The Gist

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Are Southpaws Really Criminals? Sep 14, 2016

Show notes

Does being left-handed make you a threat to civilized society? On The Gist, Maria Konnikova tells the story of the mustachioed Italian criminologist who gave southpaws a bad reputation. But what does handedness really tell us about the brain? Konnikova writes for the New Yorker and is the author of The Confidence Game.

This week, Mike challenged his audience to find someone in the country who is torn between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Well, the search is over: We talk to a listener who likes 'em both.

For the Spiel, does Donald Trump believe children are our future?

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Hillary's Campaign Manager on Pneumonia, Swing Voters, and Strategy Sep 13, 2016

Show notes

Robby Mook has a tricky job. As Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, he has to find a way to pin down Donald Trump, whose gaffes are constantly overtaking each other. Mook talks to Mike Pesca about the challenge of crafting a single message to combat Trump and recent events on the campaign trail, including Hillary Clinton's pneumonia diagnosis.

Plus, director Ryan Suffern on his recent ESPN documentary "What the Hell Happened to Jai Alai?" which looks at the swift rise and fall of the sport in America. How come jai alai was never seen as a competitor to football, hockey, and baseball?

For the Spiel, going to school on college rankings.

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What Does the Charity World Think of the Clinton Foundation? Sep 12, 2016

Show notes

The Clinton Foundation is a superstar in the world of philanthropy—is it OK that it leverages power and celebrity to achieve its mission? On The Gist, two experts disagree.

Kenneth Stern, former CEO of NPR, sheds no tears for the Clinton Foundation. He thinks vanity-giving helps inferior charities persist. Stern is the author of With Charity for All: Why Charities Are Failing and a Better Way to Give. His company has done work for the Clinton Foundation.

Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, says the Clinton Foundation uses its political heft for good. She adds that the most ambitious charities in the U.S. were started by titans of industry seeking to improve their reputations.

For the Spiel, a few choice words about Rudy Giuliani.

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Tony Kornheiser Will Make Fun of Your Pants Sep 09, 2016

Show notes

Tony Kornheiser is joining the pod people. On The Gist, the man behind the Tony Kornheiser Show explains his dive into podcasting: "I watched newspapers die under me.... I began to get the sense that radio was going to die under me too. And so I jumped." Kornheiser also hosts ESPN's Pardon The Interruption alongside Michael Wilbon.

For the Spiel, pencils down: It's time for the Lobstar of the Antentwig.

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Courting Controversy With Drew Magary Sep 08, 2016

Show notes

Drew Magary is down to hang. His past story assignments for GQinclude a day with Duck Dynasty and a trip with the Kid Rock cruise. But Magary, author of the "Why Your Team Sucks" series on Deadspin, is not one to equivocate. On The Gist, he shares his secret to immersive reporting and explains why he's OK with grown men who wear sports jerseys. His latest book is The Hike: A Novel.

For the Spiel, Donald Trump's generalizing about generals.

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Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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Telling Jokes in the Age of Trigger Warnings Sep 08, 2016

Show notes

College campuses have become hostile territory for some comedians. A wrong-headed joke can provoke everything from walkouts to protests to death threats. But how should students push back against material they find offensive? Director Ted Balaker and comedian Karith Foster discuss their new film Can We Take a Joke? and the tricky line between free speech and needless offense.

For the Spiel, Mike takes on the dueling accusations of pay-for-play. Rendering judgement on the optics of the appearance of the whiff of the feeling of potential impropriety.

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Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at Slate.com/gistplus.

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A GOP Apostate Explains Her Vote for Hillary Sep 06, 2016

Show notes

Kori Schake, a former adviser to President George W. Bush, blanches at the idea of a Donald Trump presidency. But she still has reservations about Hillary Clinton. On The Gist, Schake says Clinton's poor follow-through at the Department of State gives her something in common with the Bush administration. Schake is a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution and regular guest on Foreign Policy's The Editor's Roundtable podcast. She edited the recently published Warriors & Citizens: American Views of Our Military with Jim Mattis.

For the Spiel, Mike examines the enduring appeal of unsophisticated '80s video games—even Mr. Do.

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The Year Nirvana Lost Out to Bryan Adams Aug 26, 2016

Show notes

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times: Our guest Chris Molanphy says 1991 was a tale of multiple cities, as radio stations began to tailor their playlists to narrower audiences. The result? Little crossover among the Billboard pop, rock, and rap songs charts, and a very eclectic Hot 100 chart. Molanphy writes Slate's "Why Is This Song No. 1?" column.

For the Spiel, Mike cleans out the fridge before vacation.

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Do You Rely on GPS? Thank Chuck E. Cheese and William F. Buckley Aug 25, 2016

Show notes

Most of us would be lost without GPS. So why do we think it's hilarious when people drive into the ocean or walk to the Arctic Circle because phone maps told them to? In Pinpoint, author Greg Milner looks at our uneasy relationship with the technology and the ways GPS has reorganized our culture and our brains.

On The Spiel, Mike looks at Donald Trump's latest failed endeavor: public opinion polling.

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A Sympathetic Serial Imposter Aug 24, 2016

Show notes

Director Joshua Marston has done his share of shape-shifting. He's spent time as a teacher abroad. He's learned Albanian and made some stories for NPR. And he's directed critically acclaimed movies like Maria Full of Grace. His newest, Complete Unknown, stars Rachel Weisz as a serial imposter who gets stuck at a dinner party with someone from her past.

On The Spiel, the Clinton Foundation pay-for-play mega-scoop that never was.

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