Explain It to Me - podcast cover

Explain It to Me

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.
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Episodes

Medicare for Many More

Dylan Scott joins Sarah and Matt to talk about a new universal health care plan — plus some exciting administrative data from the good-old USA! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 27, 201852 minEp. 180

The stupidest fucking idea I’ve ever heard

There are also some good ideas discussed. All of them are about guns. German Lopez joins Dara and Matt to talk about gun control in the wake of the Parkland shooting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 23, 201855 minEp. 179

It's finally infrastructure week

Sarah, Ezra, and Matt talk about what’s really wrong with American infrastructure, the massacre in Parkland, FL, and new research on legislators’ irrational decision-making. Whitepaper! Bias in Perceptions of Public Opinion Among American Political Elites by David E. Broockman, Christopher Skovron Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 20, 20181 hr 3 minEp. 178

DACApocalypse in the Senate

Matt, Dara, and Andrew Prokop talk about the Senate's failed immigration push, and they parse through the many-layered Rob Porter scandal. DACA/Immigration ReferencesThe 8 Republican senators who voted for the bipartisan compromiseMoran, Thune, and Portman’s new DACA proposal statementTara Golshan’s piece about Grassley’s Secure and Succeed Act Rob Porter ReferencesThe ever-shifting White House story on Rob PorterThe Rob Porter scandal, explainedJane Coaston’s piece: The White House had to prote...

Feb 16, 20181 hr 8 minEp. 177

The gender pay gap is mostly about children

Matt, Ezra, Sarah, and Dylan Matthews try to explain Trump’s budget and Disability Insurance. For today's white paper: Move over Swedish administrative data, it’s Denmark’s turn. Trump’s budget references:Dylan's explainer on Trump's proposed budgetAirports Council International report on the ownership of European airportsCongressional Research Service report on airport privatizationMatt’s explainer on Trump’s infrastructure planDisability Insurance references:Dylan's defense of SSDITerrance McC...

Feb 13, 20181 hr 9 minEp. 176

The six-hour shutdown, explained

Matt, Dara, and Tara Golshan, all weary from lack of sleep, try to make sense of the few hours on Thursday night/Friday morning when the government was shut down. Referenced Works Republicans laughing in Tara's face about addressing immigration: Immigration anxiety got Trump elected. Congress isn’t touching it. Further Reading House Democrats’ confusing, high-risk DACA government shutdown gamble, explained Congress just funded CHIP for a full decade Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcas...

Feb 09, 201855 minEp. 175

What's up with Amazon's health venture — and the stock market

Matt, Ezra, and Sarah talk about the Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JP Morgan announcement about their joint healthcare venture, as well as the recent volatility in the stock market. White paper: From the Bargaining Table to the Ballot Box: Political Effects of Right to Work Laws Referenced Works: Ben Thompson's Stratechery piece: Amazon Health Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Feb 06, 20181 hr 6 minEp. 174

MS-13, explained

Dara, Matt, and Zack Beauchamp talk about the policy failures that created the gang haunting Donald Trump's dreams. Referenced Works Are there more than 2,000 MS-13 gang members in Virginia’s wealthy Fairfax County? The Teens Trapped Between a Gang and the Law The 'one percent' statistic Dara mentioned: Why Trump is Wrong to Blame Migration for MS13 Expansion, Violence Further Reading 3 winners and 2 losers from Donald Trump’s first State of the Union Gangs in Central America Learn more about yo...

Feb 02, 201856 minEp. 173

The state of our podcast is strong

Sarah, Ezra, and Matt parse through Trump's State of the Union address and the response delivered by Rep. Joe Kennedy III. Referenced Works: Matt's piece on the State of the Union: Donald Trump has no solutions for America’s big problems German Lopez's piece that Ezra mentioned: Trump’s pathetic response to the opioid epidemic The Health Care Cost Institute report Sarah referenced: 2016 Health Care Cost and Utilization Report Further Reading: Dylan Scott's piece on the address: State of the Unio...

Jan 31, 201850 minEp. 172

The white genocide episode you’ve been waiting for

A DACA ransom note from the White House prompts Matt, Dara and Jane Coaston to muse on whose nation this is, anyway. Referenced Works The American Conservative piece Jane referenced: Of Sh*tholes And Second Thoughts Elizabeth Bruenig's op ed for The Washington Post: The antisocial politics of Trump The Passing of a Great Race Nations and Nationalism Imagined Communities Profile of Stephen Miller in high school: How a liberal Santa Monica high school produced a top Trump advisor and speechwriter ...

Jan 26, 20181 hr 2 minEp. 171

Shutdown deal special

Dara, Sarah, and Ezra dig into the details of the new shutdown deal — and what it means for the future of shutdown politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 22, 201847 minEp. 170

The Shutdown Special

A few hours before a looming shutdown, DC is a very postmodern place. Referenced works: Dara on the DACA situation Dylan Matthew on past shutdowns Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard On Capitol Hill: The Struggle to Reform Congress and its Consequences by Julian Zelizer How the National Parks Became the Biggest Battleground in the Shutdown from The Atlantic, by Garance Franke-Ruta Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Jan 19, 201856 minEp. 169

No one wants to take responsibility for sick kids or fake news

Matt, Ezra, and Sarah talk about Mark Zuckerberg's recent announcement regarding what Facebook will focus on in 2018, and the state of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 16, 201859 minEp. 168

Shithole special

The mask slipped with Trump's "shithole" comments, and Matt and Dara take a hard look at what lies beneath it. Content warning: explicit policy discussions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 12, 201859 minEp. 167

Lie back, light up, and enjoy some executive time

German Lopez joins Matt and Sarah to talk about Attorney General Jeff Sessions' most recent move on marijuana, how Trump spends his time, and child mortality in the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 09, 201844 minEp. 166

Winter, explained

Brian Resnick joins Dara and Matt to talk about the 'bomb cyclone' and how it relates to the climate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 05, 201850 minEp. 165

Why is US life expectancy falling?

It's only the second day of 2018, and Matt, Ezra, and Sarah are already talking about alarming statistics--this time, to do with average American life expectancy. White paper: Bias in Perceptions of Public Opinion Among American Political Elites The GOP is trying to pass a super-unpopular agenda — and that's a bad sign for democracy Impact Policy Submission URL: bit.ly/voximpact Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Jan 02, 201852 minEp. 164

The most undercovered policy stories of 2017

Sarah returns from New Zealand in time to reflect with Matt on the year in policy. White paper: Uniform Pricing in US Retail Chains Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 29, 201759 minEp. 163

Ask Weeds Anything!

Matt, Ezra, and Sarah answer your questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 22, 201755 minEp. 162

Tax reforms and garbage factories

Matt and Ezra talk about what the tax bill actually does, whether the deficit matters, and a white paper about rugged individualism. White paper: Frontier Culture: The Roots and Persistence of “Rugged Individualism” in the United States Other referenced works: Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America (America: a cultural history) American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America Dialect Diversity in America: The Politics of Language Change Learn more about...

Dec 19, 201756 minEp. 161

The Great Awokening comes to Congress

Matt, Dara, and Tara Golshan talk about how Congress does and doesn’t handle sexual harassment allegations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 15, 201758 minEp. 160

Alabama senate special

Matt and Ezra talk about the result of the Alabama senate race and the state of the GOP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 13, 201755 minEp. 159

Is the FBI good now?

Matt, Dara, and German Lopez discuss the (shallow, according to some) politics of pro-FBI liberals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 08, 201757 minEp. 158

Net neutrality, explained (Also! Why CVS is buying Aetna)

Matt, Ezra, and Sarah talk through the argument around net neutrality, the possible CVS-Aetna merger, and a white paper about who becomes an inventor in America. Ben Thompson's defense of Ajit Pai Who Becomes an Inventor in America? The Importance of Exposure to Innovation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 05, 20171 hr 6 minEp. 157

How the GOP is weaponizing the tax code

Matt, Dara Lind, and Vox contributor Mike Konczal talk tax reform and Democrats' sexual harassment problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 01, 201759 minEp. 156

Five big problems with the GOP tax plan

Matt and Ezra parse through the many flaws of the tax bill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 28, 201750 minEp. 155

A very Weeds Thanksgiving

Sarah, Ezra, and Matt talk about what they're thankful for this year — plus disturbing new research about gender bias in surgical referrals. White paper: Interpreting Signals in the Labor Market: Evidence from Medical Referrals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 21, 201749 minEp. 154

Tax reform special

Tara Golshan and Dylan Scott join Matt to break down the two different GOP tax bills. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 17, 20171 hr 2 minEp. 153

Republicans’ Roy Moore problem

Matt and Sarah discuss allegations against Roy Moore, Trump's new pick for Health and Human Services secretary, and a slightly better work week. White paper: Time as a Network Good: Evidence from Unemployment and the Standard Workweek Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 14, 20171 hrEp. 152

Virginia is for Democrats

Dara Lind and Andrew Prokop join Matt to talk about this week’s election results and the implications for 2018. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 10, 20171 hr 13 minEp. 151
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