In this installment of Best Of The Gist, with the permission of the fine folks at the Savage Lovecast, we will listen to Mike being interviewed by Dan Savage of the trés popular Savage Lovecast, for his series “Sex & Politics.” They discuss the debate and the election, and Mike gives sex advice. So, there’s that. Big thanks: Nancy Hartunian, Dan Savage, and the crew Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/The...
Sep 14, 2024•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast The UK's Keir Starmer and President Joe Biden are apparently arming the Ukrainians in a way that Vladimir Putin does not approve of. Plus, veteran political journalist Joe Klein, of the Sanity Clause Substack, joins to discuss the debate, the election, and what the Democrats are finally doing right. Also, in the plastic straw wars ... it's the last straw! https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/GIST Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, ...
Sep 13, 2024•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast As the technical research manager at Stanford Internet Observatory, Renée DiResta studied disinformation and alerted social media companies to violations of their own rules. This opened her up to charges that she was engaging in censorship. Out with a new book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality, DiResta discusses those accusations and the difference between disinformation, disliked information, and normal political puffery. She also denies being an active CIA agent, which i...
Sep 12, 2024•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump clashes with Kamala Harris in their only scheduled presidential debate. Among the important issues debated: abortion, inflation, and immigrants eating pets. Reasonable people can differ on two of those three issues. Mike is joined by Steve Hayes, editor of The Dispatch to discuss. They disagree on abortion policy, though not on Trump's arguments explaining and advancing his policy. They also disagree on the fairness of the moderators. But their disagreement is a veritable symphony o...
Sep 11, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast A close read of media choices and voter preferences explains the refrain we've been hearing—shock that the race is so close. Plus, San Fransisco has come up a lot in the presidential race, because Kamala Harris is from there, you may have heard. We're joined by The New York Times San Fransisco Bureau Chief, Heather Knight to talk about her home city and how it's changed since earning a reputation as a place of progressive fervor. She lets us know which of the stereotypes still apply. Prize Picks...
Sep 10, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Former Barack Obama speechwriter, Terry Szuplat discusses Kamala Harris' challenges, Barak Obama's techniques, and he is forced to pay a compliment to the rhetorical style of Donald Trump. Szuplat is the author of Say It Well: Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind, Inspire Any Audience. Plus, should Elon Musk be arrested? (No.) Should the media tell you the presidential election is close? (They should.) Should teases give away the answers to rhetorical questions? (Only in rare circumstances.) Produce...
Sep 09, 2024•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this installment of Best Of The Gist, with Presidential candidate Kamala Harris officially reversing her support of a plastic straw ban, a topic stuck in Mike’s craw for years, we replay his 2019 Spiel on the topic. Then we revisit Thursday’s Spiel about Tim Pool, fool. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesc...
Sep 07, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Covid-19 is still around, but it's far less deadly. And, yet ... still deadly. Katelyn Jetelina, author of the Your Local Epidemiologist Substack, is here to talk about lessons learned, how vigilant we should all be, and if she ever wears a mask anymore. Plus, Hunter Biden pleads to felony tax evasion charges, debate anticipation has put every thing else in suspended animation, and we take listener feedback, play jingles, and award a Lobstar of this Antwentig. Produced by Joel Patterson and Core...
Sep 06, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Israel's critics describe it as a colonizer, settler colonizers, in fact. We examine the rational and irrational reasoning behind this as we talk with Adam Kirsch author of On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice. Plus, Tim Pool, amplified by Vladamir Putin and goofball election prognosticator Allan Lichtman, is at it again, with assistance from the entire media. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://a...
Sep 05, 2024•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Unlike anogenital distance researchers on NPR, at the DNC, Kamala Harris accepted her party's nomination with polished, practiced style. Also on the show, author Adam Kirsch joins us to discuss his new book, On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice. Plus, a peace deal not taken. 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 Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.c...
Sep 04, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast The greening of energy is fueled not just by air and wind but many minerals that need extraction. Standing in the way: regulations, a flower, and the Apache. Reuters energy reporter, Ernest Scheyder joins us to discuss his book The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives. Plus, a West Indian Day parade experienced deadly violence, as has often been the case ... still, the parade must go on. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com T...
Sep 03, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are out of the office for the holiday, but we wanted to give you the chance to listen to an interview that Pesca Plus members got to hear. Back on 4/20/23 Mike talked to Valerie Fridland about her book "Well, like, dude". Enjoy the longer version of the interview and you can subscribe to ad free or Pesca plus with the link below. 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 ...
Sep 02, 2024•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this installment of Best Of The Gist, while at the DNC a couple weeks back, Mike got to sit down with Friend Of The Gist Jonah Goldberg for a wide-ranging political conversation that became an episode of Jonah’s podcast, The Remnant. Today, we bring you that interview. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca...
Aug 31, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast A new faux-documentary posits a terrifying potential scenario: it's January 6, 2025, and the US government has to confront rogue members of the US military attempting a coup. War Game's stars include veterans of five Presidential administrations who participate in an unscripted exercise to quash the insurrection. We're joined by Director Jesse Moss, and one the film's stars, Peter Strzok, the former FBI Counterintelligence director who led the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016...
Aug 30, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jamil Zaki is a Stanford researcher and the author of the new book, Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness. He brings us a rare positive view of how our society has evolved, what it's evolved into, and he explains the flawed idea of "homo economicus." What does that mean? Listen. Also on the show, hawk tuah. 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 Subscr...
