--:-- From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Alzo Slade, your judge and scorekeeper, and the inspiration for this year's hit couples costume, Judge and Scorekeeper. Now here's your host at Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Alzo. Thank you, Kalamazoo. Thank you all so much. It's great to be back with you for so long. We have a great show. Later on, later on, we're going to be talking to fashion designer Daniel Vasavek, a star of Project One Way and a native of this place. But first, we want to send out a belated shout-out to Katie Zacharia, whose recent tenure as White House press secretary was so short, we missed our chance to make fun of her. So, but we want to send our respect. So in her honor today, our panelists will be answering all of their questions with absolute gibberish. But first, it's your turn to help us lose our jobs. So give us a call at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Now let's welcome our first listener contestant. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hi, my name is Jen Cooper, and I live in Houston, Texas. Hey, Houston. But I identify as the northern coastal elite on a two-year midlife crisis here in the South. Well, wait a minute. You had a midlife crisis, and instead of buying a sports car or having an affair with a dumb, young, beautiful thing, you decided to move to Texas? Oh, I'm a millennial, Peter. I do not have the boomer money for that. So this is it. Well, Jen, let me introduce you to our panel this week. First up, it's the comedian you can see performing most nights in New York City somewhere. It's Rachel Koster. Hi, Jen. How's it going? Hi, Rachel. Nice to see you. Me too. Nice to meet you. Next, she's a writer and comedian who has written for Big Mouth, After Midnight, and the Saved by the Bell reboot at Shantira Jackson. Hi, Jen. Hey, Shantira. And an actor and writer who can be seen in the acclaimed improv show Two Square at UC New York on November 4th at 7. It's Peter Gross. Hi, Jen. Well, Jen, 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'll win our prize. Any voice from our show, you might choose for your voicemail. Are you ready to go? Ready to rock. All right. Your first quote. Is President Trump, he's stumping for a candidate in Ohio this past week? He has an ass like a pile of muff. President Trump is cruising throughout the country. Doing his best to help the Republicans win what? The Senate. I'll give it to you. The midterm elections, yes. Midterm elections! Yeah, you know, it's coming up. The president was in Ohio to support Republican Senate candidate John Husted, and for some reason, Trump could not stop talking about Husted's beautiful butt. Well, it makes sense, because the question voters are asking about candidates this cycle, even more than whether they can lower prices, is, does baby got back? Trump seemed to be weirdly into this guy. It was surprising how much he went on about his physique. So while the polls don't look great for his side, Trump himself is apparently doing well in the midterm erections. I just saw some pearls being clenched. I think it's really nice for him to be sexually harassing men for change. No, it's really great. It's so nice to see him. They were like, President Trump, you've got to switch it up. Yeah, I was like, I got it. I got it. Yeah, I know. It's so great to see somebody learn something new at his age. Absolutely. It's very tough. But what is the deal with this guy, Houston, and Trump's fascination with him? Is he really that caked up? Slate sent an actual reporter to investigate, and this is what they found. And I quote, from what I can tell, he appears to have a totally normal ass. You know, ideally, the most insecure man in America and the president should be two different people. So Donald Trump and the vice president, they're out around the country, but they're campaigning in historically red states and red districts because basically the polling is so bad for Republicans, things haven't looked this good for Democrats since Hillary Clinton won the presidency in 2016. The president, again, he's supposed to be helping candidates win, and he's spending time at these rallies bragging also about how many times he has been asked to take a dementia test, which is a little like bragging about how often police ask you to blow into this little tube. More than one is bad. Yeah, basically. Or maybe he's already taken it so many times and forgot. Right. It would be worse if he had been administered the test seven times and been like, I've taken it once and I killed it. Yeah, the first question of the dementia test is, have you done this before? Here, Jen, is your next quote. Would you trade your face for a sandwich? That was Gizmodo. They were commenting on a new lawsuit that's been filed. It claims that what is scanning you and storing your data when they deliver your food? Oh, gosh. Can I get a hint, maybe? Can you get a hint? Well, remember I said what is delivering your food, not who is delivering your food. Is it a robot? Yes, a delivery robot. Yes. I really want one of those. You do? So the lawsuit alleges that the robots are secretly taking pictures of you when they drop off your food, as well as scanning your body for other kind of data. Okay, fine. These guys may have a case. I would not go near a lawsuit where the only evidence is a picture of what I look like on a night I need a robot to bring the food to my house. The lawsuits allege that these robots, as they scoot around, are scanning the faces and bodies and taking other data, not just from people to whom they're delivering, but from people they pass on the street, right? And even worse, after they scan your body, they roll away saying, juicy. Are these robots the president? Because this is not happening in New York City. This is in other cities. It's in other cities. If they're in New York City, it'd be like, you can scan this, and then they would take a baseball bat. If you were going to scan the humans at their peak, I don't know if it's me at 2 a.m. getting Taco Bell. Yeah. You don't want that. That's not going to help the world at all. Yeah. Wait, are they taking pictures, though, and then blackmailing you? They're like, I'll release this. Are they taking pictures in Coutinho? I guess this isn't your first burrito, is it? Double fettuccine Alfredo? Yeah. You guys are watching me too. Although I don't want robots taking the jobs of good, hardworking people. If you want to scam my body, you've got to be a warm-blooded man who's trying to make it in America. And I'm happy to tip 20% for riding 40 minutes in the rain. That's really nice. My pleasure. Yeah. All right, Jen, here's your last quote. It is a tip for people who are celebrating Halloween this year. Seal the carved edges with a thin layer of petroleum jelly. That was an expert providing a skincare routine for your what? My pumpkin butts? Yes, your pumpkin butts. Seriously? Yeah, your Jack-o'-lanterns. They deserve a spa day too, right? An article in Real Simple Magazine recommends a multi-step skincare routine, including a cleansing step, a soaking step, and then sealing your jack-o'-lantern with petroleum jelly. Like the holes of the eyes and the top of the eye? Yeah, you sort of take petroleum jelly, put it on the cut edges. It's very elaborate. Look, if I was willing to do a skincare regime that complicated, I'd be hot. Yeah, Peter, you're melting a little bit around the eyes. No, no, no. It's just that a squirrel got to me. Makes me sick I feel like we can somehow Gwyneth Paltrow is to blame Apparently bacteria from the outside of your pumpkin Gets into the flesh when you carve it Which is what make jack-o'-lanterns rot so quickly That and it's a cut-up vegetable you put outside Alzo, how did Jen do in our quiz? Jen made her way to 3 out of 3 Perfect score Congratulations Congratulations Jen Thank you so much guys Take care. Now, panel, we have some questions for you about the week's news. Shantira, this week, the Guardian newspaper hosted a debate on whether or not it is absolutely disgusting to let your cat do what? Walk on your counters. Exactly right. I knew it, and I didn't even read the article. So that was a remarkably accurate guess. Yeah. Is this something that you and your friends and loved ones have been debating? I don't. Please do not message me about this. She's gay. Number one, I am a lesbian who doesn't want a cat on my counter. Yeah, it's because, like, a lot of people, their cats, like, they go into their litter box and then they walk on the counters. Now, if that's your vibe, absolutely cool, but it's personally not mine. That's not a joke. That's just who I am. No, right. That's something about you. it's pretty hard to be a lesbian looking for someone who doesn't have a cat. So I'm not going to complain too much, but I'll tell you on the radio what's going on. Okay. All right. Well, I hope you find somebody, because you're not going to enjoy men any more than you are going to enjoy a cat on your counter. They do whatever. Because you should know this. You probably don't know this, but men also use the bathroom and then immediately jump on the counter. We're pretty disgusting. We're just the worst. So the Guardian had this couple, and they were deciding whether they should move the cat's water bowl to the ground, because they actually put it up on the counter. That's crazy work. I know, and the pro-cat on the counter person said, quote, there are few things as relaxing as the sound of a hydrating cat, unquote, which goes to show that this person has that cat parasite that makes you insane. The real solution, if you don't want your cat to jump on the counter, just tell it you want it to jump on the counter. Or you know what you could do? What? I got a great idea. Bowl and litter box on the counter. You eat on the floor. Yeah. Cat never goes on the floor. Even better. Bowl, litter box on the counter, food, cat toys in the kitchen. You leave the house. Never come back. Cat apartment, you never enter. Exactly. Coming up, our panelists have a hatchet. They just refused to bury in our bluff, the listener game. Call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT-TO-PLAY. