The Gist

Who was Jim Henson, and why did he see something special in a couple googly eyes glued on felt? Best-selling history writer Brad Meltzer says he was inspired to tell Henson's story not because of The Muppets or Sesame Street, but because of Henson's tenacity. Meltzer's book, I Am Jim Henson, is the latest edition of his biography series for kids, Ordinary People Change the World. For the Spiel, Oscars so contrite. Today's sponsors: Betterment, an automated investing service that makes investing easy. Get one month managed free when you go to Betterment.com/gist. MVMT Watches. It's time to step up your watch game. Get 15 percent off today with free shipping and free returns by going to MVMTWatches.com/gist. 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.

George Saunders' first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, is a bit of a head trip. Half of it takes place in the liminal phase between life and death. It's about Abraham Lincoln's son, Willie, who died at the age of 11, but we almost never hear from him. And it takes about four to five chapters to understand what's going on. "My goal is the early difficulty pays off later," says Saunders. "Once the book teaches you how to read it, it takes you to places you couldn't have gone otherwise." Saunders talks to Mike about Lincoln, research, and his recent nonfiction work for the New Yorker. In the Spiel, why CPAC has come around on Trump. (Hint: It's because he's the president.) Today's sponsors: Tripping.com. Tripping.com gives you access to millions of vacation properties all in one place. Visit Tripping.com/gist to find your perfect vacation rental today. And Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother-tasting cup. Try it today with code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

Jon Ralston has decades of experience covering politics in Nevada, as a columnist for both major Las Vegas newspapers and a host on local TV. But as the major news outlets have cut their politics coverage, Ralston has launched an experiment to save local political news: a nonprofit site called The Nevada Independent. Ralston is also a contributing editor to Politico. In the Spiel: Republican lawmakers face their constituents. It's not going well for the lawmakers. Today's sponsors: Goldman Sachs. To learn about developments currently shaping markets, industries, and the global economy, subscribe to the firm's podcast, Exchanges at Goldman Sachs, available on iTunes. And Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother-tasting cup. Try it today with code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

John Nixon was the lead CIA analyst tasked with studying Saddam Hussein during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. It fell to Nixon to identify Hussein when he was captured, interrogate him while in U.S. custody, and present what he learned to the Bush White House. Nixon's book is Debriefing the President: The Interrogation of Saddam Hussein. In the Spiel: Don't blame the provocateur, blame his followers. Today's sponsors: The Great Courses Plus, a video learning service that offers lectures on all kinds of topics. Get a free trial when you sign up by going to TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/gist. Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother-tasting cup. Try it today with code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

There's a term in poker called tilt—when players become overwhelmed by bad news and it starts clouding their decision-making. Poker star Annie Duke talks to guest host Maria Konnikova about the psychological tricks that pro card players use to get through rough patches and how it applies to our political climate today. Duke has written several books about poker and sits on the board of How I Decide, a nonprofit that helps disadvantaged young people make better decisions. For the Spiel, Maria breaks down what Donald Trump is doing to our brains. Today's sponsor: Indochino, the company that's reinventing men's fashion. Go to Indochino.com to get any premium Indochino suit for just $389, plus free shipping, when you use promo code gist at checkout. And Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother-tasting cup. Try it today with$4 off when you buy two boxes of most Green Mountain Coffee K-Cup pods atKeurig.comwith code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

For years, Andy Zaltzman and John Oliver took on the powers that be in their influential podcast The Bugle. But the show went on hiatus in 2014 when Oliver became the host of HBO's Last Week Tonight. Now, Zaltzman is rebooting the show at a most opportune moment for satire. "It's like throwing the javelin of truth into the swamp of corruption," says Zaltzman. "But javelins in swamps don't always work out." For the Spiel, a Lobstar of the Antentwig. Today's sponsors: Wunder Capital. Earn up to 8.5 percent annually while diversifying your portfolio, curbing pollution, and combating global climate change. Create an account for free at WunderCapital.com/gist. Wunder Capital: Do well and do good. Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother tasting cup. Try it today with code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

Jedediah Purdy understands President Trump's supporters better than most champions of the left, having grown up in rural West Virginia (he has the greased-pig award to prove it). But he's still befuddled by the prospect of peeling away voters from the president's camp. Purdy's recent piece in theNew Republic is titled "America's New Opposition." For the Spiel, an annotated history of one of the Trump administration's favorite lies. Today's sponsors: Dunkin' Donuts. Upgrade your day with DD Perks. Earn a free Dunkin' Donuts beverage when you enroll by using promo code DDPODCAST, and speed past the line in store with on-the-go ordering. Download the Dunkin' app and enroll today. Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother tasting cup. Try it today with code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at Slate.com/gistplus. 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.

Chris Licht is the executive producer for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, which has surpassed its late-night competition since the inauguration of President Donald Trump. On The Gist, Licht explains why he's not worried about going viral or catering to a younger audience: "I think you can be likable and pointed." For the Spiel, who was it, again, who warned us that Trump was in cahoots with the Russians? Today's sponsors: Hit Showtime original series Billions, starring Emmy winners Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti. Billions returns Feb. 19 with new episodes every Sunday at 10 ET/9 CT. Download the Showtime app now to start your free trial. Rocket Mortgage from Quicken Loans. When it comes to the big decision of choosing a mortgage lender, work with one that has your best interests in mind. Use Rocket Mortgage for a transparent, trustworthy home loan process that's completely online at QuickenLoans.com/Gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

John Darnielle has always had a facility with words. As singer and songwriter behind the Mountain Goats, Darnielle has made pop poetry about lonely outsiders and cultural marginalia. Now, in his second novel, Universal Harvester, he explores the lives of desperate people in a small Iowa town. He also talks about a song title so good that no singer could ever do it justice. In the Spiel, how competent people are quietly undoing Trump. Today's sponsors: ZipRecruiter.Post your job listing to all the top job sites with a single click. Try it for free by going to ZipRecruiter.com/gist. Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother tasting cup. Try it today with$4 off when you buy two boxes of most Green Mountain Coffee K-Cup pods atKeurig.comwith code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

David Frum has emerged as a leader of the Republican resistance in the months since President Donald Trump's election. On The Gist, he shares his dismay that the disparate forces opposing the Trump administration can't seem to get over old squabbles. He also explains the narrow political portfolio he's settled on and why Never Trumpers should focus their activism. Frum is a senior editor at the Atlantic. For the Spiel, the agony and the ecstasy of watching Stephen Miller. Today's sponsors: Betterment, the largest automated investing service. Get one month managed free when you go to Betterment.com/gist. The Great Courses Plus, a video learning service that offers lectures on all kinds of topics. Get a free trial when you sign up by going to TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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, guest host Julia Ioffe of the Atlantic talks about the similarities and surprising differences between President Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin with Miriam Elder, world editor at BuzzFeed. Elder shares her idea of how the two leaders fit into a global story unfolding right now. Plus, Ioffe and Elder explain "whataboutism" and other vocabulary lessons from their time reporting in Moscow. In the Spiel: The Trump presidency is quickly putting the lie to an old Russian saw. Today's sponsors: Dunkin' Donuts. Upgrade your day with DD Perks. Earn a free Dunkin' Donuts beverage when you enroll by using promo code DDPODCAST, and speed past the line in store with on-the-go ordering. Download the Dunkin' app and enroll today. Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother tasting cup. Try it today with code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

Elvis Costello is one of the most accomplished songwriters of his generation. In his memoir, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, he details his songwriting process, his encounters with everyone from Paul McCartney to Joe Strummer, and his place in a rapidly changing music industry. Costello is up for a Grammy this week for the audiobook version of Unfaithful. For the Spiel, a fairly pointless history lesson from Ted Cruz. Today's sponsors: Dunkin' Donuts. Upgrade your day with DD Perks. Earn a free Dunkin' Donuts beverage when you enroll by using promo code DDPODCAST, and speed past the line in store with on-the-go ordering. Download the Dunkin' app and enroll today. And Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother-tasting cup. And now, as a special listener promotion, get $4 off when you buy two boxes of most Green Mountain Coffee K-Cup pods at keurig.com with the code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

With elections coming up in France and Germany, Facebook is working with media organizations across Europe to avoid the fake news pox that struck the United States last year. Slate's senior technology writer Will Ormeus joins us to discuss the strides being made against political hoaxes online. Also, we answer the question: Does office coffee make us more productive? What does it accomplish as a work perk? Does it taste any better because it's free? The Sporkful's Dan Pashman investigates as his employer, WNYC, looks for a new workplace brew. For the Spiel, on the silencing of Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Today's sponsors: Policy Genius. Shop and compare all the top-rated life insurance companies in one place. Go to PolicyGenius.com today to save over 70 percent off other prices for life insurance. And Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother-tasting cup. And now, as a special listener promotion, get $4 off when you buy two boxes of most Green Mountain Coffee K-Cup pods at keurig.com with the code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

Before she was the governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius ran the state's high-risk health care pool, where citizens with serious health problems could get coverage despite their pre-existing conditions. High-risk pools are a favorite idea of the GOP, including many in Congress trying to cook up a replacement for Obamacare. Sebelius says the high-risk plan doesn't work: "Every day we heard stories of people who couldn't afford coverage." Sebelius helped create the Affordable Care Act while she was in President Obama's Cabinet from 2009 to 2014. For the Spiel, legislative antics at home and abroad! Today's sponsors: The Great Courses Plus, a video learning service that offers lectures on all kinds of topics. Get a free trial when you sign up by going toTheGreatCoursesPlus.com/gist. And Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother-tasting cup. And now, as a special listener promotion, get $4 off when you buy two boxes of most Green Mountain Coffee K-Cup pods at keurig.com with the code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

After intense protest toward companies such as Uber, CEOs across America are finding it more and more difficult to stay neutral when it comes to the Trump administration. Adi Ignatius is the editor of the Harvard Business Review, whose most recent issue looks at how business leaders are approaching the Trump White House. He says more CEOs are likely to follow the lead of Disney chief Bob Iger, who double-booked himself last week instead of attending a meeting with the new White House strategic council. For the Spiel, why niceties matter in Washington. Today's sponsors: Tripping.com gives you access to millions of vacation properties all in one place. Visit Tripping.com/gist to find your perfect vacation rental today. And Stamps.com. Buy and print official U.S. postage using your own computer and printer. Sign up for Stamps.com and get a four-week trial when you use promo code[MW1] Gist.Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

Franz Nicolay made his bones playing with big bands, in size and in popularity (The Dresden Dolls, Against Me, the Hold Steady). But Nicolay longed to strike out on his own and master the "practical craft of the old vaudevillian." So he packed his banjo (and accordion and guitar) for a string of tours across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Nicolay's consequent book is The Humorless Ladies of Border Control: Touring the Punk Underground From Belgrade to Ulaanbaatar. For the Spiel, the many types of liars employed by Donald Trump. Today's sponsor: The Showtime original series Billions, starring Emmy winners Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti. Billions returns Feb. 19 with new episodes every Sunday at 10 ET/9 CT. Download the Showtime app now to start your free trial. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

This week, Democrats are agonizing over how or whether to oppose Donald Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. Emily Bazelon notes that Gorsuch has been very clear in his opposition to doctor-assisted suicide, but his position on abortion rights is less knowable. Bazelon is a staff writer for the New York Times Magazine, and a co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest. For the Spiel, Trump finds God and uses the opportunity to ask for better Apprentice ratings. Today's sponsors: MVMT Watches. MVMT watches make a great Valentine's Day gift! Get 15 percent off today—with FREE SHIPPING and FREE RETURNS—by going to MVMTWatches.com/gist. Rocket Mortgage from Quicken Loans. When it comes to the big decision of choosing a mortgage lender, work with one that has your best interests in mind. Use Rocket Mortgage for a transparent, trustworthy home loan process that's completely online at QuickenLoans.com/gist. 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.

Steve Fishman is one of the few journalists to received access to notorious scam artist Bernie Madoff. His interviews form the backbone of the new Audible series Ponzi Supernova, which goes deep inside the biggest pyramid scheme in American history. Fishman talks about his new series and how Madoff outran federal investigators for decades. For the Spiel, the folly of adding Iran to Trump's travel ban. Today's sponsors: Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by going to Casper.com/gist and using the promo code gist. MVMT Watches. MVMT watches make a great Valentine's Day gift! Get 15 percent off today—with FREE SHIPPING and FREE RETURNS—by going to MVMTWatches.com/gist. 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.

Beth Newell and Sarah Pappalardo are founding editors of the satirical online women's magazine Reductress, publisher of such headlines as "8 Sex Positions That Will Blow His Mind and Destroy His Penis." On The Gist, Newell and Pappalardo discuss their site's blend of feminism and millennialism. Their new book is called How to Win at Feminism: The Definitive Guide to Having It All—and Then Some! For the Spiel, Americans want their dysfunctional-government-that-isn't-working to at least show up and pretend to work. Today's sponsor: Indochino, the company that's reinventing men's fashion. Go to Indochino.com to get any premium Indochino suit for just $389, plus free shipping, when you use promo code GIST at checkout. 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.

The Trump administration's executive order restricting travel to the U.S. set off at least four legal challenges, an international contagion of protests, and the harshest Republican rebukes yet to a Trump White House action. But it's not yet clear how many people have been affected by the ban or exactly what it requires. Ben Johnson, head of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, calls the policy "as ill-conceived as it is wrong." For the Spiel, we could block out the sun with all the supposed trial balloons for autocracy floated in the past week. Today's sponsor: Betterment, the largest automated investing service. Get one month managed free when you go to Betterment.com/gist. 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.

In one tweet, George W. Bush appointee Eliot Cohen became the face for anti-Trump conservatives: "After exchange with Trump transition team, changed my recommendation: stay away. They're angry, arrogant, screaming 'you LOST!' Will be ugly." With the news this week that senior State Department officials have resigned en masse, Cohen says there are reasons to be very worried about America's role on the world stage. Cohen is the author of The Big Stick: The Limits of Soft Power and the Necessity of Military Force. For the Spiel, more and more reasons to distrust Vladimir Putin. Today's sponsor: Dunkin' Donuts. Upgrade your day with DD Perks. Earn a free Dunkin' Donuts beverage when you enroll by using promo code DDPODCAST, and speed past the line in-store with on-the-go ordering. Download the Dunkin' app and enroll today. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

Americans are skeptical of regulation, no matter how much they hate hair in their hot dogs. Why are Republicans winning this argument? Jacob Hacker is director of the Institution for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University and author of the new book American Amnesia. For the Spiel, an ethics scandal hits South Dakota. Yes, South Dakota! Today's sponsor: Dunkin' Donuts. Upgrade your day with DD Perks. Earn a free Dunkin' Donuts beverage when you enroll by using promo code DDPODCAST, and speed past the line in-store with on-the-go ordering. Download the Dunkin' app and enroll today. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

The Dow hitting 20,000 might sounds like great news to you, but to anthropologist Arthur Demarest, it's an ominous echo of what he's seen befall the Maya, the Aztecs, and the Inca: a spectacular apogee followed by collapse. Demarest studies the decline of civilizations. He says his research has shown that societies that avoid total disintegration undergo some other kind of major political or economic crisis. For the Spiel, good news. We've fixed the Oscars. Today's sponsor: Policy Genius. Shop and compare all the top-rated life insurance companies in one place. Go to PolicyGenius.com today to save over 70 percent off other prices for life insurance. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

