The Gist

Thomas Goetz joins the show to discuss his new podcast Drug Story, starting with the chain from FDR's death to cholesterol science, statins, and the cold math behind drug effectiveness. The conversation moves through Lipitor and EpiPens to show how evolving medical knowledge, good intentions, and pharmaceutical incentives can quietly reshape public health at massive scale. Plus, Trump is perhaps rethinking his Minnesota deployments, as the fire trucks exit.  In the spiel a look at why the word "pretext" keeps surfacing in descriptions of Trump administration ICE actions, especially in Minnesota. What the term actually means, why it is often misapplied, and what its ubiquity reveals about how this administration justifies force before retreating.
Produced by Corey Wara
Coordinated by Lya Yanne
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
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CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams joins to talk about his new book Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation.  He walks through the courtroom oddities, like a "ballistics demonstration" staged with Guardian Angels as stand-ins, and explains why there was always a legally defensible path to either convicting or acquitting Goetz. The conversation places New York itself as another character in the story of safety and perception, showing how fear influenced juror belief. Plus the idea of moral injury and how official narratives around the recent Minneapolis ICE shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti reflect ethical damage being felt in real bodies and in public outrage.
Produced by Corey Wara
Coordinated by Lya Yanne
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠
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First, Mike argues that Stephen Miller's promise of "federal immunity" to ICE agents is just as reckless as Donald Trump telling Iranian protesters the U.S. is "locked and loaded"—two instances of leaders writing checks their followers' safety can't cash. Then, from the vault (2022): Michelle Tafoya explains why she traded Monday Night Football for political podcasting. She discusses her "conservative libertarian" worldview, admits she might lack the "stomach" for a Senate run, and recounts the "hideous" experience of being "ambushed" on the Dan Le Batard show.
Produced by Corey Wara
Coordinated by Lya Yanne
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠
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For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/
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Today on The Gist, Mike explains why he won't be watching Netflix's Skyscraper Live, arguing that Alex Honnold's latest stunt is an "attractive nuisance" that plays on our darkest voyeuristic instincts rather than the Olympic ideal. Then, New York Times reporter Kenneth Vogel joins the show to discuss his book Devil's Advocates. He breaks down the "sh*tbag business" of foreign lobbying, covering Paul Manafort's pioneering work with dictators, Rudy Giuliani's "security consulting" hustle, and the very real legal exposure facing Hunter Biden. 
Produced by Corey Wara
Coordinated by Lya Yanne
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠
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Critic and essayist Jason Guriel joins to talk about Fan Mail and how cultural criticism curdled once gatekeepers vanished and celebration replaced judgment. He makes the case that abundance without curation doesn't democratize culture so much as drown it, leaving readers unsure what's worth their time—or why craft should matter at all. Plus, an analysis of Jack Smith's combative testimony before Congress and how "perjury traps" function when politics, not truth, is the goal. Also, dueling descriptions of Donald Trump at Davos—Pericles to admirers, shambolic horror show to skeptics—and what the split says about our fractured attention economy.
Produced by Corey Wara
Coordinated by Lya Yanne
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/
Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist
To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist