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.
2301
Bernie Down the House
On The Gist, writer Matt Bruenig makes the case for electing Bernie Sanders and explains why the candidate’s top economic advisors say his policies could bring 5.3 percent gross national product growth. For the Spiel, a post-Oscars joke...
24 min
2302
Chappelle's Show Co-Creator Neal Brennan
On The Gist, we speak with the brilliant comic mind Neal Brennan about his new one-man comedy show 3 Mics. It’s showing at the Lynn Redgrave Theater in New York City through mid-March. For the Spiel, a crazy 24 hours in presidential politics....
28 min
2303
What’s Next for #OscarsSoWhite?
On The Gist, why the Oscars matter to the future of Hollywood. We discuss the ideas behind #OscarsSoWhite with Slate’s Aisha Harris and NPR TV critic Eric Deggans. Aisha recently wrote “Why Creed’s Best Picture Snub...
33 min
2304
Whale News!
On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker explains Sigmund Freud’s lasting contributions to psychiatry and castration anxiety everywhere. She’s the author of The Confidence Game. For the Spiel, we dive into whale news from...
22 min
2305
Yuge Tariffs
On The Gist, Adam Davidson explains why he’s rarely enthusiastic about any politicians. How does he feel about experimentations with the American economy proposed by Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders? He’s a columnist for the New York Times...
27 min
2306
Is Bernie’s Agenda More Than Imaginary?
On The Gist, an important update on the Brexit. Then, William Galston joins us to discuss the practical considerations for executing a Bernie Sanders agenda. Can it be done from the executive branch alone? Galston is a senior fellow in Governance...
23 min
2307
Hillary’s Chances in Nevada
On The Gist, Slate’s Will Oremus joins us for a round of “One Question, One Question Only” about Apple’s battle with the U.S. government. Harry Enten from FiveThirtyEight uses his polling expertise to explain what’s ahead...
26 min
2308
We Knew You’d Listen
On The Gist, we knew you were going to listen to this episode about ESP. Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker joins us for a game we call, “Is That Bulls---?” She’s the author of The Confidence Game. For the Spiel, Donald...
25 min
2309
Are You a Super-Encounterer?
On The Gist, Pagan Kennedy explains how writing the New York Times Magazine column “Who Made That?” led her to discover interesting similarities among many inventors. She’s the author of Inventology: How We Dream Up Things That...
24 min
2310
Glory Be to Kanye
On The Gist, a special guest host with some words of wisdom for job applicants. Slate’s Forrest Wickman explains the complexity of Kanye West as an artist and helps dissect the track “Ultralight Beam” from his new album The...
19 min
2311
Acclaimed Actor David Morse
On The Gist, actor David Morse tells us about his role as Big Foster in Outsiders, a new TV series from WGN America. For the Spiel, Mike finds a new appreciation for the furry-hooded coat.
Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive...
26 min
2312
Mike and Frank Take the Stage
On The Gist, Matthew Dicks and your host record the show in the wee hours of the night, after seeing a Bruce Springsteen concert. They’ll present two stories from the Story Collider storytelling night at the Kraine Theater in New York. The first...
38 min
2313
Should We Fear Domestic Terrorism?
On The Gist, the daughter of a Fort Hood victim explains how she became friends with the shooter’s cousin. We’ll speak with the HBO documentary Homegrown’s filmmaker Greg Barker and subjects Kerry Cahill (the daughter), Nader Hasan...
35 min
2314
Is Marijuana Making You Stupid?
On The Gist, Mike’s thoughts on the P-word. Then, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker tells us about the challenge of doing a controlled trial on a controlled substance. She’s the author of The Confidence Game. For the Spiel, Mike...
23 min
2315
Why We Still Care About O.J.
Murder is one of the most venerable subjects of journalism and drama. What was it about the O.J. trail that still entertains? On The Gist. reporter Jeffrey Toobin explains the case’s lasting significance. He’s the author of The Run of His...
27 min
2316
What Time Does the Super Bowl Start?
On The Gist, Slate’s Justin Peters shares his observations from watching every Super Bowl in history over the course of two months. He’s the author of The Idealist: Aaron Swartz and the Rise of Free Culture on the Internet. For the Spiel,...
27 min
2317
What’s a Vote Worth?
On The Gist, Mike identifies the greatest depiction of a zebra in mass media. Here’s the video. The, Dan Pashman from The Sporkful podcast explains how sound influences taste. For the Spiel, if a candidate offered to pay you 2,800 for your vote,...
23 min
2318
Are Lots of Little Babies Synesthetes?
On The Gist, we don’t mention Iowa once! First, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker separates the gold-tinted truth from the rubber-scented fiction when it comes to synesthesia. She’s the author of The Confidence Game. For the...
24 min
2319
Toodle-oo Iowa
On The Gist, listener C. Andrew Frank shares his experience caucusing in Iowa last night. Plus, Slate’s Jamelle Bouie explains what the Iowa results tell us, if anything. For the Spiel, how to discuss Iowa better in the media.
Join Slate Plus!...
27 min
2320
Finally Forgetting Iowa
On The Gist, Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay shares a landmark moment from his cancer recovery—getting annoyed in line at Starbucks. He’s the author of Little Victories: Perfect Rules for Imperfect Living. For the Spiel, the one...
23 min
2321
Seeing Yourself in "Spotlight"
On The Gist, a best-of episode to welcome new listeners who heard our host on Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me this weekend. First, the film Spotlight depicts serious investigative journalism without the usual guns, car chases, and explosions. We speak...
28 min
2322
Obama Did What?
On The Gist, has the bully pulpit been in the hands of a poor communicator? Michael Grunwald from Politico joins us to discuss Obama’s lesser-known accomplishments as discussed in his article “The Nation He Built.” He’s the...
22 min
2323
Jesse Eisenberg, Part 2
Yesterday on The Gist, Jesse Eisenberg performed his story “Marv Albert is My Therapist” alongside your host. Today, they’ll discuss his story collection Bream Gives Me Hiccups and why Eisenberg is drawn to writing dialogue. For the...
29 min
2324
Jesse Eisenberg, Part 1
While researching Ronald Reagan for his new biography, Slate's Jacob Weisberg grew to appreciate the 40th president’s original mind and dedication to writing every day. As he explains on today’s Gist, "We’d give that guy a column in...
23 min
2325
Did Track Palin Get Off Easy?
On The Gist, what factors determine how a domestic abuser is charged? We ask attorney adviser Jane Anderson from AEquitas: The Prosecutors’ Resource on Violence Against Women. For the Spiel, much more ridiculousness in politics from Donald Trump...
19 min