The Southern Poverty Law Center rushed to track the surge in reported hate incidents after the election—a surge that appears to have died down. Heidi Beirich explains the SPLC's plans to weed any hoaxes out of its data and why it's a bad idea to minimize incidents of hate just because they don't rise to the level of a crime. For the Spiel, getting acquainted with Canada's Trump(s). Today's sponsor: Points of Courage, a podcast from Hiscox Insurance about the adventure of starting up a business. Check out Points of Courage wherever you get your podcasts, and learn more about how Hiscox Insurance can help protect your business by going to Hiscox.com. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

New Yorker staff writer Maria Konnikova returns to play "Is That Bullshit?" This week, the persistent nutritional myth about vitamin C. The actual vitamin, not the singer. Maria's most recent book is The Confidence Game. Plus, one of Barack Obama's dreams has finally been realized: a plain white t-shirt store is open in Hawaii. Sponsors: ZipRecruiter. Post your job listing to all the top job sites with a single click. Try it for free by going to ZipRecruiter.com/gist. And Blue Apron. Blue Apron's meal kits are delivered right to your door and make cooking at home easy. Get your first three meals free by going to BlueApron.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at Slate.com/gistplus. 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.

President Donald J. Trump was voted into office by an impatient electorate that had no ability to measure his rhetoric against a political record. Slate political writer Will Saletan predicts that national impatience will not be kind to Mr. Trump. Saletan is the author of Bearing Right: How Conservatives Won the Abortion War. U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., joined dozens of his colleagues boycotting the inauguration. He explains what Democrats can do to draw attention to Mr. Trump's conflicts of interest. Michael Waldman penned two inaugural addresses for former President Bill Clinton. Waldman says Mr. Trump's speech was remarkable for what it didn't include: any mention of the Constitution, liberty, or democracy. "Which is something that presidents do," Waldman said. "It's almost like a religious incantation in these speeches." For the Spiel, some non-Trump news. How Gambia got its groove and the fight against fake news in Sweden. 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.

Nick Thune took the long way to stand-up comedy, performing Enrique Iglesias cover songs and making a stop in rehab before graduating from high school. On The Gist, he explains why he's not scared of silence on stage and what made him ditch his guitar. His new special, Nick Thune: Good Guy, is streaming now on Seeso. In the Spiel, asking much of Steven Mnuchin and parrying with Rick Perry. 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.

You didn't have to agree with William F. Buckley to marvel at his intellect, his swiftness, and his wit. Starting in 1966, Buckley got to show off his skills every week on Firing Line, his pioneering television show devoted to debate. Heather Hendershot watched nearly 1,500 episodes of the show, and though she still doesn't agree with Buckley, she admires how he created a place for high-minded argument. Hendershot is the author of Open to Debate: How William F. Buckley Put Liberal America on the Firing Line. For the Spiel, is the circus shutting down or will confirmation hearings be going for a bit longer? 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 every major piece of legislation in the Obama era, congressional Republicans have thrown up roadblocks and been reluctant to compromise. Can Democrats do the same in the age of Trump? Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute and The Atlantic looks at the options facing the Congressional opposition and the future of everyone's favorite obstructionist tool, the filibuster. In the Spiel, why we don't judge presidents based on their inauguration's Nielsen ratings. 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.

So, who is Donald Trump's most troubling Cabinet pick? Is it Jeff Sessions, who received an 11 percent score on civil rights issues from the NAACP? Or Rex Tillerson, who was unprepared for questions about Vladimir Putin's regime? Or Ben Carson, who didn't seem to know anything about the mandate of Housing and Urban Development? Slate's chief political correspondent weighs in on the first week of hearings for Trump's Cabinet picks. In the Spiel, it's Lobstar time again. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at Slate.com/gistplus. 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.

This week, race was front and center at the confirmation hearing for Trump's attorney general nominee, Jeff Sessions. Cory Booker and the head of the NAACP testified that Sessions' history of alleged racist comments and his voting record suggested he could not fairly uphold the rights of all Americans. The Alabama senator fired back that he was not a racist and had fought to honor historical figures like Rosa Parks. The whole affair raised questions about how to discuss race, "whiteness," and issues of identity politics in the Trump era. Marc Lamont Hill is a professor at Morehouse College, a frequent commentator on CNN, and a host for BET News. His new book is Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, From Ferguson to Flint and Beyond. In the Spiel, Kellyanne Conway's war on the media. Today's sponsor: LifeAfter. What happens to our digital lives when we're gone? LifeAfter, a new series from GE Podcast Theater and Panoply, the creators of last year's award-winning The Message, explores these very questions. Listen and download LifeAfter wherever you find your podcasts. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at Slate.com/gistplus. 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.

Between the shady unverified intelligence dossier, Trump's strange press conference, and the Rex Tillerson hearings, this has been a head-spinning 24 hours. We called up Slate's War Stories correspondent Fred Kaplan to make sense of it all. Kaplan is most recently the author of Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War. In the Spiel, an analysis of President Obama's farewell and the meaning of activism. Today's sponsor: Policy Genius. Shop and compare all the top-rated life insurance companies in one place. Go to PolicyGenius.comtoday to save over 70 percent off other prices for life insurance. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

If you've been reading the Onion the past eight years, you know that Vice President Joe Biden is a hair metal–loving party machine. He's set up a fog machine at the State of the Union address. He's regaled crowds with stories from his historic summer of '87. And he's been busted many, many times for his shady side hustles. Chad Nackers, head writer at the Onion, talks about how his site created a whole new character to satirize Obama's tee-totaling vice-president, and the delicate balancing act of finding jokes that don't normalize the next president. For the Spiel, don't worry, the Amazon Echo won't turn on you, Space Odyssey–style. It'll just order stuff you don't want. Today's sponsors: Indochino, the company that's reinventing men's fashion. Go to Indochino.com to get any premium suit for just $389, plus free shipping, when you use promo code gist at checkout. Rocket Mortgage from Quicken Loans. When it comes to the big decision of choosing a mortgage lender, work with one that has your best interests in mind. Use Rocket Mortgage for a transparent, trustworthy home loan process that's completely online at QuickenLoans.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

Are millennials really less money-focused than their forebears were? Do the kings of finance obsess over money because society doesn't give them another way to measure their success? How can we make ditch-digging meaningful work? On The Gist, behavioral economist and Wall Street Journal columnistDan Ariely weighs in; think of him as the Dear Abby for the smartphone set. Ariely is the author of Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations. For the Spiel, surely the glitz and glamour of the Golden Globes will stop Trump! Right? Today's sponsors: ZipRecruiter. Post your job listing to all the top job sites with a single click. Try it for free by going to ZipRecruiter.com/gist. And by Lifeafter. What happens to our digital lives when we're gone? LifeAfter, a new series from GE Podcast Theater and Panoply, the creators of last year's award-winning The Message, explores these very questions. Listen and download LifeAfter wherever you find your podcasts. 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.

The National Institutes of Health used to have blanket advice for parents: Don't give peanuts or peanut products to children under the age of 4. The result? Between 2003 and 2014, it seems likely more Americas were killed by bad advice about peanuts than by acts of terrorism. Why did it take so long to change these guidelines? Marion Nestle says we know very little about the science of food allergies. She's the author of Food Politics. In the Spiel, explaining hacking in a way even Donald Trump would understand. Sponsors: What happens to our digital lives when we're gone? LifeAfter, a new series from General Electric Podcast Theater and Panoply, the creators of last year's award-winning The Message, explores these very questions. Listen and download LifeAfter wherever you find your podcasts. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

New Yorker writer Maria Konnikova returns for another round of everyone's favorite game, "Is That Bulls--t?" Konnikova takes on a long-held theory about hair growth: The more often you shave, the faster it grows back. Konnikova's most recent book is The Confidence Game. In the Spiel, the Megyn Kelly backlash begins. Sponsors: ZipRecruiter. Post your job listing to all the top job sites with a single click. Try it for free by going to ZipRecruiter.com/gist. Harry's. Get the smooth shave you deserve. Right now Harry's is giving away their shave set for free when you sign up. All you have to cover is the shipping. Go to Harrys.com, enter code gist at checkout and you'll also get one of their post-shave balms for free. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

Mara Wilson became iconic in the 1990s, but she hasn't appeared in a film since the year 2000. In her memoir Where Am I Now? Wilson explores the joys and difficulties of her life after child stardom. Mara's book was recently named one of the best of 2016 by NPR. Sponsors: Betterment, the largest automated investing service. Get up to six months of investing FREE when you go to Betterment.com/gist. What happens to our digital lives when we're gone? LifeAfter, a new series from GE Podcast Theater and Panoply, the creators of last year's award-winning The Message, explores these very questions. Listen and download LifeAfter wherever you find your podcasts. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook. 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.

Ralph Nader's second work of fiction, Animal Envy, imagines a world where animals can talk to people and start demanding rights. Nader says the fable is meant to prompt deeper thinking about our relationship with nature. "We need to talk about what-if, because if we don't, we can't kick in our idealism and imagine real possibilities," says the 82-year-old author and advocate. Nader also weighs in with his thoughts on the Trump presidency, and how to win a political argument. In the Spiel, Donald Trump's rockin' New Year's Eve. Sponsors: Stamps.com. Buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk. Go to Stamps.com and use promo code gist for a 4-week trial plus a $110 bonus offer – including postage and a digital scale. And Blue Apron. Blue Apron's meal kits are delivered right to your door, and make cooking at home easy. Get your first THREE meals FREE by going to BlueApron.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

Bob Boilen, creator and host of NPR's All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts, built his book around something he learned in his nearly 30 years of covering music: Artists are tired of talking about their own work, but ask them about what inspires them, and they'll light up. Boilen's book of interviews is the epically titled Your Song Changed My Life: From Jimmy Page to St. Vincent, Smokey Robinson to Hozier, Thirty-Five Beloved Artists on Their Journey and the Music That Inspired It. For the Spiel, a defense of 2016. 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.

When comedian Laurie Kilmartin found out her father had advanced lung cancer, she processed it the best way she could: by tweeting jokes about her father's decline. The real-time mourning gave rise to Kilmartin's stand-up special, "45 Jokes About My Dead Dad," available on Seeso. Kilmartin is a writer for Conan on TBS and author of Sh*tty Mom: The Parenting Guide for the Rest of Us. In the Spiel, noting the death of Debbie Reynolds and the prospects of a two-state solution. 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.

When the Russian ambassador to Turkey was killed in front of cameras by an assassin, Alexandra Zapruder had one thought: "There's another Zapruder film." Her new book, Twenty-Six Seconds, looks at how her grandfather's film of the John F. Kennedy assassination changed media and American life, and how her family dealt with the grave responsibility of being part of American history. In the Spiel, there's a war on Mike's birthday. 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.

Movies are out, TV is in, and radio theater is on the rise. Playwright Mac Rogers explains the challenges of creating theater of the mind. Rogers is the writer behind hit podcast dramas LifeAfter and The Message. For the Spiel, The 12 Days of Trumpmas, revisited. 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, Chris Molanphy takes us back to 1976, the year we learned the true meaning of "booty" and the inherent value of shake-shake-shaking it. Molanphy writes the "Why Is This Song No. 1?" column for Slate. For the Spiel, are Christmas songs good or just familiar? 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.

Actor Bill Camp specializes in subtlety—whether as an earnest Puritan pastor in the 2016 Broadway revival of The Crucible or a veteran homicide detective in HBO's The Night Of. On The Gist, Camp talks about preparing for roles, getting hot after age 50, and how he might fit into a Sex and the City reunion. Camp is narrating the documentary TV series EPIX Presents Road To the NHL Outdoor Classics, which follows the Detroit Red Wings, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the St. Louis Blues. The entire series is available on NHL.com, EPIX.com, Sling TV, and the teams' websites. For the Spiel, let's check the calendar. 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.

Have blue-collar workers fallen for a Republican bait-and-switch? On The Gist, journalist Steven Greenhouse sets aside globalization and turns to the domestic forces suppressing wages and hammering workers: Republican-backed anti-union laws, a feeble response from Democrats, and cultural amnesia around the labor movement's achievements. Greenhouse is working on a follow-up to his 2008 book, The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker. For the Spiel, the photos of the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey. 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.

There is virtue in delight! We chanced upon new building materials, better computer software, and a global economy by frittering away our time. On The Gist, author Steven Johnson says our flights of fancy may have driven most of human progress. Johnson's new book is Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World. For the Spiel, the passings of 2016. 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.

The current world order is fragile, and President-elect Donald Trump has shown himself to be sensitive, antagonistic, and gleeful about turning existing dynamics upside-down. How could this affect the United States' role in defusing international conflicts? Dan De Luce, chief national security correspondent for Foreign Policy magazine, runs through a few scenarios. "The executive branch has expanded dramatically," said De Luce. "We are a long way from where we were when this country was founded and the president has enormous power in foreign policy." For the Spiel, the big headlines of 2017. 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.

Last summer, the Supreme Court stopped North Carolina from using a strict voter ID law that would likely disadvantage Democrats and "target African Americans with almost surgical precision." Now, the court is facing two more restrictive voter laws that could seriously change American elections. Rick Hasen covers the wild world of election law on his blog. He joins Mike to discuss the new cases, and other ways that Republican-governed states have tried to suppress turnout. For the Spiel, a Pesca family musical postcard for the holidays. Today's sponsors: Rocket Mortgage from Quicken Loans. Rocket Mortgage brings the mortgage process into the 21st century with an easy online process. Check out Rocket Mortgage today at QuickenLoans.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

Jon Stewart had a rough time hosting The Daily Show. By 2015, he hadn't had a good night's sleep in years. Exposure to Fox News had taken a toll. Writer Chris Smith chronicles Stewart's reign in a new oral history, which looks at the comedian's broader impact on political culture. For the Spiel, Mike has cat scratch fever! Literally. Today's sponsors: Betterment, the largest automated investing service. Get up to six months of investing free when you go to Betterment.com/gist. And Bon Appetit. For a limited time, you can give a one-year subscription to Bon Appetit for 15 percent off. Plus, they'll even throw in a cool tote bag! Get this deal today by going to bonappetit.com/giveBA and use promo code 15OFF. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.

As Michael McFaul knows well, sometimes the interests of the United States and the interests of Exxon Mobil don't line up. "You have to find oil where it is … and that tends to be controlled by autocrats around the world, and you have to do deals with them," says McFaul, who was America's ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014. Here, McFaul weighs in on the Rex Tillerson nomination for secretary of state, Russia's likely hacking of the U.S. election, and Putin's designs in the Baltics. For the Spiel, what we know about Trump's plan for Taiwan. Today's sponsors: Soothe. For a massage delivered right to your door, go to Soothe.com. Use code GIST at checkout and you'll get $30 towards your first massage. And LifeAfter.What happens to our digital lives when we're gone? LifeAfter, a new series from GE Podcast Theater and Panoply, the creators of last year's award-winning The Message, explores these very questions. Listen and download LifeAfter wherever you find your podcasts. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. 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.