The Gist

Latest Episodes:

Not Even Mad: Trump's Overreach & the Democrats' Lack of Reach Feb 06, 2025

Show notes

Katie Herzog, co-host of Blocked and Reported, and Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, discuss if Donald Trump's attempts to blame DEI for a tragic military plane crash and Elon Musk's unplugging of USAID will wind up hurting the Trumpian agenda. Also discussed, the Democrats' disastrous brand - what can a party that once prided itself on broad appeal do to find favor with voters?

Expect spirited debate, sharp analysis, and a commitment to being Not Even Mad just deeply, deeply exasperated.

Subscribe to NOT EVEN MAD directly for bonus segments and a nice new logo and catch every unflinching take.

Produced by Corey Wara

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Trigger Warnings: Are They BS? Feb 05, 2025

Show notes

Sadie Dingfelder joins to ask: Are trigger warnings mostly BS? Plus, Donald Trump shares some big redevelopment plans for Gaza. And in The Spiel, what the demise of the fact-checking service "Verify" reveals about the declining appeal of fact-checking as a standalone brand.

Produced by Corey Wara

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One Big Difference Between BLM Rioters and J6 Rioters Feb 04, 2025

Show notes

Today on The Gist a look at USAID's role in global diplomacy and whether shuttering it makes any sense. And in The Spiel, how the punishments for January 6th rioters compare to those handed down for Black Lives Matter protesters. Plus, the conclusion of our interview with retired Air Force General Jay Santee who details breaks down the high-risk mission to neutralize Syria's chemical weapons and compares it to Israel's more ad-hoc bombing of stockpiles.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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How To Get Rid Of A Chemical Weapons Stockpile Feb 04, 2025

Show notes

Retired Air Force Gen. Jay Santee takes us inside the high-stakes operation to dispose of Syria's chemical weapons—on a ship. Plus, Trump's grudge against Canada resurfaces, this time over fentanyl and trade. In The Spiel: How legitimate critiques of DEI programs got stupefied and weaponized into a political sledgehammer.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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BEST OF THE GIST: Very Serious Edition Feb 01, 2025

Show notes

Each weekend on Best Of The Gist, we listen back to an archival Gist segment from the past, then we replay something from the past week. This weekend, though, we're throwing that formula out the proverbial window and playing an episode of Very Serious with Josh Barro, on which Mike was a guest. He joined Josh, Ben Dreyfuss, and Megan McArdle to talk about Trump's first week in office.

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The Gist is produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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Miriam Lewin: Surviving Torture, Exposing the "Disappeared" Feb 01, 2025

Show notes

Miriam Lewin, subject of the podcast The Burden: Avenger, spent a year in an Argentine torture center and has chronicled the stories of the "disappeared"—dissidents who were drugged and thrown into the Atlantic Ocean. Plus, Trump's new tariffs: bold move or economic blunder? Also, an Antwentig, where stolen baby formula fuels underground economies.

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Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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Presidential Plane Blame Jan 30, 2025

Show notes

Michael Moynihan of The Fifth Column podcast returns to break down Europe's immigration crisis and how right-wing parties are addressing concerns that classic moderates will not. Plus, Senate hearings heat up over the nominations of RFK Jr., Kash Patel, and Tulsi Gabbard. And Donald Trump reacts to a midair collision with a critique of diversity initiatives—all of which were in place during his first administration.

Watch our interview with Michael Moynihan on The Gist's YouTube channel.

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Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

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From Model to Mayhem With Michael Moynihan Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

Sweden—once the left's shining example of social democracy—is now grappling with far-right politics, immigrant buyouts, and a surge in gang violence. How did it get here? Journalist, raconteur, and Sweden expert Michael Moynihan breaks it all down. Plus, a deep dive into new data on affirmative action in college admissions, and a look at the latest conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

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The Mayor: Murder and Momentum Jan 28, 2025

Show notes

Randall Woodfin, mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, is leading a city experiencing promising growth in wealth and education while also grappling with a troubling surge in homicides that defies national trends. Woodfin discusses his new book, Son of Birmingham, and the challenges of governing a city at a crossroads. Plus, a CNN stalwart has asked his last confrontational question to a combative president, and the current administration makes some highly questionable claims about condoms and Gaza.

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Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

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Carbon Capture—It's Not Just for North Dakota Anymore Jan 27, 2025

Show notes

Most North Dakotans may be skeptical about global warming, but they're fully committed to making their state a leader in the carbon capture industry. Journalist Adam Willis, who covered the heated debate over carbon capture in North Dakota for Bloomberg, joins us to discuss. Also on the show: the renaming of Forts Benning and Bragg, the surprising presence of anti-vaxxers in the Pentagon, the exclusion of transgender service members, and a look back at the Great Colombian Tariff Tiff of 2025.

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Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com

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