The Gist

Obama promised hope and change, but what about managing expectations for hope and change? Today on The Gist, former Obama strategist David Axelrod shares insights from his new book Believer: My Forty Years in Politics. Plus, we examine a strange transitional moment for popular music and the American Songbook with Ben Yagoda. He's the author of The B Side: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth...

Dream job alert. Today on the Gist, Mike talks with KYRSP33DY, jahovaswitniss, and NobodyEpic, a trio of video gamers and video editors who turned their love of comedy and Grand Theft Auto into lucrative YouTube channels. Plus, Seth Stevenson has been reporting for Slate on the trial of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. He reacts to Thursday's gut-wrenching day of testimony. And in...

For ages, athletes have been judged by their importance to their team's bottom line, their popularity with fans, and their win-loss record against better opponents. Today on The Gist, we apply those same rubrics to the dozen or so politicians likely to tangle in the Republican primary. Our guest is Harry Enten, senior political writer and analyst for FiveThirtyEight. For the Spiel, you just gotta...

Before he was a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Leslie H. Gelb negotiated with the Soviet Union as a senior official in the Pentagon and State Department. Today on The Gist, Mike asks Gelb about negotiating with Iran and Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress. For the Spiel, it's pledge-drive season in public radio. Mike tabs up the amount of...

The New York outpost of France's famed Maille mustard empire features myriad varieties of the spicy condiment, including some on tap. Today on The Gist, mustard sommelier Pierette Huttner gives Mike a tour. Plus, the financial side of the mustard-yellow and white (or blue and black) dress with Slate Editor-in-Chief Julia Turner. For the Spiel, Mr. Bibi goes to Washington. Today's sponsors: Citrix...

Slate's Dahlia Lithwick discusses the issue of legal standing in the upcoming Obamacare case before the Supreme Court. Plus, is aromatherapy bulls--t? And Mike spiels about Bibi's boo-boo, and we hear another new They Might Be Giants track, "I Can Help the Next in Line." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.c...

Jet skis look like a horse running and defecating at the same time on the water. Today on The Gist, Kurt Braunohler battles Asian carp and electrified waters for his new Comedy Central Web series Roustabout. For the Spiel, we explain a ubiquitous preamble, "the idea that somehow." Today's sponsor: The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, the new documentary series from HBO. It airs Sundays a...

On the day when the Internet turns to llamas, we keep our focus on the important thing, the dangerous thing: bears. Today on The Gist, the latest bear news with wildlife biologist Rae Wynn-Grant from Columbia University. Plus, Slate's Will Oremus answers exactly one question about net neutrality. We'll hear your questions, and learn about what the color of a bear's fur has to do with its species....

Today on The Gist, Gretchen Rubin explains what self-mastery has to do with happiness. She's the author of The Happiness Project. Her new podcast, Happier, is part of Slate's just-launched Panoply network. For the Spiel, Mike and Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald both lie to the homeless. Today's sponsors: Stamps.com! Sign up for a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer when you visit Stamp...

With 100 inches of snow landing on Boston this winter, the issue of cars and parking has inspired calumny and tire-slashing in the Boston area. On The Gist, Jennifer Peter, local editor for The Boston Globe, quietly admits that she's a parking-space saver. Plus, how can we use language to better describe undocumented immigrants with empathy and without politics? Mike searches for the right term wi...

Today on The Gist, journalist Graeme Wood offers insight into the motivations of ISIS. He recently wrote "What ISIS Wants" for the Atlantic. For the Spiel, we name the lobstar of the antentwig for The Gist Episode 200. We end this show with the latest Dial-a-Song debut from They Might Be Giants, a cover of Jonathan Richman's song "I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar." Today's sponsors: Stamps.com! Si...

The Nasdaq Composite Index is closing in on an all-time high. Is the bubble back? Today on The Gist, CNBC markets reporter Dominic Chu explains how the tech sector has changed the index fundamentally. Plus, can snuggling make us healthier? Mike asks Maria Konnikova of The New Yorker if cuddles are important to our health. For the Spiel, Mike revokes Rudy Giuliani's credentials as a New Yorker. Tod...

Today on The Gist, Bill Browder tells the story of how he went from investing in Russian markets to fleeing the wrath of Vladimir Putin. He's the author of Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice. For the Spiel, Pesca marks a moment for the front pages of newspapers everywhere. Today's sponsor: The Great Courses, engaging audio and video lectures taught by...

Today on The Gist, ponds face cream, plus water, gurgle and swallow. (Vine here.) Plus, associate professor of political science at Northwestern University Alvin B. Tillery, Jr., explains how the movie Selma got LBJ wrong (among other things). For the Spiel, the publishing industry is not threuss with Seuss. Today's sponsors: Stamps.com! Sign up for a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer when you...

Lance Armstrong has been ordered to pay $10 million dollars for lying under oath about doping. If he complies, he'll send his checks to an outfit called SCA Promotions. Today on The Gist, the Dallas-based company's general counsel, Jeff Dorough, explains its role in big sports money. Plus, Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld explain the core values highlighted in their new book The Triple Package. For the...

Today on The Gist, Mike Pesca is joined by Kid Fury and Crissle, the hosts of The Read podcast. They are best known for their "reads," a term with roots in the 1980s black gay community. A read is an honest, Spiel-like venting with a purpose, and makes for great listening. For the Spiel, Mike Pesca remembers his friend Bobby Lichman, who lived his life with brilliance, intensity, and conviction. B...

Today on The Gist, Max Abrahms from Northeastern University examines the motives of terror groups like ISIS and Boko Haram. Plus, we speak to Mario Schlosser, CEO of health firm Oscar, about how the Affordable Care Act has birthed a new kind of health care company. (Don't forget the health care enrollment deadline is Feb. 15.) For the Spiel, a fantastic performance taped in Gist studios, with Xavi...

A past Gist guest was recently named the winner of the NPR's Tiny Desk Concert Contest. We spoke with Xavier Dphrepaulezz, aka Fantastic Negrito last September, and heard his journey from 1980s Oakland gutters to black roots music. In our interview, hear how he finally found his voice as Fantastic Negrito, and a few tracks from his EP. Get The Gist by email as soon as it's available: slate.com/Gis...

How do you own your failures? Today on The Gist, Slate's Justin Peters finds meaning in his televised humiliation he experienced on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. He recently wrote about the experience of losing $225,000 on in his story I Wanted to Be a Millionaire: How failing colossally on a game show changed my life for the better. Justin is part of the improv comedy duo From Justin To Kelly. F...

Is the White House's new National Security Strategy just a procedural brief, or does it tell us a larger story about U.S. foreign policy? Today on The Gist, Slate's Fred Kaplan explains why security strategies are now exponentially more complicated than they were in decades past. Plus, NBC's Tony Dokoupil reports on how the military has groomed meteorologists to be intellectually and physically ca...

Why is international justice so slow and sclerotic? Today on The Gist. David Kaye, law professor and director of the International Justice Clinic, explains why verdicts are hard to come by in the International Criminal Court. Then, in-house vexillologist Ted Kaye explains how Fiji and New Zealand are dropping the Union Jack from their flags. For more flag news, we strongly recommend subscribing to...

Today on The Gist, a conversation about fetal homicide laws with Emily Bazelon from New York Times Magazine. Plus, Emily Yoffe of Slate's Dear Prudence column joins us for a Post-Prudie impact statement with past letter-writer "Little Girl Lost." For the Spiel, names in the news. Today's sponsors: Squarespace.com. Get a free trial and 10 percent off your first purchase when you visit Squarespace.c...

Today on The Gist, we might have audio from Brian Williams' helicopter being shot down. Plus, storyteller Matt Dicks tells us about how he pares down memorable moments from his life into the five seconds that are worth telling. He's helping us train a master storyteller here on The Gist. Want to pitch your tale? Tell us your name, a little bit about you, and brief version of your story. Call 304-6...

Are headlines about "three-parent babies" far-fetched, or spot-on? Today on The Gist, BuzzFeed science editor Virginia Hughes reminds us what we wish we remembered about mitochondrial DNA from ninth-grade biology. Plus, music writer Chris Molanphy explains why Tom Petty received credit for Sam Smith's top-10 hit "Stay With Me." For the Spiel, lower-upper middle-lower-upper class warfare. Complete...

Today on The Gist, a look at how propaganda thrives in North Korea from the perspective of Kim Jong-il's former poet laureate, Jang Jin-sung. He's the author of Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee—A Look Inside North Korea. For the Spiel, a new way to understand the fiery conversation about vaccines. Complete Slate's podcast listener survey! Tell us about yourself and your favorite podcasts so that Sl...