Reflecting Pools and Construction Zones

Episode of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! · June 27, 2026 · 48 min

Peter Sagal and Alzo Slade quiz panelists Emmy Blotnick, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, and Gianmarco Soresi on the week's news, and Pavement's Stephen Malkmus plays Not My Job.

Summary

This episode of the NPR news quiz was recorded at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, with Peter Sagal hosting and Alzo Slade marking his first month as judge and scorekeeper. Panelists Emmy Blotnick, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, and debuting Gianmarco Soresi joked about the algae-filled Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after its renovation, FIFA's new hydration breaks at the 2026 World Cup, the "hot podium guy" who became famous during Keir Starmer's resignation, and Kraft's TSA-compliant ranch dressing bottles.

In Bluff the Listener, the real story was Blotnick's account of a TikTok user who studied Wheel of Fortune contestants and found that men who complimented their wives were more likely to stay married. In Not My Job, Stephen Malkmus discussed Pavement's loose style, his Stockton youth, his 1994 lyric about the Smashing Pumpkins, and his aversion to black backstage towels, then got two of three questions about road construction mishaps right with some nudging.

Later segments covered a Germantown house sold with an obligatory Revolutionary War reenactment, Time magazine's advice for consoling sports fans, Dating.com's "chief breakup officer" job, the "Gym Goblin" trend, bruise tattoos, and free lunch as a return-to-office incentive. Soresi won Lightning Fill in the Blank in his debut with 15 points.

Chapters

  1. 0:30

    Opening and panel introductions

    Alzo Slade introduces Peter Sagal, who introduces the panel and the first caller, David from Brooklyn.

  2. 2:57

    Who's Alzo: the reflecting pool

    The panel mocks the botched renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, now green with algae.

  3. 5:30

    World Cup hydration breaks

    Sagal and the panel discuss FIFA's new hydration breaks at the 2026 World Cup.

  4. 8:24

    Hot podium guy

    The quiz ends with the Downing Street podium setter who became famous during Keir Starmer's resignation.

  5. 10:08

    Travel-size ranch dressing

    Kraft introduces TSA-compliant ranch bottles for foreign tourists taking the dressing home.

  6. 13:00

    Bluff the Listener: game shows

    Panelists tell three game show stories, and the real one is Blotnick's Wheel of Fortune marriage study.

  7. 20:06

    Not My Job interview with Stephen Malkmus

    Malkmus talks about Pavement's influence, his youth in Stockton, the Smashing Pumpkins lyric, and his tour rider.

  8. 26:17

    Pavement Repairs Are Underway quiz

    Malkmus answers three questions about construction mishaps and gets two right.

  9. 31:52

    Panel questions: reenactments, sports grief, breakups

    Topics include a house with a mandatory Battle of Germantown reenactment, Time's advice for sad sports fans, and Dating.com's chief breakup officer.

  10. 36:29

    Listener Limerick Challenge

    Caller Sharon fills in limericks about grubby gym clothes, bruise tattoos, and free office lunches.

  11. 42:03

    Lightning Fill in the Blank

    The panelists race through news blanks, and Soresi wins his debut.

  12. 47:59

    Predictions and credits

    Panelists predict what will be found at the bottom of the reflecting pool.

Key points

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

  • Peter Sagal

    Sagal reported that Trump blamed the pool damage on vandals with knives.

    “Trump said the pool had actually been damaged by vandals with knives, quote, probably in the dark of night, unquote”

    Listen from 3:37 · Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation

  • Joyelle Nicole Johnson

    Johnson pointed out that video showed the presidential motorcade driving through the pool, which undercut the vandalism claim.

    “It's funny that he said it was damaged by vandals when there's like video that they drove the motorcade through”

    Listen from 4:19 · Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation

  • Emmy Blotnick

    Blotnick argued that the repair crew skipped the underlying plumbing problems and went straight to cosmetic work.

    “It feels like they also haven't addressed the leaky pipes. They went straight to the paint job”

    Listen from 5:23 · Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation

  • Peter Sagal

    Sagal reported that FIFA introduced hydration breaks at a World Cup for the first time, citing heat concerns.

    “FIFA has for the first time introduced hydration breaks, a three-minute pause in each half”

    Listen from 6:26 · 2026 FIFA World Cup

  • Peter Sagal

    Sagal noted that critics suspect the hydration breaks exist mainly to create more TV ad slots.

    “everybody is saying these so-called hydration breaks are really just about giving TV another place to sell some ads”

    Listen from 7:35 · 2026 FIFA World Cup

  • Peter Sagal

    Sagal said that frequent British prime ministerial resignations turned the man who sets up the resignation podium into a celebrity.

    “There have been so many resignations of British prime ministers in the last few years that the hot guy who sets up for the resignation speech has become a celebrity”

    Listen from 9:10 · Resignation of Keir Starmer

  • Peter Sagal

    Sagal explained that the TSA had been confiscating ranch dressing from travelers because it counts as a liquid.

    “the TSA keeps confiscating the ranch dressing from passengers because technically it's a liquid”

    Listen from 11:04 · Transportation Security Administration

  • Gianmarco Soresi

    Soresi joked that only a man would need a six-year study to learn he should compliment his wife.

    “Only a man could need a six-year study to learn that he needs to compliment his wife”

    Listen from 19:32 · Wheel of Fortune

  • Linked moment · 21:49Skip to 21:49 using a listen link in the info box.

    Stephen Malkmus

    Malkmus described Pavement's musicianship as deliberately loose, which he suggested made listeners feel they could start bands too.

    “We have a relationship with tone and tuning and tempo that is loose”

    Listen from 21:49 · Pavement (band)

  • Stephen Malkmus

    Malkmus said his Wikipedia page singles out one rooftop party from his youth, among many other misdeeds.

    “I know there is something about me like partying on rooftops in the high school and it was just one tiny thing of all the terrible things I did”

    Listen from 22:22 · Pavement (band)

  • Stephen Malkmus

    Malkmus downplayed his 1994 lyric about the Smashing Pumpkins and said the band has some good songs.

    “didn't have a pump in its function, but, you know, they do truly have some good songs”

    Listen from 23:58 · Smashing Pumpkins

  • Stephen Malkmus

    Malkmus said he avoids the black towels on band riders because he cannot tell whether they are clean.

    “There's something about a rock and roll towel that it's black. It's not just that black is rock and roll, like heavy metal”

    Listen from 25:24 · Pavement (band)

  • Peter Sagal

    Sagal reported that a historic house near Philadelphia was being sold with a binding agreement to host an annual Battle of Germantown reenactment.

    “to let an entire battalion of dads reenact the Battle of Germantown from the Revolutionary War on the front lawn every year”

    Listen from 33:11 · Battle of Germantown

  • Joyelle Nicole Johnson

    Johnson said Time's suggested consolation for sports fans sounded like it came from someone who does not follow sports.

    “Yeah, it sounds like the psychologist was not a sports fan”

    Listen from 34:59

  • Joyelle Nicole Johnson

    Johnson said she would eagerly apply for Dating.com's chief breakup officer job.

    “I love that you think I have empathy. I would sign up for this in a second”

    Listen from 35:52 · Dating.com chief breakup officer

  • Gianmarco Soresi

    Soresi called it unethical for a dating site to profit from ending relationships as well as starting them.

    “This is so unethical. You can't play both sides of the market”

    Listen from 36:09 · Dating.com chief breakup officer

  • Gianmarco Soresi

    Soresi read the trend toward shabby workout clothes as a recession indicator.

    “This is one of those recession indicators where they're like, it's fashionable that your clothes suck now”

    Listen from 38:19 · Gym Goblin trend

  • Peter Sagal

    Sagal reported that more companies are offering free lunch to bring workers back to the office.

    “More and more companies have hit upon the solution at long last to bring workers back to the office. Free lunch”

    Listen from 40:21 · Return to office

People

In the conversation

Discussed

  • Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
  • Keir StarmerPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
  • Billy CorganFrontman of the Smashing Pumpkins, named in a 1994 Pavement song
  • MrBeastAmerican YouTuber, born Jimmy Donaldson, who filmed a shark stunt off Jupiter, Florida
  • Boris JohnsonFormer British prime minister compared to Churchill by Sandbrook

Topics

More from Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

From the publisher

This week, we talk reflecting pools, hydration breaks, and hot dudes with Emmy Blotnick, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, and Gianmarco Soresi. Plus, Pavement's Stephen Malkmus joins us to answer three questions about construction zones. 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 29, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Comedy·News Commentary·Music Interviews