The Gist

Latest Episodes:

Wild Wild Story Dec 04, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, in doing less than his son did in the Middle East, George H.W. Bush did better.

In the interview, Wild Wild Country was one of the year's most riveting documentaries. But one of its sources, journalist Les Zaitz, argues that it pulls punches on the cult that overtook a small town in Oregon, committed the biggest bioterror attack in American history, and had designs to assassinate its critics.

In the Spiel, taking stock of George H.W. Bush's legacy.

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Very Legal, Very Cool Dec 01, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, should people be let go for one bad idea?

30 for 30 has been a hugely successful documentary series in both video and audio form for ESPN. Jody Avirgan sits at its podcast helm with a new season covering stories like Jose Canseco's steroid use, the 2003 World Series of Poker, and Japanese baseball player Hideo Nomo trying to join the Major League. He also hosts FiveThirtyEight's political podcast, offering fresh and smart insight wherever he can. Avirgan joins us today to talk the difference of the audio documentary medium, how soon after events documentaries can be made, and what stories they almost told this season.

In the Spiel, the very legal and very cool Donald Trump.

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How to Shoot a Fight Nov 30, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, cows are beef, even if they've reached internet fame.

In the interview, Steven Caple Jr. watched everything from Jean-Claude Van Damme movies to street-fight videos before directing Creed II, the latest film in the Rocky franchise. He joins The Gist to talk about how to shoot a fight scene, his favorite Rocky villains, and Michael B. Jordan's rising star.

In the Spiel, Michael Cohen squeals, and we all learn once again that President Trump does not, sadly, tell it like it is.

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The Parent Police Nov 29, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, the Nancy Pelosi nonstory (spoiler alert: she's going to win the speakership) is distracting us from the Trump administration's latest misdeeds.

In the interview, Kim Brooks received 100 hours of community service in 2011 for leaving her son alone in a car during a quick errand. Then she connected with other parents who'd been policed by their community in harmful ways. Do Americans worry so much about the safety of children that they're blind to common sense? Brooks explores this, and the dangers of involving the police too quickly, in her new book, Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear.

In the Spiel, no, the missionary to North Sentinel Island did not deserve to die, and it's appalling to suggest he did.

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Would the U.S. Win World War III? Nov 28, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Cindy Hyde-Smith is on the MAGA wagon.

In the interview, the U.S. has long been the global leader in military spending. But is that enough to guarantee victory in a war against Russia, China, or both? Aaron Mehta covers the Pentagon for Defense News and has written about a bipartisan commission's new report on America's readiness for big conflicts.

In the Spiel, terrible arguments obscuring bad ideas.

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Make Voting Rights Sexy Again Nov 27, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, Danielle Pletka's thoughts on climate change and Saudi Arabia.

In the interview, the Republican Party's voter suppression isn't the result of philosophy or values—it just helps them win. In making the fight over voting rights public, Democrats have two advantages: It's obviously the right thing to do, and it would help them compete up and down the ballot. Our guest Dave Weigel writes The Trailer, a newsletter on electoral politics for the Washington Post.

In the Spiel, the crisis of credible conservative commentators.

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Obesity, and You, and Me! Nov 21, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, the state of the runoff Senate election down in Mississippi.

Fat shaming is inexcusable. But so is denying some of the health problems that come with being obese. Maria Konnikova gives us a pre-Thanksgiving report on the latest science and reminds us that obesity in the U.S. is driven by social "superforces" more than by personal choices. Konnikova writes for the New Yorker and is the author of The Confidence Game.

In the Spiel, yes, it's absolutely OK to laugh (or shake one's head in disbelief) at President Trump's buffoonery.

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The Many, Many Ways to Think About Running Nov 21, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, a historian at the White House Correspondents' Dinner? Why not?

When a young Peter Sagal was labeled "not great at sports," it didn't sit well with him. But if that drove him to running in the first place, he now has plenty of reasons to keep up the pace—not the least of which is that it's a good thing to think, talk, and write about. Sagal is the host of NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! and the author of The Incomplete Book of Running.

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Uncle Verne Pulls Up a Chair Nov 20, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, violent, vicious, and terrible. These are a few of Trump's favorite words.

In the interview: Verne Lundquist announced sports games for decades. But in retirement, he has more time for classical music than whatever game is on TV. "I'm not a passionate sports fan," he says. "I've got X number of years to live in this life—let's experience as much of it as we can." Lundquist is the author of Play by Play: Calling the Wildest Games in Sports—From SEC Football to College Basketball, the Masters, and More.

In the Spiel, there are four kinds of presidents. Trump's the worst kind.

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Ben Stiller's Big Prison Break Nov 17, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, President Donald Trump has finally made a nomination for ambassador to South Africa. And it is a terrible one.

It's hard to make comedy when your story, like Ben Stiller's latest direction, is based on a state inspector general's report. Escape at Dannemora is drama through and through, based on the prison break of two men, aided by a female employee (and lover), from New York's Clinton Correctional Facility. Stiller talks filming bad sex, turning villains into heroes, and what makes Patricia Arquette a great actress. Escape at Dannemora premieres Sunday on Showtime.

In the Spiel, get this: a podcast where the interviews never get past "hello!" and "can you hear me all right?"

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