The Gist

Latest Episodes:

Two Countries, at the Cost of One Nov 10, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, by any previous standard, we'd be saying that President Donald Trump lost the midterms, plain and simple.

In the interview, Tuesday's midterms saw red states get redder and blue ones bluer. If results like those keep repeating themselves, Slate panelists—Dahlia Lithwick, Jamelle Bouie, and Jim Newell, hosted live in New York by Mike Pesca—say America could soon feel like two distinct legal worlds.

In the Spiel, Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was a tight end at the University of Iowa! And uh, that tells us nothing about his character.

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In a Political Bind? Call Bradley Tusk Nov 09, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, the Democrats' big win.

Bradley Tusk has been in the background everywhere. His hand guided the rise of big political and tech brands, from advising Rod Blagojevich not to extort Rahm Emanuel to facilitating Uber's explosive growth. He joins us to discuss his political savvy saving campaigns and startups and why he's so passionate about voting with your smartphone. Tusk's new book is The Fixer: My Adventures Saving Startups From Death by Politics.

In the Spiel, misunderstanding democracy and trying to correct someone else's tweet.

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A Congresswoman Speaks Nov 08, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, was last night a wave or not?

If congresswoman Jackie Speier still kept a gratitude journal ("I don't have time to do it!"), it would include an entry about the Democratic Party reclaiming the House in Tuesday's midterms. Instead she's out with a new memoir—Undaunted: Surviving Jonestown, Summoning Courage, and Fighting Back—and brings details on how her party's majority will put the squeeze on President Donald Trump.

In the Spiel, Donald Trump's latest press conference.

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Just Ask Mimi Nov 07, 2018

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On The Gist, who gets to vote?

Mimi Sheraton, the first female food critic at the New York Times, has had a prolific career sharing her opinion on everything like ladyfinger sellers, hope chests and china patterns, and why we're all eating kale wrong. She joins us today to talk her career as a food critic, why smelt isn't a crowd pleaser, and the importance of eating as a family. She's a delight on the Ask Mimi episodes of the Sporkful, and her most recent book is 1,000 Food to Eat Before You Die.

In the Spiel, voting mistakes.

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What Newt Gingrich Wrought Nov 06, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, live, from Slate, it's a post-apocalyptic skit that just might come to pass if you don't vote on Tuesday.

In the interview, for decades, there was no need to hope for (or fear) a blue wave; until 1994, the Democratic Party enjoyed a 40-year monopoly on the House of Representatives. Then came Newt Gingrich, who engineered the Republican sweep of the lower chamber, and who looms large in our guest Steve Kornacki's latest book, The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism.

In the Spiel, more about (what else) the midterms. Also: Go vote.

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Root for the Dummy Nov 02, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, the Republican tax bill and insurance premiums.

In the interview: a third-century monk, Paul Revere's horse, and Death himself … all are characters in humorist Simon Rich's latest book, Hits and Misses: Stories—and none are in on the joke. "I always related to the characters like Homer Simpson that knew less than they should," Rich says. "As a child those are the ones that I found more sympathetic and more rootable."

In the Spiel, the unemployment numbers, and the lies we've told ourselves about the economy.

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American Tribes Nov 01, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Pew's analysis of European opinion surveys is out. Let's look at Greece!

In the interview, the American electorate has come to sort itself not just on political issues, but by worldview. Life is either a gauntlet of hazards (say Republicans) or an array of sights to see (as the Dems think). In their latest book, Prius or Pickup?, political scientists Marc Hetherington and Jonathan Weiler warn that these philosophical differences are sharper than what separated the voting blocs of previous generations.

In the Spiel, Trump is out with a racist political ad, surprising precisely no one.

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Hate Counts Oct 31, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Trump's xenophobic campaign, with a Spooktacular twist!

In the interview, hate is hard to measure, but the Southern Poverty Law Center paints a picture of growing prejudice in America. Heidi Beirich and the organization's Intelligence Project go beyond FBI and Department of Justice statistics to include press reports and even tips from the public.

In the Spiel, swing, baby, swing (we're talking about congressional districts).

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Signed, Sealed, Forgotten Oct 31, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Mike's bottom five causes.

In the interview, we rewind to the story of the mail bomber, which was quickly eclipsed by a massacre in Pittsburgh and one loud president. Steve Johnson, who directs Cranfield University's Forensic Explosive and Explosion Investigation program in the U.K., provides details about Cesar Sayoc's homemade devices.

In the Spiel, Trump's desire to end birthright citizenship.

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For Every Brand, a Backstory Oct 30, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, surprise surprise, right-wing commentators aren't apologizing for getting the mail bomber story totally wrong.

In the interview, brands don't make it big by mistake. Behind the success of Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte and Jell-O are stories worth hearing. Dan Bobkoff's podcast for Business Insider, Household Name, explores the odd origins of TGI Fridays, the reason there's a Mattress Firm on every corner, and how a Donald Trump ad may have saved Pizza Hut (it's all about the stuffed crust).

In the Spiel, the Pittsburgh shooter was fueled by hate. But just as importantly, he was armed with an AR-15. It's time to ban it.

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