WWDTM: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

Summary

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! – Episode: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Release Date: December 14, 2024

NPR’s beloved weekly news quiz, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, hosted by Peter Sagal, delivered a vibrant and entertaining episode from the iconic Carnegie Hall in New York City. This special edition featured a blend of humor, topical discussions, and a distinguished guest appearance by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Below is a detailed summary capturing the episode's key segments, notable quotes, and engaging interactions.

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1. Introduction and Contestant Interaction

The show opened with co-host Bill Curtis introducing the host, Peter Sagal, who greeted the audience warmly from Carnegie Hall. Peter announced a special episode featuring Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, expressing excitement about her appearance despite her being the Court’s newest justice.

Quote:

• Peter Sagal [00:44]: “We have such a special show for you all today. Later on, we are going to be talking to Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. It's so exciting.”

Following the introduction, Peter invited listener Megan from Tucson, Arizona, to participate. Megan shared her role at Startup Tucson, an incubator helping entrepreneurs launch their businesses, prompting humorous banter about the "stupidest ideas" ever pitched.

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2. "Who's Bill" Game

The quiz segment commenced with the game "Who's Bill," where contestant Megan had to identify or explain quotations from the week's news. Bill Curtis presented Megan with three quotes related to recent events.

Notable Discussion:

• Luigi Mangione Case:

  • Peter delved into the media portrayal of Luigi Mangione, an accused criminal termed both a villain and a folk hero.
  • Peter Sagal [03:25]: “It really shows you the state of American healthcare where they catch the guy who murdered an insurance CEO.”

• Reality TV and Labor Rights:

  • The National Labor Relations Board’s ruling that contestants on Love is Blind are considered employees with rights to unionize sparked discussion.
  • Mo Rocca [06:07]: “So did they get insurance? Now, the rates must be crazy for Survivor.”

• Unclaimed Mail Gifts:

  • The trend of gifting unclaimed mail packages was humorously critiqued.
  • Joelle Nicole Johnson [08:34]: “Yeah, he's also a jerk, but he loves being a jerk.”

Megan successfully identified two out of three quotes, winning a prize for listener voicemail.

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3. Listener Game: "Bluff the Listener"

In the "Bluff the Listener" segment, listener Claire from Pittsburgh faced questions about Bruce Springsteen, testing her knowledge against the comedic insights of the panelists.

Highlights:

• Spotify Wrapped Fiasco:

  • Mo Rocca [16:54]: “A politician in New Jersey thinking of running for governor fakes his Spotify rap to make it sound like he listened to more Bruce than apparently he really did.”

• Convenience Store Fandom:

  • Paula Poundstone [18:17]: “A convenience store owner in New Jersey gets a little carried away with his Springsteen fandom and ends up getting a smackdown from the Boss's lawyer.”

• Springsteen's Movie Plans:

  • Joelle Nicole Johnson [19:41]: “Bruce Springsteen demands a sequel. So this week he announced he is writing, directing and producing the boss 2.”

Claire correctly identified Mo Rocca’s story about the gubernatorial candidate’s fake Spotify Wrapped, earning her the prize and points for the panelists.

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4. "Not My Job" Segment with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

A highlight of the episode was the exclusive interview with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who participated in the "Not My Job" segment, engaging in humorous games that highlighted her multifaceted personality.

Key Interactions:

• Broadway Appearance:

  • Justice Jackson humorously claimed to be performing on Broadway, blending her esteemed judicial role with theatrical aspirations.
  • Peter Sagal [23:15]: “You are not in New York City simply to be with us. You are going to be on Broadway this weekend.”

• College Theater Stories:

  • She recounted performing in a drama class alongside future actor Matt Damon, amusing the panel with anecdotes about their collaborative scenes.
  • Mo Rocca [26:31]: “And you were paired Matt Damon.”

• Supreme Court Traditions:

  • Discussing court traditions, Justice Jackson touched on changes she implemented in the cafeteria services, balancing professionalism with lightheartedness.
  • Joelle Nicole Johnson [25:00]: “Does that mean, like, naked and afraid is going to have HR?”

Notable Quote:

• Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson [23:03]: “I am delighted to be here.”

Justice Jackson excelled in the trivia game "Supreme, Meet the Supreme," correctly answering all three questions about the Supremes, further endearing herself to both the panel and the audience.

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5. Listener Game: "Listener Limerick Challenge"

The panel, including Paula Poundstone, Joelle Nicole Johnson, Mo Rocca, and Joyelle Nicole Johnson, took turns crafting and solving limericks based on current news events.

Examples:

• Preppy Baby Names:

  • Bill Curtis [43:13]: "Preppy parents are not being cruel. We think Kingsley and Forest are cool..."
  • Panelists discussed the trend of choosing Ivy League-inspired names for children, blending satire with social commentary.

• Wedding Trends and Plant Crying:

  • Humorous takes on unusual wedding activities and the whimsical idea of plants producing mournful melodies.
  • Mo Rocca [42:34]: “Remember the Venus Fly Trap?”

Contestant Aaron from Hamburg, New York, successfully filled in the blanks for two out of three limericks, leading to his victory and scoring a point for the panel.

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6. Final Game: "Lightning Fill in the Blank"

The episode concluded with an exhilarating round of "Lightning Fill in the Blank," where panelists competed to swiftly complete news-related statements.

Highlights:

• Political Updates:

  • Paula Poundstone [46:00]: “Martial law.”
  • Correctly identifying critical political events showcased the panelists’ quick thinking and knowledge.

• Celebrity and Entertainment News:

  • Questions about Bruce Springsteen’s media appearances and Hollywood anecdotes kept the atmosphere lively.
  • Mo Rocca [48:33]: “Pizza Rat.”

• Global Events:

  • Rapid-fire questions on international affairs, such as Russia granting asylum or wildfire evacuations, added to the game’s intensity.
  • Mo Rocca [47:40]: “Syria.”

Paula Poundstone emerged as the winner of this segment, securing her position as the leading panelist with a total of 14 points.

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7. Conclusion and Credits

Peter Sagal wrapped up the episode by acknowledging the contributions of panelists, the production team, and sponsors. He extended gratitude to listeners for their support and participation, emphasizing the show's commitment to blending informative content with humor.

Final Remarks:

• Peter Sagal [52:31]: “Thanks also to Paula Poundstone, Joelle Nicole Johnson, Mo Rocca. Thanks to everyone at WNYC, the amazing staff and crew of Carnegie Hall, and our fabulous audience here in this gem of an institution.”

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Peter Sagal [00:44]: “We have such a special show for you all today.”
• Bill Curtis [03:11]: “Megan pitched us three pitches and she won.”
• Joelle Nicole Johnson [08:34]: “Yeah, he's also a jerk, but he loves being a jerk.”
• Mo Rocca [18:02]: “Can I say, you really can't complain about healthcare if you're eating at McDonald's all the time.”
• Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson [23:03]: “I am delighted to be here.”

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Conclusion:
This episode of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! masterfully blended current events with comedy, featuring engaging games, insightful discussions, and a memorable guest appearance by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. The panelists' quick wit and the host’s impeccable timing ensured an entertaining and informative experience for both longtime fans and new listeners alike.

Transcript

[Capital One]

This message comes from Capital One. Your business faces unique challenges and opportunities. That's why Capital One offers a comprehensive suite of financial services backed by the strength of a top 10 commercial bank. Visit capitalone.com commercial member FDIC.

[Bill Curtis]

From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is. Wait, wait, don't tell me. NPR NEWS quiz. Anybody here, reindeer, because I'm about to slay. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at Carnegie hall in New York City, Peter Seagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. Thank you, everybody. It is such a pleasure to be back at this absolute jewel of an institution, Carnegie Hall. We have such a special show for you all today. Later on, we are going to be talking to Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. It's so exciting. Now we realize that she is the most junior justice in the court, but all the really senior ones were outside our price range. It's still free to call and play our games. The number is 1-888-wait wait. That's 1-888-924-8924. Let's welcome our first listener contestant. Hi, you're on WA. Tell me.

[Megan]

Hi, this is Megan. I'm calling from Tucson, Arizona.

[Peter Sagal]

I love Tucson, one of my favorite places in this country. What do you do there?

[Megan]

I work for a place called Startup Tucson. We help people launching their businesses.

[Peter Sagal]

You do? So like an incubator, they call it, of sorts. Yes, yes, yes. And are you the one who in a shark tank kind of way gets to decide who you're going to invest in based on their idea?

[Megan]

We do have a pitch competition where that does get to happen.

[Peter Sagal]

And what is the stupidest idea anybody's ever pitched?

[Megan]

Oh, I don't know if I'm at privileged to say.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, please, please. Oh, come on, Megan.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Come on.

[Peter Sagal]

If they're that dumb, they probably don't listen to npr. So go ahead. No, no, we, we, we admire your discretion. That's fine, Megan. Welcome to our show. Let me introduce you to our fabulous panel this week. First up, a comedian you can see New Year's Eve at the Burlington Comedy Club in Vermont, Joelle Nicole Johnson.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Hey, Megan.

[Peter Sagal]

Hi, Joelle. Next, a correspondent for CBS Sunday MORNING and co author of the New York Times Bestselling rocktogenarians Debuts Comebacks and Triumphs. It's our very own Mo Rocca. Hi, Mo.

[Mo Rocca]

Hi, Megan.

[Peter Sagal]

And finally, a comedian you can see in glendale, California, on February 8th at the Alex Theater. And of course, you can hear her on the podcast Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone. It is, of course, Paula Poundstone. Hi, Paula.

[Paula Poundstone]

Hey, Megan.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, Megan, you, of course, are going to play who's Bill this time? Bill Curtis stands at the ready with three quotations from the week's news. Your job, of course, correctly identify or explain just two of them. Do that, you will win our prize. Any voice from our show you might choose on your voicemail. Are you ready to go?

[Megan]

I think so.

[Peter Sagal]

I hope so, because here is your first quote.

[Bill Curtis]

He's even hotter with his mask off.

[Peter Sagal]

That was summoned in the New York Times talking about an accused criminal who many people are calling a, quote, folk hero. Who is it?

[Megan]

That would be Luigi, who perpetrated a crime in New York City.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, he did. Luigi Mangione. Yes. It's okay. You're applauding for her. She got it. It really shows you the state of American healthcare where they catch the guy who murdered an insurance CEO. And the main public reaction is, well, hang on, let's hear him out. Every major news outlet, including npr, is running pieces debating if Mangione is a villain or a kind of popular hero. Even Senator Elizabeth Warren said, and this is a quote, violence is never the answer. But. But what, Senator? Oh, it's not the answer, but it's a good guess. Have you guys been caught in a kind of sort of dual consciousness about this terrible crime?

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Oh, there's no dual.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, no, I mean, this is, of course, is the problem. It is a terrible crime or murder in broad daylight. But on the other hand, our healthcare system is terrible. If. If the guy ever goes to trial, the problem for prosecutors will be finding 12 people for a jury who have never been screwed over by their health insurance company.

[Mo Rocca]

Also, it's not a real six pack.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Ooh, the body, really?

[Mo Rocca]

I think it's like. I think it's photoshopped. It's not real. It's not real.

[Peter Sagal]

Mo Rocca, did you zoom in? Mo Rocca, are you an abs truther?

[Mo Rocca]

Do you want me to show you right now?

[Peter Sagal]

Now, of course, as you know, after this week long manhunt that seemed to occupy the news, he was sp spotted by a worker at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania. And this is true. Again, reflecting people's mixed feelings about this. People have been flooding that McDonald's with bad reviews on Yelp.

[Mo Rocca]

Can I say, you really can't complain about healthcare if you're eating at McDonald's all the time.

[Peter Sagal]

That's true. He brought on these problems.

[Mo Rocca]

Shots of him with a happy meal from earlier, he's like.

[Peter Sagal]

But really, I mean, again, even given what he is accused of doing, Everybody is obsessed with this guy's good looks, including the shirtless photo that I think Mo was referring to a moment ago. The New York Times even ran a headline this week, Luigi Mangione and the danger of a Handsome criminal. And it was the first ever New York Times article with a centerfold. Megan, your next quote comes from a contestant on a certain reality TV show.

[Bill Curtis]

For some, love might be blind, but for me, it's not.

[Peter Sagal]

In a huge win for reality tv this week, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that stars of one particular show have rights as employees. They can even unionize. What is that show?

[Megan]

Oh, I don't watch reality tv.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, there was a big hint in the quote.

[Megan]

Was it Love is Blind?

[Peter Sagal]

It is Love is blind. However, did you know the National Labor Relations Board issued a ruling this week saying the contestants on Netflix's dating show Love is Blind are legally employees. They have the right to decent working conditions, pay, and if they, like, can form a union. This could have shockwaves across the reality TV space, as they say. I can't wait for the first time someone pulls out their Housewives Local 150 membership card.

[Mo Rocca]

So did they get insurance? Now, the rates must be crazy for Survivor.

[Peter Sagal]

That's true. But also, when you think about it, on. On Survivor, there will now be workplace rules. OSHA will be able, right, to come in and make sure that everything is safe and up to code. Like, you know, they won't be able to kick people off the island. You know, with union protections. The tribe has spoken. We have to move you to a desk job with full pay.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Does that mean, like, naked and afraid is going to have hr?

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly. Yeah. All right, Megan, Megan, your last quote is about what one person actually got for Christmas.

[Bill Curtis]

A fake Chanel handbag, a Super Mario bodysuit, two fake IDs, and a Kanye west teddy bear.

[Peter Sagal]

Now, if you're wondering why anyone might get that weird, random collection of stuff as a present, it's because, according to the Wall Street Journal, the new hot thing for Christmas is to give your loved ones other people's undelivered. What?

[Megan]

Amazon packages.

[Peter Sagal]

Close enough. They're unclaimed mail. Very good. They're packages. Companies like Fun Delivered are making unclaimed mail the hottest gift this season. Nothing says I love you like somebody else didn't want this. So for about $100, fun delivered will send you a bunch of unopened packages to give away. Right. These packages have been abandoned by their recipient and not returned to the sender. Right. You don't know what you're going to get because neither do they. The unclaimed packages can be anything from valuables to negligees to fake IDs to, uh, oh, whose grandpa's ashes are these?

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

I think I'm gonna do this for my stepfather because he's impossible to get gifts for.

[Peter Sagal]

That's the great thing about this idea. It's for when you can't think of what somebody might want. You get something that you don't know what it is.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Yeah, he's also a jerk, but he. He loves being a jerk. And one year I got him Omaha Steaks, like a package from Omaha Steaks. And he was like, don't ever do that again. You don't know how to pick meat. And I was like, I didn't pick the meat.

[Peter Sagal]

Like, it was like, you didn't go to the stockyard and say, that cow looks tasty. What are you talking about?

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

So now just give him Budweiser.

[Peter Sagal]

If you out there are excited by this gift idea, act quickly. There's a holiday special, a 10% discount on packages that are leaking.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Omaha Steaks.

[Peter Sagal]

Omaha sticks. Bill, how did Megan do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Megan pitched us three pitches and she won.

[Peter Sagal]

Congratulations, Megan. Thank you so much for playing.

[Megan]

Thanks for having me.

[Peter Sagal]

Right now, panel, it is time for you to answer some questions about the week's news. Paula, An American woman traveling to Australia arrived there and was caught with a gun in her suitcase, which is a crime. She said she forgot it in there. But she was sentenced to jail this week when authorities discovered. What?

[Paula Poundstone]

When authorities discovered.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, let me try to steer you in the right direction. You know these days that if you were.

[Paula Poundstone]

Because she had a note on her that said, don't forget you have that gun in your bag.

[Peter Sagal]

That is so close. I will give you the right answer. She had set up a Google calendar alert for that day that said, put gun in suitcase.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Wow.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Paula Poundstone]

Wow.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, you laugh, but that's why you always forget to put gun in suitcase. This is all true. The woman was carrying this gold plated automatic pistol on her way to attend clown college in Australia. And before leaving on this trip, she both googled, can I bring a gun to Australia? And even though the answer is no, she put the reminder in her calendar, right? And when she arrived, she said, I have no illegal items. And a customs officer said, well, what about that gun in your luggage? And she responded, quote, oh, I forgot about that.

[Mo Rocca]

She should have put the gun in her shoe.

[Paula Poundstone]

She was a clown.

[Mo Rocca]

College.

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly.

[Paula Poundstone]

Big shoes, plenty of room in those shoes, that's for sure.

[Peter Sagal]

Could have put a rifle in there.

[Paula Poundstone]

She should have done what I do. Like, if I'm taking meds or something, I will tape. Like if you have to take them multiple times. Right. I tape them to my shirt. And then when I go out, people go, what's that on your shirt? And I go, oh, geez, thanks. And I take it.

[Peter Sagal]

So you walk around with your medications, Scotch tape to your shirt.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah. The individual pills, not big bottles.

[Mo Rocca]

And you put the little pills on you.

[Paula Poundstone]

I put the pills on me.

[Peter Sagal]

And you wait for someone to notice them.

[Paula Poundstone]

Well, if they notice too early, I won't take it.

[Peter Sagal]

Don't you forget, baby. I'm doing this for us. Then don't you forget, baby. Coming up, we go down to the river in our bluff. The listener game. Call one triple eight. Wait. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from npl. Hey, it's Peter Sagal. Before we get back to the show, we want to say a big thank you to our listeners. It's because of you that we get to bring on famous people and ask them about very silly subjects. Just this year alone, we've questioned Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen about Antiques Roadshow.

[Paula Poundstone]

Can I phone a friend?

[Peter Sagal]

You have armed security. You can do whatever you want. Stumped chef and TV host Kristen Kish with Jeff Bezos trivia God.

[Ketanji Brown Jackson]

See, I was really bad at quizzes.

[Paula Poundstone]

And I always did see when I didn't know the answer. So go ahead, ask your question.

[Peter Sagal]

And asked English actor Gary Oldman about hobby horses. Have you heard or seen Hobby Horsing? I have seen it. It's pretty out there. It's pretty out there. Like I said, silly. But we like to think pretty funny. If you already support our work by giving to your local station or signing up for npr, we really appreciate it. If you haven't heard of npr, well, that's a program especially for our podcast listeners. For a small recurring donation, NPR supporters get to hear this and other NPR shows sponsor free. And you get other perks, too, like bonus episodes and discounted items from the NPR shop. So you get all that with plus and know you're supporting NPR's mission of creating a more informed public and our mission to embarrass as many famous people possible. Just go to plus.NPR.org to learn more and thanks. This message comes from Peloton, offering what you need to keep you on track to your goals. No matter what season of life you're in with a variety of classes and the ability to challenge yourself anywhere with Peloton's All Access membership. Workout at home on your bike, tread and row or take your favorite classes on the go and at the gym with the app. Find YOUR push Find your power with.

[Capital One]

[e-mail] this message comes from Capital One offering commercial solutions you can bank on. Now more than ever, your business faces unique challenges and opportunities. That's why Capital One offers a comprehensive suite of financial services all tailored to your short and long term goals, backed by the strength and stability of a top 10 commercial bank. Their dedicated experts work with you to build lasting success. Explore the [e-mail] commercial a member FDIC.

[Ketanji Brown Jackson]

Support for NPR and the following message come from Fisher Investments SVP Judy Abrams shares how their fiduciary duty comes to life while helping clients plan for retirement.

[Paula Poundstone]

As a fiduciary, we must make decisions in our clients best interest. So we work with them in consultation to be on a glide path so when they want the option to retire, that portfolio is still going to keep working for them at this stage of life.

