The Gist

Latest Episodes:

Would the U.S. Win World War III? Nov 28, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Cindy Hyde-Smith is on the MAGA wagon.

In the interview, the U.S. has long been the global leader in military spending. But is that enough to guarantee victory in a war against Russia, China, or both? Aaron Mehta covers the Pentagon for Defense News and has written about a bipartisan commission's new report on America's readiness for big conflicts.

In the Spiel, terrible arguments obscuring bad ideas.

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Make Voting Rights Sexy Again Nov 27, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Danielle Pletka's thoughts on climate change and Saudi Arabia.

In the interview, the Republican Party's voter suppression isn't the result of philosophy or values—it just helps them win. In making the fight over voting rights public, Democrats have two advantages: It's obviously the right thing to do, and it would help them compete up and down the ballot. Our guest Dave Weigel writes The Trailer, a newsletter on electoral politics for the Washington Post.

In the Spiel, the crisis of credible conservative commentators.

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Obesity, and You, and Me! Nov 21, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, the state of the runoff Senate election down in Mississippi.

Fat shaming is inexcusable. But so is denying some of the health problems that come with being obese. Maria Konnikova gives us a pre-Thanksgiving report on the latest science and reminds us that obesity in the U.S. is driven by social "superforces" more than by personal choices. Konnikova writes for the New Yorker and is the author of The Confidence Game.

In the Spiel, yes, it's absolutely OK to laugh (or shake one's head in disbelief) at President Trump's buffoonery.

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The Many, Many Ways to Think About Running Nov 21, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, a historian at the White House Correspondents' Dinner? Why not?

When a young Peter Sagal was labeled "not great at sports," it didn't sit well with him. But if that drove him to running in the first place, he now has plenty of reasons to keep up the pace—not the least of which is that it's a good thing to think, talk, and write about. Sagal is the host of NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! and the author of The Incomplete Book of Running.

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Uncle Verne Pulls Up a Chair Nov 20, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, violent, vicious, and terrible. These are a few of Trump's favorite words.

In the interview: Verne Lundquist announced sports games for decades. But in retirement, he has more time for classical music than whatever game is on TV. "I'm not a passionate sports fan," he says. "I've got X number of years to live in this life—let's experience as much of it as we can." Lundquist is the author of Play by Play: Calling the Wildest Games in Sports—From SEC Football to College Basketball, the Masters, and More.

In the Spiel, there are four kinds of presidents. Trump's the worst kind.

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Ben Stiller's Big Prison Break Nov 17, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, President Donald Trump has finally made a nomination for ambassador to South Africa. And it is a terrible one.

It's hard to make comedy when your story, like Ben Stiller's latest direction, is based on a state inspector general's report. Escape at Dannemora is drama through and through, based on the prison break of two men, aided by a female employee (and lover), from New York's Clinton Correctional Facility. Stiller talks filming bad sex, turning villains into heroes, and what makes Patricia Arquette a great actress. Escape at Dannemora premieres Sunday on Showtime.

In the Spiel, get this: a podcast where the interviews never get past "hello!" and "can you hear me all right?"

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Cult Classic Nov 15, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Nancy Pelosi and new House leadership.

Then, the self-help organization known as NXIVM had thousands of paying customers, but only some were involved in the cultish operations that, once exposed, brought it crashing down. In Uncover: Escaping NXIVM, host Josh Bloch follows one of the company's unknowing recruiters, who disavowed the group and became central to the ongoing FBI charges against its founder, Keith Raniere. We also hear from Susan Dones, another former member of NXIVM.

In the Spiel, Brexit is back.

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Priming New York for Amazon Nov 15, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, who's running in 2020? Should we even speculate yet?

Time for another segment of Mike debates Slate. Staff writer Henry Grabar is here to discuss Amazon's choice of New York City, why people seem to keep misunderstanding what subsidies are, and how the benefits of Amazon moving to Long Island City outweigh the costs to the city.

In the Spiel, Jim Acosta's White House press credentials and asking multipart questions at press conferences.

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More Show Than Showdown Nov 14, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, when will everyone stop walking and chewing gum at the same time?

In the interview, it may have been a political stunt ahead of the midterms, but president Trump's deployment of U.S. service members to the border continues. What are they even up to? Veteran and writer Jack Murphy fills in the details, including how the mission is being received in the military community at large. Murphy is the editor in chief of NEWSREP.

In the Spiel, Amazon's news and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

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The Love of the (Basketball) Game Nov 13, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, what kind of sped-up sports replays is Kellyanne Conway watching?

The simplicity of basketball is also its genius, allowing players to exercise skill, heart, genius and passion in endlessly creative ways. Dan Klores embraces just that in his ESPN documentary Basketball: A Love Story and talks about specific players, the NBA's leaders, and why short players deserve more credit.

In the Spiel, the DCCC may smack of establishment power, but it was damn effective at flipping House seats for Democrats.

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