The Gist

Isaac Saul, a former writer for Vox, The Huffington Post, and Time Magazine, was frustrated with news bias and often slanted coverage. So he founded Tangle News, a politics newsletter which summarizes the best arguments from across the political spectrum on the news of the day. Plus, Mike addresses listeners who say, "We want more Israel criticism, or just less Israel overall." 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 a national referendum, the country of Venezuela just voted to annex half of Guyana, against the will of the Guyanese ... and international law. And every map. While they have no case, and no means to actually take the land, it might lay the groundwork for further chicanery says Fransisco Toro, our Latin America watcher. Plus, a UC Berkley sociology Jew butts heads with living-in-Israel Jews. Also on the show, does Donald Trump still know how to talk? We watch a speech to determine the extent of the former President's supposed verbal decline. 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

Depending on where you get your news, the storied Hamas tunnel network is either a "vast labyrinth" or a 160-yard tunnel with little room for a command center capable of orchestrating the October 7th attack. Aric Toler is a reporter on the Visual Investigations team at The New York Times, where he combines traditional reporting techniques with "open-source" reporting practices, and he recently contributed to a Times investigation about the tunnels. Also on the show, Derek Chauvin was stabbed 22 times while in a prison library making copies. Don't make the Saturday Night Live "makin' copies" joke, okay. 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

A Boston Globe investigation into foster care adds to the sum of human knowledge only to have a botched MSNBC rewrite subtract from it. Also on the show, Nathan Thrall is an American author, journalist, and former director of the International Crisis Group’s Arab-Israeli Project. He joins us to talk about the war in Israel, and to ponder if peace is possible. We also discuss his most recent book, A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy. See Mike Live on December 6th 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

It would seem China is in a state of decline, but it's hard to know for sure. The Economist's Ted Plafker joins to discuss what we can discern about the property crisis, political firings, and how countries who borrowed as part of the Belt And Road initiative got steamrolled. Plus, Ron DeSantis doesn't want to answer for Donald Trump's use of animal imagery. And a touching tribute to the late, great North Dakota hope Doug Burgum. See Mike Live on December 6th 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, we explore a few catchy political slogans that turned out to be deceptive, confusing, or just kind of dumb. First we listen to Tuesday’s spiel about the expression “From the river to the sea,” and then we listen back to Mike’s June 5, 2020 spiel about the slogan “Defund the police.” 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

Eliot Cohen, Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies and former Counselor to the Secretary Of State has always thought Shakespeare had great insights about great leaders. His book is The Hollow Crown: Shakespeare on How Leaders Rise, Rule, and Fall. Plus, George Santos gets bounced, and Ron DeSantis has a crap map. See Mike Live on December 6th 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

Elon Musk's intemperate but tempestuous remarks show us a man whose not hard to understand but difficult nonetheless. Plus, we're visited by Kliph Nesteroff, author of Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars. And Malawi get into the Israel act. See Mike Live on December 6th 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 Bradley Tusk's new novel Obvious In Hindsight, a flying car company attempts to get government approval, even though the politics are dicey, the lobbyists are dirty, and the cars just might not ... uh, what's the word? Fly. Plus, after seventeen days, workers freed thanks to rat tunnels. And the very leftist Youtube channels going beyond even Hamas' obfuscations to flat out allege that Israel targeted their own citizens. Catch The Gist Live on December 6th 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

When a slogan of war suddenly becomes a call to peace. Also on the show, we pick back up where we left off with the New York Times' David Leonhardt. His new book is Ours Was The Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream. Plus, the refused-to-be-addressed crisis at the border. 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

Pulitzer Prize winning NY Times writer David Leonhardt is here to discuss Ours Was The Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream. The hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas is working and showing us that countries are right to care about their own citizens. Plus, a few furry friends become entrees, and a Fertile Turtle is at the center of the ordeal. 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, as Israel and Hamas agree to a cease fire, we listen back to Mike’s 2014 interview with Mitchell Reiss, author of Negotiating with Evil, who suggests that the question is not whether to negotiate with terrorists, but how to get the best deal. Then we listen back to Mike’s Tuesday Spiel in which he envisions where the war in Gaza goes from here. 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

Mike spent the majority of last week reporting from Israel. On his trip, he met and interviewed many people living through the current crisis, and this special Thanksgiving weekend episode is a collection of said reportage, in which he tells the stories of those people who’s lives were forever changed by the events of October 7, 2023. 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

Des Fitzgerald, Professor of Medical Humanities and Social Sciences at University College Cork in Ireland, is out with a new book The Living City: Why Cities Don’t Need to Be Green to Be Great. The European title gets at things more straightforwardly: The City of Today is a Dying Thing: In Search of the Cities of Tomorrow. We’ll discuss the need for two titles. Plus, on the day Israel and Hamas agree to a hostage release and temporary cease-fire, attempting to watch the 47-minute film of Hamas atrocities with an emphasis on humanity over dehumanization. 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

NBA veteran Carlos Boozer is here to talk about his upbringing, his career, and his new book, Every Shot Counts: A Memoir of Resilience. Plus, what if the city issued all citizens a False Testimony Tax? And Mike lays out where he sees the war in Gaza going from 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

Lee McIntyre author of “On Disinformation" discusses and debates with Mike, how to conceptualize disinformation, and how not combat it consistently no matter who is getting dissed. Plus, new evidence about Hamas operations under hospitals. And…PANDAS! 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, something a little different. If you’ve been listening to The Gist this past week, you’ve heard Mike reporting from Israel. He’s home safe now, but he spent several days traveling around and recording the stories of Israelis as they come to terms with a recent tragedy and face an unknown future. So today we wanted to share an episode of an Israeli podcast called Israel Story, which has also focused on human stories in the wake of October 7th. Their show is sad and funny and attempts to capture the complexity of their society, so it’s no surprise that it’s often referred to as the This American Life of Israel … even by them … on their website. We would love to hear what you think of it. 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

As Israeli Defense Forces explore and document what was found in and under Al-Shifa hospital, verification is hard, and doubt is free and easy to sew. Plus, Robert Pape wonders, "What makes a terrorist ... international vs. domestic?" Pape is a professor and the Director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats. Also on the show, American decadence versus Israeli seriousness. 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

Mike visits Kibbutz Be’eri, which saw carnage on October 7th, and he’s told the story of what happened there. Also on the show, Roma Agrawal is a structural engineer who spent six years working on the tallest building in Western Europe—The Shard in London. She is out with a new book, Nuts and Bolts: Seven Small Inventions That Changed the World in a Big Way, in which she talks about how the simple inventions like the wheel, the nail, and even string are a part of the building blocks of our modern world. 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

On Mike’s second day in Israel, he attends the meeting of people trying to bring their family members kidnapped by Hamas home from captivity. Also on the show, Patrick T. Brown, a Ph.D. climate scientist and Co-Director of the Climate and Energy Team at The Breakthrough Institute, joins us to talk about his recent piece in The Free Press titled “I Left Out the Full Truth to Get My Climate Change Paper Published.” 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