The Gist

Latest Episodes:

Girls Rule, and Boys Think They Rule More May 23, 2018

Show notes

On today's Gist, whatever happens in the governor's primary in Georgia Tuesday night, it will be a big step forward for women named Stacey.

Neuroscientist and education researcher Sara Brownell explains what she found studying how gender affects students' perceptions of their own intelligence. Brownell is an assistant professor at Arizona State University.

In the Spiel, consider the "no shit" factor in Trumpian news cycles these days.

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Two-Party Problems May 22, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Hawaii's "laze" is some seriously bad branding.

In the interview, our two-party system may seem inevitable, but political scientist Sam Rosenfeld digs into its engineered history, including the 1950 government report that pushed the country "Toward a More Responsible Two-Party System." Before then, what you thought about health care, guns, or abortion had little to do with where your vote went. Rosenfeld is the author of The Polarizers: Postwar Architects of Our Partisan Era.

In the Spiel, the latest school shooter didn't raise any red flags or wield an AR-15. But gun control is still what we need.

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Breaking Up Comedy's Boys Club May 18, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, our attempt to track the new scoops that affected the Mueller investigation.

We're not playing "Is That Bulls--t" on the show today, but if we were, comedy writer Nell Scovell would probably say, "Yes." Yes, the dearth of women in late-night writers' rooms is bulls--t. Yes, men's explanations are bulls--t. And, yes, sometimes women themselves willingly succumb to the bulls--t because, as Scovell says, "Look, this s--t is deep." Her new book is Just the Funny Parts.

In the Spiel, denigrating the top 80 books sold on Amazon.

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Becky Hammon's Next Big Shot May 18, 2018

Show notes

On today's Gist, the Alex, Inc. drinking game you can play with the whole family.

Becky Hammon is an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs and is a leading candidate to become the first female head coach in the NBA. Hammon got passed over this week by the Milwaukee Bucks, but Ringer staff writer Shea Serrano and New Yorker contributor Louisa Thomas talk about why Hammon is still expected to break the NBA's glass ceiling.

In the Spiel, today's off-the-cuff remarks from the president.

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Disconnecting the Dots in Israel May 17, 2018

Show notes

On today's Gist: laurel or yanny?

We have questions about the protests in Israel. Daniel Shapiro is here to answer them. Shapiro was the U.S. ambassador to Israel for most of the Obama administration. He is now a visiting fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies.

In the Spiel, an irksome aspect to the coverage of the deaths in Gaza.

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Introducing Upon Further Review May 15, 2018

Show notes

On today's Gist, we're tearing up the playbook. We're playing the first episode of our new limited-run podcast, Upon Further Review, based on the book of the same name. In this episode, Slow Burn host Leon Neyfakh imagines how American history might have been different if Richard Nixon had been any good at playing football. For more fascinating sports what ifs, subscribe to Upon Further Review now.

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Does Your Face Need a Workout? May 14, 2018

Show notes

On today's Gist, is Sen. John McCain really the greatest political leader of all time?

Have you heard of face gyms? Beauty gurus are rushing to recommend exercises for the forehead, chin, and cheeks to look younger and healthier. Our expert bullshitologist Maria Konnikova is here to scrutinize the case for facial toning. Konnikova is a contributor to the New Yorker and the author of The Confidence Game.

In the Spiel, Salena Zito's populist divining rod.

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Why Putin Matters May 12, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, the mainstream media is too buttoned-up when describing the Trump administration's shenanigans.

There is no Russian Federation as we know it without Vladimir Putin. Former Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul explains how parts of Russian society are eager for new leadership despite that. As for its relations with the U.S., McFaul sees continuity in how the Obama and Trump administrations (though perhaps not Trump himself) put pressure on Russia. McFaul's new book is From Cold War to Hot Peace.

In the Spiel, email newsletters are where you'll find the best and worst headlines. Plus, it's time to award a Lobstar of the antentwig!

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The Long, Long Road of Tiger Woods May 10, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, torture is torture, and the news media should call it that.

Tiger Woods dominated his sport like perhaps no other athlete. But that success came at a price. Woods' almost military upbringing as a golfing machine lead to a lack of interpersonal connections and, years later, numerous scandals in the public eye. Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian are out with the eponymous biography Tiger Woods, and talk about the golfer's struggles, successes, and chances at redemption.

In the Spiel, more thoughts on the awful practice that is torture.

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Some Interrogation May 09, 2018

Show notes

On today's Gist, Michael Cohen has weaved a tangled web, but the mere fact that it's confusing doesn't mean we can assume he's a criminal.

Tim Weiner wrote the definitive book on the CIA in 2008 with his Legacy of Ashes. Today, he helps decipher the Senate confirmation testimony of Gina Haspel, President Trump's pick to be the next CIA director. Why is the CIA rooting for Haspel? How did she dodge questions about the agency's torture program? Would the hearing have gone differently if Sen. John McCain had been present?

In the Spiel, why Gina Haspel should not be confirmed.

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