A tick-filled odyssey

From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is, wait, wait, don't tell me the NPR news quiz. The air quality may be bad, but the alcohol quality is off the charts. [LAUGH] I'm Algo Slade, and here's your host, I just get a bigger theater at the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois. Peter, say go.

Thank you, Alzar, thank you everybody, great to see you. [APPLAUSE] We have a fine show for you today, later on Tyler James Williams of Abbott Elementary will be joining us. But first, I'm so glad to be back with you after a week off. I don't want to say too much about where I was.

Let me just say, it started with a bag of lettuce and it ended with adventure. [LAUGH]

You never know what'll happen if you call us and play our game.

The number is one AAA, wait, wait, wait, that's one, 888-924-892-4. And let's welcome our first listener, Contest in, how you're on, wait, wait, don't tell me. >> Hi, this is David from Lake with Colorado by Way of Act and Massachusetts.

“>> I wave acting, I know acting more than I know, like, well, what do you do out there?”

>> By Dave, a product manager in a financial space, but otherwise, typical Colorado and hiking skiing, biking, all the outdoor things. >> You know, every time someone says to me, by day I do this, I'm always hoping for by night, I fight crime. >> [LAUGH] >> I can't forgive my secrets.

>> Hasn't happened yet. >> Maybe someday, well, David, it's great to have you, let me introduce you to our panel. First up, he's the co-host of the podcast health stuff that you can find where you get your podcast. It's Harry Kunderboulou. >> Hey, David.

>> [APPLAUSE]

>> Next, it's the comedian who hosts the podcast the nightly and will be on tour all fall starting September 19th.

At the comedy studio in Harvard, Square, it's Josh Gondelman. >> Hello. >> [APPLAUSE] >> So nice to be here with you by day, or by night. And she's the co-host of the new podcast series.

You could make this beautiful from WBUR. It's Faith Saley. >> Hey, David. >> [APPLAUSE] >> So, David, welcome to the show.

Of course, you're going to play Who's Alzo this time. Alzo Slate standing, right next to me is going to read you three quotations from this week's news. If you can correctly identify or explain just two of them, you will win our prize. Any voice from our show. My choose for your voice, Meli, ready to play?

>> Let's do it.

>> All right, your first quote is about the big movie of this summer.

Is the rare case where the movie is better than the poem? >> That was asked. [LAUGHTER] >> That was Ashley Parker in the Atlantic, talking about what big summer blockbuster. >> Asked to be the Odyssey.

>> It is the Odyssey, yes. [APPLAUSE] Christopher Nolan's adaptation of the ancient poem is a huge hit. It makes us real excited about next summer's 10-pole movie, Quentin Tarantino's The Man From Then Tuck It. [LAUGHTER]

“>> So most people love the movie, but a lot of the talk about it is what format you should see it in.”

There's so much to choose from. There's Dolby Vision, there's 36mm, 70mm, IMAX, and IMAX 70mm, which is the true connoisseurs choice we are told. But that is only available at 25 theaters in the whole country. So, and this is true, people, hundreds of them, are driving for hours to see this movie or even flying across the country. And then, tragically, taking a full 20 years to journey home.

[LAUGHTER] >> So, you mentioned the format in which you're supposed to see it. >> Yes. >> The actual premiere was across the street from my apartment. >> Really? >> And my son was walking back from Target, and it calls me on his Apple Watch.

He says, "Mom, oh my gosh, the Zendaya, and I'm seeing Matt Damon right across the street. It is so exciting for me." And what I wanted to tell him, but I didn't, was I made out with Matt Damon twice in college, and that was exciting for me. [LAUGHTER]

>> Wait, is this true? >> This is the show. [APPLAUSE]

“>> That was a long walk, but you got there.”

>> Yeah. >> Speaking. >> The Odyssey. >> The Odyssey. >> How did your son, it was worth it? >> I know, I know.

>> How did your son like those apples? [LAUGHTER] >> Wait, how did this happen? >> Well, what a man. >> Love you.

>> It was a special hug. >> We'll say that for a podcast, extra, wait, wait after dark. Anyway, but I want everybody to know, if people don't know what format to see it in, it's really confusing, this is not a thing we are used to thinking about, just be assured, whatever format you choose, you will enjoy, having the movie ruined by the people that brought

a three-year-old to a 9 p.m. show time. >> I don't know, I should be a better cinephile, because I hear 70 millimeters. >> Yes. >> And I'm like, that's seven centimeters, that's not that big.

>> That's like an iPhone, it doesn't look like a big deal, seven centimeters across.

I'll just watch it that way, like I usually do.

“>> Is it weird to go to that movie alone, because I don't have anyone to go with?”

Well, I can't bring my five-year-old and my main company at this point. >> So, yeah. >> How are you, I'll go with you, and I won't mention anything. >> Maybe that would be that guy. >> Yeah, maybe that was, didn't have a beard back then.

>> All right, your next quote is about a summer pest that is just taking over the country side. >> Heartful? >> [LAUGH] >> Oh, Josh, when I'm talking about you, I'll let you know, there's a clear winner in the war between humans and them. >> And it's not us.

>> That was an epidemiologist talking about the blood sucking and disease-carrying bug. We should be checking each other for this summer. What is it? >> Probably ticks? >> Yes, ticks?

>> [APPLAUSE]

>> There's a plot of the ticks.

They figured you some encouragement to hard life. Tick populations are exploding. And just about every state this summer, emergency room visits for tick bites all time high. This is all according to the CDC, which, of course, is now headed by a tick. >> [LAUGH]

“>> The New Yorker did a celebrity profile to one variety of tick.”

The lone star tick. This one doesn't wait for you to walk by in the grass. It will quote, "Pursue you." And it can crawl up your leg in seconds, even if you are currently sitting in the audience at the Student Baker Theatre. Look under your seats.

>> Yes, we've got one for all of you. You get a tick and you get a tick. >> I see people looking at their ankles right now. >> That's true. >> A tick that comes at you is terrifying.

And this is also bad. It just got your home address from an equifax data leak. >> [LAUGH] >> And the thing that's so awful and in cities about ticks is that you don't let you know they're there. Right?

They don't. It's not painful when they bite you. It doesn't itch. It makes you, it makes you long from mosquitoes. >> As opposed to, yeah, as opposed to the other kinds of biting insects were like Jerry Lewis.

>> Hello. [LAUGH]

“>> Are there the no ticks in New York City, right?”

>> Yeah. >> Toughest ticks are in New York City. >> Yeah. >> I'm crawling here. I'm crawling here.

>> They ride around on the rats. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. >> Something else surprising about the lone star ticks, they can even push through your socks.

>> Yeah. >> And you just bought REI's new fish net hiking socks. >> And those lone star ticks, they're open carry. >> Yeah. >> Have you heard about this?

The ticks carry a disease called alpha gal. That is what it is called. And what it is is it gives you a fatal allergy to red meat. >> Alpha gal sounds kind of like what a well-meaning grandmother would use as a ephemism for lesbian. >> Really?

>> [LAUGH] >> We were thinking it was like a, it was more like a direct to streaming knockoff of supergirls. [LAUGH] >> Here David is your last quote.

[LAUGH] >> Your colleagues don't necessarily want to see your hairy legs. >> That was style editor Samuel Hein talking about the growing trend of men wearing what to the office. >> I hope it isn't short. >> It is short, David.

[APPLAUSE] >> It is NBC News reports that thanks to rising temperatures everywhere, U.S. offices are loosening their dress codes to allow men to wear shorts. Now the draft of the rule was you don't have to wear pants to come into work.

But after the first day they had to clarify you do have to wear something.

[LAUGH] >> Now this is also happening in Japan where it's a big deal. Because in Japan if you've ever been there, there's a lot of formality in the office, especially in government offices.

And there's a regulation banning shorts in government offices, but it was just suspended for the first time. And men are coming into work wearing shorts. And employees though, other employees are not happy about it. They call it, this is true, leg hair harassment.

[LAUGH] And I got this from my training. If you see leg hair harassment, you intervene with a helpful word and a razor. [LAUGH]

>> I don't know that that's better. [LAUGH] >> I've just like, we just need everybody in here with extremely smooth legs. >> Yes. And I will touch to see if there's stuff. [LAUGH]

>> Also how to David doing our quiz? >> David, great. You got three out of three. Congratulations. >> Well done, David.

[MUSIC] >> All right now, panel. This time for you to answer some questions about this week's news. Josh, one of the most popular and commented on recipes on the New York Times cooking app this week, was one ingredient banana ice cream.

What is that ingredient?

[LAUGH]

“>> I'm gonna say, and this, it's gonna feel so bad if this isn't the right answer.”

Is it banana? >> Yes. >> [APPLAUSE] >> I thought, I thought you're gonna say ice cream. [LAUGH]

>> The time's cooking app featured a recipe for banana ice cream that has literally freeze a banana, put it in a blender, done. [LAUGH] >> The recipe has almost 5,000 ratings, of course. If you know the New York Times cooking app, half the comments are like zero stars in

edible. Also, I didn't have bananas, so I used canola oil. [LAUGH] >> Actually, the top comment on this recipe, this is real. I broke my parent's blender and now they're mad at me.

[LAUGH] >> That's, this is in her recipe. Like, that would be like, oh, there's recipe for the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich. >> Yeah, pretty much.

>> Basically, I'm still trying to get my head around the concept.

>> [LAUGH] >> So, it's one ingredient. >> No, no, no, like, give Mario breaks. Some of us don't cook. So, hurry, let me, so it's a banana.

It's a banana. You put in a blender. >> No, first you freeze it first. >> It's a freeze. >> I've already gotten me wrong.

[LAUGH] >> Keep up. [MUSIC]

“>> Coming up, our panel is nerd out with their books out in our Bluff The Listener game.”

Call on Triple 8, wait, wait to play. We'll be back in a minute with more. Wait, wait, don't tell me from MPR. [MUSIC]

>> Hey, it's Peter Sago, a quick message before we get back to our show.

We are almost at the end of July, which was a big month for NPR a year ago. When Congress voted to eliminate all federal funding for all public media. That funding worth an $1 billion is gone. But wait, wait, wait. Still here, we're poking fun at the news and hopefully bringing some levity to your week,

which I understand often means it. Financial support from you, the public, makes our work and the work of the NPR network possible. If you are already an NPR plus supporter, thank you so much. If not, you can join the community of people who power public media at plus.npr.org. Support comes from our 2026 lead sponsor of Wait, wait, don't tell me.

Odo. If your business runs on five different apps, 12 browser tabs and one spreadsheet that everyone's afraid to touch, it's probably time for Odo. Odo is an all-in-one business management software platform. Instead of wasting time switching between systems your business works together in real time.

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not by shareholders or special interests. But by people like you and me who believe in free and independent press. We just passed the one year mark since Congress eliminated federal funding for public media. Please make your gift before the end of the month. Donate.npr.org.

You know this feeling, you see a new story during a busy work day and think, I'll catch up later. Make consider this from NPR, part of your daily news diet. This week, we break down the new Pentagon request for war funding, the US nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, and the case against the tape brothers.

Short episodes, clear takeaways, every afternoon. Consider this. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is wait, wait, don't tell me the NPR news quiz. I'm Algo Slade, we're playing this week with Josh Gonderman.

Faith Saly in Hari, Kondabolu. And here again is your host at the Student Baker Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. Peter Sago. Thank you, Algo. Thanks, everybody.

Thank you all so much. Have a fun. Right now it's time for the wait, wait, don't tell me. Bluff the listener game called one AAA wait, wait to play our game in the air. Hi, you're on wait, wait, don't tell me.

Hi, this is Lisa from Brooklyn. Hey, Brooklyn, how are you, Brooklyn? I'm good. I'm glad. I'm glad.

Here. I'm excited to have you. What do you do there in Brooklyn? I am a lawyer for kids. That's a leads to society.

Hey. It's the right crowd. It's the right crowd. It's the right crowd for that. Well, good for you.

Lisa, welcome to the show.

“You're going to play our game when you have to tell truth from fiction.”

What is Lisa's topic, Algo? It's a hot book summer. Reading is sexy again. The big hit movie is based on a classic and reading glasses. They're all over the place.

They're great because you can take them off slowly when you're trying to seduce someone.

Our panelists are going to tell you about it. Pick the real one and get the weight waiter of your choice on your voice mail. Are you ready to play? Sure.

First, let's hear from Faith Sailing.

Feeling insecure?

“Want to drop impressive literary references on sales calls?”

And when you meet your in-laws, the bookworm buddy is for you. Bookworm buddy is an app connected to an earpiece. You shove inside your earhole that pairs you in real time with adjunct English professors who really need the work. They listen in on your conversations and offer you witty,

bond mows. You can slip into dialogue to make people think you're brilliant. Or at least that you actually read the novels you were assigned in 11th grade. If you're a guy on a first date, your bookworm buddy might tell you to casually drop this Jane Austen banger.

I'm almost done paying off my grad school loans. And it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of good fortune must be in want of a wife. You better believe your date will respond with check please. Introducing yourself at a job interview.

Your serenote adjunct might advise you to say I'm a team player. And you can call me Ishmael. The bookworm buddy an app that connects you to an under-employed academic to give you literary references on the fly. Your next story of teaching some old books, new tricks comes from

Harikandabolo. As we all know, nowadays books are mainly used as door stops or to serve as backgrounds for zoom calls.

“However, they also serve another important purpose.”

Making other people think you are smart because you read. Luckily, the fine folks at Cabinet magazine have created a service that allows you to continue being a charlatan by wearing out your books and making them look red.

For just five euros, you can get an essential handling package,

including a professional spine break for your book. Two scholastic dog ears, four underlying passages, and one contextually appropriate piece of marginalia. It'll totally look like you know how to read. The premier package added moiling the edges of the book with a drill and

sandpaper, as well as, quote, "one staying using cheap wine, coffee, etc." This service, along with reading summaries of books online, will make you look like the educated person your degree claims you are. Assertness that you will take your unread books and make them look well-loved.

Your last lit bit comes from Josh Gulliman. With the massive sales of romanticy novels the past few years, publishers saw only one problem. Unless we start counting Jack Reacher movies as books, men don't read.

And that's how "Bromanticy" was born. It's a combination of fantasy and bromance, a term popularized in the odds after men decided friendship was for girls. Now, tales of men, platonically befriending mythical creatures, are climbing the bestseller list, like a fairy tale prince scrambling up

Rapunzel's ponytail, and add exact learns to relish the little things in life, while writing piggyback style through Manhattan on his best buddy with the head of a bull in the smash hit novel New York Minute Tour. [laughter] A charismatic Yeti brings a neighborhood together with his exciting

block parties in neighborhood squatch. And Paul Diomadi is already set to star as the titular clay monster come to life who reunites a group of childhood acquaintances from the Lone Star State at his weekly poker night in the film adaptation of no limit Texas golem.

[laughter] [applause] So we've got three stories from the literary world for you, which of these is a new development in the written word. Is it from famous sailing, a service in which under-employed academics

will feed you literary references for use and daily conversation to make you seem smart.

