The Gist

What part of a governor’s economic impact scales at a national level? On The Gist, Ben Casselman from FiveThirtyEight offers a new criterion from his article, “How To Evaluate The Economic Records of Governors Who Want to Be President.” For the Spiel, the moment that stood out to Pesca from Joe Biden’s announcement today. Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, learn why WNYC’s Ilya Marritz decided to profile the Columbia University Lions for a new show called The Season. Plus, we’ll hear from the team’s co-captain and star running back Cameron Molina about how a new coach is helping him and his teammates rediscover a love of the game. For The Spiel, tomorrow’s the day Marty McFly travels to in Back to the Future Part II and still no hoverboards. Today’s sponsor: The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are conservatives making a horrible mistake … in branding? On The Gist, Slate’s Reihan Salam shares his ideas for how the Republican Party could change the conversation to better match its supporters’ priorities. For the Spiel, nurture your pet cause on Adoption Day. Today’s sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer.  Prudential’s 40/40 Vision, a multimedia microsite exploring what life—and the future—looks like to today’s fortysomethings. Hear what inspires real people, the hopes they have for tomorrow, and much more. See yourself in their stories at slate.com/4040vision/family.   Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, we travel back to the year Mike Pesca and music writer Chris Molanphy were born. Learn why the Billboard Hits from 1971 stand the test of time, winter, spring, summer, or fall. Chris writes Slate’s Why Is That Song No. 1 column. Listen back to the 1971 hits mentioned in today’s show in this Spotify playlist. (And feel free to skip the Osborne’s.) Today’s sponsor:   Prudential’s 40/40 Vision, a multimedia microsite exploring what life—and the future—looks like to today’s fortysomethings. Hear what inspires real people, the hopes they have for tomorrow, and much more. See yourself in their stories at slate.com/4040vision/family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Immediately upon learning that there’s such a thing as a menstrual cup, Mike Pesca had to ask Slate’s L.V. Anderson to explain. Learn why the DivaCup and Keeper Cup are growing in popularity, and why a new Kickstarter campaign for the Looncup might not make it out of the prototyping stage. Plus, the return of Munitions News. Dr. Rebecca Grant of Iris Research joins us for a round-up of rounds. For The Spiel, what it really means to flip one’s bat. Today’s sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, did you see the post-debate footage where Bernie Sanders threw his body in front of a surging horde of reporters and saved NBC’s Andrea Mitchell from being flattened, if not scooped? This and other favorite moments from last night’s CNN debates. Then, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker a few listener-submitted questions about gravity’s effects on our aging bodies, focusing specifically on our boobs and faces. For the Spiel, the vocal trick Hillary Clinton has mastered to avoid shouting over crowds. Today’s sponsors: Harry’s, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code THEGIST. Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more.

On The Gist, we bring you a Pesca-moderated panel recorded live from Politicon in Los Angeles. Panelists include actor Tony Hale, who plays a body man on TV, and Reggie Love, a real-life body man for six years. We’ll learn what goes into their respective roles—for Love, working as Barack Obama’s right-hand man and confidante throughout the 2008 campaign and into his first days at the White House, and for Hale, playing the assistant to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ VP and now president on HBO’s Veep. Love’s the author of Power Forward: My Presidential Education. For The Spiel, the return of talk show karaoke. Today’s sponsors: The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Watch Rachel as she breaks down the big headlines for the local threads that tie them all together. Weeknights at 9 p.m. Eastern time only on MSNBC. Citrix GoToMeeting. When meetings matter, millions choose GoToMeeting. Get a free 30-day trial by visiting GoToMeeting.com and clicking the “try it free” button.  Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive

On The Gist, some truths and lies about the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Then, we’re honored to welcome the United State’s new national Poet Laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera. As a bilingual, first-generation immigrant, Herrera explains that writing in Spanish feels like writing in a dream language, where he can play with tenses and use words as sonic instruments. In English, his poetry becomes more about architecture and syntax. For the Spiel, Mike goes on a quest to understand the House Freedom Caucus. Today’s sponsors: SAP HANA. SAP HANA helps the world’s best companies get the answers they need to become more agile, develop new streams of revenue, and predict the future. Run SAP. And Run Simple. Visit sap.com/reimagine to learn more And by The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, the last of three episodes recorded at our live show in Brooklyn, New York. From the stage of the Bell House, Mike asks Craig Finn from the Hold Steady about a literary device his songs share with the Bible, Milton, and Shakespeare—polysyndeton. Then, our regular guest Chris Molanphy explains why Billboard hits from 1989 serve as the throat clearing for the 1990s. He writes Slate’s “Why Is This Song No. 1?” column. Check the last two episodes to hear all of the live Gist episodes. Plus, Matthew Dicks performed a story that aired on our “Cred and Ginger” episode. Today’s sponsors: The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Watch Rachel as she breaks down the big headlines for the local threads that tie them all together. Weeknights at 9 p.m. EST only on MSNBC. Prudential’s 40/40 Vision, a multimedia microsite exploring what life—and the future—looks like to today’s fortysomethings. Hear what inspires real people, the hopes they have for tomorrow, and much more. See yourself in their stories at slate.com/404

On The Gist, the second of three episodes recorded at our live show in Brooklyn, New York. From the stage of the Bell House, Harry Enten from FiveThirtyEight uses his poling expertise to explain Trump’s real chances at the presidency. Then, Adam Davidson declares America’s interest rates “the most important thing in the world.” He’s a contributor to the New York Times Magazine and a founder of NPR’s Planet Money. Then, Zoe Chace from This American Life swoops in to help explain the mystery at the heart of our economy: what we think about, what Janet Yellen is thinking about, what we think about Janet Yellen. It will all be clear soon. Check back Thursday for the third part of this special live Gist series. Today’s sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Harry’s, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and sh

On The Gist, the first of three episodes recorded at our live show in Brooklyn, New York. From the stage of the Bell House, Mike Pesca accepts an award from Slate’s Julia Turner and a drink from bartender Chris Wertz, author of Brooklyn Cocktails. Then, comedian Samantha Bee sinks into the couch to discuss her new show, Full Frontal, coming to TBS in January. She’s later joined by Maria Konnikova to play a round of “Is That Bullshit?” Back in the studio, Konnikova shares her findings relating to the good ol’ saying, Liquor before beer, you're in the clear. Beer before liquor, never been sicker.  Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Mike explains why a Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich won’t be bringing him back to Starbucks for a while. Then Alex Marshall responds to The Gist calling him “Sir Twiddle Twaddle” in a previous episode and explains why he thinks Americans dislike our national anthem. He’s the author of Republic or Death!: Travels in Search of National Anthems. For The Spiel, how to make the case for stricter gun laws. Today’s sponsors:  Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. And by The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If women going to a certain foreign country had a 30 percent chance of sexual assault, would we send our daughters there? How is college any different? On The Gist, Slate’s Emily Yoffe explains why the grim portrait painted by the new Association of American Universities study does not reflect reality. Read her entire article, “The Problem With Campus Sexual Assault Surveys,” on Slate. For the Spiel, is America going to hell in a hand basket? Why a small coterie of house Republicans stand athwart compromise. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Mike reviews how Lena Dunham and Hillary Clinton conspired to make him look at something he can never un-see. Then, Mike O'Malley joins us to discuss the new season of Survivor’s Remorse on Starz. For the Spiel, the most viewed Arizona Diamondbacks clip of the season inspires Mike’s James Earl Jones voice.  Today’s sponsor: Goldman Sachs. Information about developments currently shaping markets, industries and the global economy, on the firm’s podcast, Exchanges at Goldman Sachs, available on iTunes.  And Draft Kings. Start this football season by winning $2 million! Use the code GIST to play free for a shot at $2 million in the Week One 10 Million Dollar Millionaire Maker. Go to DraftKings.com. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker shares what’s she’s learned from research into ginger’s super food status. For the Spiel, hear a performance from last night’s live Gist from Moth champ and professional storyteller Matthew Dicks. He’s the author of The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs, available now. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, a shaved-down tale from an elder Pesca. Mike and The Gist staff are busy preparing for our first live show, so on Tuesday we present a favorite from the Pesca family dinner table. Joe Pesca tells it best. We’ll be back on Wednesday with a full Gist episode. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, TV writer Phil Rosenthal explains how he came to host his own PBS show about food and travel. His new show, I’ll Have What Phil’s Having, premieres Monday on PBS. For the Spiel, Mike poops on the pope’s media coverage. Can you gush your way into heaven? Today’s sponsors: Draft Kings. Start this football season by winning $2 million! Use code GIST to play free for a shot at $2 million in the Week One 10 Million Dollar Millionaire Maker. Go to DraftKings.com. Citrix GoToMeeting. When meetings matter, millions choose GoToMeeting. Get a free 30-day trial by visiting GoToMeeting.com and clicking the “try it free” button. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, remembering Phil Patton. Then, writer and filmmaker Leslye Headland explains how she brought lessons from theater and heartbreak into the making of the indie comedy Sleeping With Other People. For the Spiel, highlights from the Values Voter Summit. Today’s sponsors: The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Watch Rachel as she breaks down the big headlines for the local threads that tie them all together. Weeknights at 9 p.m. ET only on MSNBC.  ZipRecruiter. Hiring? You can post to more than 100 job sites with one single click and have the highest chance of finding that perfect candidate. Try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, we take the vitals on the current state of health care in America. The number of uninsured has dropped dramatically, but are the struggling state exchanges and co-ops a cause for concern? Phil Galewitz from Kaiser Health News joins us for an Obamacare checkup. For the Spiel, are any Catholic members of congress both anti-death penalty and anti-abortion?  Today’s sponsor: ZipRecruiter. Hiring? You can post to more than 100 job sites with one single click, and have the highest chance of finding that perfect candidate. Try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, how filmmaker Jennifer Nelson helped bring the birthday song back into the public domain. Plus, we welcome back Dax-Devlon Ross to discuss his research into black juror exclusion, one of the facets of the upcoming Supreme Court case Foster v. Humphrey. We first spoke with Dax-Devlon after he wrote about black jury exclusion in VQR last fall, and you can join Dax’s After Schools All-Stars on their World Trade Center climb fundraiser on Oct. 22, 2015. For the Spiel, as a general rule of thumb there’s something all Republicans hate: rules.  Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices