The Gist

Latest Episodes:

The Legacy of Ross Perot Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, jail time for absurd reasons.

In the interview, journalist Jack Fairweather is out with a new book about the untold story of Witold Pilecki, a Polish resistance fighter who chose to get sent to Auschwitz so he could report back on atrocities happening there during World War II. Fairweather's book is The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz.

In the Spiel, why Ross Perot was so important to shaping American politics.

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Life After Death Row Jul 09, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, did Joe Biden's apology work?

In the interview, Anthony Ray Hinton was wrongfully convicted for the murder of two teenagers in Alabama in 1985. After 30 years on death row his conviction was overturned and he was released. He's since become an advocate for those facing the death penalty and the abolishment of it in the United States, and he's here to talk with Mike about his experience in prison and life afterward. Hinton's new book is The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row.

In the Spiel, farewell to Eric Swalwell.

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Let's Rank the Presidents Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, should we rethink the structure of a week?

In the interview, founding CEO of C-SPAN Brian Lamb and Co-CEO Susan Swain are here to discuss their new book The Presidents: Noted Historians Rank America's Best—and Worst—Chief Executives. They discuss with Mike the creation of the book, visiting presidential burial places, and some Mike's favorite things about C-SPAN.

In the Spiel, the passion of Mike Francesa.

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Solving Urban Violence Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, the Hong Kong protesters and Chinese conspiracies.

In the interview, Harvard research fellow Thomas Abt is here to discuss his new book Bleeding Out: The Devestating Consequences of Urban Gun Violence—and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets. He talks with Mike about the ways we misunderstand urban gun violence and what concrete steps communities can talk to solve it.

In the Spiel, Tucker Carlson and Trump.

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Groaning Through Dad Jokes Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, the South Bend shooting and Pete Buttigieg.

In the interview, Jason Zinoman recently wrote about dad jokes for the New York Times so he's here to talk with Mike about his grand theories, why we love to hate dad jokes, and if they really are as low-brow as people consider them to be.

In the Spiel, the choice the Democrats face.

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Who Is the Real Kim Jong-un? Jun 28, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, Joe Biden had no good answers at Thursday's Democratic debate.

In the interview, the Washington Post's Anna Fifield is out with a new book on Kim Jong-un. She interviewed as many people who have had even a fleeting interaction with the man as possible, in an effort to get the clearest picture yet of what the head of the Kim dynasty is really like. Fifield's book is The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un.

In the Spiel, Kamala Harris has charisma, but is she a flip-flopper too?

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Pen, Sword, or Rock and Roll Jun 28, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, an absurd criminal charge in Alabama.

In the interview, the Iron Curtain couldn't block radio waves, or, in the '50s and '60s, a new form of music called rock and roll. András Simonyi, a former Hungarian ambassador to the United States, was electrified by Elvis and the Beatles, and says that "without rock and roll, I don't think the Soviet Union would have broken up." Simonyi is the author of Rocking Toward a Free World: When the Stratocaster Beat the Kalashnikov.

In the Spiel, pat them on the back all you want, not every debating Democrat can be a winner.

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Data in the Dugout Jun 26, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, the first Democratic primary debate is about to start.

In the interview, Ben Lindbergh is a staff writer at the Ringer, host of the Effectively Wild podcast, and author of the new book The MVP Machine: How Baseball's New Nonconformists Are Using Data to Build Better Players. He's here to talk America's favorite pastime, what baseball is like in a post-Moneyball era, and if data is making the game less interesting to watch.

In the Spiel, George Will weighs in on the state of baseball.

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Economic Anxiety? Joy Disagrees. Jun 26, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, Trump and Pence talking nonsense.

In the interview, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, especially when it comes to elections. MSNBC's Joy-Ann Reid figures that "the hungriest constituency" often gets its way at the ballot box. Black voters sent Barack Obama to the White House; xenophobes got their guy in Donald Trump; and in 2020, the group that swings the vote could very well be the women who regret their inaction in 2016—especially if Kamala Harris or Elizabeth Warren gets the nomination. Reid is the host of AM Joy and the author of The Man Who Sold America: Trump and the Unraveling of the American Story.

In the Spiel, the messiness of leadership.

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Erdogan Loses Istanbul. Now What? Jun 24, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, Kamala Harris still has a lot to answer for.

In the interview, media outlets used to employ ombudsmen—public editors who addressed readers' concerns and weighed in on a newspaper's reporting. Those roles have disappeared over the years but the Columbia Journalism Review wants to change that. Kyle Pope, the magazine's editor, recently announced the hiring of four journalists to publicly engage with the work of the New York Times, the Washington Post, MSNBC, and CNN.

In the Spiel, voters in Istanbul have just rebuked Turkish president Recep Erdogan.

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