It's time for the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton.

But this year: No comedian.

Which means: No jokes about C-SPAN … or about the Washington Hilton.

In the past, at every dinner, there seemed to be at least one joke made about one or the other ... or sometimes both in the same joke — Like Conan O'Brien pulled off in 2013...

Congratulations to C-SPAN for winning the bid to broadcast this event. They narrowly beat out HGTVQ, TV South America and the Hilton hotel how to check out channel.

C-SPAN doesn't mind the ribbing.

In fact, we did a podcast two years ago with the best-of jokes comedians told at the dinner ... about C-SPAN.

We imagine the Washington Hilton can take a joke, too.

So, in tribute to the hotel being a long-time central gathering spot for the political and media community — a true DC institution — and as a public service to those who still want to hear dinner jokes — this week's episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" is equal parts history and loving roast ... We celebrate the hotel's 60th anniversary by presenting jokes told about it - by a group of people you won't hear at this year's dinner: professional comedians.

Find C-SPAN's "The Weekly" wherever you get podcasts.

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The White House Correspondents Association dinner is just a week away.

The big annual media black tie shindig in the basement of the Washington Hilton typically has several surprises.

Like this film shown during 2000 dinner.

"I want to thank the Academy for this tremendous honor. This may be the greatest moment of my life. I mean, hear since i was a little boy I wanted to be a real actor"

That was Bill Clinton, his final dinner as president…. Holding a real-life Oscar and, in front of a mirror, practicing his Academy Award acceptance speech – that is, before Kevin Spacey shows up to snatch it back.

Just like the dinner has surprises – this week's episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" has its own surprise.

We play best-of moments from four dinners – then hear four former presidents of the White House Correspondents Association talk about them.

The former WHCA presidents who join us:

• Carl Cannon

• Ann Compton

• Tamara Keith

• and Susan Page

What memories do they share?

What tidbits do we learn about presiding over the big event?

And what's it like eating dinner next to the president in front of thousands of people in person and a nationwide C-SPAN audience?

Find out directly from these top White House correspondents in the new episode of "The Weekly."

Find C-SPAN's "The Weekly" wherever you get podcasts.

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Thirty years ago, C-SPAN showed the Senate Whitewater Committee hearings. The Special Committee to Investigate Whitewater Development Corporation and Related Matters was created in May 1995. Hearings ran for 300 hours over 60 sessions across 13 months.

Did anything concrete come out of those hearings seen on C-SPAN?

Well – at least one thing.

A hit murder mystery now streaming on Netflix called "The Residence."

How do you get from a 1996 Whitewater hearing about possible corruption in politics to a 2025 Netflix series – created by Shondaland -- about possible murder in the White House?

Find out in the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" – directly from "The Residence" creator Paul William Davies.

Other than the biggest murder mystery of all – whodunnit – what secrets of creating "The Residence" can political and White House history junkies learn from the show's creator?

Hear directly from Paul William Davies in the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly."

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If you're listening closely to the language currently being used by leaders of the United States and Canada about each other -- what a Republican president once said about the two countries might seem unfamiliar.

The American people know that putting up walls around our country is a prescription for ruin, not renewal.

What the world and the United States need now is more trade and more open trade. And that's why we've pushed for a new GATT round that includes the most ambitious multilateral trade negotiation agenda in history. That's why we've negotiated an historic trade agreement with Canada that will expand jobs, growth, and opportunity on both sides of the border.

That was President Ronald Reagan … March 11th, 1988 .. speaking at the White House with business leaders .. The topic: the recently signed United States-Canada Free Trade Agreement.

Against the backdrop of the current state of U.S.-Canada relations, the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" look back – to the 1980s … when the tone was different and the policies even more different still.

What did President Reagan say about Canada?

What were his trade policies toward our Northern neighbor?

And what did President Reagan think about tariffs?

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October 31st, 2019.

The U.S. House debates and passes a resolution laying out the rules in the first impeachment inquiry of President Trump.

House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer addresses the House that day — but there's something else on his mind as well:

Today is a serious day. Last night was an extraordinary night. I rise for the millions of people who live in the Washington metropolitan area to congratulate and to exalt with all of our region

on the extraordinary achievement of the Washington Nationals.

What was the Washington Nationals' extraordinary achievement that Congressman Hoyer was talking about?

Find out in the next episode of C-SPAN's "The Weekly"...

Because ... it's our annual baseball episode!

And it's timed for two major events: The podcast drops on opening day of the 2025 baseball season ... and 2025 marks 20 years of baseball back in DC.

So, celebrate both milestones with something special — an oral history! — the biggest moments in Washington Nationals baseball history — as told by Congress.

