The KCRA morning show gets John Oliver’s praise for transitioning to Taco Day amid breaking news

KCRA is Where the News Comes First…but there’s always time for Taco Tuesday.

The news spreads quickly on local television. This was particularly true during a week in which Hurricane Helene brought destruction and catastrophic storms to the Southeast; and the increasing threat of full-scale war in the Middle East.

After Channel 3 anchors interrupted their morning show on October 1, National Taco Day, with breaking news of an Iranian missile attack on Israel, they were left with an eye-catching pivot, delivered on Sunday by comedian John Oliver on HBO’s series “Last Week” was cheekily mocked Tonight with John Oliver.”

“It’s been a busy week,” Oliver said in the show’s opening segment, touching on the recovery in the southeastern U.S. after Helene’s wake, a longshoremen’s strike that would have paralyzed the East Coast and escalating events in the Middle East. “Something a local station tried to incorporate into their broadcast had mixed results,” Oliver said.

“Switch gears,” anchor Brandi Cummings said after breaking news, the universal TV news slogan that alerted viewers to the impending abrupt transition.

Cue KCRA meteorologist Tamara Berg wearing a taco hat on her head in a live shot with Erik Freeman, CEO of local favorite Jimboy’s Tacos, in celebration of October 1st as National Taco Day.

Jimboy, oh boy.

“You know, and especially if you follow me on social media, my passion for tacos runs deep,” Berg said, throwing it back at the anchor table. Berg, The Bee’s food writer Benjy Egel and other local media outlets recently took on Freeman for bragging rights at the Jimboy’s Taco Eating Contest in Folsom.

“This is exactly what I want from local news,” Oliver said. “Save the world’s significant events for later. I want to see a journalist with a giant taco on her head look straight into the camera and say, and I quote, ‘I’m passionate about tacos.'”

Stand in line. Sacramento – and the rest of America – shares Berg’s passion for tacos. About 4.5 billion tacos – 4.5 billion – are eaten in the U.S. each year, market researchers say.

That’s a lot of hard-shell suitcases and proof that even when the news is breaking, there’s always time for tacos.

Oliver’s show is now in its 11th season and airs Sunday nights on HBO.