Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - WWDTM: Laurene Powell Jobs

Episode Date: March 23, 2024

Philanthropist and Founder and President of Emerson Collective Laurene Powell Jobs joins Helen Hong, Hari Kondabolu, and Adam Felber to tell us the real story of how she met her husband Steve and the secret to throwing the best Halloween parties in Palo Alto.Get access to bonus episodes, sponsor-free listening, and the chance to participate in a quiz with Peter Sagal when you sign up for Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!+ at plus.npr.org/waitwait.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR is with you four days a week to talk about what we're watching, listening to, or just trying to figure out. What you might check out this weekend, what you checked out last weekend, it's all fair game for good conversation. For pop culture and high spirits, listen now to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is, wait, wait, don't tell me, the NPR News Quiz. Hey, Mario and Luigi, got a load of these pipes. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building

in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Segal. Thank you, Bill. Thank you, everybody. Great to be with you. We have a great show for you today, especially because later on we are going to be joined here by Lorene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs, and now one of the nation's most well-known philanthropists, which is great, but I have to come up with some new questions quickly because thanks to AutoCorrect, I was

preparing all week to talk to the nation's most well-known philanderer. So while I pivot, give us a call. The number is 1-888-wait-wait. That's 1-888-924-8924. Let's welcome our first listener contestant. Hi, you're on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. Hi, this is Kira from Brooklyn, New York. Hey, Kira, how are you? Good. That's great. What cool hipster or anything do you do in Brooklyn? I am a school librarian. Oh, man. On librarian. You are a rebel. Yes. Wow. What do you, I know it's a stressful job these days. What do you do to relax? I power lift. Oh that'll help. Wow. Wow. I lift heavy weights and then throw them around. That's, that's, and then they come in to take away some of your books they're gonna have to talk to these guns. Exactly. Well welcome to the show Kira

let me introduce you to our panel this week first up a comedian headlining White Eagle Hall in Jersey City New Jersey on May 23rd and off-cabin comedy in Beverly Massachusetts on May 25th it's Hari Kandabolu. Hello fellow Brooklynites. Hi. Next is a comedian who hosts the trivia podcast Go Fact Yourself, performing at Uncle Vinny's Comedy Club in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, May 10th and 11th. It's Helen Ha.

Hi, Kira. Wow, you're so cool. And the writer and co-host of the long running podcast Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone with Oshos Surprise, features Paula Poundstone, it's Adam Felber. Hi there, Kira. Hi, Adam. So Kira, welcome to the show.

You're going to play, of course, Who's Bill? This time Bill Curtis is going to read for you three quotations from this week's news. Your job, correctly identify or explain two of them. You'll win our prize. Any voice from our show you might choose for your voicemail. Are you ready to go? Let's do it. Here is your first quote.

This is my first time watching it where I know more girls than guys. That was NBA legend Kevin Garnett talking about what big sporting event that started this week? March Madness. March Madness, yes! Such a great time for many of us. March Madness has always just been that time of the year when we learn how many colleges

are in Ohio. So many! But this year, there is more interest in the women's tournament than in the men's. See? Right? Point proved. This is in large part because of University of Iowa star Caitlin Clark. She is popular here.

She is a generational talent. She is the all-time college scoring leader for women or men. And if you want this sentence to end in a joke about a female athlete, try tuning into Bill Maher instead. This is without a doubt the most exciting thing to happen in Iowa since... This is the most exciting thing that's happened in Iowa. So she can out-shoot literally everyone, male or female. She has scored more points as a college player than anyone else in history. Got it.

Yeah. Ticket resellers, this is true, are reporting higher demand for the women's games than the men's, and Caesars reports a nearly 200% increase in the number of bets placed on the women's games. In fact, Shohei Otani's translator has already lost a million dollars betting on it. I mean, this really is the peak of women's college basketball. But I think we need to consider why. So many of the male stars end up leaving before their four years of college because there's

more money in the NBA. And because women are so vastly underpaid in this country to play basketball, they end up staying more years in college, which is part of the reason why the game is so good. So I think we should take this moment to thank sexism. That's true. Well, you know, in fairness, Hari, if when Caitlin goes to, I call her Caitlin because we're friends, when she goes to the WNBA, I am told that she could earn several meals. Did you know this? This is true about sexism in college sports.

That until two years ago, they weren't allowed to refer to the women's NCAA tournament, which happens more or less at the same time as the men's as March Madness. No. No, until then, like the men's, that was March Madness, and the women's tournament, they were forced to call March hysterics. Wow, that's really upsetting. March swooning. Instead of Gatorade on the sidelines, they had smelling salts. Kira, your next quote is some advice for all the people who are very excited to look at

the sun in a couple of weeks. Do not look at the Sun. That was NASA advising people about the number one rule for observing what event? The eclipse. Yes, the eclipse. It's happening, it's coming up. Just a little more than a week that from Texas to Maine astronomy enthusiasts are getting excited to spend three minutes looking at the sky and 18 hours stuck in traffic. It is exciting though, this is the first year that the woman's eclipse is drawing more fans in than any other. That's a good year for it. Yeah, I know.

Have you guys made any plans to go see the eclipse? I, no. Okay. Yeah, I know. Have you guys made any plans to go see the eclipse? I... No. Okay. I'm not going to go see it, but I'm going to try to protect people because, you know, we know not to look into the eclipse, but it can be dangerous for animals and for small children and former presidents. That's true.

Yeah. Yeah. Now, it is true experts say do not look directly at the sun, but it is also true that is the only way to keep seeing the eclipse forever after it's over. People are really excited about it. They're trading chips online for the best viewing spots. In some cases, people are paying thousands of dollars for special eclipse excursions. That's travel, lodging, and a ticket that allows you to look up.

Wow. And this is an opportunity to do stuff that I've always wanted to do. So I might go to some restaurant and say, if you try to make me pay this check, I will blot out the sun. And just see if that works. Just see if it works, yeah.

All right, here is your last quote. It's about someone whose death at the age of 100 was announced this week. You aren't a very good singer. Now that was someone talking to Shigechi Negishi in 1967 and that insult inspired him to invent what device? Can I get a hint? Can I give her a clue? You can. Don't stop believing. Everybody! Come on everybody! I'm sorry, say it again. What, device?

A device, it's a machine. Iron lung. I'm sorry, no, I'm sorry. Did you die? No, no, I realize now, I realize now you were confusing it with another prominent death in the week's news and that's fine. But I honestly for a moment thought you came up with iron lung just after listening to Helen sing.

Which is fine because I wasn't going to say anything to her. But no, no, no. Helen was in fact giving you a very good hint because it is a device that has allowed many, many people to sing in front of their friends at bars, usually. Oh, karaoke. Karaoke, yes. Shigechi Nogishi has passed away at the age of 100, said all the karaoke singers in mourning,

summer loving, happy happy a blast. Can I just say on behalf of all Asians, you're welcome. Yeah. Thank you. You are welcome. So the story of his inspiration, as we indicated, is that somebody told Nogishi,

well you're a very bad singer, and Nogishi insisted, well, I'd be better if I just had a backup track and figured out a way to play that in a way he could sing along with. The other story is that he invented karaoke when someone told him they needed a better way to drive people out of a bar than last call. Oh, come on.

And when he invented his machine, he called it the Sparko Box. So there was very nearly a world in which you had to tell your coworkers, no, you did not want to go sparko after work. I've been saying that for years. Now what's everybody's go-to karaoke tune? I'm curious looking around at you guys. Helen, do you do Don't Stop Believing or is that?

No, no, no. I want it that way. Tell me why. Ain't nothing better. See? See how horrible that sounded? And yet, it brought us all together. It brought us all together, did it not?

Come on, Peter. Bill, how did Kira do in our quiz? See what it starts? Well, it turned this into a karaoke bar. Let's call her Miss Karaoke because she got all three right. Congratulations, Kira. Thank you so much. Bye-bye. Okay, panel, time for you to answer some questions about this week's news. Helen, Bratz dolls, if you're not familiar with that, sort of like a newer, hipper version of Barbie, they just announced that to celebrate Women's History Month, their newest doll would

be in the image of whom? Is it Ruth Bader Ginsburg? No, different kind of feminine icon, although it is a good guess. Can I have a hint? You can. It comes with a little photo of the pope for her to tear up. Sinead O'Connor? Yes, Sinead O'Connor. Oh. Sinead O'Connor? Yes, Sinead O'Connor. Bratz dolls, which is what happens when you let Barbies listen to Doja Cat.

They took to Instagram to announce their newest release. It would be in honor of Irish musician Sinead O'Connor. Finally, someone for my Tickle Me Bob Geldof doll to play with. Wow, that's very... It's just in time because birthday after birthday, Christmas after Christmas, my daughter is begging for those Sinead O'Connor dolls. I can't have them. I don't think kids have any idea who Sinead O'Connor is, so who is going to be buying

these? Well, this is perfect when you're like, I want a doll for my kid, but I want the doll to hate Margaret Thatcher. What do you have? I'm cynical. I just don't trust companies. I think they're trying to save money on the hair. Oh, that's smart. Yep.

Coming up, our panelists upgrade their lying software. It's our bluff the listener game called 1-888-WAIT-WAIT-TO-PLAY. We'll be back in a minute with more Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR. This message comes from NPR sponsor PolicyGenius. Life insurance should be a part of your financial plan and usually costs more as people get older. Policy Genius' technology makes it easy to compare life insurance quotes. Policy Start at just $292 per year for 1 million dollars of coverage. Save time and money and provide your family with a financial safety net. Head to PolicyGenius.com to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save.

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Grammarly, easier said, done. It's an election year and a long one at that. So you're going to hear a lot of spin from the campaigns and their surrogates. Well, Here and Now Anytime is your source this election season for coverage that means something. Explore the issues, hear from voters, and find solutions on Here and Now Anytime, a podcast from NPR and WBUR. and WBUR. From NPR and WBEC Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis. We are playing this week with Adam Felber, Helen Haugh, and Hari Kandlaboulu.

And here again is your host at these two to Baker Theatre in Chicago, Illinois Peter Segal, thank you Bill Right now it is time for the wait wait Don't tell me bluff the listener game call one triple a wait wait to play our game in the air or check out the pinned Post on our Instagram page at wait wait NPR. Hi, you are on wait wait. Don't tell me hi Peter This is David from Salem, Massachusetts. Salem? I happen to know Salem really well. In fact, one of the things I know is that every Halloween, Salem, Massachusetts becomes hell on earth.

It's manageable if you avoid the crazy people. I did have a guy pass out in my driveway once. Really? What was he dressed as? Nothing, unfortunately. It's even worse. You had a lame one. He was in my driveway. once. Really? What was he dressed as? Nothing, unfortunately. Even worse, you had a lame one.

Well, David, it's nice to have you with us. You're going to play our game in which you have to tell truth from fiction. Bill, what is David's topic? It's not a feature, it's a bug. Technology is always there to help, from our phones keeping us connected to Facebook, letting us know which of our high school friends are racist now. But this week we heard about a new tech feature that caused unexpected problems. Our panelists are going to tell you about it, pick the real one, and you'll win the weight-weighter of your choice on your voicemail. Are you ready to play? I guess so.

If I don't get this, I'm in trouble. Well let's see. Your entire career and reputation is on the line, so let's get going. Your first story is from Helen Hong. Tesla routinely updates software remotely with no warning whatsoever, which is just the kind of fun and exciting surprise you want when operating a motor vehicle. Their latest update is even more fun and exciting for Tesla drivers who happen to live in California.

For reasons that surely have nothing to do with owner Elon Musk's petty feud with the state over safety regulations and paying taxes, California drivers woke up one morning to find that their Teslas suddenly all wanted to go to Texas. I put in directions to a friend's birthday party, but it was telling me to make all these weird U-turns and crazy lefts into oncoming traffic. Some drivers who used the auto drive function while taking a nap in their cars

actually found themselves waking up in Texas. Good one, Elon. Yee-howdy. Tesla's getting an update that suddenly steered them to Texas whether the driver wanted to go or not. Your next story of a tech travail comes from Adam Felber. When Mr. DB Levin of Miami arrived in London

for a dream vacation last month, he wanted everything to be perfect, and thanks to Airbnb UK's new Smart Home Plus feature, it was. See, DB Levin had set up everything on the app the night before so that when he arrived at Kensington Gardens, his rented flat would be perfect with the perfect mood lighting, a perfect temperature of 72 degrees, and his favorite Chet Baker album playing softly on the in-home sonos sound system. Except when Mr. Levin and his fiancee walked through the door, they were greeted by a broiling hellscape of wilting plants, melting candles, noxious odors, and stifling unbreathable air.

C, it turns out that Airbnb's new feature had neglected to account for Mr. DB Levin and all their American customers' failure to adopt the metric system. And so his perfect temperature of 72 had been selected in Celsius degrees, raising the flash temperature to a balmy 161.6 degrees Fahrenheit, which is warm even by Miami standards. Through a spokesman, Airbnb UK has has apologized promising to cover the damages and stating Quote we had thought we were rolling out a hot new feature regrettably. That was exactly the case Airbnb forgot

That many of their customers Use Fahrenheit in their new temperature setting feature. Your last story of an update with a downfall comes from Hari Kandabolu. Miranda Mendelson, like a lot of us, consults with her therapist via video call. Recently she was telling him about her lifelong fear of rejection when all of a sudden an animated thumbs down appeared over her therapist's head. She must have thought, oh my god it's happening again, except with hallucinations now. In fact it was just the result of a new update to the Apple

operating system which automatically creates colorful animations when you make a certain gesture with your hands like balloons, fireworks, laser shows, and a wide variety of other things that makes you assume that Apple has run out of ideas. As cute as this feature is, users are accidentally setting off effects during therapy sessions, board meetings, and yes, in some cases, while being fired. Sorry, you're out of a job, but to make it up to you animated balloons. Apple has provided a way to turn off the animations but unfortunately it's too

late for poor Miranda Mendelson who will never trust her computer and therapist again. All right so here are three stories of updates that were actually downgrades. From Helen Hong, an update to Tesla software in California that started steering all of the cars to Texas. From Adam Felber, an update with the Airbnb software that allowed people to set the temperature of their choice but not necessarily in the temperature measurement temperature of their choice, but not necessarily in the temperature measurement system of their choice, or from Hari Kandabolu, an Apple update to their camera software that had created all kinds of cheerful animations when nobody wanted them.

Which is the real story of a software update in the news? I'm going to go with Hari's story. I had fireworks launched behind me the other day on a conference call. Right. Alright, so your choice is Hari's story based on your own personal experience. Well, to hear the correct answer we spoke to someone familiar with the true story. It's not really the best time to see balloons on your screen as if it was a celebration when it's really about layoffs. That was Anne Marie Alcantara who wrote about these unwanted interruptions of

confetti and balloons when using video chat on Apple devices. Congratulations David you got it right well done. You're in a point for how you won our prize the voice of your choice and your voicemail. Congratulations! Thank you very much. I'm so happy to be here. Thanks Peter. Thank you. And if we could see you, I'm sure there'd be fireworks going on.

Take care. And now the game we call Not My Jobs. Lorene Powell Jobs is the founder of the Emerson Collective, an organization devoted to making the world a better place through philanthropy and investments and is herself one of the leading philanthropists in the country. She's in Chicago to make life a little better here and we're delighted she could stop by and join us. Lorene Powell Jobs, welcome to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.

Thank you. Like all heroes, you have an origin story. You grew up in New Jersey where all great people come from. It's true. It's true. And you ended up to end up, you managed to get into Stanford Business School where the story goes, I read the origin issue in the comics, that in 1989 a friend convinced you to go hear a lecture by this businessman who had recently lost his job.

No. No? Not exactly right. Okay. You can't believe everything you read in comic books. I know. You looked good in the costume though. Okay.

No, no, no. I was at Stanford Business School, and you're talking about when I met my husband Steve, but he was employed. I thought it was during the period after he had left Apple and before he went back. That's true, but in between he started a company called Next Computer. Okay. There was no room left in the auditorium and I didn't want to go watch it on closed caption, but this friend of mine was causing such a fuss that we walked down to the front row and we ended up sitting right next to Steve, which is, and that's how I met him. Yes.

Wait, you marched into a completely packed auditorium and you just marched up to the front and you were like, move over, bro. Close. Close. Oh my God. No, there was reserved tape that I removed. Whoa. I love everything about you.

And of course, presumably Steve looked at you and said, I like this woman's gumption. Presumably. Presumably. You ended up, of course, being together for many years. You had three kids together, raised a family. And I wonder, neither you or Steve grew up wealthy. That's right, yes. That is right.

I got one thing right. How did you make sure that your kids did not end up in the tabloids? They grew up in Palo Alto, and I still live in the house where my children were raised. My kids grew up going to public school and biking to school, and it was important to me that they have a normal childhood and go through the scrapes of childhood and and learn resiliency. I was gonna ask you to adopt me but I take it all. You're not gonna have your own choo-choo. I won't ask you anymore. That's how I grew up. Speaking of your house, we were told that you are famous back in Palo Alto for throwing really great like Halloween street parties every year. True. Oh thank goodness! Peter, if you get one more right, you win. That's exciting. So how elaborate are they?

Because we've read various things. Well, they're very elaborate. All my children participate. We make elaborate costumes. We have a theme every year. And then the only professionals that we bring in are professional makeup artists. But they do amazing work.

So give me an example of a theme. Oh, zombie wedding, zombie graduation, zombie Olympics. Oh, zombie Olympics, that's amazing. The one I really regret missing was zombie bris. But... For Halloween. Exactly. was zombie bris but for Halloween the foreskin comes back to life does it does it does it do you feel like you have to top it every year is Is there any sense of expectation or competition on the block?

Because I imagine other people probably put on a good show. Yes, and yes. Really? Yes. I imagine you give out candy, right? Yeah, of course. We give out really good candy. All right.

What's really good candy? Prove it. Really? What's good? Not like regular candy? Do you have full-sized candy bars instead of the little one? We have given full-sized candy bars, but what I really love to give are packets

that have multiple items inside so that kids really love to get kind of a mystery bag. And so we give them kind of a big, exciting-looking bag. Oh, not for zombie breasts, though. No. No. That would be gross. Can you tell me, please, a little something?

Everything I say, I'm terrified that this is wrong. Peter, if you need a break, three of us are here. I know. I appreciate that. I was going to ask you. That actually brings up something I was going to ask you, because this is something that I think you said. I was more confident that you actually brings up something I was gonna ask you because this is something that I think you said

I was more confident that you said it a short while ago But nonetheless, I believe you once said that you do not think that billionaires should exist Once again, I don't think I said that yeah but I don't I did I did say that I Don't think that anyone I did say that I don't think that anyone individual should amass and pass down vast amounts of wealth. Right. That's correct. Yes.

Yes. Okay. Yeah. So you were close. I'm close. And I will take close at this point. Yes. Thank you.

Right. And your plan is not to do that. Your plan is to give it all away. That is the plan, yes. Wow. What do your kids think about that? What do your kids think about that? Your plan is not to do that. Your plan is to give it all away. That is the plan. Wow. What do your kids think about that? What do your kids think about that?

Keep asking me if I was serious. They're like, Mom, I'm humilitated. Mom, I read that New York Times interview. That was really funny, Mom. That was great, Mom. That was a crazy notion we all had when we were way younger, right? Well, Lorraine Powell Jobs, we have asked you here to play a game that we're calling Give it away, give it away, give it away.

Nah. So you are known, of course, for, as we've been discussing, giving away a lot of money, so we thought we'd ask you about some very rich people who absolutely refused to part with a dime. Answer three questions about these misers. You will win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might choose for their voicemail. Bill, who is Ms. Jobs playing for?

Derek Elridge of Arvada, Colorado. All right. Are you ready for this? Sure. All right. Who is Miss Jobs playing for? Derrick Elridge of Arvada, Colorado. All right. Are you ready for this? All right. The Duke of Windsor may remember him. He did not give up his royal fortune

when he gave up the throne of England, but he still did not like to pick up a dinner check. How did he avoid paying the bill? A, by saying his enemies had poisoned his food and running out to the quote hospital. B. By staring off into the distance humming quietly until someone else just gave in and paid it. Or C. By bringing the mummified body of his pet fly Claudius and dropping it into the last bit of dessert so he could protest to the waiter and get a free meal? B.

You're right. Yes, B. Nice. You didn't think about that long. You just knew it. All right. You could have just waited for the eclipse and ran. That's true.

Here's your next question. Aristotle Onassis, the shipping magnate and famously the second husband of Jackie Kennedy, he was remarkably cheap. For example, he refused to wear a coat when he went out at night in winter. Why? A, they never had his size at the only store he would shop at, Ross Dress for Less. B, he always knew that somebody wanting to suck up to him would run up and offer him

their coat, resulting in a collection of free coats. Or C, do you know how much it costs to check a coat? Five whole dollars. I think B is creepy, but I'm going to go with B. He would just wait for someone to give him their coat because he enjoyed that. No, it was actually C. C? He didn't like dipping five bucks.

He'd rather be cold. All right, here's your last question. Get this right, you win it all. J. Paul Getty was known as the richest man in the world in his day and one of the most miserly as he proved when he did which of these. A, when his grandson was kidnapped, he bargained to the kidnappers down to a ransom that he could deduct from his taxes. B, he locked up all the phones in his house and installed a payphone for his guests to

use. Or C, he would write back to letters he received by just turning them over and using the blank side rather than buy his own paper. All right. I'm going to ask the audience. They're going A. We're going with A. Well, that's right, but they were all right.

Wow. Wow. I had heard about the pay phone one yeah that was this one he actually had to address that and as he said well it makes sense people were just coming into my house and making phone calls Bill how did the rene Powell jobs do in our quiz well when there's two out of three you got that but for fin, we can bring it up to full three. But we don't need to.

You're a winner. So, happy you came. Are you? I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not.

I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not.

I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. Give it all away, give it all away, give it all away, give it all away. In just a minute, what Philadelphians are doing with their wieners, it's our Elicitor Limerick Challenge.

Call 1-888-WAITWAIT to join us on the air. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR. Some good stories come out of Washington, but most come out of communities like yours, far from the capital. Here and Now Anytime is a podcast that taps into local newsrooms from Maine to San Diego to bring you stories that matter. Get closer to your community and find common ground with people around the world on Here and Now Anytime from NPR and WBUR. Listening to the news can feel like a journey.

The 1A podcast is here to guide you beyond the headlines and cut through the noise. Listen to 1A, where we celebrate your freedom to listen by getting to the heart of the story together. Only from NPR. On the Code Switch Podcast, conversations about race and identity don't begin or end with the news cycle. That's because we know race and identity impact every person and influence every story. We're getting into all of it with new voices each week on the Code Switch podcast from NPR.

From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis. We are playing this week with Helen Hong, Adam Felber, and Hari Khandabalu. And here again is your host at the Studebaker Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Segel. Thank you, Bill. In just a minute, we've got a scheme, a rhyme scheme in our listener limerick challenge. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-888-924-8924. Right now, panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Adam, a Canadian airline had to pay damages to a passenger after they lost his luggage for five days because the luggage was filled with what?

They lost his luggage because it was filled with helium and it was on the ceiling. So the problem was not that they lost his luggage, but that it was gone for five days. So when he finally got it back, he claimed damages because this was something you shouldn't just leave sitting around. Oh, it was filled with meat. Close enough, seafood. around. Oh, it's filled with meat. Close enough, seafood. Oh, wow. Oh, no. Oh, no. That is so gross.

The man packed $600 worth of crab meat and fish cakes into his checked bag, which was then lost for five days and only found after the drug sniffing dogs filed a formal complaint. Well, that points the way for everybody should start doing that. I mean not packing the luggage with it but just like you know right before you close the suitcase and check it throw a halibut in there. Sure. They will find it eventually. They will yeah the man sued Flair Airlines that's what it's called. After they refused to pay him on the grounds

of you're not allowed to put seafood in your bag. We might lose it for five days. A judge disagreed and ordered the airline to pay $780 in damages. When asked for comment, the passenger transporting all that seafood said, quote, all this seafood wasn't for me. I am definitely not a walrus. That would be crazy.

Oh, that's definitely a walrus. Oh, yeah. That's definitely a walrus. 100% walrus. Right now we've got great news for all of you who loved our games, did all the doors stay on all the planes this week and did all the pilots stay awake while flying the planes this week because it is time for a new game that we call Did all the flight attendants avoid hitting the button that makes the plane plunge 1000 feet this week? So Adam, you're up. Adam, did all the flight attendants avoid hitting the button that makes the plane

plunge a thousand feet this week? Peter, they did not. They did not hit that button. And for a bonus point, was the plane manufactured by Boeing? It was, Peter. It was, Adam, yes. Which did drop the question, why do we even have that button? I don't know. I think it was a terrible idea.

So let me explain. The flight attendant on this Boeing 787 Dreamliner was bringing the pilot his lunch or her lunch. A woman can also almost crash a plane. Hashtag Kaitlyn Clark. The flight attendant accidentally hit this switch that caused the motorized pilot's seat to go forward, crush the pilot into the controls, which in turn plunged the plane a thousand feet and pinned some passengers to the ceiling. Boeing immediately issued a statement saying, great, so no one is going to talk about how

none of the doors fell off? At this point, it's like, Boeing, are you just trying to kill us? It's the first time I can remember where the corporate name is now less of a corporate name and more of a sound effect. Is someone from Airbus secretly working at Boeing? Yeah, like a double agent. Sitting in the back saying everything's so blue. Coming up, it's lightning fell in the blank, but first it's the game where you have to

listen for the rhyme. If you'd like to play on the air, call or leave a message at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. You can catch us most weeks here at the Studebaker Theatre in downtown Chicago. And in April, come see the Wait Wait Stand Up Tour with shows in Charlottesville and Norfolk, Virginia, as well as stops in Syracuse, Baltimore, and Hershey, Pennsylvania, coming up later in the month. For tickets and information, go to nprpresents.org.

Hi, Aaron. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi, this is Sean. I'm calling from Minneapolis. Hey, Sean in Minneapolis. How are you? I'm doing great. I'm glad to hear.

What do you do? I've spent a lot of time in Minneapolis. What Sean, Minneapolis, how are you? I'm doing great. I'm glad to hear it. What do you do? I've spent a lot of time in Minneapolis. What do you do there? I run a wonderful philanthropic organization called the George Family Foundation. Oh God, not another one.

I'm sure that it's, you're a wonderful person as a philanthropist, but I've been traumatized. Well, I think it's safe to say Peter knows nothing about you. Exactly. You guys are so deceptive. Well, Sean, welcome to the show. Bill Curtis is going to read you three news related limericks with the last word or phrase missing from each.

If you can fill in that last word or phrase correctly and two of the limericks will be a winner. You ready to play? I am. All right. Here is your first limerick. Since my budget for food fights got smaller, I cannot be a Philly's home brawler. When the meats were real cheap, they were thrown seat to seat. So they stopped selling

dogs for a dollar. Yes! Dollar dog night. At the Philadelphia Philly's ballpark sadly is no more. It turns out that when a hot dog is about $8, it's food, but when it's $1, it is ammo. The Phillies cite games where hot dogs were soaring through the sky as the quote, tipping point for the change. They're now offering a $5 buy one get one free deal this season but that's nice but why are the hot dogs still serrated? I yeah I mean I'm not eating a $1 piece of meat that you're trying to tell me is food I'm chucking it for sure. I mean the issue here is less about the hot dogs. You can't give Philly sports fans anything they can throw.

Exactly. That's the problem. The answer is attach a rope to it and tie it to the seat. Yeah, you think this is going to stop Philly's fans from throwing things at each other? Like, no more hot dogs? Fine. Here come the candied nut concussions. All right.

Here is your next limer. You can throw all your teepee away. Back in COVID, we came, now we stay. We flush out your nethers and nothing feels better. Now everyone loves a bidet. Bidet, yes, according to the Washington Post. Everyone who panic bought bidets during the toilet paper shortage of 2020 are happier and damper than ever.

I mean, seriously, who's going to go back to boring old toilet paper once you've installed a dedicated squirt gun for your butt? You got to get the Asian ones. They are so advanced. You can tell this thing, I mean tell this thing will do your taxes. Incredible. Incredible. I remember I stayed in a hotel room in Tokyo once, and the toilet in there not only did

it have the bidet attachment, but whenever I entered the room, the lid would slowly rain. Yes. That means it's hungry. Yeah. Alright. Here is your last limerick. His calm manner says, ready, set, talk. He just listens and doesn't get shocked. My emotions get dumped on this mineral lump.

I hang out with my old flint, my pet rock. Rock, yes! Overworked office workers in Korea are finding it comforting to come home to their pet rocks. It's everything really you'd want in a pet if everything you want is silence, coldness, hardness, and it being a rock. Oh Oh that's so my mom. Is it really? Yeah, it's on brand. The most obnoxious is the guy who insists that his pet rock is a rescue. He's got a bumper sticker that says... It looks like he bought that rock. Yeah. No, he's got a bumper sticker that says, adopt, don't mine. Bill, how did Sean do on our quiz? Sean killed it.

All three right. Congratulations, Sean. Thank you. Thank you, Sean. So much for playing. Take care. Thanks. Bye-bye. Because you rock my world, oh Yeah, you rule my soul, oh

Baby, yeah, you rock my world, oh Those are a few of the dishes we learned how to make lately on Here and Now Anytime, a podcast from NPR and WBUR that takes cooking and chefs as seriously as we take the news. Refresh your recipe book and spice up your playlist next time you're in the kitchen with Here and Now Anytime. How does AI even work? Where does creativity come from? What's the secret to living longer? TED Radio Hour explores the biggest questions with some of the world's greatest thinkers.

They will surprise, challenge, and even change you. Listen to NPR's TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. I'm glad you said that because nobody says that. Can I just say thank you to you for such a thoughtful interview? Oh my God, yeah. I think you nailed it. Bullseye, interviews with creators you love and creators you need to know. Listen to the Bullseye podcast only from NPR and maximum fun.

Now onto our final game, Lightning Fill in the Blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which they answer as many Fill in the Blank questions as they can. Each correct answer now worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores? Harry has three, Helen has two, Adam has four. Oh my goodness. Adam!

How did this happen? I don't know. Well, that means if I'm not mistaken, Helen is in third place, so that means you're going to go first. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank. On Thursday, the US submitted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in blank. Gaza. Right. This week the Federal Reserve said it's still expected to cut blanks three times this coming year. Interest rates. Right. On Thursday, New York Attorney General Letitia James took the first steps towards seizing blanks assets.

Donald Trump. Right, according to a new study there's a strong link between intermittent blanking and cardiovascular risk. Fasting. Right, this week the Idaho Department of Transportation warned drivers that a boulder the size of blank was blocking Highway 21. The size of, um, Donald Trump. No, quote, a boulder the size of a large boulder. On Wednesday, China launched a satellite meant to aid future missions to the blank.

To the moon? Yes. On Thursday, doctors successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig blank into a human. Pig heart? No, pig kidney. This week, before breaking into a bakery,

a thief in Australia was caught in security footage blanking. Oh, eating all the croissants. No, doing an intense stretching routine. At least for Shockman, the security camera outside the bakery caught the robber going through an intense stretching routine just before she broke in. Now it's always a good idea to warm up before any physical activity, though the thief did admit using a getaway treadmill was a poor choice. Bill how did Helen do in our quiz? Five right, ten more points, totaled

at 12 and puts her in the lead. All right. Hurry, hurry you're up next please fill in the blank. On Thursday lawmakers unveiled a 1.2 trillion dollar funding package aimed at avoiding blank Jesus Jesus no a government shutdown on Monday Dhaka Bangladesh was named the city with the worst blank quality in the world air quality yes on Monday the average price for a gallon of blank hit three dollars and 48 cents milk no gas week, realtors in England... Milk is expensive. Milk is expensive.

Milk is expensive. He's not wrong. This week, realtors in England finalized the sale of a blank with an ocean view for just $170,000. Castle? No, a public bathroom. I hate this. I hate this.

Amid accusations of massive theft, the interpreter for baseball star Blank was fired on Thursday. Shohei Otani. On Thursday, the CDC issued a warning over rising blank cases in the U.S. COVID. No, measles. Come on, Beeper. This week, a team of researchers confirmed that a signal thought to be from an alien civilization was in fact blank.

A beeper. No, just a loud truck driving nearby. According to the researchers, these sound waves that one researcher believed were from an alien spacecraft were just a truck passing by on a nearby road. This is disappointing for people who were hoping for evidence of extraterrestrial life, but great news for the alien who suggested

making all their spaceships look exactly like really loud trucks. Bill, how did Hari do in our quiz? Well, Hari got three, which is more than Maeve usually does. That's mean to me! Yeah, that was. That's six more points, total of nine, puts you behind Helen, who has 12 in the lead. All right. So how many then does Adam Felber need to win? Four to tie, Adam five to win. All right, Adam, this is for the game. On Tuesday, an appeals court once again paused Texas's controversial new blank law.

Immigration. Right. On Thursday, the DOJ filed an antitrust case against tech giant blank. Apple. Right. This week, the White House announced an $8.5 billion grant to microchip maker blank. Intel. Yes.

Among increased unrest and gang violence, over a thousand Americans are reportedly stuck in blank. In bathrooms. No, in Haiti. A woman in London was embarrassed after she blanked during a live stream of a funeral. Laughed. No, took a full shower with her camera on. Oh.

Not only did that woman who took a shower during a funeral not realize her camera was on, she also did not know blank. Her door was open. No, that there was a giant video screen showing the Zoom set up in the church. No. That's terrible. And the woman who took the shower in front of a crowded room in the church did not realize her mistake until later that day when she blanked. Watch the video of the funeral. No, showed up at the reception. Whoa! I didn't know the first one. I wasn't going to get the other two.

This week, a realtor in Australia was ordered to pay a fine because she blanked while prepping a home for an open house. She set fire to the house. She did. She burned it to the ground. What? The realtor said that while she was staging this $3 million beach home, she accidentally put some bedsheets too close to a hot light and they started the fire that burned the

house down. The house is now listed on Zillow as very airy and open with a wood-burning everything. Bill, how did Adam do on our quiz? Adam, you have the last laugh. You got four right, eight more points, your 12 ties helped. Yes! Oh, yes. Congratulations, Helen.

In just a minute, we're going to ask our panelists to predict what will happen when the sun disappears during the eclipse. But first, let me tell you, 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 public address announcer is Paul Friedman, our tour manager is Shayna Dabble, thanks to the staff and crew at the Studio Baker Theater, PJ Liedemann composed our theme, our programs produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornbos, and Lillian King,

special thanks to Monica Hickey and Vinny Thomas. Peter Gwynn is our diaper dandy. Emma Choi is our vibe curator. Technical directionist from Lorna White and CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. The senior producer is Ian Chilog. And the executive producer of Wait, Wait,

Don't Tell Me is Michael Tanford. Now, Ben, what will happen when the sun vanishes during the eclipse next month? Hari Kandabolu. The prophecy will come true. The dinosaurs will return with a vengeance and rightfully take what is theirs. Helen Hong.

The sun will go finally a break from having to look at these idiots. And frankly, who can blame it? Well, if any of that happens, we'll ask you about it. Oh, and wait, wait, don't tell me. Thank you, Bill Curtis. Thanks also to Hardigan DeBoe with Ellen Hahn and Adam Fowler. Thanks to our fabulous audience here at the Studio Maker Theater. And thanks to you all for listening wherever you might be. I'm Peter Segel. We'll see you next week. This is NPR.

On the Code Switch Podcast, conversations about race don't start and stop with the new cycle. We know that race is always relevant and we have new topics, new voices, and new stories for you every single week. Listen to the Code Switch podcast from NPR. How can a story feel uniquely Latin American and universal? You'll have to listen to Radio Ambulante, NPR's award-winning Spanish language podcast to find out.

For over a decade, we've told stories of love and migration, youth and politics, the environment, food and families from everywhere Spanish is spoken. Escucha ahora el podcast Radio Ambulante desde NPR. There's a lot of stuff to watch out there. Pop Culture Happy Hour, a four- a week, 20 minute a day podcast, helps you pick out what's worthy of your next big binge. Whether it's a new show, a buzzy book, or a movie that we can't stop talking about, Pop Culture Happy Hour is here with a recommendation you'll want to snuggle up with, guaranteed.

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