The Gist

Today on The Gist, we celebrate our first year as a show! Will you tell a friend about us? Plus, Jon Macks joins us to explain which celebrities have provided the most fodder during the 22 years of jokes he's written for late night television. He's the author of Monologue: What Makes America Laugh Before Bed. For the Spiel, did ISIS attack a town in Texas? Today's sponsors: Citrix GoToMeeting. When meetings matter, millions choose GoToMeeting. Get a free 30-day trial by visiting GoToMeeting.com and clicking the "try it free" button. And: Shari's Berries. Fresh berries dipped in chocolate, starting at just $19.99 are a great last-minute gift and double your berries for just 5 bucks. Visit berries.com, click on the microphone, and use the code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, James Ledbetter from Inc. and Panoply's new Inc. Uncensored podcast sizes up presidential candidate Carly Fiorina. What was her impact on Hewlett-Packard, and does business experience translate to success in politics? For the Spiel, there's a lot of money in politics, but is it yogurt money or potato-chip money? Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Right now, get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer by going to Stamps.com and using the promo code THEGIST. And: Shari's Berries. Fresh berries dipped in chocolate, starting at just $19.99 are a great last-minute gift and double your berries for just 10 bucks. Visit berries.com, click on the microphone, and use the code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, Artie Lange shares how he's developed his comedy around personal stories and failures. He's in the new film Laugh Killer Laugh, directed by Kamal Ahmed. For the Spiel, it's time to name our Lobstar of the Antentwig. Today's sponsor: Shari's Berries. Treat your mom to something sweet this Mother's Day with a gift from Shari's Berries. Fresh berries dipped in chocolate start at $19.99. Visit berries.com, click on the microphone, and use the code GIST. And by the Netflix original documentary series Chef's Table. Go inside the lives and kitchens of six of the world's most renowned, international culinary talents. All episodes now streaming on Netflix. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, former Rep. Barney Frank explains how he was able to be so frank and still survive in Congress. His new autobiography is Frank: A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage. For the Spiel, Mike points out the only time we ever note raids taking place. Today's sponsor: Shari's Berries. Treat your mom to something sweet this Mother's Day with a gift from Shari's Berries. Fresh berries dipped in chocolate start at $19.99. Visit berries.com, click on the microphone, and use the code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, Mark Leibovich from the New York Times discusses why Americans seem to dislike bald presidential candidates, yet love bald eagles. He's the author of Citizens of the Green Room, and a new host of the Panoply program Podcast for America. (He is also bald.) Plus, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker explains the fine line between good stress and bad stress. For the Spiel, remembering Jack Ely and his mumbly "Louie Louie." 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.

Today on The Gist, author Zoe Cormier explores the science behind the trinity of human pleasures. She's the author of Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll: The Science of Hedonism and the Hedonism of Science. For the Spiel, Mike discusses how we discuss the Baltimore riots. Today's sponsor: Shari's Berries. Treat your mom to something sweet this Mother's Day with a gift from Shari's Berries. Fresh berries dipped in chocolate start at $19.99. Visit berries.com, click on the microphone, and use the code GIST. And by CVS Health, where health is everything. CVS is working to save thousands of lives, one pill at a time. Visit cvshealth.com to learn more. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, John Curtice from the What Scotland Thinks blog explains why Scottish nationalist politics are generally trending left, while much of Europe's nationalist movements shift right. Plus, Dan Pashman from The Sporkful vets Mike's soupspoon theories, and brings along his trongs. For the Spiel, exploring why we talk about certain victims of the Nepalese earthquake and not others. Today's sponsor: Shari's Berries. Treat your mom to something sweet this Mother's Day with a gift from Shari's Berries. Fresh berries dipped in chocolate start at $19.99. Visit berries.com, click on the microphone, and use the code GIST. And by the Netflix original documentary series Chef's Table. Go inside the lives and kitchens of six of the world's most renowned, international culinary talents. All episodes now streaming on Netflix. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, professional storyteller Matt Dicks speaks with the winner of our storytelling challenge. Did we make the right pick? Hear our entries from yesterday's Gist here. Plus, Emily Yoffe of Slate's Dear Prudence column advises a dad whose unavailable father serially dates young women in impoverished countries. Should the dad cast his father in a second act—as a grandfather? For the Spiel, Mike remembers Long Island's notorious Nassau Coliseum with Brian Koppelman from the Moment and Peter Thomas Fornatale. Today's sponsor: The Great Courses, engaging audio and video lectures taught by top professors. Courses like "The Skeptic's Guide to American History." Right now, get 80 percent off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, professional storyteller Matt Dicks is here to coach one lucky Gist listener. We'll review some favorite entries and discuss what kind of action and resolution help a story stand out. Tune in tomorrow to hear whom we've selected as our winner. For the Spiel, Mike stumbles upon an event for Thomas' English muffins. 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.

Today on The Gist, it's an episode that comes from the gut. First, reporters Erin Quinn and Chris Young of the Center for Public Integrity explain how companies have exploited a decades-old loophole in FDA approval of new food additives. Their article is called "Why the FDA Doesn't Really Know What's in Your Food." And, in another installment of "Is That Bulls--t?" Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker if the science backs up the hype around healthy bacteria. For the Spiel, Mike quacks a joke. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, Marc Caputo from Politico's Florida Playbook discusses Jeb Bush, who might be challenging the belief that candidates have to swing to the right to appeal to primary votecrs. Then, author Laura Silver traces her family history through the so-called Knish corridor of Eastern Europe. She's the author of Knish: In Search of the Jewish Soul Food. For the Spiel, why the name Gary will soon be extinct. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, Bryan Burrough explains what America's radical underground revolutionaries from the 1970s are up to now. He's the author of Days of Rage: America's Radical Underground, the FBI, and the Forgotten Age of Revolutionary Violence. For the Spiel, every Republican hopeful is learning that the way to spell hilarious starts with Hillary, kinda. Today's sponsor: Harry's, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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 Ep. 238, Brian Unger joins us in studio. He's the host of a new Travel Channel show Time Traveling with Brian Unger. For the Spiel, the lost tape from Vladimir Putin's call-in radio show. Today's sponsor: the Great Courses, offering engaging audio and video lectures taught by top professors. Courses like "The Skeptic's Guide to American History." Right now get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.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.

Today on The Gist, we listen back to Billboard hits from 1965. Our regular guest Chris Molanphy explains why many of these songs remain utterly immortal. He writes Slate's Why Is That Song No. 1 column. For the Spiel, more about the sexagenarian gyronaut who panicked the Washington press corps. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, Phil Galewitz from Kaiser Health News explains an aspect of the new health care law that new Medicaid recipients should know about. Unlike other Obamacare scares, this one is nonfiction. Plus, reporter Lukas Alpert explains that the most effective propaganda is often the hardest to spot. We ask about his Kindle single Kremlin Speak: Inside Putin's Propaganda Factory. For the Spiel, air mail on the Capitol lawn. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, an update from Slate's Dahlia Lithwick on the abortion bans in Kansas and Oklahoma. She's the host of the Slate podcast Amicus. Plus, Masha Bell joins us to discuss the effects of irregular English spellings on educational achievement in English-speaking countries. She's the author of Spelling It Out: The Problems and Costs of English Spelling. For the Spiel, Mike celebrates his favorite tense: the historical present. Today's sponsors: Citrix GoToMeeting. When meetings matter, millions choose GoToMeeting. Get a free 30-day trial by visiting GoToMeeting.com and clicking the "try it free" button. 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.

Do women make better presidents? Today on The Gist, we talk with Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Plus, we wish Thomas Jefferson a happy 272nd birthday by discussing how his name is evoked today. Historian Andrew Burstein is the author of Democracy's Muse: How Thomas Jefferson Became an FDR Liberal, a Reagan Republican, and a Tea Party Fanatic, All the While Being Dead. For the Spiel, vetting the vetting of Hillary Clinton. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, Slate's Dahlia Lithwick puts news of the abortion bans in Kansas and Oklahoma into a Supreme Court context. She's the host of the Slate podcast Amicus. Plus, the accomplished actor Vincent D'Onofrio joins us to discuss his latest role in the film Broken Horses, which comes out today. For the Spiel, it's time to name our Lobstar of the antentwig. 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.

