The Gist

Latest Episodes:

The Great Houthi Whoopsie Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

Chris Gethard reflects on how the comedy world has changed and what happened when Shane Gillis publicly took a shot at him—and then privately took it back. Also, the genetic info you gave to 23andMe might soon be available in a bankruptcy fire sale near you. And in the Spiel, a Signal chat goes sideways when Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg is accidentally added to a highly sensitive thread about airstrikes on the Houthis.

Produced by Corey Wara

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Chris Gethard and the Great Helsinki Caper Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

Chris Gethard stops by to talk comedy, ethics, and how audience taste moves like an algorithm with a grudge. Meanwhile, the JFK files are finally released, and it turns out the real mystery was in Finland all along. Also, the government's got a chainsaw, and it's not just for photo ops: cuts are coming to everything from colorectal cancer screening to the office that won the Cold War-winning offices. Somewhere between chaos and court orders, we try to figure out what still counts as governance.

Produced by Corey Wara

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Penn Swimmer's Success Costs School Millions 3 Years Later Mar 22, 2025

Show notes

This week we discussed high school musicians losing their opportunity to perform with the US Marine Band. And we revisit Mike's 2022 commentary on NCAA swimmer Lia Thomas, newly relevant as the Trump administration moves to defund University of Pennsylvania grants.

Produced by Corey Wara

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Joe Gatto Continues Messing with People Mar 21, 2025

Show notes

On today's Gist, former Impractical Jokers star Joe Gatto joins to discuss his new stand-up special Messing With People and how he pulls off pranks that leave folks smiling, not steaming. Then, Mike breaks down why Disney's Snow White remake may mark the end of an era where ideology outweighed audience. And in the Spiel, the U.S. retreats from Ukraine—not just militarily, but morally—while the cost of disengagement climbs.

Produced by Corey Wara

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Not Even Mad: Anthony Weiner and Nick Gillespie Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

Former Congressman (and current NYC Council candidate) Anthony Weiner and Reason Editor-at-Large Nick Gillespie square off over whether the national debt is an true crisis, if Chuck Schumer made the best of a bad hand, and whether government can—or should—ever shrink. Plus, in Goat Grinders, we take on Walter Cronkite's legacy, the absurd NCAA tournament gripes, and the myth of "wanting it more."

Produced by Corey Wara

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The German Jew Who Tried The Nazis Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

In The Prosecutor: One Man's Battle to Bring Nazis to Justice, Jack Fairweather tells the story of a Jewish lawyer who fled the Nazis, only to return and put them on trial—despite resistance from the West German government. Plus, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, whom Trump calls a "Radical Left Lunatic," may not be so radical after all. And in the spiel, Mike unpacks a Washington Post "fact check" of Trump's Voice of America cuts, revealing it as more rhetorical sleight of hand than rigorous analysis.

Produced by Corey Wara

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Murdering the Truth and Defying the Courts Mar 18, 2025

Show notes

A federal judge ruled the Trump administration's deportation flights to El Salvador unlawful—only for the administration to carry them out anyway. Now, Trump is calling for the judge's impeachment, prompting Chief Justice John Roberts to push back against using impeachment as retaliation for judicial rulings. Plus, NYT journalist David Enrich joins to discuss Murder the Truth: Fear, the First Amendment, and a Secret Campaign to Protect the Powerful and his reflections on covering Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings.

Produced by Corey Wara

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The Dutch Once Owned This Isle Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

One consequences of Trump's anti-DEI initiatives is the disbanding of a talented youth orchestra featured on 60 Minutes. The Spiel analyzes the recent U.S. airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, comparing the Trump administration's more aggressive approach to previous military engagements and questioning whether tough talk translates to meaningful strategic differences. And Russell Shorto, author of "Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America," explores the fascinating Dutch origins of New York City, and the far-sighted decision to give it up without a fight.

Produced by Corey Wara

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Mike Pesca on the Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em Podcast Mar 15, 2025

Show notes

Mike was recently on the Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em Podcast. Enjoy!

Produced by Corey Wara

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Matthew Schrag Alzheimer's Whistle Blower, and Chuck Schumer Democratic Pain Sponge Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

Matthew Schrag, the Alzheimer's whistleblower who uncovered one of the biggest medical deceptions in history, joins the show. Plus, Chuck Schumer takes the hits, absorbs the pain, and spares Democrats from a brutal shutdown battle—sometimes being a punching bag is part of the job.

Produced by Corey Wara

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