On the Gist, fighting Biden. In the interview, Mike talks to sports journalist and author Joe Posnanski about the elusive Houdini. They talk about how Erik Weisz became the great Harry Houdini, how the man transformed himself from failing magician to famous escape artist, and the myths shrouding his mysterious death. Joe’s book is The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini. In the spiel, points of order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 10, 2019•33 min
On The Gist, Chuck Todd. In the Interview, former The Wall Street Journal reporter and Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson is here to talk with Mike about the Steele dossier, the infamous pee tape, and his regrets and hopes around the dossier’s coverage. His new book with co-author Peter Fritsch is Crime in Progress: Inside the Steele Dossier and the Fusion GPS Investigation of Donald Trump. In the Spiel, Cory Booker’s theory on why Kamala Harris dropped out. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...
Dec 07, 2019•27 min
On The Gist, UNESCO. In the Interview, Mike talks to Bina Venkataraman, The Boston Globe editorial page editor. They talk about the best ways to tackle climate change, how to encourage people to think long-term, and whether or not humanity will make it past the year 2200. Her new book is The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age. In the Spiel, Joe Biden confronting an 83-year-old farmer in Iowa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 06, 2019•33 min
On The Gist, unpopular opinions. In the Interview, Mike talks to actor Kal Penn about his sitcom Sunnyside. They discuss how he came up with the idea for the show, his time working for the Obama administration, and the Easter eggs hidden throughout the season. You can watch Sunnyside on Hulu, Amazon, and other streaming platforms. In the Spiel, the rebuttal to impeachment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 05, 2019•35 min
On The Gist, Kamala Harris. In the Interview, Mike talks to Slate writer Julia Craven about Kamala Harris’ decision to end her White House bid, the internal crises that broke out within her campaign, and why, after a promising start, she struggled to stand out in the crowded Democratic race. In the Spiel, a sperm whale and straws. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 04, 2019•28 min
On The Gist, Chuck Todd did good. In the interview, documentarian Alex Gibney is here to discuss his newest film, Citizen K, about former Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Putin’s Russia. They discuss what led to Khodorkovsky’s exile, and the way his story reveals the current state of Russian affairs. In the Spiel, Mike’s Thanksgiving weekend. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 03, 2019•40 min
On The Gist, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Maria Konnikova is back for another “Is That Bullshit?” In the Interview, she talks to Mike about DOGTV, a cable network made for dogs. Maria breaks down whether or not DOGTV helps dogs feel a little less lonely while their owners are away and if DOGTV programming is truly relaxing for dogs. Maria’s latest book is The Confidence Game. In the Spiel, Rep. Jim Jordan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Slate Plus members get bonus segments an...
Nov 28, 2019•33 min
On The Gist, beavers. In the interview, Mike talks to The Sporkful host Dan Pashman about Washington State University’s latest creation—the Cosmic Crisp apple. Pashman explains the birth of this new apple, how it compares to other varieties, and quizzes Mike in a game called "Apple Variety or New England Town." Listen to The Sporkful episode, “A New Apple Is Born,” wherever you get your podcasts. In the Spiel, Prince Andrew. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign u...
Nov 27, 2019•30 min
On The Gist, Nikki Haley. In the interview, Mike talks to Senator Sherrod Brown about his new book Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America. They talk about these forgotten figures, what people can learn from them, and the power and limits of bi-partisanship. In the Spiel, South Carolina. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 26, 2019•38 min
On The Gist, Joe Biden again. Then Mike speaks with Slate blogger Ben Mathis-Lilley about impeachment. And we end with an interview with Chris Molanphy, who is back to run through the nominees for this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He and Mike talk about the new nominees, those who’ve appeared time and again, and the game theory of it all. Chris is the host of Hit Parade and writes the column “Why Is This Song Number One?” Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sig...
Nov 22, 2019•34 min
On The Gist, is Pete Buttigieg ready? In the interview, Mike talks to former United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin about his time in office, how he drastically reduced wait times at VA medical centers, and the infamous tweet that got him fired. His new book is It Shouldn't Be This Hard to Serve Your Country: Our Broken Government and the Plight of Veterans. In the Spiel, Fiona Hill. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about...
Nov 22, 2019•33 min
On The Gist, Representative John Ratcliffe. In the interview, Mike talks to CIA whistleblower Jeffery Sterling about his CIA career, how he blew the whistle on a bungled covert operation in Iran in 2015, and his life after serving time. His new book is Unwanted Spy: The Persecution of an American Whistleblower. In the Spiel, Gordon Sondland. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 21, 2019•32 min
On The Gist, the MSNBC and The Washington Post Democratic debate. In the interview, Mike talks to actor June Diane Raphael of Grace and Frankie about her call to activism after the 2016 election, working with Emily’s List, and encouraging more women to run for office. Her new book is Represent: The Woman’s Guide to Running for Office and Changing the World. In the Spiel, the impeachment saga. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad c...
Nov 20, 2019•35 min
On The Gist, Pete Buttigieg. In the interview, Mike talks to Yancey Strickler, co-founder of Kickstarter, about the company’s origins, the challenges of developing creator guidelines, and what he thinks about wealth in the tech industry. His new book is This Could Be Our Future. In the Spiel, Mayor Bloomberg and stop-and-frisk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 19, 2019•36 min
On The Gist, Elizabeth Warren’s new plan. In the interview, Jamil Zaki is here to discuss his new book The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World. He and Mike debate the merits of sympathy versus empathy, and discuss the ways we view empathy may not be the way we live with it. In the Spiel, Devin Nunes, disgraced nincompoop. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 16, 2019•30 min
On The Gist, Nancy Pelosi. In the interview, Mike talks to filmmaker Mark Landsman and former National Enquirer editor-in-chief Steve Coz about their new documentary Scandalous: The True Story of the National Enquirer. They discuss ethics, Trump, and how the publication’s tactics have changed over the years. In the Spiel, need a dose of pizzazz? Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 15, 2019•28 min
On The Gist, Purple: Project for Democracy. In the interview, Mike talks to writer and National Review editor Rich Lowry about the tradition of American nationalism, how to reclaim the term, and why we need it more than ever. His new book is The Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us Powerful, United, and Free. In the Spiel, the impeachment hearing, Giuliani, and corruption. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcas...
Nov 14, 2019•34 min
On The Gist, treason and bribery. In the interview, Irish writer and critic Fintan O’Toole talks to Mike about Brexit, the nationalist wave sweeping England, and country’s future without the European Union. His book The Politics of Pain: Postwar England and the Rise of Nationalism is out now. In the Spiel, scandals and apologies. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 13, 2019•36 min
On The Gist, partisanship. In the interview, Brian T. Brown is here to talk about his new book, Someone Is Out to Get Us: A Not So Brief History of Cold War Paranoia and Madness. He and Mike discuss the ways the US and the USSR felt about each other, how those feelings persist today, and the different intelligence structures in the US and Russia. In the Spiel, Republicans and impeachment. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choic...
Nov 12, 2019•27 min
On The Gist, the new book by the anonymous member of the White House. In the interview, Mike talks to actor Edward Norton about his new film Motherless Brooklyn. They discuss Robert Moses’s complicated legacy in New York, his early beginnings volunteering as a public housing advocate, and working with Alec Baldwin to make this movie come alive. Motherless Brooklyn is in theaters now. In the Spiel, Pete Buttigieg and Black voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...
Nov 09, 2019•35 min
On The Gist, taxing Bill Gates. In the interview, Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana is here to talk with Mike about his run for the Democratic nomination. They discuss how Bullock’s work on campaign finance reform in Montana, how he alters his message for local and national audiences, and what he thinks of the penny. In the Spiel, Pete Buttigieg’s lack of experience. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.c...
Nov 08, 2019•34 min
On The Gist, political correctness? In the interview, Mike talks to political scientist James A. Robinson about why some nations have more liberty than others and what nations can do to uphold freedom in the face of political threats. His new book, co-written with Daron Acemoglu, is The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty. In the Spiel, popular policies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 07, 2019•33 min
On The Gist, it’s not good to agree with Donald Trump, Jr. In the interview, race car driver Michael Waltrip and filmmaker Paul Taublieb are here to talk with Mike about the new documentary Blink of an Eye based on the book of the same name about racing, Waltrip’s his relationship with Dale Earnhardt, Sr., and the fateful day of Earnhardt’s crash. The film is currently available to stream digitally. In the Spiel, Elizbeth Warren’s healthcare plan. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-fre...
Nov 06, 2019•35 min
On The Gist, socialism and taxes. In the interview, Thomas Chatterton Williams talks to Mike about why it’s important to reject social constructs like race, how he has reckoned with these categories, and what he has learned about identity as a parent. His new book is Self-Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race. In the Spiel, Kellyanne Conway. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 05, 2019•36 min
On The Gist, Mike went to Politicon this past weekend and moderated the panel What Now Democrats, featuring James Carville, Joe Lockhart, Zerlina Maxwell, Kyle Kulinski and Jess McIntosh. They debate the future of the party, what kinds of issues will matter in 2020, and what they should stop fighting over. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 01, 2019•46 min
On The Gist, presidential incompetency at its finest. In the interview, Maria Konnikova is back for “Is That Bullshit?” She and Mike figure out what are really in Impossible and Beyond burgers and if they’re healthier than red meat burgers. Maria’s latest book is The Confidence Game. In the Spiel, the ridiculous world of taxonomy. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 01, 2019•30 min
On The Gist, ghosts aren’t real. In the interview, Mike talks to Slate writer and Slow Burn host Joel Anderson about the new season, the hidden facts he learned about Tupac and Biggie, and the latest revelations he uncovered documenting the biggest hip-hop legends ever. Listen to Slow Burn here. In the Spiel, guessing what Trump says. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 30, 2019•32 min
On The Gist, Melinda Gates and empowering women. In the final part of Mike’s two-part interview with U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, they talk about the right and wrong ways to handle human rights atrocities across the world and their love of baseball. To learn more, read her new book The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir. In the Spiel, the Katie Hill scandal continues. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...
Oct 30, 2019•34 min
On The Gist, socialism and millennials. In the first part of a two-part interview, Mike talks to Samantha Power, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, about the early beginnings of the Syrian crisis, her role in trying to stop the Assad regime, and what she has learned from her mistakes during that critical time. Her new book is The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir. In the Spiel, Katie Hill’s resignation. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more abou...
Oct 29, 2019•39 min
On The Gist, understanding the differences between Hispanic and Latinx. In the interview, Mike talks to journalist Joel Stein about elitism in 2019, how Trump is really part of the elite, and what the future holds for populism across the world. His new book is In Defense of Elitism: Why I'm Better Than You and You're Better Than Someone Who Didn't Buy This Book. In the Spiel, Trump and pies. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad ch...
Oct 25, 2019•33 min