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR. From NPR and WBEZ Chicago this is Wait Wait Don Tell Me the NPR News Quiz I'm Alzo Slade. We're playing this week with Peter Gross, Rachel Koster, and Shantira Jackson. And here again is your host at Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Alzo. Thanks, everybody. So right now it is time for the Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me Bluff, the listener game. Call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to play our game in the air. Hi, you are on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hi. Hi, who's this? This is Laura Lang from Mason, Michigan. Mason, Michigan. Apparently Mason has some fans. What do you do there? I'm a special education teacher. Oh, good for you. You are officially immune from my jokes. That's a great thing that you do. Well, Laura, it's great to have you with us. You're going to play our game in which you must try to tell truth from fiction. Alzo, what is Laura's topic? Good news. There's a rude feud in the news. Everybody loves a good feud. Coke versus Pepsi. The Sharks versus the Jets. Kelly Clarkson fighting with that toy bird. Well this week we learned about a feud that escalated to newsworthy heights Our panelists are going to tell you about it Pick the real one and you'll get the wait waiter of your choice on your voicemail Are you ready to play? Yes All right, Laura, your first story comes from Rachel Koster A full-scale confectionary arms race has broken out between the Smiths and the Michael families of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey whose homes sit directly across from each other on the usually peaceful cul-de-sac of Cinnamon Tree Lane Trick-or-treaters used to get one fun-sized candy per house And were totally satisfied That changed when the Smiths moved in five years ago The Smiths started handing out full-sized candy bars And then when the lines to the door became too long They introduced a complicated ticketing system The Michaels tried to get the kids back By hiring an actor to play a mummy Who pops out of a genuine sarcophagus And hands out free electronic devices It's exhausting and childish, said a neighbor And it's all because the adults need to seem like their fun parents I am a fun parent, said Mrs. Smith, before doing a keg stand in a sexy nurse costume. The crisis came last year when Mr. Michaels covered all the cars on the street with chocolate syrup and lined the pavement with chocolate bars, leading to a rat infestation. According to the Newark Star Ledger, all the kids have opted to just go to a neighboring town where everyone seemed to take Halloween less personally. A confectionary arms race for trick-or-treaters in New Jersey. your next feud dude, that's Peter Gross. The touring production of the Broadway show Wicked is in Minneapolis this month, and while the temperature in Minnesota has been dropping inside the theater, things are heating up. A fierce competition has developed between the women playing Elphaba and Galinda, with each actress trying to out-diva the other by deploying more and more vocal gymnastics in the climactic song For Good. They've been topping each other's high notes and extending their phrases, and the normally five-minute song has stretched out to over 20 minutes. On Saturday night, the fed-up cast and crew finally took action. Just as the song hit the five-minute mark, the women's mics cut out, but then they simply sang even louder. And when that happened, sandbags that normally rest peacefully 30 feet overhead mysteriously crashed down on stage. Nevertheless, the singers persisted. So the stage managers deployed the nuclear option. They turned off the lights, dropped the curtain, and the rest of the cast came out and bowed. After everyone had left the theater, janitors reported hearing two hoarse soprano voices weakly singing, I have been changed for good. A wicked tour gets derailed by a contest between the two leads. Your last feud interlude comes from Shantira Jackson. There are two gas stations located across the street from one another in Powder Springs, Georgia. A Sunoco and an Amoco. No relation. And for a long time, the owner of the Amoco always made sure his price was five cents lower a gallon than the Sunoco across the street. This week, Sunoco guy finally had enough and lowered his price too. Prices kept plummeting until the police had to be called when the entire town drove down to the same corner to buy gas for less than a dollar a gallon. The lowest price anyone's seen since the beginning of the war on drums. One customer said, it feels like Christmas over here, y'all. Another one said, I call my mama, my sister, and my brother. A third said, look at God, baby, look at God. The prices have since gone back up, but for many years into the future, the legend of the day the gas prices fell to something they could afford will be a story the people there will tell during road trips in their horse-drawn wagons. So here are your three stories. Which of these was the real feud we found out about in the week's news? Was it from Rachel Koster, neighbors in New Jersey going nuts as they tried to top each other to attract trick-or-treaters? From Peter Gross, the two leads in the Wicked Tour refusing to stop singing past each other even though the show was over, or from Shantira Jackson, a gas station feud that made gas actually affordable for the people of a small town in Georgia for a short while. Which of these was the real feud in the news? I think I'm going to go with Shantira, the gas prices. You're going to go with Shantira's story about the feuding gas stations. All right, if that's your choice. To bring you the real answer, here is a journalistic report. Basically, one gas station's policy was to be five cents lower, so the other station's policy was to match their neighbor's price. So that was a report on WIBC Radio regarding the feuding gas stations that resulted in a really good, if temporary, deal on gas for the people of Powder Springs, Georgia. Congratulations, Laura. You got it right. You're in a point for Shantara. You've won our prize, the voice of your choice. In your voicemail, thank you so much for playing with us today. Thank you. And thank you so much for doing the good work that you do. Take care. Thanks, you guys. And now the game we call Not My Job. When Daniel Vasovic was growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, not far from here, he worked at the Banana Republic at the Woodland Mall. Mall fans. And he must have learned a lot there because he became a fashion designer and a winner of Project Runway's All-Star Challenge. He has since founded his own fashion brand, The Kit, and we are delighted to welcome him back home to Western Michigan and to our show. Daniel Vasevic, welcome to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. So let's start here. Is my supposition true? Did you first find your love for fashion working at a Banana Republic at a Grand Rapids mall? I can't believe, I mean, You did your research. Anyone who grew up in Grand Rapids, or at least in any small town, knows that, especially if you're closeted, especially if you crave fashion and beauty and excitement, there's only one place to go, which is the Woodland Mall. The Woodland Mall. Yes. And it was three years and a lot of really great memories. Three years? It's been in the Republic? Yeah. The short, short, short backstory, I was a competitive gymnast for 13 years in Kentwood, retired at 18 and I was going to go to Ohio State for college. Is that legal here? Kentucky. That's not a good alternative, by the way. And then as a son of a mechanic and a secretary, office manager, they said, that's great. We have no money for you. So I begrudgingly at the time went to community college and started architecture, quickly learned. but I hated it. I took a sewing course on a whim. And literally that, and so I love the fact that I got a job and was working in community college because it gave me the freedom to like literally find out what I really wanted to do. And did that experience at Banana Republic help you? 100%. When on Project Runway, they had a Banana Republic themed challenge? And guess who won? I can only imagine. I mean, really, when whoever it was, when Tim Gunn or Heidi Klum or whoever it was said, you know, and today's challenge, we're working with Banana, I'm doing Heidi. It's Heidi. That was my Heidi, my Tim Gunn is different. It's like, our challenge is we're working with Banana Republic. Can you be seen in the background going, yes! I had, yes, and I was on the show the first time four days after I graduated from college, and it was my very first real job, and I learned later from the producers that they cast me as like the rocker guy. The what? The rebel. The bad boy. Did you look different? Me doing West Side Story. Yeah. We need... And then they were like, no, actually, I think we know a different category. We need a bad boy. We need a threat. Let's get a former gymnast. It was the Midwest suppression. I was just very easy and chill. Wow, that guy, he looks so scary. It looks like he could vault over you at any moment. It looks like I'm watching Marlon Brando right now. This is incredible. You were your season of Project Runway, and then when you came back for the All-Stars, that was in the 2000s. Did you create any clothes for the show back in that era that you look back on now and cringe? I think my answer to that is style in general. I think it's more interesting to have personality in the moment than to think about some imaginary problem or feeling you're going to have five years from now. That's the great thing about social media is you look back and all of us laugh. We all laugh. I will say on that note, 2005, reality TV is very new to me. So when you have a mental breakdown, there's nowhere to see it on social media. It's only aired on national television. Right, exactly. The story you told seems to indicate that you discovered your love for fashion almost by accident after you gave up gymnastics. Is that true? Or were you, even when you were in high school, interested in fits and fashion and looks? More crafting creativity. Right. So like I had the, what's that called? When you're, not an acronym, a synonym. The one you're given the most. I'm the most. Yeah, you're like, oh, I know. The senior superlatives, right, yes. Most artistic. Most artistic, of course. Overall, overall. And we know what the word artistic means here in the Upper Midwest. I'll say it. No, no, I got you. I'm allowed. Least likely to play football at Ohio State. Oh, Lauren's son, he's very artistic. Pretty much. And then I turned it into a multi-million dollar empire. It was great, yes. Just the idea that I think back to all the arts and crafts and things that I love to just do. And now here I am again, like 20 years later, coming back to oversee construction and architecture and design for my parents' house. I don't have an architecture degree. I'm not an interior designer, but I'm gay. Right. Well, there you are. So how hard can it be? Yeah. Yeah I wanna ask Halloween coming up People in fashion tend to go big I know So what are you thinking about I at an age where comfort is also a consideration because there nothing more ridiculous than wearing a costume that you can't sit down on for the next six hours. Right. I usually resort to disgusting. Zombie. Vampire zombie. NFL players. Just as long as it's undead. As long as it's undead and I can be disgusting and just dance and sweat and get it out of your system. Correct. And you have probably makeup people that will help you with the blood and all that kind of stuff. I mean, let's be honest. My circle is drag queens and makeup artists and costume designers. Yeah, I mean, I think those people's kids have the most elaborate costumes. Like makeup people, hair makeup people, their kids go out and you're like, you're like a Walking Dead cast member right now. Well, Daniel Vasevic, it is a pleasure to talk to you and to have you here at home. But we have asked you here to play a game we're calling... Project Runway meet Project Tarmac. Let me explain. Runways, of course, are where the planes take off. But we're going to ask you about the tarmac. That's the area of the airport pavement where everything else happens. The planes taxi and wait. Get two out of three of these questions right. You'll win a prize for one of our listeners. Also, who is Daniel Vosovic playing for? Don McNally of Kalamazoo, Michigan. There you are. Local guy. Here's your first question. Now, everybody knows when the airplane is sitting at the gate on the tarmac, it's surrounded by support vehicles, you know, they're moving bags, they're bringing on catering, whatever. But last year, our United plane at O'Hare Airport had an extra vehicle sitting next to it that nobody expected. What was it? A, a bucket truck with a painter because the airplane had just been sold to Delta. B, an e-scooter that was rented by a passenger who was running late to the flight and was not going to miss it. or C, the car of a DoorDash driver who had gotten really lost. I'm going to go with B. You're going to go with the guy in the e-scooter. He's like, I'm not going to miss that flight. Got on the scooter, scooted out across the airport tarmac to the plane, banging on the window like Dustin Hoffman at the end of The Graduate. We've all been at the airport. Okay. It could happen, but it was actually a DoorDash driver. This guy had gotten an order from somebody who worked at O'Hare, really wanted to get there on time, get a good tip, and he kind of like took a shortcut that got him onto the tarmac. Sorry, listener. All right, you still have some more chances here. Next question. Earlier this year, people looked out of the windows of planes at LAX and many of them were convinced that they could see what? A, a portal to the underworld. B, Elvis Presley working as a baggage handler. Or C, gremlins taking a smoke break. Based solely on my own. B. They think they saw Elvis Presley working as a baggage handler. When he asks you like that, it's not the writer. I'm going to go with C. You're going to go with C. Noah's A. Oh, no! You guys, I'm artistic. I know. I'm not a mathematician. I'm just kidding. People saw a weird glowing red crack in the tarmac as if it were a portal to the upside down and stranger things. That's what a lot of people said on social media. To this day, no one at the airport has explained what it really was. Last question. The airport in Nice, France, had to be closed down back in 2000 because the tarmac had been invaded by what? A. Paparazzi desperate to photograph a plane carrying Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise. B, thousands and thousands of snails or C, workers striking over mediocre bread being offered at the airport cafeteria? I was going to say A, which seems realistic, but anyone who's traveled to France know that you're going to hit a strike quite often. So no offense to any French listeners, but I'm going to go with C. You're going to go with C, the striking over the mediocre bread. Your tone. Your tone, Peter. I don't want to hear it. Just say it. I'm sorry. You just wanted me to tell you the answer, right? Yes. It was the snails. What? Thousands and thousands of snails. There had been flooding. This is not my job. Apparently, yes. Floods around the airport brought out all these snails, and once they had to collect all the snails to get them off the tarmac, it turns out there were five cubic meters of them. Oh. Don't say, oh, like you know what a cubic meter is. Come on Alzo, how did Daniel do in our quiz? Well, you know Alzo, you look great, by the way This outfit is fantastic Thank you so much You know, sometimes it's just best to focus on fashion Yeah And I think Daniel has done a good job of focusing on fashion So let's not look at the negative Yeah, I know Daniel Vasevic is a fashion designer, a project runway winner, and the founder of The Kit. More information you can find at thekit.com. Daniel Vasevic, thank you so much for joining us on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Give it up for your hometown hero. In just a minute, Alzo has bad news for Tony the Tiger in our Listener Limerick Challenge. Call 1-888-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. 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 Peter Gross, Shantira Jackson, and Rachel Koster. And here again is your host at Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Alzo. In just a minute, Alzo gets past the rhyme stick, which means that only he can speak by reading limericks. It's our listener limerick challenge. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Right now, panel, though, it is time for more questions for you from the week's news. Peter, there is a new trend in dating specifically among fitness enthusiasts. along with their height, their age, their likes, their dislikes. They're including what in their dating profile? Like how much you can bench or something like that? Not quite. It is a number, but it's not that. Oh, gross. Is it their, like, BMI or something? Not quite. I'll give you a hint. For example, well, usually I'm 60 BPM, but I'll go up to 80 when I get to meet you. Their heart rate? Yes, their resting heart rates. That's what they're including. People are perverts. Now, a very low resting heart rate is an interesting flex because it could mean you're super physically fit, but it could also mean you're currently in a coma. I don't know what my heart rate is. What's it supposed to be? Well, actually, a normal... Oh, you're a runner. Here we go. Here we go. He was waiting for that question. A normal resting heart rate is like 80 to 100. But if you're fit, it can be as low as 60 or even 50. But you should, before you use this as an attractant in your profile, you should know who also has low heart rates, old people. So look out. You may end up matching with Rupert Murdoch. Is he old or is he formerly alive? He, as far as we know, is still alive. Is he really? He really is. Good for you. I feel like on a dating app, when I want somebody to have a good heart, this is not what I mean. Exactly. Users apparently are seeing a lot of these listings of resting heart rates on A-Team. That is a fitness-oriented dating app in which you swipe right if you like someone and swipe left if you pity the fool. There's only a few Gen Xers in the crowd. I get it. Rachel, question for you. Rachel, earlier this month, a hotel in the United Kingdom held a five-day special retreat for guests who wanted somewhere where they would be finally free to do what without shame or apology? What was it? This is in England. This is specifically, yes. Drink a normal latte. Is that not something they do in England without shame? Okay, I'll think of a different thing. What is it? Can you just give me another hint, please? Well, whoever smelt it, dealt it. But whoever dealt it doesn't matter. Yes, fart. They get a whole hotel room just to fart. A five-day retreat at a hotel on the Isle of Wight. Do they know how the body works? That, like, you're going to go home from this and still need to do that around other people. It's not like you can get the year's worth of no. Yeah, exactly. My question is, why are they still ashamed of farting as an adult? The British are repressed. Well, this is it, Alzo. People are apparently ashamed. And this woman who's running it wrote a book about not being ashamed of farting. And she had this first of its kind retreat for people who wanted to come and let go of their shame and embarrassment about it. Which is great. But why would anybody check into a hotel, no matter how much you wanted to be there, when you knew every other guest was there for the same reason? You want to split a room? You got to go. Don't get the rooms on the top floor here. Also, like, what if you meet somebody at that retreat? You go up and get married, and then everyone's like, where did you meet? And then you're like, oh, we just... Fart hotel. Fart camp or something like that. Yeah. Farts. Better than saying hinge. Yeah. It's better than A-team, I guess. Yeah. One time when I was in high school, I paid five bucks to go into a room and watch some kid light a hundred... Yeah, fart like a hundred times. You paid $5 for that? That sounds like a pretty good deal. It was a combination of a disgusting thing. A hundred parts for $5? A bunch of dumb people and then a person in the middle who was like, I can make money off of this. How much is that in today's dollars? It's like 30 years ago, so $5,000. Yeah. 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-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. You can see us most weeks at the Studebaker Theater back home in downtown Chicago. You can also catch us on the road. For example, we will be in normal Illinois on November 12th. So for tickets and information for all our live events, go to nprpresents.org. Hi, everyone. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi. My name is Kristen Shermont Spina. I'm from Gainesville, Florida. Oh, wow. Gainesville. I've been there. What do you do there? I'm actually the local NPR affiliate morning edition anchor and a host of a local show. No, really? That means she's going to have to give her prize to someone else. I was about to say, Kristen, that's surprising. I never seen you about the NPR executive host luxury suites Oh yeah definitely Yeah well I look for you next time I there Well it great to have you on our air Welcome to the show Alzo Slade is going to read you three news limericks with a last word or phrase missing from each If you can fill in that last word or phrase correctly, and two of the limericks will be a big winner. You ready to play? Ready. Here is your first limerick. For stackable chips my tongue tingles. They got posthumous promos and jingles. It might be my turn in a pop-top chip urn and then 200 years of free... Pringles? Yes! Pringles announced a new campaign this week. It's a contest. One lucky winner will get a personally engraved urn, shaped just like a Pringles can, for their ashes to be stored in. Because they want their food to be associated with a burned person? Presumably it's a big Pringles fan, and I get the appeal. If I win, I'm demanding they turn my ashes into chips and release me as a limited time flavor. Sour cream and seagull. I feel like that's the kind of thing that once you popped it, you could absolutely stop. You probably could. The campaign is called Once You Drop. That's pretty good. Sure, funerals could use a little fun, you know, little jokes, but let's just stop right here. I don't want to be talking to the funeral director about my loved one, and he asks if I want a regular cremation or a flavor blasted one. This is making me never want to lick the dust off my fingers ever again. It really does. It sort of makes you start thinking about that. Is the urn in the shape of a Pringles can? The urn is in the shape of a Pringles can, but it is like a classic ceramic urn. So you won't even be able to get to the ashes at the bottom. No, you'll have to shake it and then tilt it up in your mouth just like the actual Pringles. Just to get the last bits. Everybody does that. You'll probably be able to get what's going on at the top there. You're like, I'm so stoned, I ate my whole grandfather. Oh, my God. I can't believe it. You need some water to cut it, though. All right. Here is your next limerick. On a brand new Olympic pagoda, my asanas are meeting a quota. And to poses I fold as I'm going for gold, they are adding competitive... Yoga? Yes. Yes, the Indian government is pushing for yoga to be included in the 2036 Olympics, which they hope to host, which at least makes more sense, Olympic yoga, than whatever the biathlon is. Some people are not behind Olympic yoga, but I think it's worth it just to see what Ray Gunn does with this one. It's competitive relaxation. Yeah, no, competitive yoga actually, we all know, already exists. that's that part before class when the shirtless guy shows off his headstand and you're like, yes, I get it. You're good at this. The competitors, and if you're wondering how competitive yoga works, the idea is the competitors all do certain poses and are judged on their form. Extra points, of course, are awarded for grace or flair and going to the grocery store wearing the same pants. I could get a goal in suvasana. You can do that. Is that the lying down one? Yes. Here is your last limerick. Grains with milk are divine and ethereal, yet the bells this food hears are funereal. It's more than a hunch. You're sunk, Captain Crunch, and no one sits down to some... Cereal? Yes, cereal, the new trend toward healthy eating and wellness, has the sales of breakfast cereal plummeting. That's really surprising. It's a food that legally has to have one side frosted. Sales are apparently... Where are we going to get our frosted? I know. Sales are especially low among Gen Z people who did not grow up with the tradition of toys in every box or Saturday morning breakfast food commercials. Take Life's cereal, for instance. People today have no idea how Mikey feels about it. I think it's because cereal costs like $12. Yeah, maybe think about that, Kellogg's. They're like, what would make the poorest generation of all buy our cereal? Yeah, Kellogg's is near here, they can hear us. Guys, lower the price. Alzo, how did Kristen do in our quiz? She did great, three out of three, perfect score. Congratulations, well done. Kristen, thank you so much for playing. Thank you. Now it is time for our final game, Lightning Fill in the Blank. Each of our contestants will have 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill in the blank questions as they can. Each correct answer now worth two points. Alzo, can you give us the scores as of now? Of course. Rachel and Peter are tied up at two. Shantira has the lead at four. All right. Excuse me. I'm gonna enjoy it while I can. Absolutely. All right. That means Rachel and Peter are tied for second. Rachel, we'll start with you. Go first. The clock will start when they begin your first question. Fill in the blank. In response to protests that turned into riots, several cities in blank announced temporary curfews. Yes. This week, health officials warn of that blank season, maybe arriving two months early. Flu. Yes. With winds reaching 185 miles per hour, super typhoon Chumpy became the strongest blank of the year so far. Hurricane? Yeah. This week, a man who was arrested in Las Vegas for stealing a live flamingo from a casino admitted he'd had between blank and blank beers before he came. Oh, it's a lot. Yes, I'll give it to you. 20 to 30 or something. Yeah, 30 to 40. Okay. According to a new report, daily blank use among parents has risen about 400%. Phone. No. Pot. Yes. Naughty, naughty. During its opening weekend, the new movie about Theranos founder, Blank, became the highest grossing documentary in decades. Elizabeth Holmes is so good. This week, we heard about a flight that nearly made it an emergency landing because a woman on board blanked. Gave birth. No. A woman on board. Saw a ghost. They nearly made it an emergency landing after a woman got trapped in the bathroom. A flight from Seattle to Newark this month. My dream. Really? Yes. I love it in there. A flight from Seattle to Newark this month had to divert to Chicago after a woman couldn't open the bathroom door. The flight attendants couldn't open it either. And they had to do an emergency landing, but she did get out, so they were able to go on to Newark. How did she get out? Did they flush her? Toilet to Newark is basically the same thing. Yeah, pretty much. Hey. Also, how did Rachel do in our quiz? She did all right. She got six right for 12 more points, total of 14 and the lead. All right. It's easy. It's