The Gist

For thirty minutes each day, Pesca challenges himself and his audience, in a responsibly provocative style, and gets beyond the rigidity and dogma. The Gist is surprising, reasonable, and willing to critique the left, the right, either party, or any idea.

Jim Lampley on the Blows That Made Broadcasting History
May 9, 2025 – 43:03
Not Even Mad: Eric Zorn and Austin Berg
May 8, 2025 – 01:04:27
Max Expression, Merz Confusion
May 7, 2025 – 46:24
Holy Vehicles and Hollow Coverage
May 6, 2025 – 32:30
Chuck Todd Presses On
May 6, 2025 – 44:08
Mike Stops by House of Strauss and The Dispatch
May 3, 2025 – 01:11:01
Funny You Should Mention: Michelle Buteau
May 2, 2025 – 57:17
Rust Director Joel Souza on Tragedy, Survival, and His Non-Relationship with Alec Baldwin
May 1, 2025 – 43:11
What is Gen-Z Doing with Mewing?
Apr 30, 2025 – 38:09
Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk
Apr 29, 2025 – 42:22
Trump 47: It's Not a Heart Attack, It's Gingivitis
Apr 28, 2025 – 46:41
The Full Ginsburg
Apr 26, 2025 – 28:15
Iran-Contra wrote the Playbook for Presidential Lawlessness
Apr 25, 2025 – 44:31
Punchlines and Straw Men
Apr 24, 2025 – 48:40
When Experts Circle the Wagons, The Public Wanders Off
Apr 23, 2025 – 41:30
Macedo and Frances Lee In Covid's Wake
Apr 22, 2025 – 42:09
Kilmar, Detained and Unnamed
Apr 21, 2025 – 33:51
Great Britain Chicken Friction
Apr 19, 2025 – 18:31
Funny You Should Mention - T.J. Miller
Apr 18, 2025 – 57:28
Not Even Mad: The Commercial Break’s Bryan Green and Carine Hajjar
Apr 17, 2025 – 01:03:44
The Fight for the White House in 2024
Apr 16, 2025 – 50:47
Four More Years?
Apr 15, 2025 – 37:03
Trump’s Trade Tactics: Betwixt Chaos and Coherence
Apr 14, 2025 – 40:35
Today’s Show is About a Different Show That is Not About Tapirs
Apr 12, 2025 – 30:08
The Ongoing Black Mark of the Red Scare
Apr 11, 2025 – 49:08
The Bond Market Doesn’t Do Ayahuasca
Apr 10, 2025 – 34:56
Then They Came For They
Apr 9, 2025 – 38:01
The Brand Is the Business: Devon Archer on Biden, Burisma, and Being the Fall Guy
Apr 8, 2025 – 50:21
Devon Archer, Recently Pardoned, Reflects
Apr 7, 2025 – 38:59
Mike on Uncertain Things and Vanderpump Robs
Apr 5, 2025 – 59:59
Funny You Should Mention Season 2 - Alex Edelman
Apr 4, 2025 – 59:14
Not Even Mad: Sarah Isgur and Sarada Peri
Apr 3, 2025 – 01:04:00
Crocodile vs. Bombshell
Apr 2, 2025 – 40:40
David Pakman Calls Out Right-Wing Lies—and Is Challenged on the Left’s Spin
Apr 1, 2025 – 54:55
The Ideological Brain with Dr. Leor Zmigrod
Mar 31, 2025 – 43:54
Mike on The Mark Reardon Show
Mar 29, 2025 – 43:25
Trump Loves Women and Many Other Things
Mar 28, 2025 – 38:58
Code Name: Pale Horse — Scott Payne vs. the American Reich
Mar 27, 2025 – 41:52
Trump's Revenge
Mar 26, 2025 – 46:41
The Great Houthi Whoopsie
Mar 25, 2025 – 40:30
Chris Gethard and the Great Helsinki Caper
Mar 24, 2025 – 39:26
Penn Swimmer's Success Costs School Millions 3 Years Later
Mar 22, 2025 – 27:38
Joe Gatto Continues Messing with People
Mar 21, 2025 – 39:27
Not Even Mad: Anthony Weiner and Nick Gillespie
Mar 20, 2025 – 01:26:17
The German Jew Who Tried The Nazis
Mar 19, 2025 – 39:23
Murdering the Truth and Defying the Courts
Mar 18, 2025 – 48:47
The Dutch Once Owned This Isle
Mar 17, 2025 – 39:02
Mike Pesca on the Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em Podcast
Mar 15, 2025 – 01:43:41
Matthew Schrag Alzheimer's Whistle Blower, and Chuck Schumer Democratic Pain Sponge
Mar 14, 2025 – 44:51
Should You Shout "Help" or "Fire"?
Mar 13, 2025 – 35:28

Recent Reviews

wysurfin

Coffee on Screen :)

One of the few shows that walk barefoot on the hot coals of current topics. Then I was hit with a Latin translation that caused me to shower my laptop in the physical manifestation of a belly laugh
voltroner

Big Intellect, frivolous arguments

Yay. He’s back. Was it the pandemic? Being cancelled? Or is Mike just letting his contrarian disposition let loose now that he’s on his own? Whatever it is, something has caused Mike to drift off course from a show that used to be extremely insightfully and informative. Nowadays Mike is fighting the fights no one asked for.
Tdddeingee

Clever, Sharp,Insightful

Mike Pesca invites great guests and asks very thoughtful questions. His skills as a critical thinker and entertaining orator make almost every episode well worth the time.
Random Jones

Woohoo, He’s back!

Mike Pesca and therefore the Gist is a freethinking, contemplative host and podcast about today’s issues. It’s not clickbait and it doesn’t take the easy, strictly partisan viewpoint. It makes you think and if you are curious, learn. The icing on the cake is the humor.
Glowend

Glad to have you back!

I'm so glad that Mike was able to continue The Gist after leaving Slate. Mike is an incisive interviewer, quick witted and very funny. It's nice to listen to a show where I don't know the interviewer's position on an issue before I've heard it.