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Mike joins The Reason Roundtable Podcast to talk about Trump's War on Harvard. Click here to listen to the rest of the podcast Produced by Corey WaraProduction Coordinator Ashley KhanEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oxford political scientist Ben Ansell discusses the meme-worthy but deeply explanatory concept of FAFO—f**k around and find out—and its subtler cousin FADFO, where reckless policy choices oddly fail to produce blowback. Why bad ideas often go unpunished, from Brexit to tariffs to defund-the-police slogans and MMT. Ansell argues that liberal democracies build buffers that delay "finding out," which populists and ideologues exploit. Plus, thoughts on the limits of idealism in higher ed diplomacy, especially when it comes to the assumed cultural benefits of hosting thousands of Chinese nationals at U.S. universities. Produced by Corey WaraProduction Coordinator Ashley KhanEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today on The Gist: Sadie Dingfelder returns for an “Is That BS?” segment to investigate dog talking buttons—those viral gadgets that claim to give pets a voice. Are dogs actually communicating abstract thoughts, or is it all one big squeaky placebo? Then, a look at Trump's trade policy unraveling —cue the Wall Street “TACO trade” (Trump Always Chickens Out). Finally, a Guardian article on defund-the-police “successes” that flat out ignores shocking homicide stats. Produced by Corey WaraProduction Coordinator Ashley KhanEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Political strategist and author Bradley Tusk joins to diagnose the 2025 New York City mayor's race—why voters seem fine with Andrew Cuomo's refusal to reckon with past scandals, and why the race feels like it's happening in a parallel city only 3% of residents live in. Plus The Rehearsal, not only the best comedy on TV, makes a serious point about pilot mental health while still landing the plane with artistry and pathos. Cascade PBS Info Produced by Corey WaraProduction Coordinator Ashley KhanEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Manvir Singh, author of Shamanism: The Timeless Religion, shares insights from a decade with Indonesia's Mentawai people, where healing rituals double as communal celebrations. He discusses how language and metaphor shape worldviews—and where anthropology sits between science and ideology. The U.S. Mint's final penny order closes the chapter on a coin long derided as economic dead weight. And five years after George Floyd's murder, polling shows confidence in police—especially among Black Americans—has rebounded, despite minimal national reform and maximal narrative distortion. Cascade PBS Info Produced by Corey WaraProduction Coordinator Ashley KhanEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today on The Gist. Ethan Strauss joined Mike Pesca for a Substack Live conversation. Today we air a portion of it focusing on Caitlin Clark and shoes. You can listen to the full interview by clicking the link below. Live w Ethan Strauss Mike Pesca n' Caitlin Clark, Jayson Tatum & you Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Comedian, podcaster, and self-described cutie-in-her-own-way Robby Hoffman drops by to discuss her life, her comedy, and why she takes talking as seriously as any other art form. From growing up ultra-Orthodox and ultra-poor to becoming a sought-after stand-up with a Porsche no one wants, Hoffman explains how she's thrived in disaster and learned to mine discomfort for laughs. The two explore America's national personality deficit, what makes a story worth telling, and the joys of conflict when you grow up with nine siblings and no private phone line. Plus: hundos, and the humanity-conferring properties of the nightstand. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, founder of Realign for Palestine and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council, joins to discuss his effort to reframe Palestinian advocacy around coexistence and accountability. He critiques both Hamas and Israel, pushes for reform within the diaspora, and draws a sharp ideological comparison between Hamas and ISIS. Plus, a defense of the “beneficent billionaires,” spotlighting Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg for their under appreciated life-saving philanthropy—including tens of thousands of lives saved from drowning. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week Andrew talks with The GIST co-founder Jacie deHoop. The GIST is a massive fan-first sports media brand that's shaking up the male-dominated sports industry. Jacie and her team are reinventing the dialogue around sports by providing equal coverage to women's & men's sports through its newsletters, podcasts, social media content, & more. They have engagement that doubles the industry average — and the company has grown revenue by more than 20x over the past two years. In this conversation, Jacie shares a behind-the-scenes look at her career & the journey building The GIST. This conversation is filled with powerful ideas about turning an idea into action, building something from the ground up, overcoming doubt, & so much more. ** Follow Andrew **Instagram: @AndrewMoses123Twitter/X: @andrewhmosesSign up for e-mails to keep up with the podcast at everybodypullsthetarp.com/newsletterDISCLAIMER: This podcast is solely for educational & entertainment purposes. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.