easy. Peter, you're up next on the blank. According to new data, the blank outbreak in Pennsylvania is now the largest in 30 years. Measles? Right. On Monday, the province of blank voted to remain part of Canada. Oh. Calgary is in... Alberta? Alberta. This week, the UN warned that the world was failing to meet its goals to combat blank. Ugh, climate change. Right. On Wednesday, a hazardous chemical leak led to evacuations in blank. It was Ohio somewhere? Yeah, I'll give it to you. Toledo. This week, a town in Peru elected as its mayor a candidate named blank. Jeff the Llama. No, Hitler Mussolini. And this was just tell me so I don't go there. What is it? It's Peru. On Wednesday, a new study showed a link between regular tea drinking and lower risk of blank disease. Cardiovascular. Yes. On Friday, Apple began selling their new blankable iPhone. Stupid foldable duo. Yes. This week, a man caught at the Miami airport with 30 rare live birds in his underwear explained to customs officials that they were intended for blank. Just good old-fashioned loving. Maybe what he actually said was that the birds he was smuggling were intended for, quote, his own personal use. Hey, hey, hey, hey, come on now. You should give it to him. Basically. You should give it to him. What do you think he's going to use those birds for, Peter Sagal? He's been on this show for almost 30 years. I think he should get that point. All right. Judge and scorekeeper. Though the man did not give customs officials any more detail about what he meant, the official report said the man made the claim that the 10 underwear birds were for his own personal use, and then he invoked his right to remain silent. My friend, you did it backwards. Also, how did Peter do in our quiz? He got seven right for 14 more points, total of 16, and he is now in the lead. All right. I'm not going to do that. Well, we'll find out. But first, Alzo, how many does Shantira need to win? She needs seven to win, six she'll tie. All right. Six she'll tie. You can do that. All right. Here we go, Shantira. This is for the game. Fill in the blank. On Tuesday, the blank made his first public appearance after his surgery for lung cancer. The Pope? Right. On Friday, baseball fans gathered in Milwaukee for the first game of the 2026 blank. World Series. Right. On Wednesday, social media giant blank was ordered to pay $25 billion for misleading their users about data privacy. Zuckerberg? Yeah, Metta. Following a visit from a U.S. envoy, a 74-year-old American prisoner was released from blank. Prison? Where? Guantanamo. No, Russia. This week, final screen tests were held for the actor who will replace Daniel Craig as blank. James Baldwin. Yes, on Wednesday, Japan launched a rocket headed for the moons of blank. Who has moons? Saturn. Mars does, too, and that's where it's going. This week, a library in California reported that their celebration of the 100th anniversary of Winnie the Pooh was briefly interrupted by blank. A rabbit. No, by an actual bear breaking into the library and stealing some honey. That's fun. It is fun. According to the library, the bear broke in just before they opened, wandered into the break room, stole a jar of honey, and then left. It's such a sweet way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Winnie the Pooh, especially because the real bear also was not wearing any pants. Was there a sad donkey there, too? I hope so. Alzo did Shantira do well enough to win. Well, she got four right for eight more points, total of 12. She did not get enough to catch Peter, which makes him the champion. There you go. Wow. Thanks to some liberal scorekeeping, but I would like to share this with Rachel, for whom I think I really actually told. No, no, please. Coming up, our panelists are going to predict what's the next thing we'll find out delivery robots are doing in secret. But first let me tell you all that Wait Wait Don't Tell Me is a production of NPR and WBEZ Chicago In association with Urgent Haircut Productions Doug Berman, benevolent overlord Philip Godeker writes our limericks Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman Our ops manager is Jasira Vardak Thanks to the staff and crew here at Miller Auditorium And a very special thanks to Stephen Williams, Kim Willis And everyone at WMUK here in Kalamazoo BJ Lederman composed our theme Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornbloss, and Lillian King. Special thanks this week to Blythe Robertson and Adam Burke, Janie Hoffman, and Dom Banias. Peter Gwynn is our maid of honor. Emma Choi is our vibe curator. Technical directions from Lorna Weider. CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse, our senior producer. That's Ian Schillock and the executive producer of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is Michael Danforth. Now, panel, what will we find out if those delivery robots are up to? Shantira Jackson. Reboot the Golden Girls, all robots. Rachel Koster. They're making sourdough. And Peter Gross. They're cutting open human beings and rubbing petroleum jelly on our holes. And if any of that happens, panel, we'll ask you about it on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you, Oslo Slag. Thanks to Shantara Jackson, Rachel Koster, Peter Gross. Thanks to our fabulous audience here in Kalamazoo, Michigan. And thanks to all of you for listening, wherever you may be. I'm Peter Sagal. We'll see you next week. This is NPR.
