Brandi Carlile helps us say goodbye to Bill Kurtis!

Episode of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! · May 23, 2026 · 47 min

Peter Sagal and panelists Negin Farsad, Luke Burbank, and Paula Poundstone play news games with guest Brandi Carlile as Bill Kurtis ends his 12-year run.

Summary

This episode of NPR's news quiz, recorded at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, marked the final show for judge and scorekeeper Bill Kurtis, who had succeeded Carl Kassell in 2014. Host Peter Sagal was joined by panelists Negin Farsad, Luke Burbank, and Paula Poundstone for games built on the week's news, including rising bean consumption as an economic indicator, television aimed at older viewers, graduates booing commencement speakers who discussed AI, and parents allegedly claiming irritable bowel syndrome to get extra SAT time.

In the Not My Job segment, singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile discussed her childhood fandom of Elton John, whom she dressed as for singing competitions and later befriended, her lack of shyness in approaching idols, her rural upbringing in Maple Valley, Washington, and a story of her father driving her to a fistfight with two boys. She said she keeps her Grammy awards on the upright piano she has owned since age 18. She then answered all three questions correctly in a game about returning items to stores, covering a lottery-winning orange juice return, an Amazon shareholder meeting, and Costco's return policy.

The show also included a Bluff the Listener game about single-letter mix-ups, won by a caller who correctly chose the story of a urologist mistaken for a ufologist, a limerick challenge, and Lightning Fill in the Blank, which Luke Burbank won. Sagal closed with a tribute to Kurtis, saying the show's staff and panelists were the lucky ones to have worked with him for 12 years.

Chapters

0:18
Opening and Bill Kurtis farewell announcement
Peter Sagal opens the show and announces that Bill Kurtis is stepping down after 12 years.
3:32
Who's Bill This Time
Caller Tiffany Washburn identifies news quotes about beans, TV shows for older viewers, and AI in commencement speeches.
9:50
Panel questions: movie theater bathrooms
The panel guesses how a Swiss movie theater lets patrons watch films while using the toilet.
14:04
Bluff the Listener: one-letter mix-ups
Panelists tell stories of single-letter errors and caller Rhonda Graff correctly picks the urologist mistaken for a ufologist.
19:54
Not My Job: Brandi Carlile interview
Brandi Carlile talks about Elton John, meeting her idols, her rural childhood, and where she keeps her Grammys.
26:36
Returning to the Store game
Carlile answers three questions about unusual store returns and gets a perfect score.
32:47
Panel questions: IBS and the SAT
The panel discusses reports of parents claiming irritable bowel syndrome to get their kids extra SAT time.
36:09
Listener Limerick Challenge
Caller Brooke completes limericks about adult driving lessons, an unusual spelling of Juliet, and a torn bridesmaid dress.
Linked moment · 41:59Skip to 41:59 using a listen link in the info box.
41:59
Lightning Fill in the Blank
The panelists answer rapid news questions and Luke Burbank wins.
48:00
Tribute to Bill Kurtis and predictions
Sagal thanks Kurtis for 12 years and the panel predicts what he will do next.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Negin Farsad
Farsad joked that bean consumption was an overlooked economic indicator compared with gas prices.
“I love that this is an economic indicator. I mean, we've been, like, focusing on the price of gas so much”
Listen from 4:29 · Bean consumption as an economic indicator
Luke Burbank
Burbank, describing himself as mostly vegetarian, welcomed people turning to beans despite NPR's framing around affordability.
“I'm appreciating some people coming over to our slightly gassy side of the fence on this”
Listen from 5:27 · Bean consumption as an economic indicator
Luke Burbank
Burbank said he was unsettled that actors near his own age were depicted as seniors in the New York Times piece on TV for older viewers.
“Alfred Molina is not that much older than I am. And yet, he's playing a senior citizen”
Listen from 7:07 · Television for older audiences
Brandi Carlile
Carlile said she was a massive Elton John fan as a teenager and dressed as him for singing competitions and Halloween.
“Many singing competitions and also Halloween. And I went to school with the homemade Elton John jewelry”
Listen from 21:01 · Elton John
Brandi Carlile
Carlile argued that Elton John cannot choose friends based on who is a fan, since he would have none otherwise.
“when you're Elton John, you can't decide to choose friends based on who's a fan and knows your music”
Listen from 22:01 · Elton John
Brandi Carlile
Carlile said she is not shy about approaching people she admires and believes life is too short not to befriend people you respect.
“Life is too short to not be friends and to get close with people you respect”
Listen from 22:57 · Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile
Carlile said she is frequently rebuffed, even by close friends.
“I've had moments, even with my closest friends, where they've been like, oh, piss off, Brandy”
Listen from 23:14 · Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile
Carlile said her family did not rely solely on hunted game but that some elk and deer were shot from the window of their home.
“there were definitely a few elk and deer shot from the window”
Listen from 23:48 · Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile
Carlile recounted that her father dropped her off at a lake for a fight with two boys, which ended with them playing baseball together.
“we did get into a scuffle, and one of them fell in the lake, and we wound up playing the game of baseball”
Listen from 25:25 · Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile
Carlile said she keeps her Grammys on top of the 1900 upright piano she has owned since age 18 and writes many songs on.
“I keep them all on top of my piano that I've had since I was 18. It's a 1900 upright old granny piano”
Listen from 26:08 · Brandi Carlile
Peter Sagal
Sagal explained that Costco accepted returns of all three unusual items, including everything one man had ever bought there.
“Costco will take almost anything back if you bought it at Costco”
Listen from 30:05 · Store return policies
Peter Sagal
Sagal reported that parents are allegedly falsely claiming their children have IBS to get unlimited bathroom breaks on the SAT.
“Parents across the country are apparently falsely claiming that their kids have irritable bowel syndrome just so that their kids can have unlimited bathroom breaks”
Listen from 33:50 · Irritable bowel syndrome and SAT accommodations
Peter Sagal
Sagal said the show's staff, panelists, and he himself were the lucky ones to have spent 12 years working with Bill Kurtis.
“We are the lucky ones, the producers and engineers and managers of our show and the panelists and, of course, me”
Listen from 48:00 · Bill Kurtis retirement from Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

People

In the conversation

Peter SagalHost of NPR's news quiz Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Bill KurtisAmerican broadcast journalist and longtime judge and scorekeeper of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Negin FarsadAmerican comedian and panelist
Luke BurbankHost of the podcast TBTL and public radio show Live Wire; panelist
Paula PoundstoneAmerican comedian and podcast host; panelist
Brandi CarlileAmerican singer-songwriter and member of The Highwomen

Discussed

Elton JohnBritish singer-songwriter and collaborator of Brandi Carlile
Joni MitchellCanadian singer-songwriter cited as an example of fame as a means to an end
Carl KassellOriginal judge and scorekeeper of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, who retired in 2014
Linda McMahonU.S. Secretary of Education
Jeff BezosFounder of Amazon
Thomas MassieKentucky congressman facing a Trump-backed primary challenge
Luigi MangioneAccused killer of a health insurance executive, cited as an example of an affluent perpetrator
Barney FrankFormer congressman, first openly gay member of Congress, who died at 86
Stephen ColbertAmerican comedian and host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject

Topics

From the publisher

This week, we bid a fond farewell to our beloved Bill Kurtis with Brandi Carlile and panelists Luke Burbank, Negin Farsad, and Paula Poundstone See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Comedy·News Commentary·Music Interviews