The Gist

Latest Episodes:

Enemies in Eurasia May 31, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, using Olympic-sized swimming pools as units of measurements.

In the interview, beyond covering national security as a journalist, CNN's Jim Sciutto worked a stint in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. In both careers, he's seen signs of a shrinking power imbalance between America and its Russian and Chinese rivals. His latest book warns of the risks carried by Russian offensives in cyberspace, and potential Chinese aggression in actual space. Sciutto is the author of The Shadow War: Inside Russia's and China's Secret Operations to Defeat America.

In the Spiel, the spirituality of the lost hiker in Hawaii.

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The Mueller Dud May 30, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, it's a shoe! It's a phone! It's… both?

In the interview, Darrick Hamilton's ideas and research have the attention of more than one Democratic candidate for president. The Ohio State University professor—and head of the Kirwan Institute—studies income inequality and the policies that might help close it. He joins The Gist to talk baby bonds, inherited wealth, and the potential in a federal job guarantee.

In the Spiel, special Robert Mueller's statement at the DOJ contained nothing new, and yet still it still moved the needle on impeachment.

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Impeach a President May 29, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, calculating whether or not impeachment is the right move.

In the interview, Andrew Johnson was the first president to be impeached so Congress had to basically figure out how it worked as they did it. Brenda Wineapple is here to discuss the reasons for that impeachment, why the conviction failed, and what it can teach us about our current situation. Wineapple's new book is The Impeachers: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Dream of a Just Nation.

In the Spiel, the 1994 crime bill.

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The Impeachment Special May 27, 2019

Show notes

President Trump may yet face impeachment proceedings, so we're bringing you a roundup of two previous Gist interviews on the topic. The first is with the youngest woman ever elected to the House, Liz Holtzman—who participated in the Nixon impeachment hearings—and CIA alumnus David Priess, who worked at the agency under both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Both have recently published books on impeachment. Holtzman is the author of The Case For Impeaching Trump; Priess is the author of How to Get Rid of a President: History's Guide to Removing Unpopular, Unable, or Unfit Chief Executives.

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The Real Crimes of the TV Show Cops May 24, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, Theresa May's resignation.

In the interview, Dan Taberski's latest podcast series Running From Cops digs into the long-running reality series Cops to understand what's actually going on in those arrests on screen and how accurate the stories that we see are. He's here to talk about why the show is so watchable, how the cops work with cameramen to exploit those being arrested, and how the nature of reality television has made us slow to notice such exploitation.

In the Spiel, learning from history when it's always changing.

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Life After Parkland May 23, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, a look at the worst arguments in the debate over abortion.

In the interview, After Parkland follows the lives of those affected by the Parkland shooting. That includes Tori Gonzalez, who lost her boyfriend, Joaquin Oliver, to the tragedy. Gonzalez is on The Gist alongside documentary filmmakers Emily Taguchi and Jake Lefferman to discuss the making of the film, useful ways to talk about the event, and how she continues to cope with her loss.

In the Spiel, why the idea of impeaching president Trump is just like riding a motorcycle.

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Planned Parenthood Plans for Action May 23, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, Biden's electability.

In the interview, eight states have passed bills to limit abortion access so far this year. And while these may not end up surviving challenges in court (whether Supreme or lower), getting an abortion is already difficult for women in many parts of the country. Planned Parenthood president Leana Wen reminds us that abortion providers can be vanishingly rare in some states, and that hundreds of laws have been passed in the last few years to restrict access to the procedure: "Forced waiting periods, medically unnecessary ultrasounds…things that we would never consider happening to any other aspect of medicine."

In the Spiel, Michael Cohen and the pre-pardon pardon.

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What Basketball Gave Felipe Lopez May 22, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, oh, Ben Carson.

In the interview, Felipe Lopez was once billed the Dominican Michael Jordan. His star power even in high school led the team to play in bigger New York City venues—the better to fit the legions of fans who cheered as he carried Harlem's Rice High School to a championship victory. But his court domination dwindled in college, and in the NBA. Lopez joins The Gist to talk about the joys brought to him by basketball, not least of which is one that college athletes and recruiters rarely think much of: a degree. ESPN's The Dominican Dream, a documentary on Lopez by Jonathan Hock, is streaming now on ESPN Plus.

In the Spiel, M&M's, cannibalism, and the Game of Thrones finale.

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The First "Welfare Queen" May 21, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, the gift to the Morehouse graduates is great, but should it be celebrated or just the standard?

In the interview, Linda Taylor committed many crimes, but only one of them—welfare fraud—really mattered to politicians, the press, and the public. Anecdotes about kidnapping and possible murder would only get in the way of the portrait Ronald Reagan presented to American voters in 1976, of a woman whose defrauding of taxpayer money was typical among those dependent on social programs. Slate national editor Josh Levin wrote Slate's most read story ever, and has expanded it into a book—The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth—and a Slate podcast: The Queen, available now wherever you get your podcasts.

In the Spiel, Anand Giridharadas fact checking Jared Diamond.

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A Very Grumpy Death May 17, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, Grumpy Cat is dead. So are Bill de Blasio's chances at winning the White House.

In the interview, 1999 might be the greatest year in film—think The Matrix, The Sixth Sense, and Fight Club. But does Magnolia belong in the great movie pantheon, and should we really have been as impressed with American Beauty as we were? Brian Raftery, author of Best. Movie. Year. Ever.: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen, takes us through the last year of the '90s and explains why there hasn't been one like it since.

In the Spiel, there's no place for centrism as far as abortion rights go.

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