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.
1776
This Storm Ain't Brewing
Even if the courts let Stormy Daniels speak out, what could she say about Trump that we don't already know?
28 min
1777
Will Democracy Survive Trump?
Cass Sunstein had big thinkers write about the question, and they weren't all optimistic.
23 min
1778
Are Receipts Toxic?
How concerned should we be about receipt paper? Maria Konnikova helps us investigate.
16 min
1779
The Year Groove Went Mainstream
Closing out the decade, 1969 sent the sound of flower power and psychedelic pop to the top of the charts.
27 min
1780
Hot or Not: Presidents' Edition
We're talking looks, physique, and charisma.
23 min
1781
The Rogue at State
How Rex Tillerson botched the one thing he could have done to improve the State Department and please Trump.
27 min
1782
The Heroes of Colombia
Why do we know so much about Colombia's narcos and so little about the people who risked everything to fight them?
31 min
1783
Russian Doping, Revisited
We dip into the archives for our interview with Bryan Fogel about his documentary, Icarus. The film just won an Academy Award.
29 min
1784
North Korea Is Setting the Table
And we should be worried that president Trump will have a seat and be himself.
29 min
1785
No Rules for the Wicked
Kellyanne Conway's violation of the Hatch Act isn't calamitous, but it's one of countless trespasses by the Trump team.
19 min
1786
Guns, Controlled
New York State (and NYC) are shining models of how to cut gun violence.
26 min
1787
The Scapegoat in Chinatown
How did a small, family run bank in New York wind up in court after the 2008 financial crisis? An Oscar-nominated documentary tells the story.
27 min
1788
Ben Carson's Not Worth the Outrage
His "dining set" fiasco is small potatoes compared to the ongoing disaster that is the Trump administration.
26 min
1789
Rejecting Jared
In 2016, Trump insisted he wasn't trying to get a top security clearance for his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. See? Now it's finally true.
25 min
1790
Watching for a Backtrack
Trump's concessions on immigration didn't last a week. Will White House staff swoop in to revise his comments on guns, too?
24 min
1791
Heal Thyself, Dana Loesch
The NRA's spokeswoman is a capable spin doctor. But she can't live up to her own media criticism.
32 min
1792
The Abbreviated Highlight Reel of Stacey Dash
Today, in "Congressional Candidates Who Cannot Possibly Win."
31 min
1793
Dissing Dianne Feinstein
Why is a lioness of the Senate being spurned by the California Democratic Party?
29 min
1794
Don't Fall for It
Arming educators is a recipe for disaster. It's also an utterly unserious proposal.
27 min
1795
Who Can Check Big Tech?
Can the companies who build our smartphones and run our social networks be regulated? Or will they have to regulate themselves?
30 min
1796
The World Is Coming Up Roses
War, murder, poverty, and disease: They're all trending downward here on planet Earth.
30 min
1797
Free Money City
Once bankrupt, Stockton, California, will soon test the effects of universal basic income.
26 min
1798
Ban the AR-15
It's a no-brainer: Taking the mass killer's weapon of choice off store shelves would save lives.
26 min
1799
Which Side Are You On?
What the Quinn Norton fracas and the latest Twix bar marketing campaign have in common.
28 min
1800
Runaway Military Spending
Are we hiking the defense budget mostly out of habit?
22 min