Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - WWDTM: Allyson Felix

Episode Date: July 20, 2024

This week's show was recorded in Chicago, with guest host Karen Chee, Not My Job guest Allyson Felix and panelists Shantira Jackson, Hari Kondabolu, and Roy Blount, Jr.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When voters talk during an election season, we listen. We ask questions, we follow up, and we bring you along to hear what we learned. Get closer to the issues, the people, and your vote at the NPR Elections Hub. Visit npr.org slash elections. From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm the voice of your aunt's sexual awakening. I'm Bill Curtis and here's your host at the Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, filling in for Peter Segal, Karen Chi. Hi, I'm Karen Chi and yes, I'm filling in for Peter Segal this week.

We are basically the same person, but I'm stronger and meaner. We've got a great show for you today. Later on, Olympic track and field star Allison Felix will be joining us to play our game and make us feel bad about our mile times. But first, it's your turn, so give us a call at 1-888-WAITWAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. And now, let's welcome our first listener contestant. Hi, you're on Wait Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me.

Hi, this is Graham calling from Pittsburgh. Oh, hello, Graham. Welcome to the show. What do you do in Pittsburgh? I'm an electrical engineer. No way. Oh. Electrical engineers showing up strong.

Graham, I want you to know my late grandfather was an electrical engineer, and he always used to describe me as very handsome. I'm really teeing you up to call me handsome, but that's OK, we'll move on. Graham, I want to introduce you to our panel. First up, we have a comedian whose newest stand-up special Vacation Baby is streaming on YouTube.

It's Hari Kondabalu. Hello, Graham. Good day. And next, we have a writer for the show, Big Mouth. And season seven of that show is now out on Netflix. Say hi to Shantira Jackson. And finally, a writer whose hit sub stack is called Take Another Little Piece of My Heart.

It's Roy Blunt Jr. Welcome to the show, Graham. You're going to play Who's Bill this time. Bill Curtis is going to read you three quotes from this week's news. If you can correctly identify or explain two of them, you'll win our prize. Any voice from our show, you choose on your voicemail.

Are you ready? I am. Yeah. Your first quote is about the hot style trend that swept the Republican National Convention this week. We're helping President Trump set a new fashion statement. That was a woman explaining to the BBC why she and many others were wearing what on their ears?

Bandages. That's correct! What a convention. After his assassination attempt, we saw a kinder, gentler Donald Trump this week. In his speech Thursday, for instance, he said he could shoot a man in the ear on Fifth Avenue and get away with it. I'm having a great time. Yeah, it really was amazing seeing all the supporters wearing bandages over their ears in solidarity with Trump. And I think it's so nice that in solidarity with Biden,

Democrats have been quitting their jobs. I think that it's so funny that they are interested in health care all of a sudden. That's crazy. Bandages? Where did you get those? Obamacare? The big actual news out of the convention was, of course, Trump's vice presidential pick, Ohio Senator JD Vance. He offers Americans a refreshing change.

Because do you realize it's been more than three years since we've had a white man vice president? We've tried everything else. This was truly a unifying pick from Donald Trump, somehow bringing together both the Proud Boys and the Klan. I never thought I would laugh at the claims. Have you been following the news about JD Vance at all? Yeah, I followed it and then I turned it off. People talk about wanting politicians you could have a beer with and I just want to

say JD Vance is a politician. I want to cover my beer around. Donald Trump Jr., he's a politician you can have a beer to whiff. That's so funny. That one's for all the dads in the crowd. Graham, your next quote is from Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani who just spent $600 million on a big event. This is the last one of these we're doing.

Ambani was talking about an event he just paid for which was the most expensive what ever. Can I get a hint please? Yes. He wrote the check with the words, I do. Wedding. Yeah. The most expensive wedding in history took place last weekend.

The groom is Anant Ambani, the son of India's richest man, and the bride is Radhika Merchant, who loves him for who he is. Can we just address the fact I was not invited? I really did expect to go. I was very excited about it. I heard they had a very nice porridge for dessert made of poor people. If you spend $600 million on a wedding, don't ask me to get you nothing. I'm not giving you anything. Yeah, it would be weird if you like gave them a toaster.

No, but you get four pieces in it though. I wonder how you spend that much money on a wedding. You get four pieces in it though. I wonder how you spend that much money on a wedding. I would love to find out. Anybody want to give it to me and I will try my best. Well honestly they had a lot of stuff. Reports say it cost almost $600 million and it really showed, right? 2,000 people were invited. There were countless parties and events leading up to the wedding, and guests

could choose between salmon, chicken, or, and I'm quoting from the invitation here, the last polar bear? Justin, I read about this wedding, Justin Bieber performed, I believe? Yes. The performances were by Justin Bieber, the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Rihanna, which means even the richest man in India has not bought a single new record in the last 50 years. Do you know who didn't perform there? It was me, because I wasn't...

They ran out of money. They really can't get divorced. They really that would. That cost twice as much. All right, Graham, here's your last quote. Tornado people are battening down the hatches. That's a quote from Slate about the worry that what new movie will make amateurs try and chase tornadoes? Twisters. That's correct. Grab it.

Grab it. The blockbuster sequel to Twister, Twisters even twistier, is out now and storm chasers are worried it will lead to totally unqualified people chasing dangerous tornadoes. For their part, the tornadoes say yum, yum, yum, bringing them on. Are any of you interested in seeing the movie or chasing tornadoes? I'm black. I'm not chasing no tornadoes.

That's wild. Listen, the closest thing I would ever do to chasing a tornado is like trying to hang out with Helen Hood. She seems cool, but I'm not doing that. I could identify with running away from a tornado. That'd be just as exciting. Yes. Maybe more.

But you could run away from anywhere. You could be on a different continent and run. Not run away. There's a difference between running and running away from a tornado. You're motivated. Nobody likes to run. I feel like this is one of the lessons we learned in school. Don't chase tornadoes.

Don't go chasing waterfalls. Stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to. Have any of you been near a tornado? No because the Indian contingent also would never do that. I have come along after one to when trees were down all over the road, and I was busload of people, I had to get out and move the trees so we could drive up the road. So you physically picked up and moved trees? I myself picked up most of them.

And then I picked up a couple of children so that they could pick them up. Actually, it could have been a movie. Now that I think about it, I'm going to get back home and write that. Great, great. Bill, how did Graham do? He got three in a row, so he wins. Graham, thank you so much for playing. Goodbye.

Thank you for having me. Thank you for having me. Thank you. Right now, panel, time for you to answer some questions about this week's news. Roy, scientists have discovered that when a female bell frog doesn't like the mating song of a male frog, she will what? She will, well, there was a thing in the paper or online about cannibalism of the frog. Yes! She'll eat him. That's correct.

Yeah. Oh, man. That's great. I am so proud of her. I'm sure there are women in this room that have dated a musician that they just wanted to eat and get rid of. This discovery was made, and this is true, when a biologist was out doing research and suddenly heard a male frog screaming.

The biologist ran to the scene and sure enough a female was trying to eat the male frog's leg while pulling him into a hole. And I just want to say from personal experience, that sounds better than getting ghosted. Do we know for sure that she was trying to kill him? Because dragging somebody from the leg, some people might call that foreplay. We don't know those frogs' lives. And I'm realizing I don't know your life. This is why Kermit only dated pigs. Scientists say the males know this is a risk, but they still attempt their mating songs.

So the corollary finding is frog sex must be mind-blowing. The app that makes managing your money in different currencies easy. With Wyze, you can send and spend money internationally at the mid-market exchange rate. No guesswork and no hidden fees. Learn more about how Wyze could work for you at WISE.com. Black perspectives haven't always been centered in the telling of America's story. Now we're taking center stage. Introducing NPR's Black Stories, Black Truths, a collection of Black-led stories from NPR's podcasts.

Search NPR Black Stories Black Truths wherever you get your podcasts. This is my voice. It can tell you a lot about me, and I'm not changing it for anyone. In NPR's Black Stories Black Truths, you'll find a collection of NPR episodes centered on the black experience.

Search NPR black stories, black truths, wherever you get podcasts. In this country, some truths aren't self-evident. In NPR's black stories, black truths, the collection of stories is wide ranging and real as the people who tell them. We celebrate the Black experience for all its soul and richness. Search NPR Black Stories, Black Truths wherever you get podcasts. Hey, it's Peter Sagal in our latest bonus episode. It's another edition of the Wait, Wait, Way Back Machine. That's the game where we ask a listener questions that appeared on our show 20 years ago.

I think maybe I know it. Go ahead. I wanna say... Oh, I got one right! Yay! You could be a contestant in a future bonus episode by signing up for Wait Wait Don't Tell Me Plus. Now, if you've already done it, thank you so much. If you haven't, though, now is your chance. You get bonus content, sponsor free listening, and you get to support the work of NPR.

Just go to plus.npr.org. ["WBZ Chicago News Quiz"] From NPR and WBZ Chicago, this is, wait, wait, don't tell me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis. We're playing this week with Shantira Jackson, Roy Blount, Jr., and Harik Khandebalu. And here again is your host at the Studebaker Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, filling in for Peter Sagal, Karen Cheath.

Thank you, Bill. Thank you. And right now it's time for the Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, Bluff the Listener game. Call 1-888-WAITWAIT to play our game on air or check out the pinned post on our Instagram page at Wait, Wait NPR. Hello, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hi, this is Jen from Silver Spring, Maryland. Wow, hi Jen. Jen, what do you do in Silver Spring?

I really want to say something funny, but I work at the tax court in Washington, D.C. which doesn't exactly lend itself to humor or fun at parties. Jen, that's actually really exciting though, because I got an extension on my taxes this year. But you probably already knew that. Oh, good for you. Good job. Thank you.

Thank you so much. It's so nice to have you with us, Jen. You're here to play our game in which you must try to tell truth from fiction. So what's the topic, Bill? It's a tribute. Everybody loves a tribute, whether it's Elton John riding candle in the Wind for Marilyn

Monroe or Elton John half-assing Candle in the Wind again for Princess Diana. Our panelists are going to tell you about another fitting tribute in the news, so pick the real one and you'll win the weight-weighter of your choice on your voicemail. Are you ready to play? I'm ready to play. Great. First up up we've got Hari Kondabolu. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel is the star of

a new detective show. Bored with retirement and unwilling to try pickleball, a fictionalized version of the stateswoman spends her retirement baking cakes and solving heinous murders in the town she lives in. It's like murder, she wrote, except it's with Angela Merkel. And is completely insane. According to the Financial Times, the fictionalized Merkel is joined on screen with a farting pig named Helmut, which I'm sure is funny for Germans. This is the second attempt at a TV show with a world leader

as a star, after the late Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's show, Silvio Sex Party, which was exactly what you imagine it was. The Merkel show is a hit in Europe and is hitting the Italian market this week. As we all know, when Italy and Germany agree on something, there's no way they could possibly be wrong. Thank you.

That was a flawless read. Thank you. So that was a TV show about Inspector Angela Merkel from Harry Kondobolu. Your next story is of a celebrity being celebrated that comes from Shantira Jackson. Spicy Cuisine is all the rage in Bangkok, which is why this month the Bangkok Art and Culture Center opened an exhibit to celebrate the hottest person in hot food, the inventor of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Richard Montanez. The tour of the exhibit starts by letting people taste all of the variations Montanez

came up with before the final Hot Cheetos recipe. But before you even taste one spicy morsel, you have to sign a waiver that dismisses the cultural center from any liability in case eating the Hot Cheetos results in permanent loss of taste, smell, eyesight, hearing, or touch. Yes, touch, because that spicy red stuff can literally burn the fingerprints right off your hands. The new original Thai flavors include, oh, wow, buddy, that's hot.

Hey, that burns like hell. And the most infamous, someone please call an ambulance. My husband is having a heart attack. Each flavor offers a rich experience for the Flamin' Hot Pro and novice alike. The Richard Montanez Flamin' Hot exhibit will be open until the end of summer 2024, unless someone actually dies.

Then it will close immediately. And that was new Flamin' Hot Flavors from Shantira Jackson. Your last story is of a salute in the news and it comes from Roy Blunt Jr. His name is Si, spelled PSY, and he sang and danced, whoop, whoop, gangnam style. It looked a little like horseback riding and a little like me and the horse. Generally a lot of bolligad dancing around and it captivated the whole wide world. Whoop, whoop, whoop, gangnam style. It was the first billion selling music video and Psy has not done much ever since. But this week Psy was honored by the International K-Pop Institute as original god of crypto and moose. Woop, woop, Gangnam style. Okay, Jen, so you've got TV Detective Angela Merkel, new Flamin' Hot flavors, and Gangnam

style cryptocurrency. Which one of these three do you think is the real story? I'm going to go with Psy. So your choice is Roy's story about K-pop legend Psy. To find out the correct answer, we spoke to a reporter who covered the real story. The Germans have come up with this comedy show which features a fictionalized Angela Angela Merkel solving all kinds of unsolved murders. That was a tricky one, Jen. Oh my god, you totally lost me at the pig.

