The Gist

Today on the Gist, why cruise ships are essentially floating vessels of exclusively bad news. Then, University of Chicago professor Benjamin A. Saltzman joins the show to discuss his book, Turning Away: The Poetics of an Ancient Gesture. He explores the artistic and emotional history of averting our gaze—and why looking away often signals profound engagement rather than indifference. Finally, in the Antwentig, a reality check on th...

Today on the Gist, the US intelligence assessment of the Iran blockade, and why the current administration lacks the attention span for a prolonged overseas conflict. Then, Dartmouth professor Russ Muirhead and Calm Down author Ben Dreyfuss join the panel for another round of Not Even Mad. The trio tackles the media's catastrophizing of political violence, the electoral baggage of RFK Jr.'s fringe health initiatives, and a radical ...

Today on the Gist, why ten-dollar words like "instantiation" might sound smart but ultimately fail to connect with an audience. Then, CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti joins the show to discuss his book, Torched: How a City Was Left to Burn and the Olympic Rush to Rebuild LA. He breaks down the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, the catastrophic absence of city leadership during the crisis, and how a desperate rush to prep ...

Today on the Gist, Robert F. Kennedy's initiative to get Americans off psychiatric medications and the political consequences of elevating fringe health issues. Then, Joseph Moore returns to discuss his book, How to Get Rich in American History. He breaks down the realities of economic mobility versus the "despair industrial complex," the difference between fast and slow time in wealth building, and how treating distressed real est...

Today on the Gist, parsing terrible geology analogies about gas prices dropping "like a rock" when they are actually shooting up like a rocket. Then, Joseph S. Moore joins the show to discuss his book, How to Get Rich in American History: 300 Years of Financial Advice That Worked and Didn't. He details his personal journey from a broke history graduate student to financial success, and breaks down centuries of American financial sc...

Mike and Ethan Strauss joined to talk on Substack and they talked about Ethan's 4:00 a.m. "rise and grind" writing routine, the frustrating trend of "great writers, bad thinkers" across the media landscape, and the unique cultural heat that drives the WNBA's popularity. They also dive into the lost art of the "gamer," mourning the slow death of the rapid-fire, post-game sports recaps that once defined the industry.

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Today on the Gist, digging into the rhetoric around California's Proposition 36 and examining how advocacy groups frame low-level arrest statistics to push the narrative of mass incarceration. Then, Semafor's Business and Finance editor and Compound Interest podcast co-host Liz Hoffman returns to the show. She discusses the bizarre disconnect between a strong economy and sour consumer sentiment, the fading legal backlash against so...

Today on the Gist, assessing the political fallout from the Supreme Court's Callais decision striking down majority minority congressional districts. Then, Semafor's Business and Finance editor and Compound Interest podcast co-host Liz Hoffman joins the show. She breaks down the economic realities of the AI revolution, the fierce ideological battles between tech titans like Elon Musk and Sam Altman, and why the Pentagon is treating...

Today on the Gist, a look at the recent security incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and why Donald Trump's demand for a new White House ballroom draws striking parallels to his infamous border wall. Then, American journalist Suzy Hansen joins the show to discuss her new book, From Life Itself: Turkey, Istanbul, and a Neighborhood in the Age of Erdoğan. She details how a massive influx of Syrian refugees transformed ...

Today on the Gist, examining the confusing details and conspiracy theories surrounding the recent Washington press corps assailant. Then, Ted Dintersmith joins to discuss his book, Aftermath: The Life-Changing Math That Schools Won't Teach You. He explains why schools are stuck teaching outdated rote mechanics instead of crucial life concepts like compound interest, and what America can learn from Finland's approach. Finally, in th...

Today on the Gist, reflecting on the president's black tie press conference remarks about accepting political violence, and why our media ecosystem consistently selects for radical sentiment over the sensible. Then, Richard Lapper, former Latin American editor for the Financial Times, joins the show to discuss his new book, Lula: The Man, the Myth, and a Dream of Latin America. A look into how Lula da Silva's trade union pragmatism...

It's the Saturday show! First, we pull a recent appearance: Mike joins Jeff Maurer on the I Might Be Wrong podcast. They debate Mike's recent Free Press article, "What Kind of Autocrat Loses an Election?", dissecting the definition of authoritarianism, Viktor Orban’s defeat in Hungary, and whether pundits are overstating the threat to American democracy. Then, in the spiel, Mike dives into the deep, brutal, and historically ineffec...

Today on the Gist, the US and Iran are supposedly in peace talks, but the real terror might just be the Iranian Navy's choice of "loose ski masks." Then, Maya Kornberg from the Brennan Center for Justice joins the show to discuss her new book, Stuck: How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress. A look back at wave elections, like the class of '74 and the '94 Gingrich revolution, explains how procedural changes, centra...

Today on the Gist, Mike is joined by Sarada Peri, former speechwriter for President Obama, and Sarah Isgur, senior editor at SCOTUSblog and author of Last Branch Standing, for a new installment of Not Even Mad. The trio discusses the Virginia redistricting vote, how concerning the "shadow docket" really is, and Kash Patel's lawsuit against The Atlantic. Finally, in Goat Grinders: boarding times, bad Bruce Springsteen lyrics, and th...

Today on the Gist, looking at the recent Virginia gerrymander vote and what it actually means for democracy when one side plays to win. Then, chess master and poker pro Jennifer Shahade joins the show to discuss her new book, Thinking Sideways: How to Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life. We discuss why Donald Trump's political maneuvering might actually be a series of strategic "intermezzos," why "zugzwang" explains so many p...

Today on the Gist, exploring the consequences of relocating Afghan allies to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Then, Wall Street Journal China Bureau Chief Jonathan Cheng is back to discuss the complexities of reporting on a closed society like North Korea, the strategic thinking behind the Kim dynasty's ruthless tactics, and what it’s actually like to attend church in Pyongyang. He is the author of Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and ...

Today on the Gist, looking at the dropping price of eggs and the DOJ's antitrust investigation into major producers for market manipulation. Then, Wall Street Journal China Bureau Chief Jonathan Cheng joins the show to discuss his new book, Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult. He explains how Pyongyang was once known as the Jerusalem of the East and how the Kim dynasty co-opted Chri...

On this Saturday hybrid episode, Mike's recent guest appearance on Jeremy Hobson’s The Middle, where he pitches smartphone voting to fix low-turnout primaries and breaks down the domestic political fallout of the conflict in Iran. Then, we replay of Mondays spiel that examines the electoral defeat of Hungary's Viktor Orban to ask a simple question: what kind of autocrat actually loses an election?

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Today on the Gist, pushing back against the pundit-class panic that American democracy is "on the brink." Then, host of the Chuck Toddcast, Chuck Todd joins the show to break down the psychological profile of the modern politician, explaining why the desperate need for public validation consistently elevates slick communicators over serious legislators. Todd and Mike also survey the 2026 Senate landscape, including the vulnerabilit...