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75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Gist

Peach Fish Productions

For thirty minutes each day, Pesca challenges himself and his audience, in a responsibly provocative style, and gets beyond the rigidity and dogma. The Gist is surprising, reasonable, and willing to critique the left, the right, either party, or any idea.

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All Episodes

34:17

The Scalpel And The Chainsaw

The Gist ·

2026/02/14

On this Saturday edition of The Gist, we present "One From The Future." Mike joins Ruy Teixeira on the Liberal Patriot podcast to discuss a brewing theory regarding the mechanics of political change. They debate the utility of the "Scalpel" (technocratic, targeted cuts) versus the "Chainsaw" (the Elon Musk/DOGE approach of massive disruption). Plus, a look at why Democrats are better at mobilizing than organizing, the trap of "The Omnicause," and the re-branding of objectivity in modern journalism

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39:56

Ben Terris: "Visiting A Parallel Universe"

The Gist ·

2026/02/13

Today on The Gist, Mike breaks down Judge Richard Leon's ruling that Pete Hegseth's attempt to strip Senator Mark Kelly of his rank was absolute "horse feathers." Then, Ben Terris of New York Magazine joins to discuss his feature on the health of the President in 2026. They discuss the "talking points" held by Walter Reed doctors, the vanity behind the hand bruises, and the difficulty of assessing Trump's mental acuity when his inner circle has committed to the bit. Produced by Corey Wara Video and

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59:43

Not Even Mad: Joe Nocera & Jonah Goldberg

The Gist ·

2026/02/12

Joe Nocera of The Free Press and Jonah Goldberg of The Dispatch parse the Epstein files fallout on both sides of the Atlantic, from Keir Starmer's London personnel shakeup to America's seemingly bottomless tolerance for shamelessness. Then they pivot to Mark Leibovich's Atlantic provocation, "The Democrats Aren't Built for This," with Nocera arguing the party's job is simple, win elections, and Goldberg blaming weak parties and primary incentives that elevate activist frippery over median-voter

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25:02

Is That BS: Compostable Dog Poop Bags

The Gist ·

2026/02/11

Sadie Dingfelder returns to rule on compostable dog poop bags and recycled toilet paper in a no-holds-barred round of "Is That Bulls**t?" No, it's dog sh*t. Yes, we know. In the Spiel, Pam Bondi's bruising House Judiciary testimony, in which she spars with Jamie Raskin over the Epstein files and treats oversight like open-mic night. Plus, the Trump Justice Department keeps striking out before grand juries, so expect a crime spree undertaken by newly emboldened ham sandwiches. Produced by Corey Wara

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31:04

Autocracy Watch with Yascha Mounk

The Gist ·

2026/02/10

Political theorist Yascha Mounk returns to assess whether the United States is sliding toward autocracy or demonstrating institutional resilience under pressure. He argues that while the Trump administration's actions have been more extreme than expected, courts, elections, and a decentralized system have so far acted as real constraints rather than hollow rituals, a case he first laid out in The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It. Mounk also warns against

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34:21

Aaron Magid on King Abdullah, "The Most American King"

The Gist ·

2026/02/09

Middle East analyst Aaron Magid joins the show to discuss King Abdullah II and the argument at the heart of his book The Most American King. Magid explains how his political instincts track American priorities more closely than those of many regional leaders. Also, a look at a muddled argument from Rep. Tony Gonzalez about ICE masks, and a WEAVE SPIEL that runs from Lindsey Vonn's helicopter ride to Truth Social conspiracies, Bad Bunny math, and habit of outsourcing criticism to a handful of angry

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23:27

Chris Cillizza on Trump's "Unconstitutional" Election...

The Gist ·

2026/02/07

Mike is joined by Chris Cillizza to break down Donald Trump's rambling proposal to nationalize elections, debating whether it's a master plan or just the former president "saying s**t." They discuss why the scheme is constitutionally impossible but politically potent, how the "counter-mobilization" of voters might backfire on the GOP, and dissect the brutal layoffs at the Washington Post—questioning if Jeff Bezos is a villain or just a billionaire tired of losing $100 million a year. Produced by

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45:59

Funny You Should Mention: Geoffrey Asmus

The Gist ·

2026/02/06

Comedian Geoffrey Asmus explains how Catholic school, priests chasing laughs, and a Randy Moss analogy shaped his sense of what technically counts as a joke. We talk about layered comedy that lets different audiences hear different things and how losing fans can be a sign the bit is working. Plus: Lutherans, LinkedIn shame, Wikipedia ambition, country capitals, and why spacing is the real superpower. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or

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34:37

Jonathan Cohen: "Add Friction" to the Super Bowl of...

The Gist ·

2026/02/05

Jonathan Cohen, author of Losing Big: America's Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling, makes the case that the only credible reform agenda is friction, slowing bets, delaying deposits, and cutting off the design features that turn even Czech table tennis into a high stakes trap. Also on the show, Conor Patrick Heffernan traces how ideas of strength evolved, from Charles Atlas chests to bodybuilding's takeover of Hollywood, and why the human body mostly just responds to resistance, not trends. Plus a

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38:56

Conor Heffernan on Why "Ego Is A Transhistorical...

The Gist ·

2026/02/04

Today on the Gist, contextualizing Donald Trump's "wrong and crazy" proposal to nationalize elections, arguing that while the rhetoric is alarming, the Constitution makes it impossible to execute. Then Conor Heffernan, author of When Fitness Went Global, joins the show to discuss the history of "physical culture," explaining why he lifts heavy stones in graveyards and how the first fitness influencer, Eugen Sandow, shifted the world from functional strength to pure aesthetics—while selling a few

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29:43

The Epstein Files Are a Distraction From… the Epstein...

The Gist ·

2026/02/03

The Spiel looks at the latest Epstein document dump and why each release manages to embarrass powerful people while resolving almost nothing. With millions of files still unreleased, disclosure itself becomes a spectacle that displaces accountability. Then, David Greene joins to talk about an act that may be either civic heroism or mild insanity: helping turn Lancaster's 230-year-old newspaper into a nonprofit newsroom built for a digital future. Plus, the arrest of Jill Biden's former husband and a

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29:19

David Greene: "Obsession Is a Window Into the Human...

The Gist ·

2026/02/02

David Greene joins us to talk about his new podcast, David Greene Is Obsessed, where opera singers map public restrooms, pizza-tour guys chase the perfect slice, and even David Arquette turns Bozo the Clown into an intellectual-property saga. We get into why an obsession can unlock a different kind of interview, plus Greene's own confessions, from the Hay-Adams bathroom workaround to sports fandom. Plus: the Mississippi miracle, and what China's van-based math prodigies say about how serious

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27:51

Charlie Sykes on the "Little Platoons" that Humbled...

The Gist ·

2026/01/31

Today on the Saturday show, Mike shares a conversation he had with Charlie Sykes, former host of The Bulwark and current host of the new podcast To the Contrary. They discuss how ordinary citizens with cell phones in Minneapolis became Donald Trump's kryptonite, exposing the chaos of his immigration enforcement strategy and forcing a rare retreat from the administration. Charlie and Mike break down why the "chaos as a ladder" theory backfired, why ICE's brutality is finally breaking through to the

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42:31

Paul D. Miller: "International Law Is Not the Same...

The Gist ·

2026/01/30

Paul D. Miller joins the show to argue that international law is a set of norms, not a moral court. A former CIA analyst and Army intelligence officer now at Georgetown, Miller explains why post-conflict reconciliation only works when locals accept it, why Israel faces a unique double standard, and how democracies navigate war without becoming what they're accused of being. We discuss Rwanda, denazification, Kosovo, Gaza, civilian casualty ratios, and why just war theory still matters after the

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57:13

Not Even Mad: Ruy Teixeira and Jesse Adams

The Gist ·

2026/01/29

Mike contemplates the hierarchy of American attention, contrasting the 50 million eyes on the AFC Championship game with the obscurity of the men leading the "Metro Surge" in Minnesota. Then, Ruy Teixeira (The Liberal Patriot) and Jesse Adams (The Ivy Exile) join for Not Even Mad. The panel debates whether the chaos in Minnesota is a strategic "theater" of enforcement or a policy failure that's alienating the very public that requested it. They also dissect Trump's Davos "Greenland" rhetoric—is it a

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33:52

"Chaos Isn't Enforcement": Minnesota Exposes ICE's...

The Gist ·

2026/01/28

ICE's aggressive actions in Minnesota were meant to project force and restore order, but instead produced chaos, public distrust, and a political backlash. The administration's theory was that confrontation would favor enforcement, making protesters look extreme and Democrats indulgent, yet shootings, muddled explanations, and obvious narrative gaps flipped that contrast. plus Thomas Goetz joins the show to talk about Drug Story, his podcast that tells American history one medication at a time, from

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30:55

Thomas Goetz: "Medicine works by helping some people...

The Gist ·

2026/01/27

Thomas Goetz joins the show to discuss his new podcast Drug Story, starting with the chain from FDR's death to cholesterol science, statins, and the cold math behind drug effectiveness. The conversation moves through Lipitor and EpiPens to show how evolving medical knowledge, good intentions, and pharmaceutical incentives can quietly reshape public health at massive scale. Plus, Trump is perhaps rethinking his Minnesota deployments, as the fire trucks exit. In the spiel a look at why the word

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43:20

Elliot Williams: "We'll get the girls from Annie to...

The Gist ·

2026/01/26

CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams joins to talk about his new book Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation. He walks through the courtroom oddities, like a "ballistics demonstration" staged with Guardian Angels as stand-ins, and explains why there was always a legally defensible path to either convicting or acquitting Goetz. The conversation places New York itself as another character in

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30:25

Michelle Tafoya on the "Complete and Utter Ambush"

The Gist ·

2026/01/24

First, Mike argues that Stephen Miller's promise of "federal immunity" to ICE agents is just as reckless as Donald Trump telling Iranian protesters the U.S. is "locked and loaded"—two instances of leaders writing checks their followers' safety can't cash. Then, from the vault (2022): Michelle Tafoya explains why she traded Monday Night Football for political podcasting. She discusses her "conservative libertarian" worldview, admits she might lack the "stomach" for a Senate run, and recounts the

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47:29

Kenneth Vogel on the "Sh*tbag Business"

The Gist ·

2026/01/23

Today on The Gist, Mike explains why he won't be watching Netflix's Skyscraper Live, arguing that Alex Honnold's latest stunt is an "attractive nuisance" that plays on our darkest voyeuristic instincts rather than the Olympic ideal. Then, New York Times reporter Kenneth Vogel joins the show to discuss his book Devil's Advocates. He breaks down the "sh*tbag business" of foreign lobbying, covering Paul Manafort's pioneering work with dictators, Rudy Giuliani's "security consulting" hustle, and the

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3,001 results

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