Sarah, Ezra, and Matt share what they learned in 2018, predictions for 2019, and their favorite research of the year. Links: Matt's white paper pick Sarah's white paper pick Ezra's white paper pick Sarah’s ER opus Ezra on white threat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jane, Dara, and Matt analyze the substance and political context of the big bipartisan criminal justice reform bill. References and further reading: German Lopez explains the First Step Act Jane’s piece on Kanye West’s meeting with President Trump James Forman Jr. examines why many African American leaders supported the war on crime Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sarah, Ezra, and Matt decide it’s not too soon to start talking about the 2020 election. Plus — Obamacare litigation forever! References and further reading: Matt’s explainer on the Democratic field for 2020 Matt’s piece on Joe Biden’s policy ideas A previous episode of The Weeds on the Obamacare lawsuit Ezra’s piece on the Texas ruling against Obamacare Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt, Dara, and Jane discuss what happens when engineering crushes dreams. Links: For an in-depth read on the border wall, here's a great explainer. The GAO report Dara cited can be found here. And here's the Atlantic article that Matt mentioned about the ICE crackdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jane, Ezra, and Matt consider Paul Ryan’s legacy and new research on crime and the minimum wage. References and further reading: Ezra’s piece on House Speaker Paul Ryan’s legacy Matt’s essay following the announcement of Paul Ryan’s retirement Ted Cruz’s confusing tweet of Beto O’Rourke speaking on the shooting of Botham Jean A white paper examines the effects on criminal recidivism when states increase minimum wages Annie Lowrey’s piece in the Atlantic on a jobs guarantee Learn more about your ...
Special guest Tommy Vietor of Crooked Media’s Pod Save the World joins Dara and Matt to break down the anti-Saudi backlash sweeping Washington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jane, Ezra, and Matt talk about state-level GOP power grabs and the curious case of Trump’s disappearing populism. References and further reading: Tara Golshan’s piece on the recent legislation proposed by GOP lawmakers David Frum’s book and Yascha Mounk’s book on populism and the threat to democracy Ezra’s conversation with Nate Silver Matt’s explainer on the Indiana Carrier factory Michael Brendan Dougherty’s essay on the support Trump needs after the 2018 elections A research paper on America...
Dara and Matt explain the situation at the border now that the caravan has finally arrived. References and further reading: Li Zhou explains the liberal blowback against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Vox’s piece on the shutdown negotiations The weird outlet mall at the border Dara’s article on the asylum bottleneck A New York Times piece on the current conditions in Tijuana The Washington Post breaks down the “Remain in Mexico” policy Dara outlines what we still don't know about “Remain i...
Dylan Scott joins Sarah and Matt to break down eight different plans circulating to expand government health insurance programs. References and further reading: Sarah breaks down five competing health care plans from Democrats Dylan lays out the Urban Institute’s proposed health care plan A white paper finds ICE partnerships with local police led to a decline in elementary-school enrollment of Hispanic students Are you interested in more discussions around health care policy? Join our Facebook c...
Our Thanksgiving special is an episode of The Impact -- a show about how policy shapes our lives hosted by Sarah Kliff. This season, Sarah and her team are focusing on the most exciting, innovative ideas at the state and local level. This episode, they're in Vermont, looking at a radical law to equalize education funding. Like what you’re hearing? Find The Impact on Apple Podcasts|Google Podcasts|Spotify|Stitcher|Overcast|ART19 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jane, Ezra, and Matt explain a new brand of right-wing politics rising under conditions of permanent opposition. References and further reading: Jane’s piece on the driving force that is California-style conservatism A white paper examining which voters supported Medicaid in Maine’s 2017 referendum John Sides, Michael Tesler, and Lynn Vavreck explain the 2016 presidential election through identity politics in their book Identity Crisis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/a...
Dara, Jane, and Matt analyze the social network that America loves to hate and can't escape. References and further reading: New York Times exposé on Facebook’s reaction to Russian interference on their site Michelle Goldberg tells Democrats to leave Facebook in a Times opinion piece An article from the New York Times on advertisers’ reactions to the Facebook report An interview with Sheryl Sandberg from CBS News Ask Weeds Anything is back! Sarah Kliff, Dara Lind, and Matt Yglesias will answer y...
Dara, Jane, and Matt talk about the endgame for the attorney general Trump loved to hate. References and further reading: Dara reports on Trump’s asylum ban Dara defines Jeff Sessions’s legacy through immigration crackdowns and deportation Heather Mac Donald’s “The War on Cops” The Trump administration enters its Leeroy Jenkins phase A piece from Politico on the magical powers of Trump Jane’s essay from National Review on Trumpism McKay Coppins’s Atlantic article on the GOP’s adoption of Trumpis...
Sarah, Ezra, and Matt break down seven key takeaways from Tuesday's election. References and further reading: Ezra’s piece on Trump’s failing political strategy Ezra’s essay on William Kristol’s 1993 health memo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sarah, Ezra, and Matt offer midterm predictions, look at democracy vouchers, and analyze the real impact of Daylight Savings Time. References and further reading: Sarah explores the effects of Seattle’s democracy vouchers on The Impact Nicholas Carnes’s piece on the representation of the working class in government A working paper presents evidence that Daylight Savings Time results in an increase in electricity demand An article in Quartz explains the lobbying behind Daylight Savings Time Matt’...
Jane, Dara, and Matt dissect the rising currents of anti-Semitism in the Trump era. References and further reading: Adam Serwer’s piece on the Pittsburgh shooter Dara joins Today, Explained to discuss the migrant caravan Time analyzes Ted Nugent’s anti-Semitic Facebook post about gun control The Atlantic’s profile of a neo-Nazi who took Trump’s speech as an endorsement of anti-Semitism Michael Brendan Dougherty’s piece in National Review on why he’s disappointed Jane's essay on conspiracy theori...
Defense correspondent Alex Ward joins Dara and Matt to analyze Trump’s dispatch of thousands of US soldiers to the border. References and further reading: Alex’s piece on the role of troops at the US-Mexico border An article from Reuters on the clashes at the Mexico-Guatemala border Dara explains the migrant caravan Dara’s piece on the shrinking caravan Dara reports on a new “travel ban” that the Trump administration is considering Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adcho...
Sarah, Ezra, and Matt break down rhetoric and reality on preexisting conditions. References and further reading: Sarah outlines the position of Republicans on preexisting conditions Sarah’s piece from 2016 on the future of Obamacare Robert Draper’s article on Priorities USA and its campaign against Mitt Romney Ezra makes the case that Trump is a moderate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, Ezra and Jane dig into the dismal state of election security, as well as the many, many ways that people’s votes are obstructed, distorted, and prevented. Isn’t democracy grand? References and further reading: Benjamin Wofford’s piece on our hacked election system Jamelle Bouie in the Daily Beast breaks down the motive behind voter ID laws Issie Lapowsky of Wired clarifies that you cannot cast a vote with a text message The Atlantic reports on black civic engagement versus voter...
Ella Nilsen and Dylan Scott join Matt Yglesias to talk about Democrats' midterm message and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's future. References and further reading: Ella’s piece on the priorities of House Democrats if they take the House in November. Ella breaks down the fight for leadership over House Democrats Dylan outlines the 2018 midterms using an ad from Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) Dylan explains the role of health care in the Missouri Senate race Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...
Dara, Sarah, and Matt talk about a new "baby bonds" proposal and new research that explores perceptions of illegal immigrants. References and further reading: Sarah’s piece on Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-NJ) plan for baby bonds A report on the racial wealth gap An article on unclaimed cash from baby bonds in the United Kingdom Ira Katznelson on racial inequality in “When Affirmative Action Was White” A white paper on the social construction of illegality Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcast...
Jane, Dara, and Matt explain the reality behind the migrant caravan fueling the latest MAGA conspiracy theories. References and further reading: Trump’s first campaign ad Rep. Matt Gaetz’s tweet claiming to share footage relating to the caravan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tara Golshan joins Jane and Matt to analyze the state of the GOP on the brink of the midterms. References and further reading: Ella Nilsen gives a rundown of the creative political ads from this midterm season. Tara’s piece on Rep. Duncan Hunter’s attacks on his opponent. Jane’s article in the National Review on “Trumpism.” Matt Schlapp’s tweet about Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Sarah, Ezra, and Matt debate the new IPCC report, William Nordhaus's Nobel Prize, and a hot new working paper about Medicaid contraction. References and further reading: The IPCC report on the impact of global warming David Roberts’s piece on the fight over the carbon tax in Washington state during 2016 Earl Swift tells of the disappearing Tangier Island in his book Chesapeake Requiem A white paper on the effects of disenrollment from Medicaid A contrasting paper on the effects of disenrollment ...
Jane, Dara, and Matt talk about Kanye West, Taylor Swift, the black conservative political tradition, and the shifting politics of the Trump era. References and further reading: Jane dissects Trump’s meeting with Kanye West Jemele Hill’s article on black men and Brett Kavanaugh Hoteps, explained Jane’s piece on racism within the Republican Party Vann Newkirk’s piece on black civic engagement in the Trump era Vox's Constance Grady analyzes the Taylor Swift voter registration bump Learn more about...
Tara Golshan and Ella Nilsen join Matt to talk about the critical midterm races in the Lone Star State. References and further reading: Ella’s piece on Democrats running in Texas Tara outlines key themes in the race between Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke Tara’s piece on a potential blue wave in the state Tara details more on the battle between Cruz and O’Rourke Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Sarah, Ezra, and Matt talk about Obamacare (again!), waning democratic legitimacy, and why retaking the SAT drives class and racial gaps in college enrollment. References and further reading: Josh Blackman’s piece on the ACA lawsuit Amicus brief from the pro- and anti-ACA law professors Katie Keith’s article on oral arguments John Harris’s piece on the ruthlessness of the Republican Party David Farris's book on fighting dirty Jennifer Victor's pinned tweet on the meaning of democracy A white pap...
Jane, Dara, and Matt talk about Amazon's pay raise, Sen. Bernie Sanders’s Stop BEZOS Act, and the new politics of big tech. References and further reading: Alexia Fernández Campbell’s piece on Vox about Amazon’s pay raises Sarah Butler of the Guardian lays out the pay raise versus bonus situation Matt’s piece in Slate on Jeff Bezos’s relationship with Wall Street Dylan Scott explains Medicare-for-all Kevin Roose’s daily Twitter updates on sources of the top-performing Facebook posts about Christ...
Congressional reporter Ella Nilsen joins Sarah and Matt to explain the unprecedented surge in women running for Congress this year. References and further reading: Michele Swers’s paper that highlights how women representatives bring back more funding to their district Sarah’s piece on how electing women changes the way the government functions Jennifer Palmieri’s book that examines the criticisms of Hillary Clinton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Ezra, Sarah, and Matt dive into the latest on the Kavanaugh nomination — and why USMCA is great for Canadians who drink milk. References and further reading: Alvin Chang charts every question the Senate asked Kavanaugh Ezra’s piece on the Republicans’ strategy to save Kavanaugh Catherine Rampell compares Trump’s new trade deal to the old A white paper on “College Party Culture and Sexual Assault” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