Aug 29, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 2020, as the pandemic raged, Andrew Chow found the Clubhouse app, and on it, he marveled at the volume of chatter about cryptocurrencies. He dove into that (mostly male) world of speculative bubbles, NFTs, grandiose ideas, and then watched it all crash and burn. Andrew joins us to discuss his new book, Cryptomania: Hype, Hope, and the Fall of FTX's Billion-Dollar Fintech Empire. Also on the show, Mike says the quiet part out loud. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@...
Aug 28, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today on the show, we are talking about comedic writing with Simon Rich. He has, after all, written for Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, and The New Yorker, so he knows a bit about trying to be funny on the page. And he's out with a new book, Glory Days: Stories, in which he makes light of entering middle age. 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 Subscribe: https://su...
Aug 27, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today on show, a two-part conversation with Evan Ratliff, cofounder of The Atavist Magazine and now host of the Shell Game podcast about how he created an AI version of his voice, hooked it up to a chatbot, and allowed it to speak on his behalf to friends, family, and even telemarketers. Well, especially telemarketers. Also on the show, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined forces with Donald Trump, though, as is typical with RFK Jr's actions, it's hard to tell how or why. Produced by Joel Patterson and ...
Aug 26, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mike Pesca and Nancy Rommelmann sit down with Michael Moynihan and Batya Ungar-Sargon from The Free Press to react live to Kamala Harris' keynote speech at the DNC. They also get into the party's division over Israel. Head over to TheFP.com/LIVE to watch the conversation in full. 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 Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mik...
Aug 24, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast A capable Kamala concludes with a convention capstone for the people. Plus, an assessment, a look forward, and the never-ending attempt to figure out Trump's next maneuver, a conversation with Dave Weigel of Semafor and Marc Caputo of The Bulwark. 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 Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profunditie...
Aug 23, 2024•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Democrats think they may have just found the solution to their "white working class problem" which has plagued them for a generation, according to pundits. But on the floor of the DNC, actual Democrat voters don't necessarily agree there is a problem. Also on the show, protestors demand a spot on the conference agenda. Plus, Tim Walz, defensive coordinator. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/T...
Aug 22, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast At the DNC, Brat Summer is still alive, despite Democratic delegates' inability to articulate Harris' "day one" promises. Also, at the DNC, Mike huddles with New York Times Magazine journalist Ross Barkan about who is leading the left wing of the Democratic party ... or, more accurately, who isn't leading them. Plus, former President Barack Obama flops on the DNC stage. Yeah, right! He crushed it. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the sho...
Aug 21, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast On his way into the Democrats big show in Chicago, Mike is confronted by protestors, stoned and angry. Inside, he talks to delegates, which makes him wonder who is more in touch with mainstream America ... the screamers or the Kool-Aid drinkers? Also on the show, University of Minnesota bioethicist and whistleblower Carl Elliott is out with a new book, The Occasional Human Sacrifice: Medical Experimentation and the Price of Saying No. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist...
Aug 20, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Erwin Chemerinsky is the Dean of the University of California Berkeley School of Law and the author of several books, including his latest, No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States. He thinks our democracy is under threat, but he sees simple solutions that just require updating our aging Constitution. The thing is, getting that done is anything but simple. Also on the show, the Olympic break dancing pile-on continues. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara ...
Aug 19, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today on the Gist. We play a June 2019 interview with Kyle Pope. He was the editor of the Columbia Journalism review. Plus we play the spiel from earlier in the week about Margaret Sullivan who runs the ethics center at the Columbia School of Journalism. 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 Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Prof...
Aug 17, 2024•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast When a series of high school students began to have odd tics and spasms their upset community didn’t know what to do. Was it poisoning? A mad-cow like neurological disease? Or something no less real, but much more psychological. Dan Taberski, host of the amazing new podcast Hysterical stops by to discuss. Plus, Trump's insults of Kamal Harris, Strategic? Haphazard? Or just stupid? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https:/...
Aug 16, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Vibes and Memes translate to cheers and screams for the Harris/ Walz ticket. Mike has 3 theories on what vibes may really mean. Plus, Minouche Shafik is out as President of Columbia, and while we're announcing university HR developments, there's an opening in the Physics department of University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley. https://careers.utrgv.edu/postings/43154 And, Leon Neyfahk and Arielle Paredes are back to talk Juul, Vape and the importance of mangoes, both sliced and whole, in part two o...
Aug 15, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is vaping bad for you? If you don't know the answer to that question it means the wars were never really settled. Luckily Leon Neyfakh and Arielle Pardes the reporters behind the podcast Backfired: The Vaping Wars are here with answers. Plus, the Russians take New York, and Trump is talking differently about Kamala. 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 Subscribe: https:...
Aug 14, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kevin Allison, member of MTV's The State, and decade long host of the podcast RISK! talks about chances he's taken in comedy life, sex, and podcasting. Plus, JD Vance's thought experiment and Elon Musk talks particulate matter parts per million with Donald Trump 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 Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pe...
Aug 13, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Ann Burgess is a pioneering profiler of serial killers, and a primary character in the Netflix series Mindhunter. A new Hulu series directed by Abigail Fuller is out, titled Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer. Both director and subject are on today's show. Plus, the two journalism poo-bahs with consistently terrible ideas about journalism. And our broken breaking discourse. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://ad...
Aug 12, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
