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The Gist — Daily News
The Gist

For thirty minutes each day, Pesca challenges himself and his audience, in a responsibly provocative style, and gets beyond the rigidity and dogma. The Gist is surprising, reasonable, and willing to critique the left, the right, either party, or any idea.

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Pete Souza's Photo Synthesis Dec 05, 2017

Show notes

Before Pete Souza became the most famous troll on Instagram, he was the White House photographer for the duration of the Obama administration. Souza explains his approach to capturing moments and shares why he doesn't consider his work to be propaganda. His book of pictures from the Obama presidency is Obama: An Intimate Portrait.

In the Spiel, should the store that sells you candy also sell you health care?

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Bob Saget Doesn't Think He's That Raunchy Dec 02, 2017

Show notes

Bob Saget has long been known as the cuddly, sitcom dad with a surprisingly raunchy side. The comedian talks about the two shows that launched his career and the very first jokes he wrote as a teenager. Bob Saget's comedy special is Zero to Sixty.

In the Spiel, Mike pays an overdue visit to mail from listeners, and awards a Lobstar.

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Life Is Like Pachinko Dec 01, 2017

Show notes

There hadn't been an English-language novel about ethnic Koreans living in Japan until this year's Pachinko. Author Min Jin Lee chalks it up to the complicated history of the Korean Japanese. They were colonized by Japan, they were forced or compelled to migrate, and they were targets of anti-Korean discrimination. But Lee was surprised to find that many Korean Japanese don't see themselves as victims of racism. "They would actually see it as, culturally, their norm," says Lee. "I think it's very hurtful to think that you're hated all the time, so you have to think of the story that you can live with."

In the Spiel, are President Trump's tweets worse than President Nixon's paranoia?

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A Founding Fathers Bromance Nov 29, 2017

Show notes

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were very different guys representing opposing political parties. Jefferson was a wildly popular aristocrat from Virginia; Adams was a middling, dyspeptic lawyer from Massachusetts. But they were fast friends, and their relationship ultimately survived a presidential election in which they faced off as candidates. Historian Gordon S. Wood explains why their friendship should give us hope. Wood's book is Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

In lieu of a Spiel today, we're sharing a piece of The Gist's Washington live show. Mike talked to FiveThirtyEight senior writer Perry Bacon Jr. about the Alabama Senate race and the growing momentum behind the Republican tax bill.

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The Problem With America's Rich Nov 28, 2017

Show notes

Can you move toward greater income equality without asking America's richest to give something up? In a word, no. On The Gist, Richard Reeves argues that the upper echelons of the U.S. are bogarting wealth that would otherwise go to the middle class. His latest book is Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do About It.

And today, Mike pulls a Spiel from the archives: What President Trump means when he says everybody. Or anybody. Or nobody.

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Is Neocon Nation-Building Done For? Nov 28, 2017

Show notes

Elliott Abrams narrowly missed out on the State Department's No. 2 job under President Trump, and it wasn't just because of his sharp criticism of Trump, the candidate. In his book, Realism and Democracy, he argues that the U.S. should stay involved in the Arab world, going against the Trump administration's "America First" doctrine. Abrams also sounds off on Trump's use of the presidential pardon.

In the Spiel, Mike weighs the New York Times' coverage of your run-of-the-mill American Nazi.

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Dana Gould's Take on Horror Nov 23, 2017

Show notes

Standup comic and writer Dana Gould talks to Mike about growing up in a family of manly hunters and writing a character inspired by his dad. Gould is the creator of IFC's Stan Against Evil, a show about a small-town New Hampshire sheriff who fights demons.

In the Spiel, how to get a rise out of your uncle over the holidays.

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The Anti-War Candidate Was Invented in 1968 Nov 22, 2017

Show notes

The anti-war movement of 1968 looks inevitable today, but at the time, it felt "freaking bananas." MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell explains the charisma of Bobby Kennedy, the fervor of Eugene McCarthy, and the crushing blow they dealt to sitting President Lyndon B. Johnson, who withdrew from the campaign after a narrow win in the New Hampshire primary. O'Donnell wrote about the race in his latest book, Playing With Fire.

In the Spiel, Mike skewers president Trump's double standards when it comes to sexual assault.

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What's Next for Zimbabwe? Nov 21, 2017

Show notes

In his 37 years as president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe has learned how to play hardball. While his past methods have invited sanctions for human rights violations, the 93-year-old is staying within the confines of the law to fend off the coup at his doorstep. Chipo Dendere, a visiting assistant professor of political science at Amherst College, tells us more.

In the Spiel, Mike considers Charles Manson and why serial killers don't get attention like they used to.

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At Home With Gilbert Gottfried Nov 17, 2017

Show notes

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried is known for his notorious voice and jokes that toe the borderline between daring and tasteless. In the documentary Gilbert, we see his softer side: his wife, Dara, rubs schmutz off his robe, his kids hug him goodbye before padding off to school, he sweet-talks a hotel concierge into giving him free deodorant. Gottfried, Dara, and the film's director Neil Berkeley joined Mike to talk about what makes Gilbert special.

In the Spiel, are you running for office? A sitting senator? A first-term president? Mike Pesca is here to give you advice on surviving your sexual misconduct scandals.

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