Today on The Gist, we explore the collapse of the bipartisan affordable housing package on Capitol Hill. Then, former Obama deputy national security adviser and chief speechwriter Ben Rhodes returns for the conclusion of his conversation on All We Say: The Battle for American Identity, A History in 15 Speeches . Rhodes reacts to historical audio from nuclear negotiator Wendy Sherman to define the explicit red lines of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, detailing how negotiated limitations and sweeping ...
Jun 24, 2026•31 min•Ep. 3049
Today on The Gist, lack of civic information and public debates available to voters ahead of the New York state assembly primary elections. Then, former Obama deputy national security adviser and chief speechwriter Ben Rhodes joins the show to discuss his new book, All We Say: The Battle for American Identity, A History in 15 Speeches . He breaks down how historical icons from Seneca Chief Red Jacket to Abraham Lincoln used the power of rhetoric to push for progressive change without resorting t...
Jun 23, 2026•43 min•Ep. 3048
Today on The Gist, the alarming strategic ramifications of the $300 billion in indirect Gulf state investments heading to Iran as a ceasefire condition. Then, foreign policy expert Michael A. Cohen of the Stimson Center joins the show to discuss his co-authored report evaluating the hidden costs, failures, and hubris of recent U.S. military campaigns in Venezuela and Iran. Cohen breaks down why the Trump administration completely failed to anticipate second-order consequences like the closure of...
Jun 22, 2026•43 min•Ep. 3047
Today on The Gist, we pull an archival interview from the vault as acclaimed writer-producer Michael Schur joins the show to dissect the ethical frameworks behind The Good Place . He details how everyday anxieties, like the self-consciousness of waiting for a barista to witness your tip, evolved into a cosmic sitcom about moral scorekeeping. Schur compares his fictional afterlife to the cold reality of sabermetrics, charting how hyper-rational evaluation systems have sanded off the quirky edges ...
Jun 20, 2026•27 min•Ep. 3046
Today on The Gist, we explore the aftermath of the Kansas City Super Bowl parade shooting, as NEw York celebrates a historic Knicks championship victory. Then, former congressman Anthony Weiner and Reason editor-at-large Matt Welch join the panel for another edition of "Not Even Mad." The trio debates the massive market valuation of Elon Musk's SpaceX, analyzing how concentrated wealth reshapes global geopolitics, media structures, and domestic policy debates. They also turn their focus to the u...
Jun 18, 2026•54 min•Ep. 3045
Today on The Gist, we look at the complex racial and political dynamics surrounding a newly redistricted congressional seat in Florida. Then, journalist Sadie Dingfelder returns for another edition of "Is It Bullshit" to break down the myth of windburn, tracing the science back to a 1974 mouse wind tunnel experiment. Finally, in the spiel, a look at the historical taxonomy of miracles and how a public anxiety toward the additive miracle of AI contrasts with how regular people actually rely on th...
Jun 17, 2026•30 min•Ep. 3044
Today on The Gist, a look into the local New York controversy surrounding Mayor Zoran Mamdani's initiative to stream World Cup and NBA Finals games on Link NYC kiosks. Then, television writer-producer Michael Schur and veteran sports columnist Joe Posnanski return for the conclusion of their interview discussing their collaborative book, Big Fan: Two Friends, 82,490 Miles, and the Wild, Wonderful Sports We Love. The duo unpacks how the modern NIL system has injected absolute chaos into college s...
Jun 16, 2026•30 min•Ep. 3043
Today on The Gist, sorting through the deluge of "freedom" branding in modern politics. Then, television writer-producer Michael Schur and veteran sports columnist Joe Posnanski join the show to discuss their new book, Big Fan: Two Friends, 82,490 Miles, and the Wild, Wonderful Sports We Love . The duo breaks down the distinct differences between the community of live sports and the parasocial mirror of television fandom, how showrunners selectively weaponize casting to subvert audience expectat...
Jun 15, 2026•41 min•Ep. 3042
Mike joined Chris Cillizza on Substack Live where they analyzed why California takes so long to count ballots, detailing how logistics and funding create a perception of dysfunction rather than deliberate corruption. They also dove into a recent Pew poll finding that Americans unique globally dislike their fellow countrymen, tracing this data to cultural polarization and strict two-party sorting. Finally, breaking down why the actual power of U.S. military and technological capacity historically...
Jun 13, 2026•47 min•Ep. 3041
Today on The Gist, a look at the Alaska's U.S. Senate race, where a retired teacher named Dan Sullivan was disqualified from running in a primary against the incumbent senator, who is also named Dan Sullivan. Then, physician and epidemiologist Dr. Gary Slutkin joins the show to discuss his book, The End of Violence: Eliminating the World’s Most Dangerous Epidemic . The Cure Violence founder explains how analyzing violent crime data maps perfectly onto traditional epidemic waves, breaking down th...
Jun 12, 2026•31 min•Ep. 3040
Today on The Gist, Its Not Even Mad. Mike Pesca is joined by venture capitalist Bradley Tusk and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Charles Fain Lehman for a panel debate on political judgment and modern vice. The trio dives into the results of the Maine Democratic primary, questioning whether progressive candidate Graham Plattner can overcome a cascade of personal scandals to unseat longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins. They also dissect the election logistics of California and the explos...
Jun 11, 2026•55 min•Ep. 3038
Today on The Gist, examining the upcoming criminal verdict for the Golden Gate Bridge climate protesters, breaking down the debate over jail time for high-impact civil disobedience. Then, Sadie Dingfelder returns for another installment of "Is It Bullsh*t?" to investigate the historical and scientific reputation of raccoons and rabies. Then, in the spiel, comparing the foreign policy legacies of Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump and analyzing whether current U.S. intervention strategies serve as a ...
Jun 10, 2026•35 min•Ep. 3037
Today on The Gist, we look at the primary elections in Maine and New York, exploring how voters evaluate personal standards versus party loyalty in high-stakes congressional races. Then, Amazon Labor Union co-founder Derrick Palmer joins the show to discuss his new book, Handbook for the Revolution: Building a More Perfect Union for the Twenty-First Century . Palmer shares what he witnessed on the warehouse floor, how an independent team of workers achieved a historic labor victory without tradi...
Jun 09, 2026•30 min•Ep. 3039
Today on The Gist, Mike considers the difference between an election and election night. One is a careful accounting of the public will. The other is the made-for-TV version that gives conspiracy theorists something to yell about when mail ballots shift the totals. Then, Benoit Denizet-Lewis joins to discuss You’ve Changed: The Promise and Price of Self-Transformation. The book asks a deceptively simple question: can people really change? Denizet-Lewis says yes, no, and it depends who’s watching...
Jun 08, 2026•47 min•Ep. 3035
