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.
2176
Thank God This Guy’s President
On The Gist, Slate’s Fred Kaplan explains how recent GOP rhetoric plays perfectly into the bad guys’ plans. He’s the author of The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War and 1959: The Year...
24 min
2177
Is Income Inequality Our Biggest Problem?
On The Gist, the real reason why government programs like Medicaid and food stamps show little to no impact on the poverty rate. We get into the specifics with Vox editor Ezra Klein. Check out his new podcast The Weeds, from Panoply. For the Spiel,...
24 min
2178
The Parents of Jordan Davis
On The Gist, a parent’s worst nightmare. Three years ago this week, Ron Davis and Lucia McBath’s 17-year-old son was shot while Black Friday shopping with his friends. The HBO documentary 3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets tells the story of...
29 min
2179
The Current Standing of Standing Desks
On The Gist, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker to stand up to tell us about dangers of sitting. She’s the author of The Confidence Game, now available for preorder. For the Spiel, Mike examines the spooky,...
28 min
2180
From Carson’s Couch to Nixon’s Enemies List
On The Gist, comedian David Steinberg joins us to share favorite tales from his life making comedy history. His new show is called The David Steinberg Podcast. For the Spiel, Mike takes on the manhunt for Saleh Abdeslam in...
25 min
2181
Playwright David Hare
Screenwriter and dramatist David Hare has written about the Chinese revolution, the U.S. financial crisis, privatization of the railways, and now, finally, his own story. On The Gist, the award-winning playwright will discuss on his new memoir The...
30 min
2182
Psychic Spies and the CIA
On The Gist, reporter Jim Popkin tells us about his Newsweek cover story, “Meet the Former Pentagon Scientist Who Says Psychics Can Help American Spies.” For the Spiel, advice for the 31 state governors who say they’ll not be taking...
23 min
2183
Only 10% of Our Brains?
On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker examines how we utilize our grey matter for a segment we call “Is That Bulls--t?” Her new book, The Confidence Game, is now available for preorder. For the Spiel, why Fox News...
14 min
2184
150 Foiled Terrorism Plots
On The Gist, a look at what technologies have been the most helpful in deterring another major terrorist attack. Our guest Dr. Gary LaFree is the director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, a Department...
15 min
2185
Was Paris a Tactical Mistake?
Immediately after the Paris attacks, French President François Hollande called the terrorism “an act of war.” Then on Meet the Press, White House staffer Ben Rhodes went further, saying, “We’ve been at war with ISIS for...
25 min
2186
A Devastating Film About Facing Adulthood
On The Gist, director Josh Mond and actor Christopher Abbott join us in studio to discuss their film James White. During our chat, we’ll learn that Mond’s influences include González Iñárritu, Joachim Trier and the...
29 min
2187
Subtlety Sucks!
Have we failed to critically celebrate heavy-handedness? On The Gist, Slate’s Forrest Wickman explains when subtlety works to the detriment of a work of art. He recently wrote the cover story “Against Subtlety” for Slate. For the...
23 min
2188
Is 35 the Ovum/under?
On The Gist, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker to examine the research into the link between age and fertility for men and women. She’s the author of The Confidence Game, now available for preorder. For the...
30 min
2189
The Great Compromiser
On The Gist, author Harlow Giles Unger tells us about the great compromiser of America’s formative years, former Speaker of the House Henry Clay. Read more in Unger’s book Henry Clay: America's Greatest Statesman. For the Spiel, a look at...
29 min
2190
Why Trump Wasn’t Funny on SNL
On The Gist, a show about art and prostitutes up now at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The Wall Street Journal’s Mary M. Lane will share her highlights from “New Objectivity: Modern German Art in the Weimar Republic,...
29 min
2191
Chaka Khan vs. Deep Purple vs. The Smiths
On The Gist, music writer Chris Molanphy explains why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is often frustratingly arbitrary. For example, the millions of fan votes from their website count as much toward the impact on the final selection process as the vote...
25 min
2192
Ben Carson: The Doctor Is In Tune
On The Gist, a new show at Musée d’Orsay in Paris is the first to tell the story of prostitution in art, 1850–1910. Our guest Mary Lane from the Wall Street Journal will share the highlights. Then, we check back in with...
27 min
2193
Bacon Makes Everything Better, Except Your Colon
On The Gist, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker about her beef with the World Health Organization. Their recent headlines draw attention to a link between processed meats and cancer risk. Is that bulls--t? Maria’s new book The...
25 min
2194
Prisoner Rehabilitation Is Not That Easy
When thinking about America’s prison problem, at some point we’re going to have to begin asking how we’re going to treat violent offenders differently. On The Gist, Fordham law professor John Pfaff joins us for the rest of our...
26 min
2195
Ending Mass Incarceration Is Not That Easy
If you’re 42 or younger, you’ve never lived in a safer America than today. But if you were alive in 1960, today’s crime rates are twice as high as they were then. Could that be why older politicians are resisting prison reform? On...
33 min
2196
Played by Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and M...
On The Gist, the film Spotlight depicts serious investigative journalism without the usual guns, car cases, and explosions. We speak with subjects from the film including journalists Walter “Robby” Robinson (played by Michael Keaton),...
31 min
2197
An Unforgettable Technique for Telling Riveting...
On The Gist, professional storyteller Matthew Dicks tells a story about how to tell better stories. It all comes down to the stakes. For the Spiel, a moment in the CNBC GOP debates draws attention to the use of “that” and “who”...
26 min
2198
Is Salt Still Bad for You?
For many Americans, the salt you sprinkle on your steak has less of an impact on daily sodium intake than what you pour into your … cereal bowl? On The Gist, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker to examine the...
24 min
2199
Unnatural … Pauses in “NPR Voice”
On The Gist, should we fear a league of robots taking away our teaching jobs? Slate’s Will Oremus explains why even the smartest teaching tools still need a teacher’s guiding hand. He recently wrote the feature “No More Pencils, No...
25 min
2200
Why Jeff Bezos Went From No. 1 to No. 87
On The Gist, why the Harvard Business Review’s list of top-performing CEOs has adopted a new formula. The magazine’s editor Adi Ignatius explains why this year’s rankings decided to factor in ESG, the catchall term used to discuss a...
24 min