Eli Lake and Michael A. Cohen take stock of the Biden health debate—diagnosis, exaggeration, and whether it's actually affected his presidency. Michael pushes back on what he calls the “decline industrial complex,” while Eli says its denial to think Biden was up to the job. Then they turn to Donald Trump's proudly post-moral foreign policy, where human rights don't even make the brochure and alliances are strictly optional. Realpolitik or just real reckless? Either way, they're not even mad. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Katherine Stewart, author of Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy, explains how America's Christian nationalist forces are exporting extremism abroad while cloaking domestic corruption in the guise of faith. Plus a suicide bombing outside a Palm Springs fertility clinic introduces the public to the dark ideology of “efilism”. Plus, Then, another look at the Yale professors fleeing to Toronto: their self-congratulatory tone is punctured by Sarah Longwell and Ben Wittes, who argue that true anti-fascist courage means staying and fighting. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Katherine Stewart, author of Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy, joins to discuss Christian nationalism's influence on modern conservatism. Also, the distinction between sincere and performative beliefs in the Trump administration, especially economic fictions like tariffs not being taxes. Plus, in the context of assessing Biden's mental acuity, the new reporting and audio show Robert Hur as a rare source of unvarnished insight, unshaped by partisan aims. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today on The Gist we revisit an interview from 2017 with Lena Kahn and play a segment from this week where Mike talked abouts the new popes MAGA brother. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Henry Abbott joins to discuss Ballistic: The New Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance, spotlighting insights from Dr. Marcus Elliott—not just about elite training, but how something as basic as learning to land can change careers and prevent lifelong injury. Plus, the three Yale professors so steeped in the study of fascism they fled to Toronto, prompting a reflection on American resilience versus alarmism. And FEMA's new director storms in unprepared but aggressive, replacing a Trump-era appointee ousted simply for saying FEMA shouldn't be abolished. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joins to discuss her new book The Purposeful Warrior: Standing Up for What's Right When the Stakes Are High. Benson, frontrunner to become Michigan's next governor discusses the tactics she and other secretaries of state used to combat 2020 election denialism, but also her restraint during efforts to keep Trump off the 2024 ballot. Plus, RFK Jr. testifies before Congress and defends hiring a man fined for practicing medicine without a license. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to The GISt, a new limited series from Energy Central. For our first episode, we've got a fantastic primer on all things GIS for utilities with Jazzmen Wilson, host of The GIS Chat podcast. What's on tap? A closer look at what kinds of utilities are leveraging GIS to its fullest capacity. An exploration of AI as a catalyst for global tech adoption. And the real rundown on the key players to know in GIS. Don't miss this episode—and hit subscribe to hear every other insight-packed interview we've got on deck for this series.
David Graham author of The Project: How Project 2025 is Changing America, explains how Project 2025 seeks not smaller government, but a more obedient one—politicizing civil service, gutting regulation, and embedding a Trump-aligned worldview across federal agencies. He discusses how its authors blend sincere constitutional theory with radical institutional overhaul. Plus, does the Pope's MAGA-leaning brother demystify the Papacy? Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Retired General Gen. Stanley McChrystal joins to discuss his book On Character: Choices that Define a Life, and how real character transcends grit or discipline to include values that hold under fire. Plus, Trump touches the economic stove, recoils, and suddenly recession odds drop along with tariffs rates. And from The Hague, Rodrigo Duterte wins re-election as mayor of Davao in a landslide. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Listen to ASCO's JCO Oncology Practice, Art of Oncology Practice article, "An Oncologist's Guide to Ensuring Your First Medical Grand Rounds Will Be Your Last” by Dr. David Johnson, who is a clinical oncologist at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. The article is followed by an interview with Johnson and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Through humor and irony, Johnson critiques how overspecialization and poor presentation practices have eroded what was once internal medicine's premier educational forum. Transcript Narrator: An Oncologist's Guide to Ensuring Your First Medical Grand Rounds Will Be Your Last, by David H. Johnson, MD, MACP, FASCO Over the past five decades, I have attended hundreds of medical conferences—some insightful and illuminating, others tedious and forgettable. Among these countless gatherings, Medical Grand Rounds (MGRs) has always held a special place. Originally conceived as a forum for discussing complex clinical cases, emerging research, and best practices in patient care, MGRs served as a unifying platform for clinicians across all specialties, along with medical students, residents, and other health care professionals. Expert speakers—whether esteemed faculty or distinguished guests—would discuss challenging cases, using them as a springboard to explore the latest advances in diagnosis and treatment. During my early years as a medical student, resident, and junior faculty member, Grand Rounds consistently attracted large, engaged audiences. However, as medicine became increasingly subspecialized, attendance began to wane. Lectures grew more technically intricate, often straying from broad clinical relevance. The patient-centered discussions that once brought together diverse medical professionals gradually gave way to hyperspecialized presentations. Subspecialists, once eager to share their insights with the wider medical community, increasingly withdrew to their own specialty-specific conferences, further fragmenting the exchange of knowledge across disciplines. As a former Chair of Internal Medicine and a veteran of numerous MGRs, I observed firsthand how these sessions shifted from dynamic educational exchanges to highly specialized, often impenetrable discussions. One of the most striking trends in recent years has been the decline in presentation quality at MGR—even among local and visiting world-renowned experts. While these speakers are often brilliant clinicians and investigators, they can also be remarkably poor lecturers, delivering some of the most uninspiring talks I have encountered. Their presentations are so consistently lackluster that one might suspect an underlying strategy at play—an unspoken method to ensure that they are never invited back. Having observed this pattern repeatedly, I am convinced that these speakers must be adhering to a set of unwritten rules to avoid future MGR presentations. To assist those unfamiliar with this apparent strategy, I have distilled the key principles that, when followed correctly, all but guarantee that a presenter will not be asked to give another MGR lecture—thus sparing them the burden of preparing one in the future. Drawing on my experience as an oncologist, I illustrate these principles using an oncology-based example although I suspect similar rules apply across other subspecialties. It will be up to my colleagues in cardiology, endocrinology, rheumatology, and beyond to identify and document their own versions—tasks for which I claim no expertise. What follows are the seven “Rules for Presenting a Bad Medical Oncology Medical Grand Rounds.” 1. Microscopic Mayhem: Always begin with an excruciatingly detailed breakdown of the tumor's histology and molecular markers, emphasizing how these have evolved over the years (eg, PAP v prostate-specific antigen)—except, of course, when they have not (eg, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, etc). These nuances, while of limited relevance to general internists or most subspecialists (aside from oncologists), are guaranteed to induce eye-glazing boredom and quiet despair among your audience. 2. TNM Torture: Next, cover every nuance of the newest staging system … this is always a real crowd pleaser. For illustrative purposes, show a TNM chart in the smallest possible font. It is particularly helpful if you provide a lengthy review of previous versions of the staging system and painstakingly cover each and every change in the system. Importantly, this activity will allow you to disavow the relevance of all previous literature studies to which you will subsequently refer during the course of your presentation … to wit—“these data are based on the OLD staging system and therefore may not pertain …” This phrase is pure gold—use it often if you can. NB: You will know you have “captured” your audience if you observe audience members “shifting in their seats” … it occurs almost every time … but if you have failed to “move” the audience … by all means, continue reading … there is more! 3. Mechanism of Action Meltdown: Discuss in detail every drug ever used to treat the cancer under discussion; this works best if you also give a detailed description of each drug's mechanism of action (MOA). General internists and subspecialists just LOVE hearing a detailed discussion of the drug's MOA … especially if it is not at all relevant to the objectives of your talk. At this point, if you observe a wave of slack-jawed faces slowly slumping toward their desktops, you will know you are on your way to successfully crushing your audience's collective spirit. Keep going—you are almost there. 4. Dosage Deadlock: One must discuss “dose response” … there is absolutely nothing like a dose response presentation to a group of internists to induce cries of anguish. A wonderful example of how one might weave this into a lecture to generalists or a mixed audience of subspecialists is to discuss details that ONLY an oncologist would care about—such as the need to dose escalate imatinib in GIST patients with exon 9 mutations as compared with those with exon 11 mutations. This is a definite winner! 5. Criteria Catatonia: Do not forget to discuss the newest computed tomography or positron emission tomography criteria for determining response … especially if you plan to discuss an obscure malignancy that even oncologists rarely encounter (eg, esthesioneuroblastoma). Should you plan to discuss a common disease you can ensure ennui only if you will spend extra time discussing RECIST criteria. Now if you do this well, some audience members may begin fashioning their breakfast burritos into projectiles—each one aimed squarely at YOU. Be brave … soldier on! 6. Kaplan-Meier Killer: Make sure to discuss the arcane details of multiple negative phase II and III trials pertaining to the cancer under discussion. It is best to show several inconsequential and hard-to-read Kaplan-Meier plots. To make sure that you do a bad job, divide this portion of your presentation into two sections … one focused on adjuvant treatment; the second part should consist of a long boring soliloquy on the management of metastatic disease. Provide detailed information of little interest even to the most ardent fan of the disease you are discussing. This alone will almost certainly ensure that you will never, ever be asked to give Medicine Grand Rounds again. 7. Lymph Node Lobotomy: For the coup de grâce, be sure to include an exhaustive discussion of the latest surgical techniques, down to the precise number of lymph nodes required for an “adequate dissection.” To be fair, such details can be invaluable in specialized settings like a tumor board, where they send subspecialists into rapturous delight. But in the context of MGR—where the audience spans multiple disciplines—it will almost certainly induce a stultifying torpor. If dullness were an art, this would be its masterpiece—capable of lulling even the most caffeinated minds into a stupor. If you have carefully followed the above set of rules, at this point, some members of the audience should be banging their heads against the nearest hard surface. If you then hear a loud THUD … and you're still standing … you will know you have succeeded in giving the world's worst Medical Grand Rounds! Final Thoughts I hope that these rules shed light on what makes for a truly dreadful oncology MGR presentation—which, by inverse reasoning, might just serve as a blueprint for an excellent one. At its best, an outstanding lecture defies expectations. One of the most memorable MGRs I have attended, for instance, was on prostaglandin function—not a subject typically associated with edge-of-your-seat suspense. Given by a biochemist and physician from another subspecialty, it could have easily devolved into a labyrinth of enzymatic pathways and chemical structures. Instead, the speaker took a different approach: rather than focusing on biochemical minutiae, he illustrated how prostaglandins influence nearly every major physiologic system—modulating inflammation, regulating cardiovascular function, protecting the gut, aiding reproduction, supporting renal function, and even influencing the nervous system—without a single slide depicting the prostaglandin structure. The result? A room full of clinicians—not biochemists—walked away with a far richer understanding of how prostaglandins affect their daily