The Gist

Zack Beauchamp on democratic resilience, the WhatsApp group that saved Brazil's Supreme Court, and why corruption in Congress can sometimes be a feature. Plus: Trump may end the Iran war with the Strait of Hormuz still closed — which is somehow worse than before it started. And the surprising history of "bimbo." Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or...

Today on The Gist, The bizarre off-field behavior of Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who is facing questions (and a lawsuit) after biting a woman and hurling anti-Semitic slurs. Then, Vox's Zack Beauchamp joins the show to discuss his research on democratic resilience. Instead of just looking at how democracies die, Beauchamp analyzes countries like Brazil, Poland, and South Korea to learn how they...

It's the Saturday Show, bringing you one from the vault and one from the week. First, Mike pulls up a world-exclusive, posthumous interview with Nibbles, the ghost of Kristi Noem's late family goat, who finally gets to have his say. Then, in the Spiel of the week, Mike dissects the recent ouster of Corey Lewandowski and Kristi Noem from Homeland Security. He unpacks the allegations surrounding Lew...

Harvard Kennedy School's Julia Minson joins to discuss her new book, How to Disagree Better , and why the goal of most arguments shouldn't be persuasion at all. She explains naive realism, the boomerang question trap, and why understanding where someone is coming from beats trying to change their mind. Plus, Anthropic wins in court and the Prairieland antifa trial ends in across-the-board terroris...

Today on a Not Even Mad edition of The Gist, Mike is joined by political scientist Yascha Mounk ( The Good Fight ) and Colin Cole, director of policy outreach and communications at More Equitable Democracy and host of The Future of Our Former Democracy , to fiercely debate whether adopting proportional representation would cure America's polarization or simply plunge the country into parliamentary...

Ben Ritz, of the Progressive Policy Institute, joins to discuss his Atlantic piece, "Democrats Learned the Wrong Lesson From 2024," and his argument that the party is drifting toward "slopulism." He explains why half-baked promises on taxes, deficits, and affordability may be politically tempting but fiscally hollow. Plus, Iran's reported response to a U.S. peace framework demands not just an end...

Today on The Gist, comedy legend Larry Charles returns to discuss the fragile nature of comic genius, theorizing why Sacha Baron Cohen lost his "superpower" to the Hollywood bubble, how a rough Brooklyn upbringing prepared him for the life-threatening chaos of directing Borat , and why Seinfeld succeeded precisely because its creators didn't know the rules of sitcoms. Plus, in the Spiel, the cacoc...

Today on The Gist, legendary comedy director Larry Charles ( Borat , Seinfeld , Curb Your Enthusiasm ) joins Mike to discuss his new book, Comedy Samurai , breaking down the chaotic, high-stakes reality of shooting with a live bear, the mechanics of building a "wave of laughter," and why crafting compelling characters always beats worrying about likability. Plus, in the Spiel, Mike reflects on the...

On this week's Saturday show, Mike delivers a double-dose of Iran-focused analysis, starting with a sharp critique of the Western media's bizarre framing of assassinated Iranian leader Ali Larijani as a "pragmatic" peacemaker rather than an active enemy combatant. Then, we open the vault to revisit June 2019, unpacking the chaotic fallout after President Trump abruptly called off a retaliatory str...

Comedian Derrick Stroup joins the show to talk about his new Netflix special Nostalgic — what it's like to have an Alabama accent in New York City, why working clean sharpened his comedy more than any other decision he's made, and how the school bus was the internet before the internet existed. Also: moving to Nashville, opening for Nate Bargatzi, and why ranting deserves more respect as a comedic...

Science journalist Sadie Dingfelder is back with "Is That Bullshit?" — this time investigating the yoga-class truism that trauma lives in your hips, and the broader claim behind Bessel van der Kolk's massively influential book The Body Keeps the Score . Also: Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard, and John Ratcliffe testified before Congress on election security, and the numbers on non-citizen voting are in....

Historian Molly Worthen discusses her new book Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump — arguing that charisma isn't charm but a polarizing story that tells followers who the heroes are, who the villains are, and where they fit in. Also: Israel killed Ali Larijani, one of Iran's most powerful figures, and Western outlets responded by mourning a lost futur...

Mickey Bergman, who negotiates the release of political prisoners, returns to explain how freeing hostages from the world's most hostile regimes runs entirely on emotional intelligence, not geopolitical leverage. He walks through two cases — using Bill Richardson's death to unlock a Venezuelan prisoner release, and a single carefully orchestrated meeting with Myanmar's military junta leader. Bergm...

Today on The Gist, Global Reach CEO Mickey Bergman discusses the high-stakes world of international hostage negotiation. He details the emotional intelligence required to deal with foreign officials and clarifies the behind-the-scenes realities of securing the release of Americans like Paul Whelan, Trevor Reed, and Brittney Griner. Plus, Mike opens the show by analyzing the Republican-backed SAVE...

For this weekend's Saturday Show, Mike shares a recent Substack Live conversation with political analyst and commentator Chris Cillizza. They kick things off by diagnosing the crisis of adult male friendship, why society fails to foster it, and Mike's "erosion theory" of bonding. Then, they pivot to politics, contrasting Donald Trump's inability to sell the unpopular war in Iran with Ronald Reagan...

Today on The Gist, historic double Oscar-nominated director Geeta Gandbhir joins the show to discuss her Netflix documentary feature, The Perfect Neighbor . She breaks down the tragic murder of AJ Owens by her neighbor Susan Lorincz, explaining how Florida's "Stand Your Ground" laws, racial bias, and easy access to firearms enabled a deadly escalation. Gandbhir also explores the ethical complexiti...

Jeff Nussbaum and Dan Rothschild debate the Iran war's shaky public support, the administration's failure to make a clear case for sacrifice, and whether the mission is deterrence, regime change, or just another round of mowing the lawn. Then they turn to the Democrats who won in 2025, asking whether Abigail Spanberger, Mikie Sherrill, and Zohran Mamdani are actually governing on affordability or...

Aaron Tracy joins to talk about The Secret World of Roald Dahl , his podcast about the children's author as war spy, improvised medical inventor, and world-class fabulist with a vicious streak. The conversation gets into Dahl's improbable second act as a children's writer, the darkness that made books like James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory endure, and the harder quest...

Today on The Gist, bestselling author Nir Eyal joins the show to discuss his new book, Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Extraordinary Results . He explains how the lead singer of Sofi Tukker cured her chronic neuroplastic pain by "throwing ass," why vision boards and manifesting actually ruin your chances of success, and why the placebo effect is getting...

Today on The Gist, Princeton PhD researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov joins the show to share her harrowing experience of being kidnapped and held hostage in Iraq for over 900 days by the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah. She details the brutal realities of her captivity, how she used her intellect to outsmart her captors by leaving hidden "breadcrumbs" for intelligence agencies in forced confessio...

For this Saturday Show, Mike takes the guest seat on Lifelong with Ethan Suplee . Actor Ethan Suplee ( Remember the Titans , My Name Is Earl ) is well-known for his incredible physical transformation, having lost hundreds of pounds. Together, he and Mike get into a deep, candid discussion about the lifelong psychology of weight management, the economic politics of GLP-1 drugs, and why the extremes...

Today on The Gist, A jet-lagged yet very gracious comedian and writer Jena Friedman joins the show to discuss her new stand-up special, Motherfucker . She talks with Mike about why writing abortion jokes is harder than ever in a post-Roe reality, the challenges of making dark topics funny on her true crime series Indefensible , and the current landscape of risky political comedy. Jena also opens u...

Today on The Gist, the line between free speech and harassment, and why the progressive left's blind spot for anti-Semitism turns "anti-Zionism" into a convenient excuse for abuse. Then comedian, actress, and writer Jamie Denbo joins the show to discuss reviving her beloved alt-comedy character, Beverly Ginsberg, for The Beverly Podcast . She opens up about her tenure as a writer and producer on G...

Novelist and middle school teacher Brian Platzer discusses the real teacher who inspired his book, a stroke that stole the man's ability to communicate, and Platzer's own baffling neurological disorder. In the Spiel: when deeply unserious rhetoric collides with the deadly serious business of war, and whether Donald Trump's approach to conflict ever moves beyond slogans. Plus, the cheap-drone revol...

Today on The Gist, Actress Gina Gershon joins the show to discuss her candid new memoir, Alpha Pussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs . She shares the hilarious story of how a tequila-fueled comedy roast landed her a memorable role on Curb Your Enthusiasm , and drops actionable advice on dodging Hollywood predators, setting ironclad boundaries, and surviving the entertainmen...