The Alzo Era begins in Austin!

15:29Rachel Coster:Our panel is going to tell you about it. Pick the one who's telling the truth and win the wait waiter of your choice on your voicemail. Including, by the way, I should say, Bill Curtis. Are you ready to play? Yeah, I'm ready. All right. First, let's hear from Tom Papa.

15:43Alzo Slade:Anyone who thinks that using insect repellent will save their summer may want to listen up or better yet, stay inside. research now suggests that the chemical DEET widely used in insect repellents may actually be attracting the mosquitoes in other words the mosquitoes are learning through experience that where there's DEET there's the possibility of a blood meal what's a blood meal? you to a mosquito you are nothing but a walking talking bag of blood Researchers are impressed that mosquitoes can smell deep with their food and still want to eat it In the same way that humans can stand alongside drunk, sweaty tourists at a Las Vegas buffet But still go back for seconds

16:35Rachel Coster:Turns out that mosquito repellent is actually a mosquito attractant Your next summer surprise comes from Rachel Koster After last summer's dangerous heat closed pools across the south, a pool supply company in Dry Creek, Texas has taken matters into their own hands. To prevent dehydration amongst swimmers, Susan Daly of Susan's Pool Solutions has replaced the water in over 40 public pools with blue Gatorade. The idea to fill the pool with blue raspberry-flavored electrolytes came to Susan after last summer's heat wave forced the pool to close. Kids were fainting left and right, said lifeguard Clayton O 'Hara.

17:12They were going down like dominoes. It was really stressful, but brought a lot of the lifeguards closer together, he said, smiling at Courtney Smith. There is for sure still chlorine in the water, and the Gatorade is making everyone really sticky when they get out, but no one has fainted yet this year, said Courtney. Susan Daly seems unfazed by the potential setbacks of her creation. When asked about her concerns regarding people urinating in the pool, she provided no comment, but she did scratch her head and start texting immediately after the question was asked.

17:44Rachel Coster:preventing dehydration in swimmers by filling the swimming pools themselves with Gatorade. Your last story of a swerve in summer comes from Brian Babylon.

17:54Alzo Slade:Matthew Riley, an engineer from Redmond, Washington, came to Southern California to get some sun. He left knowing the exact date his startup would fail. The woman who told him goes by the name of Miss Molly. For the last two summers, Miss Molly has worked from a folding chair near Tower 14, reading prophecies in the sunburns of strangers. The burn tells me something, Miss Molly said. Mostly bad things. It's summer. Nobody's burn says great news. Her hits are piling up. A peeling shoulder, that leads to divorce. A burnt nose, that's a shady contractor on its way. A man with a flawless farmer's tan, you get three words.

18:37Alzo Slade:You already know. A local dermatologist said it's deeply irresponsible and also somehow 90 % accurate. Miss Molly asked only two things. Respect the burn and apply aloe after. But she has one rule. She will not read her own back. She caught a glimpse of her back in the mirror one time. And she quietly said, some futures aren't yours to look at.

19:04Rachel Coster:So, which of these was an unusual twist we found on a summer standard in the news? Was it from Tom Papa, the amazing discovery that all that mosquito repellent we put on actually is attracting the mosquitoes? From Rachel Koster, a woman who's devised a way to keep people from getting dehydrated while at the pool by filling the pool itself with Gatorade? or from Brian Babylon, a psychic in Venice Beach, California, who can accurately tell your future just from your sunburn. Which of these is the story of summer we found in the news? I think I'm going to go with the first one. You're going to go with the first one.

19:43Rachel Coster:Tom's story about all that mosquito repellent actually attracting the mosquitoes. All right, that's your choice. We spoke to someone who is very familiar with the real story. I think we can safely say that mosquitoes are smarter than perhaps some people give them credit for. That was Nicola Davis. She is a science correspondent at The Guardian talking about mosquitoes actually coming to love your bug spray because it means you're available. Congratulations, Mickey. You got it right. You figured out that Tom was telling the truth. We have a point for Tom. And, of course, you have won our prize, the voice of anyone you may choose from our show.

20:20Rachel Coster:Congratulations, Mickey. Thank you. Thank you so much for playing with us today. Bye now. Take care. Yay, Mickey.

20:45Rachel Coster:And now the game we call Not My Job. Alana Myers-Taylor was a star on her collegiate softball team, but didn't make the women's national team. So she decided, as many ballplayers do, to move to bobsledding instead. Turned out to be a good choice as over five different Winter Olympics, she became the most decorated American bobsledder ever. She lives now right here in Austin with her family, and we are delighted to welcome her now, Alana Myers-Tether. Welcome to Wait, Wait. You came out wearing your gold medal here on stage. Do you, like, just wear it around wherever you go? You know, only when I want to pull something on my husband, you know, tell him he's got to take out the garbage or anything, then you pull it out and you're like there you go pulling rank pulling rank so olana uh we had you on the show in 2022 back in the pandemic at that time you were living in georgia the other thing that happened since last we spoke to you was that you went on to the 2026 olympics in milan cortina in italy and you became the gold medalist in the new sport of monobob right and i think i speak for all of your fans here in austin and internationally when i say what What is a monobob?

21:57So monobob, bobsled is traditionally had the two-person and the four-man disciplines. Monobob is just a single person in the sled. So we push, run, jump in, and then we're in charge of navigating it all by ourselves. So no help this time.

22:10Alzo Slade:Did it start because people got tired of their teammates on the, they're like, you know what? I'll get you guys. I'm on a monobot.

22:17Rachel Coster:What's amazing is, so bobsledding has been around for a long time, over a century, right? and it took this long to figure out, well, maybe just one person could do it themselves? Because we discussed this the last time you were on the show. The other people, either the one pusher or the three, depending, all they do is push the sled, which is important, and then they get in and do nothing. Yep, do nothing. Preferably. Preferably. If they do something, something has gone desperately wrong. And speaking as a driver, you're happy to be rid of that worry? Yeah, no backseat drivers. You don't have to worry about anybody.

22:51I've got you where to go.

22:52Rachel Coster:There's nothing worse than a run that could get you the championship and one of your pushers is like, can we stop? I've got to use the bathroom. Just the worst. Just absolutely the worst. The other thing I found out about you since last we spoke to you is that you were one of the first elite athletes to compete against, I should say, the first female elite athlete to compete against men in a straightforward competition. Can you tell me when that happened and what exactly that was? Yeah, so as I mentioned earlier, women have only had two disciplines. There's a two-man and a four-man, and women have only been able to compete at the Olympic level in the two-person.

23:26So they finally allowed us to compete in the four-person, and I was like, yes, let's do this. Let's get another shot to win an Olympic medal, and I competed in the four-man discipline actually with my husband. So I was the first woman to make the U.S. men's national team in a four-man sled with my husband.

23:41Rachel Coster:Oh, wait a minute. So it wasn't just women against men. It was women and men against women and men. It was like whatever mixture people found to be most effective for their team, right? It could have been a mixture, but it was largely women pilots with a male crew behind them and then competing against men. Really? Oh, wow. I'm going to... A lot of stereotypes come to mind. Did the men who were pushing kind of want to drive? No, they were pretty happy for me just to be behind me and just to support me. And I think it helps when your husband's back there. He's going to keep them in line. Really?

24:23That's right. And I've seen your husband. He's pretty swole. Yeah. Strength and conditioning coach.

24:31Alzo Slade:He doubles as my bodyguard, too. Right. But that's an amazing date night, though. Hey, like, hey, let's go ahead and get this medal right quick. You know what I'm saying? You go to, you know. That's what I was thinking. Like, do you just get dressed in the outfits just for fun? No, but it is the perfect date night because you can't bring the kids. So, you know, the kids can't be in the sled. So, you know, it's me time. Or us time. Is there beef between mono bobs and like the luge people? Is it like, is it sort of like the Jets and the Sharks? Like luge versus mono bobs? No, actually, we get along with losers really well.

25:08But luge is like the country club of sports. and bobsleds more blue-collar sports. Wait a minute. I didn't even hold on. Sorry to hold on.

25:19Rachel Coster:Okay. So you mentioned you had kids. You and your husband have two kids. We're now raising them here in Austin. In fact, is it right that you won one of your gold medals at one Olympics while you were pregnant? Yes. Yep. Didn't know it at the time. So the bobsled had five people? In a way. It was a five-person bobsled. It was a two-person bobsled, but yes, technically you had three people. And I know it's rather difficult to do here in Austin, but have you ever taken your kids sledding? Haven't taken them sledding, but the nanny has. Not in Austin, but the nanny has taken them sledding. Oh, yeah.

25:54Alzo Slade:Very loozy. Loosy and boozy.

26:01I can't just be on a normal sled. Like, I have a bobsled. I can't just be on a radio flyer. Really? Yeah, that's for losers. You don't think you could do that? Yeah, no. I'm not getting behind any sled. I'm not driving. Fair enough. Do you ever do you ever get free food if you wear your medal?

26:21Rachel Coster:Well, actually, when you were with us before, you told us that when your first gold medal, which was in the, I want to say the 2010 Olympics. Yes. You won a bronze medal. And you were like, you were so young and hungry. And I guess maybe thinking that was impressive. Remind us if that worked. It did work. It did work. That's great. Got a free frosty at Wendy's. So you're much more established. You're a legend in the sport, a record setter. Do you still try that? Haven't tried it because I think the stigma with the gold medal is people think you can pay for a meal. So they expect you to pay for a meal and they expect you to tip well.

26:56So no more free food. Oh yeah. I put that gold medal away real quick. Oh yeah.

27:01Rachel Coster:You take off the gold, you take out the old bronze so you can get, you know, get some comps. Do you ever wear it to the gym so people get off the equipment for you? That's a good try, but I definitely will try that, because that will be, usually there's a lot of lines. I train in public gyms, train in the local rec club, so there is always a wait for gym equipment, so I definitely need to try that. Not anymore. Well, Alana, it is great to have you with us again, and this time we've asked you here to play a game we're calling Sledder meet Slider. So, you are a champion of the sliding sports. We thought we'd ask you about the original Slider White Castle hamburgers.

27:43Rachel Coster:Answer two to three questions, you will win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they may choose in their voicemail. Are you ready to play? Let's go. All right. Alzo, who is Alana playing for this time? Crystal Craig right here in Austin, Texas.

28:02Rachel Coster:That's very exciting. And I just want to ask, because I know you're competitive, but I also know you're used to routines. Would you like to do this competition with your husband crouching behind you? Yes. Okay. He's way better at trivia than I ever did. Okay. Well, here we go. So, here's your first question. When the first White Castle restaurant opened in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, the founders wanted to establish with the potential customers a very specific reputation. They wanted to be known as what? A, the most pro-monarchy restaurant, B, the restaurant with the world's smallest food, or C, the most sanitary restaurant in town?

28:42Oh, gosh.

28:46I really haven't been to White Castle in a long time, so I'm going to go with C. You're right. That was the thing.

28:55Rachel Coster:This was only a few years after Upton Sinclair's book, The jungle had come out, nobody wanted to eat ground beef, they were afraid of what was in it, so the white walls and the stainless steel of the White Castles were supposed to assure you of its cleanliness. Here's your next question. Once a year, White Castle goes all out to celebrate a particular holiday. Which is it? A, in December they offer the meat menorah where you can get eight sliders, one for each night of Hanukkah. B, on Valentine's Day, White Castle becomes Love Castle, a fine dining restaurant complete with tablecloths, candles, and romantic music with which you can enjoy your meal.

29:35Rachel Coster:Or C, on Halloween, one in ten burgers has a razor blade hidden.

29:44Well, since I heard a couple of tears for B, I'm going to go with B. That's right, the Love Castle.

29:49Rachel Coster:This is a huge thing. tens of thousands of people show up at White Castle for Valentine's Day. You can also get the discounted Sloppy Joe six-packs for some reason. Here's your last question. You go for perfect as you have been in pretty much everything else. White Castle has innovated to keep up with modern times, as in which of these? A, thanks to a partnership with Vitamix, you can now get any White Castle burger as a smoothie.

30:20Rachel Coster:B100 locations will soon have their burgers flipped by a short order cook robot named Flippy or C they're catering to Botox enthusiasts by promising quote we're sure there's botulism in our food all those are real possibilities I will agree that they are possibilities okay

30:48Rachel Coster:We'll go with B Yes, Flippy the Robot Pretty soon your White Castle burger will be untouched by human hands Until it arrives in yours Also, how did Alana do in our quiz? She gets a wait, wait, don't tell me Gold medal, three out of three

31:05Rachel Coster:Alana Myers-Taylor is a six-time world champion Bob's letter who won gold at this year's Olympic Games in Milan Alana Myers-Taylor, thank you so much for joining us here on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.

