Nah, its the election. We advise against supposed bellwethers, and the scrutinization of early exit polls. Plus, the march of progress by so many statistical measures will happen and has happened, no matter who is President. In today's interview, we're joined by Damon Linker for a conversation replete with wisdom and insight regardless of who wins. And it's clear who has already won ... why, it's the North American Elk, who number over a million and have been successfully reintroduced after 19th century hunters depleted populations, as this plaintive flute solo conveys. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kathy Boockvar, former Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, fought back an orchestrated, well-funded, and dangerous scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election in her state. She shares her playbook for this go 'round. Plus, the last week of the election went quite poorly for Donald Trump. Why did he dress like a Garbage man? That said, he didn't say what they said he said about shooting Liz Cheney. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 kicking it old school, with two segments from 2014. First up, Mike’s now-10-year-old interview with Casper Kelly creator of the epic and addictive Adult Swim video Too Many Cooks. Then, with endorsements in the air, we listen back to Mike’s conversation with Patrick LaForge from the New York Times, who tells us the origin story behind the expression “retweets don’t equal endorsements.”    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at [email protected]  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our third installment of Funny You Should Mention welcomes Sam Jay, former SNL writer, Tom Brady Roaster, host of HBO's Pause with Sam Jay, and stand-up comic behind such specials as Netflix's 3 In The Morning and HBO's Salute Me or Shoot Me. Sam and Mike talk cops, racism, white vs black people money management, and a joke she'll discuss but won't be telling again. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everyone's getting out of the presidential endorsement business, but The Gist, sensing a market opportunity, is wading in! Plus, Bloomberg's Akshat Rathi is back to discuss EVs, the energy needs of the AI revolution, and the banning the domestic extraction of oil? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe Biden calls Trump supporters "garbage," only he didn't mean it, probably, though he did say it, literally. Ugh. Pennsylvania Puerto Ricans are in play! Plus, Trump and Harris' dueling energy policies, and a conversation with Akshat Rathi, reporter for Bloomberg News, host of Bloomberg's Zero podcast, and author of Climate Capitalism: Winning the Race to Zero Emissions and Solving the Crisis of Our Age. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Four members of the Gen Z cohort, who will be voting in their first Presidential election cycle next week, talk with Mike about America In One Room: The Youth Vote, a deliberative poll and group experiment in direct democracy that was conducted back in July. They'll discuss who they are voting for and why, learning to listen to each other, and how to convince other young people on political issues. Plus, another boring (and ignored) Kamala Harris plan that could have big effects on actual lives of actual Americans. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A joke at a punch rally gets pilloried. And a full-show interview with Musa al-Gharbi on his book We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite. This is the conversation all the symbolic capitalists have been waiting for! Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, we do neither. Instead, we listen back to Mike’s 2008 NPR interview with Philip Zimbardo, the psychologist who became famous for his Stanford Prison Experiment. Zimbardo died earlier this month. Then we listen to Mike’s recent interview with NewsNation’s Dan Abrams about Kamala Harris’ 60 Minutes interview, in which editing occurred.    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at [email protected]  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To say that comedian Gary Vider's dad was an "unorthodox" parent is to misunderstand the word "unorthodox." His parenting toolbox included lying, deception, and fear, which is par for the course when you are a conman, but it can leaves scars on those close to you. Vider is out with a podcast about his dad and his childhood called #1 Dad. Also on the show, would you sell your vote to Kamala or Donald for $1,300? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fred Kaplan has won a Pulitzer, been nominated for another, and he's covered the national security community for years. So he finally decided to just throw out the rules of non-fiction and write a novel ... about the end of the World, or almost the end of the world. A Capital Calamity is a tale of impending armageddon not with a bang nor a whimper, but because of a consultant. Plus, airlines have finally addressed the on-again-off-again no-smoking sign in a rather stupid way. Also on the show, Trump is close to winning because incumbents the world over are getting "schlonged." Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Greenberg is out with the first biography of Congressman John Lewis, which offers an examination of the highly influential legislator's activism, congressional record, and how his theories of change themselves changed depending on the role he played. Plus, a recent This American Life episode about the Democrats' uncommitted delegates raised the stakes, but left out details. Also on the show, examining Kamala Harris' claims that under a second Trump administration, there will be no patriotic staffers to erect guardrails. CORRECTION: A previous version of The Spiel errantly mentioned that Michigan had the largest Palestinian population of any U.S. state. We corrected the mistake. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christopher Steele's infamous dossier set in motion massive investigations, furious push back, quite nearly an impeachment, and massive turmoil within the intelligence and media communities. In a full-show interview, at times contentious at other times revelatory, Christopher Steele explains his methods and defends his findings. His new book is Unredacted: Russia, Trump, and the Fight for Democracy. Also on the show, Donald Trump's dong diversion. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Harry Teinowitz was a storied radio host on ESPN radio in Chicago, a comedian, an actor, and an alcoholic. He's now a playwright. His new play, Another Shot, which chronicles this journey stars Dan Butler, who played Bulldog Briscoe on Frazier for many years. Also, Kamala Harris is down to 39% in one betting market, so Mike bet on her. Plus, Donald Trump mentions a golfer's clubs, but not in the way you think ... unless you were thinking about penises. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, we listen back to an extended cut of Mike’s 2023 interview with Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, who were then the recent authors of the new book Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, and who won the 2024 Nobel Prize for Economics this past week. Then we replay Mike’s recent treatise on when journalism achieves the goals of art, but doesn't quite tell the accurate story.    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at [email protected]  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Feinstein’s acting credits include HBO’s Crashing, Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, and Hulu’s Life & Beth. Her latest stand-up special, Big Guy, came out on Netflix earlier this year. Rachel comes from a family of intellectual giants, though doesn’t include herself in that category. In Mike’s conversation with her, however, she reveals her insightfulness, which is better suited for comedy than the classroom. Plus she channels her mother, husband, and a variety of Staten Island firefighters. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Quico Toro of Persuasion and the OnePercentBrighter.com Substack has been writing about global warming solutions, and analyzing the sorry state of climate journalism. Plus, Yahya Sinwar is dead, his plan having been proven ruinous. Also on the show, Kamala Harris went on Fox, and it was spirited, somewhat informative, and not nearly as clear as the Vice President would have us think. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: Link Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Election is less than 3 weeks away, and CNN's Harry Enten has the breakdown of the demographics, arguments, issues, and attitudes that are going to decide this tight, tight race. We also talk about hamsters. Plus, when journalism achieves the goals of art, but doesn't quite tell the accurate story. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brian Rosenwald, political and media historian at the University of Pennsylvania and possessor of Pennsylvania knowledge, talks all the key races in the Keystone State. Plus, Kamala Harris is playing tape of Trump at her rallies. Also on the show, Elon Musk's rocket launches have been thwarted by Musk-averse members of the California Coastal Commission and, to a lesser extent, the snowy plover. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are off today due to the Holiday and wanted to give you an idea of what Pesca Plus members get to listen to. Today's interview was with Jake Tapper from Marth 15, 2024 talking about his new CNN Series United States Of Scandal. Use the link below to subscribe! Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This weekend on Best Of The Gist, a couple segments from The Dispatch Podcast, on which Mike was a guest last week. Hosts Sarah Isgur and Jonah Goldberg talked with Mike about Israel’s military exchanges with Iran, the legitimacy of “experts,” and some movie reviews.    Big thanks to everyone at The Dispatch.   Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at [email protected]  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There was a time when "College President" was a cushy job, but that time is officially over. Now its a headache rapped in a time suck surrounded by a protest. Bill Funk, of Funk Associates, is a recruiter of college presidents, and he's here to acknowledge that, indeed, this is the most difficult period he's ever experienced for hiring college presidents. Plus, Trump speaks in Detroit, disparagingly, about Detroit. Also on the show, where have all the critters gone? The WWF finds a 73-percent decline in vertebrates, but Mike has enough backbone to question that stat. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zoning is really, really important, but it's also a tad dry. Well, not when they're putting up a four-storey building right next door, ruining your ability to record a podcast, but maybe I'm getting overly biographical. Sara Bronin, chair of the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and former Zoning and Planning Commissioner of the city of Hartford, Connecticut, is here to talk about her book Key To The City: How Zoning Shapes Our World. It gets spicier than the topic of zoning might suggest. Plus, Ron DeSantis responds to a hurricane in a serious and competent manner, which is why the Republicans didn't like him enough to be their nominee. Also on the show, while disinformation is demoralizing, good old fashioned rumors killed some victims of Katrina. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Arlie Russell Hochschild went to Kentucky to study the reasons residents give for supporting Donald Trump, even if so many of his policies seem to be against their interests. The resulting book, Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right describes Trump as the good bully in the eyes of his supporters. Plus, the state of Oklahoma is intent on putting Richard Glossip to death, despite strong evidence he had no hand in the murder for which he was convicted. SCOTUS heard the case today, and analysis of the issues and a brief analysis of Richard Glossip's appeal to multiple women he married while on death row. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Tuesday, November 5th, as they start to tally the ballots and declare electoral votes, few states will be as scrutinized as the Silver State. We talk with veteran Nevada political journalist Jon Ralston of The Nevada Independent about his state's precarious position. Then we shift gears and discuss takeaways from the summer movie season with Sonny Bunch, Culture Editor at The Bulwark. Also on the show, a campaign win. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City and a former cop, is in hot water. He’s been charged with bribery and campaign finance offenses, his friend and Deputy Mayor Phil Banks resigned over the weekend, and the New York Times is out with some polling indicating that 69% of New Yorkers want Adams to go too. To discuss this mess, Harry Siegel of The City and the FAQ NYC podcast joins us. Also on the show, Mike’s thoughts on the one-year anniversary of October 7th, when Hamas attacked Israel, plunging the nation (and possibly the region) into a protracted and deadly war.    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at [email protected]  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, we listen back to Mike’s 2016 interview with Chad Millman, author of The Detonators: The Secret Plot to Destroy America and an Epic Hunt for Justice about the first major act of foreign terrorism on American soil. Then we replay Tuesday’s show intro, in which Mike laments the lamentations of the pundit class.    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at [email protected]  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Funny You Should Mention Episode One: Nimesh Patel. Over his career Nimesh Patel has gone from a comedian who wants to make points and jokes to a purely joke-oriented comic. He’s somewhat of the prefect comedian to kick off this series which looks at comedy routines as if they were an argument or an Op-ed. Nimesh has actually written Op-Eds for the NY Times. We discuss being kicked off stage at Columbia University, eviscerating the healthcare system when over a dozen of your cousins are doctors, and more about Indian President Narendra Modi than most conversations with comics usually include. The Gist Youtube Page Comedy Cellar Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amy Walter, Editor-in-Chief of The Cook Political Report, is here with the news that you knew but didn't know how very true it was—the Presidential race is very, very close. As in, a one percent Harris advantage in the swing states overall. Plus, Jack Smith re-writes his legal brief, making the case that Trump interfered in the 2020 election, but Trump claims the disclosure of said brief is interference in the 2024 election.    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at [email protected]  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The stakes for debates are pretty low when the Vice Presidency is the office in question, but J.D. Vance seems to have said better sounding words than Tim Walz, according to most reactions. Putting in a word for Walz—or at least a warning against Vance—is our guest Democratic strategist and analyst Jess McIntosh, who is here to assess the Vice Presidential debate. Plus, a dock strike could jeopardize goods across America. Turns out, dockworkers earn on average more than $150k a year at the East Coast's biggest port, and they also hold most of the cards in this negotiation. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Iran officially entered the war against Israel this morning, launching just short of 200 ballistic missiles at numerous Israeli targets, pundits continued to praise Israel's tactics but question its strategy. The thing is, the tactics ("kill enemy") and strategy ("win war") seem pretty aligned. Also on the show, Washington Post Opinion columnist Dana Milbank joins us to discuss his newest book, Fools on the Hill: The Hooligans, Saboteurs, Conspiracy Theorists, and Dunces Who Burned Down the House. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For years, the standard thinking was that the ongoing standoff between Israel and its enemies was "no win." Hamas was entrenched. Hezbollah was well-armed. But now, in the wake of a series of massively successful attacks that cut down Hezbollah leadership, and with Iran seeming to be disinclined to counterattack, that thinking is changing. We're joined by Steven Simon, a Clinton and Obama counter-terorrism hand and author of Grand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East. Plus, Kamala Harris finally does a hard news interview, but with an interviewer who says Kamala Harris really doesn't need to do interviews. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, we rewind to Mike’s 2016 interview with Tim Harford, author of Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives. In it, he makes the case for routine-busting labor strikes, cluttered desks, and leaving your emails unsorted. He also explains why we’re smart to want scatterbrained musicians and orderly accountants. Then we’ll replay our most recent Tuesday Spiel, in which Mike weighs in on the controversial topic of the canine gut biome.    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at [email protected]  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wright Thompson’s family farm in Mississippi is 23 miles from the site where fourteen-year-old Emmett Till was murdered in the summer of 1955. In his new book, The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi, Thompson details the length people will go to in order to obscure the truth. He joins us to discuss Emmett, the barn, and his home state. Also on the show, we appreciate you … you know what we’re saying?    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at [email protected]  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the United States, as well as in many other English-speaking nations, “liberal” is a label with much political baggage. But “liberalism” is a much broader idea. It’s the belief that living in a society that values civil liberties, democracy, free enterprise, and individual rights is the foundation of modern life, and Alexandre Lefebvre believes it’s a good life. He’s written about it in his new book, Liberalism As A Way Of Life. Also on the show, Mike airs his technology-related grievances.    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at [email protected]  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You know it's a kooky election when Omaha, Nebraska could swing the presidency to the Democrats and California is the path to control of the House of Representatives for the Republicans. Mike is joined by Steve Kornacki, NBC National Political Correspondent and host of The Revolution podcast, to talk about recent polling, mail-in voting, the coattails effect, and who the hell the "incumbent" is in the 2024 race. Also on the show, Maine and Nebraska have decided to be special. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In under-covered jungle news, monkeys are being eaten by apes, and this has been going on for a while. In human consumption news, the Senate attempts to browbeat the maker of Wegovy into a price drop. Plus, we're joined for the second half of our interview with Louise Story, co-author of Fifteen Cents on the Dollar: How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Louise Story is here to discuss her new book, Fifteen Cents On The Dollar: How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap. Plus Israel and Hezbollah fighting intensifies and Donald Trump gets us to ask ourselves "What if MLK were a swole bro?" Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/GIST Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we bring you a recent episode of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie, on which Mike Pesca was the guest. It’s an hour of Nick and Mike talking quite a bit about how NPR lost its way.    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at [email protected]  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It wasn't only North Carolina Senate candidate Mark Robinson's political ambitions that were naked, it was his forum for web posting—the Nude Africa website, where he declared himself a "Black Nazi," and where he detailed his particular taste in pornogrpahy. Plus, RFK Jr. takes a lover, and it seems she's a member of the 4th Estate. Plus, we're joined by writer, director, and actress Jennifer Esposito. She starred in Summer of Sam and Spin City, and now she's out with a new film, Fresh Kills. She joins to talk mafia movies, her Staten Island upbringing, and the torture of making and marketing an indie film today. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today a wide-ranging interview with Maryland Governor Wes Moore. We talk about the bipartisan blame for America's housing policy, why Baltimore's murder rate is drastically declining, and his studied assessment of international terrorism. Plus, Mike's fruitless foray into correcting an inaccurate tweet about pet eating. Also, we just posted a video version of Mike's interview with Bradley Tusk from yesterday's show. Find it here. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We do everything on the phone, so why not vote? It's much more secure than you think, says Bradley Tusk, author of Vote With Your Phone: Why Mobile Voting Is Our Final Shot At Saving Democracy. Plus, one of America's two great newspapers tracks down a lost cat that could swing the election, or could have if she were not "lost" but "lunch." Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're joined once more by sitting federal judge Frederic Block to discuss his thought process in sentencing and forgiving. His new book is A Second Chance: A Federal Judge Decides Who Deserves It. Plus, Biden strategically drags his feet on the acquisition of U.S. Steel. And Hezbollah's pagers go off in a big way. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Emmy's are a tradition wherein excellence in television is honored by a long display of inartful television. Plus, Elon Musk is carelessly worsening the atmosphere around the second assassination attempt against Donald Trump. And we're joined by Judge Frederic Block of the Eastern District of New York, who has sentenced scores of defendants to long prison terms, but now the law is providing him with a means to reconsider some of those sentences. He discusses how he approaches his duties under the First Step Act in his new book, A Second Chance: A Federal Judge Decides Who Deserves It. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, with the permission of the fine folks at the Savage Lovecast, we will listen to Mike being interviewed by Dan Savage of the trés popular Savage Lovecast, for his series “Sex & Politics.” They discuss the debate and the election, and Mike gives sex advice. So, there’s that.    Big thanks: Nancy Hartunian, Dan Savage, and the crew  Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at [email protected]  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The UK's Keir Starmer and President Joe Biden are apparently arming the Ukrainians in a way that Vladimir Putin does not approve of. Plus, veteran political journalist Joe Klein, of the Sanity Clause Substack, joins to discuss the debate, the election, and what the Democrats are finally doing right. Also, in the plastic straw wars ... it's the last straw! https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/GIST Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the technical research manager at Stanford Internet Observatory, Renée DiResta studied disinformation and alerted social media companies to violations of their own rules. This opened her up to charges that she was engaging in censorship. Out with a new book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality, DiResta discusses those accusations and the difference between disinformation, disliked information, and normal political puffery. She also denies being an active CIA agent, which is exactly what a CIA agent might say. Plus, Donald Trump's cognition needn't be the source of investigation when it's output is the source of so much content. https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/GIST Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump clashes with Kamala Harris in their only scheduled presidential debate. Among the important issues debated: abortion, inflation, and immigrants eating pets. Reasonable people can differ on two of those three issues. Mike is joined by Steve Hayes, editor of The Dispatch to discuss. They disagree on abortion policy, though not on Trump's arguments explaining and advancing his policy. They also disagree on the fairness of the moderators. But their disagreement is a veritable symphony of productivity, as opposed to much of what we heard last night. https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/GIST Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at [email protected] To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices