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
O Great Confessor Google
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz combs internet search data to uncover secrets that elude pollsters.
29 min
1977
You Can’t Say That, Mr. Senator
Guest host Zoe Chace talks to Al Franken about jokes you can’t say out loud in Washington.
35 min
1978
The Path of Most Resistance
New Republic editor Jeet Heer on how the election of Donald Trump has remade the Democratic Party.
27 min
1979
A Playwright in the Rust Belt
Lynn Nottage on her Pulitzer Prize–winning Broadway show Sweat.
23 min
1980
Donald Trump, Body Snatcher
Why is it so hard to talk about Trump without sounding like warmed-over commentary on CNN?
23 min
1981
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
1982
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
1983
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
1984
Tom Ricks: “It’s Shakespearean”
A longtime defense policy reporter on the tragedy unfolding in the Trump White House.
30 min
1985
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
1986
Can We Really Fix College Sports?
Obama’s education secretary, Arne Duncan, wants to help college athletes out of their plight.
20 min
1987
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
1988
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
1989
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
1990
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
1991
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
1992
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
1993
The Man Who Wrote the Comey Memo
How did Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein become a presidential hatchet man?
24 min
1994
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
1995
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
1996
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
1997
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
1998
Sarah Manguso’s Words to Live By
The author and poet writes aphorisms for modern times in her new book 300 Arguments.
25 min
1999
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
2000
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