Lightning Fill in the Blank

This message comes from Instacart Let's talk groceries, specifically your groceries with Instacard. You want your groceries just the way you like them, right? Well, the Instacard app lets you do just that. They have a new preference picker that lets you pick how ripe or unripe you want your bananas. Shoppers can see your preferences up front, helping guide their choices. Instacard getet groceries just how you like NPR and WBEZ Chicago. This is Wait, wait, donon't tellell me. The NPR news quiz. I'm Alzo Slade filling in for. No one I am the filling. And here's her host at the Student Baker Theaterre at the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sago. Thank you Alzo. Thank you everybody you I' back home in Chicago. Thank you so much. We have a wonderful show for you today. Later on, we're going to be talking to the legendary comedy writer Robert Smiggel. He is also the hand up the butt of Tumph the insult comic dog. His latest project is a podcast where he and his friends give advice to non funny people on how to be funny and know We don't need his help. We're just visiting with him We'd love to have a chat with you too. Give us a call. The number is one triple eight, wait wait. If that's one, eight nine two, four, eight nine two, four. Let's welcome our first listener contestant. Howi you're on, waitait Don't tell me. Hi, this is Emily Dykehouse and I'm calling from Holland, Michigan. Holland, Michigan there on the opposite shore. Lake, Michigan, we can walk outside and wave to you across the lake, what do you do there? So I actually work as an admin assistant and an occasional grant writer for a nonprofit immigration legal office here in Holland. That is probably us Probably as stressful as it sounds. Yeah, I was about to I mean, yeah, you probably didn't think that you'd be like, I don't know, a warrior for good when you took that job. Well, welcome to the show, Emily. let me introduce you to our panel. First up. She's a writer and comedian who most recently wrote for Can Slay if that's available on Prime at Chantira Jackson. Hi, Emily Next, he's a comedian you can see in Portland, Oregon, at Kickstan, july eighteenth, and in Denver at Dude IDK Studio on july twenty fourth and twenty fifth, it's Shane Torres And he is a co host of the podcast, The nightly and will be performing at the comedy stududio in Cambridge, Massachusetts on september nineteenth. It's Josh Gndelman. Hello So Emily, welcome the show. you're gonna to play who's Alzo this time. Alzo Slade is gonna to read you three quotes 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 voicemail. Are you ready to play? I hope so. I've been listening to the show for years. I'm so excited. Yeah, we're not gonna do any of that material though This is all new. President Barack Obama. Here, Emily, is your first quote. It was heard in New York City Wednesday night. My mayor's Muslim, my bagel's Jewish, the pope's on our side nix in five That was the chant heard across New York City as for the first time since nineteen seventy three, the Nick We're on the verge of winning what U the NBA Championship. Yess the NBA Championship New York has fallen in love with this team with millions of New Yorkers discovering just this week that they are lifelong Ks fans. This has become a national story. Some say that's just because so much media is based in New York, but according to the media based in New York Shut up, Rubes. Everybody is talking about all the celebrities who go to the Kicks games like Timothy Chhalamay and Spike Lee. But that's not fair. San Antonio has celebrities at their games too. Timothy Chalamay and Spike Lee have been flying in for them. I'm a big New York Liberty fan. That's my one New York TV. W of right And every Liberty game, they show writer Fran Liboens on the jumpbat And everyone goes crazy. No know, there's other celebrities too, but Fran is a mainstay. And it's they're just so excited to see her. It's awesome. The finals have affected all of New York, even for people who don't follow basketball traffic Nonxistent during the games, you can walk into the most exclusive restaurants in the city without a reservation. And of course, there's no better time to break into Timothy Chalamet's house I want anything out of there. Yeah I' be Just to know you could wander around.ust wander around and find the skinniest pants. Oh yeah. This is true, by the way. Most people, very excited about the Kicks, except for June brides. And apparently it just got worse because now with the games going back to San Antonio for perhaps the deciding game on Saturday, all of those weddings are like in chaos, right? It's just like, who's going to be focusing on the wedding I mean, everybody's going to be a little teary eyed at the Where's her father dance I giveave away my little girl in twenty grrand. My sweet daughter Kaeli. A beautiful name for a be. All right, here is your next quote. It's from a commenter in the New York Times on a story. The simplest explanation is usually the correct one. People are staring at these at night Instead of having sex. That was someone talking about two new studies that have finally proved that what technology has caused the birth rate to decline Oh my God, I feel like it's cell phones. also feel like obvious. It's way too obvious, but apparently it's true, spepecifically smartphones. Yes. Oh my good Yes, new research has finally proved something people have long suspected, the arrival of smartphones in two thousand seven directly caused a significant drop in the birth rate. That is why so many since then have felt the sting of hearing, Not tonight, honey, I'm watching a miniature pony play the piano. We have to be clear about how this happened, right? It's not like physiological. L guys can be like, No, no, we don't need to use protection. I have an Android. Honestly You have an Android?ome girls might not. This is how they proved it. At first, you may remember, only AT and T customers could get an iPhone. So researchers looked at places back then, which had AT and T coverage and compared them to birth rates in places that didn't and discovered That when they had AT andT coverage, birth rates dropped. That's why AT and T initially offered the You'll never have a family plan. But I do think this is great because they can start using that in the advertisement, right? Google Pixel, it's better than sex Reproductive health scientists desperate to reverse this are trying to come up with a way to make sex as exciting as wordle Oh look, honey, we got it in two. For an NPR crowd, I don't know if they'll clear that bar. It's true. All right, here, Emily is your last quote. Guys, it's just checks mix. That was a writer in Bloomberg News talking about how something new is just really the same old thing, proving America has lost its genius When it comes to creating new what I think I'm gonna need a hint. Well, what is checksm? What It's a snack. It is snacks. Yes. Oh my God.. America is The snack capital of the world, but apparently we have lost our sense of innovation and creativity. It's left us dreaming of the days when you'd be at the store and say, whoa, whoa, whoa, sour cream and onion. Bloomberg says we're in a crisis after the winner of this year's Powerhouse Snack award There is one This was Hershey's dot snack mix, a blend of pretzels, corn cereal, and pita chips and garlic rye chips. In other words, yeah, it's just check's mix They're just recycling old snacks and new packaging. This cannot stand. We need a Manhattan project but for freedos. You know it was getting bad when we all allowed Flamin hot to be a flavor. Yeah. BeCause neither one of those words is a flavor. That's right. That's bad ye It's just the same thing twice. Yeah And And usually used in contexts that are not particularly appetizing, like how does that sore feel? It's a real mountain deew code red.. So this America punishes snack innovation. We shouldn't be surprised. IkeA had horse in their meatballs and we shut that down right away. Yeah. We punish innoators. true. there's eighty five different Oreos. Wh did we w? eighty six Alzo, how did Emily do in her quiz? She was perfect, three out of three. Congratulations. Thank you so much to plan. Take care. , it is time for you toswer questions about this week's news. Shane, there's a healthcare trend in China that we hope at least will soon spread here. People are getting their medical exams and various treatments where? airports. No shopping malls? No, I'll give you a hint, You do shots and then you get some shots This is genius. This is a bar. Oh my God. Bars. att a bar, just go down to your local watering hole for a cocktail and a check upp, but not cheers, because going where everybody knows your name is a hIPA violation. Just like a regular bar. you got cold beer on tap, maybe you got a dartboard, you got an MRI machine Sure, it's not the best, maybe, not the best medical care available. But on the other hand, you are absolutely ready to go when it's time for the urine sample. Like I don't mean to tell tales out of school, but I know people in America who are taking prescription pills at bars got finally those punching bag machines you see in bars I got some bad news for you. Good news. We have something for you to hit already. Exactly. I mean, it's convenient, I guess. I mean, once I got so drunk at a bar, I passed out but when I woke up the bartender told me I had no polyps and didn't have to come back to b I mean also, the one problem is like every doctor knows you're lying. when you say, Oh, just one or two drinks per week. This doctor is like, come on, you had two beers while I was taking your blood pressure.'s Yeah, that's how I keep it down, God Coming up, our panelists give you some advice. It's our blluff to Listener game call one triple eight Wawave to P play. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wit Wave D'tom me. Fr NPO This message comes from Superhuman. With the relentless pace of modern work, Superhuman Go is an AI chat that's always there when you need it. Draft emails, summarize long documents, and search across your apps all without leaving the pagerre on. B best version of yourself at work without the friction, the contact switching or the busywork, so you have the time and brain space to solve the problems that matter. Learn more at superhuman. com This message comes from Thumbtag. Recommendations can be great. Maybe someone recommended this podcast and here you are. But home projects are different. If a podcast isn't your thing, you lose a few minutes. If you hire your cousin's neighbor to mount your TV, you might end up with a lopsided screen and wall damage. That's why Thumbtag works It matches people with top rated local pros, with photos, reviews, and credentials all in one place. For your next home project, try Thumbtag Hire the right pro today. Recently, cybersecurity researchers discovered a striking computer virus, seemingly related to the conflict between the US and Iran over Iran's nuclear program Everything about this thing screams special A cunning cyber weapon meant to gaslight nuclear scientists. it to plenty of money on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. NPR in WBEZ Chicago. This is Wait, Wait, Don't tellell me. The NPR newews quiz. I'm Alzo Slade. We're playing this week with Josh Gondelman, Shane Torres and Shantira Jackson. And here again is your host at the Student Baker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Seo. Thank you, Alzo. Thank you so much Right now, it is time for the Wait Wait Don't tellell me blluff the listener game call one triple eight Wait Wait to P playayer game in the air. Hi you are on Wait Wait Don't Tell me. Hi. This is Vanessa Sanchez, callalling from the best city in the world, Chicago. Yes, aggreed What do you do here in this fair and fine city? Well, I'm a mom of an eighteen year old, also a dog and cat mom. I work at the amazing National Museum of Mexican Art. and on Sundays, I'm out on the Chicago river practicing with a dragonboat team. What is a dragonboat? That's one of those Chinese boats Yeah, yeah, there's plenty people on the boat and you are paddling as fast as you can to beat another boat if you're in competition. But it's just really fun and it's a great time to just enjoy the Chicago River, which not many of us get to do. That's true because it killed so many of us, but it's better now. It's better now. Vanessa, welcome to the show You're going to play our game in which you have to tell truth from fiction. Alzso, what is Vanessa's topic? Words of wisdom. Words of wisdom can be hard to come by. I mean, you can only eat so many fortune cookies. This week, we read about somebody who received some game changing advice at the perfect time, O panelists are going to tell you about it, pick the one of telling the truth, you win the weight weaighter of your choice in your voicemail Ready to play I think so. All right, let's hear first from Josh Gondbelman The year was nineteen eighty Andrew Lloyd Weber was coming off a smash hit with his musical Avita The world was his oyster. He could have it all. Drugs, parties, actual oysters According to a forthcoming memoir, Weber had two problems. first, a mysterious pain in his knee. and second, he knew his next show needed to be populated by non human characters, but he couldn't figure out which animals to spotlight At his doctor's office, Weber found himself lost in thought and I do incredible impressions. What creatures on God's green earth can prowl the stage, embodying the themes of class, glamour, religion sort of, and for some reason, railways His reverie was interrupted by a recommendation from his physician. I think we'd better do a cat scan, said his osteologist Dr. Grizabella. Well that's it, Weber exclaimed. Cats can. Cats can do it all And the rest was history. Cats went on to be a massive success despite no one being able to follow the plot even a little. Angeloy Weber Figures out his next mega hit When he gets a cAT scan, your next story of some good guidance comes from Shantira Jackson. Fresh off of winning his first Oscar, actor Michael B. Jordan was recently invited to play golf with friend and colleague Samuel L. Jackson. Throughout all eighteen holes, Michael B. Jordan watched Samuel L do the two things he enjoys most in his free time, hitting golf balls and saying the F word In an interview with Time magazine, Jordan explained how before teeing off, instead of shouting for, Samuel L likes to yell things like you gotta take a mother bleeping shot like it's a mother bleeping hole in one. By whole ten, Michael B. Jordan realized that though laden with expletives, everything Sam was saying was brilliant life advice. You should go where you're bleeping supposed to. And sometimes thinking too mother bleeping much gets you in your mother bleeping head and messes up your mother bleeping game Michael B. Jordan has stated that he'd left that golf match, not only knowing how to be a better golfer, but also how to be a better artist and a better friend Michael B Jordan gets life advice just from listening to Samuel Jackson play golf. and your last advice column comes from Shane Torres We've all sent a text message to the wrong person before. Just last week, I meant to text my girlfriend something flirty and romantic, but instead it went to my best friend and now he thinks I want to shower with him. this week we heard about how an accidental text was the key to movie magic. In the middle of filming Disclosure dayay, a movie we all know exist, whether we like it or not Actor Josh O'Connor says he got some of the best acting advice ever in a text from mister Steven Spielberg. O'Connor didn't know how to play a certain scene until he got a text from Spielberg saying, The door is on the latch Just push. According to O'Connor, it quote unlocked the whole scene for me. It's genius. But it wasn't actually genius. It was a tech Spielbergman for his wife who apparently doesn't know how to open a door The advice helped O'Connor nonetheless, and that story is a testament that directing might not actually be that hard Okay. So here are your choices, Vanessa. From Josh Gondman, Fr Josh Gondelman, how Andrew Lloyd Weber, excuse me, Lord Andrew Lloyd Weber, got the idea for cats from a cat scan, from Shantira Jackson, how Michael B. Jordan got valuable life advice just by playing golf with Samuel Al Jackson and from Shane Torres How the actor and the lead in Steven Spielberg's new movie got brilliant advice from Spielberg in a text that wasn't even meant for him Which of these was the real story of unexpected but life changing advice in the news This is the hardest decision I've ever had to make. U Wow. just because I am a cat mom, I'm gonna go with A and Andrew Loyd Weeber. You're going to go with Josh's story of how Andrew Lloyd Weber knew knew that his next big musical would be about some animal. Didn't know which one? No, then I was go I'll go with B then. You're gonna go with B, the second story heard. That's I'm sorry, that is Chantira's story of how Michael B. Jordan went golfing. Well, to bring you the real story, here's actually the person who got that fabulous advice. I received this text from Steven saying, The door is on the latch. J push. and it unlocked the whole scene for me That was Josh O'Connor speaking on fresh air about the wise text he accidentally got from Steven Spielberg that led to his acting breakthrough. I'm so sorry, Vanessa, but as you heard, Shane had the real answer, you did earn a point though for Shantira for her uplifting story about Samuel L. Jackson Searing, thank you so much for playing. Thank you. Take care And now the game we call Not My Job. Robert Smiggel has been one of the funniest people in comedy for decades, but you probably wouldn't recognize him because he's usually just off camera from his alter ego triumph, The Inult Comic Dog. He's also written for Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan Bryan, many movies, TV shows, and in his new podcast He helps non funny people be funny. Robert Smigle, welcome to Wait Wait, Don't tellell Me. Thank you so much Thank you so much. Great to be here. It's so great to have you Well, I'm a big fan of the show. I really am. Well, thank you. and I'm a huge fan of yours. In fact, I was amazed to discover just this week that you're not really a brilliantly successful Setch and comedy, writer, producer, performer, you are a failed dental student Is that ye bigig time failure. Yeah. Yes. And another thing I found out was that your father was And I don't know if I've ever said this phrase before, a legendary dentist St was He was. he dwarfves my achievements in comedy. Yeah to say because he's like the Steve Martin of Distry he's like he sort of developed the tooth bonding technique And he went from there and revolutionized Dentistry and I'm very proud to be as sure. But yeah and you like it sounds like your dad made dynistry sexy. He did. made it, he made it and I'm making comedy gross. And you my puppet. You actually tried to follow in his giant footsteps. I did, I did. I mean, I had no idea that I could succeed in comedy or television. justed Ridiculous at the time, but it was all I was ever good at. When did you first know you were funny or could at least be funny? Oh my God. I mean, when I was like four or five, I could draw really well. So I could draw Fred Flintstone And snoopy. And then probably a couple of years later I started drawing them having sex. Wait a minute. you know, I'm seven years old. I'm trying to make my friends laugh. Give me a break. They didn't have smartphones. No yeah. Exactly, Eactly. For those who don't know, I want to turn to triumph. You're all go. Again, I just found that this week that apparently you and your wife discovered triumph or the first version of triumph at some sort of knick knack shop or antique store. My wife and I we were newlyweds or actually were we were furniture shopping and there was this quaint little store called Mables's in Manhattan and they had and even quainter rack of Puppets, rubber puppets that were just animal heads You know, there were dogs and cats and there was a sheep and there was, you know, an owl So I just grabbed a dog head and I was so amused by how realistic it looked that I put it on my hand and immediately sniffed my my wife's Yeah, well as you would, as he would in the middle of the store. Yeah. And of course she laughed and that's why we're still married all these year. And so you've been doing triumph for so long. Does he have like his own personality? They're like, are there things that like triumph will say, but you could never bring yourself to say U Well, I mean, he would probably insult your show, even though I'm a big fan. Right For example, Oh my God. This is so exciting. I was Wait wait, donon't tell me. Hey did your audience know that wait, wait don't tell me. It's not only a beloved NPR quiz show, but it's also the game NPR employees play when they're guessing if they're still employed Oh yes. Sorry, I only got one joke. It's NPR. you guys don't pay well. I was both terrified and hoping that would happen. so nice see you. Triumph. Do people actually ask like, Ohh, Robert Smogle, can tririumph, if you will, dump on me? I mean, I look in the mirror every morning and I'm bored. I wish triumph was there. That sure. What would triumph say if he was roasting you He'd probably borrow a line from Don Rickles and say, It's over, Rabbi, give it the b I want to ask you about the new podcast, which is like an amazinging idea. Humor Me. So why why don't you describe it? So my wife actually came up with this show. It's called Humor M with Robert Smigl and friendriends. And every week, we have people who haveve called in, left a message, and they need help With some sort of task they have. We had one guy who had to make a eulogy for a father in law that he hated and needed advice on how to make He wanted to insult him and be tasteful. And we had one woman who wanted to break up with her mom group in a way that would not would make them laugh and not feel offended, but still get her out of the mom group. I'm I'm obsessed with the idea of triumph the insult eulogy, D. Has anything ever happened in the episode that you've done so far? You've said to somebody, this would be great. This is going to kill the eulogy, whatever it may be, and it's an utter disaster That never happens. No. That's right. Well, Robert Smig, it is a joy to talk to you. We have asked you here to play a game that this time we're calling Inult doog, meet service doog. So your alter ego triumph insults people for a living. So we thought we'd ask you about dogs and other animals service animals. Answer two to three questions about these helpful creatures invests and you'll win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might like from our show, including if they like on their voicemail. Also, who is Robert Smigl playing for Mary Beck of Brian, Texas. All right Here's your first question, Robert One of the most famous emotional support animals was Wally the Emotional supportupport Alligator H true story made news when Citizens Bank Park in Philly would not let his owner come in with him ultimately happened to Wally the emotional support alligator. A, he signed an endorsement deal and is now the met life ensure a Gator be after a peaceful death of natural causes. he' now a set of emotional support luggage P you can take on a plane. No, yeah it's true. Or C, somebody reported a loose alligator to the authorities he was duly picked up and released in a swamp in Georgia and hasn't been seen again My goodness, this is a hard one. It is. Emotional support luggage sounds so belieievable. It does But I'm gonna go with C. You're right, Robert. Yes Somebody kidnapped him from his enclosure, left him someplace else, somebody saw him there, called the Department of Natural Resources, they picked him up and they brought him back home to a swamp. and as far as we know, he is still there living his best life. All right, hereere's your next question. Sometimes real service animals can cause problems as when which of these happened just a week ago A, a seeing eye dog in Arizona got a whiff of a female dog in heat and dragged its owner into a canal B, a service dog on an American airlines flight had, quote, an accident on the plane, causing human passengers to become ill and forcing an emergency landing, O C, a service dog with an undiagnosed condition gave mange to the entire South Carolina State Senate Wow. Yeah. I'm just gonna go with B. It just seems the most believable. It is in fact B. yeah I wanted to believe they. I know. But it they had to make an emergency landing and had emergency crews rush the plane, and none of the emergency guys rushed back out, going, ah. All right, last question, goo for perfect, if you can. A service dog who was being trained to detect sudden changes in blood sugar was taken to the vet for a checkup and this dog alerted to the veterinarian herself. What happened next? A, the vet was diagnosed with type A diabetes just in time to save her life. B, it was discovered the dog couldn't sense blood sugar at all. It just happened to like white coats. Or C, the vet got busted for bringing donoughnuts to work, but not sharing them with her coworkers Well, it's gota be A. No, I'm sorry the answer was actually C. the dog detected the secret donoughut. Oh, that's amazing. Isn't that something? God bless these dogs Alo, how did Robert Smigge do in our quiz? Not that bad. two out of three. That's pretty good. That's all you need, right? one. That's all you need. That's right. Robert Smiggele is a writer, comedian, the creator of Triumph the Inult Comic Dog. his new podcast, Humor Me, which is both hilarious and sometimes kind of moving, is out now. Robert Smigle, what a joy too talk to you so much. Thank you so much for being on the show. Take care In just a minute, Alzo tells you why you shouldn't mess with squirrels in our listener Limerick challenge. Call one tri eight Witwait to join us in the air. We'll be back in a minute with more of Waitwait, donon't tell me? F NPL The fatal shooting of a teenager at a protest in Seattle has gone unsolved for six years. This is open in your face. How are there no answers? Our investigation has uncovered new evidence and witnesses who say they've never talked to police. Did police ever call you? Not once Listen to We keep us safe a new true crime series on the embedded podcast from NPR The Trump administration makes news at a breakneck pace. In PR's podcast, Trump's Terms is your guide to the headlines that matter from the transformation of the Department of Justice in the Pentagon foreign policy and trade. We help you understand President Trump is rewriting the rules of the presidency in short episodes that cover one story at a time Trump's terms, listen on the NPR app Whver you get your podcasts rom NPR NWBEZ Chicago. This is Wait, Wait Don't T tell Me. The NPR newews quiz. I'm Alzo Slade. We're playing this week with Chantira Jackson, Josh Gondemman and Shane Torres. And here is your host at the Student Baker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Seagl. Thank you, Alzo Thank So so much, everybody, in just a minute finally dawns on Alzo that he has signed himself up to read Limericks forever. It's our Limerick challenge. If you'd like to play, give us a call at one triple eightait wait. that's one eight nine two four, eight nine, two, four. Right now, panel some more questions for you from the week's newews Chain according to the Guardian It may be outdated unnecessary to do what every day Bathe He said hopefully. No, not bathhe. Oh. Can I get a hintp for you? Sure,'s like goodbye, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hello, constant random grazing He snag I'm sorry. The traditional advice is traditional standard may not be appropriate anymore. The attritional standard of E three square meals exactly right Experts are saying we no longer need three meals a day. That's because science says we need six meals a day, right . According to some experts, it's better to quote, embrace culinary spontaneity, unquote, Follow your body's instincts, and follow whatever regimen works best for your health. That's why, since I heard this news, I've given up three square meals a day. I just eat one six foot long sub. Once a week And then I lay around motionless for four days like a snake Culinary spontaneity is like a very beautiful phrase for shoveling something into your mouth over the sink. Exactly. What mean culary spontaneous honey. This is also just girl dinner Girl dinner with? Yeah. All right. explain to me, Chant. Girl dinner is when you piece together whatever you want for dinner. So like for me, a girl dinner would be fries that I get from like a restaurant, twenty four Oreos. and then like a shot of vodk girl dint. You just went to a seven hundred eleven. Sometimes there's break. O la. The whole wheel though, no slices The whole wheel The whole wheel pick it up. Yeah, that's girl dinner. Chantira legendary movie star, John Travolta has announced that because quote, men can have fun too, he has now started to do what in public Frolic.ro. He's going toro. He's going to gamble. Yeah, he's gonna skip around.. That'll be very exciting to see. No, that's not it. Can I have a little hand? Yes. In this, he is just like countless French artists and also Ce Gvara Okay. He's wearing a beret. Exactly. He's wearing bets. A picture of John Javalt on the red carpet a C went viral because of his beard and his beret both dyed dark black. He says that he has now directed his first movie. he had looked up images of classic Hollywood directors and many of them were wearing bets. And also men should be able to have fun with their fashion, which is a lot of things to say inststead of the simple two words, I'm bald. Yeah, that's the mistake. You gotta pick a signature hat before the hair's goingone. Exactly. Then nobody knows what's going on under there. Exactly, you're right. Wearing a beret is the same thing as frolic. That is, yes. If're if you're standing there motionless, but you have a beret on, you're froling. You're flllic. have to move. L at all the fun that guy's having stone face You're either frolicking or you're like a super like Black Panther revolutionary. Yeah That'sue. Bea they weren't doing no frolicking back then. That's true. And who knows which one John Travolt did? Oh. He's a scientology revolutionary. I mean to be fair, it's his life. He can do what he wants. I mean, once he was a matinee idol, now he wants to look like a substitute theater teacher who owns just the meanest little dog. It's his Coming up, it's lightightning film in the blank but first it's game where you to listen the rhye. you'd like to play on air, call or leave a message at one triple eight wait, wait. That's one eight nine two four eight nine two four. You can catch us most weeks right here at the Stude Baker Theater in downtown Chicago. Come see us on the robe. We'll in Milwaukee on july ninth and in Sonoma County, California on july thirtieth. Protect usent information to all of our live events go to NPRresents dot com d Org Hione, wa wait don't tell Hi Peter, this is Vanessa, calling from Charlestown, Massachusetts. Charlestown, I know it well. What do you do there I am a public school kindergarten teacher. You are the best Y Let me ask you some advice In the fall, I'm about to send my little son, Elliot to kindergarten for the first time. Is there anything you would like me to either let him know or prepare him in some way so as to make the kindergarten teacher's life easier? You know what? just have a good time and be his little self. That's all that matters. I will relay that message, Vanessa. Thankk you. I just felt like she was talking to me this Well, Vanessa, welcome to our show. Alzo Slade 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 of phrase correctly into two of the limericks, you will be a winner. Ready to play Here I am. Here's your first limerick Strong drinks I am not in the throw of, but a dirty martini we all love. So I will not pass on a tall high ball glass filled with soda and brine and in. I need a clue. Do you know what to My bbing should be better for kindergarten. You than. Dirty Martini is a strong clue You know a dirty Martini is? Yeah, ollow? Yes, it's olllow. O Every summer has the song of the summer, every summer has the drink of the summer and according to the internet, which is never wrong, this year's drink is a glass of ice, soda water, and the brine leftover from the olives No That's what it is. You're all drinking it, whether you like it or not it's a drink of the summer. Did you hear me say that? people, you know, they called the dirty Shirley a couple summies ago, right? It was like a Shirley temple with alcohol. Olive brine and soda,'s real that's the nasty Sirley. That's the filthy Shirley. You know, you can also clean your tires with Olive brine soda All right, very good. here is your next limbmerack. Brother squirrel, I think that you scammeth. Giant beasts in your cheeks will not cram it If you are so famished, just make a nut sandwich. No way you could eat woolly Mammoth? Willie Mammoth, yes Scientists were able to extract DNA from ancient squirrel feces. S things these scientists did voluntarily and discovered that back in the ice age, squirrels ate mammoth meat and saber toooth tiger meat. It's true. Wow, how' the mighty have fallen You used to eat mammoth. I just saw you eat a bagel out of a dumpster. H some dignity. This is finding too. This is a little terrifying. It finds out that even after tens of thousands of years, the ancient squirrel feces still stank According to one researcher, quote, I did not think seven hundred thousand year old poop would smell anymore, but it was intense. Can you imagine how difficult things were back then?ike somebody lied a match. We can't, We've never invented fire. But I don't understand the premise that some would smell better after seven hundred thousand years.t how smell worked? Well' real have you smelled a grandmother? Iraa smells good. Sure. H all ofem, you know. Here is your last limerick. More than five thousand years he's been dead. Mountain ice was his chilly death bed. Dormant biomes we found for a crusty baked round We have harvested yeast to make Bread Yes, Bad. Pi the Ice manan is a five thousand year old cave manan who is so well preserved. He still has living microbes in his stomach. And this week, researchers at Italy's Institute for Mummy Studies, which shockingly only sounds like we made it up, announced they had taken those microbes and made sourdough bread out of them The scientists say the dough is quote, very, very good, but I don't care how good bread is If somebody you're sharing it with says, and while we're at it, whose milk is the butter from? We're talking about American snacks falling behind. This is what we're talking We're about Alza, how did Vanessa do in her quiz? Grade A for our teacher, three out of three. Congratulations.. Hold on. Thank you. Enjoy your summer break. Y Thank you, Peter. Thankk you every buddies NPR's newest podcast is where you can find NPR's biggest interviews I'm Stevevenskpe. The program is called Newsmakers. We talk with some of the most powerful and influential people of this moment Put real questions to them and push for real answers Follow newsmakers on the NPR app or any podcast player or you can watch on NPR's YouTube channel The most compelling global stories straight to your ears. That's what we do at State of the World from NPR. deevelopments in Ukraine, Iran, with Ebola, But also how British beavers are fighting the effects of climate change. So we said the beavers can do at probably a fraction of the cost, certainly more sustainably. Listen to State of the World every weekday O the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts This message comes from the NPR Wine Club, which has generated over one point seven five million dollars to support NPR Whether buying a few bottles or joining the club, learn more at nprwineclub d. org slash podcast. Must be twenty one or older to purchase Now onto our final game L lightning fill in the bllank. Each of our players have sixty 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? Yes, I can. Centira and Josh are tied at two with Sane in the lead for three. Okay. Shane, you're in the lead. Shantira and Josh are tied for seconds, so we'll just arbitrarily choose Josh to go first. Okay, H here we go, Josh. The clock will start when begin your first question, fill the blank. On Thursday, Trump threatened to seize Carga Island from Blank. Iran. Right. On Friday, private space company Blank held their much anticipated IPO.ace Right. This week, defense officials say A false alarm led to the blank being locked down. The Pentagon. Right onn Thursday, the twenty twenty six blank kicked off with a game in Mexico City. World Cup. Right. This week, the UK government issued a warning to supermarket shoppers that their migraines may be triggered by what?? Geez. Yes, veryer good. On Wednesday, streaming music Giant Blank said it had removed tens of thousands of phony podcasts. Fr HighRp. Spotify? Right. On Tuesday, tennis Great Blank played her first match in almost four years. Serena Williams. Right again, J in time for America's two hundred fiftieth birthday celebrations, a giant American flag in Connecticut blanked Fire. No, blew into some utility lines and cut power to forty thousand people A three thousand square foot aaphorag. Yes, got blown into some utility lines and cut off power to over forty thousand people in Connecticut who were assured that this was not, in fact a symbol of anything. It took almost a full day to get the flag untangled, but that's only because emergency workers had to keep saluting the whole time Al, how did Josh do in our quiz? It was impressive. He got seven right for fourteen more points, total of sixteen. All right I'm not gonna do that.. Okay, Chantir, you are up next film in the Blank. on Thursday, John Heeeley, the defefense Minister of Blankc, resigned. Education? No, the defefense Mister of ucation. Theited America The United Kingdom. This week, a new government study recommended limiting blank consumption to one drink a day Right? According to new filings, the Trump administration will spend over sixty million dollars to host a blank fight at the White House. Oh UFC. Right. This week, a man in Canada was charged after it was revealed he had been blanking for seventeen years without a license driving? No, piloting airplanes. On Monday, Apple introduced a new AI powered version of their digital assistant Blank. Chat GPT? No, it's digital asssistant is Si. Citing concerns that might make people seriously ill, A grocery store in New Zealand pulled a chicken dish called Bank off their shelves missed chick? No. It was called Death B Chicken. The grocery store sent out an advisory to customers warning them that they were recalling their deli's premade Death by Chicken sandwich for being undercooked and therefore dangerous Listen, say what you want about the recall, but the people who bought Death by Chicken cannot say they were not worn. The problem is it's not strong enough. Exactly. It's not called mild illness by Chicken.. Al, how did Centira do? Well, Centira forecasted that she wouldn't do as well as Josh. she undersold herself She got two right for four more points, total of six