Month: May 2014

We hear that a common obstacle to prosecuting campus sexual assault cases is the so-called “he said, she said” problem. Veteran prosecutor Christopher Mallios the joins us to explain how district attorneys can use existing laws to crack down on rape much more effectively.

Then we’ll talk with comic actress Judy Greer. You know her from somewhere (probably Arrested Development) and we’ll find out how she handles being recognized on line at the grocery store. Plus, Mike’s take on media diet sanctimony.

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Anne McElvoy talks to the biologist Ken Thompson who dismisses attempts to control invasive species and questions the veracity of dividing plants and animals into 'native' and 'alien'. However the Director of the Kew Innovation Unit Monique Simmonds warns that alien pests and diseases can have a devastating effect on much-loved plants, and that it's vital to maintain and support diverse environments. The farmer John Lewis-Stempel records the passage of the seasons in his account of the life of an English meadow and he laments the decline of some of his favourite birds from his childhood. The woolly mammoth used to be native in Europe before it became extinct, and the palaeontologist Victoria Herridge confounds expectations by identifying the smallest mammoth ever known to have lived. Producer: Katy Hickman.

On today’s episode, NPR's David Folkenflik explains the frayed relationships that led to an embarrassing week for the New York Times. Then, Slate's Julia Turner joins us for a look at the newspaper of record’s leaked innovation report. Plus, Mike’s Spiel on who we describe as pushy and brusque. Get notified as soon as The Gist posts each weekday: www.slate.com/gistemail.

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The Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi has been denied entry into the United States, but may very likely be the next Prime Minister of India. Shikha Dalmia, senior analyst at the Reason Foundation explains the diplomatic stakes on today’s Gist. Then, the heroic moderator from today’s viral Idaho GOP Gubernatorial debates explains how a cowboy, curmudgeon, biker, and a normal guy ended up on stage together. For The Spiel, Mike weighs the cost of the delayed arrival of the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

Photo illustration by Lisa Larson-Walker

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Today on the show, who belongs on the terrorism watch list? Georgetown University Professor Daniel Byman explains what’s involved in classifying guerrilla groups like Boko Haram as counter terrorist threats. Plus, Slate’s Willa Paskin on depictions of sex and violence in HBO’s Game of Thrones. For the Spiel, Mike decries the outmoded proof of identity that harkens back to the Middle Ages and affects who represents us in congress.

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