Tim Alberta of The Atlantic is author of the new book The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, and he also wrote the definitive Nikki Haley profile. He says Haley really, really doesn't like Trump, and maybe now we'll get a chance to hear the depths of her dissatisfaction. Plus, the U.S. makes a foray into an Angola railway. And if the LA Times were a person you met at a party, would you walk away? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at ...
Jan 24, 2024•36 min
New York Times columnist, Dispatch legal expert, and podcaster David French joins us to discuss timelines for the various Trump legal cases, and David's belief that the Colorado Supreme Court disqualified him justly. "That's what judges do," French says. Plus, does Joe Biden's support of Israel hurt him as much as standard analysis would have us all believe? And an unasked-for foray into the lopsided results of New England community college women's basketball. Produced by Joel Patterson and Core...
Jan 23, 2024•43 min
Horrible puns aside, New Hampshire marks the last chance for one of Donald Trump's challengers to actually make a stand. Guests Matt Robison and Paul Hodes of the Beyond Politics podcast think it really could happen. Mike is more suspicious of that claim than Ron DeSantis is of the World Wide Woke Agenda. Over the weekend, the Florida Governor dropped out of the race, and Mike ranks the most common explanations from charmlessness to excess Disney obsession. Plus, newly engaged Senator Tim Scott ...
Jan 22, 2024•47 min
In this installment of Best Of The Gist, protests of the video game Hogwarts Legacy dealt a blow to the financial empire of J.K. Rowlings’ in 2023 … Oh wait, actually, Hogwarts Legacy was the highest grossing game of last year. Nevermind. We listen back to Mike’s February 2023 Spiel about the protests. Then we listen to our recent Spiel about Spirit Airlines failure to merge with JetBlue. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show: https:...
Jan 20, 2024•23 min
Our brave and heroic Congress has done the incredible ... again ... passing legislation to temporarily keep the government running until February. Great, um, job. In the interview, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld of Yale's school of management joins us to explain why Putin in hurting economically and why reporters don't get the story. Also on the show, Pakistan and Iran have nice things to say to each other despite those missiles. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To...
Jan 19, 2024•42 min
First, we consider the case of the dream boat Yemeni who is a hijacker of real boats, dubbed "Tim-Houthi Chalamet" by adoring online fans. And then, it's a full show talking with Bessel van der Kolk author of The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, and co-author of a piece in Foreign Affairs, "The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and the Psychology of Trauma: How Insights From Therapeutic Practice Can Help Build Peace." Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Emai...
Jan 18, 2024•39 min
Georgia DA Fani Willis wades into allegations that she hired her romantic partner to prosecute Trump. She does so from the pulpit of a storied church, yielding more "amens" than answers. Plus, the government preserves Spirit Airlines as the perhaps beloved, certainly belittled Dollar Store of the skies. And we're joined once more by Matt Bruenig of the People's Policy Project to talk unions, income inequality, and if a toned-down Twitter avatar might make his brand of socialist seem cuddlier. Pr...
Jan 17, 2024•39 min
Matt Bruenig of the People's Policy Center discusses the gap between economic impression and reality. Vivek Ramaswamy ends his cosplay as a Trump cover band. And the explanation that some on the right are giving for that hole in the Alaska Airlines door. You can't spell idiotic explanation without "DEI." 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....
Jan 16, 2024•40 min
In this installment of Best Of The Gist, Mike’s 2016 interview with Tim Hartford, author of the book Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives. Also, Mike’s Tuesday Spiel about nanoplastics and whether or not they are more dangerous to our bodies or our anxiety levels. 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 PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mi...
Jan 13, 2024•33 min
The Houthis are monstrous militants, which would be reason enough to dispatch them via military might. But also, think of the carbon savings! Plus, Israel defends itself from genocide charges. And we're joined once more by Donald G. McNeil Jr. to discuss his new book The Wisdom of Plagues, a zoonotic origin of Covid, if Anthony Fauci answers about gain-of-function research were accurate, and public health cowardice in the face of m(onkey) pox. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Gift The G...
Jan 12, 2024•39 min
A spirited debate between Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley last night allowed the former South Carolina Governor to trot out a new attack line. Also, Donald McNeil Jr. has been covering pandemics since the aid crisis in the 80s. His new book The Wisdom of Plagues, collects all the lessons he has learned covering diseases across the world. And Trump's legal woes have his candidacy on the rocks. Actually, just the opposite. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To...
Jan 11, 2024•35 min
John McCormick, senior editor at The Dispatch, walks us through what the hell congress is doing, if anything, and how the upcoming elections will affect the aforementioned governing body. Plus, a secret tunnel in a Brooklyn synagogue sparks a "Gistvestigation." And South Africa is set to charge Israel with genocide. 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:...
Jan 10, 2024•40 min
A new study shows more plastic than could be imagined, and certainly seen, in bottled water. The coverage demands a freakout, rationality demands you take a deep breath, a deep sip, and relax. Plus, the Trump immunity appeal makes for captivating viewing. And we're joined once more by Yaroslov Trofimov, author of OurEnemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Gift The Gist at https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/gifts Email us...
Jan 09, 2024•39 min
Yaroslav Trofimov, Chief Foreign-Affairs Correspondent at The Wall Street Journal, discusses his new book, Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence. Plus, our undisclosed, indisposed SecDef. And how Joe Biden defines White Supremacy. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Gift The Gist at https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/gifts Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscri...
Jan 08, 2024•38 min
In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we listen back to the episode published the evening of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. It was a defining moment in our nation’s history, and we have a pretty clear understand of what went down that ugly day. On January 6, 2021, though, we didn’t have much detail, but Mike went on to try to put some context around what we were all seeing. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show: https...
