The Gist

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"I'll Take Second Place for $2,000" May 03, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, how many people have declared they're running for president?

In the interview, breaking a record doesn't always mean going home a winner. Adam Levin learned that in his recent run on Jeopardy!, where he banked more money than any runner-up in the history of the game show (thus walking away with just $2,000). He tells Mike, a fellow Jeopardy! alumnus, about his tactics—and the fact that he has no regrets. Levin is sports information director of Brandeis University's athletics program.

In the Spiel, is Barr a chicken?

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Derby or Die? May 02, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, the latest in the Mueller report saga.

In the interview, the Kentucky Derby is this Saturday, but this year, the horse racing event is overshadowed by high fatality rates among equines in California's Santa Anita Park: 23 have died in just three months. Peter Fornatale follows the races closely, and sees mismanagement on both the park's track and in the appeasement measures that followed: "[It] sort of reminded me of the classic politician's trick of 'you don't like the conversation, okay, let's change the conversation.'"

In the Spiel, Bill Barr, hair-splitter general.

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It's a Code World May 01, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, the New Yorker's profile of John Bolton.

In the interview, coders have gone from a band of misfits to rulers of Silicon Valley. Clive Thompson is out with a book about that evolution, which examines the reckless product design stoked by the pursuit of hockey-stick revenue growth and a lack of workplace diversity—whether across gender, socio-economic class, or even age. "The ageism is where some of the trouble begins because you don't have people around that can tell you 'oh, we went through this rodeo 15 years ago,'" Thompson says. He is the author of Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World.

In the Spiel, Stacey Abrams isn't running for Senate in Georgia.

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Avengers: But For Real Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, the news media is getting better at demoting the names of America's mass shooters. That's a good thing, even as the internet's darker corners do the opposite.

In the interview, comedian Josh Gondelman is from Boston, but he often comes across as Minnesota nice. Can a comedian get laughs without being a bit of an asshole? Gondelman discusses that, his latest comedy album—Dancing on a Weeknight—and why writing for Showtime's Desus & Mero involves shedding fewer tears than does scripting Last Week Tonight.

In the Spiel, if you're going to enjoy this Avengers: Endgame parody, you'll have to contend with a spoiler or two. Cool?

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Why Fools Fall in Love Apr 27, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, the 2020 candidates' proposals shouldn't be compared to some progressive ideal, but to some of the stuff we spend taxpayer dollars on now.

In the interview, the pace of technological change means we might only be catching onto malicious disinformation techniques after it's too late to counter them. Still, scientific inquiry is useful in telling us how manipulation works. In The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread, authors Cailin O'Connor and James Owen Weatherall argue that social dynamics often trump intellectual ones in determining what we fall for, including bogus information peddled by anti-vaxxers. "You, in the right social context, would hold a lot of false beliefs too," says O'Connor.

In the Spiel, putting the Anita Hill hearings in context.

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It's Getting Hot in Here Apr 26, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, the difference between one million and one billion.

In the interview, Nathaniel Rich is here to discuss his new book Losing Earth about the decade of 1979-1989 and why they are so important to understanding America's political history of climate change and the current state of denialism we find ourselves in.

In the Spiel, is impeachment worth it? If we don't will Trump get reelected?

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Joe Biden's Battle Apr 25, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, whether he's on the most electable part of the political spectrum or not, Joe Biden is about to go through the wringer.

In the interview, winning a major sports championship is a thrill few ever get to know. But what happens when you keep stacking trophies, like the NBA's Golden State Warriors have done in recent years? The Athletic's Ethan Strauss covers the team, and wonders "if the Warriors suffer from, shall we call it, winner's ennui." Strauss is the host of the House of Strauss podcast and wrote a chapter on the Warriors in Mike Pesca's book, Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History.

In the Spiel, it's one from the vault on HBO's The Jinx, which, it's now come to light, included some misleading editing.

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The Never-ending CNN Town Hall Apr 24, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, Kate Smith's rendition of "God Bless America."

In the interview, comedian and filmmaker Lake Bell is here to discuss her new tv series Bless This Mess. About a newlywed couple who move from New York City to Nebraska, it's a play on the fish-out-of-water trope, but packed with more jokes than you know what to do with. Bless This Mess airs on Tuesdays at 9:30pm on ABC.

In the Spiel, the questions at the CNN town halls weren't all that great.

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Elizabeth Stormborn, Mother of Democrats! Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, Rudy Giuliani was a big, loud, and busy distraction this past Sunday.

In the interview, it's a round of "Is That Bullshit?" with Maria Konnikova. In the hot seat: the humble egg. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that eggs can increase your chances of heart disease. But is this study all it's cracked up to be? The nutritional science has gone back and forth on the health benefits and risks of this breakfast food. Maria boils it down.

In the Spiel, dragons roast their victims—and we roast Elizabeth Warren's Game of Thrones critique.

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The International Hilarity of Loyiso Gola Apr 20, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, sick children and dead ducks are pretty convincing.

In the interview, South African comedian Loyiso Gola is here to talk about his stand up special on Netflix, what it's like performing in different countries, and why talking about the economy is so difficult for everyday people. Gola is performing at the Soho Playhouse until April 21, 2019.

In the Spiel, time for an early Antentwig.

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