Explain It to Me

Buckle up! The Weeds Time Machine is back. Today, Dylan Matthews, Dara Lind, and special guest Maureen Cropper, economist and professor at the University of Maryland, travel back in time to the 1970s to discuss one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation of the 20th century: the Clean Air Act. References:White paper: Looking Back at 50 Years of the Clean Air Act Hosts: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 Washington Post reporter Toluse Olorunnipa (@ToluseO) to talk more taxes for our hot! tax! policy! episodes this month. Today’s topic: Sen. Rick Scott’s 11-point plan to rescue America. Dylan, Dara, and Tolu get into the specifics of Scott’s policy proposal and speculate if the culture wars have seeped into tax policy. Plus, a white paper about unemployment benefits and opioid overdose mortality rates. References:Preorder His Name Is George Floyd by Toluse Olorunnipa and Robert SamuelsThe Tax Policy Center’s analysis of the Rick Scott planHow many people don’t pay income tax?The original 47% remarksThe folk Republican morality behind the planWhite paper: “Unemployment Insurance and Opioid Overdose Mortality in the United States”Medicaid expansion reduced opioid deaths tooThe relationship between the economy and the opioid epidemicHosts: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

Weeds co-hosts Dylan Matthews and Dara Lind are joined by Vox policy editor Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson) to talk about some hot! tax! policy! But mostly, why it’s so annoying to file our taxes every year. The three discuss why the tax code is so complicated to begin with; compare our filing system to other countries; and daydream about what could be done to fix the system. Plus, a white paper about, you guessed it: taxes.References:How to get free tax prep, or volunteer to provide tax prep to othersTR Reid’s A Fine MessJustin Trudeau’s return-free tax promiseDylan explaining near-term options to reform tax filing“What is return-free filing, and how would it work?”The benefits of return-free filingOption one: the pre-filled returnOption two: pay-as-you-earnProPublica on Intuit/H&R Block lobbying that’s kept taxes complicatedWhite paper: “Inertia and Overwithholding: Explaining the Prevalence of Income Tax Refunds” by Damon JonesDoes the EITC promote work?Hosts: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 Washington Post columnist Christine Emba (@ChristineEmba) to discuss the end of Covid-era welfare programs. We just hit two years of the pandemic, and some of those social safety programs, most notably the child tax credit, have expired. These policies dramatically improved the lives of millions of Americans; did we waste an opportunity to make these policies permanent? And later, a conversation about the politics of sex and consent as discussed in Christine’s new book, Rethinking Sex.References:Christine’s book, Rethinking SexA guide to all the Covid-era social safety net expansionsLi Zhou on the child tax credit’s expiration3.4 million more children were in poverty in February than DecemberUp to 16 million Americans could lose Medicaid after the public health emergency liftsThe effect of bonus unemployment insurance expiring last yearSam Adler-Bell’s profile of David LeonhardtEd Yong on reopening and the lack of a safety netThe enormous learning loss caused by the pandemicWhite Paper: “Consent, Legitimation, and Dysphoria” by Robin WestBDSM-interested parents have lost child custody just for their kinkOklahoma’s new abortion banHosts: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 Senior Politics Correspondent Andrew Prokop (@awprokop) for a dive deep into the newly redrawn 2022 congressional maps. They discuss what makes a fair map, the strategy behind gerrymandering, and what this could mean for the 2022 midterm elections. Plus, a white paper about the Voting Rights Act and Black electoral representation in Congress.References:Andrew’s explainer on the redistricting warsThe Supreme Court’s last ruling on partisan gerrymanderingAn argument that the 2022 redistricting has featured “an unprecedented attack … on the political power of communities of color”White Paper: "The Triumph of Tokenism: The Voting Rights Act and the Theory of Black Electoral Success"“The US Senate considerably dilutes the voting power of African Americans”Hosts: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 Robinson Meyer (@robinsonmeyer), a staff writer at the Atlantic, to talk about the illusion of US energy independence. They discuss how the US produces its oil; the fracking boom and bust; and the country’s position in the global market. Plus, a white paper about carbon taxes and CO2 emissions in Sweden. References:Robinson’s piece about America’s “independence” from Russian oilHe was also on Today, Explained to talk about the US banning Russian oil importsAnd, you can sign up for Rob’s newsletter hereVox reporter Rebecca Leber busted a few myths about oil and gas pricesBiden’s administrative authority to lower gas pricesRussell Gold’s The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the WorldWhite Paper: “Carbon Taxes and CO2 Emissions: Sweden as a Case Study”Hosts: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 Jerusalem Demsas are joined by Nick Buttrick (@NickButtrick), a psychologist at Princeton, to talk about interstate mobility in the US (or the lack thereof). They talk about why it is so hard to move; why some of those reasons, Jerusalem argues, are arbitrary; and what an immobile population means for American culture.  References:Jerusalem’s article about why it’s so hard to move in AmericaNick Buttrick’s research: The cultural dynamics of declining residential mobilityA paper from David Schleicher called Stuck! The Law and Economics of Residential Stagnation  Research from the Brookings Institution: US migration still at historically low levelsNBER paper: The China Shock: Learning from Labor Market Adjustment to Large Changes in TradeHosts:Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, VoxJerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy 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

Dylan Matthews and Jerusalem Demsas are joined by Vox senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp to talk about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They discuss Ukraine’s surprising strength to date, plus Europe’s and America’s overwhelming economic response to the invasion. Plus, a white paper about how citizens in authoritarian regimes think about war.References:Vox’s podcast playlist: What to know about Russia and UkraineAll of Vox’s written coverage on Russia and Ukraine Zack’s piece on why Putin is attacking UkraineAdam Tooze on the economic war with RussiaPutin’s brother died in the siege of LeningradThe real history of the Soviet-Pepsi submarine dealWHITE PAPER: “Authoritarian Public Opinion and the Democratic Peace”Hosts:Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, VoxJerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, VoxZack Beauchamp (@ZackBeauchamp), senior correspondent, VoxCredits:Sofi LaLonde, producer and mix engineerDara Lind, studio 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

We’re hitting snooze on Friday episodes, but they’re not going away forever. We’re just slowing things down while we work on some special projects. We’ll see you on Tuesday!Important Links: Send us an email at weeds@vox.com  Check out The Weeds Facebook group Sign up for our newsletter at vox.com/weedsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dylan Matthews, Jerusalem Demsas, and Dara Lind discuss the recent school board recall election in San Francisco and also whether the Great Resignation is boosting inflation.References:Clara Jeffery's summary of why the recall succeededFormer Green Party mayoral nominee Matt Gonzalez’s case for the recallFormer board president Gabriela López's post-mortem after she was recalledLópez’s 2021 interview with the New Yorker on school renamingThe $87 million lawsuitLowell alum Justin Lai arguing in favor of the new admissions policiesThe Asan American backlash against changing Lowell admissions (see also)Students in selective exam schools don’t seem to reap many benefitsA review of exam schools nationwidePutting “non-gifted” students in gifted classrooms helps them a lotWhite Paper: The Effects of the “Great Resignation” on Labor Market Slack and InflationHosts:Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, VoxJerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, 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