The Gist

HBO grew from a small cable channel into the best-in-class leader of the golden age of television. Bloomberg’s Felix Gillette and John Koblin of the New York Times join to discuss their new book, It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, And Future of HBO. Plus, Jamaica declares a state of emergency to combat murder, despite having a murder rate actually lower than in American communities. And a giddy night on MSNBC. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This past Saturday, the U.S. Men’s national soccer team once again crashed out of the World Cup in the Round of 16, beaten handily by The Netherlands 3-1. You’ve got to wonder, with such a love of sport, with such a tremendous potential pool of talent, and with a proven track record in world soccer (our women have won four world cups), why can’t America field a winning men’s soccer team? For that answer, we turned to George Dohrmann, a Pulitzer prize winner and author most recently of Switching Fields: Inside the Fight to Remake Men’s Soccer in the United States. Also, are penalty shoot outs really the best way to decide matches? And Union Joe saves the day. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the Senate contest between Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock coming to a vote, Bill Nigut, host of Georgia Political Rewind joins us once more to preview tomorrow’s contest. And how public health officials joined meter maids and baseball umpires as hateable officials. Plus, brawls and coups in Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Burkina Faso, as we air the latest edition of “Sahel: Do Tell,” our irregular compendium of Africa updates. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we listen to the first 20 minutes or so of the most recent episode of our sister podcast, Not Even Mad. In it, Mike, Jamie Kirchick, and Virginia Heffernan discuss the narratives created around mass shootings. Then we dig into The Gist archives and listen back to Mike’s April 2018 interview with National Review editor Charles C. W. Cooke on why he thinks repealing the Second Amendment would be a losing proposition for gun control advocates. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emily Oster is a Harvard-educated professor of economics at Brown University, and, despite her lofty credentials, her research has focused on very human problems, like whether knowing you have a short time to live affects your desire to invest in education and job training. She joins us to discuss her recent feature in The Atlantic titled “Let’s Declare A Pandemic Amnesty.” Also, a prediction for Saturday’s World Cup match between the United States and the Netherlands. SPOILER ALERT: The winner will be the team with the most synchronicity. And no, Sting is not playing. Finally, get out your Lobstar bibs ... it’s an Antwentig! Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Guest appearance by Michelle Pesca, COO Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe Lieberman has been in politics for most of his adult life. First as a Connecticut State Senator, then as the state’s Attorney General, and finally, as a U.S. Senator for 24 years. A self-proclaimed “centrist,” over the course of his career, he saw the middle of the political spectrum transformed from a place everyone was trying to meet into a place no one would be seen dead. But for Lieberman, the ability to eschew party dogma was a source of power, a journey he documents in his 2021 book, The Centrist Solution: How We Made Government Work, And How We Could Make It Work Again. He joins Mike for an extended interview on today’s show. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ted Kennedy: A Life is the sweeping new biography of the Massachusetts Senator whose importance was often overwhelmed by his notoriety. Author John Farrell joins us to analyze the life of The Lion of the Senate. In the Spiel, a contemplation of the murders we attend to and those which pass by without notice. Plus, Stewart Rhodes is found guilty. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Civil wars are anything but spontaneous, and though they are often decades in the making, they remain challenging to identify before they explode into violence. We interview Barbara F Walter, a world renown expert on political violence and what it portends about her new book How Civil Wars Start: And How To Stop Them, in hopes of answering a dark question: How close is the U.S. to civil war? Also, we wonder how effective protests around the world will be. And why we pay more for products with “9”s in their prices. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heather Knight is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist whose subject areas of expertise include dysfunctional city government, murals, crime and toilets. Also, The Gist establishes itself as your source for Fijian-Kirabati legal news. And why VAR mars the World Cup. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we are replaying a chunk of this past week’s episode of Not Even Mad, the new podcast from the makers of The Gist. Today we listen to Cancel Court where Mike, Virginia Heffernan, and Jamie Kirchick discuss Public-health commentator Leana Wen. Then, we dig into The Gist archives and listen back to Mike’s 2015 spiel on why uncle slander has become a Thanksgiving tradition Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Molanphy, chart analyst, pop critic and host of the Hit Parade podcast is back to recount the number one hits of 1992. Plus, not feeling bad about not feeling bad about Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the host and the darlings of the World Cup. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the past 18 years, Chris Hansen has built a career on confronting child predators. We discuss methods, ethics, and the citizen predator-catchers who take inspiration from his work. Plus, the advice Japanese are getting from their leaders to combat winter energy woes. And then, a discussion of the bruising journalists have come to expect when covering topics of medical intervention and gender-affirming care. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Lula da Silva edged out Jair Bolsonaro to retake the Presidency of Brazil by less than two percent of the popular vote back in October, it was an amazing comeback story for Lula. But maybe more amazing was that Bolsonaro (sometimes called “Tropical Trump”) recognized the results and actually admitted defeat. We talk with the Editor in Chief of Americas Quarter, Brian Winter, about what happened and what it says about election denialism. Also on the show, climate justice gets a win at the UN … sort of. And Mike details his weekend of Mastadrama. To read the beginning of Adam Davidson and Mike’s exchange about Cancel Culture, click here. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we are replaying a chunk of this past week’s episode of Not Even Mad, the new podcast from the makers of The Gist. We listen in as Mike, Virginia Heffernan, and Jamie Kirchick wonder if campaigning on anti-woke topics will be something we see more of in future elections or not. Then, we dig into The Gist archives and listen back to Mike’s 2020 conversation with Nancy Pelosi biographer Molly Ball about the out-going Speaker of the House. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Picking Presidents: How to Make the Most Consequential Decision in the World, Gautam Mukunda says that experience is somewhat important, but real inexperience is a huge gamble. So our choice comes down to this: Do we need to take a big risk in selecting who runs America? Also, all those investigations—special and not-so-special—and the baby’s name that will one day be the stuff of Legend. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are joined once again for the remainder of our interview with former Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland to discuss Donald Trump’s skill as a negotiator, his stinginess with TicTacs, and what a $1,000,000 ticket to an inauguration looks like. Also, Pueblo County’s in-your-face method of curing votes, and SBF’s deceit and, more importantly, his cargo shorts. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gordon Sondland was Ambassador to the EU, which eventually led to his testimony during the first impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump. Sondland confirmed some elements of the quid-pro-quo, backed up other parts of Trump’s narrative, and was soon fired for his participation. His new book is The Envoy: Mastering the Art of Diplomacy with Trump and the World. Plus, the aforementioned Donald Trump has just announced he’ll run once more for President, Mike has the full breakdown of news, norms, psychology, and turkey prices. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we test the thesis that a Universal Basic Book Deal (UBBD) could possibly solve society’s ills. We also speak with David Sikorjak and Ben Valenta about their new book Fans Have More Friends, which posits the idea that a shared love of sports and teams can be an unexpected source of community and happiness. Had they not yet heard of the UBBD? And we dream of a day when the House of Representatives is not led by a member of the House of Representatives, because, yeah, that could happen. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Princess Martha Louise of Norway is engaged to an American shaman, and the Norwegians have been proving very close-minded about the love between a royal and a healer who believes he descends from a reptilian species and that his $222 amulet can ward of Covid-19. Also, are historic emissions the best way to express which countries bear responsibility for climate change? Plus, Dr. Eugenia Cheng is a mathematician, educator, author (How To Bake Pi, Beyond Infinity, x + y: A Mathematician’s Manifesto For Rethinking Gender), public speaker, columnist, concert pianist, and artist. She joins to talk about her new book, The Joy of Abstraction: An Exploration of Math, Category Theory, and Life. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we look at the squishiest of science: cancelation and polling. Up first, we feature an installment of Cancel Court from Thursday’s episode of Not Even Mad, our sister podcast. Listen in as Mike, Virginia Heffernan, and Jamie Kirchick attempt to rule on the cancelation of Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving for the anti-Semitic remarks he made in a recent documentary? Next, we’ll listen back to Mike’s 2020 interview with Robert Cahaly, head pollster of the Atlanta-based Trafalgar Group. Cahaly explains their polling methodology in gathering accurate opinion data, why social desirability bias comes into play, and how his team was able to predict Trump’s win in 2016.  Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices