The Gist

Chris Molanphy discusses his new book about Lil Nas X's song 'Old Town Road.' Hunter Biden attempts to avoid a congressional inquest. The podcast explores the streaming phenomenon and the success of 'Old Town Road.' It also highlights the importance of aid for Ukraine in their fight against Russia.

Angus Deaton, Nobel Prize winner, discusses the correlation between a college education and a longer life. Topics also include digital fungus underrepresentation and the challenges of transporting waste over land in New Jersey.

Alison Borden, editor from Colorado Public Radio, discusses the trials and aftermath of the Elijah McClain case, including the reopening of the case, mixed verdicts, and accusations against paramedics. The podcast also touches on college presidents' responses to controversial questions and the challenges of free speech on campuses.

Mark Oppenheimer, host of the podcast Gatecrashers and expert on the hidden history of the relationship between Jews and the Ivy League, discusses efforts to keep Jews out of Ivy League institutions, the impact on college admissions processes, and current lawsuits. The podcast also covers topics such as education system size, gut health, life insurance, racism in Massachusetts, and foster care disproportionality, including a critique of MSNBC's coverage and proposed solutions.

Isaac Saul, founder of Tangle News, discusses frustrations with biased news coverage. The podcast explores the influence of journalism background on news reporting and the need for a balanced approach. Controversial topics like recent attacks in Israel and the use of the term 'apartheid' are covered. The speaker emphasizes the importance of assessing claims and engaging with ideas.

The podcast explores topics such as the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana, generational conflict over differing views on Israel, opinions on Trump and global events, and Donald Trump's incoherent statements and detachment from reality.

Aric Toler, a reporter at The New York Times, discusses his use of open-source reporting to debunk claims and uncover truths in his investigations. He also explores the reliability of visual evidence and the standards of proof in journalism. The hosts delve into their exploration of tunnels and the significance of a box of dates discovered. They assess the lack of evidence for alleged Hamas operations in Shifa and highlight the challenge of assessing evidence and expectations in relation to a heavily promoted event.

Nathan Thrall, former director of the International Crisis Group’s Arab-Israeli Project, discusses the war in Israel, peace possibilities, and his recent book. The podcast also addresses the botched MSNBC rewrite of a foster care investigation and the opposition to child welfare reform in Massachusetts. Other topics include frustrations of Palestinians, one-party rule, gut instincts, international humanitarian law, and Palestinian negotiations for peace.

The podcast discusses China's property crisis, political firings, and Belt And Road initiative. It also covers Ron DeSantis' avoidance of answering for Trump's use of animal imagery and a tribute to Doug Burgum. Additionally, topics include Chairman Xi's power, protests against COVID restrictions, and the importance of advocating for civil rights and democracy in China. Finally, the podcast explores the political implications of the word 'vermin' and DeSantis' response to it.

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we explore a few catchy political slogans that turned out to be deceptive, confusing, or just kind of dumb. First we listen to Tuesday's spiel about the expression "From the river to the sea," and then we listen back to Mike's June 5, 2020 spiel about the slogan "Defund the police." Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mike's Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices