The Gist

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Coal Over Climate Sep 20, 2018

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On The Gist, the latest in inane Trump statements.

Climate change is bigger than any one of us, including the president of the United States. Given his backward policies and denials of scientific fact, he deserves his share of criticism in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Climate scientist Andrea Schumacher explains which aspects of hurricane season can be expected to get worse as the planet warms. Schumacher is a research associate at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University.

In the Spiel, more on John Hockenberry.

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Owe Me the Money Sep 19, 2018

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On The Gist, taking issue with the sloppy headlines about the support (or lack thereof) for Brett Kavanaugh.

In the interview, Stacey Abrams' run for governor in Georgia has been criticized because of her huge outstanding debt. That got Ozy.com reporter Nick Fouriezos wondering how much political candidates typically owe as they run for office. He dug into the finances of 396 political candidates to see how much they owed, and to whom.

In the Spiel, a presidential penis prognostic. You're welcome.

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Ethan Hawke's Earnest Art Sep 18, 2018

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On The Gist, Hurricane Florence.

Ethan Hawke has stunned us with his earnest, moving performances on-screen, but he's also a talent behind the camera. His new directorial feature Blaze explores the life and love of the largely forgotten musician Blaze Foley. He joins us to talk filmmaking, the difficulty of music, comic book movies, and why we should appreciate criticism from our elders. Blaze premieres nationwide on Sept. 21.

In the Spiel, the allegations of Kavanaugh's sexual assault.

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Democratic Socialists of America, for the Win? Sep 15, 2018

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On The Gist, Vladimir Putin, RT, and the Salisbury poisoning.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez might have scary values to conservatives. But to the national director of the Democratic Socialists of America, she's a moderate. Maria Svart calls the DSA a "big tent organization," meaning it makes room for everything from AOC's Scandinavian-style social policies to the more radical workforce ownership of businesses.

In the Spiel, the end of primary season.

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After Family Separations, a Settlement Sep 14, 2018

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On The Gist, John Hockenberry's piece in Harper's.

Donald Trump is no stranger to settlements, and the latest of these come between his administration and hundreds of asylum-seekers. They were rejected after making their cases under the duress of being separated from their children … or their parents. "How are the kids supposed to say why they fear persecution? Try having that conversation with a 4-year-old," says Margo Schlanger, who headed the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties under Obama. If approved by the court, the settlement would give the migrants a second chance to apply for asylum.

In the Spiel, impeachment.

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Billionaires Don't Know Best Sep 12, 2018

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On The Gist, Vladimir Putin's "private citizen" excuse doesn't hold water.

In the interview, philanthropic billionaires are better than villainous ones, but Anand Giridharadas argues they could do better. Instead of insisting on the superiority of private efforts, they ought to pay more taxes and leave some things to the government. Giridharadas' book is Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World.

In the Spiel, FiveThirtyEight currently says Republicans have a 1-in-6 chance of keeping the House. What else has that kind of odds?

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DeRay Mckesson Makes the Case for Hope Sep 12, 2018

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On The Gist, Mike is thinking he'll vote Andrew Cuomo—but he's open to you changing his mind.

The 2014 shooting of Michael Brown upheaved many things in the U.S., including the career of DeRay Mckesson, who quit his job as an educator to become a full-time activist. Now he uses his podcast Pod Save the Peopleas a national platform to speak out against police violence and highlight news that flies under the radar. Mckesson's new memoir is On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope.

In the Spiel, want to feel less anxious? Put the phone down.

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Stylometry for Dummies Sep 11, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, are we having a national crisis?

The New York Times' publication of an anonymous op-ed has sparked rounds of speculation as to who's behind it—and the deep-state trappings it describes. Some see the word "lodestar" as signature Mike Pence, but as Sadia Afroz explains, stylometry—the analysis of prose to uncover its author's identity—is a little more complicated than looking at individual words. Afroz is a senior research scientist at the International Computer Science Institute.

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If You Want Power, Sell It Sep 07, 2018

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On The Gist, Lincoln, Kennedy, and Lincoln Kennedy could all speak better than President Trump.

If you're old enough to remember November 2016, you know that telling a good story—even an untrue one—wins elections. Author Yuval Noah Harari worries that populism has liberalism beat on this front, especially given an uncertain future looming with AI, biotechnology, and the possible obsolescence of the human worker. Harari's new book is 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.

In the Spiel, a lawmaker's voting record is the only thing we should judge them on.

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The DoD Payroll Just Got Smaller Sep 06, 2018

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On The Gist, Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing.

The Pentagon's third-in-command is reportedly losing his job, and it's hardly making news. As the Defense Department's first-ever chief management officer, John Gibson is in charge of saving billions of dollars for reinvestment. He's to be fired because of a reported "lack of performance," but Defense News' Aaron Mehta says the task was nearly impossible in the first place.

In the Spiel, who really wrote that New York Times op-ed?

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