The Gist
For thirty minutes each day, Pesca challenges himself and his audience, in a responsibly provocative style, and gets beyond the rigidity and dogma. The Gist is surprising, reasonable, and willing to critique the left, the right, either party, or any idea.
1651
Killed, Then Counted
Police killed more than 1,100 people last year. And yes, there’s a racial disparity.
27 min
1652
Behind the Scenes of Slow Burn
Slate podcasters Leon Neyfakh and Andrew Parsons on how Watergate fever compares to today’s investigations into Russia and the 2016 election.
28 min
1653
It’s Fan Service or Bust
Some comedians have a “kill or be killed” relationship with their audiences. Anjelah Johnson just gives them what they want.
28 min
1654
Your Brain Is Bad With Money
But being aware of that can help you spend it more wisely (or better yet, save it).
33 min
1655
Hobby Lobby Is Just Getting Started
The chain’s evangelical founders are spending millions on putting the Bible at the center of American life.
30 min
1656
Deplorables and Snowflakes
Ken Stern thinks we should quit it with the name-calling.
31 min
1657
Tax Bill Ballyhoo
Why Trump’s economic predictions don’t pass the smell test.
26 min
1658
Trickle Down Now
Is it possible that Republicans were damned whether or not they passed their tax bill?
27 min
1659
Behind the Scenes at The Daily
Michael Barbaro and Theo Balcomb share their secrets.
31 min
1660
Don’t Worry if Baby Turns Orange
Maria Konnikova tells us about the foods that can dramatically change your skin’s hue ... and when to see a doctor about it.
25 min
1661
Jeff Ross Got Bored, So He Got Political
The comedian’s latest roast takes the conversation around immigration down to the U.S.-Mexico border.
32 min
1662
Revisiting Another Democratic Wave
How Chris Hurst became one of Virginia’s newest state representatives, with some indirect help from a petting zoo.
18 min
1663
The Underdog and the Bully
The Alabama election, as much of an upset as it was, restored a sense of normalcy in politics.
24 min
1664
It’s Partisanship, Stupid
Don’t blame a Roy Moore win on low black turnout.
28 min
1665
The Abortion Fight Led Us Here
The downside of progress is that someone has to lose. Where does all that energy go? In Alabama, a lot of it is going to Roy Moore.
25 min
1666
Drama in Alabama
Our man in Birmingham explains how Roy Moore went from political pariah to anti-establishment champion.
27 min
1667
Can You Win as the Party of Purity?
Dahlia Lithwick says Democrats are stuck in a downward spiral of doing the honorable thing and hoping Republicans will meet them halfway.
23 min
1668
Next Falls Franken?
Senate Democrats are clambering up to secure the moral high ground.
26 min
1669
The Boys Club on the Bus
They couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. But did they really put a thumb on the scales of the election?
29 min
1670
Pete Souza’s Photo Synthesis
The Obama presidency, distilled into 5 pounds’ worth of pictures.
26 min
1671
Bob Saget Doesn’t Think He’s That Raunchy
And he doesn’t like guardrails on comedy.
26 min
1672
Life Is Like Pachinko
It’s a popular game of chance in Korea. It’s also a metaphor for the Korean Japanese experience in Min Jin Lee’s swoonworthy novel.
26 min
1673
A Founding Fathers Bromance
The on-again, off-again friendship between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
36 min
1674
The Problem With America’s Rich
Is the top 20 percent of the country hogging opportunities that would otherwise go to the middle class?
32 min
1675
Is Neocon Nation-Building Done For?
Elliott Abrams wants U.S. support for democracy in the Arab world.
29 min