The Gist

On the show today, with Juneteenth coming up tomorrow, we take a look at some dubious holidays in a couple southern states. And in our full show interview this week, Mike talks with John Ganz, author of When The Clock Broke about those crazy 1990s and the birth of modern conservatism. A note to listeners: no-show tomorrow in honor of the holiday. Will be back live on Thursday. Have a great day off. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Peter McIndoe is the founder of the Birds Aren't Real movement-slash-conspiracy theory. He is also the author of the book, Birds Aren't Real: The True Story of Mass Avian Murder and the Largest Surveillance Campaign in U.S. History. Peter doesn’t believe any of that, by the way, but has good insights on the type of people who do. Plus, Biden will probably win the debate. And how public access to subway brakes, the inability to license a pot store, and a 30-year-old San Fransisco "shanty town" clearance offer lessons in can-do (and can't-do) governance. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, a recent and a slightly less recent segment about the Supreme Court and their ethics … or lack thereof. From this past week, Mrs. Alito spits fire, and … uh … spit. And from April 2023, Clarence Thomas and his … uh … benefactor.    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yusuf Dahl is founder of the Real Estate Lab in Allentown, Pennsylvania and Director for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Lafayette College. He was also sentenced to ten years for dealing drugs at the age of eighteen.  To this day, he can still be legally discriminated against in the housing market, which he recently discovered when attempting to rent a home. We speak about his fight to overturn this measure. Plus, 25 years ago the Santana song "Smooth" went to #1. Would you believe It was the last Billboard #1 single to feature a guitar solo? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The war in Gaza is a type of siege warfare, which is a topic that's been extensively studied by Amos C. Fox. Fox is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel who hosts the Revolution in Military Affairs podcast as well as the War On The Rocks podcast. Plus, even the slight discrepancy in numbers in Elon Musk's pay package is so enormous as to confound and dazzle. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dallas sports talk hosts Dan McDowell and Jake Kemp left their station and started a podcast, The Dumb Zone, and, in doing so, they became something of a test case (or maybe "poster guys") for the new Federal Trade Commission rule banning noncompete clauses. The fight for sports talk freedom and Luca Donic discussions ensue. Plus, Joey Chestnut shut up and shut out of Nathan's. And what New York's last minute fold on congestion pricing says about toughness. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A political operative secretly recorded conversations with Justice Samuel Alito, wherein he said nothing much different than he's said before ... or that any reasonable person would say. His wife seems angry, though. Plus, Eric Weiner chats about his latest book, this one about Ben Franklin, Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life. And also on the show, will voters pick the father of the felon or the felon, and can they possibly understand the difference? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | MikePesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We looked at the title of Lawrence Wood's new book, Your Caption Has Been Selected: More Than Anyone Could Possibly Want to Know About The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest, and we decided the subtitle was not to be taken literally. Mr. Wood hereby submits to further caption contest questioning. Plus, Doug Burgam on the VP short list (and the bank statement long list). And the rescue of four Israeli hostages sets off recrimination over the cost in enemy and civilian lives.    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, in honor of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion this past week, we rewind nearly10 years back to August 2014 and Mike’s interview with Ron Rosenbaum, author of Explaining Hitler: The Search for the Origins of His Evil. We also listen back to Mike’s Wednesday Spiel about the true meaning of … “intifada.” Did you think we were going to say, “Christmas”?    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Check out Hunter Design Studio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ted Kaye, Secretary of the North American Vexillogical Association is back to talk flags, sedition, Sam Alito, and reclamation. Plus, the war in Sudan is, by some measures, the worst in the world. And Mike either suggests a proper epitaph for American society or offers some fun ways to spice up the dreary old summer time guacamole recipe. The answer is lime juice, people! Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | MikePesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We discuss with Michael A Cohen his story in The Atlantic "The Rape Denialists: Why has it proved so hard for so many on the left to acknowledge what happened on October 7?" Plus, the conviction of Baltimore Democratic politician and prosecutor rebuts a central premise of the claims of lawfare against Donald Trump. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | MikePesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR issues a balanced, even-handed yet wholly misleading report on what chants of "intifada" really mean. Plus, Bree Davies and Paul Karoli are the cohosts and chroniclers of the title character of the new podcast, Lauren Boebert Can't Lose. And when it comes to both fire safety and Joe Biden's dynamism ... CLOSE THE DOOR! Check out Hunter Design Studio. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | MikePesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte shot a trapped wolf, then he pressured state workers to blame his wolf-loathing pal. But that's not even the weird part. Plus, Harvard becomes the second prominent Massachusetts school to eliminate DEI statements as a requirement for hiring, Tyler Austin Harper is back to discuss these statements and more. And colleges love to brag about their past activism, even if the cause that brought the protesters to the quad was a hoax. Check out Hunter Design Studio. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | MikePesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tyler Austin Harper is a Bard professor and Atlantic feature writer, and he drops by to discuss the themes and implications of his recent story, "America’s Colleges Are Reaping What They Sowed.” Plus, A Jew and an Italian walk into a G20 summit. And in the Spiel, we analyze that time Trump got literally crucified, though not "literally" or "crucified." Check out HunterDesign Studio. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | MikePesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, Mike’s June 2016 Spiel about … yes … quail. We also listen back to Wednesday’s panda spiel.    Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The trial of Donald Trump was not rigged. That is a piece of disinformation. But those who believe it was might not think it was literally rigged, they might just have the sense that Trump is unfairly victimized in general, and the accusation of rigging more or less fits into the claim of "rigged." It's called a "symbolic belief," and, New Yorker writer and anthropologist, Manvir Singh says that's different from a factual belief. In the Spiel, I talk about all the misinformation flooding into my consciousness, which doesn't originate in Russia or from Trump's statements on Truth Social, but sews doubt just the same. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

And in other news, Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts in his hush money case. Plus, yes, North Korea has in fact been hitting their southern rivals with doody dirigibles, turd zeppelins, poop balloons. Plus, Abigail Shrier joins us to talk about her latest book Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up, which takes on the challenge of the mental health crisis amongst American youth. Shrier does not exactly hand out participation trophies for how we've all handled it. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justice Samuel Alito is an icon of conservative jurisprudence, a shaper of American laws, and a really challenging neighbor. Mike takes those cues and creates some improvisational theater. Then we pick up where we left off yesterday with Washington Post columnist and novelist David Ignatius. With his help, we're going to drill down on what exactly is going on in Gaza. And also on the show, China will be returning the Pandas we returned to them. We FedEx'd them ... will China DHL them back? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Ignatius, WaPo columnist and the author of Phantom Orbit: A Thriller discusses his reportorial tactics, and how he blends fact and fiction in writing his latest thrillers about weapons in space.  Plus, there were 350,000 polio cases in 1988. Guess how many there were last year. So many pundits are saying that the Trump verdict will be what they've been predicting all along.  The role of "priors" in on-air legal analysis. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this Memorial Day we share an interview with Mike who was recently a guest on Jeff Maurer's Podcast "I Might Be Wrong". Promo Link for 30 Days Free Link to Jeffs Substack Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | MikePesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices