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.
2151
Where’s the Beef in Trump’s Ground Game?
Donald Trump’s get-out-the-vote effort defies convention. Then again, so does the entire 2016 presidential campaign.
23 min
2152
Rapid Response: The First Presidential Debate
The “debate of the century” was a bizarre bit of political theatre. But it was also deeply predictable.
9 min
2153
This Debate Is Not the Super Bowl
The first presidential debate may be spectacular, but it lacks the final, unspinnable outcome of a sporting event.
13 min
2154
Is Your Favorite World Oddity Wondrous Enough f...
Atlas Obscura’s first printed book is your guide to Cincinnati’s lost subway, Sweden’s nose museum, and the salt-cured mummies of Iran.
28 min
2155
A How-Not-To Manual for Presidents
America’s 15th president was a committed waffler: James Buchanan refused to take a stance on the country’s wide-open question of slavery and helped usher in the Civil War.
27 min
2156
How Filmmakers Faked the Moon Landing Inside Re...
Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller tricked America’s space agency into helping them with the new conspiracy mockumentary, Operation Avalanche.
23 min
2157
Maureen Dowd Wants a Candidate Like H.W. Again
The New York Times columnist on her new book, The Year of Voting Dangerously, and what we’re missing about Donald Trump
27 min
2158
How Do We Fix Down-Ballot Elections?
Gerrymandering, bathroom bills, and big money from the Koch brothers: Reid Wilson walks us through the state of state and local races.
29 min
2159
“Mrs. Robinson,” “Hey Jude,” and Some Utter Sch...
1968 was a year of protest and political upheaval, but the Billboard charts were dominated by novelty hits and a singing Herb Alpert.
26 min
2160
The Great Tightening, Explained
Recent polls show the gap between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is closing, but FiveThirtyEight analyst Harry Enten says Clinton still has a hefty lead.
25 min
2161
Are Southpaws Really Criminals?
Maria Konnikova explains if being right- or left-handed determines how you think. Plus, Mike finds the one U.S. voter who likes both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
26 min
2162
Hillary’s Campaign Manager on Pneumonia, Swing ...
Robby Mook talks about Hillary Clinton’s tough week and the struggle to pin down Trump. Plus, the rise and fall of jai alai.
36 min
2163
What Does the Charity World Think of the Clinto...
What kind of rep does it have in philanthropy, and does political power warp the giving economy?
32 min
2164
Tony Kornheiser Will Make Fun of Your Pants
The host of The Tony Kornheiser Show is allergic to pretense, intrigued by podcasting, and disconcerted by Costco.
26 min
2165
Courting Controversy With Drew Magary
Deadspin’s author of the “Why Your Team Sucks” series explains his approach to reporting on people he finds kind of horrifying.
25 min
2166
Telling Jokes in the Age of Trigger Warnings
Comedian Karith Foster and director Ted Balaker take on the over-the-top reactions facing comedians on campus in Can We Take a Joke?
26 min
2167
A GOP Apostate Explains Her Vote for Hillary
Kori Schake, a former Bush adviser, says a write-in vote for this year’s presidential election would be a waste.
29 min
2168
The Year Nirvana Lost Out to Bryan Adams
1991 marked the beginning of a decade of musical narrowcasting. With Kurt Cobain and A Tribe Called Quest splitting the vote, Color Me Badd rose to the top.
27 min
2169
Do You Rely on GPS? Thank Chuck E. Cheese and W...
In Pinpoint, Greg Milner chronicles how a conservative pundit, the military, and a pizza impresario made GPS ubiquitous.
21 min
2170
A Sympathetic Serial Imposter
Joshua Marston’s new film, Complete Unknown, depicts a woman who can’t stop changing her identity.
24 min
2171
There’s a Viking on the Delta
The lead singer of the Icelandic band Kaleo found his inspiration in the blues music of the Deep South.
28 min
2172
The ’80s Really Were the Best
Hadley Freeman wondered why the movies of her 1980s childhood seemed so special. So she went back and asked her favorite actors and directors.
25 min
2173
W. Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu Want Equal Time
The hosts of Politically Re-Active tend to agree on the issues that fascinate them. But they each want to say their piece.
27 min
2174
Why We’ve Never Learned to Stop Worrying and Lo...
A painter, a Vietnam vet, and a nun walk into a nuclear storage facility. So begins Dan Zak’s fascination with the Pandora’s box of weaponry.
24 min
2175
Women’s Gymnastics Gets the Hard-Boiled Treatment
Intense personalities, high stakes, and restrained rivalry: The world of women’s gymnastics is the perfect setting for a suspense novel.
20 min