The Gist

On The Gist, the gift to the Morehouse graduates is great, but should it be celebrated or just the standard? In the interview, Linda Taylor committed many crimes, but only one of them—welfare fraud—really mattered to politicians, the press, and the public. Anecdotes about kidnapping and possible murder would only get in the way of the portrait Ronald Reagan presented to American voters in 1976, of a woman whose defrauding of taxpayer money was typical among those dependent on social programs. Slate national editor Josh Levin wrote Slate’s most read story ever, and has expanded it into a book—The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth—and a Slate podcast: The Queen, available now wherever you get your podcasts.  In the Spiel, Anand Giridharadas fact checking Jared Diamond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Grumpy Cat is dead. So are Bill de Blasio’s chances at winning the White House. In the interview, 1999 might be the greatest year in film—think The Matrix, The Sixth Sense, and Fight Club. But does Magnolia belong in the great movie pantheon, and should we really have been as impressed with American Beauty as we were? Brian Raftery, author of Best. Movie. Year. Ever.: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen, takes us through the last year of the ’90s and explains why there hasn’t been one like it since.  In the Spiel, there’s no place for centrism as far as abortion rights go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, what correlates with anti-abortion views (and votes) more than being a man? Being a Republican. In the interview, Jared Diamond brings new meaning to the old slogan that the personal is political. The author of Guns, Germs, and Steel argues that just as individuals go through crises to which they may either adapt or flounder, nation states face moments that define their strength domestically and on the world stage. Diamond’s latest book—Upheaval—takes Finland, Australia, and Chile (among other countries) as his case studies.  In the Spiel, whatever you think of Joe Biden, don’t let the dream of bipartisanship die just yet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, anti-abortion state legislatures know full well that the Supreme Court could one day turn on Roe v. Wade. In the interview, Chuck Rosenberg is a former U.S. attorney who also once worked for Robert Mueller. He’s here to talk about his new podcast The Oath, where he sits down with other former government officials like Preet Bharara and James Comey and discusses the ins and outs of public service. Mike gets Chuck to dive into the Mueller report with him.  In the Spiel, is low unemployment a sign of good federal governance? No. Just look at the U.K. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, the NBA draft lottery. In the interview, Richard Clarke doesn’t have security clearance anymore, so on his podcast he talks to a lot of people who still do. His 10 years as a White House official gave him the bug for asking questions to sharp experts on matters of life or death—otherwise known as national security. Clarke joins us to talk about the need to make a “frenemy” out of China, the vulnerability of America’s power grid, and how president Trump could yet leave the title of “worst president ever” to George W. Bush. Clarke is the host of Future State and the author of the forthcoming The Fifth Domain: Defending Our Country, Our Companies, and Ourselves in the Age of Cyber Threats.  In the Spiel, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Palestine and the Holocaust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, groans over Game of Thrones.  In the interview, Maria Konnikova is back for another round of “Is That Bullshit?” Because Mike experiences less anxiety than most, he has often wondered if he has higher levels of anandamide—a neurotransmitter associated with regulating anxiety and stress—caused by a specific genetic variation. Maria walks him through the complicated biology, the research, and explains why even if it might be real, Mike’s self-diagnosis is unreliable.  In the Spiel, Joe Biden's "gaffes." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Instagram and FOMO. In the interview, they say president Trump has killed comedy. But in Larry Wilmore’s book, comedy isn’t responsible for leading us to the “right” kind of outrage or political enlightenment. Its role—get this—is to make us laugh. “Activists should engage in activism, and I always feel like that’s why we have these words that are different,” Wilmore says. “Comedy exists to be comic.” Wilmore is the host of the Ringer podcast Black on the Air and the co-creator of HBO’s Insecure.  In the Spiel, Uber’s IPO and Trump’s tariffs.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, magic mushrooms afoot! In the interview, every Avengers movie has an argument at its core. In the Marvel franchise’s finale—Avengers: Endgame—director Anthony Russo says it’s “that you can change destiny, but at the same time, you can’t always change it on your terms.” He and his co-director (and brother) Joe Russo weigh in on that, the term “fan service,” and the fact that in the comics, Captain America is a dud.  In the Spiel, Mike answers questions from fellow Slate staffers—some serious, some not—in rapid succession. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, maybe Trump wants to be impeached?  Then it’s a change of format as all the former and current producers of The Gist gather together for a roundtable. Founding producer Andrea Silenzi discusses the origins of The Gist, past producers Chris Berube and Mary Wilson talk about the thrills of covering the presidential debates, and current producers Pierre Bienaimé and Daniel Schroeder join in to dish on what it's like working with Mike.  In the Spiel, Mike reevaluates his mistakes from the past five years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, president Trump’s mixes and matches idioms all the time, but his rhetoric doesn’t really suffer from it. In the interview, 2014 was full of retro vibes and repeats, with hits like “Happy,” “All About That Bass,” and “Blank Space” echoing older styles and Eminem’s “Monster” recreating his past chart-topping collaboration with Rihanna. Chris Molanphy is on the show yet again to walk us through the big tracks from the year The Gist was born. Molanphy is the host of Hit Parade and the writer of Slate’s “Why Is This Song No. 1?” column. In the Spiel, it’s a second interview with evolutionary biologist Patricia Brennan. The topic? Turkey genitals, of course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, do we need primary debates? We're starting our fifth anniversary celebration week with a look back at the past. Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad was a guest on the first episode of The Gist so he’s back to reflect on the last five years, how podcasting has changed, and the impact of the medium.  In the Spiel, podcasts aren’t perfect, but they are progress.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, is it unusual that Attorney General William Barr didn’t look at the underlying evidence covered in the Mueller report? In the interview, Tuca & Bertie is the new series from Lisa Hanawalt, best know for her art direction on Bojack Horseman. She’s here to discuss the origins of her new series, all the jokes she fits into the background, and how she figured out if China exists in her show’s universe. Tuca & Bertie is available on Netflix.   In the Spiel, Stephen Moore on the Federal Reserve Board. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, how many people have declared they’re running for president? In the interview, breaking a record doesn’t always mean going home a winner. Adam Levin learned that in his recent run on Jeopardy!, where he banked more money than any runner-up in the history of the game show (thus walking away with just $2,000). He tells Mike, a fellow Jeopardy! alumnus, about his tactics—and the fact that he has no regrets. Levin is sports information director of Brandeis University’s athletics program.    In the Spiel, is Barr a chicken? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, the latest in the Mueller report saga.  In the interview, the Kentucky Derby is this Saturday, but this year, the horse racing event is overshadowed by high fatality rates among equines in California's Santa Anita Park: 23 have died in just three months. Peter Fornatale follows the races closely, and sees mismanagement on both the park’s track and in the appeasement measures that followed: “[It] sort of reminded me of the classic politician’s trick of ‘you don’t like the conversation, okay, let’s change the conversation.’”  In the Spiel, Bill Barr, hair-splitter general. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, the New Yorker’s profile of John Bolton. In the interview, coders have gone from a band of misfits to rulers of Silicon Valley. Clive Thompson is out with a book about that evolution, which examines the reckless product design stoked by the pursuit of hockey-stick revenue growth and a lack of workplace diversity—whether across gender, socio-economic class, or even age. “The ageism is where some of the trouble begins because you don't have people around that can tell you 'oh, we went through this rodeo 15 years ago,’” Thompson says. He is the author of Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World.              In the Spiel, Stacey Abrams isn’t running for Senate in Georgia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, the news media is getting better at demoting the names of America’s mass shooters. That’s a good thing, even as the internet’s darker corners do the opposite. In the interview, comedian Josh Gondelman is from Boston, but he often comes across as Minnesota nice. Can a comedian get laughs without being a bit of an asshole? Gondelman discusses that, his latest comedy album—Dancing on a Weeknight—and why writing for Showtime’s Desus & Mero involves shedding fewer tears than does scripting Last Week Tonight.  In the Spiel, if you’re going to enjoy this Avengers: Endgame parody, you’ll have to contend with a spoiler or two. Cool? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, the 2020 candidates’ proposals shouldn’t be compared to some progressive ideal, but to some of the stuff we spend taxpayer dollars on now. In the interview, the pace of technological change means we might only be catching onto malicious disinformation techniques after it’s too late to counter them. Still, scientific inquiry is useful in telling us how manipulation works. In The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread, authors Cailin O'Connor and James Owen Weatherall argue that social dynamics often trump intellectual ones in determining what we fall for, including bogus information peddled by anti-vaxxers. “You, in the right social context, would hold a lot of false beliefs too,” says O’Connor.  In the Spiel, putting the Anita Hill hearings in context. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, the difference between one million and one billion. In the interview, Nathaniel Rich is here to discuss his new book Losing Earth about the decade of 1979-1989 and why they are so important to understanding America’s political history of climate change and the current state of denialism we find ourselves in.  In the Spiel, is impeachment worth it? If we don’t will Trump get reelected? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, whether he’s on the most electable part of the political spectrum or not, Joe Biden is about to go through the wringer.    In the interview, winning a major sports championship is a thrill few ever get to know. But what happens when you keep stacking trophies, like the NBA’s Golden State Warriors have done in recent years? The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss covers the team, and wonders “if the Warriors suffer from, shall we call it, winner’s ennui.” Strauss is the host of the House of Strauss podcast and wrote a chapter on the Warriors in Mike Pesca’s book, Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History.  In the Spiel, it’s one from the vault on HBO’s The Jinx, which, it’s now come to light, included some misleading editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Kate Smith’s rendition of “God Bless America.” In the interview, comedian and filmmaker Lake Bell is here to discuss her new tv series Bless This Mess. About a newlywed couple who move from New York City to Nebraska, it’s a play on the fish-out-of-water trope, but packed with more jokes than you know what to do with. Bless This Mess airs on Tuesdays at 9:30pm on ABC.  In the Spiel, the questions at the CNN town halls weren’t all that great.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices