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The Gist
Based on Podcast App listening data
The Gist episodes
- Wes Moore: "I Am Data Driven and Heart Led"
Today on The Gist, guest host Adaam discusses Maryland Governor Wes Moore's refusal during a recent debate to commit to serving a full second term if re-elected, fueling speculation around his potential 2028 presidential ambitions. To explore where his political ambitions might lie, we replay Mike Pesca's 2024 interview with Governor Moore covering Maryland's economic strategies, housing reforms, gun violence reduction, and insights from his academic research on international terrorism.
Produced by Corey Wara
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at [email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/
X https://x.com/pescami
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact [email protected]
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
27 min - Gianna Toboni on Death Row: "I Don't Hear the Remorse of a Killer"
Today on The Gist, guest host Adaam introduces a look back at America's complex relationship with the death penalty, featuring two segments from the archives. First, Mike Pesca examines the ethics and realities of state executions following Alabama's controversial use of nitrogen hypoxia. Then, in a 2018 interview, Vice reporter Gianna Toboni discusses Nevada's plan to use fentanyl in the execution of death-row inmate Scott Dozier, exploring the pharmaceutical pushback, legal loopholes, and the moral debate surrounding state-assisted suicide.
Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.
Produced by Corey Wara
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at [email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/
X https://x.com/pescami
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact [email protected]
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
19 min - Michelle Buteau: "Words Have Power"
Today on The Gist, guest host Charlie introduces Mike Pesca's conversation with comedian Michelle Buteau on Funny You Should Mention. Buteau discusses making history with her special, A Buteau-ful Mind, at Radio City Music Hall, balancing self-deprecation with sharp observational humor, and her transition from television news editor to stand-up comedy. She also addresses audience expectations, motherhood, and her critique of Dave Chappelle's jokes about transgender people.
Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.
Produced by Corey Wara
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at [email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/
X https://x.com/pescami
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact [email protected]
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
49 min - Michele Tafoya: "I'm a Big Freedom of Speech Person"
Today on The Gist, guest host Charlie revisits Mike Pesca's 2022 conversation with veteran sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya. Tafoya discusses stepping away from Sunday Night Football to speak openly on politics, her podcast Sideline Sanity, and the challenges conservative voices face in media. She also reflects on the cultural fallout from Colin Kaepernick's anthem protests and her frustration with reflexively using the 2020 election as a political litmus test.
Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.
Produced by Corey Wara
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at [email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/
X https://x.com/pescami
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact [email protected]
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
42 min - John Fetterman: "It's Been a Long, Strange Trip"
Today on The Gist, guest host Charlie looks back at Mike Pesca's 2021 conversation with Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, recorded when he was lieutenant governor, to discuss criminal justice reform, gun laws, and immigration. Then, journalist Mark Raimondi joins the show to discuss his book, Say Hello to the Bad Guys, breaking down the 1990s steroid trials, Hulk Hogan's famous villain turn, and how pro wrestling reshaped American pop culture.
Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.
Produced by Corey Wara
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at [email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/
X https://x.com/pescami
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact [email protected]
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
40 min - Alex Edelman: "There's not a lot of comedy in being right."
Today on The Gist, guest host Isabella introduces Mike Pesca's conversation with comedian Alex Edelman on Funny You Should Mention, discussing his acclaimed solo Broadway show, Just for Us. Edelman breaks down the craft of joke mechanics and set construction, the role of audience feedback, and the influence of mentors like Mike Birbiglia and Ira Glass. He also reflects on finding humor within sensitive topics, including Jewish identity, antisemitism, and the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.
Produced by Corey Wara
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at [email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/
X https://x.com/pescami
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact [email protected]
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
52 min - Yaakov Katz: "An idea cannot be defeated."
Guest host Isabella introduces Mike Pesca's conversation with Yaakov Katz, author of While Israel Slept. Katz explains the intelligence failures and false assumptions behind October 7, the international fallout, and why he believes ending the conflict means dismantling Hamas through lasting cultural and educational change.
Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.
Produced by Corey Wara
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at [email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/
X https://x.com/pescami
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact [email protected]
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
40 min - David Pakman: "The stage was really set."
Today on The Gist, guest host Isabella introduces an interview with progressive commentator and author David Pakman about his book, The Echo Machine: How Right-Wing Extremism Created a Post-Truth America. Pakman outlines the historical trajectory from the civil rights backlash to modern right-wing media tactics, arguing that systematic opposition to critical thinking curricula has fostered an environment fertile for political disinformation. Mike Pesca challenges Pakman on partisan asymmetry, probing whether media bubbles, deficit narratives, and mischaracterizations also distort left-leaning political discourse.
Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.
Produced by Corey Wara
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at [email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/
X https://x.com/pescami
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact [email protected]
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
46 min - Roy Wood Jr.: "People just want to feel good."
Today on The Gist, guest host Bryan Green introduces an installment of Funny You Should Mention featuring comedian Roy Wood Jr. Mike Pesca sits down with Wood, the host of CNN's Have I Got News for You and former Daily Show correspondent, to explore his journalism-steeped upbringing, the mechanics of building a stand-up special, and the delicate line between humor and audience expectations. Wood unpacks the modern demand for "clap-ter" over punchlines, the cultural resonance of his material on race and society, and the responsibility comedians carry when addressing polarizing political topics.
Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.
Produced by Corey Wara
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at [email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/
X https://x.com/pescami
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact [email protected]
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
1 hr 2 min - Axes and Sodium with Rachel McCarthy James and Maria Konnikova
Today on The Gist, guest host Bryan Green introduces two conversations on lethal implements and nutritional science. First, Mike Pesca speaks with Rachel McCarthy James about her book Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder, tracing the axe's history from prehistoric tool and Shang Dynasty symbol of power to battlefield weapon and instrument of execution. Then, Maria Konnikova joins Mike to separate fact from fiction regarding dietary sodium, breaking down blood pressure risks and revealing the surprising processed foods driving most of our daily salt intake.
Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.
Produced by Corey Wara
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at [email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/
X https://x.com/pescami
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact [email protected]
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
31 min
About The Gist
From the publisher's feed
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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