The Gist

Latest Episodes:

Redefining Racism Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

On the Gist, the McCloskeys in Missouri.

In the first part of this two-part interview, John McWhorter is here to dig into definitions with Mike. They discuss how the meanings of racism and white supremacy have changed over the years, and what that says about the ways culture is shifting. McWhorter is the host of Lexicon Valley, and his latest piece is "The Dictionary Definition of Racism Has to Change," in the Atlantic.

In the spiel, a professional bullshit artist.

Email us at thegist@slate.com

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

See No Evil, Hear No Evil Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

On the Gist, there is no question these men needed to breathe.

In the interview, Maria Konnikova is back for "Is That Bullshit?" She and Mike discuss the scientific preprints published on Covid-19 and call out the credible and those rife with misinformation. How can you trust them? Maria's newest book called The Biggest Bluff, is already a New York Times bestseller.

In the spiel, how Trump consumes news.

Email us at thegist@slate.com

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Never-Ending Trump Jun 29, 2020

Show notes

On the Gist, paying the Taliban and not believing the New York Times.

In the interview, the around-the-clock news cycle turns 40 years old this summer. With the advent of cable television and a bright idea from an American media mogul, CNN was born. Journalist and author, Lisa Napoli, talks with Mike about her unauthorized biography, Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News, and explains how the station became a trailblazing force in transforming the ways we consumed media at the end of the 20th century.

In the spiel, Trump is the worst. But he's not gone yet.

Email us at thegist@slate.com

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Splashing Down on a Mountain of Racism Jun 27, 2020

Show notes

On the Gist, Disney's Splash Mountain.

In part two of their interview, Mike continues to talk with Matthew Barge about the failure of police departments to gather data and statistics that would help create and enforce meaningful policing policy change. Barge is a lawyer, a principal consultant with 21CP Solutions, and federal court-appointed monitor overseeing federal consent decrees in Cleveland, Ohio and Baltimore, Maryland.

In the spiel, the Lobstar of the Antentwig

Email us at thegist@slate.com

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Playing With a Viral Yo-Yo Jun 26, 2020

Show notes

On the Gist, Biden is in the lead.

In the first part of a two-part interview, Mike talks with police practices and civil rights expert Matthew Barge about how policy has failed to change how law enforcement agencies police communities, how police unions have played a huge role in where we find ourselves now, and what role consent decrees play in changing police behavior. Barge is a lawyer, a principal consultant with 21CP Solutions, and federal court-appointed monitor overseeing federal consent decrees in Cleveland, Ohio and Baltimore, Maryland.

In the spiel, the Covid-19 yo-yo.

Email us at thegist@slate.com

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Mechanisms in Place Jun 24, 2020

Show notes

On the Gist, interruption by ring knocking.

In the interview, Mike is joined by Lawrence Douglas, author of Will He Go?: Trump and the Looming Election Meltdown in 2020, a page-turning book of what-ifs and premonitions of constitutional chaos if Trump decides to give America a hard time at the end of his term. Douglas is the James J. Grosfeld Professor of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought at Amherst College. He is the prize-winning author of seven books, most recently The Right Wrong Man: John Demjanjuk and the Last Great Nazi War Crimes Trial.

In the spiel, undeniable progress.

Email us at thegist@slate.com

Podcast production by Margaret Kelley, Daniel Schroeder and Joel Patterson.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Unbiased News Jun 24, 2020

Show notes

On the Gist, refocusing our attention to local democracy.

In the interview, Mike talks with Seth Stevenson, author of Grounded: A Down to Earth Journey Around the World and host of Slate's newest business podcast Thrilling Tales of Modern Capitalism. Seth's new podcast delves into the backstories of iconic brand, from Purell to Victoria's Secret, and he joins Mike to talk about Carnival Cruises, one of the biggest players in an industry that jumps from one disaster to another. And yes, the expression "poop cruise" is mentioned.

In the spiel, objectivity as a punching bag.

Email us at thegist@slate.com

Podcast production by Margaret Kelley, Daniel Schroeder and Joel Patterson.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Crowd Size and Political Viability Jun 22, 2020

Show notes

On the Gist, lack of humor in the Trump administration.

In the interview, Mike talks with Maria Konnikova, star of our bi-weekly segment "Is That Bullshit?" This time, however, Maria is here to discuss her newest book about becoming a professional poker player. Already a New York Times bestseller, it's called The Biggest Bluff.

In the spiel, "yuge" crowd psychology.

Email us at thegist@slate.com

Podcast production by Margaret Kelley, Daniel Schroeder and Joel Patterson.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Confronting a White Supremacist Jun 19, 2020

Show notes

On the Gist, Trump's ignorance.

In the interview, Mike talks with Josh Levin, Slate's national editor. A co-host of the sports podcast Hang Up and Listen, Levin is also the author ofThe Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth. Mike and Josh discuss Levin's latest audio project as host of Season 4 of Slow Burn, which over the course of several episodes, dissects David Duke's rise into the political mainstream and explores how Duke maintained his status as one of the most famous white supremacists in the U.S.

In the spiel, impediments to true justice.

Email us at thegist@slate.com

Podcast production by Margaret Kelley, Daniel Schroeder and Joel Patterson.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Give Up That Racist Tradition Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

On the Gist, an officer cooperates.

In the interview, Mike talks with co-host of Slate's Political Gabfest, CBS 60 Minutes correspondent and contributing editor at the Atlantic, John Dickerson. His new book on the American Presidency, The Hardest Job In The World, details that there are no blueprints around the challenges of governing, and how we need to evaluate candidates and nominees for the job.

In the spiel, a song gets cancelled.

Email us at thegist@slate.com

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.