[Ketanji Brown Jackson]

Learn more@fisher investments.com Investing in securities involves the risk of loss.

[Bill Curtis]

From NPR, WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, don't tell Me the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis. We are playing this week with Paula Poundstone, Bo Rocca and Joyelle Nicole Johnson. And here again is your host, Carnegie hall and New York City beaters, Segal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. Right now it is time for the Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me Bluff the listener game. Call 1 Triple 8. Wait, wait. To play our game on the air or check out the pinned post on our Instagram page eight. Wait. NPR Hi, you are on Wait, Wait, don't tell me.

[Megan]

Hi, this is Claire from Pittsburgh.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, we love Pittsburgh. What do you do there in Pittsburgh?

[Megan]

I'm an archaeologist and a professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

[Peter Sagal]

How intensely cool is that? So I assume, of course, that you carry a bullwhip and have lots of adventures, right?

[Megan]

Of course. Every year that's what I do. Once I finish finals, I'm off with my whip.

[Peter Sagal]

Absolutely. And of course, the students know about the whip, so they're not going to give you lip. Well, welcome to the show, Claire. You have to play our game in which you must try to tell truth from fiction. Bill, what is Claire's topic?

[Bill Curtis]

Baby, we were born to run Bruce.

[Peter Sagal]

Springsteen, icon, superstar, the one good thing about New Jersey. So this week, Bruce Springsteen, though, showed up in the news in a surprising way. Our panelists are going to tell you about it. Pick the one who's telling the truth. You'll win our prize, the wait waiter of your choice on your voicemail. Are you ready to go?

[Megan]

Yeah, I'm ready.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, first up, let's hear from Morocco.

[Mo Rocca]

If you want to be elected governor of New Jersey, it's not enough to visit the state's diners. It's got the most of any state. It's not enough to eat the state's tomatoes. It produces the best in the nation. It's not enough to throw those tomatoes across the hut in at Manhattan. You've got to pay homage to the ultimate political boss, the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. And so Democrat Josh Gottheimer proudly posted his Spotify wrapped list of his top songs for the year, all from Bruce, Thunder Road, Badlands, Rosalita. But now that Spotify wrapped list is part of his own political rap sheet, since it turns out he totally faked it. That's right. Oh oh oh, his pants are on fire. His real list does include the Boss, but also Billy Joel. Yikes. The guy who sang New York State of Mind. But Gottheimer isn't just any politician. When he was called out, he admitted the list was fake and blamed his two young children who share his Spotify account for skewing the results. A true profile in Courage. P.S. his dog's name is Rosalita, but she's actually a Bon Jovi fan.

[Peter Sagal]

A politician in New Jersey thinking of running for governor fakes his Spotify rap to make it seem like he listened to more Bruce than he really did. Your next trip down Thunder Road comes from Paula Poundstone.

[Paula Poundstone]

Ji Wu of Ji wu's Quick Buy Convenience market in East Orange, New Jersey, loves Bruce Springsteen. Signage among the shelves of groceries and household items have long borne tributes to the Boss. A dusty hey baby, I'm about starving tonight sign hangs over the hostess snack cake display. An oh oh, oh, I'm on fire sign dangles over the Duraflame logs. And there beneath the oh baby, this town rips the bones from your back sign are the first aid supplies. The shop's nachos are sold as chips with Boss sauce, and Ji Wu proudly displays a picture of the Boss himself enjoying a plateful. However, when Li Wu posted a sign saying that Springsteen would be performing there on December 7, which he did not, it not only disappointed fans, but also resulted in a cease and desist from the Springsteen legal team. We knew the nacho picture was photoshopped and that was fine. But this was just a bridge too far, says Springsteen lawyer Carolyn Bump. Ji Wu framed the cease and desist later, and fans enjoy visiting the store to see it.

[Peter Sagal]

A convenience store owner in New Jersey gets a little carried away with his Springsteen fandom and ends up getting a smackdown from the Boss's lawyer. Your last Springsteen spiel comes from Joyelle Nicole Johnson.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

It's cinema at its finest, said the Boss about the Boss. Many consider Bruce Springsteen to be a genius who can do no wrong. So why is his favorite movie The Boss, a 2015 comedy flop starring Melissa McCarthy? It's the best movie ever made, he explained in his memoir. He calls it the Nebraska of movies. Just a reminder, Nebraska is a sparse and moody Springsteen album critics often consider as his best work. Meanwhile, the Boss is a movie critics describes as hotel tv. But public disinterest and critical disdain be damned, Springsteen demands a sequel. So this week he announced he is writing, directing and producing the boss 2. Double the boss. I finally have something that will rise to the perfect standard I set with Born in the usa it's the Boss, too.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, oh, oh. All right, here are your choices. Bruce Springsteen. No stranger to the news, Bruce found himself in it for an unusual reason. Was it from Mo Rocca, a gubernatorial candidate perhaps in New Jersey, faked his Spotify rap to make it sound like he listened to more Bruce than apparently he really did. From Paula Poundstone, a convenience store owner who just got a little too carried away and got into legal trouble with his Bruce fandom? Or Bruce Springsteen himself announces he is going to write, produce and star in the Boss 2? Which of these is the real story of Springsteen in the news?

[Megan]

I'm going to go with Mo's story about Spotify wrapped.

[Peter Sagal]

Mo's story about Spotify wrapped. Your choice then, is the story about the politician who tried to increase his New Jersey cred. Well, to bring you the correct answer, we spoke to the journalist who broke this story. If you take a close look at his Spotify wrapped image, it's just a little different.

[Mo Rocca]

The spacing isn't right, the font isn't right.

[Peter Sagal]

That was the New Jersey Monitor editor in Chief Terence T. MacDonald, who is the guy who realized through careful forensic analysis that this Spotify wrapped report was fake. Congratulations, Claire. You got it right. So we know three things. You earn our prize. Mo gets a point just for telling the truth, and Joyel has never once in her life heard Bruce Springsteen's speaking voice.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

I sure haven't, and I'm from New Jersey.

[Peter Sagal]

Really? Yeah. It's good to know it's just good to know that about you. Congratulations, Claire. You got it right. Well done. Thanks so much for playing.

[Megan]

Thank you.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

It sounds like a spring spring song.

[Peter Sagal]

But everything else was wrong.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

We're gonna fight we'll make it right.

[Peter Sagal]

Just like we dream. And now, the game where we ask important people about unimportant things. It's called not my job. Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as an Associate justice of the Supreme Court on June 30, 2022, becoming not just the first. Yes. I note that they're responding as if they just heard the news. More public about it. Anyway, she became on that day not just the first black woman on our highest court, but also the first former public defender in that role. Justice Jackson, welcome to. Wait, wait, don't tell me.

[Claire]

Oh, I'm delighted to be here.

[Peter Sagal]

We are so delighted to have you. Although we have to be honest, as much as we'd like to think that this were the case, you are not in New York City simply to be with us. You are going to be on Broadway this weekend.

[Claire]

I am indeed.

[Peter Sagal]

How is that going to happen? How does that work?

[Claire]

Well, you know, I got a call and someone said, we heard that this was your lifelong dream, and it is.

[Peter Sagal]

To be a Broadway performer.

[Claire]

To be a Broadway performer and a justice. I had both of those.

[Peter Sagal]

Really?

[Claire]

Yes. I wanted. I told the Harvard admissions people that I needed to go there because I wanted to be the first black female Supreme Court justice to appear on a Broadway stage.

[Mo Rocca]

What a prop is that?

[Peter Sagal]

Wow. And I could just imagine the admissions officer going, she's a lunatic, but kind of fun. Let's let her in, see what happens. So they have offered you a chance. It's an actual Broadway show.

[Claire]

It is an actual Broadway show. It is. And Juliet, they have invited me to do a special walk on role that I'm told they wrote for me.

[Peter Sagal]

Wow.

[Claire]

So I'm very excited.

[Peter Sagal]

I mean, I just want to say that this remarkable event, this you appearing on a Broadway stage, is such a gift for all the mothers who are telling their kids, no, no, you can go to law school and then be our kids. And they can point at you and say, it works. See it work. All you have to do is get in the Supreme Court. You can have any part they want. They will call you up and ask you.

[Mo Rocca]

And also, you know, when Justice Breyer was here, he sang from the Music Man.

[Paula Poundstone]

It's kind of a tradition within the court.

[Claire]

A very high bar.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes.

[Paula Poundstone]

You know, speaking of traditions within the court, I heard that It's a tradition that the junior justice also has to take care of the meals in the cafeteria for the other justices.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, yes. Justice Breyer again told us he did not enjoy that.

[Claire]

You know, I actually like it.

[Paula Poundstone]

What does it entail?

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Mo Rocca]

What do you have to do?

[Claire]

Well, well, we changed some of the services that were available to the justices and the staff during my tenure, so I feel very proud of it.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, well, hold on.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Give us an example.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, I know. I mean, you can't talk about cases and controversies. Tell us about entrees.

[Claire]

Well, we didn't have online ordering before, and in my former court, you had an app on your phone and you could send down for a sandwich and then go pick it up and not have to wait in the big public line. And when I got to the Supreme Court, I was like, this is outrageous. You can't. You have to stand in the line to get a sandwich.

[Paula Poundstone]

I don't know. I so hate apps that as much as I admire and love you, I cannot support that idea.

[Peter Sagal]

So is it like, oh, my God, Paula's reading her Descent from the Bench.

[Claire]

Yes.

[Peter Sagal]

So. And you, Justice Jackson, went to college with Mo Rocca right here. Is that right?

[Claire]

I did.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. And you were together, and you were a theater person.

[Claire]

Yes.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Claire]

Mo and I knew each other in college, which was fantastic.

[Mo Rocca]

And we were in a terrific. I mean, I'm telling you, a terrific production. A terrific production of Little Shopapores.

[Claire]

That is correct.

[Megan]

That is correct.

[Mo Rocca]

And it was so much fun.

[Claire]

It was fantastic.

[Mo Rocca]

And you were great.

[Peter Sagal]

You were great.

[Mo Rocca]

I was really good. Okay. But it was my birthright as a nerd to play Seymour.

[Peter Sagal]

It's the pinnacle of every theater person's dream to perform with Mo Rocca. But you also. Didn't you also get to perform in some way with Matt Damon when he was a student there?

[Claire]

Well, we were in a class together, a drama class, and Matt Damon at that time. And Mo might know this, I don't know, but he was. Was kind of well known on campus and in the local community because he had already started doing community theater. And so we took a drama class, and the teacher paired us up for you and Matt Damon, me and Matt Damon. And it was kind of exciting because I thought, oh, this guy's going to go on and be a real actor.

[Mo Rocca]

Okay, I'm sorry. I'm feeling insecure right now. I feel like I'm getting already a clip.

[Paula Poundstone]

Well, you were fantastic in the Martian, Mo. Fantastic.

[Peter Sagal]

So, anyway, about Matt. So you did. So you were paired Matt Damon.

[Mo Rocca]

Matt Damon.

[Peter Sagal]

Matt Damon. We were paired. You were paired? Yes.

[Claire]

And, you know, we did the scene, and it was some play that didn't have a whole lot of action, like Waiting for Godot or something where you're just sitting on the stage.

[Peter Sagal]

One of those boring ones.

[Mo Rocca]

Boring was the part you're just waiting.

[Claire]

But at the end, the professor. Professor said, oh, Ketanji, you were so good, Matt, we'll talk.

[Peter Sagal]

No. Yes.

[Claire]

And I was like, oh, my goodness.

[Megan]

I'm so excited.

[Mo Rocca]

That was hysterical.

[Paula Poundstone]

Wait, so. Okay, I'm gonna be sincere really quickly. That photograph of your daughter looking at you during your confirmation hearing.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, my gosh.

[Paula Poundstone]

Was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life.

[Claire]

Oh, my goodness.

[Peter Sagal]

It was remarkable.

[Paula Poundstone]

It was. You know, I showed it to my kids and I said, what the hell's the matter with you?

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

They don't look at you like that, Paula.

[Peter Sagal]

They do not. Well, Justice Jackson, we are so thrilled to have you with us. And we are asking you here to.

[Bill Curtis]

Play a game we're calling Supreme, Meet the Supreme.

[Peter Sagal]

We were thinking about the Supreme Court, and that made us, of course, think about Diana Ross and the Supreme. Amazing. So we're gonna ask you three questions about that. Greatest of all girl groups. Get two of them right, you'll win a prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who is Justice Jackson playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Kurt Gallagher of Suffern, New York.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, you ready to do this?

[Claire]

I'm ready.

[Peter Sagal]

Now, again, having read your book and seen you in action, I'm guessing that you are the kind of person who takes this seriously, even if you know you shouldn't.

[Claire]

Oh, probably.

[Mo Rocca]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. All right, your first question. Supremes had 12 number one hits, like Famous One, Stop in the Name of Love. But some of their early singles did not find much success. Like which of these. A, a song about a lonely fox during a snowy winter. B, a song about how these singer's boyfriend eats too much popcorn. Or C, a song called Go in the Name of Love.

[Claire]

Oh, my goodness. Well, I'm gonna eliminate C, I think.

[Peter Sagal]

Right?

[Claire]

I'm gonna say fox in the snowy winter.

[Peter Sagal]

You're gonna say fox in the snowy winter?

[Claire]

No, I'm gonna. I'm not gonna say that. I'm gonna say popcorn. Popcorn.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm gonna go.

[Paula Poundstone]

She does stink on her feet.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Come on, context clues.

[Peter Sagal]

You are quick. Yes. You sensed my skepticism and you got it correct. The song, the song was called Buttered Popcorn came out of the Motown music factory there in Detroit. And Motown stopped promoting it after someone told them that the lyric, he likes it greasy and sticky could be construed to have a double meaning. Yeah. Okay, that was very good. Here's your next question. One day in the 1990s, a stretch limo driver got a call from Diana Ross's manager with a question. What was the question for that stretch limo chauffeur? Was it A, if that driver could look for Ms. Ross's heart chakra, which she insists she had left in that car? B, if the driver was available to take Ms. Ross on a trip through a car wash, which she loved. And a stretch limo, of course, would make it last longer. Or see if he could turn up the heat because Ms. Ross, who was sitting in the backseat at that very moment, was a little chilly.

[Mo Rocca]

That's not great.

[Claire]

All right, I'm gonna say, Chili, you.

[Peter Sagal]

Are right again, Dr. Jackson. True story. At least he said it right. Here is your last question. Ms. Ross, known, of course, as one of the quintessential divas, as we just illustrated. She does, in fact, try to stay humble. For example, she went on social media in 2017 to express her sincere gratitude. For what? A, the fact that a song she recorded in 1974 hit number one again. B, she was grateful for her daughter sharing her Netflix password with her. Or C, she was grateful for the stranger who turned in her fanny pack after she lost it at Marshalls.

[Mo Rocca]

Diana Ross with a fanny pack.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Diana Ross, Marshalls.

[Claire]

I'm going with the fanny pack.

[Peter Sagal]

You're right again. The tweet read, thank you for the angel. I lost my fanny pack at the Marshalls on Olympic and someone turned it in. What a blessing. So, Bill, how did Justice Jackson do on our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Three in a row. Perfect.

[Peter Sagal]

Ketanji Brown Jackson's memoir is called Lovely One. Justice Jackson, thank you so much for gracing us here with your presence. Ladies and gentlemen, Associate Justice Katanji Brown Jackson. And just a minute. A brand new meaning of runaway Bride that's in our Listener Limerick challenge. Call 1- Triple-8-WAIT. To join us on the air. We'll be back in a minute with more Wait Wait, don't tell me. From npc.

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[Bill Curtis]

From NPR in WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, wait, don't tell Me, the NPR News quiz. I'm Bill Curtis. We are playing this week with Paula Poundstone, Joy L, Nicole Johnson and Mo Rocca. And here again is your host at Carnegie hall in New York City, Peter Segal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you so much, Bill. In just a minute. Bill, like history, does not repeat himself, but sometimes he rhymes. If you'd like to play our Listener Limerick Challenge, give us a call at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Right now, panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Paula, the life of a parent can be hectic, as you yourself well know, which may be why a recent poll found that one third of parents regularly eat what for dinner.

[Paula Poundstone]

Oh, their kids food.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, exactly. Their kids leftover lunches, specifically. Right.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yum.

[Peter Sagal]

In order to save time and money, about 30% of parents around the country admit to regularly eating the leftovers from their kids school lunches for their own dinner. Now, I trust researchers, but I'm calling this one out. It is not 30%. Every parent does this, 100%. Some just don't want to admit how delicious uncrustables are. The poll found that most lunches consist of your classic sandwich and chips. And so that's what you get for dinner. But you know that if you will be eating the leftovers, why not, you know, play to that outcome? You know, your kid's like, oh, why did mom pack me a pan seared halibut and a glass of chardonnay again?

[Paula Poundstone]

My daughter's bus driver came to me one time because he was giving her a pink slip, you know, for bad behavior for something on the bus. But the reason he was upset is because he he went to take a nap on the bus one day, you know, when the kids weren't on, obviously, he went to take a nap and he laid down in what was my daughter's seat and he smelled this horrible smell. And she had been taking the Fruit that I, you know, put in the Tupperware in her lunchbox and shoving it under the seat. And so it was a horrible rotten fruit smell. And of course, I was upset because I said I was going to eat that.

[Bill Curtis]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Joelle, new research finds that of all the Christmas songs, Frosty the Snowman is the most. What?

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

The most one that people hate.

[Peter Sagal]

That may well be true, but not according to science. Let me give you a hint. I mean, think about it. You might poke your eyes out on that sharp carrot nose.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Dangerous.

[Peter Sagal]

Dangerous. It's the most dangerous holiday song. Yes. Frosty the Snowman has been deemed the most dangerous Christmas carol. We'd say Danger is Frosty's middle name, but his middle name is the. So researchers in China showed that songs with a high tempo can be distracting to drivers. Right. So an insurance company applied that formula to holiday songs and discovered that the tempo of Frosty the Snowman, which was 100, 172 beats per minute in most popular versions, is a ticket to the danger zone. Right. Plus, the chorus just fits too perfectly with Plow through a school zone.

[Mo Rocca]

So now that they've warned. This insurance company has warned people about this, then they will deny all claims.

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly.

[Mo Rocca]

Okay.

[Peter Sagal]

And back we are.

[Mo Rocca]

Yeah, yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Joy. We have AI Assistants. Some people have AI Companions. Now, phone companies have introduced another kind of artificial person, an A.I. what?

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Customer service.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, we've got that. And it's terrible. Oh, it is.

[Paula Poundstone]

Oh, oh.

[Peter Sagal]

I'll give you a hand. I'll give you a hand. It even pinches your cheeks and gives you Werther's original hard candies.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

AI grandma.

[Peter Sagal]

Yep. AI grandmas. So a British phone company called O2 has unveiled their new AI grandma. She's designed specifically to frustrate phone scammers who prey on the elderly. Right.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

I actually like that.

[Peter Sagal]

Instead of taking money from your grandma, they get stuck with her. And she's able to keep them on the line for 40 minutes or more by misunderstanding what they're saying just enough to get them keep trying to explain. It is absolutely spooky how realistic she is. Every 10 minutes, this AI grandma tells you you're so brave for living in New York and taking the subway. She's named Daisy. She loves chit chat. Talking about her kitten. At press time, she has tied up over 1,000 spammers and convinced more than two dozen of them to visit her more often.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

I love that AI Terrifies me, but I actually like that.

[Peter Sagal]

You really like that. You think you'd like an AI Grandma.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

I don't know. My grandma was mean. I think she should be a little mean. Like Daisy should be like, like sit down somewhere, you know?

[Mo Rocca]

Was your grandmother just run of the mill mean or was she wicked?

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Ooh, she had an evil cat. And this is why I hate cats. And the cat would like hide under the table and scratch us all the kids when we'd walk past. But he never messed with grandma. Cause he knew and she knew he was scratching us, but she didn't care.

[Peter Sagal]

That's harsh. Yeah. Wow.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

I didn't realize till right now that I should talk to my therapist about that.

[Peter Sagal]

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, that's 1-888-924-89-24. You can catch us most weeks back at the beautiful Studebaker Theater in Chicago. For tickets and info, just go over to NPR Presents. Hi, you're on. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi, Peter, My name is Aaron and.

[Claire]

I'm calling from Hamburg, New York.

[Peter Sagal]

Hamburg, New York. I don't know where that is. Where is it exactly?

[Megan]

It is about 20 minutes south of Buffalo and not far from where the Bill Stadium is.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, really?

[Claire]

We're under about 2 to 3ft of snow at the moment.

[Peter Sagal]

Okay, well that, that just makes you people thrive, right?

[Megan]

Yeah, we're just playing to the stereotype.

[Peter Sagal]

And loving every minute. It just cushions the blow when you jump at the folding table before the games to have the snow on. Aaron, Bill Curtis is going to read you three news related limericks with the last word of phrase missing from each. If you can fill in that last word of phrase correctly on two of the limericks will be a winner. Those are the rules. Are you ready to do it?

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

I'm ready.

[Peter Sagal]

Let's go. Here's your first limerick.

[Bill Curtis]

Waking early to sweat is no fun. So I don't want to be your plus one. The weddings I choose feature live bands and Boo. Not a nuptial day. Five mile run.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. Very good. This week the New York Times told us about a new wedding trend where in the morning of the ceremony, the bride and groom make the guests go for a run with them, even putting on sometimes a pre wedding 5k. There's nothing like starting a day with all the people who love you, giving them a reason to hate you.

[Mo Rocca]

This sounds worse than a destination wedding, right?

[Peter Sagal]

It's like, yes, you have to Go somewhere, and you have to get there on foot. And now, most cases these weddings, the run is not required. But the reception is 3.1 miles away from the church. And it starts now. Would you do this if you were. If there was a. You were invited to a wedding and there was a group run on the morning of the wedding, would you go?

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

No, I didn't do any of the excursions on the last wedding I went to. I don't like excursions.

[Mo Rocca]

Only I would do it if instead of handing out glasses of water, they were giving heavier d'oeuvres along the way.

[Peter Sagal]

Really? You're running by and you sort of. And you grab, like, a canopy, stuff it into your face. I like that. All right, here is your next limerick.

[Bill Curtis]

When we plants get too thirsty and dry, we make sounds that are piercing and high. We let out a wail and the moths all set. Sa. And they don't lay their eggs when we cry, right?

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. Moths avoid plants. If the plants are crying. Great. Plants cry. Now. Come on. As if we didn't have enough to deal with. So what does plant crying actually sound like? According to the Times, plants quote, cry. A mournful melody consisting of ultrasonic click. It's not bad. It's why one of the most popular YouTube channels is Plant Dying ASMR.

[Mo Rocca]

Remember the Venus Fly Trap?

[Paula Poundstone]

Yes.

[Mo Rocca]

Order one by mail. And I was so excited to get a Venus fly trap. I think it was from Ronco. And I kept catching house flies.

[Peter Sagal]

Did you really?

[Mo Rocca]

I really did. And it was kind of great because you put a fly in there and then it would sort of react, but I just choked that thing. I just kept putting so many.

[Peter Sagal]

You overfed your Venus fly trap.

[Mo Rocca]

Yes, I did. And that he. I mean, the last sound I heard was just crying like, stop it.

[Paula Poundstone]

I can't.

[Peter Sagal]

That's really interesting that you were feeding flies to your personal Venus flytrap and yet you are not today a serial killer. I think that's such a sign of your resilience. All right, here is your last limerick.

[Bill Curtis]

Preppy parents are not being cruel. We think Kingsley and Forest are cool. Those names sound real neat. They shout social elite like they go to an Ivy League cool.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. The hottest trend in baby names this year is names that conjure up the image of an Ivy League educated elite. You know, names like Whitaker or Kingsley or Forrest. Something that suggests old money and, quote, can commit any crime because dad knows the gun. So that means that if this trend holds, 18 years from now, Harvard and Yale freshmen will be named like Harvard and Yale freshmen. It's frustrating. This happened right after we had a child and named them Little. University of Phoenix Online. Segal Bill, how did Erin do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

How did Erin do? Well, you gotta give it to her. All three.

[Paula Poundstone]

She's congratulations, thanks for having me and happy holidays.

[Claire]

Too long.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you.

[Paula Poundstone]

You too.

[Ketanji Brown Jackson]

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[Peter Sagal]

Now onto our final game. Lightning Fill in the blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill in the blank questions as they can. Each correct answer now worth 2. Bill, can you give us the scores?

[Bill Curtis]

Mo and Joyel 3. Paula 2.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, Paula, that means you are in second place. That means you're going to go first. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Ready to go?

[Mo Rocca]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Fill in the blank. On Wednesday, Christopher Wray, the director of the Blank announced he would resign at the end of President Biden's term.

[Paula Poundstone]

The head of the FBI.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. On Thursday, the president of South Korea defended his decision to declare blank in that country last week.

[Paula Poundstone]

Martial law, Right.

[Peter Sagal]

Earlier this week, GM announced it was abandoning its plans to develop a line of blank less taxis.

[Paula Poundstone]

Blankless, driverless, right.

[Peter Sagal]

On Tuesday, the CDC proposed a new rule that would greatly reduce the amount of blank and tobacco products.

[Paula Poundstone]

Nicotine.

[Capital One]

Right.

[Peter Sagal]

This week, a man in the UK who was arrested for the 59th time told the judge, blank I like it here. No, he told the judge. He told the judge, quote, I think this time I really learned my lesson. On Monday, FIFA announced that Saudi Arabia had won the bid for the 2034.

[Paula Poundstone]

Blank soccer champion thing.

[Peter Sagal]

I'll give it to you.

[Paula Poundstone]

World Cup.

[Peter Sagal]

World cup this week, a Senator said that mysterious blanks above New Jersey should be shot down if necessary.

[Paula Poundstone]

Drones.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. During a parade in Palm Springs this week, a motorcycle cop who wanted to impress the crowd did a wheelie and then blanked.

[Paula Poundstone]

Fell off?

[Peter Sagal]

No, he did a wheelie and then crashed into the crowd, sending 10 people to the hospital.

[Paula Poundstone]

Oh, my gosh.

[Peter Sagal]

During the festival of lights this week, the motorcycle cop popped up on one wheel, lost control of the bike and knocked down 10 people. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured until the ambulance taking them to the hospital tried to do a wheelie.

[Paula Poundstone]

Wow.

[Peter Sagal]

Bill, how did Paula do in our six? Right.

[Bill Curtis]

12 more points. Her total to 14 puts her in the lead.

[Peter Sagal]

Okay, I have arbitrarily chosen Mo to go next. Mo, fill in the blank. On Thursday, President Biden sent a single day record for presidential blanks, pardons and commutations. On Tuesday, Russia confirmed that they had granted asylum to the deposed president of Blank.

[Mo Rocca]

Syria.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. This week, residents were told to evacuate as a blank swept through Malibu.

[Mo Rocca]

Fire.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. Wildfire. And Thursday, a watchdog group reported that the FBI had missed basic steps in their intelligence gathering before the attack on the Blank capital. Right. This week, Russia announced it was sending, quote, 100 elite blanks to North Korea.

[Mo Rocca]

100 elite. I mean, fighters would just be too obvious. So clowns.

[Peter Sagal]

100 elite goats.

[Mo Rocca]

Okay. Wow. They were the goat. The greatest of all time.

[Peter Sagal]

Elite goat is kind of redundant. Yes. On Wednesday, Bill Belichick agreed to a five year coaching deal with blank.

[Mo Rocca]

You know, I'm gonna say it's the University of North Carolina.

[Peter Sagal]

You're right.

[Mo Rocca]

Okay.

[Paula Poundstone]

Look at that.

[Mo Rocca]

Well, hello.

[Peter Sagal]

To combat overcrowding, an airline in Japan announced plans to deliver passengers blank directly to their hotels.

[Mo Rocca]

Oh, their package.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. This week, the elaborate wedding proposal will come under a giant Christmas tree near Radio City Music Hall. Near here. Was interrupted by blank.

[Mo Rocca]

It was interrupted by the lighting of the Christmas tree.

[Peter Sagal]

No, it was interrupted by a rat running out of the Christmas tree just as the man got down on one knee.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Yes.

[Peter Sagal]

Rat's timing.

[Mo Rocca]

I'd like to think it was. I'd love to think it's pizza. Rat.

[Peter Sagal]

Pizza Rat. Yeah, he's still out there. The rat's timing could not have been more perfect. If you look at the video, he popped out of the tree the moment the man was about to pop the question. The story has a happy ending, though. The rat said. Yes, Bill, how did Mo do on our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Total of 15. And he takes the lead.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, so how many then does Joy Elle need to win in this? Her first appearance on the stage of Carnegie Hall.

[Bill Curtis]

Seven to win.

[Peter Sagal]

Here we go. Joy L. This is for the game. Fill in the Blank. On Tuesday, GOP lawmakers met with several of Blank.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

I don't want to say his name.

[Peter Sagal]

Sadly, you must Trump. Yes, Donald Trump. On Wednesday, a technical issue caused widespread outage of Facebook, Instagram and the other apps run by Blank.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Meta.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. This week, three more people filed charges against disgraced hip hop mogul Blank. Did he? Yeah. On Monday, the Department of Agriculture announced plans to expand the testing of US Milk for Blank. Flu.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Swamp, Cow, Bird.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. This week, a man won the Spanish national Scrabble Championships despite not blinking, speaking English. No. Despite not speaking any Spanish. It was in Spain. Three months after having back surgery, golfer Blank announced he was returning to competition Tiger. Tiger Woods. On Tuesday, movies and TV shows produced by Netflix scored over 35 blank award nominations.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Oh, Golden Globe.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. This week, the most watched video on TikTok was a woman telling the story of the time she had used an olive oil hair treatment in high school and blanked.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

And started dating an Italian dude afterwards. I don't know.

[Peter Sagal]

No. I'll tell you what happened. She used too much olive oil, leaving a path of olive oil behind her. Then her cat frightened her. She slipped on the oil, slammed into a door and passed out. Then she woke up in darkness, didn't know where she was, and couldn't stand because both her legs were asleep and she was covered in olive oil. She finally got up and tried to run to the door. When she got to the door, it set off the burglar alarm, which wakes her dad up. And he comes downstairs wielding a baseball bat, thinking there's a burglar. They both scream. The story goes on, but the show is about to end. Bill, did Joyel do well enough to win?

[Bill Curtis]

Well, Chi and Mo did enough to tie.

[Joelle Nicole Johnson]

Come on.

[Peter Sagal]

In just a minute, we're gonna ask our panelists to predict after unclaimed mail what will be the next innovation in gift giving. But first, let me tell you 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 Goedeker writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our tour manager is Shayna Donald. BJ Lederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Birthday, Mills Miles, Drone Boss and Lillian King. Special thanks to Blythe Roberson and Monica Hickey. Peter Gwynn is the ghost of Wait, Wait. Future Emma Choi is our vibe curator. Technical direction is from Lorna White. Her CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Special thanks to Gary Yeck. This week, our senior producer is Ian Shillock. And the executive producer of Wait Wait, don't tell me is Mr. Michael Danforth. Now, panel, what's the next big thing in gift giving? Joelle Nicole Johnson Therapy, Paula Poundstone, Just.

[Paula Poundstone]

Whatever'S in the trunk of your car.

[Mo Rocca]

And Mo Rocca instead of an actual present, just a picture of one gift giving.

[Bill Curtis]

Well, if any of that happens, panel, we're going to ask you about it right here on Wait Wait, Don't Tell me.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill Curtis. Thanks also to Paula Pounds on Joel Nicole Johnson Morocca. Thanks to everyone at wnyc, the amazing staff and crew of Garnegy hall, and our fabulous audience here in this gem of an institution. Thanks to all of you for listening wherever you might be. I'm Peter Sagal. We'll see you back in Chicago next week.

[Ketanji Brown Jackson]

This is NPR support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection hotels. With over 300 independent hotels around the world each exactly like nothing else, Autograph Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the [e-mail] this message comes from GiveWell.

[Capital One]

GiveWell provides rigorous, transparent research about the best giving opportunities so that donors can make informed decisions about high impact giving. To learn more, go to givewell.org and pick podcast and enter NPR at checkout.

[Ketanji Brown Jackson]

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