The Gist

History is the product of remembering our past, so it involves the mind, though we have underused neuroscience in understanding how we know what we think we know. Abby Smith Rumsey chairs the board of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and she is out with a new book Memory, Edited: Taking Liberties with History, in which she looks to science to help her understand the past. And a false narrative about children dying in Gaza is amplified by the media echo chamber. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

China recalls its pandas, and Americans bid them a tearful adieu. If only we could form such a tight bond with the Uyghurs. We are also joined by Dr. Jonathan Howard, author of We Want Them Infected: How the failed quest for herd immunity led doctors to embrace the anti-vaccine movement and blinded Americans to the threat of COVID, to discuss the concept of herd immunity. Then we turn to yesterday's GOP debate, where shooting people was proposed as a U.S. policy for immigration. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aquilino Gonell was a Capitol Hill Police Officer who, on January 6th, was beset upon by an angry mob then all but abandoned by officialdom in the aftermath. He's out with his story in a new book, American Shield: The Immigrant Sergeant Who Defended Democracy. Plus, election day shows the U.S. wants their rights, but not a revolution. And Donald Trump actually is doing much better than predicted with black Voters. Could it be the mug shot? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Judis and Ruy Teixiera drop by to answer the question posed in the title of their new book Where Have All the Democrats Gone? Their warning is that the more Dems tack left, the more likely the only constituency left will be "the left." Plus, the guilty plea of a mass shooter's father. And the meaning imparted in the misreported presence of beheaded babies in Israel. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Soyeon Lee fled North Korea, was caught, was jailed, was beaten, then fled again. We will talk to her, and the documentarian Madeleine Gavin, about the new film Beyond Utopia, which includes surreptitiously recorded video of dangerous escape attempts. Plus, Joe Biden trails Trump everywhere that counts. Is the "people will figure out Trump is worse" strategy the best strategy? And protesters attack a seventeenth-century oil painting, because they hate paintings. No, wait, it's that they hate oil. Both are equally sensible. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new Netflix film, Pain Hustlers, starring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans, is getting a lot of buzz, so we dug into the archives to unearth an interview with Evan Hughes from February 2022. Hughes is author of Hard Sell: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup, about his coverage of an out-of-control drug maker that destroyed lives and paid a price for doing so, which was the inspiration for the film. Then we check out a podcast extra with Greg Lukianoff, President of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Greg was on the show this past week discussing his new book, The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust, Destroys Institutions, and Threatens Us All—but There Is a Solution.  Check out Mike’s recent appearance on the Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em podcast.  Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe

Walt Hickey is a Pulitzer Prize-winning data journalist and also a real pop-culture-impersonated peruser. His new book is You Are What You Watch, How Movies and TV Affect Everything, and he makes a good case. Plus, when it comes to cease fires, casualties, and rules of engagement in Gaza, meanings are fluid.  Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do George Santo, the Stellar's Jay, Donald Trump, the Anna Hummingbird, Adam Kinzinger, and the Cooper's Hawk all have in common? Yes, they are all in the news today. Yes, they are all on the show today. But their common connection, as far as we're concerned, is that their fates were governed by principles. Tune in to learn how. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Philadelphia, an after-action report on the prisoners who escaped a city jail, despite the best efforts of napping and non-fence-repairing guards. Plus, the difference between an odious threat and an actual chant. And we're joined by Laura Meckler, author of Dream Town: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial Equity, about the Ohio suburb that tried and tried ... and still tries ... to get the thorniest question in American Education right. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Greg Lukianoff, President of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, returns to continue our discussion about his new book, The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust, Destroys Institutions, and Threatens Us All—but There Is a Solution. Plus, how much has changed in the degree to which Joe Biden backs Israel. And Dean Phillips is a Presidential candidate for Halloween! How cute. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Biden is pretty suspicious about official counts emanating from the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza. News outlets aren't squelching those figures, but they are labelling the agency the "Hamas-controlled health ministry." And Greg Lukianoff, President of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, discusses his new book, The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust, Destroys Institutions, and Threatens Us All—but There Is a Solution. Plus, a made man who didn't sock away sufficient savings from the Lufthansa Heist. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Melissa DeRosa is out with a new book, What's Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics & Crisis, and we had her on the show earlier this week to talk about her experiences in the Andrew Cuomo administration. On this episode of BEST OF THE GIST, a podcast extra with Melissa about power and her assessment of how it was used and wielded in the state house of New York. Naive people, be ready to be disabused of your notions of power. Then we listen back to Monday’s Spiel about the latest reports on the wealth gap in America.  Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the world debates Middle East peace, Israeli defense expert Kobi Michael gives us a window into how he and many of his countrymen are thinking about this moment. He says it’s not so much a daunting theoretical challenge as it is simply life or death. We talk ground offensive, Hezbollah, tunnel fighting, and how American opinion will ultimately impact Israeli tactics. Plus, in the wake of yet another horrific mass shooting, how Maine compares to other states in this awful category. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephen Bright is a death penalty lawyer and critic of our illogical, slapdash system of criminal justice. He's out with a new book, The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Persistence of Inequality in the Criminal Courts. Plus, why Americans hate the robust economy. And a Polish priest wants us to look up the definition of "sex orgy." So we do. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vincent Bevins has covered Brazil for the Los Angeles Times, and Southeast Asia for the Washington Post, and during his tenure he's covered many protest movements. In his new book, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution, Bevins weaves together the various movements and examines their lessons. He'll discuss what works, what doesn't, and if the protesters realize this themselves. And it's pits for a peach company. Plus, a Speaker! Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Melissa DeRosa was a top aide to Andrew Cuomo, and her new memoir is titled What's Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics & Crisis. DeRosa is back to discuss the sexual harassment scandal that brought down her former boss. Plus, a call for university presidents to be more condemnatory of pro-Palestinian sentiments. And the United States of America's LinkedIn Page reflects a certain key position is unfilled. Can you guess which? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Melissa DeRosa was the closest aide and top advisor to former NY State Governor, Andrew Cuomo. In her new memoir titled What's Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics & Crisis, she examines the trauma of the pandemic and offers perspective and new information about the scandals that befell her former boss. Plus, is calculating the death toll in Israel compared to 9/11 clarifying or misleading? And the latest wealth figures offer good news—both overall, and in terms of the the black-white wealth gap. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“A lot of people think we have a violence problem, but it doesn't seem to be the case; but where we are different is in terms of guns,” says Dr. David Hemenway of Harvard University’s Injury Control Research Center. He makes the case for a public health approach which treats gun violence as an epidemic to be mitigated through practical long-term solutions. In addition, Professors Chris Hays and Carly Crouch of Fuller Theological Seminary discuss their book God and Guns, examining the presumed correlation between American Christianity and support of gun ownership. To close, Diane Latiker shares what peacemaking might look like on the ground in the face of such bleak realities. Today, we’re sharing a special episode from No Small Endeavor, produced by our friends at Great Feeling Studios and PRX. Hosted by award-winning professor Lee C. Camp, the No Small Endeavor podcast thoughtfully merges the world of theology with arts, society, and politics. Like this episode, where award-winning professor Lee C. Camp sits

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, this past week was a big one in the life and career of House of Representatives member Jim Jordan. The 59-year-old Ohioan reportedly tried to browbeat his colleagues into choosing him as their leader, and, as of Friday evening, he hadn’t done so successfully. So, to put some context to this moment, we dug up a 2018 Spiel we thought might help paint a more full picture of Jim. After that, we’ll listen back to our past Tuesday Spiel, in which Mike asked, “Who, really, is endangering the Gazan citizens?”  Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike’s Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A volume that deals with the heights of the depths The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works is the latest work by Helen Czerski, British physicist, oceanographer, and expert on things vast and briny. Plus, Biden resonated with Israelis. And examining conflict in Gaza though U.S. ethnic identity. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist Subscribe: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices