The Gist

Latest Episodes:

Democracy Dies in Dark Money Jul 19, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, about those outlandish celebrity baby names.

When the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision made unlimited campaign contributions legal, one state put up a fight. In Dark Money, documentary filmmaker Kim Reed and journalist John Adams exposed the influence of anonymous campaign contributions on Montana's state government even before the Supreme Court rubber-stamped the problem.

In the Spiel, would the high road be so easy to take if Papa John's pizza were delicious?

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.

A Piece of Pai Jul 19, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Girl Scouts are earning cybersecurity merit badges.

Sinclair Broadcast Group is trying to acquire Tribune Media so it can extend its television reach, but Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai is throwing up roadblocks, which is odd because Sinclair is so pro-Trump. NPR's David Folkenflik joins us to explain exactly what's going on and why Pai is hindering the company he previously seemed to help.

In the Spiel, Vladimir Putin's denials that he has Donald Trump in his pocket.

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 Schoolyard President Jul 18, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, the crocodile massacre in Indonesia that got no attention.

Work-life balance gets a lot of lip service, but we rarely pull it off. Brigid Schulte, host of the Better Life Lab podcast, is looking for solutions in a world of late-night work emails, shaky job security, and Workaholics Anonymous meetings. Better Life Lab is a partnership of Slate and New America.

In the Spiel, president Trump's mea culpa was delivered with all the skill of a fourth-grader.

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.

Are You Being Servered? Jul 16, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Trump's press conference with Putin and the red herrings involved.

Silicon Valley is steeped in self-made mythology, with stories about giants like Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, and Marissa Mayer. But how did Silicon Valley really come into being? Adam Fisher, whose new book is Valley of Genius: The Uncensored History of Silicon Valley, joins us to discuss where it all started—and the valley's potential future.

In the Spiel, how journalists should respond to criticisms of the media and how they should hold talk show guests accountable.

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.

Pardon the Arson Jul 13, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, it turns out your ethnicity is really easy to guess.

AnneMarie Sgarlata got rid of her TV months ago, but she still heard about President Trump's pardon of Dwight and Steven Hammond this week—and she wasn't happy. Sgarlata was among the lawyers who originally prosecuted the Hammonds for burning federal land and putting the lives of firefighters, hunters, and a teenage boy at risk.

In the Spiel, what America's political parties can learn from cereal brand mascots.

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.

A Cancer on the Court Jul 13, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, the biases of Peter Strzok and the need to connect accusations with actual evidence.

President Trump's first appointment to the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, benefited from anonymous donations worth millions. To Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, this "dark money" has created a frightening loop: Deemed lawful by the Supreme Court in 2010, it gives special interests a lock not just on elected officials, but on the courts themselves.

In the Spiel, Trump might not know the difference between Wisconsin and Minnesota.

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.

Gridiron Man Jul 11, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, "Brett" has got to be the lamest name among Supreme Court justices (or nominees).

"If Jim Brown's the past, Michael Bennett's the future." So says sports writer Dave Zirin, who recently published both a biography of Brown and co-authored Bennett's memoir. Why the contrast between these two football players? Michael Bennett is a deliberate progressive, while Jim Brown's work to save young men from gang life is marred by a history of domestic abuse. Zirin's books are Jim Brown: Last Man Standing and Things That Make White People Uncomfortable.

In the Spiel, Rep. Jim Jordan picked the wrong hill to die on.

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.

Don't Forget About Sex Jul 11, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Trump isn't strategic or defiant, he's just rapacious.

When discussing #MeToo, the focus is often on the power that men exerted when sexually harassing women, but are their sexual motivations getting left out of the conversation? Emily Yoffe wrote about this in her new piece "Understanding Harvey," for the Highline, and joins us to discuss.

In the Spiel, Hollywood has taught us that cars explode, but in reality they hardly ever do. Shouldn't movies teach us more practical lessons about how to handle crises?

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 Hole Picture Jul 10, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, comparing Trump's antics to a reality show is no longer a scarlet letter.

Yes, there are storytelling competitions, and Matthew Dicks wins a lot of them. His secret? Keep it visual, and forget about the tangents. Dicks' new book is Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling.

In the Spiel, "people trapped in holes" is a tale as old as time.

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.

Just Use My Data, People Jul 07, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, the shamelessness of the Wall Street Journal editorial board on Scott Pruitt leaving the Environmental Protection Agency.

Advertisements are a pain, interrupting our television programs and distracting us while we play games on our phones. They're a necessity though, funding all the entertainment we consume. Ken Auletta joins us to discuss the current state of advertising and its uncertain, data-driven future. Auletta's new book is Frenemies: The Epic Disruption of the Ad Business (and Everything Else).

In the Spiel, can we please just have targeted ads already?

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.