Explain It to Me

We did it, y’all – we made it to Election Day! And if you’re like us, tonight you’ll be glued to your TV and constantly refreshing Vox.com waiting for the returns to come in. We’re pretty used to knowing the winner that same night, but in 2020, we had to wait days before a winner was announced. So this got us thinking: How do news networks know when to make a call? And how has that changed through the years? We talked to three experts to find out.References:The 2022 midterm elections, explainedWhen will we know results in the 2022 midterm elections?How elections are called and what “projected winner” means, explained (November 2020)How we call races | APEXPLAINER: Why do the media call races in US elections? | AP NewsHosts:Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)Credits:Sofi LaLonde, producerCristian Ayala, engineer Libby Nelson, editorial adviserA.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsWant to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this podcast, economists discuss inflation and its impact on the US economy. They explore potential solutions and the risks of a recession. They also analyze the impact of fiscal policy, including the American Rescue Plan, on inflation. The podcast delves into the effectiveness of the Inflation Reduction Act and explores strategies to improve the supply side of the economy. The debate over the inflationary effect of student loan forgiveness is also discussed. The podcast advises voters to focus on longer-term issues rather than short-term inflation concerns.

Midterm elections are around the corner, and while voters are concerned about the economy, inflation, and abortion, there’s one other issue jumping to the top of the list: crime. Rising crime comes up in campaigns like clockwork, but during this election season, it's making a particular mark on two key Senate races: Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Vox’s Nicole Narea (@nicolenarea) and Li Zhou (@liszhou) explain.References:The 2022 midterm elections, explained2021 crime rates are a big mysteryHosts:Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill) Credits:Sofi LaLonde, producerEfim Shapiro, engineer Libby Nelson, editorial adviserA.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcastsWant to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The midterm elections are three weeks away, and candidates aren’t the only ones on the ballot. Voters across the country will decide new laws and policy through ballot initiatives, which can include proposals like legalizing recreational marijuana, funding in-state college tuition, and raising taxes to fight climate change. But how do these issues get on the ballot in the first place, and will they stay there? Vox policy editor Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson) explains.References:The 2022 midterm elections, explainedTwo states, two visions for the future of labor The states where the midterms will directly decide the future of abortion access New Mexico voters are set to weigh in on a constitutional ballot measure for early childhood education this NovemberSample ballot lookup — Ballotpedia VOTE411 Hosts:Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)Credits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserA.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcastsWant to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The midterm elections are four weeks away. Senate control is on the line, and races in battleground states are tightening. Few things say “close election” like an October surprise. The one getting the latest buzz this election cycle comes from Georgia, courtesy of Republican senatorial candidate Herschel Walker. Vox politics reporter Li Zhou (@liszhou) explains the race, and Rutgers professor David Greenberg (@republicofspin) tells us the origin of the October surprise.References:Herschel Walker is an epically flawed candidate. He could still win. Hosts:Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)Credits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserA.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pollsters are starting to panic. There’s headline after headline after headline ahead of the midterms on whether this election cycle’s polling is accurate or not. How does polling actually work? Is it really representative of how voters are feeling and what the outcome will be on Election Day? And when it comes to Democrats, why is polling so wrong? Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, explains why polls are complicated, lessons to learn from past elections, and what we could expect this November.References:Which Midterm Polls Should We Be Taking With a Grain of Salt?Pollsters fear they’re blowing it again in 2022Hosts: Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)Credits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserA.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsWant to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

US immigration policy is complicated. And when Republican Govs. Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis chartered buses and planes to relocate migrants to “blue cities,” it raised a ton of legal questions. But it also ignited the age-old question about our immigration system: Why is it so complicated? Weeds veteran Dara Lind (@DLind) explains.References:Why Ron DeSantis is baiting Biden on the border Opinion | Ron DeSantis Is Making an Asylum Crisis of His OwnHost:Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill), Vox senior producer Credits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserA.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsWant to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the September issue of The Highlight, the Vox politics team examined the fastest growing voting bloc in the country: Latino voters. But the 32 million voters that make up the Latino electorate are not a monolithic group. In today’s episode, we’ll look at the intricacies and nuances of the Latino voting bloc and what might happen in the 2022 midterm elections.References:Ruben Gallego's ready for a fight — even if the Democratic Party isn't Yes, most Latinos are Christian. No, that doesn't make them anti-abortion. Latino voters are being flooded with even more misinformation in 2022 The full September issue of The Highlight from VoxHosts:Marin Cogan (@marincogan), senior correspondentChristian Paz (@realcpaz), senior politics reporterNicole Narea (@nicolenarea), politics reporterCredits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserAmber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsWant to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do we make life better for future generations? Who gets to make those decisions? These are tough questions, and today’s guest, philosopher William MacAskill (@willmacaskill), tries to help us answer them.References: What We Owe the Future by William MacAskillEffective altruism's most controversial idea How effective altruism went from a niche movement to a billion-dollar forceEffective altruism’s longtermist goals for the future don’t hurt people in the present Hosts:Bryan Walsh (@bryanrwalsh)Sigal Samuel (@sigalsamuel)Credits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineerLibby Nelson, editorial adviserA.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcastsWant to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on The Weeds, we are sharing an episode of another Vox podcast, Unexplainable, that originally aired in June 2022. Millions of Americans take dietary supplements — everything from vitamins and minerals to weight-loss pills and probiotics. But because supplements are loosely regulated in the US, their makers don't have to prove that they work, or even that they are safe.Full transcript available here.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