The Gist

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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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 thegist@mikepesca.com 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