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.
1801
Ben Wittes Digs Out
The editor of Lawfare returns to wade through the past two weeks’ worth of ENSH (errant national security horses--t).
27 min
1802
Everyone Looks Presidential on Air Force One
Josh King on why Donald Trump is looking kind of respectable during his first foreign trip.
26 min
1803
Tom Ricks: “It’s Shakespearean”
A longtime defense policy reporter on the tragedy unfolding in the Trump White House.
30 min
1804
Jon Glaser Is Conflicted
The star of Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter isn’t sure the world needs more dumb jokes, but he’s making them anyway.
25 min
1805
Can We Really Fix College Sports?
Obama’s education secretary, Arne Duncan, wants to help college athletes out of their plight.
20 min
1806
Roger Ailes Created This Mess
Isaac Chotiner on the death of a man who created Fox News and elevated Trump to political power.
30 min
1807
Why Things Went South in Alabama
John Archibald, dean of the Alabama press corps, unpacks the scandal that brought down his state’s governor.
24 min
1808
Encounters With the Very, Very Famous
Chuck Klosterman on his new book X, which includes profiles of everyone from Kobe Bryant to Taylor Swift.
26 min
1809
Chasing the Bauble With Brooke Gladstone
The On The Media host says press tallies of Trump lies are not enough; we have to cover the consequences.
29 min
1810
Are Bilinguals Really Smarter?
Our social science sleuth Maria Konnikova returns to take on the question of whether bilinguals are brighter than the rest of us.
25 min
1811
Clint Watts, Testifier Extraordinaire
The star of March’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing says we need to get better at knowing information warfare when we see it.
29 min
1812
The Man Who Wrote the Comey Memo
How did Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein become a presidential hatchet man?
24 min
1813
Are We Smart Enough to Be a Direct Democracy?
Foreign Policy editor David Rothkopf asks The Great Questions of Tomorrow in his new book.
24 min
1814
The Formation of Stephen Miller
The Trump administration’s wunderkind adviser made his name as a student pundit during the Duke lacrosse scandal.
27 min
1815
What’s in the Bill? With Sarah Kliff
The Vox healthcare writer returns to discuss the AHCA, which passed the House on Thursday.
24 min
1816
Observing Obscura Day
On Saturday, May 6th adherents to the Atlas Obscura worldview will venture out to explore oddities near and far. We checked out a funky neon shop in our neighborhood.
22 min
1817
Sarah Manguso’s Words to Live By
The author and poet writes aphorisms for modern times in her new book 300 Arguments.
25 min
1818
Red Feed, Blue Feed With Cass Sunstein
The Harvard professor on his new book, #Republic, which looks at what’s new about American polarization.
20 min
1819
Facing Your Genetic Destiny
New York Times science reporter Gina Kolata looks at a mysterious disease and the diagnosis that almost tore a family apart
25 min
1820
The Incredible Lucas Brothers
Why twins should avoid mushrooms and other life lessons from stand-up comedy duo Keith and Kenny Lucas.
27 min
1821
When Did Late Night Stop Being Fun?
Comedian Guy Branum on the “controlled fun” of late night, and how Talk Show: The Game Show promises to fix that.
27 min
1822
The Populists Cannot Win
Slate columnist and Harvard lecturer Yascha Mounk on what we can learn from the rise of populism in Europe.
27 min
1823
The Clinton Campaign Tell-All
In the book, Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign, Jonathan Allen and his co-author, Amie Parnes, detail an organization beset by infighting, fatalism, and a fundamentally weak candidate.
26 min
1824
Moshe Kasher Is Not an Activist
Comedy Central’s Problematic is part talk show and part town hall, tilting at a variety of incendiary topics and urging candid discussion. Can it also be funny?
29 min
1825
When the ’80s Went Pro
In 1987, the big acts got bigger. Hair metal got hairier. Slick pop stars got slicker. And Michael Jackson was Bad as ever.
28 min