practice. What is even more remarkable is that the talk's clarity did not just inform—it sparked new collaborations that shaped years of NIH-funded research. Now that was an MGR masterpiece. At its core, effective scientific communication boils down to three deceptively simple principles: understanding your audience, focusing on relevance, and making complex information accessible.2 The best MGRs do not drown the audience in details, but rather illuminate why those details matter. A great lecture is not about showing how much you know, but about ensuring your audience leaves knowing something they didn't before. For those who prefer the structured wisdom of a written guide over the ramblings of a curmudgeon, an excellent review of these principles—complete with a handy checklist—is available.2 But fair warning: if you follow these principles, you may find yourself invited back to present another stellar MGRs. Perish the thought! Dr. Mikkael SekeresHello and welcome to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology, which features essays and personal reflections from authors exploring their experience in the oncology field. I'm your host, Mikkael Sekeres. I'm Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Hematology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami. What a pleasure it is today to be joined by Dr. David Johnson, clinical oncologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. In this episode, we will be discussing his Art of Oncology Practice article, "An Oncologist's Guide to Ensuring Your First Medical Grand Rounds Will Be Your Last." Our guest's disclosures will be linked in the transcript. David, welcome to our podcast and thanks so much for joining us. Dr. David JohnsonGreat to be here, Mikkael. Thanks for inviting me. Dr. Mikkael SekeresI was wondering if we could start with just- give us a sense about you. Can you tell us about yourself? Where are you from? And walk us through your career. Dr. David JohnsonSure. I grew up in a small rural community in Northwest Georgia about 30 miles south of Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the Appalachian Mountains. I met my wife in kindergarten. Dr. Mikkael SekeresOh my. Dr. David JohnsonThere are laws in Georgia. We didn't get married till the third grade. But we dated in high school and got married after college. And so we've literally been with one another my entire life, our entire lives. Dr. Mikkael SekeresMy word. Dr. David JohnsonI went to medical school in Georgia. I did my training in multiple sites, including my oncology training at Vanderbilt, where I completed my training. I spent the next 30 years there, where I had a wonderful career. Got an opportunity to be a Division Chief and a Deputy Director of, and the founder of, a cancer center there. And in 2010, I was recruited to UT Southwestern as the Chairman of Medicine. Not a position I had particularly aspired to, but I was interested in taking on that challenge, and it proved to be quite a challenge for me. I had to relearn internal medicine, and really all the subspecialties of medicine really became quite challenging to me. So my career has spanned sort of the entire spectrum, I suppose, as a clinical investigator, as an administrator, and now as a near end-of-my-career guy who writes ridiculous articles about grand rounds. Dr. Mikkael SekeresNot ridiculous at all. It was terrific. What was that like, having to retool? And this is a theme you cover a little bit in your essay, also, from something that's super specialized. I mean, you have had this storied career with the focus on lung cancer, and then having to expand not only to all of hematology oncology, but all of medicine. Dr. David JohnsonIt was a challenge, but it was also incredibly fun. My first few days in the chair's office, I met with a number of individuals, but perhaps the most important individuals I met with were the incoming chief residents who were, and are, brilliant men and women. And we made a pact. I promised to teach them as much as I could about oncology if they would teach me as much as they could about internal medicine. And so I spent that first year literally trying to relearn medicine. And I had great teachers. Several of those chiefs are now on the faculty here or elsewhere. And that continued on for the next several years. Every group of chief residents imparted their wisdom to me, and I gave them what little bit I could provide back to them in the oncology world. It was a lot of fun. And I have to say, I don't necessarily recommend everybody go into administration. It's not necessarily the most fun thing in the world to do. But the opportunity to deal one-on-one closely with really brilliant men and women like the chief residents was probably the highlight of my time as Chair of Medicine. Dr. Mikkael SekeresThat sounds incredible. I can imagine, just reflecting over the two decades that I've been in hematology oncology and thinking about the changes in how we diagnose and care for people over that time period, I can only imagine what the changes had been in internal medicine since I was last immersed in that, which would be my residency. Dr. David JohnsonWell, I trained in the 70s in internal medicine, and what transpired in the 70s was kind of ‘monkey see, monkey do'. We didn't really have a lot of understanding of pathophysiology except at the most basic level. Things have changed enormously, as you well know, certainly in the field of oncology and hematology, but in all the other fields as well. And so I came in with what I thought was a pretty good foundation of knowledge, and I realized it was completely worthless, what I had learned as an intern and resident. And when I say I had to relearn medicine, I mean, I had to relearn medicine. It was like being an intern. Actually, it was like being a medical student all over again. Dr. Mikkael SekeresOh, wow. Dr. David JohnsonSo it's quite challenging. Dr. Mikkael SekeresWell, and it's just so interesting. You're so deliberate in your writing and thinking through something like grand rounds. It's not a surprise, David, that you were also deliberate in how you were going to approach relearning medicine. So I wonder if we could pivot to talking about grand rounds, because part of being a Chair of Medicine, of course, is having Department of Medicine grand rounds. And whether those are in a cancer center or a department of medicine, it's an honor to be invited to give a grand rounds talk. How do you think grand rounds have changed over the past few decades? Can you give an example of what grand rounds looked like in the 1990s compared to what they look like now? Dr. David JohnsonWell, I should all go back to the 70s and and talk about grand rounds in the 70s. And I referenced an article in my essay written by Dr. Ingelfinger, who many people remember Dr. Ingelfinger as the Ingelfinger Rule, which the New England Journal used to apply. You