The Gist

Latest Episodes:

Fake News Is Nothing New Aug 30, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, war games are back.

Hoaxes have fooled us at least since the era of P.T. Barnum, but they're especially prevalent in our era of political disinformation. Kevin Young is the author of Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News and tells us about the racist roots of the hoax and how hoaxes often lead us to believe what we wanted to in the first place.

In the Spiel, Trump shouldn't try to critique an algorithm.

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Gerrymandering and You Aug 29, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Louis C.K. isn't as despised as Twitter makes it seem, which is why an eventual comeback is likely.

In the interview, Maria Konnikova breaks down the science of fasting, and why it's currently associated with cancer treatments. Can it really help reduce cancer growth? And is it a useful practice for healthy individuals? Konnikova is a New Yorker contributor and the author of The Confidence Game.

In the Spiel, gerrymandering is bad for democracy and great for the GOP.

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#AbolishICE … and Then What? Aug 28, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, the news media reveres John McCain because he failed with grace—and wasn't too conservative.

Chances are you've heard #AbolishICE before. Journalist and activist Sean McElwee kick-started it and argues it's not just the agency that needs to go down, but the criminalization of undocumented residence within American borders.

In the Spiel, stupid stuff comes in threes.

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Crazy Rich Asians Is Important Aug 25, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, guest host Stephanie Foo dives into Crazy Rich Asians, speaking with friend and fellow producer Kat Chow about Asian representation in media, the inspiration to create, and a hope that this film will lead to more Asian-centered media.

Then she speaks with producer and former film professor B.A. Parker about seeing your own culture depicted on screen, and how exciting it is to see stories and jokes not meant for you.

In the Spiel, Stephanie considers whether America has failed her, and why she is so proud of being an immigrant.

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Sweep the Left Aug 23, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, nobody move or the economy gets it, Trump says.

The guys behind the left's most irreverent podcast (Chapo Trap House) want the Democratic Party to forget about Robert Mueller and set their sights on 2020. But in the short term? They're rooting for a blue wave. Alongside Felix Biederman and Brendan James, Thursday's guests Matt Christman, Will Menaker, and Virgil Texas are co-authors of The Chapo Guide to Revolution: A Manifesto Against Logic, Facts, and Reason.

In the Spiel, when you hear "everyone does it" down in Washington, you know something's amiss.

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Don't Touch The "I" Word Aug 22, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, guest host Alex Roarty thinks Sen. Elizabeth Warren has a way better message than simply "impeach Trump."

#NeverTrump Republicans are a vanishing breed. Crooked Media's Tim Miller is one of them, and he tells Alex that the news media's biases favor president Trump more than they weigh him down.

In the Spiel, history suggests Democrats will sweep the House in November. But don't forget that we're dealing with the poll-defying Donald Trump here.

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Trolls and Trump's Lies Aug 21, 2018

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On The Gist, guest host Max Kerman considers why politicians are getting duped by Sacha Baron Cohen.

Trump has lied so many times since he took office that it's difficult for the normal person to focus on them. Luckily we've got Daniel Dale at the Toronto Star keeping track. Dale joins us to talk about what it's like reporting on American politics as a Canadian, including the similarities of covering former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford.

In the Spiel, how to engage with trolls.

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What Happened to "America's Mayor"? Aug 20, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, how will Rudy Giuliani go down in history, and in public memory?

The midterm elections are looming, and the big question is how far the Democrats will go. Are they really likely to retake the House of Representatives? And how would that affect Trump's re-election campaign in 2020? Gist guest host Steve Kornacki talks to another political statistics wiz, Sean Trende of RealClearPolitics, about why we should be wary of using probabilities to predict elections.

In the Spiel, a tale of clear state borders and unclear rules.

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Listening to Inanimate Objects Aug 17, 2018

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On The Gist, if Trump weren't so repulsive, would we judge his murky dealings a little more kindly?

And we don't much think about the inanimate objects in our lives, never considering the rich inner life of the lamppost, the can of Coke, or the humble pillow. But Ian Chillag knows they have stories to tell, and he gets them to speak out in his new podcast Everything Is Alive.

In the Spiel, Mike talks to the guest hosts who will rule The Gist all next week.

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Goodbye to the Queen of Soul Aug 17, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, the free press.

Aretha Franklin has died at 76, and she was much more than a golden voice. Slate's Chris Molanphy recalls her talents at the piano and in the composition room, where she wrote timeless music and, with her covers, transformed songs from her own genre and beyond. (See "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Let It Be," and, of course, "Respect.") Molanphy is the host of the Slate podcast Hit Parade.

In the Spiel, the straw ban and balloons.

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