Bruce Schoenfeld, author of Game Of Edges: The Analytics Revolution And The Future Of Professional Sports joins us to discuss the costs of all the statistical advances in sports. Plus, our orange-brained, bone-burying 240,000 year-old-friends, the Homo Naaldei, and why paleoanthropologists are like parents of preschoolers. And, sorry to bury the lead here ... the Aliens have landed. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https...
Jun 06, 2023•41 min
Lisa Belkin, author of Genealogy Of A Murder: Four Generations, Three Families, One Fateful Night, traces several generations of family to the muzzle of a 9-mm Luger pistol in Stamford, Connecticut. Plus Donald Trump promises voters the World, so what Ron DeSantis is promising might seem measly by comparison. And CNN's Chris Licht is the subject of a devastating profile in The Atlantic. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: h...
Jun 05, 2023•37 min
In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we listen back to Mike’s 2022 interview with iconic actor Stephen Root, whose many (many) credits include HBO’s Barry, which just aired it’s final episode last Sunday (May 28th). Then, we listen to this past Thursday’s Spiel about Sacramento nazis. Yeah, there are Sacramento nazis. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlu...
Jun 03, 2023•34 min
TC Boyle’s new novel, Blue Skies, is about a twenty-something social media influencer who brings Burmese pythons into the picture. What can go wrong? It’s TC Boyle, so the answer is, “Almost everything.” Plus SCOTUS on WOTUS and unions. And the basics of supporting Bud Light and Chick-fil-A. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com...
Jun 02, 2023•38 min
Michael Isikoff, author of Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin's War on America and the Election of Donald Trump, returns to dig further into Russiagate, including his reaction to clips from our Monday interview with James Comey. Plus, the either not-so-strategic or not-so-important (depending who you ask) fight in Bakhmut. And a Sacramento anti-semite's 2 minutes of speaking time at a city council meeting prompts chaos. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikep...
Jun 01, 2023•39 min
Michael Isikoff, author of Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin's War on America and the Election of Donald Trump, is an extremely straight shooter on all things Russiagate. He'll be the first to tell you that, yes, Russia was meddling in the election, but also that the media got—and continues to get—much of the basic narrative wrong. And no one is more familiar with the facts, allegations, and intel than Isikoff. Plus, Republicans say "F*#@ Tha POLICE" (if they're IRS agents). Produced b...
May 31, 2023•35 min
James Comey, was the 7th director of the FBI before being fired by President Donald Trump. He is now out with his first work of fiction, a crime-thriller titled Central Park West: A Crime Novel. Mike talks with him about writing fiction, the non-fiction work of investigating Russian election interference, and they debate in which aisle the Steele Dossier should be consigned. Plus, on HBO, hurt people hurt people. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To adve...
May 30, 2023•41 min
Author Jack Fairweather recalls the bravery of a soldier named Witold Pilecki, a Polish officer actually who did the unthinkable in his book, The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz hints at the undertaking. Plus, we return to 2014, when Mike first culled the herd of a pile of news clippings. And obligations of a journalistic nature. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https:...
May 29, 2023•32 min
In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we listen back to Mike’s Spiel from this past Tuesday, in which he speaks at length about things he has chosen not to speak about at length. Then, in honor of Memorial Day, which in many ways feels like the kick-off of summer, we listen back to Mike’s September 18, 2015 interview with Billboard music expert Chris Molanphy, which focuses on the hits of 1967 … yep, that’s right, the Summer of Love, man. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at ...
May 27, 2023•27 min
The fat acceptance movement wants to not just de-stigmatize large body size, their adherents argue that the stigma is worse than "obesity"—a word they reject. They also reject the idea that there are some weights that are dangerous for the individual, and they push back against the idea that weight loss is actually a realistic outcome for the vast majority of people. A full show interview, and challenging discussion, with Virginia Sole-Smith author of Fat Talk: Parenting In The Age Of Diet Cultu...
May 26, 2023•47 min
Stephen Vladeck talks Supreme Court legitimacy as well as the so called "Shadow Docket," which is the name of his book subtitled "How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic." Plus, The Desantis fail whale. And the sentencing of seditionists. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow ...
May 25, 2023•38 min
The nation's leading civil rights group issues a proclamation to avoid a large and oft-visited state; we ponder if the advisory is warranted. And the governor of said state is said to say where he'd like to move in two years time. Maybe we need to rethink this whole "United States of America" thing ... certainly that's the opinion of Kermit Roosevelt, author of The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America's Story. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] T...
May 24, 2023•41 min
Law Professor Kermit Roosevelt, author of The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America's Story, is worried about the declining stature of the U.S. in the eyes of young people, including his Ivy League students. So, in a bought of patriotism and scholarship, he argues for redefining the USA as being about 150 years old. Plus, a panel of relatives of shooting victims is very sympathetic ... and very unrepresentative. And how water in the West is like the debt ceiling of hydration. Produced by...
May 23, 2023•36 min
The Arab League has welcomed back Bashar Al-Assad to the organization right as Volodymyr Zelensky pays that organization a visit. Is there a lesson to be learned? Plus, some of the odder names on the Russia Sanction list. And Howard Fishman, author of To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe...
May 22, 2023•31 min
In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we listen back to Mike’s interview with Ohio State University professor Darrick Hamilton, creator of the “Baby Bonds” program which passed a crucial funding hurdle in Connecticut this week. Then, Mike’s take on the narratives around the killing of Jordan Neely. “Heroism” or “evil”? How about “neither”? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to our ad...
