The Gist

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A Show, But a Riddle Too Feb 22, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, the deep state or a shallow president?

In the interview, director Leslye Headland has been on The Gist before, and is back for more. But unlike the protagonist of Russian Doll, her new Netflix show, he isn't likely to find herself stuck in a time loop, reliving the same moments over and over again. Headland joins alongside Rebecca Henderson, who stars in the show. And, fun fact: the two are married!

In the Spiel, Disney World's Hall of Presidents.

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The Viability of Bernie Sanders Feb 21, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, news should be new.

In the interview, our resident vexillologist Ted Kaye is back to talk about San Francisco's flag. Where does its design come from, and is it really the best modern representation of the city?

Kaye's book is Good Flag, Bad Flag. In the Spiel, Bernie Sanders and the viability of policy ideas.

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The Chinese Threat is Overblown Feb 20, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, Bernie is in. Are billionaires out?

In the interview, president Trump may be the chief saber-rattler when it comes to China, but acting tough against the world's second biggest economy is a bipartisan pastime. With challenges like global warming and nuclear armament on the line, Kaiser Kuo says, the U.S. might do better with cooperation instead of rivalry. Kuo is a co-founder of the Sinica podcast and the editor-at-large of SupChina.

In the Spiel, algorithms aren't just for Facebook—they're also used in criminal justice. Here's why they shouldn't be.

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New York's Bad Math Feb 15, 2019

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On The Gist, racy names for missiles.

In the interview, Chris Molanphy is here to talk about the Billboard hits of 1979, disco's last hurrah, and how the year prepares for the coming wave of pop. Molanphy is the host of Hit Parade and writes the column Why Is This Song No. 1?

In the Spiel, Amazon leaving New York City is a big loss but people don't seem to realize it.

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Matt Braunger, Funny Dummy Feb 14, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, sometimes Howard Stern can be helpful.

In the interview, stand-up comedian and podcaster Matt Braunger is here to discuss his new special Finally Live in Portland, his podcast Advice From a Dipshit, and whether or not he would eat racist fudge.

In the Spiel, the human tragedy of losing animals.

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How to Lose a Guy in 10 Seconds Feb 13, 2019

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On The Gist, Democratic leaders should slow down the next time a Virginia-sized fiasco comes along.

In the interview, podcasters can storm off a set too—even if it's their own. Words Matter host Adam Levine pressed his colleague Steve Schmidt on details about his advising gig for 2020 hopeful Howard Schultz. And it wasn't just because that posed a possible conflict of interest for the political podcast; Levine says his regular listeners wanted answers on the guy who, in their eyes, could get enough votes to cause another Trump victory.

In the Spiel, and in El Paso on Monday: presidential logorrhea.

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Open Season For America's Wars Feb 12, 2019

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On The Gist, if president Trump wanted to denounce bullying, he could have done better than inviting a boy named Trump (no relation) to the State of the Union address.

In 2001, Congress gave president Bush a nearly blank check for command of an American military bent on punishing the terrorist groups directly (and not so directly) responsible for 9/11. The Authorization for Use of Military Force still benefits U.S. presidents, and few in Congress today seek to curb it. Our guest, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, of Connecticut, is among them.

In the Spiel, Sen. Amy Klobuchar is in for 2020, and reports of her being too tough a boss should be taken in stride.

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Quoth the Maven Feb 09, 2019

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On The Gist, wise words from the mouth of Jeff Bezos… by way of Amazon's Alexa.

In the interview, green energy may be clean, but that doesn't mean its infrastructure is any less garish. Energy reporter Amy Harder reminds us that one of the lesser-discussed obstacles to a Green New Deal is good old-fashioned nimbyism: "A lot of people don't like power lines being constructed right in their backyards." Harder covers energy for Axios, and writes its Harder Line column.

In the Spiel, it may feel right to ask that we believe women making accusations of sexual assault. But a better corrective would be simply to not discredit them out of hand.

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The Green New Deal Is a Dream Feb 08, 2019

Show notes

On The Gist, don't lick people you work with.

In the interview, reading a whole book is great, but sometimes all you need is the introduction. Author Elisa Gabbert thinks so, and joins us to talk about intros and other "front matter"; a novel that unfolds over the course of an escalator ride; and how sitcoms have thrown our beauty barometers out of whack. Gabbert is the author of The Word Pretty.

In the Spiel, the Green New Deal needs more scrutiny before it moves forward.

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The State of the Union is… Overrated Feb 07, 2019

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On The Gist, who oh who will govern the state of Virginia?

In the interview, when Roger McNamee jumped in as an early investor in Facebook, he might not have figured he'd end up testifying about the company in front of Congress. McNamee charts Facebook's worrying evolution in his new book: Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe.

In the Spiel, the State of the Union address is like baseball's All-Star Game. Flashy, but without consequence.

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