Peter Sagal

As of late, the news is no laughing matter. Yet, Peter Sagal has carved out a career helping us exercise our brains and our funny bones as host of NPR’s weekly quiz show, “Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!" But that’s not his only gig. He’s an author, marathoner and more. And he’s coming to Columbus on June 7 for an evening of storytelling at the Southern Theatre. Sagal is talking with us on this hour of All Sides. Guest: Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s “Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!"

Content Warning: This episode discusses anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia. On the radio as the witty host of NPR’s Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me , Peter Sagal projects an upbeat and fun personality. But, as he shares with host Dr. Michelle K. Murray, it hasn’t always been that way. From being an anxious and depressed kid with undiagnosed ADHD to a downward spiral following the end of his first marriage, Peter struggled with mental health issues he never fully acknowledged or understood. When he did start to connect the dots and seek help, Peter was able to connect with his father and learn illuminating chapters and family history. And when he married again and began raising a second family, he was able to put an end to some of his own habits and some less than healthy inherited habits. It’s a side of Peter Sagal you probably haven’t heard before and you’ll be glad you listened.

The U.S. Constitution has inspired countless countries to adopt democracy, but NONE have adopted the electoral college. What's up with that? Turns out, if American's National Parks are "the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst," as author Wallace Stegner wrote, then the electoral college might be America's worst idea. To figure out if the electoral college is trash, and to break down the origins, pros, cons and future of this unique electoral body, host Bob Crawford called on Peter Sagal. He's not just host of a game show on NPR (shoutout to WBEZ) and an avid marathoner. He's also host of the PBS show CONSTITUTION USA. What's in this episode: Bob and Peter unpack the history and ongoing relevance of the Electoral College, including its origins in balancing slavery, state power, and the popular vote. The conversation also touches on gerrymandering, the influence of political parties, and the challenges of achieving national unity in a polarized political climate. GUEST: Peter Sagal, host of Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me! and CONSTITUTION USA See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get these amazing cleaning tips from TikTok’s “Clean That Up” guy Brendan Pleshak. Plus, how to preserve vintage tile, test for lead paint, upgrade rake boards with PVC, fix lawn grubs, stop sewer backups, and hear “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” host Peter Sagal’s hilarious story of buying the wrong house. • DIY Vinegar Cleaner (0:55) • Vintage Tile Advice (9:48) • Flooding Solutions (17:27) • Lead Paint Safety (21:38) • Rake Board Repair with PVC (26:49) • Peter Sagal’s House of Horror (32:37) Keywords: #cleanthatup #brendanpleshak #ultimate cleaning tips #DIY vinegar cleaner #natural cleaning hacks #lead paint safety #how to replace rake board #PVC trim repair #vintage tile restoration #combined sewer flooding #grub control lawn #bucket seeding hack #Peter Sagal #waitwaitdonttellme #This Old House Radio Hour

This week on This Old House Radio Hour, we’re scrubbing deep, digging trenches, and pulling back the curtain on the emotional side of homeownership. We open the episode with Brandon Pleshek—aka “Clean That Up”—who shares his go-to DIY vinegar-based cleaner, why it works, and where you should never use it. Then it’s onto the phones, starting with a call from California about whether vintage tile can (and should) be saved. Our weekly House Rules game delivers a quick hit of lawn care wisdom, while a listener from Brooklyn gets a hard truth about the perils of combined sewer systems. We cover safe ways to remove lead paint from masonry, how to properly replace a rake board, and why PVC might be the best upgrade you didn’t know you needed. In My Old House, Peter Sagal (host of NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!) shares the darkly funny, deeply relatable story of buying the wrong house for all the wrong reasons. Finally, Cheap Old Houses delivers a bank vault with Airbnb potential and a train caboose you can live in—with one smart DIY trick for seed spreading to close the show. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: DIY Vinegar Cleaner (0:55): Make a simple, effective cleaner using 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup water, and 1 tsp dish soap. Great on glass and hard surfaces—but avoid marble, granite, and wood. Vintage Tile Advice (9:48): If the glaze is worn or the pattern fading, you may need to replace—but decorative vintage tile is often worth preserving. Lawn Tip (House Rules): Grubs—not beetles or cinch bugs—are eating your grass from below. Here's how to identify and control them. Flooding Solution (17:27): Combined storm/sewer systems can cause backups during heavy rain. Why a sump system or rerouting is essential in older cities. Lead Paint Safety (21:38): Use an over-the-counter swab test to check old paint for lead before scraping. If positive, consider hiring a pro or using EPA-safe methods. Rake Board Repair with PVC (26:49): When your spotlight rips away from old wood trim, replace the rake board with maintenance-free PVC—just mind the expansion gaps. Simple Fix – Bucket Seeding Trick: No broadcast spreader? Use a bucket and your hand to cast seed—just like feeding chickens. Perfect for small lawns or quick reseeding. -- other moments -- Peter Sagal (32:27) Save This Old House (41:24)

Master the art of thinking on your feet and turning unpredictability into powerful communication. Being quick on your feet isn’t just a performance skill — it’s a communication necessity. And for Peter Sagal , longtime host of NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me , it’s a craft he’s honed over more than two decades in front of a live audience. In this expanded conversation from our Spontaneous Speaking series, Sagal shares what it really takes to communicate with presence, flexibility, and confidence when the script goes out the window. “My job was no longer to be funny — my job was to make funny possible,” Sagal explains, reflecting on the shift from performer to facilitator. He opens up about how structure and ritual prepare him to embrace chaos, why listening matters more than cleverness, and how he defines success not by what he says, but by what others are able to say because of him. “Preparation is key,” he notes, “but being willing to let go of that preparation and follow what’s happening in the moment is really important.” In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , Sagal and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to navigate speaking on the spot—whether you're managing meetings, leading teams, or handling high-stakes conversations—and offer a powerful reminder: the best spontaneous communicators don’t control the moment—they connect through it. Episode Reference Links: Peter D Sagal Ep.197 Prep or Perish: Mastering In-the-Moment Communication (1 of 3) Ep.198 Pause and Effect: Mastering In-the-Moment Communication (2 of 3) Ep.199 Blunder Pressure: Mastering In-the-Moment Communication (3 of 3) Ep.203 No Script, No Problem: Final Secrets to Speaking Under Pressure (Bonus) Connect: Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn , Instagram , YouTube Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction (02:46) - Making Funny Possible (03:55) - Ditching the Script (07:10) - Pre-Show Rituals (09:25) - How to Introduce People Well (12:28) - Being Funny in the Moment (14:22) - Staying Present On Stage (16:42) - Gracious Communication (21:16) - The Final Three Questions (24:52) - Conclusion ******** Thank you to our sponsors. These partnerships support the ongoing production of

The latest in the ongoing saga over NC’s Supreme Court seat. What Republican Jefferson Griffin’s win (for now) with the state appeals court means, and what happens next. With the fast-approaching, sold-out live taping at DPAC, Peter Sagal needs all the help he can get to prepare. Thankfully, he’s got a one-on-one study session with Due South’s Leoneda Inge. But he better get ready, because she’s got a news quiz of her own for him… And, the Environmental Protection Agency's largest facility in Research Triangle Park has several hundred workers. Current and former researchers warn that deep cuts to the agency’s research arm could be 'devastating' for environmental policy decisions. Guests Rusty Jacobs , Voting and Election Integrity Reporter at WUNC Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s News Quiz show Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me Chris Frey , Associate Dean for Research and Infrastructure, College of Engineering at NC State University, former EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Research and Development (ORD) Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta , retired EPA science advisor who worked at the agency for more than 40 years, starting in 1981.

Isaac Mizrahi chats with the beloved host of NPR’s “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me,” Peter Sagal. Peter shares some surprising and hilarious behind-the-scenes stories, what it’s like to have a newborn at 58 and how he landed the job writing “Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights.” Plus, Isaac challenges Peter to his own version of “Not My Job” and so much more. Follow Hello Isaac on @helloisaacpodcast on Instagram and TikTok, Isaac @imisaacmizrahi on Instagram and TikTok and Peter Sagal @psagal and @waitwaitnpr. (Recorded on November 14, 2023) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we are thrilled to be joined by running legend and host of NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Peter Sagal for a conversation about running, urologists, and a sexy new book. Jordan wrote a brand new graphic novel called Youth Group which you can pre-order at West Side Books in Denver. Do what Jesse says and go to PutThisOnShop.com for your holiday shopping, code JJGO. Sponsored by Podia. You can start a community, build a full website, make your products, and start your email marketing all for free when you sign up at podia.com/JJGO . Sponsored by AG1. If you want to take ownership of your health, try AG1 and get a FREE 1-yearsupply of Vitamin D AND 5 Free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase. Go to drinkAG1.com/JJGO . Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjjgo

This week's guest is the remarkably witty, acerbic, and insightful Peter Sagal. He is the host of one of my favorite shows, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! He is to wit what Mount Chimborazo is to mountains. If you've never heard of Mount Chimborazo, it's time for you to fire up Google to learn why it trumps Mount Everest as far as mountain metaphors go. Appearing on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! was on my bucket list. I reached that pinnacle of personal success in 2013 when I played “Not My Job” on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE Like many remarkable people, Peter has worn a multitude of hats: playwright, screenwriter, marathoner, Jeopardy contestant, podcaster, documentary host, foreign correspondent, and magician's assistant. Peter hosted CONSTITUTION USA with Peter Sagal for PBS and the National Geographic Channel. Essentially, this was about a bald Jewish guy riding around the Midwest on a Harley. He studied English literature at Harvard and is the author of The Book of Vice: Naughty Things (and How to Do Them) and The Incomplete Book of Running. In this episode, we cover what it's like to be the target of Fox, Bill O'Reilly, and an evangelical megachurch pastor, the reason why it works to make fun of Bill Clinton's sexual peccadillos but not Donald Trump's, the flawed assumption that renders the US Constitution impotent these days, and why it's a good thing for Peter that I didn't die on August 17, 2022. I know you will enjoy this episode with the one and only Peter Sagal.

On June 10, 2020, Isabella Thallas was out for a walk in the Ballpark neighborhood with her boyfriend Darian Simon and his dog, Rocco. Out of nowhere, Bella — as friends and family called her — was killed and Darian was seriously injured. The couple was shot in broad daylight by a man they had never met. Peter Sagal is the longtime host of NPR’s “Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell Me” and a Chicago resident, but he was so compelled by the lack of coverage of this particular Denver shooting that he decided to write about it himself. Host Bree Davies sits down with Sagal to discuss his recent report for The Atlantic , “Killed For Walking a Dog: The mundanity and insanity of gun death in America.” Bree mentioned the response we got to our recent e-bikes episode from Denver’s Climate Action Office, which operates the city’s wildly popular e-bike rebate program. Here are a couple of key comments from the spokesperson’s response: "I wanted to take a moment and share that our [ Office of Social Equity and Innovation ] team has actually pointed to our agency as an example of how to fold equity into this work, not as an afterthought. We’re pretty proud of that, and of the fact that most of the funding for e-bikes has gone towards the income-qualified program." "Ben Chavez brings up a good point about access, and I think we collectively – in the city and beyond – are thinking about the many ways people need to get around. The Office of Climate Action weighs in on some of the how. E-bikes are a cleaner option and can often replace car trips; we don’t intend for everyone to adopt e-bikes. They are one part of the broader mobility puzzle. We will probably need cars for a good number of decades ahead us (hopefully mostly EVs soon enough), and the driving experience for people who need cars, such as larger families or multigenerational households, should improve as other options emerge." Catch more news from across Colorado in the City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Colorado Tattoo Convention (9/30 - 10/2) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer Mary Roach and NPR host Peter Sagal discuss Ms. Roach’s latest book, “Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law”. Mary Roach is the author of six New York Times bestsellers. Roach has written for National Geographic, Wired, The New York Times Magazine, and Clinical Anatomy. Her TED talk made the TED 20 Most Watched list. Roach has been a guest editor for The Best American Science and Nature Writing, a finalist for the Royal Society’s Science Book Prize, and a winner of the American Association of Engineering Societies' Engineering Journalism Award. Mary Roach’s books have been published in 21 languages. Peter Sagal is the host of the Peabody Award-winning NPR news quiz show “Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!” He is a playwright, screenwriter, amateur athlete, and host of several documentaries, including Constitution USA with Peter Sagal on PBS. Sagal has contributed to Opera News, Saveur, Finesse, The New York Times Magazine, Chicago magazine , and was the "Road Scholar" columnist for Runner’s World. He's also won the Kurt Vonnegut Humor Award from the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library. Sagal is host to a number of podcasts, including HBO’s “The Chernobyl Podcast” and “The Plot Against America Podcast.”