The Gist

The Scapegoat in Chinatown

How did a small, family run bank in New York wind up in court after the 2008 financial crisis? An Oscar-nominated documentary tells the story.

Filming Abacus, the documentary directed by Steve James.

Courtesy of the film Abacus

Listen to Episode 943 of Slate’s The Gist:

Slate Plus members: Get your ad-free podcast feed.

On The Gist, Lego business is hurting.

In Steve James’ latest documentary, the bank is the good guy. New York’s district attorney brought charges against a Chinatown-based bank after the 2008 financial crisis, even though the bank had little to do with subprime mortgages. James is the director of the Oscar-nominated Abacus: Small Enough to Jail.

In the Spiel, the unpersuasive handwringing over putting Sam Nunberg on live TV.

Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at Slate.com/gistplus.

Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook.

Email: thegist@slate.com
Twitter: @slategist