The Gist

On the Gist, potential mass fraud. Plus, the latest installment of Remembrances of Things Trump, as we pause to recall when the president claimed his father was born in Germany. In the interview, it's part two of Mike's conversation with voice actor Jess Harnell , who is reprising his role as Wakko Warner on the reboot of the beloved '90s cartoon The Animaniacs , now streaming on Hulu. Separate fr...

On the Gist, voter certifications in Arizona and Wisconsin. In the interview, Mike talks with Jess Harnell , the Emmy-nominated voice artist with over 300 voice credits to his name, including Wakko Warner from The Animaniacs. The animated show executive produced by Steven Spielberg, known for bringing irreverent comedy and satire to kids in the 90's, is back. In the first part of this two part int...

On the Gist, today on Remembrances of Things Trump , we look back on Trump's 2017 visit to the annual Boy Scout Jamboree. In the interview, Mike talks with Reeves Weideman , contributing editor at New York magazine and author of Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork . Weideman explains the internal drama inside Neumann's fast-scaling, overly hyped WeWo...

On the Gist, remember when there was "the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you've ever seen," and an attack on Syria. In the interview, Yuval Levin , author of A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream and American Enterprise Institute scholar talks to Mike about what conservatism looks like...

On the Gist, Michigan meets to certify the results of the 2020 election. In the interview, documentarian John Wilson talks to Mike about steering clear of staid tropes and taking on moments of serendipity for his new HBO docuseries. How To with John Wilson is a poetic and comedic look on life, art, and philosophy in and around New York City. How To , as Wilson describes, was his experimentation wi...

On the Gist, the election cannot be reversed in Trump's favor. In the interview, comedian, actor, author, and activist Sarah Silverman joins Mike to talk about career, her characters, and how she is still learning from some controversial missteps taken along the way. Silverman candidly discusses her views on why Americans are so politically divided and why she thinks we ought to work together towa...

On the Gist, Rudy Giuliani keeps trying. In the interview, Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith are here to talk about their new book After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency . Goldsmith, former White House counsel for the George W. Bush administration, and Bauer, former Obama counsel, discuss what work needs to be done to move past the Trump presidency. They share their differing views on the efficacy...

On the Gist, how Governors Cuomo and Newsom are responding to the second wave. In the interview, it's part two of Mike's conversation with The Dispatch's senior editor David French about his new book Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation . French discusses the principles of pluralism, how some choose to decry tribalism and then default to using pluralism as a ta...

On the Gist, there is a lot of uncertainty between now and January. In the interview, we share part one of Mike's conversation with David French about his new book Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation . French argues that reconciling differences within the U.S. is more than just bridging political divides. Opposing identities require broad ideological coalition...

On the Gist, facing electoral consequences. In the interview, Roxanne Khamsi , a science writer and contributor to WIRED , joins Mike to talk about Covid-19 social distancing, mask policies, lockdown, and preparedness in the U.S. and Canada. As America approaches the start of the holidays, Khamsi shares some new data—based off of individuals isolated on offshore oil drilling rigs—that provides som...

On the Gist, Democrats seeing compromise as a defeat. In the interview, political commentator Jess McIntosh talks with Mike about the fight within the Democratic party about whose messaging matters. They discuss the merits of centrist and progressive language, how important it is to have members of Congress who are further left than Biden, and why Republicans villainize Democrats regardless of the...

On the Gist, more of Trump's inner circle test positive for Covid-19. In the interview, writer and urban policy specialist Diana Lind is here to talk about her new book Brave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing . She and Mike discuss how the single-family home arose in the U.S. as a part of the American dream, if it's really making us any happier to live that way, and what so...

On the Gist, Trump tries a coup. In the interview, former federal prosecutor, legal scholar and law professor Mark Osler joins Mike to talk about the presidential power of pardoning, granting clemency, a benign prerogative that is slanted towards mercy and not retribution. They discuss what might happen in the next few months with Trump's final days in office. In the spiel, who elected Biden? Emai...