The voice you just heard, that was Guy Shazam, the Berlin bureau chief for the Financial Times talking about Merkel she wrote. I'm so sorry, Jen, but Hari did have the real answer. You did win, but that's okay. You did earn a point for Roy. Jen, thank you so much for playing with us. Bye. Thank you so much for playing with us. Bye. Thank you so much.

Bye. And now it's time for the game we call Not My Job. With five Olympics and 11 Olympic medals to her name, Alison Felix is one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time. And she'll be back at the Olympics again this year, not to compete, but to launch the game's first ever nursery for athletes with children. And hopefully that doesn't mean she has to watch them all herself. Alison Felix, welcome to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.

So you're headed to Paris tomorrow. I am yeah all packed up ready to go. Wow how are you preparing for a trip like that? It's really different this time because you know usually I'm used to just I just have to get myself ready but this time my entire family is coming so a little bit more stressful on the packing front but we're getting there. You've been to the Olympics many times before, and I wondered, of all the ones that you've been to, which one was your favorite?

Tokyo actually sticks out to me because it was my last. It was kind of a full circle moment. I was my first as a mother, and competing in shoes that my company made, and overcoming a lot of adversity. So that one is just super meaningful. Are there like stereotypes of Olympians by sport? Like, I don't know, like you're like, ooh, the gymnasts are always too cool, but the swimmers are all nerds kind

of a thing? I think there's like a little bit of that. You know, I think it's like the sprinters are like flashy and you know, like that. A little bit, I guess. Yeah. So if you think the sprinters are flashy, what other sport do you think would be best to use with sprinters? Ooh, I mean, basketball, you know?

I feel like we're really kind of in line. Or maybe that's just me like wishfully thinking. Basketball is my first love so I feel like in my head like we go hand in hand. Wait I didn't realize basketball was your first love. I have questions about this because I read online that you found out you were good at track because you were trying to make new friends at a new high school right? Yeah that's right. I just went out for the team to meet people but I came out for basketball before that and very quickly it was clear that like that was not my gift. Everyone's like passing the ball but

you're just sprinting up and down the court. Did you end up making a lot of friends from track and field in high school? I did. That part was successful. I met my best girlfriends to this day. They were all in my wedding. We see each other. We try to see each other every month. So yeah, that part worked out.

That's amazing. So at what point in your life did you realize even if your basketball skills weren't the greatest? When did you realize that you had a superhuman talent for running? It happened pretty quickly So I came out for the team in ninth grade and then the first year after I graduated I found myself in the Olympics. So it was kind of a That's so incredible. I love that so much. And I just want to say for the record, I've never tried track and field, so I'm going to try and I'll be at the next Olympics, I'm sure.

I have a question, which is, so I love watching the games on television from my couch. And I always see athletes, but especially runners, kind of like murmuring to themselves right before they start a race. Do you do that? And what are you saying to yourself? I do. I definitely am talking to myself. I think some people are hyping themselves up.

For me, I am like technical thoughts. I'm like, OK, drive, because you're talking about coming out of the blocks. Keep your head down. I just like to give myself a few cues so that I can make sure I'm locked in and those are the things I need to be thinking about. Wow. And then when you're actually running, are you also actively thinking or are you sort of letting muscle memory take over?

At that point I am. I have cues at each point of the race. I'm thinking what I need to be doing when I hit certain like markers. But sometimes if like your mind can wander to a place that's not good, sometimes like in the 400, which is a race that I feel like it's just way too long. I agree. I agree. Sometimes if I'm running that race, I might get to like the 100 meters and I'll be like, oh my gosh, I'm already tired. That's not good.

Olympians are just like us. We agree. We both think the 400 meters is too long. What is the dream distance for you? 200 meters it's my favorite I've always used to call it my baby but then like I had a baby and I was like super fair is there anything that you were looking forward to doing in Paris? I'm really I have always been obsessed with gymnastics and my daughter started doing gymnastics so I'm really excited to take her to watch Simone

Biles. Oh my god! Wait does your is your daughter also very athletic? I'm seeing glimpses of it you know I'm trying to keep her away from the track so I'm like do everything else but when I told her that we were going to go see Simone, she had questions like, well, am I going to get to go out on the balance beam? Like, maybe not quite yet. Those are really good questions, though. I love that she's so excited.

I also feel like, why not? Let her give it a try. I had a question, which is, because you run professionally, when you have to run for stuff in your everyday life, like if you're late for the bus or something, are you kind of just like, oh, now I'm doing work for free? Runners are actually the slowest walkers ever. It's actual. So I don't know.

Yeah, we don't like to go fast anywhere else but on the track. Wow. That's pretty good. Olympians just like us. That's fantastic. All right, Allison, we've asked you here to play a game we're calling 200 meters. How about these meters? You've won many medals racing the 200 meter and the 400 meter. So we thought we'd ask you about the parking meter If you answer two out of three questions correctly about one of the last things you can use coins for You will win a prize for one of our listeners, the voice of any one of us on their voicemail. Bill, who is Allison playing for?

Brennan Schmidt of Concord, New Hampshire. All right, Allison, here's your first question. A man named Charles Misak has sold used books on a New York street corner since the 90s, and he found the parking meter there very convenient in what way? A, he has sold over a million 25 cent postcards to people who needed change for the meter.

B, he stored his books in the car, which he kept in the same parking spot for 11 years, feeding the meter every day. Or C. He protected his crate of valuable rare books by locking it to the meter with a bike lock. Let's go with A. Oh, would you want to guess again? B?

Yes, correct. That is correct. He parked in the same space for 11 years, only moving the car for street cleanings. I guess finally someone else zipped in there real fast. All right, Allison, here's your next question. In the state of Florida, parking meters aren't just for cars. You are also required by law to feed the meter when? A, when you tie an alligator to the parking meter.

B, when you are drinking rum on the sidewalk. Or C, when you are saving good seats for the Fourth of July parade. Oh, C. I mean that's clever. Oh, what can I give you a second try? I wish I could do this in the Olympics. A? Yes, that's correct! A is correct, so if you see an alligator on the sidewalk, park there, the meter is already

paid. Here is your last question. A New York parking enforcement officer was sent to jail after he embezzled over $90,000 in quarters that he collected from meters over the course of five years. How was he finally caught? A. He got a hole in his pocket and police followed a trail of coins to his house. B. He was overheard on his collection route saying, one for you, one for me. Or C. The bank in town called the police and said, hey, this guy in a parking enforcement

uniform keeps depositing huge piles of quarters into his bank account. I'm going to do C. Yes, that's correct. What was he supposed to do, go back to the office with all those quarters in his pockets? No, you walk right into the back in uniform and deposit them. Bill, how did Allison do on our quiz? She broke the tape and won all three races. Allison Felix is one of the greatest sprinters of all time, a multiple world and Olympic champion.

Allison, thank you truly so much for joining us on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. It's a great team name. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. In just a minute, my sun jeans are feeling blue. It's our listener limerick challenge. Call one triple eight wait wait to join us on air. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me from NPR.

It's a high stakes election year, so it's not enough to just follow along. You need to understand what's happening so you are fully informed come November. Every weekday on the NPR Politics Podcast, our political reporters break down important stories and backstories from the campaign trail so you understand why it matters to you. Listen to the NPR Politics Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. This election season, you can expect to hear a lot of news, some of it meaningful, much of it not. Give the Up First podcast 15 minutes, sometimes a little less, and we'll help you sort it out,

what's going on around the world and at home. Three stories, 15 minutes, Up First every day. Listen every morning wherever you get your podcasts. Christian nationalists want to turn America into a theocracy, a government under biblical rule. If they gain more power, it could mean fewer rights for you. I'm Heath Druzen, and on the new season of Extremely American, I'll take you inside the movement. Listen to Extremely American from Boise State Public Radio, part of the NPR network. From NPR and WBEZ Chicago this is, wait, wait, don't tell me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis.