couldn't publish in the New England Journal if you had published or publicly presented your data prior to its presentation in the New England Journal. Anyway, Dr. Ingelfinger wrote an article which, as I say, I referenced in my essay, about the graying of grand rounds, when he talked about what grand rounds used to be like. It was a very almost sacred event where patients were presented, and then experts in the field would discuss the case and impart to the audience their wisdom and knowledge garnered over years of caring for patients with that particular problem, might- a disease like AML, or lung cancer, or adrenal insufficiency, and talk about it not just from a pathophysiologic standpoint, but from a clinician standpoint. How do these patients present? What do you do? How do you go about diagnosing and what can you do to take care of those kinds of patients? It was very patient-centric. And often times the patient, him or herself, was presented at the grand rounds. And then experts sitting in the front row would often query the speaker and put him or her under a lot of stress to answer very specific questions about the case or about the disease itself. Over time, that evolved, and some would say devolved, but evolved into more specialized and nuanced presentations, generally without a patient present, or maybe even not even referred to, but very specifically about the molecular biology of disease, which is marvelous and wonderful to talk about, but not necessarily in a grand round setting where you've got cardiologists sitting next to endocrinologists, seated next to nephrologists, seated next to primary care physicians and, you know, an MS1 and an MS2 and et cetera. So it was very evident to me that what I had witnessed in my early years in medicine had really become more and more subspecialized. As a result, grand rounds, which used to be packed and standing room only, became echo chambers. It was like a C-SPAN presentation, you know, where local representative got up and gave a talk and the chambers were completely empty. And so we had to go to do things like force people to attend grand rounds like a Soviet Union-style rally or something, you know. You have to pay them to go. But it was really that observation that got me to thinking about it. And by the way, I love oncology and I'm, I think there's so much exciting progress that's being made that I want the presentations to be exciting to everybody, not just to the oncologist or the hematologist, for example. And what I was witnessing was kind of a formula that, almost like a pancake formula, that everybody followed the same rules. You know, “This disease is the third most common cancer and it presents in this way and that way.” And it was very, very formulaic. It wasn't energizing and exciting as it had been when we were discussing individual patients. So, you know, it just is what it is. I mean, progress is progress and you can't stop it. And I'm not trying to make America great again, you know, by going back to the 70s, but I do think sometimes we overthink what medical grand rounds ought to be as compared to a presentation at ASH or ASCO where you're talking to subspecialists who understand the nuances and you don't have to explain the abbreviations, you know, that type of thing. Dr. Mikkael SekeresSo I wonder, you talk about the echo chamber of the grand rounds nowadays, right? It's not as well attended. It used to be a packed event, and it used to be almost a who's who of, of who's in the department. You'd see some very famous people who would attend every grand rounds and some up-and-comers, and it was a chance for the chief residents to shine as well. How do you think COVID and the use of Zoom has changed the personality and energy of grand rounds? Is it better because, frankly, more people attend—they just attend virtually. Last time I attended, I mean, I attend our Department of Medicine grand rounds weekly, and I'll often see 150, 200 people on the Zoom. Or is it worse because the interaction's limited? Dr. David JohnsonYeah, I don't want to be one of those old curmudgeons that says, you know, the way it used to be is always better. But there's no question that the convenience of Zoom or similar media, virtual events, is remarkable. I do like being able to sit in my office where I am right now and watch a conference across campus that I don't have to walk 30 minutes to get to. I like that, although I need the exercise. But at the same time, I think one of the most important aspects of coming together is lost with virtual meetings, and that's the casual conversation that takes place. I mentioned in my essay an example of the grand rounds that I attended given by someone in a different specialty who was both a physician and a PhD in biochemistry, and he was talking about prostaglandin metabolism. And talk about a yawner of a title; you almost have to prop your eyelids open with toothpicks. But it turned out to be one of the most fascinating, engaging conversations I've ever encountered. And moreover, it completely opened my eyes to an area of research that I had not been exposed to at all. And it became immediately obvious to me that it was relevant to the area of my interest, which was lung cancer. This individual happened to be just studying colon cancer. He's not an oncologist, but he was studying colon cancer. But it was really interesting what he was talking about. And he made it very relevant to every subspecialist and generalist in the audience because he talked about how prostaglandin has made a difference in various aspects of human physiology. The other grand rounds which always sticks in my mind was presented by a long standing program director at my former institution of Vanderbilt. He's passed away many years ago, but he gave a fascinating grand rounds where he presented the case of a homeless person. I can't remember the title of his grand rounds exactly, but I think it was “Care of the Homeless” or something like that. So again, not something that necessarily had people rushing to the audience. What he did is he presented this case as a mysterious case, you know, “what is it?” And he slowly built up the presentation of this individual who repeatedly came to the emergency department for various and sundry complaints. And to make a long story short, he presented a case that turned out to be lead poisoning. Everybody was on the edge of their seat trying to figure out what it was. And he was challenging members of the audience and senior members of the audience, including the Cair, and saying, “What do you think?” And it turned out that the patient became intoxicated not by eating paint chips or drinking lead infused liquids. He was burning car batteries to stay alive and inhaling lead fumes, which itself was fascinating, you know, so it was a fabulous grand rounds. And I mean, everybody learned something about the disease that they might otherwise have ignored, you know, if it'd been a title “Lead Poisoning”, I'm not sure a lot of people would have shown up. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres That story, David, reminds me of Tracy Kidder, who's a master of the nonfiction narrative, will choose a subject and kind of just go into great depth about it, and that subject could be a person. And he wrote a book called Rough Sleepers about Jim O'Connell - and Jim O'Connell was one of my attendings when I did my residency at Mass General - and about his life and what he learned about the homeless. And it's this same kind of engaging, “Wow, I never thought about that.” And it takes you in a different direction. And you know, in your essay, you make a really interesting comment. You reflect that subspecialists, once eager to share their insight with the wider medical community, increasingly withdraw to their own specialty specific conferences, further fragmenting the exchange of knowledge across disciplines. How do you think this affects their ability to gain new insights into their research when they hear from a broader audience and get questions that they usually don't face, as opposed to being sucked into the groupthink of other subspecialists who are similarly isolated? Dr. David Johnson That's one of the reasons I chose to illustrate that prostaglandin presentation, because again, that was not something that I specifically knew much about. And as I said, I went to the grand rounds more out of a sense of obligation than a sense of engagement. Moreover, our Chair at that institution forced us to go, so I was there, not by choice, but I'm so glad I was, because like you say, I got insight into an area that I had not really thought about and that cross pollination and fertilization is really a critical aspect. I think that you can gain at a broad conference like Medical Grand Rounds as opposed to a niche conference where you're talking about APL. You know, everybody's an APL expert, but they never thought about diabetes and how that might impact on their research. So it's not like there's an ‘aha' moment at every Grand Rounds, but I do think that those kinds of broad based audiences can sometimes bring a different perspective that even the speaker, him or herself had not thought of. Dr. Mikkael SekeresI think that's a great place to end and to thank David Johnson, who's a clinical oncologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and just penned the essay in JCO Art of Oncology Practice entitled "An Oncologist's Guide to Ensuring Your First Medical Grand Rounds Will Be Your Last." Until next time, thank you for listening to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology. Don't forget to give us a rating or review, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can find all of ASCO's shows at asco.org/podcasts. David, once again, I want to thank you for joining me today. Dr. David JohnsonThank you very much for having me. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Show notes: Like, share and subscribe so you never miss an episode and leave a rating or review. Guest Bio: Dr David Johnson is a clinical oncologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.
Sam Altman's outsize ambition and messianic optimism take center stage in a conversation with Keach Hagey, author of The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future. From failed flip-phone apps to billion-dollar AI bets, Altman emerges as one of Silicon Valley's most effective—and unsettling—dream merchants. Plus: Trump's flying palace may be more than a bribe; it's a perfect symbol of soft corruption via cushy luxury. And of all the cease-fires for Trump to broker, he chooses one where U.S. weapons and interests are barely at stake. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today on The Gist we play back a section for our Chuck Todd interview that didn't make it on air and revisit a 2020 interview with Don Bacon. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jim Lampley joins to discuss It Happened!: A Uniquely Lucky Life in Sports Television, his memoir of sports, broadcasting, the randomness of a lucky break, and crying along with Mike Tyson. Plus: Trump's Surgeon General pick, Casey Means, pitches metabolic woo—we break down several of her claims from appearances with Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson. And: Teens with water guns are triggering 911 calls nationwide—senior assassination season is underway. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Austin Berg and Eric Zorn are Not Even Mad as we discuss mayoral overcrowding and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, the supposed new MAGA slayer. Plus: a few thoughts on our new American spiritual leader—not the pope, but the Surgeon General. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Arkells frontman Max Kerman joins to discuss his book Try Hard: Creative Work in Progress, unpacking the craft behind stage banter, songwriting rule-breaking, and joyful collaboration. He explains why athletes lean on superstition while creatives benefit from breaking routine and planting show tickets around Red Deer with a retired farmer. Plus: Germany elects Merz, but to some of us, Fred Mertz is now Chancellor—and the BBC's schnitzel puns aren't helping. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Avlea Folk Embroidery is sponsoring this week’s show with Sarah Resnick of Gist Yarn and Zollie Makes. Our focus this week is the range of products produced by Sarah’s two companies, specifically the beautiful Array crewel wool yarn/thread and Palette Scout, a versatile tool designed to help you select a color palette for your next project and/or change colors in a current project. The Array 100% wool thread is excellent quality and available in 114 colors with several shades of each color. The wool is sourced, processed, and dyed in the U.S. and comes on spools that contain 210 yd. If you’re color challenged and/or intimidated by selecting/changing colors, the Palette Scout is easy to use and can become your new best stitching friend, especially if you purchase the $5 DMC conversion pdf. Check out these and several other products at the respective websites and be sure to support our sponsor, Avlea Folk Embroidery.–Gary Listen to the podcast: This show is also available on FlossTube. Click here to view it. You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Podbay, and Podbean. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses. Here are some links: Avlea Folk Embroidery website Gist Yarn website Gist Yarn on Facebook Gist Yarn on Instagram Gist Yarn on YouTube Zollie Makes website Zollie Makes on Facebook Zollie Makes on Instagram Zollie Makes on YouTube We hope you enjoy this week’s conversation with Sarah Resnick. We’re always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.–Gary To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.
