The Gist

Latest Episodes:

Ban the AR-15 Feb 17, 2018

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On The Gist, the market for "how to survive a shooting spree" videos shows how far we've strayed in dealing with gun violence.

Interracial marriage on a national level has only been legal for 50 years, after the landmark Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia. Anna Holmes and Lacey Schwartz are two of the minds behind The Loving Generation, a video series by Topic.com on identity and dynamics within multiracial families.

In the Spiel, it's a no-brainer: Ban civilian ownership of the AR-15, and fewer will die.

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Which Side Are You On? Feb 16, 2018

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Filling in for Mike Pesca today is Leon Neyfakh, still smoldering after his first season as host of Slate's hit podcast, Slow Burn.

Leon is indulging in a new fascination lately: the latest "left Twix vs. right Twix" ad campaign and its insistence that we should all pick one.

But, of course, we insist on taking sides. Slate writer Justin Peters sheds some light on the New York Times' swift hiring and firing of tech journalist Quinn Norton.

In Leon's Spiel: We must have some moral absolutes. But what is the cost of eschewing bothsidesism?

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Runaway Military Spending Feb 15, 2018

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On The Gist, names are stupidly important when it comes to getting elected.

The Trump administration is proposing a boost in military spending, but the country's defense budget actually peaked under President Obama during the troop surge for the war in Afghanistan. Bipartisan support for massive defense spending has been the norm since the Reagan era. Foreign Policy's Dan De Luce tells us about it.

In the Spiel, lawyer Michael Cohen's out-of-pocket expenses.

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Spoon-Fed by the Feds Feb 14, 2018

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On The Gist, on the White House budget's effort to replace half of food-stamp funding with crappy meal boxes.

How do you fix one of the most gerrymandered states in the country? It helps to have a tireless amateur mapmaker in your ranks. Mike talks to Amanda Holt, who spurred Pennsylvania to redraw its legislative districts in 2013 and is closely watching the state's ongoing court battle over its congressional districts.

In the Spiel, the American intelligence community still has to convince the White House that Russia's up to no good.

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Don't Call It a White House Shake-Up Feb 13, 2018

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On today's Gist, we get metaphysical. The White House is always in chaos. But can chaos be a permanent condition?

Maria Konnikova returns to play our favorite game and answer the question: Does an athletic uniform's color affect the athlete's performance? Konnikova writes for the New Yorker is the author of The Confidence Game.

In the Spiel, why Norway is a Winter Olympics marvel.

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Dumb About Deficits Feb 10, 2018

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On The Gist, it's The $10,000 Pyramid with a budget deal twist.

Is it possible we don't know enough about national debt to call our politicians when they're peddling nonsense? New Yorker staff writer Adam Davidson addresses some common misconceptions and sums up the Republican tax cuts and spending bill this way: "Rich people are stealing the money."

In the Spiel, the Olympics are back, and the Russians got off easy.

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Is the Iran Deal a Dud? Feb 09, 2018

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On The Gist, the "When did you stop beating your wife?" question in the White House press briefing.

In the interview, Iran may have shelved its nuclear ambitions, but the Middle East is still in trouble. Slate's Joshua Keating wonders if the Iran deal was worth it.

In the Spiel, the world of the FEMA scammer.

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The Longest War Is Lost Feb 08, 2018

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Trump wants a parade.

On The Gist, America's longest war, in Afghanistan, rumbles on under a third U.S. president. There is still no exit plan. Steve Coll's new book explores the covert side of America's campaign in Afghanistan and the secretive Pakistani intelligence wing lending support to the Taliban. Coll's book isDirectorate S: The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In the Spiel, considering Christopher Steele and Carter Page.

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America Adrift Feb 07, 2018

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Listen, chattering classes: Let's at least chatter correctly. We take a minute on the proper name pronunciation for the scandals of the day.

Today on The Gist, U.S. foreign policy is a mess. But U.S. foreign policy has been a mess for decades. Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, explains.

In the Spiel, what they were thinking in the stands of President Trump's speech on Monday in Ohio.

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Phil Rosenthal Eats the World Feb 06, 2018

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On The Gist: Dow goes down, Trump gets mad.

In the interview, comedian Phil Rosenthal went to six cities across the globe to eat everything they had to offer and put it on Netflix. He tells Mike about his new show, Somebody Feed Phil, and the creative angst behind the sitcom that put him on the map: Everybody Loves Raymond.

In the Spiel, Justin Timberlake didn't bring sexy back thanks to white privilege alone.

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