The Gist

Latest Episodes:

Jon Glaser Is Conflicted May 22, 2017

Show notes

Jon Glaser makes his triumphant return to The Gist to talk about season two of the Adult Swim series Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter. Glaser has been a part of some of the most acclaimed shows on TV. He's written for Inside Amy Schumer and Late Night With Conan O'Brien. He played Laird in Girls and Councilman Jamm in Parks and Recreation. But he's feeling torn about making jokes for a living now, with the country seeming more screwed up than usual.

In the Spiel, will the U.S.–Saudi Arabia weapons deal mean hundreds of thousands of jobs for Americans?

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Can We Really Fix College Sports? May 19, 2017

Show notes

For college athletes, performance bonuses outweigh academic bonuses 15 to 1. That's not acceptable, says Arne Duncan. Duncan served as Barack Obama's education secretary. Now, he's on the Knight Commission, which is trying to lead reforms in college sports.

In the Spiel, the strange evolution of Rod Rosenstein.

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Roger Ailes Created This Mess May 18, 2017

Show notes

Thursday morning, Roger Ailes died. The Fox News impresario changed the conversation in America and created a base of support for the current pPresident, Donald Trump. Isaac Chotiner has reported extensively on Fox News for Slate. His new interview podcast is called I Have to Ask.

Plus, Mike hits the bar with Peter Fornatale to drink discuss the crown jewel of cocktails. Fornatale is author of Brooklyn Spirits and host of the DRF Players' Podcast.

In the Spiel, Mike reflects on how to win listeners and influence presidents. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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Why Things Went South in Alabama May 17, 2017

Show notes

What's the matter with Alabama? (You could ask the same thing of tens of other states with sleazy political histories, but we're going in alphabetical order.) Today, Alabama reporter John Archibald delves into the concentric scandals rocking the Montgomery establishment. Archibald writes for the Alabama Media Group. In the Spiel, why you shouldn't root for impeachment. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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Encounters With the Very, Very Famous May 16, 2017

Show notes

One piece of interview advice from Chuck Klosterman: You can't make a celebrity interview feel like a real conversation. "They know it's not real. They wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't be asking these questions, if it wasn't for the tape recorder," says Klosterman. His new book, X, includes profiles and essays on some of the biggest names in pop culture from Klosterman's storied career, including Kobe Bryant and Taylor Swift.

In the Spiel, breaking down the disparate, strange, nonsensical explanations for Donald Trump's Russia leaks.

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Chasing the Bauble With Brooke Gladstone May 15, 2017

Show notes

Lists of inaccurate statements by Donald Trump are good and satisfying and a little funny. But they aren't what we need. We need reporting on the issues behind the lies, says Brooke Gladstone. She's co-host of On The Media and author of a new book, The Trouble with Reality, which looks at the malfunctioning of American democracy.

In the Spiel, why voter ID laws are such a unique American con.

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Are Bilinguals Really Smarter? May 12, 2017

Show notes

A century ago, bilingual children were seen as disadvantaged—a kid speaking English and Spanish was liable to become confused and might not learn properly. Now? Bilinguals are seen as better than the rest of us. They get dementia later. They have bigger brains and are better at focusing on tasks. So what's the truth? Our resident social science sleuth Maria Konnikova investigates. She's a New Yorker contributor and author of The Confidence Game. Her new podcast is The Grift.

In the Spiel, the news buried this week by the firing of James Comey.

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Clint Watts, Testifier Extraordinaire May 11, 2017

Show notes

We're zooming out on Russia's influencing machine with the help of Clint Watts, the national security expert who had a star turn in March with his soundbite-ready testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Watts explains why the partisan skew on fake news is "kind of garbage." Plus, he has tips for testifying—just in case you get a call from Congress. Watts is a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

In the Spiel, hanging on every phrase President Trump invented this week.

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The Man Who Wrote the Comey Memo May 10, 2017

Show notes

Former FBI Director James Comey has been called "rapturous of his own righteousness," but by most accounts the man who assisted in Comey's ouster could be described the same way. Rod Rosenstein, No. 2 at the Department of Justice, wrote the memo justifying Comey's firing, but he's had a sterling reputation until now as a fastidiously apolitical prosecutor. Leon Neyfakh, justice reporter for Slate, explains the lingering questions surrounding Comey's dismissal and Rosenstein's role in what happens next.

In the Spiel, остановить! This has nothing to do with Russia.

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Are We Smart Enough to Be a Direct Democracy? May 09, 2017

Show notes

Soon, every person on Earth will be connected, via social media, to every other person. So why do we approach policy like it's the '70s? In his book The Great Questions of Tomorrow, David Rothkopf asks how we can change our policy outlook to reflect how people actually interact. Rothkopf is CEO and editor of the FP Group and host of The Editor's Roundtable podcast.

In the Spiel: Is air travel getting worse or are we just more demanding?

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