The Gist

Latest Episodes:

The Endless Fact Check Mar 08, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, Stormy is in the news (but not that Stormy).

In the interview, Donald Trump speaks many untruths every day, and someone has to track them all. Somehow that task has fallen to a Canadian. The Toronto Star's Daniel Dale is here to tell us what counts as a lie, why details matter, and how neither the left nor the right seem satisfied with his work.

In the Spiel, theology isn't all that interesting… unless there's drama involved, of course.

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The Unbelievably Bad Michael Jackson Defense Mar 07, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, distracting Congress from H.R. 1.

In the interview, sexual promiscuity is judged differently among men compared to women, and that goes double for sex addiction. Franco-Moroccan novelist Leïla Slimani's latest protagonist, Adèle, knows that firsthand. Slimani joins us to talk about her relationship with her translator—and her own characters—and the French sex scandal that inspired her initial research.

In the Spiel, bad arguments are hard to believe, like those used to defend Michael Jackson.

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Top Chef, the Anti-Reality TV? Mar 06, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, Fox News isn't distributing Trump's talking points. Worse, it's defining them.

In the interview, reality TV typically thrives on drama and negativity. Top Chef isn't necessarily an exception, but season 16 competitor David Viana says morale was high on set—and that that's a good sign for the culinary world overall. "Better, healthier kitchens are popping up," Viana says. "It isn't the Gordon Ramsay style." David Viana is the executive chef of New Jersey's Heirloom Kitchen.

The finale of Top Chef: Kentucky airs March 14, 2019 on Bravo. In the Spiel, more from Trump's nonsensical CPAC speech.

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The Incoherent Right Mar 05, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, the White House PR machine.

In the interview, John Carlin is a former Asst. Attorney General for the Dept. of Justice and former Chief of Staff to Robert Mueller, and his new book Dawn of the Code War tracks the rise of global cyber threats from Russia and China, and how our country is working to respond.

In the Spiel, the CPAC lets Trump get away with anything he wants.

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Believing Jackson's Accusers Mar 02, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, John Hickenlooper might be running for president.

In the interview, Dan Reed reached out to Wade Robson and James Safechuck before #MeToo exploded, but its influence is clear. In the director's documentary for HBO, Leaving Neverland, we hear again how the effects of sexual abuse—in this case, at the hands of Michael Jackson—can manifest in counterintuitive ways; Robson and Safechuck once shielded Jackson. Now they're coming forward with their truth.

In the Spiel, the House Oversight Committee and racism.

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Is AOC Post-Truth Too? Feb 28, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, the empty political rhetoric that is "everyday people."

In the interview, fact-checking is big business in the age of Trump. But one politician diametrically opposed to the president—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—is playing fast and loose with statistics too, and journalists have noticed. Should she be called out? NY Magazine's Eric Levitz says it's complicated.

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Michael Cohen Isn't Smart Feb 27, 2019

Show notes

On the Gist, Michael Cohen is not a smart guy, and that makes his testimony all the more trustworthy.

In the interview, Casey Burgat of R Street is here to talk about Sen. Amy Klobuchar's staff turnover data. Does she seem to churn through staff more than most, or are a few big exits skewing the numbers? And is it so bad to have high turnover anyway?

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The Spring Breaker Vote Feb 26, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, corn syrup and beer.

In the interview, what's the difference between a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old? In terms of maturity, not so much. But only one of them has the right to vote. In Oregon, state Sen. Shemia Fagan is hoping to change that, and she's letting young activists take the lead.

In the Spiel, who wants to talk about reparations?

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Mayor for America Feb 26, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, asymmetric warfare means America's got some pretty lame enemies.

In the interview, women aren't the only demographic group making the 2020 race especially diverse. Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is considering a run for office; he's a millennial, a veteran, and openly gay. We get his thoughts on the size of the Supreme Court and Congress, and his feelings about the humble penny. Buttigieg's new book is Shortest Way Home: One Mayor's Challenge and a Model for America's Future.

In the Spiel, what the Oscars, the Virginia governorship, and Amazon HQ2 have in common.

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Billionaire Bashing Is Just for Sport Feb 23, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, even with a genuinely good story, president Trump just can't get his facts right.

In the interview, his name is Mo Rocca, and he's out with a new podcast of obituaries. So it's only natural, of course, that it be called Mobituaries. His audio tributes can be for both people and things, including JFK impersonator Vaughn Meader and the humble station wagon.

In the Spiel, America's billionaires do some good, and they don't make the rest of us any poorer.

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