Synopsis
Slate's The Gist with Mike Pesca. A daily afternoon show about news, culture, and whatever else you'll be discussing with friends and family tonight.
Episodes
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The Spiel Saturday Show
16/08/2025 Duration: 23minToday on The Gist we air two spiels from earlier in the week. One about the CDC shooting in Atlanta and then one about Matt Taibbi's murder stat takedown of D.C backfires. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
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The Cheesecake Factory Model of Freedom
15/08/2025 Duration: 34minIn The Age of Choice: A History of Freedom in Modern Life, Sophia Rosenfeld traces how choice evolved from secret ballots and dance cards to consumer overload and political battlegrounds. She also dissects ihow the pro-choice movement’s framing was both a strength and a vulnerability. Also, Trump’s murder-rate comparison between D.C., Bogotá, and Mexico City, and in the Spiel, the case against “turtling” in public life when threats arise over professors posting their syllabi. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
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When the Train to Hell Runs on Time
14/08/2025 Duration: 40minAziz Huq, author of The Collapse of Constitutional Remedies, explains how liability insurers shape policing in small towns, why “rights versus rights” conflicts—from same-sex marriage to police brutality—often hinge on public trust, and how Chicago’s low murder clearance rate reflects deep distrust of law enforcement. He analyzes the Supreme Court’s Grants Pass ruling on homelessness, arguing that its “status versus conduct” distinction masks moral judgments about choice and responsibility. Plus, Trump’s Kennedy Center Honorees include KISS, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, Michael Crawford, and Sylvester Stallone—prompting thoughts on merchandising, coffin diplomacy, and the Kiss Army. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: http
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Rights You Can’t Use
14/08/2025 Duration: 36minAziz Huq, University of Chicago law professor and author of The Collapse of Constitutional Remedies, lays out how federal courts have gutted the mechanisms for enforcing constitutional rights—blocking individuals harmed by police while greenlighting speculative corporate attacks on regulation. Also, Donald Trump crowns himself de facto CEO of the U.S. chip industry and gatekeeper of U.S. Steel’s future. And Matt Taibbi’s “year-to-date” murder stat takedown of D.C. backfires once he actually checks the date. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mi
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The Case for Good Anger
12/08/2025 Duration: 39minSamuel Parker, author of Good Anger: How Rethinking Rage Can Change Our Lives, argues that suppressing anger fuels anxiety and that society’s overcorrection toward placidity has blunted a vital emotion. He traces its demotion from the Stoics to corporate HR, separates it from violence, and shows how to channel it into productive action. Plus, Donald Trump tries to deal with peace, and in the Spiel, the CDC shooting in Atlanta prompts a pushback against claims that misinformation draws a straight line to murder—and a reminder that individual responsibility can’t be outsourced to bad facts. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page:
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Rebecca Lemov and the Instability of Truth
11/08/2025 Duration: 39minHarvard historian of science Rebecca Lemov joins to talk about her book The Instability of Truth, which dives deep into the history of mind control, from Cold War POW camps and MKUltra to the quieter persuasion of social media. They get into what really works (and doesn’t) when it comes to changing someone’s beliefs, why we’re all more suggestible than we think, and how “cultish” behavior shows up everywhere, from crypto hype to trendy drinkware. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
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Sarah Ruhl on Lessons from the Teachers Who Shaped Her
09/08/2025 Duration: 35minPlaywright Sarah Ruhl has collected wisdom from her mentors, from Pulitzer winners to driving instructors, in her new book Lessons from My Teachers. She joins Mike to talk about the art of learning, the balance between control and letting go, writing obliquely about grief (sometimes through a dog’s eyes), and why you should thank the people who taught you before it’s too late. Also, gerbils, almonds, and the occasional vibrator play. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
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Peter Moskos on NYC’s Historic Crime Drop and the Lessons for Today
08/08/2025 Duration: 39minHomicides are down 14% from pre-pandemic levels and other major crimes have followed suit. But what can today’s drop teach us about the last great decline, the one that transformed New York in the 1990s? Mike talks with Peter Moskos, former Baltimore cop turned John Jay College professor, about his new book Back from the Brink, an oral history of the NYPD’s crime-fighting turnaround. They dig into the role of CompStat, broken windows, and the delicate balance between aggressive policing and community trust. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mi
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Steven Hahn Unmasks the Myth of Liberal America
07/08/2025 Duration: 37minDiplomacy via tweet rarely ends well, but US ambassadors are now flailing into their way through international tensions with sarcasm, memes, and zero restraint. Plus Steven Hahn, NYU historian and author of Illiberal America: A History, joins to unpack how liberalism has always shared the stage with its illiberal twin. From eugenics to temperance to the penitentiary, Hahn explains how our progressive myths overlook the darker undercurrents of American history. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
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Not Her Type: E. Jean Carroll vs. The President