Today on The Gist, Mike tests the assertion that tolerance is a two-way street. By consulting a map. Plus, Kevin Allison shares his journey from the legendary MTV sketch show The State to having his balls tied to his sneakers. He hosts the aptly named Risk podcast and teaches storytelling with the Story Studio. For the Spiel, are arrests of suspected terror recruits such as Joshua van Haften and Shahawar Siraj important steps to a safer world? Today's sponsors: Citrix GoToMeeting. When meetings matter, millions choose GoToMeeting. Get a free 30-day trial by visiting GoToMeeting.com and clicking the "try it free" button. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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 a tourist's paradise, the Maldive Islands is wading into some deep political waters. Today on The Gist Jonah Blank from the RAND Corporation explains the outlook for democracy in the Maldives. Then, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker about the importance of expiration dates on food and medication, the latest in a series we call "Is That Bulls—t?" For the Spiel, we remember the man who filled Lake Michigan with hot chocolate. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, Brian Koppelman, the accomplished screen and television writer, director, and—most importantly—podcaster. His show, The Moment, is the newest addition to the Slate and Panoply firmament, and you can subscribe to on iTunes. Plus, Mike finally spiels about the nuclear deal. Today's sponsor: The BET miniseries The Book of Negroes. Now available on DVD, in a special three-disc package. Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Lawrence Hill, The Book of Negroes is a universal story of loss, courage, and triumph starring Aunjanue Ellis, Lyriq Bent, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Lou Gossett Jr. Own it today on DVD from E One. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, we explore a new form of dark tourism: ecotourism. Tom Zoellner's Kindle single Come See the Mountain tells the story of his visit to the Potosi silver mine in Bolivia. Plus, Megan Hustad explains why TED talks remind her of the tent revival sermons of her youth. She's the author of How to Be Useful and More Than Conquerors: A Memoir of Lost Arguments. And to end the show, Mike can't stop spieling about the New York Times' coverage of the Chicago elections. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

While Mike Pesca's off hosting Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me, we bring you two of our favorite segments from the past few months. Bill Browder tells the story of how he went from investing in Russian markets to fleeing the wrath of Vladimir Putin. He's the author of Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice. For the Spiel, we debut our new line of other NFL erotica. From now until April 6, tweet titles of imaginary movies to @slategist using the hashtag #NotAMovie. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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 a past Gist, we gave you drunk Shakespeare. Now, it's time to see how the bard fares when subjected to sober improvisation. (We think it was sober.) Joey Bland, Blaine Swen, and Steve Waltien join us from Chicago's Improvised Shakespeare Company. For the Spiel, WBEZ's Lauren Chooljian explains what makes the Chicago mayoral election a compelling national story. From now until April 6, tweet titles of imaginary movies to @slategist using the hashtag #NotAMovie. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, Mike joins us from a Chicago Transit Authority station as he prepares to host Wait Wait Don't Tell Me this weekend. First up, Chris Molanphy explains how the secret sauce in some of your favorite pop songs might just be the walking bass line. He writes Slate's Why Is That Song No. 1 column. For the Spiel, the governor of Indiana supports clarifying a law that in no way needs clarification. From now until April 6, tweet titles of imaginary movies to @slategist using the hashtag #NotAMovie. Today's sponsor: Automatic, the connected car adapter that pairs your car to your smartphone. Save 20 percent with free shipping and a 45-day return policy when you go to automatic.com/gist Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, James Ledbetter from Inc. explains why the influential NYC parish Trinity Wall Street is taking Walmart to court. You can subscribe to the new Inc. Uncensored podcast here. Plus, is there a secret cancer-spewing, nutrient-robbing killer in America's kitchens? Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker explains the truth about microwaves for a game we call "Is That Bulls---t?" For the Spiel, Mike offers his advice to Trevor Noah, the new host of The Daily Show. From now until April 6, tweet titles of imaginary movies to @slategist using the hashtag #NotAMovie. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, we imagine the hearts and minds of the most powerful through the iconic character Frank Underwood. Beau Willimon, the showrunner and creator of Netflix's House of Cards joins us in studio. For the Spiel, bring back Pat from In the Papers. From now until April 6, tweet titles of imaginary movies to @slategist using the hashtag #NotAMovie. Today's sponsor: The Great Courses, engaging audio and video lectures taught by top professors, with courses like "Fundamentals of Photography." Right now, get 80 percent off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, Adam Davidson of NPR's Planet Money explains what economists really think of immigration laws. He recently wrote the feature Debunking the Myth of the Job-Stealing Immigrant for the New York Times Magazine. For the Spiel, what to do when you're hungry for change. From now until April 6, tweet titles of imaginary movies to @slategist using the hashtag #NotAMovie. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

