The Gist

Baby got Back Matter today as Dennis Duncan author of "Index, a History of The", holds forth on the surprisingly surprising story of the index. Plus, the President alleges War Crime, and March Madness' productivity costs are entirely fabricated, obviously ridiculous, and a mainstay of sports coverage. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Daylight Saving time ALL the time was passed by the Senate in a vote that was both bold and Sudden. Mike debunks the counterclaims that school children will be bathed in inky darkness as they wait for busses in the pre-dawn hours. Plus, the second part of an interview with Dr. Todd Kashdan author of The Art of Insubordination How to dissent and Defy Effectively. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Todd Kashan, author of The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively, says there are ways to create clarity value and progress without turning disagreement into combat. Plus, a new head of Isis and a new poll that makes Republicans feel braver than Democrats. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vanessa Van Edwards a behavioral investigator, body language guru, and author of "CUES: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication" joins to analyze everything from Kermit the Frog to emojis. In the spiel, Mike talks about inflation, and who is to blame. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's edition of The Best of the Gist, Mike bemoans Russia's arrest of basketball star Brittney Griner and what it says about our current moment. Then, we listen back to a happier time…March 7, 2017, to be exact, when Henry "Fonzie" Winkler was our guest. Fun Fonzie Fact: Did you know that Henry has written dozens of children's books featuring the character Hank Zipzer? True story. Happy Days are here again, literally. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Paul Poast University of Chicago professor and author of Arguing about Alliances says we're past the open stage of the war in Ukraine. In the Spiel Mike discusses US cyber vulnerabilities and tries to get a handle on what a hack might look like and discusses how to stop one, with Glenn Gerstell, former Counsel for the NSA Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brad Meltzer, author of the Lightning Rod, breaks down how to induce an adrenaline rush via the written word. Plus, baseball's back, but still not terribly exciting, and Madison Cawthorn, D minus demagogue. *This episode was originally posted with yesterday's spiel. If the spiel today sounds familiar, please re-download the episode to hear the corrected version* Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dana Stevens is here to discuss the extraordinary life and cinematic contributions of Buster Keaton. In the spiel Mike explains why if Russian gas accounts for only 7% of US supply prices have risen much more than that. Also, what qualifies as a moderate on gun control? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist This episode of The Gist is sponsored by Ground News, visit www.ground.news/thegist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The former Republican Governor of Ohio and the former left-leaning host of a Comedy Central show get together to discuss issues, find solutions, and name-drop certain Austrian muscle men. In the spiel Mike more accurately defines cancel culture and addresses the idea that punishing ideas is only a myth or a moral panic. Warning / Inducement: It's a long Spiel Kasich and Klepper Podcast: Kasich & Klepper on Apple Podcasts Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Former Attorney General denied wrong-doing to Lester Holt, but ultimately charged Trump with willful ignorance about the lie of a stolen election.  On the show Mike interviews Dan Baer, former Obama administration State Department Official on how the US can help the Ukrainians without becoming co-combatants, and how the threat of nuclear weapons overshadows nearly everything Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's special weekend edition of The Gist, we listen back to Mike's February 15, 2017 interview with then Executive Producer of CBS's The Late Show with Steven Colbert, Chris Licht. We're replaying his interview, because this past week, Chris left that job for a very high-profile one as the head honcho at CNN. Also on the show, a 17-minute excerpt from Mike's February 20, 2022 interview with Meghan Daum, host of The Unspeakable Podcast. But here's the twist…Pesca is the interviewee! He and Daum discuss his early career at NPR and the current state of newsrooms in a polarized political climate. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett Hankison had faced the most serious charges all the police involved in the raid that killed Breonna Taylor. Mike examines the trial and explains why this officer might have walked after others in Minnesota were found guilty. Plus, Mike Sacks has penned a massive faux- autobiography of a right wing blow hard talk show host who is so true-to-life the January 6th commission is probably subpoenaing him as we speak. And it's an Antwentig- time for Lobstars. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

US Naval dominance has assured an unprecedented age of peace and prosperity on world's waters. Gregg Easterbrook notes the little-observed near-miracle of Pax Marititum. Plus finding hope in the hopeless state of the climate. Here's Mike's Hopeful hint: Just think of it like Cancer! Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A slog in Ukraine could be Putin's undoing - what would that look like? Charles Kupchan, former special adviser to President Obama is in touch with Russian officials and insiders, he games out the consequences of Ukraine as Waterloo. Plus Rashida Tlaib's SOTU clap back, and Andrew Cuomo is claiming exoneration in a new 30 second ad. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gerrett Graff author of Watergate: A New History talks about Mark Felt and what really pushed Nixon out On today's show Mike concludes his interview with the author of an expansive new history of Watergate, Garrett Graff. Plus a few suggestions for how to describe the State of Our Union (Hangry?) and the debut of the first bonafide jingle of Season Two. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Russian President is tough, cruel and ambitious. But now that he's suffered setbacks, we're hearing he's also mad. On Todays Show Mike considers how useful it is to dwell on Putin's mental health and how accurate it is to tell ourselves that the Ukrainian resistance is indomitable. Plus, Garrett Graff author of Water Gate: A New History stops by to tell us what's new in the land of Nixon. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week's Best Of The Gist episode, Mike talks with Moises Naim about the rise of the autocrat, and we time warp back to July 2014 to hear an eerily familiar tale about Putin. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We didn't take Putin's seriousness seriously. Benjamin Wittes, Editor in Chief of Lawfare, discusses if anything short of Ukrainian sacrificing their lives will keep Putin from keeping Ukraine. Plus, explaining why the Stock Market shrugged off the war. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Miller, author of Putinomics: Power and Money in Resurgent Russia says Putin is out for blood Putin has said he's rolling into Ukraine to de-Nazify the country which fought the Nazis and whose president is a Jew. But Putin doesn't even care what he says, he cares where he bombs. And in the Spiel the importance of a great nation unable to prevent one war speaks poorly of the same nation unwilling to stop another. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sex work in South Africa is a hazard because the policing is haphazard. American Law Professor I India Thusi studied sex workers in South Africa, narrowly escaping some entanglements along the way. Plus, the 14-year-old mistake made by an American President that contributed to the war in Ukraine. And a congressional candidate has a believable reason for vomiting on 12-year-olds at a sleep over. Might it be that when she was 12 no one invited her to a sleep over? No, it's mixing drugs and wine. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices