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.
2426
How Economists Define Poverty
On The Gist, we examine a historically very loose measure—the poverty line. When we hear about the “supplemental poverty measure” in the news, is that a more valuable number? We ask our regular guest Adam Davidson to explain....
28 min
2427
Where to Find the Best Stories
Today on The Gist, professional storyteller Matthew Dicks returns to share a daily exercise for every aspiring storyteller. He’s the author of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. For the Spiel: Mike Pesca may not vocal-fry, but he sure hears...
26 min
2428
Mike Pesca's Origin Story, as Told by His Parents
On The Gist, an unusual episode about an unusual coincidence among our staff. Both Mike Pesca and managing producer Joel Meyer were born in cars in the 1970s. First up, Neila Pesca and Joe Pesca tell the story of the ultimate driveway moment, when our...
29 min
2429
Summer BS Edition
On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker addresses the burning questions of the summer season, including the truth about SPF and the weirdness of ice cream headaches. Plus, filmmaker Jennifer Nelson explains how new research...
29 min
2430
That's Just Sand In My Eye!
In 1997, the deaths of Notorious B.I.G. and Princess Diana left America looking for musical catharsis. The Gist, our regular guest Chris Molanphy explores how tribute songs came to dominate the Billboard chart from 1997, with a sprinkling of a few...
27 min
2431
How to Survive Mark Sanford
Today on The Gist, Barton Swaim gives us a glimpse inside the world of a certain former governor of South Carolina. Swain’s new book is called The Speechwriter. Plus, Dr. Jeffrey Lewis responds to lingering criticisms of the Iran nuclear...
30 min
2432
Debt Ratings Are Like The Emmys
Four years ago today, the U.S. debt rating by Standard & Poor’s was downgraded from AAA to AA+. An assortment of politicians and rich people warned us this would be a day we’d never forget. We forgot. On The Gist, Adam...
28 min
2433
BPA! BPS! Are They BS?
When you drink from a BPA-free water bottle, is it still safe from "leeching" plastics? On The Gist, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker to examine the research into BPA plastics for a game we...
19 min
2434
Trump's Star Begins to Dim
Donald Trump is a clear leader in national polls, but for how long? If it was anyone else, would we be more impressed? On The Gist, Harry Enten from FiveThirtyEight explains how Trump’s inevitable fall from the top of GOP candidate polls could...
25 min
2435
The Man Behind “Cabin Boy” Sails On
On the day Adam Resnick learned what an internship was, he called up Late Night With David Letterman. From there, his career would be marked by cult classics he’d rather not revisit. We’ll revisit. Hear the story of Resnick’s...
27 min
2436
Ted Cruz Hits the Road
On The Gist, Politico’s Manu Raju joins us from the Senate Periodical Press Gallery to discuss the recent Ted Cruz blowup in the Senate, and its lasting impact on his relationship with the GOP. How might his disregard for traditional procedure...
25 min
2437
Bed Bugs Are Unvanquishable and It’s Our Fault
On The Gist, science writer Brooke Borel explains how a bed bug infestation in 2004 landed her in the ER and later became a consuming area of research. She’s the author of Infested: How the Bed Bug Infiltrated Our Bedrooms and Took Over the...
26 min
2438
Yes MSG
On The Gist, a clear explanation of the many dangers of monosodium glutamate, or MSG. Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker to examine the research for a game we call “Is That Bulls--t?” She’s the...
21 min
2439
Work Harder, America
Are Americans not working hard enough? Jeb Bush told the New Hampshire Union Leader, “Workforce participation has to rise from its all-time modern lows. It means that people need to work longer hours and through their productivity gain more...
22 min
2440
Overcoming the Intraoffice Cold Shoulder
When a colleague in your office suddenly freezes you out without explanation, what’s the best course of action? On The Gist, Emily Yoffe of Slate’s Dear Prudence column advises a woman on how to deal with tension created by a...
26 min
2441
Step Inside the Juiceboxxx
On the heels of our conversation with Slate’s Leon Neyfakh about his book The Next Next Level, The Gist talks with the book’s subject, the rap artist Juiceboxxx. Today Juice tells his own story, and explains what...
25 min
2442
First Taste of the Juiceboxxx
On The Gist, Mike shares an important lesson about Connecticut he discovered as a guest on the Colin McEnroe Show today. Then, Slate’s Leon Neyfakh tells the story of how his early friendship with the...
26 min
2443
Comedy Isn’t Pretty
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner recently said that beautiful women are “usually not funny.” Is there anything to that? On The Gist, TV producer Mike Schur reacts to that statement and discusses the role of funny but attractive unicorns on...
28 min
2444
American Exceptionalism Rah-Rah
On The Gist, Ian Bremmer from the Eurasia Group has explored three options for what kind of country America should be: independent, moneyball, or indispensable. He defines these terms on the show, and in his book Superpower: Three Choices for...
28 min
2445
A Different Stroke
On The Gist, Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. shares his journey from a 19-year-old rock star with massive hair, to a sober 35-year-old with a solo side project (and less hair). His new album, Momentary Masters, is available for preorder,...
33 min
2446
To Strangle a Flamingo
On The Gist, one question with Frank Deford. Then, are the core issues of traditional social conservatism on the wane? Slate’s Reihan Salam explains why some Republicans may change their focus from gay marriage to the economy,...
26 min
2447
Let's Grade a Deal (Iran Edition)
Even the most qualified arms control experts had little confidence that the Iran deal would even happen, much less be good. On The Gist, Dr. Jeffrey Lewis explains why you have to hate deals in order to dislike the Iran deal. Lewis hosts Mike’s...
25 min
2448
Smile If You’re a Democrat
On The Gist, a wave of Trump talk crashed down on the weekend news shows. We have the highlights. Plus, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker to examine the scientific merits of political personality studies in a series we...
18 min
2449
Keep News Weird
In the age of the vast and insatiable Internet, where zany headlines are compiled by the hive-mind, is it possible that the very notion of weird has been diluted? On The Gist, Slate contributing editor Dan Engber explores changing standards for the...
27 min
2450
The Art of Porn
Today on The Gist, something none of us know anything about—porn. Pesca is away, but Felix Salmon from Fusion, Piper Text (and, of course, Slate Money) will be your guide. First up, we explore the difference...
26 min