Reflecting Pools and Construction Zones

Sometimes about really big things, but most times, the little mysteries are the best.

“Our lost and found is currently filled with pants. I don't know what I've never seen this happen.”

This is true. This is true. Mysteries have every size each week, this American life, wherever you get your podcasts. From NPR and WPEZ Chicago, this is way, way, don't tell me the NPR news quiz. I'm a household name, as long as you're in my household. I'm also slayed, and here's your host at the Student Bigger Theatre at the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois.

Peter, say go, you're welcome. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. You got a great chance today. Later on, we're going to be talking to you, Indy. Rock, icon, Stephen Malcolm, a leader of the band, pavement.

But first, we want to congratulate, also slayed, on his first month, as our official judge in Scorerkeeper. That means he has lasted longer in the job than five British prime ministers. [audience applause]

But to never know what might happen, see a better call before this is a vote of no confidence.

The number is 1, Triple 8, Weight Weight. That's 1, 88, 9, 2, 4, 8, 9, 2, 4. Let's welcome our first listener contestant. Hi, Roy, wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi. This is David from Brooklyn. Hey, David from Brooklyn. Can you differentiate yourself?

There are a lot of David's in Brooklyn. Well, father, to run to have Marathon and I can see Barclay Center from my house. Well, that'll really narrow down there. No, it doesn't at all. Yeah. Oh, a Marathoning Dad in Brooklyn.

Yeah, no. Well, David, it is nice to have you on this show. Let me introduce you to our panel this week.

“First up, she's a comedian who's new stand-up special. What's her secret?”

Is now available on YouTube. It's Emmy Blotnik. Hello!

Next, she's a comedian who's special.

Love Joy is on peacock and who's album YELLL at Joy is on blonde medicine. It's Joy Elle Nicole Johnson. What app David is doing? And making his debut on our panel that's a comedian and host of the downside podcast on Vox.

And you can see his comedy special Thief of Joy on YouTube as well. It's Gianmarco Surrazi. Hello, hello, hello, hello. David, welcome to the show. You're going to play Who's Alzo this time?

Alzo Slade 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, you might choose for your voice melody ready to go? I'm ready to go and Alzo, congratulations on one month.

You're feeling very big shoes at a very big lecture. I like this guy. Yeah? I like this guy. I know.

David, you've got three out of three already. Yeah. Well played, sir. Well played. All right.

Your first quote is from a White House spokesperson, speaking on Tuesday,

about a body of water gone completely green with algae. The pool is clear and reflecting beautifully. What pool was she talking about? He's talking about the reflecting pool. Yes, the reflecting pool on the national mall.

In May, the president announced he'd be renovating the reflecting pool, quote, ahead of schedule. And just a month later, it is a fetid mass filled with algae, floating debris, and a few dead ducks. But to be fair, it is ahead of schedule.

Trump said the pool had actually been damaged by vandals with knives, quote, "probably in the dark of night," unquote, and do you know how bad a lie is that even Donald Trump used the word "probably?" [laughter]

I'm sure you guys have been following this national drama with rap detention. Yeah, I don't know. The dead ducks. It kind of feels like the new Groundhog's day.

Like, if you find a dead duck around the pool, that means four more years of Trump. Oh God. [laughter] Yes.

It's funny that he said it was damaged by vandals when there's like video that they drove the motorcade. Yes, this is actually true. Yeah. When it was empty, he had his motorcade, which as you know,

he's the president, and it's a huge thing. Drive into the reflecting pool and down the empty bottom and out. Yeah.

“I think he should do it while it's full.”

Yeah. [laughter] The damage to the reflecting pool, after this renovation, includes holes, cracks, pealing caulk in the seams, and long sheets of the supposedly

waterproof bottom coating floating to the surface. At the end of the week, this is true. They just, with all these people coming to go at the damage, they just fenced off the entire thing.

You know, we're going to end up with the nation's first

above ground reflecting pool. [laughter]

“I don't want to disrespect people who repair pools,”

but I kind of feel like I could have done a better job. Yeah. Like, just as a person, common sense, like, is it that hard? Apparently.

Feels like they also have an address to the leaky pipes. They went straight to the paint job. Right. What about the pipes? There you go.

You see, right now, you are now qualified. Exactly. [laughter] And the algae, which is like just blooming like it's nobody's business, it's unsightly.

It might as I said, might be killing the ducks, but in the other hand, RFK's you and your needs it to survive. [laughter] All right. David here is your next quote.

It is from a sports fan. The hydration brakes are BS. But I can give my beers. That fan was one of many people excited to make a run for the concessions. During the new hydration brakes,

during what big sporting events.

“The World Cup, and I bet it was probably a Scottish fan,”

because they drank both in an every other city dry. As we run, we discussed that last week. Yeah. Therefore, it is the World Cup.