Today on The Gist. Mike was recently on the podcast House of Strauss and The Dispatch Roundtable. We are going to share a portion, but if you want to listen to the rest of them, use the links below! HoS: Mike Pesca - by Ethan Strauss - House of StraussThe Dispatch Podcast - Breaking News Commentary & Analysis Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Michelle Buteau stops by to talk about getting high in the reptile house and why she caught flak for doing spon-con souptroversy. We also get into her Dutch husband, the spirituality she doesn't buy into, and whether her socialism can coexist with her ambition to get paid. Plus, we ask: can a Buteau-pian society have luxe throw pillows? Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Host Sarah Isgur and contractually obligated Jonah Goldberg are joined by Dispatch contributor Jesse Singal and Mike Pesca, host of The Gist podcast to discuss the Democratic Party's identity crisis. Also: Singal broke news on The Dispatch about the Trump administration's transgender policy. The Agenda:—The cajun rages on—Sarah is smarter than her son—We all know a David Hogg—The Dems should thank Trump for the 80/20 issues—The Trump administration and transgender health care for kids—2026 Senate map—Ross Douthat worries about the end of humanity The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including members-only newsletters, bonus podcast episodes, and regular livestreams—click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rust director Joel Souza joins for an interview about finishing a film that nearly killed him—and did kill talented cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Souza speaks candidly about grief, safety failures, and his estrangement from Alec Baldwin, as well as why completing Rust became a moral obligation rather than a commercial one.Plus National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is out, possibly taking the fall for Trump ally Pete Hegseth. Waltz, with four Bronze Stars and some bipartisan appeal, may have been too respectable for the MAGA machine; Hegseth, flashier and riskier, stays put. Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sadie Dingfelder returns to investigate the cult of “mewing” — the viral tongue-posture technique that promises to chisel your jaw and change your life, or IS THAT BS? Then we turn to the rarest development of all: Trump, on Day 100 of his second term, strikes a deal with Zelensky but not the big one. Plus, we salute a scrappy little government agency that thrived on efficiency… until Trump and Musk disbanded it anyway. Join The Gist Team Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comMike of The Gist is here, which means the conversation flows so easily. We start with Giannis Antetokounmpo going viral again in defeat, and then hit a range of sports current events. Topics include but aren't limited to…* Why the public likes Giannis' defeat monologues* Is Antetokounmpo at all at fault for the Milwaukee disaster?* NBA playoff ratings have juice* What's up with all TV ratings these days? Are they real or fake?* Aaron Rodgers is insufferable in totality but not in bite sizes* Why NBA superstars try to change too many things around them* How to deal with celebrities* How many NBA players earn more than Adam Silver? * Todd McShay > Mel Kiper * Mike defends Mel Kiper * My ONE big rule of drafting NBA and NFL players
Faiz Siddiqui discusses Hubris Maximus his sharp chronicle of Elon Musk's maximalist vision, self-driving delusions, and the rule-breaking impulses that fuel both triumph and tragedy. Plus we hear a tart exchange in the White House briefing room about Amazon's decision to itemize tariff costs. Plus, its been 100 days. At least 98 could have been a lot better. Join The Gist Team Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
David Frum, former Bush speechwriter and Atlantic contributor discusses Republican cowardice, Democratic excess, and the structural dangers facing American democracy. Frum argues that Donald Trump's 2025 threat is deeper, more organized, and more perilous than ever before. Plus, Axios reporter Alex Thompson's apt remarks puncture the often hollow spectacle of the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Join The Gist Team Produced by Corey WaraEmail us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today on the Gist, we open the vaults to 2020 to revisit and interview with Dr. Paul Offit and we replay Monday's spiel on The Full Ginsburg. Join The Gist Team Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Alan McPherson author of The Breach: Iran-Contra and the Assault on American Democracy joins to discuss the Iran-Contra affair and how it plagued both the end of Regans Presidency and George H. W. Bush's, but also how it ties into the politics of today. Also, Pete Hegseth is a dirty dirty boy, or at least has a dirty dirty line. Plus, its an Antwentig. Join The Gist Team Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.comTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGistSubscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gSubscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAMFollow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jeff Maurer, former Last Week Tonight writer, has been knee-deep in century-old New York Times clippings—considering the differences between yesterday's fascism fears and today's. In Part 2, Jeff analyzes John Oliver's recent reliance on straw men and Jon Stewart's fairly triumphant return to The Daily Show. Plus- who is favored in a trade battle between the US and China contested on questions of tolerance for suffering? Join Team Gist Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We conclude our conversation with Stephen Macedo and Frances Lee, authors of In Covid's Wake, exploring how political structures—not just bad actors—amplified the crisis. Plus, revisiting a 2021 Washington Post article that sided with YouTube's removal of a DeSantis-hosted panel questioning masking for young children. And in "The Spiel", a probe of what experts must do to recover lost public trust, especially when once-dismissed claims turn out to be plausible. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The authors of In Covid's Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us, political scientists Stephen Macedo and Frances Lee, join for a full-show interview to discuss our failures during the pandemic. The evidence shows pharmaceutical interventions did nothing, but the tradeoff was trillions of dollars in deficit spending, lost learning and solitary deathbeds. Plus, Pete Hegseth may be leaking more than leadership; after his second round of Signal-based scheming, the veteran Fox-man-turned-defense-secretary is reportedly on the chopping block. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Senator Chris Van Hollen made the rounds on all five Sunday shows to discuss the detention of Kilmar Abrego Garcia—but curiously avoided using Kilmar's first name. A dissects of rhetorical and how even drink orders can become political code. Professor Michael Harte talks tariffs and trade and reflects on his time as chief economics advisor to the Falkland Islands. And in the Spiel, a deep dive into the trivia, origins, and peculiar legacy of the “Full Ginsburg.” Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today on The Gist. ITs a day dedicated to Chickens. Mikes 2017 opening about UK's Chicken places named after US States, and the British are squawking about a different kind of chicken — the chlorinated kind — with tabloids clucking and trade talks at risk of being deep-fried. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Comedian T.J. Miller joins this episode of Funny You Should Mention. You might know him from Silicon Valley, Deadpool, or that time he had a choice between brain surgery with a 10% fatality rate vs. almost surely dying by 35. It is the funniest conversation ever had with the phrase "10% fatality rate" hanging in the air. Also why T.J. insists that comedy should feel like jazz played on a flaming trampoline, and how to let a crowd set the course while always steering the ship. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Boston Globe columnist Carine Hajjar and The Commercial Break's Bryan Green debate whether Joe Rogan's platforming of antisemitic conspiracies signals a deeper rot—or just the cost of open conversation. Plus: should Harvard be defunded? And will Kilmar Abrego Garcia stay in a Salvadoran prison? In Goat Grinders, we take aim at student driver bumper stickers, White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood's biting critique of SNL, and nothing left to stream. Theme by Max Kerman Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In their new book chronicling the 2024 election, Fight, Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes document the disarray inside the Democratic camp during Biden's final months and Kamala Harris's precarious rise. Also some items from the debut of The Gist List: Cuomo's one-handed housing expert explains the typos, and a modest proposal not to euthanizing monkeys. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Can Trump run for a third term? Someone who has contemplated that is Bruce Peabody author of the law review titled The Twice and Future President Revisited: Of Three-Term Presidents and Constitutional End Runs who joins us to discuss. Plus, Mike questions the political upside of detaining an innocent man, especially when Trump's allies haven't mustered a coherent narrative to justify it. And in the Spiel: The SAVE Act is stirring fears that it could disenfranchise tens of millions of married women—but Mike breaks down why, while flawed, the bill is unlikely to actually change voting access. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Donald Trump just walked back key tariffs on Chinese electronics — but his Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, is still out on a full-throated pro-tariff tour, as if nothing happened. To make sense of Trump's strategy (or improvisation), Mike turns to Yale Business School professor Barry Nalebuff, who finds the approach confusing because it doesn't align with what appear to be Trump's actual goals. Meanwhile, in the Spiel, the British are squawking about a different kind of chicken — the chlorinated kind — with tabloids clucking and trade talks at risk of being deep-fried. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today on The Gist. We go back to the The Colin McEnroe Show where Mike was on as a guest not talking about Tapirs. Then We end with Wednesdays Spiel on Trumps press conference about tariffs. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clay Risen, author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America, joins to discuss the era when suspicion was a political tool and civil liberties were sidelined. Today we have echoes—and outright repetitions—of McCarthyite tactics, from loyalty oaths to immigration crackdowns. Also- there may be three plastic spoons' worth of microplastic in the average human brain—according to science, which Mike neither trusts nor understands, on account of his 0.5% spoon brain. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The bond market—stodgy, suit-clad, and deeply un-Instagrammable—has the economy feeling either “yippy” or “queasy,” Plus, Republicans are eager to wield the issue of trans athletes, especially when stocks are tumbling. And linguist John McWhorter returns to discuss the beauty of borrowed Yiddish verbs, the aesthetics of the letter X, and why “My wife, she…” is pure Rodney and pure syntax. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
John McWhorter joins to discuss his new book Pronoun Trouble, which unpacks the politics and poetry of tiny words. Also, Trump touts his tariff triumph by jabbing Canada, walloping China, and baffling Wall Street into bullishness. He riffed on trade deficits, finger amputations, immigration, mental ward discharge, and compared economic instinct to Indy car strategy. Markets cheered, economists jeered, and Trump took a victory lap after hitting the wall. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices