The Gist - Don’t Say Cheese

On The Gist, Colin Atrophy Hagendorf tells us why he decided to eat a slice from every pizzeria in Manhattan. Unlike Super Size Me or Julie & Julia, sometimes ambitious food-related projects aren't life-changing experiences. But they can produce singular memoirs like Slice Harvester. Colin’s favorite pizza place in the city:New York Pizza Suprema, 413 8th Avenue, New York, New York 10001 Also great:Gino’s, 345 E 83rd Street, New York, New York 10028Rossetti’s, 114 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10013 In other cities:Tommy’s, 936 Chalkstone Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island 02908Serrano’s, 3274 21st Street, San Francisco, California 94110  For the Spiel, Mike remembers reporting on Hurricane Katrina for NPR. Today’s sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. And by Draft Kings. Start this football season by winning 2 million dollars! Use code GIST to play free for a shot at 2 million dollars in the Week One 10 Million Dollar Millionaire Maker. Go to DraftKings.com. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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The Gist - The Year Disco Became a Dirty Word

On The Gist, our regular guest Chris Molanphy returns to explore Billboard chart hits from 1980, including rock songs, adult contemporary tracks, and lots of elements stolen from disco. It was a great year for dentists’ offices. For the Spiel, we name our new lobstar of the antentwig.  Do check out this Spotify playlist to hear the songs mentioned in today’s show one more time. Once is never enough. Attention all New York City–area Gist fans! Tickets are now on sale for our first-ever LIVE Gist event. More info and tickets available here. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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The Gist - The “March to Zero” Veers Off Course in Kansas

On The Gist, a look at how Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and fellow Republicans are scrambling to preserve the state’s troubled zero-tax policy. Our guest Chris Suellentrop made politics personal in his New York Times Magazine feature "The Kansas Experiment." For the Spiel, what’s the matter with Kansas now? The Gist Live With Mike Pesca: A Cavalcade of Frippery, Bedlam, and Animal Husbandry   Good news, Slate Plus members! You can now take advantage of early ticket access and a 30 percent discount to first ever LIVE GIST show in Brooklyn.   The presale for members starts Thursday at 2 p.m. and will end on Friday, Aug. 28, at 2 p.m.   How to get tickets:  1.    Sign into Slate Plus on the member home page.  2.    Click the Upcoming Events box in your member dashboard on the right side of the page. 3.    Grab your member event discount code and click the Buy Tickets link. This will take you to the event ticket page.  4.    On the event page, click the link Enter Promotional Code to enter your code and receive 30 percent off. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Today’s sponsor: Goldman Sachs. Information about developments currently shaping markets, industries, and the global economy, on the firm’s podcast, Exchanges at Goldman Sachs, available on iTunes.

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The Gist - Raising a Trans Kid

On The Gist, Mike responds to the tragic news of the WDBJ7 shooting. Then, we debut a new segment we call Analogy Emergency. Can you help? Join the conversation on our Facebook page. Plus, Dr. Robert Garofalo joins us to discuss the difficult decisions parents face when raising a trans kid. In preparation for this segment, we enjoyed watching the Frontline documentary Growing Up Trans. For the Spiel, what the rise of Donald Trump reminds us about most Americans.   Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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The Gist - Garlic: The Secret to a Long Life With No Friends

On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker presses her knife down on a clove of wisdom and minces apart the research. Should we believe the hype about garlic, the miracle food? For the Spiel, a story of slobs vs. snobs as told through the Karate Kid. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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The Gist - My Disease Became Your Fad Diet

On The Gist, Slate’s Laura Bennett explains what it’s like to be gluten-free since the ’90s. She recently wrote “I Was Gluten-Free Before It Was Cool.” Plus, what should we do with all our RadioShack gift cards? We speak with our “gift card girlfriend,” Shelly Hunter, for ways to make gift cards and pre-paid cards go further. For the Spiel, we go deep on U.S. secretaries of state. Today’s sponsor: Volvo. Have a month’s payment on Volvo and spend your summer doing the things that matter to you. Plus get up to five years of full coverage, including wear and tear. Go to volvocars.com/us. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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The Gist - Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer Ride the Glass Bus

On The Gist, we debut a new financial news segment called MarketScope with correspondent Sebastian Sinclair. Plus, comedians Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer explain why they paid $400 million to bring a bus from New York City’s Times Square to Los Angeles for their comedy special Crash Test. For the Spiel, a special radio drama of speculative fiction from On the Media, which they adapted from the article by Jon Lovett for the Atlantic. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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The Gist - A Horse Is a Horse, Unless It’s a Nazi

On The Gist, the latest chapter in Germany’s ongoing struggle with the legacy of the Third Reich. The Wall Street Journal’s Mary M. Lane tells us about the outcry over a Nazi-era bronze horse that stands outside a boarding school in Bavaria. Then, on the occasion of the first two women to complete the Army Ranger course, we speak with Gen. Ann Dunwoody, the Army’s first female four-star general. She’s the author of A Higher Standard. For the Spiel, Mike has an idea why the new Man from U.N.C.L.E. tanked. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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The Gist - When Comedy Podcasts Were Still in Beta

On The Gist, comedian Jimmy Pardo recalls lessons learned from the dawn of podcasting and alt-comedy, and takes pride in the complexity of his new game show inspired by the room-escape zeitgeist. He hosts the podcast Never Not Funny and the new Science Channel program Race to Escape, with a season finale coming up Saturday, Aug. 29. For the Spiel, a public service announcement for public service announcements. Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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The Gist - The Sons and Daughters Lost to ISIS

We’re all familiar with news stories about radicalized Western kids who join the terrorist group ISIS. Today on The Gist, Julia Ioffe tells the story of the mothers those kids leave behind, and how many turn to activism in their grief. She wrote the article “Mothers of ISIS” for Huffington Post Highline. For the Spiel, Mike consults the book of Job. Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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