One thing soccer fans have always been proud of

is that their game has no timeout. It is just 90 continuous minutes of absolutely nothing happening. [laughter] But for this year's World Cup, supposedly in response to fears about high temperatures,

FIFA has for the first time introduced hydration brakes. The three minute pause in each half were all the players mothers run out and give them orange slices. I'm not a soccer fan at all,

but now I call it football, because I'm a British person, but I am a fan of men who don't skip leg days. So I have a chicken. You got y'all, but in us skip leg day,

y'all, Marco got his games out right now. On the table. I do. I do. I guess we should have these brakes. I don't know why. We don't call them water brakes.

The theater we call them intermissions.

Yes. And I think they're wonderful. Yeah. I mean, they have to run so much in soccer. That's like, and they have to hit the ball with their head.

I would need a break. As you can tell, this is the least athletic panel that's ever been on the show, which is saying something. Do you ever hear the sound of a ball hitting the goalies hand?

You just want to go like, oh, like imagine a ball hitting your hand, like that.

“Well, that's why they wear the big Mickey Mouse gloves, right?”

I don't even know. I don't know. Well, I should let you know. You're not one of the soccer purists hate this change. Everybody is saying these so-called hydration brakes

are really just about giving TV another place to sell some ads, which FIFA said, no, we just want our players to hydrate with the cool refreshing taste of Miller light. But if they're making changes for the American World Cup, why not think bigger?

15 minutes at the end. Where everybody's allowed to use their hands. I didn't know you couldn't use your hands. All right. All right.

Joel, there is nothing wrong in that being a sports fan. She's just looking at leg the whole time. Yeah, true. I'm not just looking at legs. I was also looking at butts.

[ Laughter ] All right. David, here's your last quote. It's about a guy who made headlines just for moving a podium this week. He's the only one at Downing Street who's approval rating is rising.

That man has become famous because one, he's hot. And two, he comes out to set up the podium whenever who announces their resignation. Well, it's really sad that he's more attractive than Pierre Starma, but it's podium guy. Yes, the podium guy, you know about him. But of course, he's the guy who shows up to put up the podium whenever a British Prime Minister resigns,

which this week it was Pierre Starma. Yes, the premier of the world's fifth largest economy resign this week, but all anybody can talk about is hot podium guy. Even New York Times, they're big story about it. That's right.

And so many resignations of British Prime Ministers in the last few years, that the HUB guy who sets up for the resignation speech has become a celebrity. [ Laughter ] In fact, it is possible that the UK keeps running through new Prime Ministers because they just want to see more of this guy.

[ Laughter ] You know, it's crazy, though, because I've been living in London, and I could tell you guys this that a British tent is like an American six-man Ford. [ Laughter ] I don't know, go look this guy up.

It's easy to be hot next to Boris Johnson. That's true. [ Laughter ] How's it how did David do in our quiz? My man, David did well.

Three out of three. Congratulations, David. Well done. Thank you, thank you. Thank you, David. Thanks for playing. Thank you, thank you. Bye-bye. [ Music ]

Joyo, after the TSA kept stopping international travelers trying to bring it home in their carry-ons,

craft has introduced, quote, "TSA compliant 3-ounce bottles of what?" Something disgusting. Um, it was like cottage cheese or something.

“No, it's the thing that all the European tourists for tourists have decided is the best thing about American cuisine.”

What is the best thing about American cuisine? Okay, um, craft. Craft makes cheese. I'll give you a hint. This is even true if you're traveling home.

They'll take it away from you. Even if you're traveling home to the Hidden Valley. Ew, ranch dressing. Ranch dressing. Wow.

You've been in Europe, so you've missed this. All the tourists are going nuts for ranch dressing. The soccer players drink it on their brakes. It's crazy. I know.

They make it travel-sized ranch dressing. Craft has announced travel-sized bottles of ranch dressing to go through TSA, because people are like, "Oh my God, this American delicacy,

“and they're buying bottles to bring home."”

The TSA keeps confiscating the ranch dressing from passengers, because technically it's a liquid, and you can't have that much liquid.

Imagine you're in that situation, and you just do what you always do when you have

a bottle of water in the TSA land. You just, "Oh, up, shug it." This is getting gross. It's a stick around it. It's a lotion.

But imagine being a kid in Europe would just stay home when you're, when you're dad, went to see the World Cup in America and he comes home. You're like, "What'd you bring off me or trip?" I hope it's a thick dairy product. I want to know what is going to happen though,

with the seized ranch dressing at the TSA checkpoints. Like, this Fourth of July, some TSA agent is planning on whipping up a few thousand hot wings, and then using a swimming pool as a dipping bowl. It would have more reflecting capacity. Yes, that's true.

There's no way going without you.

This week on the NPR Politics podcast, we're digging into them. This week on the NPR Politics podcast, we're digging into the massive wave of tech money flooding the midterms, with a growing appetite in DC to regulate AI. AI companies and AI interests really want to be involved in picking who is going to write that kind of legislation. We break down a proxy battle over the future of AI regulation.

This week on the NPR Politics podcast. This is Tonya Mosley, co-host of Fresh Air. Don't miss my interview with Comic and Storyteller, Ali Sadik. We talk about fatherhood, healing, and how prison changed him. He's been out 29 years, but he says,

"The psychological wounds are different than my physical wounds." Listen to Fresh Air on the NPR app, or wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode of it's been a minute, NPR is what's happening in culture podcast. Starts by asking three questions. Who?

How? Why now? If the culture is asking it, we're talking about it. At NPR, we stand for your right to be curious, and indulge your cultural curiosity. Follow its been a minute wherever you get your podcasts.

And we'll break down the zeitgeistie topics that are filling your feed. From NPR, NWBE, EZ Chicago, this is "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me." The NPR news quiz. I'm Alzo Slade. We're playing this week with John Marco Ceraci,

Joyo Nicole Johnson, and Amy Blotnik. And here again is your host. At the Student Bigger Theater in Chicago, Illinois. Peter Sago. Thank you, Alzo.

Right now, it's time for the "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me." Tell me, "Bloff, The Listener" game called "I'm Triple Eight, Wait, Wait, Wait To Play Our Game In The Air." Hi, you were on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me." Hi, this is Glenn, calling from West Lafayette Indiana. Well, that's fabulous.

What do you do there in West Lafayette? I just finished my PhD. And my site, "Halfy, Wait, Wait, Has Been Planning My Wedding." Which is this weekend. Oh, my gosh.

This weekend. That's so exciting. What are you doing talking to us? Shouldn't you be, I don't know, planning things. Talking to your bridesmaids, freaking out.

I mean, this is, this is a record. That's got a handle. It's all planned. Wow. Well, "Mozel Tuff" to you, but it is great to have you with us to play our games.

“You're going to play, in fact, the game, where you have to tell truth from fiction.”

Alzo, what is Glenn's topic? Glenn, come on down. Game shows. Of course, those most revered and important programs that run for years,

Well, this week we heard a really amazing story that came from the world of game shows.

“Our panelists are going to tell you about it.”

Pick the real one, and you'll get the weight waiter of your choice on your voice smell. Ready to play? One to do it. Let's do it. First up, let's hear from Jail Nicole Johnson.

Second up, Suez, and his wife, Asia, won big on the only season of the Cambodian game show. Take my wife or my life. It was a show that took the contestants on a year-long journey that makes Survivor look like a weekend at the spa. When aired, the clips of the couple working together to complete challenges and master tasks

while still managing to love each other went viral on the internet, and they developed a cult following. So what did they do with the winnings?

“They started a game show based cult called the "Goor was right."”

We're not the Mansons. We got prizes. They're 82 followers lovingly refer to them as the chef and the vana from heaven. Every single day is dedicated to a different game show on Wheel of Fortune Wednesdays. The followers spin the wheel of karma.

Family feud Fridays, everyone wears fake moustaches and wins prizes based on their bushyness. Saturdays are clothing optional.

The followers are sometimes naked, but never afraid.

When interviewed cult assistant Rainier, the grandmissa, says, "It's not that bad as far as cults come." And unlike most cult leaders, Taco Bell doesn't pursue the female members. He doesn't even let them kiss his cheeks because he don't want to smear his stage and make up.

A game show winner starts a cult based on game shows. Your next story to buzz in on comes from Emmy Blotniff. A new study has found that if a male contestant on Wheel of Fortune refers to his wife with a complimentary adjective, such as "My lovely wife, my gorgeous wife." He's three times more likely to stay married to her.

Men who did not use a complimentary adjective about their wives were three times more likely to get divorced. The study was based on six years worth of episodes, and it was conducted not by a team of researchers, but by one random guy. He watched nearly 2,000 episodes of Wheel of Fortune, and that whole time he wasn't even retired.

He methodically recorded which men said a nice word about their wives and which did not, and then went and checked their divorce records. Wow, sounds like he could really benefit from the company of a fantastic wife. Another interesting finding was that the contestants who paid their wives compliments also won more cash, but kind words don't need to be reserved for your partner or for when you're on Wheel of Fortune.

“Why not offer a complimentary adjective to a colleague and quietly hope for more money?”

And with that, I'll turn it back over to our "Be Witching Host" Peter Sagle. Thank you, Benny. Thank you. A study found that men who referred to their wives with a compliment on Wheel of Fortune had more successful marriages than those who refer to their wives without one. Your last contestant is John Marcos Arezi.

Plans for another season of Mr. Beast's Beast games on Amazon have been put on hold. After it was discovered that an episode in season 2 plagiarized several of the challenges from KGB interrogation techniques. The similarities were first spotted by former Soviet Foreign Intelligence Officer Yuri Gordievsky, who remarked that episode 5's grocery store challenge utilized an ultra-luminous and exposure technique that was originally designed by the KGB to make people temporarily insane.

While also remarking that Mr. Beast took it to an extreme that would, quote unquote, never have been allowed in the Soviet Union.

Since the news broke, dozens of other former KGB have come forward to say the show reminds them why they defected in the first place. While the show's future remains in limbo, several of the previous challenges have already been implemented to optimize performance in Amazon warehouses. So here are your choices. We found a news item related to game shows this week was it from JL that there's a cult based on the host success on game shows. From Emmy Blotnik, we heard about a study showing that if you are on Wheel of Fortune and you refer to your wife with a lovely compliment, my beautiful wife, you're marred to be more successful.

Or from John Marcos Saraisi, a discovery that the Beast Games stole many other most exciting challenges from the KGB, which was the real story we found in the news. I can definitely see Mr. Beast doing something like that, and I'm a huge fan of John Marcos, so I'll go with number three. Well, you have a huge fan John Marcos. That's that's very nice. I know, well, you're going to choose John Marcos story. Well, okay to bring you the real story we spoke to an expert.

That was the man himself, Joey, on TikTok explaining his detailed analysis of men on Wheel of Fortune.

“Men on Wheel of Fortune mentioning their wives, so as you know, doubt have figured out, it was in fact Emmy, who had the real story.”

I feel terrible. Well, I feel terrible. You did it to a fan. Yeah, I'm sorry, and it's really crazy. Only a man could need a six year study to learn that he needs to compliment his wife. Well, I'm sorry, you didn't win our prize, but you did earn a point for John Marcos, so, and you said you're a fan, so thank you for the point. Thank you. You are a beautiful collar in her. And let us not also forget you will be a beautiful bride, so congratulations to your wedding.

Congratulations. And now the game we call not my job, pitchfork magazine once wrote, quote, "What the Beatles were to 60's pop, pavement were to 90's indie rock. That seminal band which influenced so many others was founded in Stockton, California by Stephen Malcolmus and his friends, and 30 years later he and they are still making music, and he's doing it from his new home here in Chicago, Stephen Malcolm is welcome to wait wait. Thank you. Thank you.

I feel we need to start with the fact check, "Was pavement your band the Beatles of 90's indie rock?"

I don't think so. No. So me only won Beatles. Yeah, I know, but maybe you were the Herman and the Hermits of 90's indie rock.

“And where would you place yourself on the spectrum?”

We were the wait wait don't tell me of 90's indie rock? Yeah, I have no idea what that would mean though. So, but the band, I mean, what I've heard about pavement is something that was also once said about the velvet underground, like, you know,

they didn't have as many listeners as some other bands, but everybody who listened started their own band.

Yeah, we got a lot of CDs. Remember those? CD, people are sending you CDs saying, "Just let the shows." People come up and they go, "Are you influenced me? Here's my band." Because it kind of seems like you can do it. If you hear us, it's not particularly like virtuos virtuos.

Whether you're telling me of the message that people got from your seminal records in the '90s, was I listened to pavement like, "I could do that." Oh, much. You know, if we have a relationship with tone and tuning and tempo that loose, loose, loose. Can we go back to the origins you founded the band in Stockton, California, where you were sort of a juvenile delinquent as they used to say?

“I think it says on Wikipedia. I haven't bothered to change that, I don't know, can you change it?”

Apparently you can, but the consensus is you should not edit your own Wikipedia, I don't know. Ridiculous, because I know there is something about me like partying on rooftops and the high school and it's just one tiny thing about the terrible things I did. Really? It's like Wikipedia. They missed all the other terrible things you did, but for some reason people are talking about how hard it comes. But the real question is, have you changed? Yeah, yeah, I'm older and wiser and I don't climb on rooftops anymore.

Yeah, take the elevator, like a responsible guy. Do you get recognized by fans in the streets of Chicago? Sometimes. More when I go, I mean, if I hang out in front of a record store. You just stand there, minding your own business, just tap in your foot. Next to the P-section.

Tuning and guitar. Where am I, T-shirt? Now, you know that also in the Chicago area, Billy Corgan lives in smashing pumpkins. Yep. And he famously, and one of your songs back in '94, you called them out. You called out the smashing pumpkins.

In a way? I mentioned their name. In a, in a not complimentary way. Not so bad, though. What'd you say?

I mean, it's really a nice thing to do to even take the time to mention something. Well, I say, so he should've been, wow. He should've been, he should've been flattered. Oh, wow, your name checked his band, rather than the subsequent mention of waste of time.

They didn't have the pumpings function.

But, you know, they do truly have some good songs. I know.

“What do you, I mean, have you, have you run in to Billy down at Pizzerriot?”

No, for example, no, yeah. He's like afraid of you. Yeah. He lives like in the beyond evidence, then, for what I understand. Wait, wait, in the far north.

Yes. Well, the Wisconsin. Yeah, I know. I know you've dismissed this question before, that your rider is-- Two riders for Rockstar is famously weird.

Yours is very straightforward, right? I'm told, like, do you, do you, in fact, as far-- Do you go, it's only so far as to specify a brand of salsa water? Well, maybe La Croix, La Croix, as we say it in France. Yeah.

We're Montreal, or some. Yeah, we have a basic rider. I mean, the other guys want towels. I don't use towels. Ever?

You just airdruck? I don't sweat that much. Really? Not too much. I wouldn't do that on stage.

So it's like-- Just kidding. So I don't need them, but I--

“And they're always black and kind of seem--”

What's wrong with that? I'm saying, well-- I don't trust her. There's something about a rock and roll towel that it's black. It's not just that black is rock and roll, like heavy metal.

But also, you don't know what's on there on the towel. Who knows when it's not clean, maybe? I'm not even a neat freak. I'd be more scared of a white towel. You said you know, I guess--

That's right. I love this. But they're dry when we get them. I don't know. They just-- I see dust in them or something.

It's always dusty back there.

Y'all have this kind of dusty, too. Wait a minute. Oh, no. Not the adjective. Oh, call me Billy Corgan.

Well, we didn't get your rider. So we didn't prepare. Yeah. I just hope there's like-- The father of Indy Rock is like--

Yeah, I don't know about those towels. That's not the lifestyle I imagine you living after it is. That's true. Well, Stephen Malgavis, it's a pleasure to talk to you and to welcome you to Chicago.

We have asked you to play a game we're calling. Pavement repairs are underway. So there's another kind of pavement workers, road construction crews. Naturally, we're going to ask you three questions about construction. Answer two at a three questions correctly.

You'll win our prize for one of our listeners.

I also have a Stephen Malgavis playing for it.

Francis King of Mezzula, Montana. All right. Ready to do this? Yes. Yes.

Recently, road crews in southern England had to dig up at 65 footlong stretch of road and repair it, which was necessary. But neighbors were not happy with the detour they set up to get around the 65 footlong stretch of road.

Why were they unhappy?

“Was it A, the detour to repair that was 41 miles around?”

B, the detour was also under construction. Meaning people just had to go home or see the detour across the river at a spot where there wasn't a bridge. Oh, man. I will say, they say, um, schmacks pick three.

So I'll do three. You're going to do C, the cross the river. Well, I guess you're not a schmuck because it was actually A. The 41 mile detour along to avoid the 65 footlong construction site.

They estimated the detour. The officials estimated the detour would take drivers about an hour to travel the distance that would normally take two seconds. All right.

[laughter] Here's your next question. When you're done with the construction in neighborhood, the last step, of course, to put up new street signs. But in Reno, Nevada, the new street signs they put up on Virginia Street

once they finished constructing it had a problem. What? Was it A, they reflected headlights so well. They were blinding the drivers. B, they were missing the last I and said,

for giant street. [laughter] We'll see, they read Buck Thorne Avenue, which was the street two and a half miles away. Um, I don't know.

I mean, two is the 41. [laughter] That's right. All right. It's also the true one, yeah.

[laughter] [laughter] The giant street. [laughter] Well, this is great.

You got one with one to go. If you get this, you win. Here's your last question. Other types of construction have issues as well. In 1860, the US constructed a border fort on Lake Champlain

to protect against the tax from British Canada. But the fort had to be demolished. Why? Was it A, they accidentally built the fort on the Canadian side of the border.

[laughter] B, the commander demanded a wine cellar so big that half the fort one day just sank into it,

and birch bark is like catnip to moose.

[laughter] [laughter] Hmm. I've seen some is not far from a zoo. I'm on a tan.

So I really want to do it right for this guy. [laughter] I guess that's a sign. I'm going to say, see, even though it's fine. [laughter]

“So if it's probably A, wouldn't you want to choose A?”

Yeah. [laughter] So if it's probably A, wouldn't you want to choose A? Yeah. Yeah.

It's A, yeah. Okay. [laughter] Thank you. [laughter]

Also, how did Stephen do in our case?

We'll look into, and he got two out of three.

Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Stephen Malcolm is the lead singer and guitarist of pavement,

and you can see them on tour starting in July. Stephen Malcolm is thank you so much for being away. Thank you. [laughter] [music playing]

[music playing] [music playing] [music playing] [music playing] In just a minute, Alzo puts on his rattiest sweatsuit

for our listener, Limerick Challenge called One Triple 8. Wait, wait, to join us on the air. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait, wait, don't tell me from NPR. [music playing] [music playing]

[music playing] There have been some fantastic movies released this year, and we know you can't see them all. So we're recommending some great films that might have flown under the radar,

to add to your watch list. Listen to pop culture happy hour by at the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. [music playing] [music playing]

On Consider This, NPR's afternoon news podcast we cover everything from politics to the economy to the world, but every story starts with a question. [music playing] 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] Every story from shortwave and pure science podcast

starts with a question. Like, why do we have nightmares? How does AI affect my energy bill? At NPR, we are here for your right to be curious about the world around you.

Follow shortwave wherever you get your podcasts because the more you ask, the more interesting the world gets. [music playing] [music playing] From NPR and WBEZ Chicago,

this is wait, wait, don't tell me the NPR news quiz. I'm Alzo Slade, we're playing this week with John Marcos Suraisy, Emmy Blotnik, and Joel Nicole Johnson. And here again is your host at the Student Break of Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, Peter, Sago.

Thank you, Alzo. [applause] In just a minute, you try out the hot new summer craze. People won't stop talking about it. It's Limerix.

[laughter] So listen to Limerick Challenge. I'd like to play, give us a call. One Triple 8, wait, wait. That's 1, 8, 8, 8, 9, 2, 4, 8, 9, 2, 4.

Right now, panel, though. It is time for you to answer more questions from the week's news. Emmy, a question for you. There's a wonderful old historic house for sale outside Philadelphia. I'll take it.

There you are. [laughter] There's a wonderful old historic house for sale outside Philadelphia,

“but anyone who buys it will have to live with what?”

Gritty? No. [laughter] That would be an incentive. That would drive up the price.

I feel it. Okay. No, I'll give you a hint. Oh, no. The red coats are coming.

The red coats are coming. To our yard. A clear starmer? [laughter] Well, he does need some place to go, I guess.

No. When I say red coats, I mean, like literal red coats, dressed as British soldiers, because they come to do a reenactment.

Revolutionary war reenactment.

Exactly right. This nearly 250-year-old house comes with, quote, "9 bedrooms, 10 fireplaces, ample parking, and this is a completely true, an unbreakable agreement to let an entire battalion of dads reenact the battle of Germantown

from the Revolutionary War on the front lawn every year. And it will only cost you $995,000,

“plus whatever you have to pay to get the hell out of Germantown”

once a year. [laughter] How hot are the dads? [laughter] There really is something about the phrase Battalion of Dad.

Yes, Dad. It's not up a little stream. Yeah. [laughter] Joel, time magazine has given us something we could use.

Good advice. They have told us the best way to console someone who sports team, just blew up big game,

What are those three words?

Here's a sandwich. [laughter] That's not bad. That would work for me. But that wasn't the three words they suggested.

I know what three words I would say. What three words would you say? Suck it up. [laughter] That's pretty good.

Does anybody else have a guess? Any book recommendations? [laughter]

“Well, I think I'll just have to tell you.”

According to Time magazine experts, the three words to say to somebody who was crushed by their team blowing into the last minute is "Let's zoom out." [laughter]

What? Let's zoom out. Your friend just watched his, his, the team and the lives and dies by just blew it in the last seconds.

He's on his knees, weeping. What do you say to come for them? Once psychologists recommends, wording it like this. Zoom out a little bit.

Let's remember how great the season was. This helps your friend remember all the success that got them to the brink of glory and also helps by immediately giving him something too punch. [laughter]

Yes, sounds like the psychologist was not a sports fan. No. [laughter] Joyelle, this week, dating.com,

announced a new job opening, an executive that will provide clients with what specific service. Breaking up with people? Exactly, right, Joyelle.

[applause] The website announced they'll be hiring a quote "cheap breakup officer." He'll be paid $3,000 a month to end other people's relationships for them.

The ideal candidate will have good people skills, a compassionate nature, and at least a year experience working with trauma. Where do I sign up? Really? You'd be good at this?

Absolutely, be good at this. Don't you think it would be, you know, a drain

“on your empathy, you have to call people up”

and somehow say, "Hi, I work for dating.com" and I've been asked by him ever to let you know that they're not interested in seeing you anymore. I'm so sorry. I love that you think I have empathy.

[laughter] I was sign up for this in a second. Are you kidding me? I'm about to call them, which will call it dating? [laughter]

I'm so excited about this.

I'm never coming back here again.

I'm gonna get this job. [laughter] This is so unethical. You can't play both sides of the market. It's like profitable,

but I don't think it's right. It gets right. Okay. How many women have you ghosted? I ghosted?

Yeah. No, I pay someone to break up with them properly. Like a channel man. [laughter] Coming up, it's lightning fell in the blank.

But first it's a game where you have to listen for the rhyme. If you'd like to play on air, call the Leave a Message at 1 Tribulate Wait wait. That's 1888-924-8924. You can see it's most weeks right here

at the Student Baker Theater in downtown Chicago. You can catch us on the road. We'll be at the beautiful Riverside Theater in Milwaukee and July 9th. You won't want to miss that one. And at the Rose Music Center,

just outside Dayton, Ohio, in September 3rd. For tickets and information to all our live events, go to npurepresent.org. Hi, everyone. Wait wait, don't tell me.

Hi, Peter. This is Sharon from Bradenton, Florida. Hey, how are things in Bradenton? What do you do there? Oh, that's sort of a sunset on the beach,

meeting with friends. I have also a cat sitting business on the side. You have a cat sitting business? Yes.

“So, do the cats come to your house or do you go to theirs?”

I go to theirs. Wow. What's the most interesting thing you have found rifling through people's drawers when they're not home? Oh, Peter, I don't do that.

You know. I'm there for about half an hour. And-- Definitely up time. Yeah?

Welcome to the show, Sharon. Also, Slade is going to read you three news related lemurics with the last word of phrase missing from each. If you can fill in that last word of phrase correctly and two of the lemurics will be a winner.

Ready to play? Yeah, ready.

Here's your first lemurics.

To make a tough workout more bearable, I bring clothes that are old but still wearable. Like a slob, I appear in my gross, sweaty gear. I go to the gym looking. Oh, terrible?

Yes, terrible in recent years. Everybody at the gym has worn fancy exercise clothes, but according to the Guardian, the latest trend among celebrities and fashionistas is wearing crappy old clothes to work out.

So now the rest of us can. Finally, I can throw out my sweat wicking tuxedo. This is one of those recession indicators so they're like, "It's fashionable that you're closed suck." Exactly.

All the hot people are doing it. So look as called gym goblin. (audience laughs) gym goblin. Akman, the gym goblin.

We all know this. It's not the person who dresses down for the gym. The gym goblin is the guy who's way too comfortable being naked in the locker room. (audience laughs)

I'm curious, do you guys think about what you wear to the gym? So I mean, you do go. I try to dress up. I have some fancy tank tops that I like to wear. Do you really?

I mean, I mean, mini mouse, mini mouse. I have mini mouse one.

I have, yeah, I like a little flare.

What do you think can see me? Exactly. (audience laughs) Are you going to, like, a toddler gym? That's weird.

(audience laughs) No, it's very, it's, it's, it's fun. I had a little, a little collar chair. It's a collar chair. Yeah.

Here is your next lemric. Most people will choose crisp tattoos.

“But this new kind is just black and blues.”

The ink under your shirt suggests you've been hurt because it looks like a permanent bruise. Right, more and more people are getting tattoos resembling stylized bruises because actually we have no idea why they are doing that.

It's pretty crazy to look at these tattoos are inked in purple, green, and yellow to look exactly like halfway healed bruises. It's crazy and if you're looking for a cheaper, less painful way to get in on the trend of me, it's just writing

an e-scooter after a couple of beers. (audience laughs) It sounds like someone screwed up a tattoo and it was like, no, it's a new thing. (audience laughs)

All right, here's your last lemric. A commute will just quit set a bunch and our office is feeling the crunch. So our plan of attack give them food. They'll come back.

We're offering snacks and free. Lunch. Yes, free lunch. More and more companies, if hit upon the solution along last to bring workers back to the office.

Free lunch. (audience laughs) It's a refreshing change from the tactic most companies

“had been using, come into work or you're fired.”

(audience laughs) Isn't there saying about free lunches and how there's no such thing as them? Apparently there now is. As long as you come into the office.

Wow. I have found this to be true across all demographics and certainly with myself, the universal appeal of free food. I accepted this job because of free lunch. Yeah.

(audience laughs) Also, how did Sharon do in our quits? She did amazing. Three out of three Sharon congratulations. Sharon congratulations.

Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for calling and playing. Thanks for being great. Bye.

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 WHOY. For instant clarity on world events

“in just five minutes, listen to NPR news now.”

New episodes drop every hour with the latest on US politics, international news, the economy, health, science, technology and more, five minutes is all it takes to get fully caught up with NPR news now.

Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get podcasts. Each story you hear on planet money starts with a question. What happens if we refund tariffs? Why are grocery so expensive?

NPR, we stand for your right to be curious because the forces shaping our world can be hard to see. Follow NPR's planet money wherever you get your podcasts and start seeing how the economy really works. Now it's time for our final game,

Lightning Film The Blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds to answer as many film The Blank questions as they can. Each correct answer now with two points.

Also, can you give us the scores? Yes indeed. Immigened Joyo are locked in a tie at two Jarmarco in the lead at three. Oh my goodness.

Okay. So that means that since any and joyo are tied for second,

I'm just going to pick joyo to go first.

We'll leave the clock. We'll start with it. They begin your first question. Film The Blank. On Tuesday, all the candidates endorsed by Miramondani

won their primaries in Blank. New York? Yes. On Monday. Iran denied White House claims that it agreed to let

Blank monitors into the country. Baby monitor. No. New Clear monitors. According to the New York Times,

New Evidence does suggest that Blank will hold a wedding ceremony in Madison Square Garden. Taylor Swift? Yes. On Wednesday, the Chief of Staff are Eric Adams.

The former mayor of Blank was arrested on corruption charges. New York, baby. Yes. After a truck overturned in the highway, New Yellowstone Park Rangers are warning visitors to be on the alert

for a Blank. Drug drivers. No.

250 million escaped bees.

Oh. On Thursday, Rockstar Games announced that pre-orders were open for the latest game in the Grand Staffed Blank series. Oh. Oh no.

Yes. This week, a tent standoff between a SWAT team in Arizona and an armed suspect was interrupted by Blank. The Jim Goblin? No.

Not a Jim Goblin. By a delivery robot driving right through the middle of the scene.

They've got their guns that guys inside. He's armed.

“And right in the middle of the standoff comes this delivery robot.”

Yeah. Door-dast delivery robot. And they couldn't make it go away. They couldn't get rid of it. But it actually ended up helping.

When up to the door and said, "Look, I'm on your side here. If you let everybody out of the house unharmed, I can guarantee you a bag of lukewarm french fries." (laughter)

Also, how did you all do in our quiz? She did all right. She got four right for eight more points. Total of 10. She is now in the lead.