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On the third day of his second administration, President Trump signed six executive orders. One was: Declassifying files pertaining to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. 

The inclusion of JFK was of particular interest to the C-SPAN podcast "The Weekly."

Three years ago -- in March 2022 — we did an episode marking the 30th anniversary of Oliver Stone's movie "JFK." ... That podcast featured only clips from Oliver Stone talking about "JFK" at the National Press Club. We heard Oliver Stone go after reporters and historians who doubted his conspiracy theory-driven version of the Kennedy assassination.

Now, in preparation for the upcoming assassination records release, this week's episode of "The Weekly" is a new twist on our original Oliver Stone "JFK" podcast... This time, instead of hearing Oliver Stone go after his detractors, we'll hear his detractors go after Oliver Stone.

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Next week is C-SPAN's 46th anniversary…. On March 19th, 1979, House TV began – for the first time Americans could watch live gavel to gavel coverage of the U.S. House floor on their television. … It was Day One of privately funded C-SPAN.

To mark this anniversary on this podcast, we're trying something new.

We asked three of America's greatest political podcasters to pick their favorite moment from the House on TV… We'll play the clip they picked… And then we'll talk to each of them about it.

It's an unrehearsed, free-flowing conversation – about the U.S. House on TV – and three favorite moments.

Our three podcast guests:

• Jen Briney – "Congressional Dish"

• Justin Robert Young – "Politics, Politics, Politics"

• Andrew Heaton – "The Political Orphanage"

Which clip did each podcaster pick?

And why did they pick it?

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When presidents come into office, traditionally their first big speech to Congress is about the budget. Like President Trump this past week.

Instead of a State of the Union address, new presidents share their economic agenda and vision for the coming four years.

And almost always in that big budget speech, they anguish over the escalating national debt.

Like President Ronald Reagan in 1981…

Our national debt is approaching $1 trillion. A few weeks ago I called such a figure, a trillion dollars, incomprehensible, and I've been trying ever since to think of a way to illustrate how big a trillion really is. And the best I could come up with is that if you had a stack of thousand-dollar bills in your hand only 4 inches high, you'd be a millionaire. A trillion dollars would be a stack of thousand-dollar bills 67 miles high. 

And President Bill Clinton in 1993 …

I well remember 12 years ago President Reagan stood at this very podium and told you and the American people that if our national debt were stacked in thousand-dollar bills, the stack would reach 67 miles into space. Well, today that stack would reach 267 miles. 

What have other new presidents said in their economic speeches to Congress about the debt?

Which presidents have blamed other presidents?

And how has rhetoric about the debt changed over past decades in these speeches to Congress?

Find out in this week's episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly." As we hear new Presidents fret about the debt.

Find C-SPAN's "The Weekly" wherever you get podcasts.

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If someone were to ask you: name your favorite moment in Congress involving a character from Saturday Night Live -- how would you respond?

There’s a good chance you would say it was this: Chris Farley – as Speaker Newt Gingrich – with Speaker Newt Gingrich –– August 4th, 1995 … It was the 100th day of the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives. And Chris Farley – dressed up as Newt Gingrich and doing a doing masterful and frenetic impression of the Speaker – in front of the entire Republican conference.

This month, SNL is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

At C-SPAN’s podcast “The Weekly,” we’re marking an additional anniversary -- 30 years since that iconic moment on Capitol Hill when Chris Farley showed up in Congress as Newt Gingrich.

 What were the resolutions Newt Gingrich, er Chris Farley, introduced that day?

What did Chris Farley say about Democrats?

What did Newt Gingrich think of the impression?

And how hard did Chris Farley bang the speaker’s gavel on the podium?

Find out in the latest episode of C-SPAN’s podcast “The Weekly.”

 It’s part 2 of our look back at the impact Saturday Night Live has had on the U.S. Congress.

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"Saturday Night Live" – The comedy show has been on TV for half a century.

And it seems like Congress has been talking about it for nearly that long.

 Like Democratic Senator Al Gore in 1990: "I saw a television show recently called Saturday Night Live, Mr. President. They have the habit of putting on humorous pretend commercials that look like real commercials."

 And Republican Congressman David Drier in 1993: "Mr. Speaker, more than a few of us in this Chamber are aficionados of a television program known as Saturday Night Live. My friend, from San Diego, even tells me that he has seen it one time"

 As "Saturday Night Live" marks its 50th anniversary … the C-SPAN podcast "The Weekly" marks the many, many times members of Congress talk about it.

 What is it about Saturday Night Live that so interests Congress?

Which SNL skits and characters get their attention?

And – for Al Franken -- which job was more fun: Being a Senator – or working on "Saturday Night Live"?

All that – and much more Congress comedy -- in this week's episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly."

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