRESSURE BUILDS UP, EVENTUALLY ERUPTING

IN A RAT GEYSER.

WE CALL IT "OL' RATFUL."

AND YOU'RE PROBABLY SAYING, STEPHEN, "FALLING INTO A 15-FOOT

HOLE FULL OF RATS SOUNDS LIKE A NIGHTMARE."

WELL, LIZ, YOU'RE WRONG.

IT'S MUCH WORSE THAN THAT.

HERE'S THE VICTIM'S BROTHER: >> IT WAS SO BAD.

HE DIDN'T WANT TO YELL, BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID IT WAS GONNA BE

RATS, YOU KNOW, WENT INSIDE HIS MOUTH AND STUFF.

>> Stephen: AWFUL, YES, BUT ANOTHER TIMELY REMINDER ABOUT

HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO WEAR A MASK.

ANYWAY, ALL I WANT TO SAY IS COMPARED TO THE GNAWING ANXIETY

OF THE NEXT FOUR DAYS, 15-FOOT RAT HOLE SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD--

ESPECIALLY IF THOSE RATS DON'T HAVE WiFi.

PLUS, RAT PITS: STILL LESS OF A DISEASE VECTOR THAN ATTENDING A

TRUMP RALLY.

NOW, IN ADDITION TO COCONUT MONKEY SLAVES AND NEW YORK RAT

GEYSERS, THE CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TO SURGE.

I'LL GIVE YOU THE LATEST IN TONIGHT'S INSTALLMENT OF:

"CATCH A THIRD WAVE: ENDLESS BUMMER."

>> I'M GONNA DISAPPEAR ANY MINUTE NOW!

HEH!

HEH!

>> Stephen: GET OUT!

GET OUT!

JIMMY!

GET OUT!

YESTERDAY, THE U.S.

SURPASSED NINE MILLION TOTAL INFECTIONS-- ANOTHER SAD

MILESTONE TO ADD TO THE 2020 LIST, ALONGSIDE MOST SOURDOUGH

EATEN AND LONGEST DURATION BETWEEN SHOWERS.

IT'S ALL RECORDED IN "THE GRIMMEST BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS."

YESTERDAY, THE U.S. ALSO REPORTED 90,000 NEW DAILY CASES,

THE EQUIVALENT OF MORE THAN ONE PER SECOND.

ONE VIRAL EXPERT EXPLAINED HOW FAST THAT IS:

>> COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID,

COVID, COVID.

>> Stephen: IT'S PRETTY DEPRESSING, BUT RECENTLY, ONE

DOCTOR WITH THE OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY CELEBRATED HALLOWEEN

BY PUTTING A HAPPY FACE ON THE PANDEMIC.

>> AS OF TODAY, THERE HAVE BEEN 38,160 CASES OF COVID-19 IN

OREGON, WITH 390 NEW CASES BEING REPORTED TODAY.

SADLY, WE ARE ALSO REPORTING THREE DEATHS TODAY.

>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS, PENNYWISE.

YOU ARE NOW AMERICA'S SECOND CREEPIEST CLOWN.

BUT SOME PEOPLE SAY THERE'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, AS DON

JUNIOR EXPLAINED ON THE FOX NEWS.

>> I WENT THROUGH THE C.D.C.

DATA.

BECAUSE I KEPT HEARING ABOUT NEW INFECTIONS, BUT I WAS LIKE,

WELL, WHY AREN'T THEY TALKING ABOUT DEATHS?

OH, OH, BECAUSE THE NUMBER IS ALMOST NOTHING.

>> Stephen: IF YOU'RE CURIOUS ABOUT HOW MUCH DON JUNIOR THINKS

IS "ALMOST NOTHING," YESTERDAY, 1,004 AMERICANS DIED FROM

CORONAVIRUS.

I WOULDN'T ASK DON JUNIOR TO GIVE A EULOGY.

( AS DON JR. ) "WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY FOR

ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD REASON.

I MEAN, WHAT ARE YOU ALL CRYING ABOUT?

YOUR GRANDPA WAS JUST ONE GUY.

IT'S ALMOST NOTHING."

ARE YOU SINGLE?

WHAT!

HE JUNIORED ON: >> WE'VE GOTTEN CONTROL OF THIS

THING.

WE UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS.

THEY HAVE THE THERAPEUTICS TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THIS.

IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, LOOK AT MY INSTAGRAM.

>> Stephen: OKAY, LET'S LOOK AT HIS INSTAGRAM.

>> HEY, GUYS.

HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL.

JUST WATCHING MY ALGORITHMS GET CRUSHED.

>> Stephen: FROM THE LOOKS OF THINGS, "INSTANT GRAM" MIGHT BE

THE NAME OF DON JUNIOR'S COCAINE DELIVERY SERVICE.

BECAUSE IT SURE SEEMS LIKE HE'S CRUSHING MORE THAN HIS

ALGORITHM.

BOTH CANDIDATES WERE ON THE ROAD TODAY.

BIDEN TRAVELED TO MINNESOTA, WISCONSIN, AND IOWA, WHILE TRUMP

CAMPAIGNED IN MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, AND WISCONSIN.

TRUMP'S HITTING AMERICA'S HEARTLAND, HOPING THEY'LL FORGET

WHAT HE'S DONE TO AMERICA'S LUNG-LAND.

SO FAR, THE POLLS HAVE BEEN GOOD FOR BIDEN, AND NOT JUST IN THE

BLUE STATES.

HE'S CURRENTLY SLIGHTLY AHEAD IN GEORGIA, AND TEXAS IS A TOSSUP!

TEXAS-- A STATE SO CONSERVATIVE, THEIR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IS AN

OIL DERRICK WITH A PISTOL.

DESPITE THE GOOD NEWS ALL AROUND