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.
1926
Bob Boilen: Tiny Desk, Big Effect
The man who brought us NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, asked a bunch of musicians about their influences. Guess which artists picked their own songs?
28 min
1927
Good Grief
Comedian Laurie Kilmartin has tips to help you boost your Twitter following and mourn your dying parent at the same time.
26 min
1928
The Home Movie That Changed America
Abraham Zapruder captured a presidential assassination by accident. Now his granddaughter wrestles with his legacy.
27 min
1929
LifeAfter’s Mac Rogers
Audio dramatist Mac Rogers discusses the resurgence of radio theater in the U.S. and his own work on the podcast drama, LifeAfter.
22 min
1930
When There Was No Ducking Disco
Listening back to Billboard hits of 1976, the year that gave us the Disco Duck.
27 min
1931
The Year of Bill Camp
The actor who brought us the “subtle beast” in HBO’s The Night Of imagines the Salem witch trials with a Long Island accent.
28 min
1932
We’re Going Into Labor
Journalist Steven Greenhouse says union membership has plummeted in the past 50 years, and Democrats haven’t done enough to fight Republican-backed anti-labor measures.
24 min
1933
Thank God for Hedonists
Work hard, play harder, build a global economy? Author Steven Johnson says frivolity, not necessity, is the mother of invention.
25 min
1934
Our Inflamer-In-Chief
Sparks of international conflict are snuffed out around the world before we ever hear about it. How could that change under the Trump administration?
25 min
1935
Do Strict Voter Laws Make a Difference?
Voting law expert Rick Hasen on the many ways Republican states try to suppress turnout.
24 min
1936
We Could Use Jon Stewart Right Now
Chris Smith is the compiler of new oral history The Daily Show (The Book), which focuses on Stewart’s cultural legacy.
27 min
1937
Putin Plays the Long Game
Obama’s second ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, on the Rex Tillerson nomination and how the U.S. should approach Russia post-hacking.
23 min
1938
Let’s Talk About Rex
Houston Chronicle energy reporter James Osborne on Trump’s left-field pick for secretary of state.
23 min
1939
Don’t Tell Kyle Kinane What To Do
The comedian from Netflix’s Love is still fuming about all those “I voted” stickers.
27 min
1940
Getting Held Back in Racial Justice Class
What did the Black Lives Matter movement accomplish? Writer Jeff Chang reflects on a complicated year.
25 min
1941
Boeing, Get Off My Plane!
Is $4 billion a lot for Air Force One? Or is Trump looking for savings in all the wrong places?
22 min
1942
It’s Much Bigger Than O.J.
Ezra Edelman, director of the ESPN doc O.J.: Made in America, on how his film addresses race, class, the Los Angeles Police Department and celebrity culture.
26 min
1943
The Blueprint for Trumpcare
Vox writer Sarah Kliff has read seven possible Republican health care plans. Here’s what she learned.
27 min
1944
The Chaos Doctrine
Not so fast, neat freaks: The Undercover Economist explains how a cluttered space makes you work smarter.
27 min
1945
Dissecting the Carrier Deal
Aaron Renn of the Manhattan Institute on Trump’s first deal as president-elect.
25 min
1946
What’s Bunk About Brainstorming
Maria Konnikova wonders, “How about we touch base later and piggyback on a few of these ideas?”
23 min
1947
Why Working People Left the Democrats
Author Thomas Frank says the Democratic Party deserted labor years ago, and he sees little sign of a course correction.
27 min
1948
Stephen Dubner’s Genre-Busting Game Show
The Freakonomics journalist on his new podcast, Tell Me Something I Don’t Know, where expert panelists are taken outside their comfort zones.
24 min
1949
Revenge of the Music Nerds
Year after year, musicians like Chic and Joe Tex wither on the ballot for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now the hall is inviting more critics to vote.
27 min
1950
A Former Breitbart Star Takes On Steve Bannon
Ben Shapiro used to be a writer for Breitbart. Now, he’s an enemy of the alt-right.
27 min