We're playing this week with Roy Blunt, Jr., Hari Kandabolu, and Shantira Jackson. And here again is your host at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, filling in for Peter Segal, Karen Chee. Thank you, Bill. In just a minute, it's a winner take all contest of Human versus Limerick. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-WAITWAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. But right now, panel, some more questions

for you from the week's news. Roy, Season 21 of The Bachelorette premiered this week where one lucky woman gets to date multiple men in a glamorous fantasy. And this season, viewers noticed the mansion had a brand new feature. What? feature what? Well, let's see. I don't think there's any way in the world I can profit from this question either. Here's a hint. Thirst traps aren't the only traps they've had to set this season. Mouse traps? I'll give it to you.

Yeah, it's a rat infestation. Oh, man. I saw a video of a bunch of rats running. I don't watch the Bachelorette, but I did see a bunch of videos of a bunch of rats running around. I don't watch the Bachelorette either. I don't want anybody to get mad if I get people's names wrong. No it's true because during, you're right right what you saw was during a scene where the bachelorette was talking to a contestant Sam M Not to be confused with this is true Sam N

When viewers noticed two rats running across the background and road and boy summer just got too real That would make these shows better like if you lock them in the house And then you just put a bunch of rats in there and you don't tell them and it's actually a rat reality show and they think it's just one of these, oh it's another bachelor show and then they realize it has nothing to do with that. Some of them get eliminated meaning the rats eat them. And then the rats get a big bowl of flowers. Correct. The winning rat. That sounds like a great show. Yeah. That sounds like it could be called the Bachelor Rat. That was an alley-oop. Well done. I'm going to get you a shoe deal for that. Alright. Chantira, psychologists agree it is very common to be upset by a loved one's behavior even

if their betrayal happened where? When they were being mean to you. Where were they mean to you? At the grocery store. Here's a hint. You wake up and immediately your partner is like, how dare you? In your dreams. That's correct.

I got that because I know a lot of lesbians. And women are always like, I'm mad at you because of what happened in the clouds in my dream. It's true. More and more people are admitting to getting mad at their partners and friends for things they did in dreams. It's honestly a double whammy. First you have to sit through your friend telling you about their dream, and now they're mad at you about it?

Give me a break. I think that that is fair because sometimes like people do stuff in your dream. I don't know. I feel like especially women for sure. I can't speak for men and I don't want to. But I do think that a lot of women have like that's women's intuition and it's like you find out a lot of things in your dreams and I'm also southern so maybe that's just like something my granny told me. I used to want to speak for men but not anymore.

The things that you do, the things that you do, the things that you do. Coming up it's Lightning Fill in the Blank, but first it's the game where you have to listen for the rhyme. If you'd like to play on air, call or leave a message at 1-888-WAITWAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. You can see us most weeks here at the Sudabaker Theater in Chicago or on the road in Minneapolis August 29th and 30th. Plus, check out the Wait Wait Standup Tour coming in September to Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, and Atlanta.

Tickets and info for those shows at nprpresents.org. And if that's not enough, you sicko, you can also see our weird unsupervised game show, Wait Wait Land at Caveat NYC in New York City on July 26th. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hey, this is Kristen Collins from Uniontown, Ohio. Kristen, hello, Union strong. Sure.

Kristen, what do you do in Uniontown? Well, when I'm at home, I like to garden and be with my family. And I work at a large state university as a director of admissions. Wow! Oh my gosh, that's so exciting. Very, very exciting. Congratulations on your exciting life. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Welcome to the show, Kristen. Bill Curtis is going to read you three news-related limericks with the last word or phrase missing from each. If you can fill in that last word or phrase correctly on two limericks, you're going to be a winner. So here's your first limerick. At Levi's we do have the means to run some pants making machines and it's high denim season. So what is the reason? We can't seem to sell any... Teens. Yes. Correct.

Thank you. Trend forecasters have dubbed 2024 the year of denim and reports say the only fashion company not able to capitalize on it is somehow Levi's. How much does it suck to only make denim and have everyone say we want denim but not your denim? What do they have against Levi's denim? Yeah, I'm wearing some right now. Oh, and listeners Roy looks so good. It's true though, I kind of feel bad for the Levi's vice president who heard denim was coming in style

and ordered like way too many button flies. Nobody likes those. And I have to pee right now. Here's your next limerick. My wedding is a viral affair. Bowser said, I'll go change over there. I am switching my dresses and also my tresses between acts. I'll be cutting my hair. Correct.

Good. Good. This week, we learned about a trend where between the ceremony and the reception, brides get a dramatic haircut. It's perfect because as every woman knows, nothing says, I feel good about how my life is going like a big impulsive hair change. I think that that's so funny because I know a lot of women who have like grown their hair out for their weddings, but I think it would be so fun if just like men just started shaving

right before they came out. It's like the mustache was for the wedding and now I'm ready to be clean shaven. People are going to be like, I don't like your face. You tricked me. You can spend six hundred million dollars on a way and then shave off your mustache and you got to start all over again. Terrible thing. Alright here is your last limerick. My ample posterior charms cause grief for most airports, their full body scan gets stuck on my can. Because my booty is cause for alarm. According to one TSA agent, you are decidedly more likely to set off an alarm while going

through airport security if you have a big butt. It could be a software glitch or it could be that a false alarm is a computer's version of pulling down its sunglasses and going, damn! That's so fun. I mean, I wish I could get stopped. It's the only time that I've ever been like, damn, TSA, please pull me over. But I don't have it. I don't have the goods. I don't have the BBL.

Well, maybe. BBL. You don't know what that stands for? No. Oh. I don't either. What? Do you know what that stands for?

Thank you. Oh, Brazilian butt lips. Yeah, yeah. Oh, okay. I asked because I- I was too busy, like, reading books. Sorry. I'm sorry about that.

Hey. Did George Saunders mention that in a recent lesson? Big booty people read books. That feels like something we should put on a tote bag for NPR. Alright, Bill, how did Kristin do? Kristin gets to stay at her university because she got on alright. Yay! Kristin, congratulations. Thank you so much for playing.

Thanks for having fun. Want to maximize your summer without stretching your budget? LifeKids got you covered with guides on exploring your neighborhood for cheap. Don't let money or time be the thing that decides whether or not you will have fun. You can have fun almost in spite of those things. Make the most of every day this summer,

whether you're jet setting or staying close to home. Listen to the LifeKit podcast from NPR. On the TED Radio Hour, over the last few years, former White House chef Sam Kass has been hosting meals that he calls last suppers. On the menu, ingredients that are at risk because of climate change. I hope it's not that people feel guilty or depressed. My hope is that we understand what's at stake is really like fully our way of life. The future of food. That's on the TED Radio Hour from NPR.

NPR Plus is a new way to support public media and get more from your favorite NPR podcasts like Fresh Air. Sometimes I'll actually preface the question with if it makes you too uncomfortable to talk about, if it's too personal, just tell me. Here's the question. For behind the scenes content, bonus episodes, and more, sign up at plus.npr.org. Now onto our final game, Lightning Fill in the Blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which to answer as many Fill in the Blank questions as they can. Each correct answer is worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores?

I can. Roy and Ari each have have three and Shantira has two. Shantira you're in third place so we're gonna put you up first. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank. On Tuesday the jury in the corruption trial of Senator blank found him guilty on 16 accounts. Is it Menendez? Yes correct. This week California became the first state to ban rules requiring schools to notify parents if their child's blank changes. Pronouns. Right.

On Monday, severe storms led to blanks touching down throughout the Midwest. Tornadoes. Right. This week, for the first time in the tournament's history, riders in the Tour de France were caught blanking during the race. Eating Snickers balls. Oh, I'm going to give it to you, passing around a bag of peanut M&Ms. This week former CNN conservative commentator Blank died at 78.

Not the one I wanted. Dops. Right. On Wednesday the FDA warned consumers about potentially contaminated bottles of ink used for blank. Pins. Oh, tattoos. This week a flight attendant went above and beyond when she had to blank for an entire flight. Listen to a lady talk about her grandchildren.

That sounds worse than the actual answer which is hold a broken bathroom door closed. Three minutes into a 16 hour flight from Hong Kong to New York City, one of the bathroom doors came off its hinges and fully fell off and she had to hold it in place the rest of the way. Surprising there isn't a door reattachment training with how common it is for those things to fall off. Bill, how did Chantier do? Well, five right, ten more points, total of 12.

Alright, Roy and Hari, you're tied, so I will pick Roy. You're up next. Fill in the blank. On Tuesday, the FBI expressed concern over retaliatory attacks following the assassination attempt on Blank. On Donald Trump. Right. This week, NASA confirmed that a blank passed over New York City.

