The Gist

Matthew Schrag, the Alzheimer's whistleblower who uncovered one of the biggest medical deceptions in history, joins the show. Plus, Chuck Schumer takes the hits, absorbs the pain, and spares Democrats from a brutal shutdown battle—sometimes being a punching bag is part of the job. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or...

Rodrigo Duterte stands trial in The Hague for his brutal drug war—a prosecution that is justified but also political. Meanwhile, Sadie Dingfelder joins us to play Is That BS? to determine whether yelling "Help" or "Fire" is the smarter move in an emergency. Plus, Part 2 of Nine Bullets, One Knife, Many Wrong Questions —separating fact from fiction in a fatal NYC subway shooting. Produced by Corey...

Senate Democrats have a rare chance to force Republican concessions in the government funding battle, but fear of political blame looms large. Lauren Egan, writer of The Bulwark 's Opposition newsletter, examines how Democrats are responding to challenges from within and outside their party—whether it's policy missteps, messaging struggles, or the new ideological battlegrounds in media and podcast...

Wall Street's downturn suggests that Donald Trump is not immune to the consequences of his bad economic policies. In the spiel, the dubious legal justifications behind the detention of Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil. And we're joined by CNN's Elle Reeve author of Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics . We join h...

On today's Gist , journalist Elle Reeve discusses her new book, Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics , detailing her firsthand reporting on the radicalization pipelines fueling extremism. Plus, the Trump administration cracks down on Columbia University, and in the Spiel Gavin Newsom's surprisingly conciliatory...

Today on the Gist we got back to Wednesdays spiel on Trumps speech to congress and go to a 2019 interview with Scotland's Daniel Sloss who churns out comedy specials at an almost alarming rate, completing his tenth at age 28. He's here to talk about circumcision, Brexit, and why the left is doomed to eternally shoot itself in the foot Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To adv...

The roots of the current conflict in Gaza trace back to the Balfour Declaration and earlier, but also to a series of ethnic killings and counterattacks in the years just before Israel became a state. Oren Kessler joins us to discuss Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict . Plus, Trump's latest tariff chaos has Canadians resorting to some choice words. And in The...

On this episode of Not Even Mad , Michael Cohen and Liz Wolfe dissect Trump's State of the Union-ish spectacle, where he barely asked for forbearance on tariffs and delivered a slew of inaccuracies. We debate whether the Democrats' paddle-waving protest theater was cringeworthy or just ineffective. Plus, in Goat Grinders , playground break-ins, Icelandair's deplaning procedures, and the forced obl...

Charles Kupchan, former European affairs specialist in Obama's White House joins us to discuss whether a viable security agreement could be brokered that meets Ukraine's needs without granting them everything they want. Kupchan isn't entirely pessimistic—but he's also not holding his breath. Plus, Trump's address to Congress was filled with signature moments: a ripped-up protest sign, a joke about...

Trump's latest tariff escalation on China, Mexico, and Canada has earned the Wall Street Journal 's bluntest critique yet: "dumbest." With markets reacting sharply, Wall Street remains the one force that might actually make him reconsider. Plus, Brenda Wineapple, author of Keeping the Faith: How American Democracy Survives Scandals, Scoundrels, and Cynics , joins to discuss a century-old "trial of...

Former CBS Evening News executive producer Mosheh Oinounou joins The Gist to discuss Mo News , his fact-first, non-ideological news platform. We talk about his critiques of legacy media, what he saw from the inside, and why he believes journalism is failing as both a business and a public service. Plus, when it comes to Ukraine the art of negotiation seems to hinge less on geopolitics and more on...

Today on the Gist. We listen back to Tuesdays Spiel about Mikes time at the Principles First Summit. Then we play some of Mike's appearance on the Podcast " Very Serious with Josh Barro ". Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepes...

Critic and author Kat Rosenfield joins The Gist for a full-show interview, diving into the smear campaign and campaign waged between Blake Lively her director, and the recent sexual abuse allegations against Neil Gaiman. Plus: Analysis of the surprisingly undiplomatic public exchange between Presidents Trump and Zelensky. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the...

Edward Fishman, author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare , is back to discuss the immense power of tariffs, and economic leverage—and how Trump's understanding (or lack thereof) of these tools. Plus, Trump grumbles to British PM Keir Starmer that Ukraine isn't paying back U.S. aid, and in The Spiel, what Democrats can actually stand for beyond simply resisting Trump. Ma...

Edward Fishman, author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare , joins to discuss how global trade vulnerabilities shape geopolitics. Plus Trump's first cabinet meeting sets the stage for what's to come. And in The Spiel, Mike examines Republican town halls across the country—are the viral outbursts truly representative, or is the media cherry-picking the most dramatic moment...

The Bulwark's Will Saletan joins to discuss Trump, Ukraine, and whether the former president is truly delusional—or just acting like he is. We also examine if the normal laws of political gravity will ever catch up to him. Plus, Trump endorses Elon Musk's "five things you did last week" questionnaire. And in the Spiel, practical lessons from the Principles First Conference: How should we react whe...

Psychology professor Kurt Gray, author of Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground , joins to discuss how our deep-rooted sense of victimhood is shaped by our evolutionary past as prey—and how that influences modern political and moral conflicts. Plus, Mike recounts his experience at the Principles First Summit, where discussions of civic virtue were oversha...

On The Gist , we revisit two compelling segments. First, a deep dive into Ukraine's rare earth minerals—why they matter, who wants them, and how they factor into the geopolitical chessboard. Then, a throwback to January 24, 2020, for a look at the human embodiment of droning proceduralism himself, Mitch McConnell. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, c...

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Rodgers joins to break down the suspension of criminal charges in the case of NYC Mayor Eric Adams. Plus, in The Spiel , we keep track of the growing list of court rulings against Trump—along with the few he's actually won. Keep Track of Court Rulings against Trump Below Just Security Akin Washington Post Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca....

On Not Even Mad , Noam Dworman—owner of the Comedy Cellar and host of Live from the Table —and Dan Savage—of Savage Love and Savage Lovecast —join to debate the non-prosecution of NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and the potential for negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine. Plus, we dive into "goat grinders" on Adrien Grenier, mirror pronouns, media credibility, and—somehow—dental dams. Produced by Corey W...

On The Gist , Marc J. Dunkelman, author of Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress―and How to Bring It Back , joins to discuss why modern institutions fail at delivering progress and what can be done to fix them. Plus, Trump's latest feud with Zelensky over Ukraine aid, and in The Spiel , the most electrifying deep dive into rare earth elements you never knew you needed. Produced by Corey Wara Emai...

Journalist Eli Lake joins for a deep dive into his Breaking History podcast, exploring the stories and narratives that shape our understanding of the past. Plus, a look at the latest Minneapolis crime stats—while national trends show a decline, the city's murder rate tells the story of a police force hollowed out by officer departures. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To ad...

The Gist is on break for the holiday, so we are sharing an interview we did back in November with the host of "Very Important People", Vic Michaelis. This is the Pesca Plus version of the interview and if you are interested in joining, click the link below. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertisin...

Mikes Appearance on the Savage Podcast Episode: A Very Poly Valentine's Day Dan Savage is a best-selling author, media pundit, journalist, activist, and co-founder of the It Gets Better Project. He pens the internationally syndicated sex and relationship advice column Savage Love, and hosts the weekly Savage Lovecast podcast where he tackles even more questions, often with the help of special gues...

Public Enemy's Chuck D is here once more to discuss his writing process, his new book Interficial Artelligence , and how he turns ideas into iconic lyrics. Plus, the Justice Department is inspiring a number of prosecutors to resign rather than drop charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams. And the group Arab Americans for Trump are no longer for Trump. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepe...