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.
1976
A Playwright in the Rust Belt
Lynn Nottage on her Pulitzer Prize–winning Broadway show Sweat.
23 min
1977
Donald Trump, Body Snatcher
Why is it so hard to talk about Trump without sounding like warmed-over commentary on CNN?
23 min
1978
The Colony and the Nation
MSNBC host Chris Hayes on how the law-and-order policies of Richard Nixon have created a bifurcated America
33 min
1979
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
1980
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
1981
Tom Ricks: “It’s Shakespearean”
A longtime defense policy reporter on the tragedy unfolding in the Trump White House.
30 min
1982
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
1983
Can We Really Fix College Sports?
Obama’s education secretary, Arne Duncan, wants to help college athletes out of their plight.
20 min
1984
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
1985
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
1986
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
1987
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
1988
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
1989
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
1990
The Man Who Wrote the Comey Memo
How did Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein become a presidential hatchet man?
24 min
1991
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
1992
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
1993
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
1994
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
1995
Sarah Manguso’s Words to Live By
The author and poet writes aphorisms for modern times in her new book 300 Arguments.
25 min
1996
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
1997
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
1998
The Incredible Lucas Brothers
Why twins should avoid mushrooms and other life lessons from stand-up comedy duo Keith and Kenny Lucas.
27 min
1999
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
2000
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