A cloud of depression. Oh. A meteor. Oh. After 34 years in operation, the iconic Mirage Hotel in Blank closed down. Vegas. Right. 34 years in operation, the iconic Mirage Hotel in Blank closed down. Vegas? Right. On Tuesday, a judge ruled that Minnesota

can't bar adults under the age of 21 from carrying blanks. Guns. Right. Even though England lost the European Soccer Championship to Spain, an English fan says he doesn't regret blanking before the game. Bedding his house. Ooh, kind of similar.

He says he doesn't regret getting a tattoo that says England, Euro 2024 winners. On Thursday, comedy legend and sitcom star Blank died at the age of 94. Bob Newhart. Right. This week, an animal shelter in New York said that over 400 people have applied to adopt Blank.

Puppies. Oh, a parrot who swears a lot. When the animal shelter was given the swearing parrot, they made a Facebook post asking if anyone wanted to adopt it and were shocked when over 400 people did. 400 people said, **** yeah. Bill, how did Roy do? Roy got four right for eight more points, totaled of 11, but Roy still trailed Shantira, who has 12.

And Bill, how many does Hari need to win? Wow, five to win, Hari. All right, Hari, this is for the game. Fill in the blank. On Monday, Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed Donald Trump's blank case. The documents case. Right. According to sources, President Biden is seriously considering endorsing changes to the blank.

The Supreme Court. Right. This week, the White House announced another round of blank debt forgiveness. Student loan. Right. On Tuesday, Tesla CEO Blank said he was moving his companies out of California. Elon Musk. Right. On Tuesday, Tesla CEO Blank said he was moving his companies out of California. Elon Musk. Right. This week, South Korea announced it was cracking down on anyone attempting to bring Blank into the country.

North Korean candy. The answer is Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel seasoning. That's amazing. On Monday, five cases of Bl blank flu were confirmed in Colorado. Avian flu? Correct. On Wednesday, with 25 total nominations, Shogun led the nominees for the 2024 Blank Awards. Emmys.

Right. In order to help protect trees from excessive logging, some environmentalists in Kenya have started blanking. Putting spikes all over the trees covered in poison. Oh, similar. It's filling the trees with bees. How loony tunes are them. In Kenya, mangrove trees have been overforested, putting the ecosystem at risk.

But now a group of environmentalists finally found a solution that works. Just hide beehives in all of the trees. Bill, did Harry do well enough to win? Very well. Six right, 12 more points. 15 gives him the whale. In just a minute we'll ask our panelists to predict after the world's most expensive wedding what will be the next event somebody spends $600 million on.

But first, let me tell you that. Wait, wait, don't tell me it's a production of NPR and WBEZ Chicago in association with urgent haircut productions, Doug Berman, Benevolent Overlord. Philip Gotica writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our tour manager is Shayna Donald. Thanks to the staff and crew at the Studavaker Theatre. BJ Liederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornbos, and Lillian King. Special thanks to Monica Hickey and Blythe Robertson. Peter Gwynn is our food

critic. Emma Joyce our vibe curator. Technical direction, Lorna White. Our CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chilog. And the executive producer of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is Mike Danforth. Now, panel, what will be the next $600 million event? Roy? The divorce proceedings. Shantira? A billionaire going somewhere they're not supposed

to. They've already been to space and into the ocean. Next is the center of the earth. And Hari. Bill Gates' Melinda Please Come Back party. Well, if any of that happens, panel, we'll ask you about it on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you, Bill Curtis, and thanks also to Roy Blunt Jr., Shantira Jackson, and Hari Kondabolu. And thanks to all of you for listening. I'm Karen Chee, in for Peter Sagal, and we will see you next week. This is NPR. Waylon, how much do you think it would cost to buy one of those big digital billboards in Times Square to promote our show? The indicator

from Planet Money and big lights. In this economy? I mean you're probably right, but this question is the exact kind of thing that we find answers to on our show. We take one big economic idea, make it understandable, and you know, even fun. That's the indicator from Planet Money and NPR. On this week's episode of Wild Card, actor and reading rainbow host LaVar Burton says he knows people see him in a certain way. It is hard to imagine you getting really angry about it. Oh my god, you could not be more wrong. I'm Rachel Martin. Join us for NPR's Wildcard Podcast, the game where cards control the conversation.