Historian Daniel Immerwahr eviscerates RFK Jr. as a master of glib misinformation—"profoundly informed," yet wielding that knowledge in bad faith to undermine truth and public trust. Kennedy is the conductor of an orchestra of error. Also discussed: how science became political dogma during COVID, how Fauci's certainty helped fuel backlash, and why a provocateur like Kennedy thrives in epistemological gray zones. Also on the show: Trump's obscure-commission chess moves, as he "Truths" his way th...
Jul 21, 2025•32 min•Ep. 2764
On this Saturday we play some of Mikes conversation on the podcast Live From America Hatem Gabr, one of the cohosts talks to Mike about NPR and the media landscape. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www...
Jul 19, 2025•28 min•Ep. 2763
The self-proclaimed "Trash Daddy" riffs on meat-in-a-can cuisine, possum PR, and how his accent disarms blue-state crowds, Plus: white supremacist losers, Fruit Loop vape rights, and how cheap heat works in comedy and pro wrestling. Trae takes us through his upbringing, in Celina Tennessee, and discusses his travails with child support bureaucracy , plus he discusses his interpersonal interactions with JD Vance who hit big about the same time Trae did. The two became friendly. For a while. Produ...
Jul 18, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 2762
Jake Tapper returns to dissect his book Original Sin and the failures of mainstream media to report on Joe Biden's decline. He traces how social pressures, cultural taboos, and partisan incentive structures are ongoing threats to the type of journalism he practices and associates with the best forms of truth-telling. Tapper says CNN still strives to flesh out the full story, but acknowledges the shrinking market for non-ideological reporting. Plus, a glimpse into the spectacle of immigration enf...
Jul 17, 2025•55 min•Ep. 2761
Sadie Dingfelder returns to assess the national stomp-fest against lantern flies and asks: did it do anything, or was it all buggage and bluster? Then, a deep dive into the Supreme Court's CASA ruling on nationwide injunctions, and how a seemingly dramatic limitation on judicial power proved to be less than world-shifting in practice. Finally, Trump disavows Epstein file disclosure demands, setting off a civil war within MAGA media as conspiratorial cracks widen and cranks rage. Produced by Core...
Jul 16, 2025•37 min•Ep. 2760
Times of Israel analyst Haviv Rettig Gur discusses the next phase of the war in Gaza and Israel's many enemies. Also discussed are the ideological roots of Hamas's mission to destroy Israel, settler violence in the West Bank, and the difficulty of safely getting food to the citizens of Gaza. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com...
Jul 15, 2025•59 min•Ep. 2759
Murderbot showrunners Chris and Paul Weitz join to discuss their sci-fi series' blend of chamber thriller, workplace satire, and reluctant hero tale—all orbiting a security unit who just wants to be left alone to binge it's stories. They talk robot servitude, world-building exhaustion ("every chair must be a space chair"), and how Alexander Skarsgård's performance brings Scandinavian placidity to a roiling interior monologue. Also: the GOP goes ball(point)istic over Biden's legal use of an autop...
Jul 14, 2025•45 min•Ep. 2758
The TSA is finally starting to phase out its decades-old shoe removal policy. We take a look back at the post-9/11 panic that made bare feet in airport security lines a national ritual—and wonder how we went from hypervigilant to oddly indifferent about terrorism. Plus, from the vaults: A classic Spiel from July 17, 2017, revisits Ann Coulter vs. Delta, Day 3 . Yes, it somehow made it to Day 3. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To...
Jul 12, 2025•20 min•Ep. 2757
Tony Tost, now showrunning Poker Face , reflects on the show's expertly woven mysteries, genre roots, and why women who don't want to pick up a gun keep finding themselves forced to fire. Tost, an expert in poetry and Johnny Cash, brings a reverence for populist storytelling to a format that straddles the procedural and the mythic. He also discusses why westerns are still a hard sell in Hollywood—even when they're smart, stylish, and starring Sydney Sweeney. Plus, Mike gets hit with a burst of e...
Jul 11, 2025•40 min•Ep. 2756
Boston Globe columnist Carine Hajjar and five-time Emmy-winning comedy writer and proprietor of the I Might Be Wrong Substack, Jeff Maurer, join to discuss the flood of ICE agents and President Trump's growing suspicion that Putin isn't on the up-and-up. Plus, in Goat Grinders: teeny-tiny air conditioning in New York, misinterpreting the cane toad, and (hardly ever) exploding sawdust. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise...
Jul 10, 2025•56 min•Ep. 2755
Josh Dawsey joins to discuss 2024: How Donald Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America , digging into Kamala Harris's campaign missteps, Biden's loyalty hangups, and Hunter's oversized influence. In the Spiel, a statistical deep dive tests whether so-called "100-year floods" are actually happening more often as seems to be the case. Spoiler: the data is murkier than the headlines suggest, and the NOAA interface could use a century's worth of upgrades. Produced by Corey Wara Pr...
Jul 09, 2025•37 min•Ep. 2754
An interview with Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Dawsey, co-author of 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America , covers Biden's decline, Trump's courtroom rage, and the political strategy behind legal delays. Also , how potent are Iranian-directed assassination crews? And, as the TSA begins phasing out its decades-old shoe removal policy, a look back on how we were very very concerned with terrorism then, and weirdly blasé about terrorism now. And finally a quiz s...
Jul 08, 2025•36 min•Ep. 2753
Zee Cohen-Sanchez, a Bernie Sanders campaign veteran, launched "Un**** America" (we're going with Unfudge America ) to counter Charlie Kirk's influence on college campuses. But internal drama and performative purity politics quickly sabotaged the project. She recounts how influencer apologies empowered whiny critics and fractured the left's ability to wield electoral power. Plus, with nearly 100 dead from the Texas floods, we examine the explanations. Climate change likely played a role, but his...
Jul 07, 2025•43 min•Ep. 2752
Today on The Gist we play from Mike Pesca's panel at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival about the book Original Sin with the Authors Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.yout...
Jul 05, 2025•47 min•Ep. 2751
Leon Neyfakh joins the show to discuss Final Thoughts , his new podcast chronicling Jerry Springer's transformation from charismatic progressive politician to ringmaster of daytime TV chaos. They explore how Springer's earnest civic ambitions unraveled into tabloid infamy—and why he never fully distanced himself from the circus he hosted. Mike also reflects on America's confusing birthday—whether 1776, 1787, or the neglected Articles of Confederation truly mark the founding—and why the Polish-Li...
Jul 03, 2025•39 min•Ep. 2750
Professor Joan C. Williams joins the show to discuss her book Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back . She explains how the decline of unions, elite cultural codes, and a failure to value stability over novelty have fueled resentment. Mike also examines Pixar's box office collapse, the rise of "bean mouth" animation, and whether John Lasseter's departure was Me Too's costliest ouster. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at theg...
Jul 02, 2025•45 min•Ep. 2749
The episode kicks off with a withering look at the "Big Beautiful Bill," a deficit-busting tax cut that showers the rich while hacking away at Medicaid for the poorest Americans. Then, a trip to Minnesota's Iron Range, where Bethany McLean discusses the bitter fight over Nippon Steel's bid to buy U.S. Steel—and the awkward dance between union leadership and the workers they claim to represent. It's a story about how economic reality collides with political theater, and why Democrats keep misread...
Jul 01, 2025•39 min•Ep. 2748
Daniel Kehlmann joins to discuss The Director , his novel reimagining the life of G.W. Pabst—a brilliant German filmmaker who escaped the Nazis, only to voluntarily return. Kehlmann grapples with how much human suffering we're willing to accept as the cost of art. Later, Ben Wittes of Lawfare weighs in on the often exasperating logic behind international laws governing conflict. Plus, Republicans can either oppose Trump or stay in office—but not both. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinato...
Jun 30, 2025•37 min•Ep. 2747
Today on The Gist , we go back into the vaults to our 2023 interview with Melissa DeRosa about her book on working with Andrew Cuomo, What's Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics & Crisis . Then we play a Spiel from earlier in the week about Andrew Cuomo failing to get the Democratic nomination for mayor. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit ...
Jun 28, 2025•31 min•Ep. 2746
Jim O'Grady and Thomas Brennan discuss Reveal 's episode on the Marines who fought in Fallujah, exploring how the battle's brutality and moral injuries still haunt them 20 years later. In the Spiel, Haiti's use of drones against gangs runs up against the oddity of international law experts declaring such violence not technically an "armed conflict." Plus, a SCOTUS decision that pits lower courts against each other. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist...
Jun 27, 2025•37 min•Ep. 2745
David Zweig, author of An Abundance of Caution: American Schools, the Virus, and a Story of Bad Decisions , discusses public health's blind spots—and when caution became the risk. Plus, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reshapes the CDC's vaccine advisory panel, swapping experts for skeptics and dredging up the long-debunked thimerosal panic on his way to declaring war on mayonnaise. And in the Spiel: a U.S. strike on Iran's Fordow facility may have been less obliteration than "oblit-ish-ation," though both...
Jun 27, 2025•34 min•Ep. 2744
Zohran Mamdani is likely the next mayor of New York, and progressive enthusiasm is peaking—along with demands that you pronounce his name correctly. Andrew Cuomo, a man of few smiles and even fewer surrogates, concedes with the warmth of a trooper lawsuit. Mike considers whether this is Mamdani's political high-water mark, as voters begin to discover the costs, the quotes, and the Disney press junkets. Also on the show: journalist David Zweig joins to discuss An Abundance of Caution: American Sc...
Jun 25, 2025•35 min•Ep. 2743
Jerusalem Post military correspondent Yonah Jeremy Bob, co-author of Target Tehran: How Israel Is Using Sabotage, Cyberwarfare, Assassination—and Secret Diplomacy—to Stop a Nuclear Iran and Create a New Middle East , explains how Israel coordinated hundreds of strikes and infiltrations across Iran, what the U.S. MOP strike on Fordow actually accomplished, and why Netanyahu's longtime caution gave way to a high-stakes gamble. He also delves into internal Israeli debates over assassinating Khamene...
Jun 24, 2025•54 min•Ep. 2742
The United States has bombed Iranian nuclear facilities—an extraordinary military action authorized by a President who campaigned against prolonged wars. In today's interview, national security expert Michael Allen, host of NatSec Matters , offers insight into the Israeli strikes, Iran's capacity to respond, and what Trump's decision means for the region and the world. Plus, we weigh the risks of a quagmire against the reactions from MAGA loyalists who only just learned how to pronounce "Fordow....
Jun 23, 2025•42 min•Ep. 2741
Mike's Recent appearance on Chuck Todds Podcast "The Chuck ToddCast" Want to hear more from Chuck Todd? Check out his YouTube page: www.youtube.com/@TheChuckToddCast Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://ww...
Jun 21, 2025•59 min•Ep. 2740
Rosebud Baker joins Funny You Should Mention with the rare gift of making life's toughest moments hilarious, and a point of view that's inseparable from the punchline. Her Netflix special Motherlode delivers pregnancy, parenting, and political edge in one biting package. We talk about her SNL writing process and how to satirize breastfeeding pressure without becoming a parenting brand. Plus: how riding a dolphin convinced her husband to get a hair transplant. Produced by Corey Wara Production Co...
Jun 20, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 2739
Today on The Gist, we are sharing a Pesca Plus episode on this Holiday to give you a taste of what you can get by being a Pesca Plus Member. Weekly longer episodes, Ad Free listening and more. Click the links below to subscribe. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepe...
Jun 19, 2025•39 min•Ep. 2738
Veteran diplomat Stuart Eizenstat joins The Gist to discuss The Art of Diplomacy: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements That Changed the World , drawing on his work from Camp David to Holocaust reparations. He shares what it means to practice "unsympathetic empathy," how German officials came to see moral obligation in restitution, and why negotiations fail when mutual interest is absent. Eizenstat contrasts the courage of leaders like Sadat and the UAE's Mohammed bin Zayed with A...
Jun 18, 2025•41 min•Ep. 2737
Helen Lewis discusses The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea , her critique of how society defines—and distorts—the concept of genius. From Hans Eysenck's wildly specific formula (preferably Jewish, born in February, lose a parent before age 10) to Picasso denying his granddaughter a paper animal because "this is the work of Picasso," Lewis explores how mythmaking inflates flawed men into icons. Plus, negotiations aren't the goal—the goal is the goal. Negotiations are just a way ...
Jun 17, 2025•41 min•Ep. 2736
Zachary Karabell of The Progress Network and the What Could Go Right podcast lays out a case for "edgy optimism," highlighting under-covered wins in medicine, education, and public policy. From New Mexico's universal childcare to gene therapies for sickle cell disease, he argues the problem isn't a lack of progress—it's our inability to notice. Plus, a new U.S. ad from Benjamin Netanyahu adapts the famous Talmudic credo "Rise and Kill First" into something just a little more TV-friendly. And in ...
Jun 16, 2025•33 min•Ep. 2735