On the Gist, brokered by Russia. In the interview, Claire McNear joins Mike to talk about her new book Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy! In it, McNear explains the history of the game, what it takes to be a contestant and maintain a storied winning streak, and how so much of Jeopardy's DNA came from its late host - Alex Trebek . Claire is a sta...

On the Gist, getting back to normal. In the interview, WHYY's Katie Meyer is here to discuss Pennsylvania politics with Mike. They talk about how the changes in voting collection and counting changed in the state during 2020, why it caused such national turmoil, and if Republican meddling even helped their strategy at all. In the spiel, anchors having too many opinions. Email us at thegist@slate.c...

On the Gist, Democrats practiced caution and Republicans jumped into the deep end. In the interview, Emily Bazelon and Mike recap election week, its days-long outcome, and our current reality with the two candidates. Bazelon writes for the New York Times magazine, co-hosts Slate's Political Gabfest , and is the author of Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Inca...

On the Gist, election feelings. In the interview, Lawfare's Benjamin Wittes is here as we continue working through the results after election day. He and Mike discuss how the next few months could play out, what a transition might look like, and the ways Trump is considering fighting dirty. Wittes is the author of Unmaking the Presidency: Donald Trump's War on the World's Most Powerful Office . In...

On the Gist, misguided Americans. In the interview, Mike talks with Slate's senior politics writer Jim Newell about the house races, what the democrat incumbents did wrong and why things appear to be a lot more like 2016, and theorizing that a republican controlled senate is what Biden actually wants. Plus, Jim and Mike's thoughts on Mississippi's new state flag. In the spiel, how much does Fox Ne...

On the Gist, the system is antiquated. In the interview, Mike talks with Anne Applebaum , author of Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism , about America's future after election day. They talk about the small but concerning ways the country could slide towards a dictatorship, and how Trump's tactics have made people less willing to believe in the power of democracy. In the...

On the Gist, caravans of Trump supporters. In the interview, Mike talks with NPR's media correspondent David Folkenflik on the organization's decision to sidestep coverage of the Hunter Biden allegations. He and Mike discuss ways major news outlets covered the story, why it never got much traction, and what goes into evaluating a story's worth. In the spiel, Trafalgar Group 's polling predictions....

On the Gist, Trump in Michigan. In the interview, Mike talks with former governor of Florida Jeb Bush about his push for access to national broadband internet access. He argues that high-speed internet in the U.S. is lagging compared to other industrialized countries. Now more than ever, digital infrastructure has become a critical resource to the economy, as well as our nation's security. Read Go...

On the Gist, the number of people who've already voted. In the interview, Erin Murphy , the Des Moines Bureau Chief for Lee Enterprises in Iowa, joins Mike to talk about what the election looks like in his state. They discuss how Trump is faring with farmers, what the different races look like there, and the effect anti-gun groups may be having on the state elections. In the spiel, Perdue and Osso...

On the Gist, the Jim Comey letter came out four years ago today. In the interview, Mike talks with Scott Braddock , editor and Texan political analyst at the Quorum Report. Braddock is also host of Texas Take , a podcast from the Houston Chronicle. They talk about what's at stake on the ballots for election day, and how compared with previous years Texans have been voting in record numbers. In the...

On the Gist, don't worry about things you can't control. In the interview, Alaska Public Media's Nat Herz joins Mike to talk about the races above the lower 48. Herz details the dramatic Alaskan Senate race between Al Gross and Daniel Sullivan, how the Pebble Mine scandal and the salmon fishing industry are important points of discussion, and how the presidential campaigns have been able to pound...

On the Gist, Trump and Armenians. In the interview, Georgia Public Broadcasting's Bill Nigut is here to talk with Mike about Georgia. He fills Mike in on the details of the fight between Kelly Loeffler, Doug Collins, and Raphael Warnock, and shares how impressed he's been with Jon Ossoff's debate performance against incumbent David Perdue. They also discuss how Biden is trying to reach voters in t...