Chechen Warlord Stuck in Dead End Job
Plus: Chuck Todd joins us on the show, deportés get a free trip to Tripoli & pardons, in THIS economy?
Ever find yourself in that awkward position where you want to quit your job but your boss won't let you? Well, spare a thought for Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, who's been doing the professional equivalent of hovering his cursor over the “resign” button for years now. One big hurdle stands in the way—no, it’s not his 401K—it’s his boss, Vladimir Putin. He will only leave if Putin approves.
Now, while the rumor mill's been working overtime suggesting health issues (and who among us hasn't called in sick when we're just sick of work?), I'm thinking he's just ready to update that LinkedIn profile. What kind of transferrable skills do you think that has? I bet he’d do a good job at being an “edgelord,” but it might be a lateral move, “druglord” lacks some legitimacy, and “slumlord” would probably feel like a demotion. Though I have to say, in this job market, having "Maintained iron grip on semi-autonomous region" under your skill set might just get you that middle management position you've been eyeing.
Welcome to the Gist List—a news roundup, interesting things you should know, and my thoughts leading up to today’s podcast episode.
Here’s what’s on my mind:
👀 The U.S. has its eyes, ears and mittens on Greenland.
💥 U.S. announces it will stop bombing Houthis, forgets to CC Israel.
📈 The economy may be missing a few teeth, but it is still fighting.
🇱🇾 The U.S. is now booking free trips to scenic Tripoli.
❤️ Lucy and Ricky Ricardo’s neighbor changes careers.
🫰 Looking for a pardon? How do you feel about the $TRUMP coin?
🎙️ Also, I had a great interview with former host of Meet The Press, Chuck Todd. Check it out.
The Gist List
U.S. Orders Intelligence Agencies to Step Up Spying on Greenland (WSJ)
In a move that doesn’t exactly qualify as black-ops (except maybe to the Greenlanders themselves), Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard issued a directive to intelligence agencies to continue spying on Greenland. But what, exactly, is there to spy on—is there something to be gleaned from furtive reindeer migratory patterns or suspicious-looking icebergs? Considering how bundled up everyone is in that frozen landscape, there certainly are plenty of down parkas with trackers hidden within and earmuffs with listening devices.
But I digress. The Wall Street Journal somehow got a hold of the directive (which, to be fair, doesn’t seem that hard these days), prompting Gabbard to respond with:
“The Wall Street Journal should be ashamed of aiding deep state actors who seek to undermine the President by politicizing and leaking classified information. They are breaking the law and undermining our nation’s security and democracy.”
All that aside, this is a move that shows us that President Trump wasn’t joking when he said he wanted to get Greenland from Denmark.
Trump Announces U.S. Truce with Houthis, Who Say Their Strikes on Israel Will Continue (Times of Israel)
When Israel went in to bomb Houthi assets this week, the U.S. said, “Don’t worry! We’re right behind you!” and then later announced that we’d stop our attacks on Houthis. Basically, the administration brokered a deal that, in return for ceasing attacks on the rebel group, they’d stop attacking international shipping lanes and reduce the holdups in international shipping.
Israel, on the other hand, has been left scratching their heads as they didn’t get an advanced warning and the Houthis are still planning to attack Israel. Senator Lindsey Graham, in a “well, I hope that teaches you a lesson!” moment, noted that if the Houthis keep attacking Israel, “they do so at Iran’s own peril.” He also wished Israel the best of luck, saying on X, “To my friends in Israel, do what you have to do to protect your airspace and your people. It is long past time to consider hitting Iran hard. It wouldn’t take much to put Iran out of the oil business.”
U.S. Economy Shows Remarkable Resilience in Face of Trade Turmoil (WSJ)
You know the economy—the one we're always talking about like it's an emphysema patient after a fun run in a dust storm? Well, it might be… fine? Despite the roller-coaster ride of emotions the news is taking us on, there is some good news, and the economy is showing some resilience:
The U.S. economy added more jobs than expected last month, and unemployment is low.
And the stock market? It's bounced back from April's gut punch when your 401(k) looked more like a 201(k).
Obviously, economists and consumers are worried—and have good reason to be—but for now, it’s not as doom and gloom as it might feel.
Trump Administration Plans to Send Migrants to Libya on a Military Flight (NYT)
From the holes of Montezuma to the bolted doors of Tripoli, migrants are going to get a free ride home in military planes. The only catches are that there’s no in-flight wifi, no free snacks, and they are getting deported to a country whose biggest claim to fame is the horrifying human rights abuses perpetrated by Muammar Gaddafi.
The Trump administration argues this will deter illegal immigration and send a tough message to those in the U.S. without legal status. It’s quite a strong take when the State Department itself called Libya’s prisons “harsh and life-threatening.”
Friedrich Merz Becomes Germany's Chancellor after Historic Defeat in First Round Vote (NBC)
He had to wait 60 years before most people didn't associate him with Ricky and Lucy's cranky neighbor? No, but in a turn of events that would make sitcom writers jealous, Friedrich Merz—not to be confused with Fred Mertz of "I Love Lucy" fame (though both share a certain curmudgeonly charm)—has become Germany's chancellor. He pulled off this feat despite stumbling on the first ballot, a historic first in post-war German politics. After initially falling six votes short, he managed to scrape together 325 votes on the second go-round, proving that sometimes you need a do-over to make history.
And while Fred Mertz's biggest challenge was dealing with the Ricardo's Cuban conga lines reverberating through his ceiling, Chancellor Merz faces slightly weightier issues. Though I can't help but think the job will include plenty of exasperated sighs, loud neighbors, and vaudevillian antics.
Lawyers Are Quoting $1 Million in Fees to Get Pardons to Trump (Bloomberg Law)
If you thought presidential pardons were like finding a golden ticket in your Wonka bar—rare and reserved for the truly deserving—welcome to 2025's pardon-palooza! Last month, Trevor Milton, the founder of Nikola Corp. and who was convicted of fraud in 2022, received a call from the president telling him he would get a full pardon—something the president has been doing a lot of lately. In fact, Trump has been handing out pardons like campaign merch and has granted over 1,600 pardons and commutations since returning to office, showing a major preference for loyalists, white-collar defendants, and those who can get top-shelf representation.
Of course, Milton maintains his innocence and has argued that his prosecution was politically motivated—which may be entirely true and is easy to believe in this political climate—however, it probably didn’t hurt that he also donated nearly $1.7 million to support Trump’s 2024 campaign and hired some conservative, well-connected lawyers.
If you’re looking for a pardon, you might want to jump on Trump’s meme coin.
Yesterday on the show: Chuck Todd
Former Meet the Press host Chuck Todd joins to talk about his new podcast, The Chuck Toddcast. He discusses why being a non-pushover and being non-partisan are complementary, and what too many ex-network stars get wrong about "liberation."
There’s more where that came from. Listen to The Gist, and upgrade to Pesca Plus for the ad-free version.
Have a story you want us to talk about or an opinion you want to share? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com or share your thoughts in the comments. We might give you a shoutout in our next newsletter or on the air.