May 20, 2023•30 min
Mike speaks with former Obama State Department official Jeremy Shapiro, now the director of research at the European Council on Foreign Relations and author of "The Art of Vassalisation: How Russia’s war on Ukraine has transformed transatlantic relations." And in eulogizing Jordan Neely today, the Reverend Al Sharpton asserted that if a black man killed an Elvis impersonator on the subway, he have been immediately charged. Mike offers contrary evidence. Plus, it's an Antwentig! Lobstars for all!...
May 19, 2023•40 min
A historic marker for Elizabeth Gurley Flynn has been removed because she was a little too communist for everyone in New Hampshire's liking. Plus, the U.S. doesn't want Putin to escalate in Ukraine, but he's all out of escalation gambits ... except the big one. And the return of economist and criminal justice expert Jennifer Doleac, host of the Probable Causation podcast. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertis...
May 18, 2023•37 min
Economics Professor Jennifer Doleac is the Co-Director of the Criminal Justice Expert Panel and host of the Probable Causation podcast. She joins Mike to talk about what we know works and the bad ideas that persist in combatting crime. Plus, the Discord Leaks aren't that leaky. And many Mayoral results show that even city residents want safety and order. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist ...
May 17, 2023•39 min
King James is a new play about male bonding, race, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Mike talks to playwright Rajiv Joseph about making art about sport. Plus, an overlooked musical about the NBA Lockout. And the dismissed-as-nothing-new information in the Durham report. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack...
May 16, 2023•43 min
With criminal charges against the former Marine who choked a homeless man to death on the NYC subway, we're being forced to choose between narratives of heroism or evil. Neither applies, as real people who've really ridden the subway know. Plus, what makes a master a master? And can mastery be gained even when brains become less pliant? It's all answered in Adam Gopnik's new book The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery. Also, Tropical Cyclone Mocha makes landfall ... and a few interesting point...
May 15, 2023•37 min
This week on the Best Of The Gist, we listen back to Mike’s Monday Spiel, in which he elaborates on all the recent news items he’s chosen not to discuss on the show. And then, his past week we aired Mike’s interview with Leon Neyfakh, the co-creator of a new Audible Original podcast about the music and life of the once king of pop, titled Think Twice: Michael Jackson, which prompted us to re-air Mike’s 2019 interview with Dan Reed, the director of the HBO documentary Leaving Wonderland, which de...
May 13, 2023•30 min
Despite numerous allegations of child abuse in the years before his death, Michael Jackson’s songs can still get you tapping your foot. It can feel confusing, but luckily we have Leon Neyfakh on the show today to explain Jackson’s confusing place in pop culture and his new Audible Originals series Think Twice: Michael Jackson. Plus, at long last, our latest installment of “Names In The News.” Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show: ht...
May 12, 2023•41 min
Stephen Marche is the author of Death Of An Author along with an entity known as "Aidan Marchine," which is a pseudonym for a suite of AI services. The novella works, as does the author, with the computer in a close collaboration. Plus, an analysis of all that went wrong in a CNN Town Hall meeting featuring Donald Trump. And the toll of decades worth of shootings in Chicago. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://adver...
May 11, 2023•41 min
Henry Grabar is the author of the newly published Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World. It does explain it, a lot more than you'd think. Plus, CNN's Town Hall with Donald Trump gets poor previews from MSNBC. And the woman who taught her children a valuable lesson in grief ... by allegedly poisoning her husband. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: h...
May 10, 2023•35 min
Benjamin Wittes, Editor-in-Chief of Lawfare and writer of the Substack Dog Shirt Daily, has been projecting Ukrainian messages onto the Russian Embassies in D.C., and throughout the world. The Russians have fought back, and Twitter, once an amplifier of these "Special Operations" has kicked Wittes off its platform. Plus, the stupid statements under oath that may have doomed Trump's Civil defense. And why would any Hispanic American want to fund reparations for African-Americans, a wealthier grou...
May 09, 2023•47 min
Guns that recognize specific users biometrics are almost ready to be shipped, as the firm Biofire is taking orders for their reliable, and forceful, smart gun. Biofire CEO Kai Kloepfer joins us. Plus, the coronation, debt ceiling, AI, and writers' strike are on the list of worries, but not such specific worries that they should take up too much of your time. And HUMANS ... is there anything they can't figure out? Especially when it comes to the destruction of other humans. Produced by Joel Patte...
May 08, 2023•35 min
When Elon Musk posted a video of himself arriving at Twitter HQ carrying a white sink along with the message “let that sink in!” it marked the end of a dramatic takeover. Musk had gone from Twitter critic to “Chief Twit” in the space of just a few months but his arrival didn’t put an end to questions about his motives. Musk had earned a reputation as a business maverick. From PayPal to Tesla to SpaceX, his name was synonymous with big, earth-shattering ideas. So, what did he want with a social m...
May 06, 2023•7 min
In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we remember singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, who passed away on Monday, by revisiting a 2014 Spiel, in which Mike realizes that all songs can be contained within one of Lightfoot’s. It’s hard to explain … just listen. Then we play Mike’s Wednesday Spiel about NBC disinformation reporter Ben Collins. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to our ad...
May 06, 2023•25 min
Jeffrey Toobin, author of Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism, traces the ideology of right-wing extremism from the 1990s to today. Plus, NJ Pasta dump and the often hard-to-document claims behind the day of awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ ...
May 05, 2023•38 min
It's Justice Day on The Gist. Justice for the Proud Boys, Ed Sheeran, and the question of defining justice for a man choked to death on the NYC subway. Plus, Justice Clarence Thomas keeps getting benefits for just being Clarence Thomas. And Mike speaks with Ben Smith, author of Traffic, about Gawker, Buzzfeed, and the rise of the New York slice of digital media in the 2010s. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://adver...
May 04, 2023•34 min