Jan 06, 2024•19 min
Let's not forget a fact that could be swallowed up in all the big international news: the Houthi rebels—no good, no good at all. Even rhyming chants won't change that. Plus, Biden hits the campaign trail with a focus on protecting democracy. And we're joined by Michael MacCambridge, author of the new book The Big Time: How the 1970s Transformed Sports in America. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Gift The Gist at https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/gifts Email us at [email protected] To ...
Jan 05, 2024•38 min
Donald Trump's emoluments entanglements receive further scrutiny. And would a soon-to-explode American airliner have witnessed such an orderly exit? Plus, Adam Nagourney continues his discussion of The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn and the Transformation of Journalism. 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.mikepes...
Jan 04, 2024•40 min
Adam Nagourney is the author of The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn and the Transformation of Journalism. Mike questions him about the extent that the NYT actually has escaped scorn. Plus, Israel takes out a top Hamas commander, which threatens to escalate regional tensions, suggesting the region might not want top Hamas commanders taken out. And is Claudine Gay a martyr, a victim or merely a transcription enthusiast? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Gift The ...
Jan 03, 2024•37 min
David Duchovny (like "the truth") is out there as an actor, director, musician, and novelist (or Novella-ist) in the case of his latest The Reservoir. Plus, Nikki Haley didn't say "slavery," but what in the world was she saying? A look at 14 years of her hard-to-parse comments on the causes of the Civil War. Also on the show, the highest paid employees of each state fight in a violent yearly ritual. Programming Note: Our interview with the President of Harvard has been cancelled. Please use the ...
Jan 02, 2024•41 min
Today is Mike Pesca’s birthday, and as a gift to himself, he requested we replay two classic interviews that he considers some of his favorites. So we’ll be listening back to his conversation with comedian Gary Gulman from 2019 and actor/writer/Fonzie Henry Winkler from 2017. See you in 2024! 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 PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https:...
Dec 29, 2023•36 min
Mike gives his list of the best podcasts of the past calendar year. He also talks with Sonari Glinton, host of the Shattering the System podcast, which tells the story of a politically connected predator who operated out of West Hollywood, and Lauren Chooljian, host of the The 13th Step, which tells the story of a politically connected predator who operated out of New Hampshire. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show: https://advertis...
Dec 28, 2023•56 min
Russian dissident Alexi Navalny has been located. It’s someplace cold and inescapable, but he's able to make some Christmasy jokes, so that's “good.” Plus, The Gist has found an interview thought lost, about a 17th Century mathematician who was also, in his way, a little lost. Bernoulli's Fallacy: Statistical Illogic and the Crisis of Modern Science is the book, we talk with its author Aubrey Clayton. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the...
Dec 27, 2023•42 min
On this day after Christmas, we are choosing to eschew the news cycle and instead have a little fun. We found some oldies-but-goodies from Mike's pre-Gist time at New York Public Radio's On The Media and NPR's Day To Day. With puns, oddities, parodies, and peccadillos galore, it's the perfect soundtrack to accompany you while you return all the awful gifts you got for store credit. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show: https://adver...
Dec 26, 2023•25 min
In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we replay Mike’s Tuesday Spiel about Chicago’s disgruntled neighborhoods, overwhelmed by newly resettled migrants. But lest you think it’s wealthy white people doing the complaining, well … it’s not. Then we rewind to 2016, before Trump, back when newspaper headlines were less terrifying and a bit more song-inspiring. Also … Merry Christmas. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show: https://adver...
Dec 23, 2023•23 min
Don't Worry … it's actually good news. Part of the spate of good news that we can't quite accept or process. Plus, the greatest face-melting rock anthems of all time. And Minnesota's new flag rings out the last Vexillology Corner of 2023, with Ted Kaye, author of Good Flag, Bad Flag. 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 PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscri...
Dec 22, 2023•42 min
Reena Ninan, veteran broadcast reporter for CBS, ABC, and Fox has been in earlier versions of Hamas tunnels, and she tells us about underground ambitions and over-the-air coverage. Plus, Fat Leonard, Poor Rudy, and the Houthi Creed. And comedian Alex Edelman discusses the difference between anti-semitism and anti-Zionism and anti-Netanyahu-ism. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara The Gist Youtube Channel: The Gist - YouTube Gift The Gist at https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/gifts Email us at...
Dec 21, 2023•44 min
Donald Trump is barred from the ballot in Colorado, for now, interesting reasoning contributed to the court's decision, which probably won't survive SCOTUS. Plus, Lina Khatib, director of the SOAS Middle East Institute at SOAS University of London assesses Israel's neighbor's relations with Palestinians and what hopes there are for a permanent peace. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara The Gist Youtube Channel: The Gist - YouTube Gift The Gist at https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/gifts Email...
Dec 20, 2023•46 min
It's not just bomb-throwing conservative House members who think migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border are a problem. Turns out, the people who's communities are slated as their new homes feel similarly, and those people are often people of color. And we are joined again by Ryan Grim to continue our interview about his new book, The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution. And, whether you call them the Houthis or the "Hooties," they are a problem. Produced by Joel Patterson an...
Dec 19, 2023•39 min
Ryan Grim, author of The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution describes the ascent, tactics, behaviors, and personalities of AOC and other young leftists in Congress. Plus, it's hard to talk about immigration, as Joe Manchin, the President of Illinois' NAACP, and, most insensitively of all, Donald Trump show in myriad ways. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Gift The Gist at https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/gifts Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visi...
Dec 18, 2023•39 min
In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we rewind to Tuesday to listen back to Mike’s treatise on New Jersey’s sludge barge, though, for reasons pertaining to the O’Jays song “Love Train,” we are calling it the Sludge Train. Then we rewind way back to 2018, when Mike felt the need to warn listeners about culturally sensitive seasons greetings. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to our ...
Dec 16, 2023•19 min
