The Gist - Third Party Thieves

On the Gist, Trump thinks the weather will balance everything out.

In the interview, Mikes talks with Michael Sandel, a political philosopher, global lecturer, and Harvard University professor, about his latest book, The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?. In it, Sandel argues that meritocracy offers a false promise and that it’s actually eroding American culture. Sandel is a prolific author of numerous philosophical works, notably his New York Times best seller Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?

In the spiel, Wisconsin’s Green Party doesn’t make the ballot.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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The Gist - Biden Wouldn’t Have Saved Us All

On the Gist, Trump isn’t helping you.

In the interview, Leon Neyfakh is here to talk about the newest season of Fiasco, which focuses on Boston’s effort to desegregate its schools. He and Mike discuss the difficulties of finding a nuanced way to tell a story that complicates it beyond racism, and the reasons Biden’s stance on bussing has changed over the years. Fiasco is available on Luminary.

In the spiel, Peter Navarro vs. Jake Tapper.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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The Gist - Is It So Bad?

On the Gist, Trump isn’t helping you.

In the interview, the second part Mike’s conversation with author and former FBI counter-terrorism staffer Clint Watts on QAnon. They talk about how might time we should give QAnon, how to help those in our own life, and if we eventually have to just let these people flame out in office. He is the author of Messing With the Enemy: Surviving in a Social Media World of Hackers, Terrorists, Russians, and Fake News.

In the spiel, who gets to think things aren’t so bad?

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Margaret Kelley, and Lori Galarreta.

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The Gist - The QAnon Questions

On the Gist, Trump’s Nobel nomination.

In the interview, author and former FBI counter-terrorism staffer Clint Watts is here to talk about QAnon. He and Mike discuss the rise of the conspiracy theory and movement, why its belief structure is so murky, and the oddities of its marketing and merchandising arm. Watts will be back tomorrow for the second half of this conversation. His is the author of Messing With the Enemy: Surviving in a Social Media World of Hackers, Terrorists, Russians, and Fake News.

In the spiel, Woodward’s words wouldn’t have mattered.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Margaret Kelley, and Lori Galarreta.

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The Gist - Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Defense

On the Gist, the police chiefs are stepping down.

In the interview, Academy Award-winning documentarian Barbara Kopple is here to talk about her latest film, Desert One. Through new archival footage and the various perspectives of key players, the film reveals the true story behind the secret mission to free hostages captured during the 1979 Iranian revolution. She and Mike discuss how she approaches the stories she tells, the narrative problems she had to solve in this film, and how persistent she had to be to get Jimmy Carter on camera. Desert One is available to stream online and in select theaters.

In the spiel, Trump’s taxpayer-funded legal defense.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Margaret Kelley, and Lori Galarreta.

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The Gist - No Cause Bigger Than Himself

On the Gist, gender reveal parties.

In the interview, NPR’s Jacob Goldstein is here to talk about his new book, Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing. They discuss how Andrew Jackson made mistakes about national banking, why we should never return to the gold standard, and if cash is on the way out. Goldstein is a host of NPR’s Planet Money.

In the spiel, Trump hates sacrifice.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Margaret Kelley, and Lori Galarreta.

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The Gist - Brainworms or Biden

On the Gist, COVID-19 deaths continue to rise.

In the interview, the second half of Mike’s discussion with Dr. Rashawn Ray, a sociologist studying new methods of measuring implicit bias using virtual simulations of police officer decision-making at the Lab for Applied Social Science Research at the University of Maryland, College Park. He and his team are encouraged that by researching and educating law enforcement with real life social interaction training, they might be able to incite change in outcomes between officers and civilians. Ray is a Brookings Institution fellow and associate professor of sociology at UMD. Part one of their conversation is today.

In the spiel, the Trump Biden ratio.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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The Gist - Racism In The Simulation

On the Gist, a sigh.

In the interview, Mike talks to Dr. Rashawn Ray, a sociologist studying new methods of measuring implicit bias using virtual simulations of police officer decision-making at the Lab for Applied Social Science Research at the University of Maryland, College Park. He and his team are encouraged that by researching and educating law enforcement with real life social interaction training, they might be able to incite change in outcomes between officers and civilians. Ray is a Brookings Institution fellow and associate professor of sociology at UMD. Part one of their conversation is today.

In the spiel, vote twice, felony once.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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The Gist - Villain Not Vigilante

On the Gist, believing catchy rhyming couplets or policies.

In the interview, writer, lawyer and author, Jill Filipovic joins Mike to talk about her latest book, OK Boomer, Let's Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind. Filipovic explains that the millennial generation has it worse than most, the relationship between millennials and their boomer parents, and how those boomers were afforded more social programs, leaving millennials with disastrous consequences.

In the spiel, the charges against Rittenhouse.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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The Gist - Is Anybody Paying Attention?

On the Gist, Trump visits Kenosha.

In the interview, the Wall Street Journal’s Gerald Seib is here to discuss his new book, We Should Have Seen It Coming: From Ronald Reagan to Trump—A Front-Row Seat to a Political Revolution. He and Mike talk about how the GOP has changed since the time of Reagan and paved the way for Trump’s ascendence. They also touch on why Mitch McConnell keeps blocking relief packages, and how worried we should be about the future.

In the spiel, not paying attention to politics.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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