31:24Rachel Coster:In just a minute, we finally find the hidden valley 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.

31:37This message comes from IXL. IXL is designed to help students strengthen and core skills and build confidence before the new school year begins. The adaptive platform provides personalized learning for pre-K through 12th grade and is used in 96 of the top 100 school districts in the United States. One hour of tutoring can cost more than an entire month of IXL. Receive an exclusive 20 % discount on an IXL membership at IXL.com slash NPR. Support for NPR and the following message come from Spectrum Business, providing connectivity solutions to help your business stay online and on track. Delivering fast, reliable internet, phone, TV, and mobile solutions, all backed by 100 % U.S.-based support.

32:23They offer scalable plans and straightforward pricing. Spectrum Business. Reliable connections, responsive support, and tailored solutions that power your success. Learn more at spectrum.com slash business. Restrictions apply. Service is not available in all areas.

32:39Alzo Slade:This message comes from LeafFilter. Clogged gutters can cause pooling water at your foundation, rotting fascia, and mildew damage that costs thousands to repair. LeafFilter's surgical-grade stainless steel micromesh keeps debris out and water moving away from your home. Protect your home before the damage starts. Schedule your free inspection at leaffilter.com slash NPR. Receive up to 15 % off at leaffilter.com slash NPR. Minimum purchase required. Restrictions apply. See rep for details. This message comes from Cachava. It can be tough to stick to your wellness routine, especially when you're on the go.

33:19Alzo Slade:Cachava's new travel packs make it easier. Just one packet provides nutrition ready for wherever life takes you with protein, fiber, greens, probiotics, electrolytes, and more. Take your daily ritual with you. Go to cachava.com and use code NPR. New customers get 15 % off their first order. That's K-A-C-H-A-V-A dot com. Code NPR.

33:47From 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 Brian Babylon, Tom Papa, and Rachel Koster. And here again is your host at the Bass Concert Hall in Austin, Texas, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Alzo. In just a minute.

34:10Rachel Coster:We find out if Alzo was lying when he put Ph.D. in limericks in his resume. 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, a panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Rachel, Club Med is about to open its first ever beach resort on the coast of South Africa, but there's one little problem. They have to figure out a way to keep what away from their guests? Um, the history.

34:42Rachel Coster:Yeah. All right? All right?

34:48Alzo Slade:That's very funny.

34:49Rachel Coster:You can't men in black your way out of this one.

34:51Alzo Slade:No, no, no.

34:53Rachel Coster:Sorry. No, no. I'll give you a hint. At this resort, Jaws isn't just a movie night. Sharks. Yes, sharks is the answer. Man-eating sharks. This will be the very first Club Med beach resort on the coast of South Africa, and that's because the coast is home to three different species of man-eating sharks. Ad also explains the new resort's ad campaign, wake up to beachside yoga, then a surfing lesson, then survivors have a drink by the pool. I think that the sharks that are there should be able to stay there and not be pushed away. Well, that's in fact what's going on is they're like, okay, these sharks are here.

35:30Rachel Coster:We're trying to open this beach resort. A lot of people saying, well, you shouldn't do that. In fact, a lot of people are saying you should just let the sharks alone. In fact, there is one proposal to put up a shark net, right? But environmentalists say, no, that doesn't work. Those nets, they just kill other endangered species. And sometimes the sharks get stuck inside the net. Which makes them more angry. Right, so then the sharks are like, Well, I bet we're in, basically we're in prison now, but at least the food's good. Yeah.

35:59Alzo Slade:They're seeing a Club Med sign, all you can eat. Yeah, pretty much. All inclusive. All inclusive, right?

36:09Rachel Coster:Rachel, great news if you're jealous of the Amish. This week we heard about a new concept where people are encouraged to take a rumspringa. After what? um uh can i please have a hint you may college just college i'm sorry you're saying college high school after college after high school no no no that's that's fairly typical this is after their first year at their internship no you need to take a load off after no it's it's it's it's after their first thing but that thing usually ends unexpectedly or not not what they wanted it to happen. Divorce. Yes, divorce. You got it. Sorry. A writer in the cut is recommending anyone who has recently divorced to take a divorce rumspringa, quote unquote, where you do whatever you want for a while after your divorce.

37:00Rachel Coster:It's a groundbreaking idea. People normally are so measured and regular after a divorce. I think that the Amish teach a valuable lesson, but it should just be that after a divorce, just turn your own butter. Do something kind of simple. Knit all your clothing. You don't have to be a slut at 55. Just make a bunch of butter for your toast that you bake on your own. It's simple and then your kids won't have their hearts broken again.

37:30Alzo Slade:That was deep. That was a beautiful story.

37:34Rachel Coster:That was beautiful. To feel for you. Yeah. That was really nice. Yeah. But really, they're just slapping a kind of fun label on something. We all know people do and they shouldn't. It's like, yeah, you're not taking a sabbatical for personal growth. You just didn't go to work for a year.

38:00Rachel Coster: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 catch us most weeks back at the Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago, or come see us on the road. We'll be at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee on July 9th and in Sonoma County in Northern California on July 30th. For tickets and info to all our live events, go to nprpresents.org. Hi, Aaron. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi, this is Sebastian calling from Menden, Vermont. Menden, Vermont.

38:32Rachel Coster:Okay, what do you do there? I am a student success advisor at Vermont State University's Castleton campus, and as of 16 days ago, I am a new father. Whoa! 16 days? Oh my gosh. Wow. How do you have time to like call into radio shows? I have a wonderfully supportive partner and wife who knows this is a lifelong dream of mine

38:59Alzo Slade:and so she's making this possible for me.

39:01Rachel Coster:Wow. That is lovely. Wow. That's a love language. Well, congratulations, Mazel Tov, and welcome to the show. Sebastian, you're going to play our Limerick Challenge. Alzo Slade, for the first time as our official judge square keeper, and Limericist, Limerick reader, he's going to read you three news-related Limericks with a last word or phrase missing. Your job, fill that in. Two times out of three, do that. You will win our prize. You ready to go? I am ready. All right. Here is your first Limerick. Alzo? To woo buyers for homes, our plot thickens. They see country life, their pulse quickens. Their interest is spurred with egg-laying birds.

39:43We are selling new homes with some... Chickens.

39:47Rachel Coster:Yes, chickens. Luxury homes are now being sold with chickens and chicken coops included. You can instantly live the Instagram fantasy of gathering your own sustainable eggs from your chickens for breakfast. and then in the afternoon euthanizing them when they all get bird flu.

40:08Alzo Slade:Chickens are fun. Do you have chickens?

40:10Rachel Coster:Have you had chickens?

40:12Alzo Slade:No, I never had chickens, but I grew up in New Jersey, and my dad would take us into the city to see a thing called the Dancing Chicken, and it was in an arcade booth, and there'd be a chicken in there, and you'd put a quarter in, and they'd play music, and the chicken would start to dance. When did you grow up? 1926?

40:32Rachel Coster:Ah, come see the dancing chicken.

40:35Alzo Slade:That was a fun time for the Papa family. Until we found out that the quarter actually turned on the music and also electrified the floor. No! Yeah. And we cried all the way home to New Jersey. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway. I wonder what that chicken's doing now. Not much.

40:56Rachel Coster:Here is your next limerick, Sebastian. There's a calendar Rome has released of frock-wearing, good-looking beasts. With collar and stove, they're just acting a role. The models they used are not... Priests? Priests, yes. This week, we were shocked to learn that the guy in the cover of the famous sexy priest calendar on sale in shops all over Rome, Italy, is actually not a priest. He's just a regular guy. Well, he's not regular. He's hot. So this calendar in question, you've seen them if you've been to Rome, it's come into the spotlight because people have discovered that several of the 12 priests in it are not actually members of the clergy.

41:43Rachel Coster:It sounds like somebody, you know, had the idea, of course, do one hot priest for every month, and they ran out of real ones by the time they got to February.

41:52Alzo Slade:But I'm curious on who's into like sexy priest calendars. I can tell you exactly who. Tell me. A guy just having a job and believing in something is honestly kind of awesome. I think it would be cute to have like a mix of hot priests, but then like fun priests, you know? Yeah. Like a personality priest. Yeah, like playing baseball or riding a little pony. Yeah. All right, Sebastian, here is your last limerick. In Europe, they're going to Blanche at our buttermilk sauce avalanche. We will shower the blessing of creamy white dressing. We are preaching the gospel of... Ranch.

42:38Rachel Coster:Ranch, yes, this week Hidden Valley Ranch announced they were hiring two ranch dressing ambassadors whose job would be to travel around Europe to promote ranch dressing, America's number one cultural export.

42:52Alzo Slade:Peter, this is, as you know, I live in Europe like four months out of the year. Every time I go to Europe, I take some swishy sweet blunts and some ranch dressing in my suitcase. Every time. Because they don't have ranch over there. They don't have ranch, they don't have like dairy creamers. So I have like American poison stuff in my suitcase. Every time. It's a weird thing to say I live in Europe four months of the year and I love ranch. Yes. You're a very interesting character. I'm interested, Doug.

43:25Rachel Coster:I love ranch dressing. I just worry about when the war with Europe starts and we have to pull our ranchbassadors from the ranch embassy. Alzo, how did Sebastian do in our quiz? Sebastian, the new father, can celebrate because he has a perfect score, three out of three. Yeah. Yay. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for playing, Sebastian. Take care. Thank you. It was a dream come true. Bye-bye. Woo-hoo!

44:16science, and reading for all children in a household. Receive 20 % off at IXL.com slash NPR. Support for NPR and the following message come from Spectrum Business, providing connectivity solutions to help your business stay online and on track. Delivering fast, reliable internet, phone, TV, and mobile solutions, all backed by 100 % U.S.-based support. They offer scalable plans and straightforward pricing. Spectrum Business, reliable connections, responsive support, and tailored solutions that power your success. Learn more at spectrum.com slash business. Restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas.

44:56Alzo Slade:This message comes from a leaf filter. Clogged gutters can cause pooling water at your foundation, rotting fascia, and mildew damage that costs thousands to repair. Leaf filters, surgical grade stainless steel micro mesh keeps debris out and water moving away from your home. Protect your home before the damage starts. Schedule your free inspection at leafilter.com slash NPR. Receive up to 15 % off at leafilter.com slash NPR. Minimum purchase required. Restrictions apply. See rep for details. This message comes from Cachava. It can be tough to stick to your wellness routine, especially when you're on the go.

45:36Alzo Slade:Cachava's new travel packs make it easier. Just one packet provides nutrition ready for wherever life takes you with protein, fiber, greens, probiotics, electrolytes, and more. Take your daily ritual with you. Go to cachava.com and use code NPR. New customers get 15 % off their first order. That's K-A-C-H-A-V-A dot com. Code NPR.

46:01Rachel Coster:Now on to 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 now worth two points. Alzo, can you give us the scores? Sure thing. Rachel and Brian are tied up at two. Tom Papa in the lead with three. Okay. So that means Rachel and Brian are tied. Let's say, Brian, why don't you go first? Okay. On Thursday, several passengers of the cruise ship that had a blank outbreak left quarantine. Hanna virus. Hanna virus. That's right. Following voting on Tuesday, Karen Bass advanced to a runoff in the race for mayor of blank.

46:36Rachel Coster:Los Angeles. Right. This week a cop in Chicago was caught blanking while on paid medical leave for a knee injury. Bike riding. No. Going horseback riding, lifting five bales of hay, and moving a 1 ,200-pound dumpster. I can't believe you didn't get that one. This week the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks faced off in the first two games of the blank finals. NBA finals. Right. On Thursday scientists said intense solar storms may mean that the blanks could be visible from 23 states. Oh, the solar flares. Yeah, the northern lights will give that to you. This week authorities are warning people to not throw their old car batteries in the trash because they keep blanking.

47:13Rachel Coster:They keep exploding. Not quite. They keep making the garbage trucks explode. Oh, wow. See, the chemicals inside your car battery are totally safe. They will not catch fire or explode unless, of course, you were to squeeze them in a powerful hydraulic press surrounded by a bunch of garbage. Wow. So exploding. Also, how did Brian Babylon do in our quiz? He did all right. He got four right for eight points, total of 10, and the lead. All right. Very good. Rachel? Yes. Rachel, you're up next, fill in the blank. On Wednesday, the House voted to block the administration from ordering more strikes against blank.

47:53Iran.

