The NYT Anti-Endorsement
Plus: Why Israel struck when it did, Spaniards have a water fight with tourists & the reality of the Minnesota shooter.
Democratic Primary day for the New York City Mayor’s race is just eight days away, and the city (and its newspapers) are abuzz with anxiety. Enter this New York Times piece by the editorial board, Our Advice to Voters in a Vexing Race for New York Mayor, that does everything except endorse a candidate. In fact, it rips into Zohran Mamdani like a pustular dog with a chew toy—they highlight his lack of “political savvy,” mock his government-run grocery stores idea (which, to be fair, is the dumbest idea in municipal governance history), and even discourage people from voting for him:
"We do not believe that Mr. Mamdani deserves a spot on New Yorkers’ ballots. His experience is too thin, and his agenda reads like a turbocharged version of Mr. de Blasio’s dismaying mayoralty.”
The funny part about this is that the editorial board announced that it would stop endorsing candidates in the summer of last year—terrible timing for them to abdicate their primary civic obligation. Instead of being in the business of endorsing, they have gotten into the game of anti-endorsing, essentially weakening themselves at a time when they clearly want to be the most potent.
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 WHY about how Israel struck when it did. (🔒)
🍎 A teachers’ union pours its union dues into a losing candidate.
🛩️ Iran captured two Israeli pilots… or did they?
🚔 Maybe it doesn’t matter which party the Minnesota shooter was a part of.
🔫 Spaniards make protesting fun with water guns.
The Gist List
Why Israel Struck Now (The Atlantic)🔒
This might be one of the best pieces I have read on the subject recently. While most other outlets are discussing how Israel smuggled drones into Iran and how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu interpreted what President Donald Trump was saying (which are important things to discuss), this outlined the key philosophies of WHY Israel acted the way they did and why now—an attack that has been in talks for two decades. A few things that stood out to me:
Preemptive strikes over patience: Israel acted on the principle that waiting for absolute certainty—especially with a nuclear adversary—is too dangerous.
Challenge strategic immunity: Israel seemed intent on dismantling the idea that certain state actors (like Iran) are untouchable because of their “almost-nuclear” status.
Tactical precision (but not assassination of heads of state): Israel’s choice to target high-ranking military leaders and scientists instead of the Ayatollah himself is interesting to say the least.
Teachers Union Stands By Splashing Out Over $40M on Spiller's Bid for Governor (NJ Spotlight News)
Money can’t buy happiness, nor can it buy a political victory, but it can divert resources from classroom supplies. Despite record-breaking spending, the New Jersey teachers’ union-backed Sean Spiller came in fifth in the Democratic primary for governor. The campaign was backed by over $40 million in independent expenditures—mostly union dues—making it the most expensive governor’s race in state history.
However, before pouring in all those union dues, the teachers’ union probably should have taken a look at what Spiller himself was contributing. He raised just a measly $438,817, the lowest of any candidate. Of course, in his concession, he had to defend the spending, saying, “When it’s one of our own, when it’s an educator, when it’s us, all of a sudden it’s a big story.” Critics, on the other hand, pointed out that despite the glossy ads and mailers, the campaign failed to generate meaningful discussion or benefits for teachers.
Third F-35 Fighter Jet Downed in Iranian Territory, Two Israeli Pilots Now in Custody (Tehran Times)
I call BS on this one. One tell—it’s in the Tehran Times, the English-language state media of Tehran, so a little like The Shahs of Sunset meets RT Today. Iran is saying it has neutralized three Israeli F-35 jets, killing one pilot and capturing two others who ejected while flying over western Iran. But here’s the thing: Iran has a long history of making a Big Damn Deal™️ over having hostages (as anyone who saw the movie Argo—or just lived through the ordeal—can tell you). The headlines emblazoned across the Tehran Times, but so far, we’re not seeing any reporting on it (besides that from anti-Israel publications), no parading around the wreckage, and no named hostages. The Tehran Times does have comprehensive women’s volleyball coverage, however.
The Suspect in the Shooting of 2 Minnesota Lawmakers Has Been Captured and Charged (NPR)
Vance Boelter, the suspected killer of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, is now in custody and charged with murder and attempted murder. There’s not much to say about this story itself other than I’m glad they got their guy, and he didn’t get any further down his alleged hit list of 70 other people.
But I do think there is something to say about how people reacted to the news. In an era where we are bombarded by high-profile cases of political violence, we are all pathetically eager to rush to ask which jersey the shooter is wearing. Utah Sen. Mike Lee tweeted out, “This is what happens ... When Marxists don’t get their way,” and news spread about Boelter’s appointment to a board in 2019 by Gov. Walz, motivating people to believe he was on the left. And then his hit list was discovered, and we found out he was a conservative, and suddenly the grotesque tide changed.
But really, who wins in the race to first portray the politics of an assassin? Did the side that ended up being right get a prize? Did the wrong one wind up “shaping the narrative”? Does anyone from senator to shit poster accrue tangible political capital over the murder of parents of two children?
Spaniards Turn Water Guns on Visitors in Barcelona and Mallorca to Protest Mass Tourism (AP)
The Spanish have HAD IT with tourists and are fighting back in the same way most people try to keep cats off the countertops: squirting them with water. In Barcelona and Mallorca specifically, protesters squirted tourists with water guns to symbolize how tourism is “drenching” their cities. Apparently, the mass numbers of Airbnbs, rising housing costs, and low-quality hospitality jobs are not cutting it for the residents who would like to hear a few more “por favors” and “gracias” for their hospitality in their cities. In fact, Spain ordered Airbnb to remove 66,000 listings for violating local laws, and local officials are worried that the short-term housing market is overriding Spanish citizens’ rights to housing.
What I love about this story, however, is this image of a man squirting protesters, especially his hair and shirt combo. The cut-open sleeves are doing the same thing for his arms that his hair is doing for his head: just proving that yes, he does have hair, but his baldness is a lifestyle choice.
Is That BS? Can Talking to Your Plants Actually Work?
In another edition of Is That BS? Sadie Dingfelder joins to ask: is chatting with your ficus legit, or just verbal compost? The science of sound and strawberries might surprise you. You can also read her essay about it here.
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.