06/08/2025 Duration: 41minE. Jean Carroll joins to talk about the lawsuit she won, the president she sued, and the dressing room encounter that changed everything. The author of Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President opens up about the attack by Donald Trump, how she fought to be heard, and what it took—mentally and emotionally to face him in court. They talk trial prep, media backlash, mock juries, and what it means to be believed. Also, what happens when the guy in the courtroom points at your photo and says it’s his ex-wife? Carroll shares how she got her name back—and why she's not stopping there. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INST
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High Stakes, Low Standards: America's Gambling Gamble
05/08/2025 Duration: 38minJonathan D. Cohen, author of Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling, joins to explain why our national rush into online sports betting might be a bigger mess than we realize. They talk sketchy app rollouts, bad state deals, and how betting lines went from shady corners to college campus. Plus, why Malaysian women’s doubles badminton at 3 a.m. says more about America than we’d like to admit. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
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Pay to Play: The NCAA’s Big Payout Era Begins
04/08/2025 Duration: 35minThe NCAA’s $2.8 billion settlement doesn’t just change the rules—it rewrites the entire playbook. Mike talks with Gabe Feldman, director of Tulane’s Sports Law Program, about what happens now that schools can pay athletes directly. They get into how the money will be split, why Olympic sports are suddenly on the chopping block, and whether this new system can survive Title IX scrutiny. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
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Puzzling The Puzzle Master on The Puzzler
02/08/2025 Duration: 38minToday on The Gist we air Mikes appearence on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
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The NIH vs. The New Grievance Politics
01/08/2025 Duration: 37minFormer NIH director Elias Zerhouni reflects on the agency’s triumphs and shortcomings in light of his new memoir, Disease Knows No Politics. He defends the NIH’s legacy while addressing critiques from figures like current NIH head Jay Bhattacharya, and warns that proposed funding cuts could severely undermine scientific progress. Also: the decline of late-night TV amid political sameness, the comic potential of Sydney Sweeney’s controversial jeans ad, and a failed auction bid for Larry King’s designer denim. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | M
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Airborne Assumptions and Subventilated Science
31/07/2025 Duration: 45minCarl Zimmer joins to discuss Airborne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe, a book that excavates the forgotten science of airborne disease transmission—from Louis Pasteur’s broth experiments to why COVID’s airborne nature was dismissed by health authorities. Also : praise for the New York Times’ recent front-page study that honestly asses the failure of a cash transfer program to aid in childhood development. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
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How to Make Crime Feel Weird
30/07/2025 Duration: 36minCriminologist Nick Cowen joins to explore how drunk driving transformed from a tolerated norm to a societal taboo, and how deterrence works best when paired with norm-shaping—catching people before tragedy and using lighter sanctions to nudge behavior. He argues that even violent crime clusters could be tackled through community-level norm shifts. Plus, after the worst mass shooting in New York City in 25 years, the New York Times’ spotlights the shooter’s CTE claims and symbolic vendetta against the NFL.In the Spiel, claims we’re reliving 1999. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List
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The Algorithm Is Hollywood’s New God
29/07/2025 Duration: 32minFilmmaker Justine Bateman argues that Hollywood’s creative spark has been smothered by fear, corporate consolidation, and algorithmic decision-making. In her view, true artistry requires fearlessness—and God, or something like it—but today’s studios follow data, not inspiration. Also in the episode: Trump’s presidential library fund keeps growing thanks to defamation settlements and nearly launched merch like MAGA-branded Instant Pots. In the Spiel, The European Union's timid trade posture, favoring compromise over confrontation in the face of bombastic American tactics. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM
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When Hulk Turned Heel
28/07/2025 Duration: 32minMarc Raimondi discusses Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Professional Wrestling’s New World Order Changed America, his new book on Hulk Hogan’s heel turn and how WCW’s edgy branding reflected a broader cultural shift. We learn how steroid scandals, media savvy, and black t-shirts reshaped wrestling—and maybe U.S. politics. In the Spiel, Russell Vought’s viral soundbites about cocaine beagles and government-funded lizard wind tunnels. Plus: The worst job in Tehran as the wells run dry. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
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Mike Pesca talks NPR Funding on The 21st Show
26/07/2025 Duration: 28minToday on The Gist. We play back Mikes appearance on the 21st Show where they discuss NPR and its funding. It originally aired on Monday July 28th. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
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Phil Gramm Hearts Capitalism, From Dickens To The New Deal
25/07/2025 Duration: 37minFormer Senator Phil Gramm joins to defend capitalism’s record, arguing that the Industrial Revolution improved lives, the New Deal prolonged the Depression, and modern welfare undermines work. He supports Keynesian stimulus in theory—but only if governments also run surpluses, which he says they never do. Plus, Gaza aid failures, Macron’s recognition of Palestine, and why peace requires clear-eyed power dynamics, not symbolic gestures. And in The Spiel: Benjamin Crump returns to the spotlight in a viral police beating case, and renewed concern over noose reports reveals our reflex to dramatize the ambiguous. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The G