Explain It to Me

Dylan Matthews, Dara Lind, and special guest Ari Ne’eman (@aneeman) fire up the Weeds Time Machine for a special episode on the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was signed into law 32 years ago today, and while the legislation had a profound impact on almost every corner of American society, the bill wasn’t perfect. So hop into the Time Machine to learn about the history of the disability rights movement, how the ADA came to be, and what the movement is working toward today.References:What if Disability Rights Were for Everyone?Opinion | A 'Safety Net' That's a Kafkaesque MessWatch Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution | Netflix Official SiteThe Power of 504 Episode transcriptHosts:Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, VoxDara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, VoxCredits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserAmber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsSign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dara Lind is joined by Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) to discuss the major decisions handed down by the Supreme Court this term. They talk about the Court’s emphasis on historical narrative, its move away from settled legal doctrine, and the politicization of the Court. Plus, a white paper on originalism and stare decisis written by then-professor Amy Coney Barrett. References:The post-legal Supreme Court Originalism and Stare Decisis Hosts:Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, VoxCredits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserAmber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsSign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox Supreme Court correspondent Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) speaks with Michele Goodwin, a law professor, bioethicist, and leading expert on reproductive health policy, about the future of abortion rights in a world without Roe.References:Policing the Womb by Michele Goodwin Credits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserAmber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsSign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dylan Matthews and Dara Lind are joined by Vox senior reporter Keren Landman, M.D., (@landmanspeaking) to discuss the extremely high maternal mortality rate in the United States. Breaking down those numbers by socioeconomic factors like race or income, the rate of pregnancy-related deaths gets even worse. What will happen now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned? References:Where will abortion still be legal now that Roe v. Wade has been overruled? The end of Roe will mean more children living in poverty Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2020 Maternity Care Deserts Report Maternal Mortality and Maternity Care in the United States Compared to 10 Other Developed CountriesHow Many American Women Die From Causes Related to Pregnancy or Childbirth? No One Knows.Overturning Roe v. Wade Could Make Maternal Mortality Even WorseWhite paper: Maternal Mortality and Women's Political PowerHosts:Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, VoxDara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, VoxCredits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserAmber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsSign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, Weeds listeners: Today, we are bringing you an episode of Today, Explained that originally aired in early June. Ten months ago, the faculty of Cramer Hill Elementary set out to get their kids back on track after a year of mostly remote learning. Today, Explained’s Miles Bryan attended eighth-grade graduation to see how they did.This episode was reported and produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.Transcript at vox.com/todayexplainedSupport Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dylan Matthews sits down with economic historians Jared Rubin and Mark Koyama to discuss their new book, How the World Became Rich. It tries to answer one of the hardest questions in history: Why, roughly 200 years ago, did parts of the world start experiencing sustained economic growth? References:How the World Became Rich by Jared Rubin and Mark KoyamaDylan also wrote about the bookHosts:Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, VoxCredits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserAmber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsSign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dylan Matthews and Dara Lind are joined by Vox senior correspondent Dylan Scott (@dylanlscott) to discuss the shortage of nurses in the American health care workforce. The nursing shortage goes back many years, and not only did the pandemic exacerbate the problem, it also put it under a microscope. The US needs more nurses, but what can be done? References:America needs more doctors and nurses to survive the next pandemicThe way the United States pays for nurses is brokenHosts:Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, VoxDara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, VoxCredits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserAmber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsSign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dylan Matthews and Dara Lind are joined by Vox politics reporter Nicole Narea (@nicolenarea) to talk about gun violence. They discuss the findings of three different research studies related to gun policy, which gun control policies are effective, the outcomes of specific violence interventions, and how state legislatures respond to mass shootings. Editorial note: This episode touches on gun violence and suicide. If you want to talk to someone, you can call 1-800-273-8255 or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org  References:The Uvalde massacre and America's unique gun violence problem, explainedDylan on how gun ownership became a powerful political identity White paper 1: “The Science of Gun Policy”White paper 2: “Presence of Armed School Officials and Fatal and Nonfatal Gunshot Injuries During Mass School Shootings, United States, 1980-2019”White paper 3: “The Impact of Mass Shootings on Gun Policy”Press coverage of mass shootings can cause copycat shootingsHosts:Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, VoxDara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, VoxCredits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserAmber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsSign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode originally published in October 2021 as the second installment of our “Most Dangerous Branch” miniseries about the Supreme Court. Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) talks with law professor Joseph Blocher and historian Carol Anderson about the Second Amendment, the triumph of the NRA's vision for that amendment, and an upcoming Supreme Court case that endangers more than a century of American gun control laws.References:The Positive Second Amendment Rights, Regulation, and the Future of Heller, Joseph Blocher The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America, Carol AndersonCredits:Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineerLibby Nelson, editorial advisorAmber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsSign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This special episode of The Weeds was taped live at TruCon 2022! Join Dara Lind, Zack Beauchamp, and Jen Kirby for a live panel discussion about the state of global democracy. They discuss the complicated relationship among migration, the threat of the populist far right, and what this means for global democracy. References:Zack’s latest piece on “replacement theory”He also wrote about Democrats and immigration policies in 2019And more from Zack about Hungary, Tucker Carlson, and the election in the Philippines Jen wrote about the French presidential runoff elections in April She also recommends this piece about far-right politics in GermanyThe first installment of the multi-part series from NYT about Tucker Carlson and Fox NewsWhite paper: Waking Up the Golden Dawn: Does Exposure to the Refugee Crisis Increase Support for Extreme-Right Parties? White paper: Refugee Migration and Electoral Outcomes Hosts:Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, VoxDara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, VoxJen Kirby (@j_kirby1), foreign and national security reporter, VoxCredits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserAmber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsSign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices