Explain It to Me
Vox
Should I buy a house? Why do I say “like” so much? Should Gen Z bother to save for retirement?Explain It to Me is the hotline for the issues that matter to your life. Send us your questions about health, personal finance, relationships, and anything else that matters to you. Host Jonquilyn Hill will take you on a journey to find the answers, whether it's to the halls of Congress or the local bar. You’ll get the answers you were looking for, and sometimes ones you didn't expect — and always with a dose of humor. New episodes every Sunday. Part of Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 7, 2019 • 1h 2min
Sarah's Last Stand
Dylan Scott joins Sarah and Matt to talk about single-payer's big day on Capitol Hill and some hot administrative data from Rhode Island.Related reading:CBO reportDylan’s article on a Medicare-for-all hearingDylan’s other article on the Medicare-for-all hearing Sarah and Dylan on the different Democratic health care plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 3, 2019 • 59min
Mexico: America's waiting room
Dara, Jane, and Matt discuss Dara's fresh reporting on asylum officers' complaints about Trump's "wait in Mexico" policy initiative.Related reading:Dara’s piece on asylum officers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4 snips
Apr 30, 2019 • 54min
Incels and bullshitters
The podcast explores the origins and evolution of the controversial incel movement, discussing their link to loneliness, misogyny, and online radicalization. It also examines the relationship between incels and the pickup artist community, as well as their mindset and behaviors towards women. The podcast highlights the need for healthier approaches to relationships and explores the cultural factors contributing to bullshitting in North America. Additionally, it discusses the relationship between self-reported tests and dishonesty in job interviews.
Apr 26, 2019 • 35min
Was The Weeds on the wrong side of history?
Sarah, Ezra, and Matt celebrate Vox's fifth anniversary with a look at the changing nature of the policy dialogue in Washington.This special episode of The Weeds was taped in front of a live audience at The LINE DC to celebrate Vox’s fifth anniversary. If you enjoyed it, we think you’ll also enjoy this live taping of Recode Decode with Kara Swisher featuring Julia Angwin, and this special episode of The Ezra Klein Show with Vox’s co-founders Ezra Klein, Matt Yglesias, and Vox Media’s Publisher Melissa Bell.The Weeds is a Vox Media Inc. ProductionProduced by: Jeff Geld Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 23, 2019 • 1h 10min
What to obstruct when you’re obstructing
Matt, Jane, and Andrew Prokop talk about the Mueller report — which one of them has actually read to the end.Related reading:Quinta Jurecic’s color-coded analysis of Mueller’s obstruction languageRick Hasen’s article on Mueller not prosecuting Donald Trump Jr.Full Mueller reportWhite paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 18, 2019 • 38min
Maybe collusion, probably obstruction [Special Crossover Edition]
Ezra Klein joins Zack, Jenn, and Alex in a crossover episode with Worldly on Robert Mueller’s just-released report. They explain the special counsel's main findings on collusion with Russian election interference and on obstruction of justice and why they aren’t good for Trump. Then they zoom out and talk about what this whole episode reveals about the health of American democracy and how this gives a green light for Russia and other authoritarian powers to intervene in future US elections. Given how important this report is, and how early they got up to cover it, your intrepid hosts were too tired for jokes this week — sorry.The full text of the report, compiled by Alex for your reading pleasureA refresher on who's who in the Trump-Russia universeHere's a look at the collusion section of the report from ZackHere's another take from Zack on Attorney General William Barr's worrying role in all of thisTen examples of potential obstruction in Mueller's report How 11 legal experts evaluate the claims of obstructionZack and Future Perfect's Dylan Matthews break down the big winners and losers from the reportThe Big Vox Explainer on the Mueller report If you liked this episode, we think you’ll like Worldly and The Ezra Klein Show. Tap to learn more and subscribe for free to get new episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 16, 2019 • 58min
Trump Family (Tax) Values
Dara, Sarah, and Matt talk about the suspiciously timed retirement of Trump's sister, IRS enforcement, and new research on how police stops can actually cause crime.Related reading:ProPublica study on the EITC auditsWhite paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 12, 2019 • 56min
How Canada got Medicare-for-all done
Ezra returns to discuss filibuster reform and the legacy of Tommy Douglas with Sarah and Matt.Recommended reading:Tommy Douglas named greatest CanadianFilibuster reform explainerSanders and reconciliation explainerDoctor strike explainerWhite paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 9, 2019 • 55min
The Purge: DHS
Jane, Dara, and Matt discuss Trump's personnel shake-up at the Department of Homeland Security and what's next for immigration policy.Recommended reading:Jake Tapper on Trump telling border patrol agents to ignore the lawThe White House’s wish list for DHS actionsHomeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s resignation, explained Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 5, 2019 • 52min
Attack of the clone bills
Matt, Sarah, and Dara copied this discussion of model legislation from an asbestos lobbyist.Recommended reading:USA Today articleArticle on 'ALEC'Research on model legislation 1Research on model legislation 2Research on model legislation 3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
