With Mike spending his first vacation day on TV talking about the Deflategate report, his friend Zoe Chace of This American Life steps up to guest-host the show. Today on The Gist, she looks at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s recent ruling on an aggressive claim to the soul of podcasting.

Plus, Zoe and her former co-worker Jacob Goldstein of NPR’s Planet Money revisit one of their favorite things: the Planet Money Indicator. For the Spiel, why music lovers should be terrified of growing old.    

Today’s sponsor: Shari’s Berries. Fresh berries dipped in chocolate, starting at just $19.99, are a great last-minute gift, and double your berries for just $5. Visit berries.com, click on the microphone, and use the code GIST. 

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On Tuesday, Sean Rameswaram of Studio 360’s Sideshow podcast guest hosts the show. Then, David Plotz of Atlas Obscura and Slate’s Political Gabfest sits in for Mike on Friday.