The creator of S-Town and The Trojan Horse Affair has a new show about journalism and truth called Question Everything. So, we do. Plus, polls show that young people are pro-assassination, which should make us question some of them. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/...
Dec 18, 2024•48 min
We are said to be a fed-up nation pushed to the brink, and the result is political violence … or maybe just hack comedy. Also, Nancy Rommelmann joins us to discuss her latest book, 40 Bucks and a Dream: Stories from Los Angeles. She shares insights from her extensive journalism career, including her experience interviewing infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy. And Trump’s presidential library gets a healthy donation. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com T...
Dec 17, 2024•42 min
Drone sightings over New Jersey are driving everyone mad—except Bernie Sanders, who seems minimally concerned. Plus, we’re joined by Isaac Saul, CEO of Tangle. Isaac shares not just his insights on issues like inflation and immigration, but also his methodology for cutting through the noise to deliver the least ideologically captured explanations to his readers. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/...
Dec 16, 2024•45 min
Each weekend on Best Of The Gist, we revisit an archival segment from the past and pair it with a replay of something from the past week. This weekend, we revisit Mike’s 2018 interview with cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand, who challenges us to think of societies not along the traditional “liberal to conservative” spectrum but instead as ranging from “tight to loose.” It’s a theory she explores in her book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. From the pas...
Dec 14, 2024•36 min
Comedian Roy Wood Jr., host of CNN’s Have I Got News for You and former Daily Show correspondent, joins this episode of Funny You Should Mention. We delve into topics like a near-DUI incident in South Dakota, why the police should occasionally let a criminal go free, and the responsibility comedians have to challenge harmful political ideas—and the politicians who promote them. We also explore the surprising lessons humanity can learn from floating balls of ants and what it reveals when the prem...
Dec 13, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Acts of violence have promoted discussions of self-defense, corporate greed, national healthcare, homeless funding, and political will. The Gist rejects being thrust into that discussion at the point of a gun, but has some insights to offer to the current debate. Plus, the return of Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid to discuss Israel, Gaza, morality, and security. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecas...
Dec 12, 2024•45 min
Shadi Hamid, Washington Post columnist and co-host of the Wisdom Of Crowds podcast, discusses Israel's regard for innocent lives and if the United States would conduct a war in the way the Israelis do. Plus, the island nation of Nauru gets paid off by the Australians not the play footsy with China. And the Syrian navy is sunk, their chemical weapons cache has been destroyed, and no, Israel is not waiting for a thank-you note. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesc...
Dec 11, 2024•34 min
The acquittal of Daniel Penny, who choked a mentally ill homeless man to death on the New York City Subway, ends the criminal exposure of the former Marine. The charge of "lynching" trails him and the incident, however. But Mike argues the term, as applied to this incident, is both ahistorical and less-resonant with the average American today. Plus, Dave Daley of FairVote drops by to discuss the voting on ranked choice voting. It did well in cities, but was mostly rejected when on state ballots....
Dec 10, 2024•37 min
In an Assad-free Syria, the population is elated, the rebels have expelled a tyrant, and the region has the breathing room to create a better environment for democratic rule. So why is the foreign policy establishment wringing its hands? And we're joined by two prime-time TV greats, The Office's Brian Baumgartner (he played Kevin Malone) and Ben Silverman (Executive Producer of the show) to talk about their new illustrated book: The Night Before Christmas” at Dunder Mifflin. Produced by Joel Pat...
Dec 09, 2024•52 min
Each weekend on Best Of The Gist, we listen back to an archival Gist segment from the past, then we replay something from the past week. This weekend, we’re listening back to Mike’s interview with UCLA professor and MacArthur Genius grant recipient Jason De Leon to discuss his book, Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling. Since the interview aired, back in May of this year, Jason has gone on to add another distinction to his resume—he won the National Book Award fo...
Dec 07, 2024•39 min
We reconstitute Not Even Mad with panelists Liz Wolfe (Reason and the Just Asking Questions podcast) and Michael A. Cohen (MSNBC columnist and author of the Truth and Consequences newsletter) to discuss and debate the pardon of Hunter Biden and all the many, many explanations for the Democrats poor showing on election day 2024. Plus, goats are grinded over Standard Time, "Increasingly," and Pamela Anderson with or without makeup. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mike...
Dec 06, 2024•1 hr 1 min
If you've been paying attention bulls*t never left us. Sadie Dingfelder. author of Do I Know You? A Faceblind Reporter’s Journey into the Science of Sight, Memory and Imagination is here to call BulLLsh*t on the perenial question "If I die will my cat eat me, while my dog won't?" Plus an AI talk show is amazingly realistic, albeit fascinated by absolutely everything. And Trump Watches For Sale! Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, ...
Dec 06, 2024•33 min
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels have gained ground in Syria, but they aren't the nice, unproblematic, good-for the environment, nice-to-old-people rebels of our dreams. What now? Plus, part two of our interview with Ben Rhodes, former Obama Administration speechwriter and current co-host of Pod Save The World. And how coverage of the many vulnerabilities of Pete Hegseth suggests that the media might just have a few moves left. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepes...
Dec 04, 2024•36 min
Barack Obama's Former Deputy National Security Advisor, Ben Rhodes discusses whether or not Democrats still embody what they say they stand for. The co-host of Pod Save The World and author of (among many things) a New York TImes Essay, titled "I Study Guys Like Trump. There’s a Reason They Keep Winning." Plus, Pete Hegseth's mom was pretty down on Pete Hegseth a few years ago ... and now everyone knows about it. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To adve...
Dec 03, 2024•49 min
Kamala Harris' staff reveals their biggest challenges, notably the little time they had to sell their candidate to America. Plus, Hunter Biden is pardoned by his father—an act he said he'd never commit, then again, no one thought Hunter would commit many of the acts he committed either. And we're joined by former Congressman Eric Fingerhut, now CEO of the Jewish Federations of America, to discuss what an organization like his does when over a third of Senate Democrats vote to strip Israel of mil...
Dec 02, 2024•38 min
Each weekend on Best Of The Gist, we listen back to an archival Gist segment from the past, then we replay something from the past week. This weekend, we listen back to Mike’s April 2023 interview with NewsGuard founder Steven Brill about the business of issuing nutrition labels for news. Then we listen back to this past Tuesday’s Spiel about the role for NewsGuard in our current political moment. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the sho...
Nov 30, 2024•36 min
Mike Yard is a standup comic who has appeared on Inside Amy Schumer, Flatbush Misdemeanors, and was a contributor to The Nightly Show with Larry WiImore. He is both an ex-felon and a union leader at the Museum of Modern Art. In this conversation, we discuss Yard's jokes about his pro-prison stance, leaving the Virgin Islands for the worst neighborhood in Brooklyn, and his suspicions about candlelight vigils. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise...
Nov 29, 2024•52 min
Abraham Lincoln certainly loved the nation he led, he loved Democracy, he loved his wife, and he loved some men, too. That’s according to a new film, Lover Of Men: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln. Shaun Peterson and Tom Balcerski are back to continue our conversation about our 16th President’s loves. Also on the show, Democrats try out a new strategy to battle Trump, and Rudy is tapped out. Promo code for 20% off a PescaPlus membership: "huffelpuffsnuffalapagus" or "cheese" Produced by Joe...
Nov 27, 2024•35 min
Shaun Peterson is director of Lover Of Men: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln. He and historian Tom Balcerski talk about the evidence indicating that Abraham Lincoln shared more than just a cot with Joshua Speed and few others. We debate the evidence, discuss why it matters, and talk for more than you ever knew you wanted to hear about Presidential thighs. Plus, Newsguard attacked by Trump's FCC appointee. Also, what the difference in civilian death tolls in Israeli's wars in Lebanon and Gaz...
Nov 26, 2024•39 min
We're joined by Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton, who discusses how democrats should engage on important but sensitive issues like trans women in sport. Also discussed: Moulton's conversation with incoming member of congress Sarah McBride, his opposition to Nancy Mace's rules focusing on bathrooms, and what the rest of the Massachusetts Democratic establishment is saying to him ... or, in the case of the chairman, not saying, because he still won't take Moulton's calls. Plus, a Spiel on th...
Nov 26, 2024•39 min
On November 12th, Mike published a story in The Atlantic’s “Ideas” section titled “The HR-ification of the Democratic Party: The party of norms, procedure, bureaucracy, DEI initiatives, rule following, language policing, and compliance” … and it got some buzz. So this weekend on Best Of The Gist, we’re going to listen to two media outlets that featured Mike’s article: POTUS Politics, a Sirius XM talk show hosted by Laura Coates which had Mike on as a guest, and The David McWilliams Podcast, whic...
Nov 23, 2024•27 min
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is tapped to run HHS. Dr. Mehmet Oz has been named as Medicare and Medicaid overseer. Dan Diamond of the Washington Post analyses the importance of those agencies and their vulnerability to ambitious outsiders looking to upend things. Also, new AG designee Pam Bondi served as Florida's Attorney General back when a President of the United States called a different state's attorney general the best looking state attorney general. We'll review. Plus, it's an Antwentig, in whic...
Nov 22, 2024•38 min
Jay Bhattacharya, the Stanford professor who advocated for widespread openings during the pandemic, months before there was a vaccine, has become a bit of a hero to Americans upset about lockdowns and the suppressing of dissent on social media platforms. Now he may be running the National Institutes of Health. Dan Diamond, reporter for the Washington Post, discusses what Bhattacharya got right, got wrong, and where he wants to take the NIH. Plus, Gaetz skates all the way to the end, and an analy...
Nov 21, 2024•41 min
Jim O'Heir, who played Jerry (or was it Larry?) on 121 episodes of TV's Parks And Recreation, is out with a new book, Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation. We discuss. Plus, a predictive algorithm tells us who the rest of the Trump appointees are. For instance, Koko The Gorilla for Under Secretary of Defense for Budgeting and Procurement. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://adv...
Nov 20, 2024•44 min
NY Governor Kathy Hochul was in favor of congestion pricing before she was against it, now she's for it again. She's in a race against an incoming administration in order to implement her ever-changing plan to tax drivers. The New York Daily News' Harry Siegel joins us to assess the political plays and traffic delays. Plus, long-range missiles for Ukraine irk Vladimir Putin to the point of nuclear reconfiguration, and the Democrats can more easily be more sensible on trans issues if they just sc...
Nov 19, 2024•41 min
Music can heal. This explains the song "You dropped a balm on me". Dan Levitin's new book, I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine, sells it out in even greater detail. Plus, there was nothing Democrats could do in the face of inflation, except maybe, not have caused so much inflation. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Su...
Nov 18, 2024•48 min
Normally, each weekend on Best Of The Gist, we listen back to an archival Gist segment from the past, then we replay something from the past week, but this weekend we’re scraping that formula and instead listening to an interview Mike did with a podcast called The Commercial Break, hosted by Bryan Green and Krissy Hoadley. It’s a fun conversation, and we hope you enjoy it. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast....
Nov 16, 2024•47 min
Django Gold is a stand-up comedian, a former writer for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and a veteran of The Onion. In his stand-up special "Bag of Tricks," he explores not being cool, show-off toilet seats, and the privilege of owning multiple pairs of scissors. His comedy has been described as "cynical and bizarre" but also "surprising, insightful and properly deranged." We discuss the right amount of weird to present to the audience without seeming too weird, and the evolution of the arch...
Nov 15, 2024•1 hr 3 min
The nomination of Matt Gaetz to be United States Attorney General is shocking, confusing, and tumultuous, but not necessarily a non-starter. Plus, the Democratic Party is the HR department of politics. And, with government efficiency in the news, Richard Coffin of USAFacts stops by to give us the actual facts on where there is fat (or even muscle and sinew) to cut in the Federal budget. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: h...
Nov 14, 2024•43 min
Peter Hegseth is Donald Trump's nominee to be Secretary of Defense. It's an impossible job, one that he can't possibly fulfill, and maybe that's the point. Plus, Israelis in Amsterdam chased and beaten, but some in the press say they (more or less) deserved it. And we are joined once more by Ben Wittes of Lawfare to talk about Trump's possible prosecutions. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGi...
Nov 13, 2024•48 min
