The Gist

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Untangling The News Dec 08, 2023

Show notes

Isaac Saul, a former writer for Vox, The Huffington Post, and Time Magazine, was frustrated with news bias and often slanted coverage. So he founded Tangle News, a politics newsletter which summarizes the best arguments from across the political spectrum on the news of the day. Plus, Mike addresses listeners who say, "We want more Israel criticism, or just less Israel overall."

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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Does Donald Trump Still Know How To Talk: An Investigation Dec 07, 2023

Show notes

In a national referendum, the country of Venezuela just voted to annex half of Guyana, against the will of the Guyanese ... and international law. And every map. While they have no case, and no means to actually take the land, it might lay the groundwork for further chicanery says Fransisco Toro, our Latin America watcher. Plus, a UC Berkley sociology Jew butts heads with living-in-Israel Jews. Also on the show, does Donald Trump still know how to talk? We watch a speech to determine the extent of the former President's supposed verbal decline.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack

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"Vast Labyrinth" Or "Box Of Dates"? Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

Depending on where you get your news, the storied Hamas tunnel network is either a "vast labyrinth" or a 160-yard tunnel with little room for a command center capable of orchestrating the October 7th attack. Aric Toler is a reporter on the Visual Investigations team at The New York Times, where he combines traditional reporting techniques with "open-source" reporting practices, and he recently contributed to a Times investigation about the tunnels. Also on the show, Derek Chauvin was stabbed 22 times while in a prison library making copies. Don't make the Saturday Night Live "makin' copies" joke, okay.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack

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When Rewrites Go Wrong Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

A Boston Globe investigation into foster care adds to the sum of human knowledge only to have a botched MSNBC rewrite subtract from it. Also on the show, Nathan Thrall is an American author, journalist, and former director of the International Crisis Group's Arab-Israeli Project. He joins us to talk about the war in Israel, and to ponder if peace is possible. We also discuss his most recent book, A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy.

See Mike Live on December 6th

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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Every Little Thing Xi Does Is Tragic Dec 04, 2023

Show notes

It would seem China is in a state of decline, but it's hard to know for sure. The Economist's Ted Plafker joins to discuss what we can discern about the property crisis, political firings, and how countries who borrowed as part of the Belt And Road initiative got steamrolled. Plus, Ron DeSantis doesn't want to answer for Donald Trump's use of animal imagery. And a touching tribute to the late, great North Dakota hope Doug Burgum.

See Mike Live on December 6th

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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BEST OF THE GIST: Misused Political Slogan Edition Dec 02, 2023

Show notes

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we explore a few catchy political slogans that turned out to be deceptive, confusing, or just kind of dumb. First we listen to Tuesday's spiel about the expression "From the river to the sea," and then we listen back to Mike's June 5, 2020 spiel about the slogan "Defund the police."

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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The Slings And Poop Maps Of Outrageous Fortune Dec 01, 2023

Show notes

Eliot Cohen, Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies and former Counselor to the Secretary Of State has always thought Shakespeare had great insights about great leaders. His book is The Hollow Crown: Shakespeare on How Leaders Rise, Rule, and Fall. Plus, George Santos gets bounced, and Ron DeSantis has a crap map.

See Mike Live on December 6th

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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The Tempest In Elon Musk's Brain Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

Elon Musk's intemperate but tempestuous remarks show us a man whose not hard to understand but difficult nonetheless. Plus, we're visited by Kliph Nesteroff, author of Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars. And Malawi get into the Israel act.

See Mike Live on December 6th

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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Flying Cars Grounded By Red Tape And The Russian Mob Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

In Bradley Tusk's new novel Obvious In Hindsight, a flying car company attempts to get government approval, even though the politics are dicey, the lobbyists are dirty, and the cars just might not ... uh, what's the word? Fly. Plus, after seventeen days, workers freed thanks to rat tunnels. And the very leftist Youtube channels going beyond even Hamas' obfuscations to flat out allege that Israel targeted their own citizens.

Catch The Gist Live on December 6th

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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"From The River To The Sea" Rebranded As A Call For Peace Nov 28, 2023

Show notes

When a slogan of war suddenly becomes a call to peace. Also on the show, we pick back up where we left off with the New York Times' David Leonhardt. His new book is Ours Was The Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream. Plus, the refused-to-be-addressed crisis at the border.

Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara

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