The Gist

Latest Episodes:

America Lost The Reading Wars Feb 13, 2023

Show notes

Emily Hanford, host of one of 2022's best podcasts, Sold A Story, is here to discuss her deep reporting and well-told (if disturbing) documentation about how the way we've taught kids to read in this country is all wrong … and we haven't done anything about it for decades. Plus, an orgy of celebrity becomes white noise in Super Bowl commercials. And so many weird floating objects, so few answers beyond those supplied by F-22 Raptors.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack

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BEST Of THE GIST: Life After Football Edition Feb 11, 2023

Show notes

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, with Super Bowl Sunday upon us, we listen back to Mike's September 11, 2017 interview with former Raider (and Eagles) cornerback, Nnamdi Asomugha. Despite being one of the best cornerbacks ever to play in the NFL, Namdi sees his time in football as a prep course for acting. Then we're replaying Mike's Spiel about San Francisco sex workers who are clogging up the streets.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

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Just A Man And His Will To Survive….In Bronze Feb 10, 2023

Show notes

Paul Farber, a scholar at UPENN's Center for Public Art & Space at the University of Pennsylvania, hosts the WHYY podcast series The Statue, which looks at Philadelphia's most notable icon…no, not the Liberty Bell, but Rocky. Plus, crazy plans to thwart the sun, and crazier plans to thwart Twitter's thwarting of questionable political content.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

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Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack

Fundraiser by Michelle Pesca : Deniushkina Family Resettlement Fund (gofundme.com)

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The Sarah Lawrence Cult Feb 09, 2023

Show notes

The Hulu Series Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult of Sarah Lawrence tells the story of conman Larry Ray and his ten-year grip over a group of young people. Director Zach Heinzerling and survivor Dan Levin talk about the three-part series, which premieres tonight. Plus, AOC delivers the "DIS" but not the perfect "INFORMATION." And Mike voluntarily sits for an online government training module.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist

Fundraiser by Michelle Pesca : Deniushkina Family Resettlement Fund (gofundme.com)

Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack

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Jackals' Heckles Raises Hackles Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

The Booing of Joe BIden was shameful, because the boo-ers were shameless. Mike analyses the incentives spurring on the most raucous in the GOP caucus. And we're joined once more by Anthony Scaramucci, who holds forth on SBF, the January 6th Committee, and his own personal B.S. detector.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist

Fundraiser by Michelle Pesca : Deniushkina Family Resettlement Fund (gofundme.com)

Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack

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11 Days Of The Mooch Feb 07, 2023

Show notes

Anthony Scaramucci accumulated insights, enemies, and regrets during his short tenure in the White House. That's all okay, and it's what life his all about, he says. He is now talking to political, economic, and cultural authors and thinkers on his podcast Open Book. And in the U.S., politicians call Biden "weak" and Xi "wise" over Ballooonghazi, but in China they call Xi "dysfunctional" and question his leadership. Plus, San Francisco sex workers are clogging up the streets.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist

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What's Preventing Inventing From Ascending Feb 06, 2023

Show notes

Derek Thompson, staff writer at The Atlantic and host of the Plain English podcast, says Americans are wonderful at invention but frustratingly bad at implementation. Plus, all the excitement over the spy balloon, and all the un-excitement over a presidential rematch.

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Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist

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BEST OF THE GIST: Policing The Police Edition Feb 04, 2023

Show notes

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, after a week of pondering how to fix the broken state of policing in the United States, we listen back to Mike's September 2020 interview with Dr. Rashawn Ray, a sociologist studying methods of measuring implicit bias using virtual simulations of police officer decision-making at the Lab for Applied Social Science Research at the University of Maryland, College Park. He and his team are encouraged that by researching and educating law enforcement with real life social interaction training, they might be able to incite change in outcomes between officers and civilians. (This was originally run as a two-part interview in back-to-back episodes.)

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

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Steve Mulroy On Prosecuting Cops Who Kill Feb 03, 2023

Show notes

Steve Mulroy is the District Attorney of Shelby County, Tennessee, which includes Memphis. Mulroy has been in office for a little over a year and was elected to bring down violent crime, while simultaneously ending the distrust the community has for the police. That's a tall order. In this extended interview, we ask him if prosecuting the five officers involved in the death of Tyre Nichols will advance that goal? Also, we discuss what lessons he draws from the failures and successes of other progressive prosecutors, and why he thinks Memphis will avoid the fate of Baltimore, Ferguson, and other cities that succumbed to the pattern of police abuse leading to a pull-back in policing which lead to a rise in murders.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

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Caucus? They Don't Even Like Us Feb 02, 2023

Show notes

As the Democrats debate the presidential primary calendar, we're joined by Josh Putnam, a political scientist specializing in delegate selection rules, presidential campaigns, and elections. Plus, Biden gets the gift of criticism from Europe. And the short-sellers who exploded an Indian corporate giant.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist

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