Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!NPRA surprise snow day for the White House press corps
In short
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me! airs live from Omaha, Nebraska, with host Peter Sagal and judge Al Z. Slade. The show features news quiz segments, listener games, and interviews. This episode includes a discussion on the George Lucas Museum, a ban on journalists at White House briefings, and trends in cat ownership. Contestants John from Syracuse and Jane from Baltimore participate in the listener game. The panel includes Dulcé Sloan, Josh Gondelman, and Faith Salie. John Cook, former coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team, is interviewed about a record-breaking attendance event. The show concludes with a 'Fill in the Blanks' game and final scores, with Faith Salie winning.
Key takeaways
- The episode features a live broadcast of NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me! from Omaha, Nebraska.
- Contestants John from Syracuse and Jane from Baltimore participate in the listener game, answering questions based on recent news.
- Panelists Dulcé Sloan, Josh Gondelman, and Faith Salie provide commentary and participate in the news quiz.
- John Cook, former coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team, is interviewed about a record-breaking attendance event.
- Faith Salie wins the game with a score of 5 points.
Chapters
Introduction to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!
Peter Sagal welcomes the audience to the NPR news quiz show, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!, live from the Orpheum Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska. He introduces himself as the judge and scorekeeper, Al 'The Judge' Z. Slade.
Guest Introduction: John Cook
Peter introduces John Cook, former coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team, highlighting his team's record-breaking attendance.
Listener Game: John from Syracuse
The first listener contestant, John from Syracuse, New York, joins the game. He works as a legal aid in the district attorney's office and discusses the nature of his work.
Panelists Introduction
The show introduces its panelists: comedian Dulcé Sloan, comedian Josh Gondelman, and CBS Sunday Morning contributor Faith Salie.
News Quiz Segment 1: White House Press Briefing Ban
John is asked to identify the location where journalists were banned from White House press briefings. He correctly identifies the White House, leading to a discussion about the ban and the journalists' reactions.
News Quiz Segment 2: George Lucas Museum
The next question concerns a new museum opening in LA with mixed reviews. John correctly identifies it as the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
News Quiz Segment 3: Cat Ownership Trends
John is presented with a statistic about a significant increase in cat ownership. He struggles to identify the trend, leading to the reveal of 'cat dads' and the discussion of gendered pet ownership terms.
Listener Game: Jane from Baltimore
The second listener contestant, Jane from Baltimore, a law student, joins the game. She discusses her aspirations to become an immigration lawyer.
20-Year Plan Game Introduction
Peter explains the '20-Year Plan' game, where contestants guess which of three individuals has a realistic long-term plan.
20-Year Plan: Elizabeth Ramirez's To-Do List
Dulcé Sloan presents Elizabeth Ramirez's ambitious 20-year to-do list, including major life events and mundane tasks.
20-Year Plan: Josh's Board Game Challenge
Josh Gondelman describes two friends attempting to complete a complex board game that is estimated to take two decades.
20-Year Plan: Faith's Cheese Aging Plan
Faith Salie shares the story of a couple aging cheese for 20 years, attributing its magical qualities to their future health and happiness.
News Quiz Segment 4: High-Tech Public Restrooms
Faith Salie discusses New York City's new high-tech public restrooms and the feature that activates after 10 minutes. The answer is revealed to be the door opening.
Interview with John Cook: Volleyball Record
Peter interviews John Cook about the record-breaking crowd for a women's sporting event he coached. Cook shares his perspective on the experience and the team's success.
John Cook's Game Performance
John Cook plays the game and achieves a perfect score of three out of three.
Listener Game: Katie Bell
The final listener contestant, Katie Bell from Kittery, Maine, joins the game. She discusses her aspirations and plays the limerick game.
Limerick Game: Butter Smuggling
Katie Bell plays the limerick game, correctly identifying 'butter' as the missing word in a limerick about smuggling French butter.
Limerick Game: Wrinkled Clothes
Katie Bell plays another round of the limerick game, correctly identifying 'wrinkled' in a limerick about fashion trends.
Limerick Game: Train Travel
Katie Bell plays the final limerick game, correctly identifying 'train' in a limerick about private train cars.
Katie Bell's Game Performance
Katie Bell plays the game and achieves a perfect score of three out of three.
Final Game: Fill in the Blanks
The final game, 'Fill in the Blanks,' begins. Contestants must fill in the blanks in news-related sentences.
Fill in the Blanks: UN Speech
The first fill-in-the-blank question concerns a UN speech by an Israeli Prime Minister. The answer is Benjamin Netanyahu.
Fill in the Blanks: Hurricane
The next question is about Hurricane Pablo briefly becoming a category blank storm. The answer is Category 5.
Fill in the Blanks: Regulation
The question asks what Americans want more regulation of. The answer is AI.
Fill in the Blanks: Prison Sentence
A British man was sentenced to prison for attempting to throw drugs over a prison wall. The answer is prison.
Fill in the Blanks: Fast Food Menu
A fast-food giant announced new high-protein items. The answer is McDonald's.
Fill in the Blanks: Crab Attack
A man in Florida avoided injury after being attacked by a crab wielding a blank. The answer is a knife.
Final Scores and Winner Announcement
The scores are tallied. Faith Salie wins the game with 5 points. Peter thanks the contestants and the audience.
Closing Remarks
Peter Sagal thanks the panelists, the guest, the audience, and the crew, signing off from Omaha, Nebraska.
Get the next Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! recap
A short recap of every new episode, by email. Free for up to 5 shows.
Summary by InboxHiive. Not affiliated with Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. Written with AI from the episode audio; check the episode for exact quotes.