How should we understand the evolving nature of U.S. dietary guidelines? Today on The Gist, Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, explains how the committees modify nutritional guidelines. Plus, what can McDonald's learn from Smashburger or Shake Shack? We speak with consultant Barry Klein, the creator of Ronald McDonald. For the Spiel, how Pesca was bit by the radioactive spider. From now until April 6, tweet titles of imaginary movies to @slategist using the hashtag #NotAMovie. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive members-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Remember when Mike Pesca gargled Pond's cold cream on The Gist? That gargle honored the master orator and Republican Sen. Everett Dirksen, who collaborated with a Democrat, Lyndon B. Johnson, to pass major civil rights legislation. Today, Todd Purdum tells the story of the Senate minority leader who liked to give news conferences in the lotus position. He's the author of An Idea Whose Time Has Come: Two Presidents, Two Parties, and the Battle for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For the Spiel, Angelina Jolie is brave. Don't forget the #NotAMovie Challenge! From now until April 6, tweet titles of imaginary movies to @slategist using the hashtag #NotAMovie. Today's sponsor: Automatic, the connected car adapter that pairs your car to your smartphone. Save 20 percent with free shipping and a 45-day return policy when you go to automatic.com/gist Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Now that we've become indifferent to illegal and even legal forms of corruption, what will it take to improve the accountability of our public officials? Our guest Zephyr Teachout examines corruption's past and present. She's the author of Corruption in America: From Benjamin Franklin's Snuff Box to Citizens United. Plus, They Might Be Giants have always aspired to write movie themes, so they've asked Mike Pesca to enlist listeners to help with a demo. From now until April 6, tweet titles of imaginary movies to @slategist using the hashtag #NotAMovie. For the Spiel, the return of talk-show karaoke. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Tom Scharpling and Jon Wurster rarely analyze why their brand of two-man radio comedy is so potent. Today on the Gist, they pause to consider 13 years of hilariously weird phone calls from Newbridge, NJ. Their box set The Best of The Best Show is available from the Numero Group. For the Spiel, Mike takes a stand against dictators (although a couple are all right). Today's sponsor: The Great Courses, engaging audio and video lectures taught by top professors. Courses like "Fundamentals of Photography." Right now, get 80% off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, we ask Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institution about the landmark LGBT-Mormon compromise in Utah. Will this become a model for other states? Plus, does your girlfriend's hairless cat love you? Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker explains recent insights into animal emotions for a game we call "Is That Bulls---t?" For the Spiel, starting a necessary conversation about Caramel Macchiatos. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Today on The Gist, a look at ski racing's uphill battle for relevancy and safety. We talk with Nathaniel Vinton, author of The Fall Line: How American Ski Racers Conquered a Sport on the Edge. Plus, political writer Harry Enten from FiveThirtyEight goes down the list of likely Republican presidential candidates and identifies their political kryptonite. For the Spiel, we play a round of "What The Hell Is That Beverage?" with Slate's L.V. Anderson, and Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker. Today's sponsors: Harry's, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code THEGIST. And by Automatic, the connected car adapter that pairs your car to your smartphone. Save 20% with free shipping and a 45-day return policy when you go to automatic.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Why would someone accused of multiple crimes engage in chronic high-risk behaviors? Today on The Gist, Fordham's Barry Rosenfeld explains why Robert Durst would participate in HBO's The Jinx. Plus, economist Adam Davidson explains the Greek financial crisis as it relates to the European Union, especially Germany. For the Spiel, a key retirement in the world of professional football. Today's sponsor: Casper, the online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting casper.com/gist and using the promo code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Not every great pop song has a standard format or even a chorus. Today on The Gist, Chris Molanphy joins us to look at the changing placement of the chorus in popular music. He writes Slate's Why Is That Song No. 1 column. For the Spiel, Mike eats at the pop-up restaurant WastED. At the very end of this show, we debut a new They Might Be Giants song, as part of their Dial-a-Song reboot, as we will be doing every Monday this year. You can find videos for the songs on the band's website. This one is called "Unpronounceable." Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.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.

Last week the Supreme Court heard arguments in King v. Burwell, the case that could undo Obamacare. Now, as far as we can tell, lawyers who disagree with the Obamacare law always seem to find the policy unconstitutional. Today on The Gist, Harvard law professor Charles Fried is the lone exception. Plus, Dan Pashman from The Sporkful podcast brings reason and order to the Slate office fridge. For the Spiel, it's time for another lobstar of the antentwig. Today's sponsor: The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, the new documentary series from HBO. It airs Sunday at 8 p.m. only on HBO. 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.

Today on The Gist, we celebrate the Web series High Maintenance for avoiding stoner comedy clichés, and creating stunning portraits of New Yorkers. Creators Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair explain how the series has worked as a calling card for their creative work. For the Spiel, Mike explains his allergy to doing things for a good cause. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. 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.

Will a recent Gallup poll be a wake-up call for states like Texas and South Carolina? Today on The Gist, Gallup editor-in-chief Frank Newport explains what political parties could learn from the underlying political leanings in each state. Plus, we visit our neighborhood haunt Hudson Clearwater to delve into the world of cocktail bitters with Peter Thomas Fornatale and Chris Wertz. They're the authors of Brooklyn Spirits: Craft Distilling and Cocktails from the World's Hippest Borough. For the Spiel, a public servant with a private server. Today's sponsor: Audible, a leading provider of spoken audio information and entertainment. Listen to audiobooks whenever and wherever you want. Get a free audiobook of your choice at AudiblePodcast.com/TheGist. Trying to pick out the right audio book? The Gist recommends Red Notice by our past guest Bill Browder. 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.

Today on The Gist, Mary Pilon shares the real history of the board game your family never finishes. She's the author of The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game. Plus, Mike and his son Emmett explain what Dumbo tells us about the Greek economy. For the Spiel, a deep dive into voice-casting. 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.

Obama promised hope and change, but what about managing expectations for hope and change? Today on The Gist, former Obama strategist David Axelrod shares insights from his new book Believer: My Forty Years in Politics. Plus, we examine a strange transitional moment for popular music and the American Songbook with Ben Yagoda. He's the author of The B Side: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song. For the Spiel, a man who never e-mails, and the Yemenis who got caught in the crosshairs. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. 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.

Dream job alert. Today on the Gist, Mike talks with KYRSP33DY, jahovaswitniss, and NobodyEpic, a trio of video gamers and video editors who turned their love of comedy and Grand Theft Auto into lucrative YouTube channels. Plus, Seth Stevenson has been reporting for Slate on the trial of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. He reacts to Thursday's gut-wrenching day of testimony. And in the Spiel, Mike's second take on Hillary's email scandal. Today's sponsors: Squarespace.com. Get a free trial and 10 percent off your first purchase when you visit Squarespace.com and enter offer code GIST. And HBO, presenting the new documentary miniseries The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. Sundays at 8, only on HBO. 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 ages, athletes have been judged by their importance to their team's bottom line, their popularity with fans, and their win-loss record against better opponents. Today on The Gist, we apply those same rubrics to the dozen or so politicians likely to tangle in the Republican primary. Our guest is Harry Enten, senior political writer and analyst for FiveThirtyEight. For the Spiel, you just gotta watch The All-Star Party for "Dutch" Reagan. Today's sponsors: Squarespace.com. Get a free trial and 10 percent off your first purchase when you visit Squarespace.com and enter offer code GIST. And The Great Courses. Save up to 80 percent off the original price when you go to TheGreatCourses.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.

Before he was a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Leslie H. Gelb negotiated with the Soviet Union as a senior official in the Pentagon and State Department. Today on The Gist, Mike asks Gelb about negotiating with Iran and Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress. For the Spiel, it's pledge-drive season in public radio. Mike tabs up the amount of time you spend listening to noncommercial appeals for cash. Today's sponsors: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Also, Squarespace.com. Get a free trial and 10 percent off your first purchase when you visit Squarespace.com and enter offer code 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.

The New York outpost of France's famed Maille mustard empire features myriad varieties of the spicy condiment, including some on tap. Today on The Gist, mustard sommelier Pierette Huttner gives Mike a tour. Plus, the financial side of the mustard-yellow and white (or blue and black) dress with Slate Editor-in-Chief Julia Turner. For the Spiel, Mr. Bibi goes to Washington. Today's sponsors: Citrix GoToMeeting. When meetings matter, millions choose GoToMeeting. Get a free 30-day trial by visiting GoToMeeting.com and clicking the "try it free" button. Also, Squarespace.com. Get a free trial and 10 percent off your first purchase when you visit Squarespace.com and enter offer code 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.

Slate's Dahlia Lithwick discusses the issue of legal standing in the upcoming Obamacare case before the Supreme Court. Plus, is aromatherapy bulls--t? And Mike spiels about Bibi's boo-boo, and we hear another new They Might Be Giants track, "I Can Help the Next in Line." 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.

Jet skis look like a horse running and defecating at the same time on the water. Today on The Gist, Kurt Braunohler battles Asian carp and electrified waters for his new Comedy Central Web series Roustabout. For the Spiel, we explain a ubiquitous preamble, "the idea that somehow." Today's sponsor: The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, the new documentary series from HBO. It airs Sundays at 8 p.m. only on HBO. 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 day when the Internet turns to llamas, we keep our focus on the important thing, the dangerous thing: bears. Today on The Gist, the latest bear news with wildlife biologist Rae Wynn-Grant from Columbia University. Plus, Slate's Will Oremus answers exactly one question about net neutrality. We'll hear your questions, and learn about what the color of a bear's fur has to do with its species. Send us your questions for a future segment using #bearnews. For the Spiel, Mike throws barbs at Iran. Today's sponsor: The new ABC series "American Crime." From the Oscar winning screenwriter of 12 Years a Slave comes the year's most extraordinary drama, premiering Thursday March 5th, 10/9 central on ABC. 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.

Today on The Gist, Gretchen Rubin explains what self-mastery has to do with happiness. She's the author of The Happiness Project. Her new podcast, Happier, is part of Slate's just-launched Panoply network. For the Spiel, Mike and Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald both lie to the homeless. Today's sponsors: Stamps.com! Sign up for a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer when you visit Stamps.com and use the promo code THEGIST. 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 100 inches of snow landing on Boston this winter, the issue of cars and parking has inspired calumny and tire-slashing in the Boston area. On The Gist, Jennifer Peter, local editor for The Boston Globe, quietly admits that she's a parking-space saver. Plus, how can we use language to better describe undocumented immigrants with empathy and without politics? Mike searches for the right term with Define American founder Jose Antonio Vargas, a Filipino-American journalist who does not have legal residency status. For the Spiel, Bill O'Reilly might not be telling the truth. Today's sponsor: Citrix GoToMeeting. When meetings matter, millions choose GoToMeeting. Get a free 30-day trial by visiting GoToMeeting.com and clicking the "try it free" button. 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.