The Gist

On the Gist, the election cannot be reversed in Trump's favor. In the interview, comedian, actor, author, and activist Sarah Silverman joins Mike to talk about career, her characters, and how she is still learning from some controversial missteps taken along the way. Silverman candidly discusses her views on why Americans are so politically divided and why she thinks we ought to work together towards implementing progressive legislation. Her newest project, a podcast where she responds no-holds-barred to listener voicemails, is called The Sarah Silverman Show. In the spiel, stopping disinformation at the source. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Rudy Giuliani keeps trying. In the interview, Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith are here to talk about their new book After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency. Goldsmith, former White House counsel for the George W. Bush administration, and Bauer, former Obama counsel, discuss what work needs to be done to move past the Trump presidency. They share their differing views on the efficacy of prosecuting Trump's actions in office after Biden steps into the role, and the two explain how this isn't the first time the office of the presidency has needed to be repaired. In the spiel, Kyle Rittenhouse and the Proud Boys. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, how Governors Cuomo and Newsom are responding to the second wave. In the interview, it's part two of Mike's conversation with The Dispatch's senior editor David French about his new book Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. French discusses the principles of pluralism, how some choose to decry tribalism and then default to using pluralism as a tactic. French also details some examples of it actually working as well as when it has led to friction. In the spiel, performatively exercising your second amendment rights. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, there is a lot of uncertainty between now and January. In the interview, we share part one of Mike's conversation with David French about his new book Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. French argues that reconciling differences within the U.S. is more than just bridging political divides. Opposing identities require broad ideological coalitions in government that seek to soothe cemented divisions and heal citizens who feel disenfranchised. Part two of the interview is tomorrow. In the spiel, giving credit where credit is due. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, facing electoral consequences. In the interview, Roxanne Khamsi, a science writer and contributor to WIRED, joins Mike to talk about Covid-19 social distancing, mask policies, lockdown, and preparedness in the U.S. and Canada. As America approaches the start of the holidays, Khamsi shares some new data—based off of individuals isolated on offshore oil drilling rigs—that provides some guidance on testing twice and how it may help shorten the 14-day quarantine period. In the spiel, the Latino vote. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Democrats seeing compromise as a defeat. In the interview, political commentator Jess McIntosh talks with Mike about the fight within the Democratic party about whose messaging matters. They discuss the merits of centrist and progressive language, how important it is to have members of Congress who are further left than Biden, and why Republicans villainize Democrats regardless of the language they use. McIntosh is co-host of Signal Boost on Sirius XM. In the spiel, listener concerns. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, more of Trump's inner circle test positive for Covid-19. In the interview, writer and urban policy specialist Diana Lind is here to talk about her new book Brave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing. She and Mike discuss how the single-family home arose in the U.S. as a part of the American dream, if it's really making us any happier to live that way, and what sorts of legal roadblocks currently prevent a variety of housing options from proliferating across the country. In the spiel, Rudy on the radio. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Trump tries a coup. In the interview, former federal prosecutor, legal scholar and law professor Mark Osler joins Mike to talk about the presidential power of pardoning, granting clemency, a benign prerogative that is slanted towards mercy and not retribution. They discuss what might happen in the next few months with Trump's final days in office. In the spiel, who elected Biden? Email us at [email protected] Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, brokered by Russia. In the interview, Claire McNear joins Mike to talk about her new book Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy! In it, McNear explains the history of the game, what it takes to be a contestant and maintain a storied winning streak, and how so much of Jeopardy's DNA came from its late host - Alex Trebek. Claire is a staff writer at The Ringer. In the spiel, former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe testifies. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, getting back to normal. In the interview, WHYY's Katie Meyer is here to discuss Pennsylvania politics with Mike. They talk about how the changes in voting collection and counting changed in the state during 2020, why it caused such national turmoil, and if Republican meddling even helped their strategy at all. In the spiel, anchors having too many opinions. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Democrats practiced caution and Republicans jumped into the deep end. In the interview, Emily Bazelon and Mike recap election week, its days-long outcome, and our current reality with the two candidates. Bazelon writes for the New York Times magazine, co-hosts Slate's Political Gabfest, and is the author of Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration. In the spiel, what is the Democratic Party's way forward? Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Margaret Kelley and Daniel Schroeder. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, election feelings. In the interview, Lawfare's Benjamin Wittes is here as we continue working through the results after election day. He and Mike discuss how the next few months could play out, what a transition might look like, and the ways Trump is considering fighting dirty. Wittes is the author of Unmaking the Presidency: Donald Trump's War on the World's Most Powerful Office. In the spiel, the Trafalgar group got too much wrong. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, misguided Americans. In the interview, Mike talks with Slate's senior politics writer Jim Newell about the house races, what the democrat incumbents did wrong and why things appear to be a lot more like 2016, and theorizing that a republican controlled senate is what Biden actually wants. Plus, Jim and Mike's thoughts on Mississippi's new state flag. In the spiel, how much does Fox News' framing matter? Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, the system is antiquated. In the interview, Mike talks with Anne Applebaum, author of Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism, about America's future after election day. They talk about the small but concerning ways the country could slide towards a dictatorship, and how Trump's tactics have made people less willing to believe in the power of democracy. In the spiel, a lot is on the ballot. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, caravans of Trump supporters. In the interview, Mike talks with NPR's media correspondent David Folkenflik on the organization's decision to sidestep coverage of the Hunter Biden allegations. He and Mike discuss ways major news outlets covered the story, why it never got much traction, and what goes into evaluating a story's worth. In the spiel, Trafalgar Group's polling predictions. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Trump in Michigan. In the interview, Mike talks with former governor of Florida Jeb Bush about his push for access to national broadband internet access. He argues that high-speed internet in the U.S. is lagging compared to other industrialized countries. Now more than ever, digital infrastructure has become a critical resource to the economy, as well as our nation's security. Read Gov. Bush's piece in Slate published in early October. In the spiel, painting Trump in a terrible light. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, the number of people who've already voted. In the interview, Erin Murphy, the Des Moines Bureau Chief for Lee Enterprises in Iowa, joins Mike to talk about what the election looks like in his state. They discuss how Trump is faring with farmers, what the different races look like there, and the effect anti-gun groups may be having on the state elections. In the spiel, Perdue and Ossoff face off in Georgia. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, the Jim Comey letter came out four years ago today. In the interview, Mike talks with Scott Braddock, editor and Texan political analyst at the Quorum Report. Braddock is also host of Texas Take, a podcast from the Houston Chronicle. They talk about what's at stake on the ballots for election day, and how compared with previous years Texans have been voting in record numbers. In the spiel, Trump's exceptions. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, don't worry about things you can't control. In the interview, Alaska Public Media's Nat Herz joins Mike to talk about the races above the lower 48. Herz details the dramatic Alaskan Senate race between Al Gross and Daniel Sullivan, how the Pebble Mine scandal and the salmon fishing industry are important points of discussion, and how the presidential campaigns have been able to pound the pavement in Alaska. Cue Sarah Palin appearing as a surrogate for the Trump campaign in a Cabela's parking lot. In the spiel, clinging to hope. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Trump and Armenians. In the interview, Georgia Public Broadcasting's Bill Nigut is here to talk with Mike about Georgia. He fills Mike in on the details of the fight between Kelly Loeffler, Doug Collins, and Raphael Warnock, and shares how impressed he's been with Jon Ossoff's debate performance against incumbent David Perdue. They also discuss how Biden is trying to reach voters in the state, and if there's any chance it could go blue. Nigut is the host of Political Rewind. In the spiel, Trump watched 60 Minutes. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, red-string theories and conspiratorial last-ditch efforts. In the interview, Mike and Slate's national correspondent Will Saletan recap the final presidential debate. They discuss the Trump camp's thwarted strategy of practicing restraint to expose Biden, the self-congratulatory and attacking exchanges between the two candidates, and why this debate might only make a difference for Trump in his attempts to score points with low-information and eleventh hour-voters. In the spiel, Trump's misconceptions about the race. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, our civic obligations in 2020. In the interview, Mike talks with journalist and veteran broadcast anchor Dan Rather about his decades-long career in covering elections, highlighting a few cautionary tales learned from the 2000 race between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Rather explains that for some major networks, making the right call in 2000 was marred by corporate interference in the control rooms, plus he stresses that unexpected delays could fuel conspiracy theories. Patience will be a virtue come "voting night," he explains. Rather is the author of What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism, the host of The Big Interview on AXS TV, and the host of a documentary called Human Nature, which is now streaming on Netflix. In the spiel, Michael Moore's political predictions in 2020. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Mike checks in with this Lawfare piece, and the U.S. Elections Project. In the interview, Mike talks with Brian Rosenwald, a media historian and fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, about how election night might play out. They discuss the idea of a red mirage, how Republican governors can bring order to things, and how far-right talk radio is going to digest the results. Rosenwald is the author of Talk Radio's America: How an Industry Took Over a Political Party That Took Over the United States. In the spiel, Trump's bad surrogates. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, network news election branding. In the interview, Mike talks with Julie Pace, Washington Bureau Chief for the Associated Press, about the AP's history in counting the vote since 1848, how they've traditionally declared winners, and an explanation on how they will be going above and beyond in 2020 in sharing the race calls that they are and aren't making. In the spiel, local political television ads. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, we're launching a week-long focus on election night and how different news organizations handle making the winning calls. In the interviews, Mike talks with NBC News' national political correspondent Steve Kornacki about his network's decision desk, their processes in tabulation, and how they will be closely monitoring the votes coming in days after Tuesday, November 3. Kornacki is the author of The Red and the Blue. Then, Mike speaks with CNN's Brian Stelter about CNN's plan for coverage, and the outsized role that Fox News represents and his predictions for their election day narrative. Stelter is the author of Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, the price of corn. In the interview, former senior strategist for the NRA Joshua L. Powell is back for the second half of his conversation with Mike. They run down a series of NRA opinions and he and Mike go back and forth about how much NRA members believe things like "the only solution to a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," and whether we should own AR-15s. Powell's book is Inside the NRA: A Tell-All Account of Corruption, Greed, and Paranoia within the Most Powerful Political Group in America. In the spiel, dueling town halls. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, David Ruffin. In the interview, former senior strategist for the NRA Joshua L. Powell is here to discuss his new book, Inside the NRA: A Tell-All Account of Corruption, Greed, and Paranoia within the Most Powerful Political Group in America. During the first half of this two-part conversation, he and Mike talk about the nefarious ways Wayne LaPierre used the NRA to push forward polarizing but niche interests, and the case New York State Attorney General Letitia James is bringing against them. In the spiel, Amy Coney Barrett's personal life is judicial. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, an Alaskan drama. In the interview, Mike talks with Robert Cahaly, head pollster of the Atlanta-based Trafalgar Group. Cahaly explains their polling methodology in gathering accurate opinion data, why social desirability bias comes into play, and how his team was able to predict Trump's win in 2016. Now he posits that in 2020 Trump has more support than the polls could be showing. In the spiel, Kabuki-style hearings continue for Amy Coney Barrett. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, uniting with your would-be kidnappers? In the interview, Mike talks to former Obama staffer Elliot Williams about his new podcast Made to Fail, a show where he explores the different ways governmental institutions across have been made intentionally dysfunctional, like the Florida unemployment system, and the impact it has on people in need of such infrastructure. All episodes of Made to Fail are available wherever you get your podcasts. In the spiel, processing Amy Coney Barrett. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, mishegoss in Michigan. In the interview, Mike talks with Stephen Dubner, host and co-author of Freakonomics, and Angela Duckworth, a psychologist and best-selling author of Grit. Dubner and Duckworth are the hosts of the new podcast No Stupid Questions, where in each episode they take turns posing a question, and give each other the chance to puzzle out their responses. The questions Mike poses for them include how to separate art from artist and how to navigate microaggressions. No Stupid Questions releases new episodes every Sunday at 5am ET from Stitcher. In the spiel, Trump on talk radio. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, the vice presidential debate and expanding SCOTUS. In the interview, Mike is joined by author, comedian, podcast host, and actor Michael Ian Black to talk about his latest book, A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son. Black was persuaded to write the book after publishing a New York Times op-ed on school shootings and gun control in 2018. Part advice and part memoir, A Better Man poses the question: why is it always boys and young men who are pulling the trigger? Black challenges readers to expand their definition of masculinity while refraining from denigrating qualities traditionally seen as feminine. In the spiel, how the Hasidic community in New York City is handling COVID-19. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, a vice presidential debate starring plexiglass. In the interview, Mike hosts a roundtable discussion with journalist Richard Kreitner and Vox's Matthew Yglesias to talk about how each of their new books address the problem of an ever-increasing American population. They debate if the U.S. should split into more manageable nations, or if the country should keep pushing population growth. Yglesias' book is One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Big, and Kreitner's latest is Break It Up: Secession, Division, and the Secret History of America's Imperfect Union. In the spiel, Delco, South Philly, and NY tri-state area Italian Americans for Joe Biden. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, a buffet of bad takes from Joe Piscopo. In the interview, CNN chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin is here to discuss a topic the Gist can't seem to get enough of recently, the Mueller investigation. Toobin's new book, True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump, explores the investigation and analyzes its failures, and he talks with Mike about Mueller's misplaced trust in institutions, and how sympathetic we should find him in light of that. In the spiel, how do you feel about Trump's diagnosis? Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Trump's doctor has reasons. In the interview, former FBI agent Peter Strzok is here to discuss his new book Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump. He and Mike discuss the investigation into Trump and Russia, the ways kompromat could push Trump to make decisions based on Russian interests, and how Trump vilified two federal agents over personal text messages that were leaked to the press by the Justice Department. In the spiel, even the president can catch COVID, but what does that even mean? Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Trump's mask strategy. In the interview, Mike is joined by David Priess, COO of the Lawfare Institute, an organization and online magazine which focuses on national security issues. Priess posits some worst case scenarios in light of President Trump contracting Covid-19, the unexpected vulnerabilities and uncertainties that lay ahead, historical norms of disclosure for a president, and the ultimate Continuity of Government Plan - the election. Priess is a former CIA officer, and author of The President's Book of Secrets and How to Get Rid of a President: History's Guide to Removing Unpopular, Unable, or Unfit Chief Executives. In the spiel, Trump has no one to blame but himself. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Margaret Kelley and Jamila Bey. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Trump's falsehoods. In the interview, Mikes talks with neuroscientist, Stanford University professor and best-selling author, David Eagleman, about his latest book Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain. Eagleman says that the way the brain is able to change and adapt to adversity is still inspiring new developments and new questions. In the spiel, making a political comeback. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Margaret Kelley and Jamila Bey. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, there were a great many missteps last night on the presidential debate stage, but despite the rhetorical slips, Biden stayed on his feet to glide past Trump. In the interview, Mike and Slate's national correspondent, Will Saletan, recap the first presidential debate. They dissect the prep and implemented strategies of both the Trump and Biden camps, the gratuitous exchanges between the two candidates, Chris Wallace's performance as moderator, and how to curb the electoral nightmare scenarios looming on the horizon. In the spiel, Donald Trump did not say, "Yes!" when asked if he repudiated white supremacy. But was it because he wouldn't do it, or was it because he has the inability to articulate? Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Margaret Kelley and Jamila Bey. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, using poker logic to analogize the upcoming presidential debates with Annie Duke. She is a former professional poker player, cognitive scientist and author of the forthcoming How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices. In the interview, Mike passes the baton to Annie Duke once more to dig into gerrymandering. Duke talks with Moon Duchin, a mathematician and professor at Tufts University, about her research into understanding how voting districts work. Through redistricting analysis at the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group, an organization Duchin co-founded, she describes how in this democracy, fairness isn't always as easy to find when you're considering where people live and vote. In the spiel, messing up several thousand absentee ballots was inevitable. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Margaret Kelley and Jamila Bey. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, the attack on the Knights of Columbus. In the interview, Mike talks with Philippe I. Reines, political consultant, longtime aid and former staffer of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. In light of the upcoming presidential debates between Trump and Biden, Reines details his debate preparation in 2016, shares some possible strategies that the Biden camp may be using to prepare, and what sort of tactics Biden could use to go for the jugular. In the spiel, cult of Trump. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Margaret Kelley and Jamila Bey. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, a Twitter bug. In the interview, actor Jeff Daniels and writer Billy Ray are here to discuss the new two-night mini-series The Comey Rule on Showtime. The mini-series focuses on the story James Comey in the fall of 2016, and even though both Daniels and Ray had certain perceptions of how poorly James Comey handled it all, working on this project really revealed the humanity and struggle of this public servant. Mike talks with them about the creative process, adapting such recent history, and their new views on the man. The Comey Rule premieres on Showtime on Sunday, September 27. In the spiel, Daniel Cameron's wife is white. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Kelly Loeffler and Atilla the Hun. In the interview, Jonathan V. Last, editor of The Bulwark, talks with Mike about his recent piece which forecasts that after the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, America is moving one step closer to another political crisis. Last walks through some of the nightmare scenarios, particularly on the probability that a conservative justice is appointed, confirmed, and subsequently rules on the November election. Last explains that although he remains optimistic with regards to the legitimacy of the SCOTUS, he is ultimately losing faith that some voters care not for a system of governance that is capable of functioning competently. In the spiel, remaining outraged as Trump repeats himself. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Trump sounds braggadocious. In the interview, it's the second half of Mike's conversation with CNN's Brian Stelter. They discuss why Fox News is losing advertisers, and why executives at the organization continue to stand by their talent, and Mike questions whether news anchors have given up their objectivity with lengthy monologues about the state of democracy under Trump. Stelter's latest book, Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth, is out now. In the spiel, looking for justice in Louisville, Kentucky. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, nothing is reasonable anymore. In the interview, CNN's Brian Stelter is here to discuss his new book Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth. In the first half of his two-part interview, Stelter talks about the ways Fox changed after Roger Ailes' exit in 2016, increasingly abandoning its news coverage in favor of polarizing commentary, and how the cycle of disinformation between Trump and Fox keeps us all trapped. In the spiel, Sen. Lindsey Graham might face consequences. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, the pursuit of power through SCOTUS. In the interview, Mike talks with radio presenter and author, Eric Weiner about his latest book The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers. In it, Weiner opines on the philosophical giants from a place that offers one of the more pleasant environments to philosophize - the railroad. In this travelogue, Weiner discusses their life-enhancing poetry, and explains how their lives were in fact just like ours, except they had more time to think and write than binge on Netflix. In the spiel, the politicking around Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Emily Bazelon joins Mike for a special episode on the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. After discussing Ginsburg's history as a justice and legacy on the court, they begin to unpack the future political ramifications of her death. Emily and Mike talk through the ways a nomination could quickly slip through the Senate before January, the impact a conservative court could have on issues besides abortion rights, and if Ginsburg should have stepped down under President Obama. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Trump can't pronounce Mosni, Wisconsin. In the interview, Mike talks with writers Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas about their foray into collaborative editing. Their new collection of short sports stories called Losers: Dispatches from the Other Side of the Scoreboard is a curated volume that explores what it means to feel defeated. Pilon, a New York Times bestselling author, and Thomas, a New Yorker staff writer examine why winning isn't always what it's cracked up to be, and why losing never fails to reveal life lessons to players and those on the sidelines. In the spiel, condemning condemnation. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Trump deals in the Middle East. In the interview, we've got the second half of Mike's conversation with Daniel Yergin, an energy expert who has advised the past four presidential administrations and author of The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations. He and Mike talk about the looming cold war with China, how our change in the global energy market affects that relationship, and what transitions to alternative energy sources could look like. In the spiel, medical atrocities at a detention center. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, delayed accuracy. In the interview, the first half of Mike's interview with Dan Yergin, an author and energy expert who has advised the past four presidential administrations, who's here to discuss his new book, The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations. He and Mike talk about how innovations in fracking have completely changed the landscape of global energy power, and why environmental concerns shouldn't prevent all fracking. In the spiel, Lauren Witzke. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Trump thinks the weather will balance everything out. In the interview, Mikes talks with Michael Sandel, a political philosopher, global lecturer, and Harvard University professor, about his latest book, The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?. In it, Sandel argues that meritocracy offers a false promise and that it's actually eroding American culture. Sandel is a prolific author of numerous philosophical works, notably his New York Times best seller Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? In the spiel, Wisconsin's Green Party doesn't make the ballot. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the Gist, Trump isn't helping you. In the interview, Leon Neyfakh is here to talk about the newest season of Fiasco, which focuses on Boston's effort to desegregate its schools. He and Mike discuss the difficulties of finding a nuanced way to tell a story that complicates it beyond racism, and the reasons Biden's stance on bussing has changed over the years. Fiasco is available on Luminary. In the spiel, Peter Navarro vs. Jake Tapper. Email us at [email protected] Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.