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.
2026
Feet off the Couch, Please
Alyssa Mastromonaco, who served as deputy chief of staff in Obama’s White House, on why mess ups like the Kellyanne Conway couch photo actually matter
24 min
2027
Slobs vs. Snobs
The Free Beacon’s film critic reviews the delightful romp that is our conservative vs. liberal political death match.
23 min
2028
Health Care! It’s Trump’s Problem Now
Slate’s Jordan Weissmann and Jim Newell look at Trump’s no-win situation, a day before the AHCA gets a House vote.
28 min
2029
James Comey’s Slow Drip
The president’s allies are being investigated for connections to Moscow. Are we making a big enough deal of this?
28 min
2030
Cold, Hard Facts with Wendy Zukerman
The Science Vs. host takes on everything from climate change to ghosts on her weekly podcast.
26 min
2031
What’s Next for Travel Ban 2.0
Typically, judges aren’t supposed to use campaign-trail speech to evaluate official policy. Slate legal correspondent Dahlia Lithwick says the travel ban case isn’t typical.
27 min
2032
Dangerous Times With Kelly McEvers
The host of All Things Considered and Embedded reflects on her career as a war reporter and the roots of her new podcast.
32 min
2033
Stretching the Truth With Maria Konnikova
The New Yorker writer returns to investigate whether stretching is really a warm up or a huge safety hazard.
23 min
2034
Todd Barry Would Rather Be Drumming
Why stand-up is better than substitute-teaching but not as cool as playing the bongos.
24 min
2035
See You in Court!
Lawfare’s Ben Wittes on some lingering questions about Trump’s new executive order on immigration.
25 min
2036
Survey Says …
Toggling between red and blue Facebook to take the nation’s political temperature? There’s a better way.
26 min
2037
Trump’s Azerbaijan Problem
The New Yorker’s Adam Davidson looked into one of the Trump Organization’s most questionable deals and found lots of red flags.
32 min
2038
A Beautiful Health Care Plan, Just Terrific
Vox writer Sarah Kliff returns to break down the new health care bill.
25 min
2039
Moneyball for the Israeli Military
In his latest book, Michael Lewis studies the Israeli psychologists who changed decision-making forever
22 min
2040
The Fonz Talks About Fonts
Actor and author Henry Winkler on Happy Days and how he came to terms with dyslexia through his Hank Zipzer books.
28 min
2041
The Year “Gangnam” Was Robbed
When everyone was spoofing “Call Me Maybe” and a Swedish song factory in Sweden was taking over the charts.
32 min
2042
The Bard of Florida
Humorist Dave Barry stands up for the Sunshine State. Someone has to.
25 min
2043
Coming to America With Maeve Higgins
The Irish comedian tells disparate, inspiring, scary tales of immigrants coming to America in her podcast.
28 min
2044
A World Disorder Doctrine
Don’t worry about China. Do worry about North Korea. And reassure global allies. Foreign policy expert Richard Haas has some advice for the president.
26 min
2045
Gonzo Journalism
Brad Meltzer delves into the story of Jim Henson’s life and legacy in the latest installment of his biography series for kids.
27 min
2046
George Saunders’ American Ghosts
With his first novel, Saunders traverses the afterlife with Abraham Lincoln’s son.
27 min
2047
An Experiment to Save Local News in Nevada
Veteran reporter Jon Ralston on his independent news startup and covering politics in the ultimate purple state.
21 min
2048
On Saddam Hussein’s Case
Former CIA analyst John Nixon spent years studying former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein—his rise to power, his frustration with the U.S., his bad poetry.
27 min
2049
Facing the News Like a Poker Champ
Guest host Maria Konnikova speaks with Annie Duke about how champion card players stay calm during hard times
29 min
2050
Andy Zaltzman Is Back at Exactly the Right Time
The British satirist reboots his influential comedy show The Bugle, just in time for Brexit and a Trump White House.
29 min