47:53Rachel Coster:Right. On Monday, Trump named a man with no background in intelligence to be the acting director of blank. FBI. CIA. Stop. I don't know. National Intelligence Director. This week, paleontologists in China discovered another species of blank. Dinosaur. Right, on Tuesday, analysts said that the$75 billion IPO for private space company blank would be the largest in history. SpaceX. Right. This week, Alaskan Senator Dan Sullivan learned he'd be facing off against a man named blank in the Republican primary. Grizzly bear. No, a man whose name is also Dan Sullivan. On Monday, Martin Scorsese faced backlash after saying he supported the use of blank during pre-production.

48:34Rachel Coster:AI. Right. This week, police in Massachusetts responded to reports of a man in camouflage standing on a lawn holding a bazooka, instead found blank. Um, a kid just doing his own thing. No, landscaper holding a leaf blower. Police arrived in the scene expecting to find a lunatic waving around a bazooka, but instead found a landscaper just doing his job. It's a crazy mistake to make because everybody knows the best way to get rid of leaves in your driveways is to take them out one by one. Alzo, how did Rachel do in our quiz? She did the exact same thing that Brian Babylon did. Four right for eight points.

49:18Now they're tied with a total of ten each. All right, so how many then? Does Tom Papa need to win? Tom, just four. That's all you need, man. That's all you need, man.

49:29Rachel Coster:Don't say it like that. That's all you need. All right, Tom, this is for the game. Fill in the blank. On Tuesday, the acting attorney general said the administration had abandoned President Trump's$1.8 billion blank. Slush fund. Right. Anti-weaponization fund. On Thursday, former National Security Advisor blank pled guilty to mishandling classified documents. Bolton. Yes. According to a new study, bubble blanks show problem-solving skills at the level... Of chimps. Bumblebees? Bumblebees, yes.

50:01Alzo Slade:Man, bumblebees. Come on.

50:03Rachel Coster:You better get four.

50:04Alzo Slade:I'm playing.

50:05Rachel Coster:This week, a police detective in South Carolina was fired after he pulled his gun on another officer for blanking. Farting. No, for microwaving fish in the police department break room.

50:17Alzo Slade:It smelled like a fart.

50:21Rachel Coster:On Wednesday, the U.N. issued a warning about extreme weather caused by a so-called super blank. By a super storm. Super El Nino. According to a new study, over three-fourths of Americans want to require warning labels on ultra-processed blank. Food. Yes, ultra-processed foods. After participating in a new tradition of jumping into a pool to end your wedding reception, a recent bride warned other brides to make sure their dress does not blank. Doesn't. To become see-through. No, doesn't try to drown you. Shelby Crawford and her new husband jumped into the pool at the end of the wedding reception while the guests watched and cheered, and then kept cheering for what they really should have realized was too long.

51:05Rachel Coster:Also, did Tom Papa do well enough to win? Man, listen.

51:15Tom, by the hairs of your chinny-chin-chin. You've got four right for eight more points, which give you one more point than Brian and Rachel, so you win the game.

51:29Rachel Coster:In just a minute, we're going to ask our panelists to predict after tarps off what will be the next big thing in baseball stadiums. 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 Gotica writes our limericks. Our ops manager is Jasira Vardak. BJ Lederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Durnbos, and Lillian King. With a special thanks to Miles Durnbos. Also thanks to Mohanad Elshaki this week. Peter Gwynn is deep in the heart of Chicago. Emma Choi is our vibe curator.

52:00Rachel Coster:Technical directionist is Lorna White. Our CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager, that's Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chillag and the executive producer of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is Michael Danforth. Now panel, what will be the next big trend at baseball stadiums? Rachel Koster. Tushy's out too.

52:18Alzo Slade:Brian Babylon. It's going to be gloves off night where people just fight, and it's going to be played on the White House lawn. And Tom Papa. Wieners out at the Westminster Dog Show. And if any of that happens, we'll ask you about it on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Give it up for Alzo Slade, the new big man on our campus.

52:45Rachel Coster:thanks also to Brian Babylon, Rachel Costa and Tom Papa, thanks to the staff and crew at the Bass Concert Hall and special thanks to our friends at KUT here in Austin thanks to our fabulous audience who came out to see us in Austin and thanks to you for listening wherever you might be, I'm Peter Sagal we'll see you next week back in Chicago

53:14Rachel Coster:This is NPR. This message comes from Capella University. That spark you feel? That's your drive for more. Capella University's FlexPath Learning Format lets you earn your degree at your pace, without putting life on pause. Learn more at capella.edu.

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