From a hard kind of all of a service that will take your brand new never-read books

and make them look as if you read them by aging them or from Josh Connamen, the breakout new genre "Browman to see" in which men have perfectly platonic but friendly relationships with fantasy creatures, which of these is the real story we found in the literary world this week. If he could jazz to wear out books for people, I want that jazz,

so I'm going to go with Hollywood.

“Are you going to choose "Hurry Story" about the service that wears out your books?”

Well, to bring you the correct answer, we spoke to an expert.

dog-earthum spell a little whine on the pages. That was Jeff Dolvin, he is a professor of English, a Princeton, and he was an official book handling agent, making books look well-loved for a fee. You got it right, Lisa, congratulations.

[laughter] I went out of a date with him. [laughter] He's kind of the math dayman of Princeton. Oh my god, what are the odds?

I don't know.

Hang on a second, Faith, that's a good question.

What are the odds? This is nuts. Back to you, Lisa. [laughter] Congratulations, Lisa, you got it right.

Hurry, we're telling the real story. You and one, our prize is winners all around. [applause] Another game we call not my job. Only actors on the hit sitcom Abbott Elementary

have to work with child actors, of course, but nobody is better at that than star Tyler James Williams. Because he was one. He made his acting debut at the age of four. He became a star at 13 playing the title character

and everybody hates Chris. He has just received his fourth Emmy nomination for his role as a grown-up in Abbott Elementary. And he joins us now. Tyler James Williams, welcome away.

[applause] Thank you. Thank you for joining us. If I'm not mistaken, you made your debut as a performer on Sesame Street at the age of four.

Is that right? Yes. That is absolutely correct. And do you even remember that? And if you do, what do you remember?

Of course.

Everybody remembers the first day of work.

[laughter]

“I remember seeing behind the curtain for the first time,”

seeing Elmo and Big Bird and the actual people who were playing them and really getting dropped in. I was in a very serious child. You have to understand this about it. So like, I was like, ah, my peers.

We're all about to do our thing. I see you preparing yourself, Carol. So, um, it's all these other kids. So, a big bird is a giant, wonderful bird. And you're like, that's my colleague.

Yes. We both have our tag cards. [laughter] Where you were, you were started at four. You became a star.

The Chris Rock picked you to play basically himself as a teenager. A young teen in his show. Everybody hates Chris. So you've been a working actor all through childhood. I'm sure that was very normal childhood, right?

Just like everybody else's. Exactly like everybody else's. Nothing you need to about it. Nothing you need to about it. I mean, I asked this.

I'm leaving ahead a little bit because you're playing a teacher in a school.

“Did you ever actually go to a school in a regular basis?”

Or are you working too much? So, I went to school from pre-kind the garden to six grades. And like an actual brick and mortar school. Yeah. And then I started working so much that it became a thing where I needed now.

Studio teachers. And once everybody's first started, that was it.

So I never stepped foot in an actual high school.

Um, didn't go to prom. Didn't do any of those things. Don't feel like I missed it. I went to the MAs in the world. [laughter]

This is an older people. Yeah. Yeah. So like, so like, here's like, oh, it's going to be great. Our theme this year is into the future.

And you're like, yeah, my theme is global fame, okay? [laughter] Let me talk briefly about everybody hates Chris. This, of course, was the show that Chris Rock created about his own child. That growing up in Brooklyn.

Am I right? Like, at first he didn't want to cast you because he thought you were too good looking? Yeah, that's what I heard. [laughter] It's kind of crazy.

Yeah, apparently that was like a real note that was coming down. When it came down to like the last, I think it was me and maybe two other people. That was a real concern there. But I guess it came down from the top that it was like, yeah, but this is David. So yeah.

What did everybody do better into it?

“What a great reason to not get a job if that's how it happened.”

Yeah, that's how it happened. Yeah, that's the thing that you usually hear from the people who didn't get it. Yeah, they thought I was too good looking. Yeah. But do you remember, do you remember where you, because that was a huge role.

Obviously, life changing. Do you remember where you were when you got the news? I was on the plane flying back home because I thought I didn't get it because I was too good looking. [laughter] You see what these things, right?

If you go back, if they, like, I was from New York. If you fly back home, that's it. So I'm on the plane with my mom and this is also like, not to far out from like 9/11.

And she's like, I kind of need to just really, if you could just give me five minutes, that would be great.

[laughter] And my manager called them to say, get off the plane. They want you to stay. Now again, this is a post-9/11 world so we tried to get off the plane and that went very badly. [laughter]

What did this family know about the plane? [laughter] So I started flying back to New York and then they brought me back. Really?

“So like, you're like, no, you have to turn the plane around.”

My son here was just cast as Chris Rock. Yes. In a new situation. Yes, literally. About Chris Rock's childhood and they're like, yes, man, sit down in that seat or we will have you arrested.

We've heard crazy stories. Yeah. Yeah.

It's a martial on the plane.

I just imagine the anxiety of you not getting the gig because you're too good looking. And you're on a plane like thinking, which one of these ugly fools got much of? [laughter] And I just want to say for the record, we're all on this show doing radio because we are too good looking for it. [laughter]

[laughter] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

So, let's move on to Abbott Elementary. The hit show you just were nominated for the fourth time. And it's a show that looks upon its characters who are elementary school teachers for the most part as heroes. I imagine the show must be very popular with actual elementary school teachers.

“And did you get the people come up to you on the street and thank you for that?”

If there's a teacher within a hundred yards of me, I'm gonna know. [laughter] I'm gonna know. I'm gonna know.

They're either going to tell me or I'll see it in their eyes.

Right. There's a weird now like teacher thing that we have. But I love it. It's one of the greatest joys of my career. Well, Tyler James Williams, it's a joy to talk to you.

We've asked you here to play a game we're calling everybody love these creases. So, you start and everybody hates Chris. But Chris Rock, okay. But what about the creases that everybody loves? The Hollywood creases.

Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Chris Pratt. We're gonna ask you three questions about those A-list actors. All named Chris get two right. You want a prize for one of our listeners. Also, who is Tyler playing for?

“Diana Carlson of Sacramento, California.”

All right. All right, Diana. Ready to do this? Yeah. Here we go.

In seven, Chris Pratt, who'd go on to star in Guardians of the Galaxy, lost out the lead role in the film The Lookout. He was shocked that someone else got the part. Why? A, because the character's name was Chris Pratt.

B, it was written and directed by his own mother. Or C, he put up all the money for the production as a vehicle for himself. God, I wanted to be C so bad. That would be my favorite Hollywood story. I'm gonna go with A.

You're gonna go with A, you're right. So I'm gonna move you to The Lookout. Chris Pratt lost the role of Chris Pratt to Joseph Gordon-Levitt. All right. Here's your next question.

Chris Evans went on huge success. Captain America knives out great guy. But in 1999 he played what may be, according to some, his greatest role. What was it? A, the ball-team hammer in tool story.

B, Odysseus, the only human character in the Muppet Odyssey, or C, the character Tyler in the board game mystery date. I'm not really up on my deep Chris Evans' war. Sure. I'm with a prepared, more had I known.

I'm gonna go with C. You're gonna go with C, the character Tyler, and the board game mystery date, you're right again. He knows you don't know. Mystery date, it's a classic game, goes back 60 years,

and you try to end up dating somebody great, and not the quote nerd. And in the mid-90s edition, Chris was the model for date Tyler, who surfs. Alright, get this right, you get it.

Perfect, here we go, last one. Chris Hemsworth almost lost out on his breakout role before in the Marvel movies, because Marvel executives worried that fans would turn on him because of something from his past.

What was it? A, a viral video in which he hits his thumb with a hammer and cries. B, he was a contestant on dancing with the stars, Australia, and really, really sucked. Or C, he had written an essay for the New York Review of Books

talking about how stupid comic books are. [laughter]

[laughter] Yeah, that's what's on your mind. You're gonna go for C, yes. Chris Hemsworth, Australian Honk wrote an essay for the New York Review of Books on your career.

No, it was, it was, he was on dancing with the stars. He had been, before, being found by Marvel, a celebrity in TV in Australia. He was on dancing with the stars. And apparently, was so terrible,

says the Marvel executive that all the women in his office were watching the video and laughing. And they were figuring that nobody would take him seriously as Thor, but he got the part anyway. Also, how did Tyler do in our quiz?

To out of three of the passing grade to me, congratulations. Well done! [applause] Tyler James Williams is up for an Emmy again for his role in Abbott Elementary.

May you have as much luck there as you did here. You can stream all five seasons of Abbott Elementary. Right now, it is fabulous and heartwarming and very, very funny. Tyler, thank you so much for joining us on our show. [applause]

In just a minute, Alzo tells you about the world's grossest dessert in our listener-limit challenge. Go lunch with a late wait to join us in the air.

“We'll be back in a minute with more of wait wait, don't you?”

From NPO. [music playing] This is Eric Glass of the American Life. Do you know our show? Okay.

Well, either way, I'm going to tell you about it. We make stories that hopefully pull you into the beginning with funny moments and feelings and people in surprising situations and then you just want to find out what is going to happen and cannot stop listening.

That's right. I'm talking about stories that make you miss appointments. This American Life, where you get your podcasts. You know, every day on our first NPR's Golden Globe nominated

morning news podcast, we bring you three essential stories.

At the heart of each story, our questions. What really happened? What really mattered? What happens next? At NPR, we stand for your right to be curious

and to follow the facts. Follow a first wherever you get your podcasts

“and start your day knowing what matters and why.”

Hi, it's Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air. Hey, take a break from the 24-hour news cycle with us and listen to long-form interviews with your favorite authors, actors, filmmakers, comedians, and musicians. The people making the art that nourishes us and speaks to our times.

So listen to the Fresh Air podcast from NPR and WHY. [MUSIC] From NPR and WB EZ Chicago, this is wait, wait don't tell me. The NPR news quiz, I'm Alzo Slate. We're playing this week with Josh Gonderman,

Harry Conda Boulou and Faith Saley. And here again is your host at the Student Baker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sago. Thank you, Alzo. [ Applause ]

And just a minute, we check each other for a limmer text to prevent Ryan's disease. [ Laughter ] Oh, we lost him. I'm sorry, you knew what you were in for when you bought a ticket.

No whining now. Anyway, let's listen to our limmer challenge coming up. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1/8, wait, wait, wait. That's 1-888-924-8-924. Right now, panel, time for more questions for you from the week's news.

Faith this week, we learned about a new trend in weddings. Couples are letting guests get more involved in the big day by doing what? Oh, is this bedding? Yes, bedding on the weddings. Yes.

The New York Times, again, reports. The New York Times reports that many couples are making pop bets.

Part of their weddings, guests can bet on things like the length of the first kiss

who will cry while making a toast. What the first answer will be, but they are not allowed to make the obvious bet how long will this marriage lie? That's right. This totally changes like the role of the best man.

He's going to be leaning in during the first kiss like it. Where at 2.8 seconds, just hold on. Yeah, I wouldn't, I think if that had been around when I got married, I wouldn't have even needed a registry. I would have just taken a cut off of the insider trading.

I'd be like, what's on do you think is going to be the first dance? For a price of good news. The couples who do this say, it's a great way to keep the guests involved

“throughout, and also it's the only way it could get my dad to come.”

[ Laughter ] God, can you gamble on everything now? Isn't that what Kyle's she is? Is Kyle's she a thing? That's a thing, right? Yeah.

You can basically bet on anything.

Hey, he brought up Kyle's she at one of five bucks. [ Laughter ] I owe you five because I thought he was going to say polymarking. [ Laughter ] Faith, we know sleep is very important, of course.

And we want absolutely the best night's sleep for just $57,000.

Mattress? No, not a mattress, come on. Uh, oh, that sounds like it's bigger and more. It's actually smaller mattress. A pillow?

Yes. Pillow for just $57,000. [ Laughter ] He tailor-made pillow company offers a custom-made pillow with, quote, "cooling tercell cover" and quote, "high-tech tailoring"

and a, quote, "twenty-four-carot-wheel-gold cover." Which makes perfect sense to me. Whenever I see a gold bar, I say, "Wow, that looks so soft." [ Laughter ] What is tercell?

Tercell, I have no idea, but it is expensive. Yes, it is. Makes me sleepy. [ Laughter ] Yeah, for $57,000.

They better run over my head with a toy artist yourself. [ Laughter ]

“But remember, the rule of thumb is you don't spend more”

than a third of your annual income. [ Laughter ] Yeah, that would be tough for me. You know, I can't do this destination wedding. My net worth is tied up in Pillow.

[ Laughter ] Hurry, hurry. The BBC is renowned for their nature documentaries.

They recently came up with an amazing way to get a camera

really close to a wild animal without scaring it away. They just hide the remote-controlled camera. Where? Inside them. The animal?

Inside the animal. All right, I have a number of questions. [ Laughter ] Survey. I'm just imagining the footage on the documentary

and David Attenborough saying, "Well, it's very dark." [ Laughter ] Very, very dark. No, okay. That's not it.

Can I get a hand? It looks great. They have the look down. I don't know if they've gotten the smell down. Poop. Yes. Poop.

What? No way. What? The camera inside an artificial pile of dung. Oh, got a poor PA has to do with that. That would work so well for house keys.

It's true. You're right. You're right. If it's artificial? That's right.

It's called, of course, the dung cam.

It's basically a giant fake poop.

Like, you find in a joke shop, right? Except it's got an HD camera inside and it can move. It's motorized. [ Laughter ]

The only thing scary than a tick chasing after you. Exactly. It's like a scattertack. Well, that's a shame.

It says something weird about the animals like level of intelligence. Like, you know, the animals are like, "What's that?" Oh, just a giant pile of dung rolling straight towards me.

No, biggie. These beetles are getting strong. [ Laughter ] It's a bowel movement. Exactly.

[ Laughter ] [ Music ] Coming up. It's lightning, film, the blank.

“But first is the game where you have to listen for the rhyme.”

If you'd like to play on air, call it a leave a message. It won't trip away. Wait, wait. That's one 888-924-894.

You can see it's most weeks. Right here. The student-backer theater in downtown Chicago. You can also catch us on the road. We'll be in Huber Heights, Ohio,

just outside of Dayton, on September 3rd. If you want a little extra, you know, side piece. At your time, it was. Our comedy, grab-back stand-up show was back.

It's Wednesday, September 9th at the Dan Theater here in Chicago. Hosted by none other than Alzo Slade. With comedy from our panelists, special guests, and even, well, me. For tickets and information to all our live events,

go to MPR Presents.org. Hi, everyone. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi, this is Ashley Collingen from Alexandria, Virginia. Alexandria.

Alexandria, Virginia, and the greater Washington area. What do you do there? [ Applause ] I'm an educator and I lead teacher professional development. Really?

I've got to ask you, you're an educator or teacher. Do you watch, um, Abbott Elementary? Oh, absolutely, love it.

“Is it a realistic depiction of what life is like as a teacher?”

[ Laughter ] See, so? [ Laughter ] Well, Ashley, welcome to the show. Alzo Slade is going to read you three news related

lemrex with the last word of phrase missing from each. If you can fill in that last word of phrase correctly, and two of the lemrex, you will be a winner. Ready to go? Absolutely.

Here is your first lemric.

Big gourds with cold juices are swelling. So, its heat relief markets are selling. Though a sweet juicy slice would really taste nice. I cool down by just hugging a... Mellon?

Mellon? A melon? Yes, absolutely. This week's hot online trend. Showing up your feeds.

Pictures of overheated babies in China cooling down by hugging giant melons. [ Laughter ] Winter melons. They're kind of gourdnative to Southeast Asia.

That is apparently great for absorbing body heat. And by happy coincidence, they tend to grow to be one baby long. [ Laughter ] This has like a real, like... I don't know what the global economy is doing,

but this is like a depression error. [ Laughter ] Oh, I remember when I was a boy, we had no money. We didn't have any of this air condition.

We had to hug melons. And we liked it. [ Laughter ] You leave a melon at the bottom of the river till summer begins.

[ Laughter ] Alright, here is your next lemric. [ Laughter ]

“While we still hear some high whiny tones,”

we're creating mosquito-free zones. The small bugs discover we track chase and hover. We hunt them with really small... Ooh.

Phones, like telephone. No, no. Say hover, we heard that word. We track chase and hover. Yeah?

We hunt them with really small. Really small? Mmm. [ Laughter ] How about if I just give it to you?

It's drones. Oh! Oh, drones. A French startup is now taking pre-orders for the micro-drawn.

They're tiny autonomous flying machines which use so-and-art to detect mosquitoes, chase them down, and then kill them. By chopping them up with their propellers. And even if it doesn't work,

it's going to be way more exciting to watch than a Citra Nella candle. [ Laughter ] Now, it's not ready for market. They're putting out like a proof of concept video.

It has one of their drones successfully killing a moth in mid-air. And really, what's a moth? But a bigger slower mosquito

that was just minding its own business never.

[ Laughter ] Yeah, if you really want to get into butterfly murder, it sounds like the technology is there. I don't hate mosquitoes that much, that this technology should exist.

Really? Yeah, you don't hate mosquitoes. Do you hate mosquitoes? Do you hate mosquitoes? Right.

More than hippopotamuses? Yes. They kill more people than any other animal. I'll tell you what. It's not a fair fight if we involve drones.

[ Laughter ] We can't be bringing the military industrial complex when we had flieswaters already. All right, here is your last lemric. This picnic guest rarely intends.

A dessert they could hardly enhance. This chef adds a bunch for a tiny black crunch. Now he's jailed because we shouldn't eat ants. Ants? Ants, that's right, a Michelin-star restaurant in South Korea.

It's facing heavy fines after garnishing a sore bay with black ants.

“Intentionally, this is how you remember,”

Michelin is a tire company. [ Laughter ] If you want to try ants or bay without having to travel to the South Korea, just drop your ice cream cone on the sidewalk and wait.

[ Laughter ] Then that's just a honey pot because you bring in those drones. [ Laughter ] Those ants are cooked. Also, how did Ashley do in her quiz?

She did good. She got two out of three. That's a win for me. Congratulations, Ashley. [ Cheers and applause ] Well done. Thank you so much for playing.

Thanks for having me. Take care. [ Music ] These days, it feels like the news changes every hour. Well, NPR has a podcast that does that, too.

NPR news now brings you a fresh five-minute episode

every hour of the day with the latest, most important headlines.

In episodes that are clear, fact-based, and easy to digest. Listen to NPR news now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. [ Music ] Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Loose, and I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pockets to say,

“but I think you should listen to my podcast.”

[ Music ] It's called "It's been a Minute." And I love it. And I think you will, too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why.

Listen to the "It's been a Minute" podcast from NPR today. Now on to our final game, Lightning Film, the Blind Kitchen of Our Players will have 60 seconds, and which to answer is many fill in the blank questions as they can. Each correct answer now worth 2 points.

Also, can you please give us the score? Of course, Hari has three faith and Josh are tied up with two. Okay. How is that possible?

So that means faith and Josh are tied for second,

and arbitrarily choose Josh to go first. Here we go. The clock will start when I begin your first question, fill in the blank on Wednesday. Donald Trump signed a nuclear power deal with blank.

A Saudi Arabia. Right, despite an initial test that was a false positive, the FDA says the cyclist for outbreak is still tied to blank from Taylor farms. Let us.

Right, this week two experimental chatbot models owned by blank, hacked into another company without any human prompting. Open AI. Right, on Sunday, Manisfier influencer blank, and his brother were arrested in Miami.

Andrew Tate, right? This week a man who was caught on video getting tossed eight feet in the air by a bison at Yellowstone, said that getting thrown didn't hurt,

Landing? Yes. Good, good.

“For the second time this year, the average price of blank”

rose above $4 a gallon? Yes. Right.

On Tuesday, astronomers in the UK discovered that blank

once had underground rivers of magma. Venus? No, Mars. This week a court in Alabama said that a woman who was out on bail for attempting to poison her husband

may have violated the terms of her release when she blanked. Poison him again? Yes, or tried to. Wow. In 2025, Sarah Baker was arrested for attempting to poison her husband,

but made bail under two conditions. One that she not may contact with her husband, and two that she definitely not try to poison him again. Whoops. If you have to say it.

Yeah. Also, I think just it really well. I think he studied this week. He got seven right for 14 more points. Total of 16.

All right. And the lead. Wow. Okay. That means that faith is up next.

Here we go. Film the blank on Tuesday.

“France became the latest country to ban blank for kids under 15.”

Social media. Right. On Monday, Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 50% blank on imports from Canada. Tara.

Right. This week's tropical storm berth. I made landfall in the U.S. Prompting blank warnings across the east coast. Flood.

Right. After confirming four new cases, health officials in Delaware declared a blank outbreak. New sources. Right.

This week, a man in Denver was arrested for breaking a window on a train and blanking. Moaning people. No. Well, let me give it to you. He served naked on top of the train.

According to a new study, 156 is the maximum human blank. Oh, I killed. No. Age. Despite the success of Toy Story 5, the blank announced it was laying off

dozens of animators. Picks high. Right. Doctors were surprised this week and woman brought in with part of tax impents. Was diagnosed with blank.

Labor. She was in labor. No. She was diagnosed with being too happy.

“After examining the woman doctor say she has a rare condition”

called happy heart syndrome where your body gets flooded with the natural chemicals associated with extreme emotion. The cause was her daughter's wedding three days earlier. Oh. It's a sweet story, but I'm terrified what's going to happen to her.

When she finally discovers the true meaning of Christmas. [laughter] I was like, how did face do in our quiz? She felt just a little short of Josh. She got six right for two and more points.

Total of 14. Josh is still in the lead. [applause] And how many then does Harry need to win? Well, I'm the judge.

Harry, how much money you got? I'll tell you. [laughter] Harry needs seven to win. Oh, right. Here we go.

Harry, this is for the game on Sunday. Spain defeated Argentina to win the 2026 blank World Cup. Right on Tuesday, pedics that testified that the war with blank

could cost the US $37 billion.

You're on. Right on Thursday, the EU announced a $1 billion fine against search giant blank. Google, right this week, Andy Burnham was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of blank.

The UK. Right. Just a few summers after Orker Whales were spotted wearing salmon as hats, scientists have now observed Whales playing a new game. Well, it was a salmon volleyball.

No. Raming into fish so hard that they explode. [laughter] Don't knock it till you try it. On Monday, the American Heart Association recommended

limiting blank consumption to five cups a day. Coffee. Right. And an incredibly rare feat of women on Australia gave birth to identical blanks.

Twins. No, come on, that's not rare. Quadruplets. This week, a family from Utah on vacation in California were shocked when they noticed the picture on the wall of their

Airbnb was a picture of blank. Them. Exactly right. [laughter] According to one of the family members,

quote, "We're looking at this picture." And my dad is like, "That looks like me." [laughter] They didn't believe him until they spotted more members of their family in the water on this beach picture around him.

Apparently, the artwork came from a San Diego photographer who, quote, takes aerial beach photos and enlarges them as artwork for vacation rentals on quote. That's fine. But the weird thing was, it was a picture from next summer.

[laughter] How did Harry do? Did he do well enough to win? Oh, man, so close. So close, you guys.

Six, right. For 12 more points, total of 15. Josh wins with 16. [applause] Coming up, our panel was predict after the Odyssey.

What'll be the next ancient text to be turned into a blockbuster movie?

But first, let me tell you all that.

Wait, wait, don't tell me. Some production of NPR and WBEs. Chicago and Association with Search and Territory are Productions, Doug Burm, and Ben Evel and Overlord. Philip Kodiker, Rets are a landmarks.

Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman, our off-smanagers, Jassira Fardach.

B.J. Leadham, and composed our theme.

“Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills,”

Miles Droomboss, and Lily, and King. Special thanks this week to Blythe Robertson, Jamie Hoffman, and Dombanias, our Trojan horse, is full of Peter Gwyn's Emma Choi, is our vib curator, technical director

from Lorna Wider, CFOs, Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse,

our senior producers, Ian Schillock,

and the executive producer of Wait wait, don't tell me is Mike Danforth.

“Now, panel, what will be the next ancient text”

made into a movie? How do you kind of boil it? Addipist Rex with RuPaul, playing edipist, and the mother. [laughter]

Faith Sally.

Coming soon, Pixar's comma sutra.

[laughter] And Josh, go on to me. Next summer, Seth Rogan, and Eric Andre, get Rosetta Stone. [laughter]

And the video that happens, panel,

“will ask you about it on wait, wait, don't tell me.”

Thank you, I was on slide. Thanks, Austin, to Faith Sally. Josh, go on in an American, and evolve. Thanks for fabulous audience. It's good to get your theater.

And Chicago, thanks to all of you for listening. Wherever you are on Peter Segel, we'll see you next week from Sanoma, California. [music playing] [music playing]

This is NPO. [music playing] On considered this, NPR's afternoon news podcast we cover everything from politics to the economy to the world. But every story starts with a question.

NPR, we stand for your right to be curious to make sense of the biggest story of the day and what it means for you. Follow, consider this wherever you get your podcasts. [music playing]

From the light bulb to the internet, human history has been driven by innovation and shortwave is exploring how the technology of tomorrow will transform our future. Would you write in a flying taxi?

Will AI models fight wars? Hear about the technological frontier every Monday on tech camp. The new series from SureWave. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.