All right. (applause) I mean, that means you are up next. Here we go, film the blank on Wednesday. Two back-to-back earthquakes.

A struck. The northern coast of Blank. Vending swell. Right. This week, the US warned that AI is just months away

from being able to launch powerful Blank attacks.

Do you like it? (laughter) They're swarming us. No, cyber attacks. On Wednesday, Trump said he wanted the Justice Department

to investigate if oil companies are artificially inflating blank prices. Yes. Right.

“This week, thanks to Space X's stock price.”

Elon Musk became the first ever Blank. Be stupid, baby. (laughter) The first ever person who had been a trillion air to become an extra trillion air.

According to sources, Apple released a foldable blank this September. Phone? Yes, foldable iPhone. This week, a Scottish man went to the doctor for vision problems to discover to the reason he was having trouble seeing

was because blank. He was wearing eye patches. No. (laughter) He was having eye troubles because he kept using a massage gun

on his eyeballs. (laughter) Oh, my God.

Doctors shocked when the man told them that he'd been

regularly using the massage gun on his tired eyeballs once a week for at least three months. That explained. Several of his symptoms, including his blurred vision, is persistent floaters in his vision.

And the fact that his eyes are now set all the way to the back of his skull. (laughter) That sounds painful. It really does.

I'm just trying to imagine the guy going, (laughter) I'm sure this is good for me. (laughter) Also, how did Emmy blotnik do in our quiz?

She got three right for six more points. Total of eight joyo is still in the lead. All right. So, how many of them does John Marco need to win on his debut on this show?

They've used John Marco. You only need four points, brethren. All right. Here we go. You ready to do this?

Yeah. It's for the game. As extreme weather, continues to hit Europe. France recorded its blankest day in history.

How to write on Tuesday, AJ DeBunso was the number one pick in the blank? Save a thief of the thing. No. (laughter)

NBA draft. This week President Trump said he intends to finish his border blank before the end of his term. While, yes, according to a new study, 77% of Americans thinks that the blanks would be disappointed

at how the country has turned out. Failed in fathers. Yes. This week, J.P. Morgan Chase fired one of their executives. After she was caught on camera,

blanking during the New York Knicks victory parade. A stealing a trash can, and pouring it all out of the street. That's exactly right. It was a mixed themed trash can,

and she wanted it. On Wednesday, NASA's perseverance rover detected organic carbon on blank. Mars? Yes.

“On Tuesday, meta-release the new cheaper version of their AI blank?”

A headset. VR headset. Oh, I'm going to give it to you. Glasses. Glasses.

This week, customers accused REI of using AI in an Instagram ad, because the bicycle they posted there has blank. Six fingers. No. (laughter)

Fingers to begin with, I guess, and a bicycle would be weird. No, this bicycle was pictured with handlebars at both ends. (laughter) REI came in for some criticism when they're ad

for the EDRF bike had handlebars in the front, and instead of a seat, even more handlebars pointing the other way. Honestly, though, anyone criticizing the ad is kind of full of it.

Oh, this looks so uncomfortable. Unlike that paragon of comfort, a bike seat. (laughter) Alzo.

Yes. John Mark would do well enough to win. He kicked ass. (laughter) (laughter)

(laughter) (laughter) (laughter) You got six right for two or more points. Fifteen total debut champion.

He came. He saw. (laughter) He conquered. (laughter)

Wow. (laughter) Wait to show up the vets, man. That was some. In just a minute,

we're going to ask our panelists to predict what surprising thing the authorities will find

when they finally drain the reflecting pool.

(laughter) But first, let me tell you all. Wait, wait. Don't tell me. It's a production of NPRNWB, EZ Chicago,

an association with the urgent haircut productions Doug Burman, the Neville and Overlord. Philip Godica writes our limb ricks. Our public address announcement is Paul Friedman. Our ops manager is just Sierra Vardach.

Thanks to the staff and crew with the student bakery fees. BJ Litterman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills Miles, Dermbus and Lillian King.

Peter Gwen is our lead singer.

Emma Choi is our vibrator. Technical directions in Lorna Wider. CFO is Call of Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chillog.

And the executive producer of Wait Wait Don't Tell me is Mike Danforth.

“Now, panel, what will they find on the bottom of that reflecting pool?”

Let me block neck. The enormous sapphire and diamond necklace known as the heart of the ocean. (laughter and applause) (laughter and applause)

Joyelle Nicole Johnson. Jimmy Hoffa. (laughter and applause) And John Marko Suraisy, the real Melania Trump. (laughter and applause)

And if any of that happens, panel,

“we'll ask you about it on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me.”

Thank you to Alzo Slag. Thanks, Alzo. Did you all make a call for us? And then we got it. Dr. Marko Suraisy for a great debut.

Thanks to all of you for listening. I'm Peter Segal. We will see you next week. (cheering and applause) This is N. P. Young.

“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 N. P. R. N. W. H. Y. You know, every day on our first N. P. R. 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 N. P. R. We stand for your right to be curious and to follow the facts.

Follow our first wherever you get your podcasts

and start your day knowing what matters and why.