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.

Episodes

As tough as Texas

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

Oct 10, 201841 minEp. 245

The craziest Obamacare lawsuit yet

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...

Oct 09, 20181 hr 6 minEp. 244

Alexa, raise the minimum wage

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...

Oct 05, 201856 minEp. 243

When women run

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

Oct 03, 201846 minEp. 242

Death to NAFTA! Long live USMCA!

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

Oct 02, 201858 minEp. 241

Do Republicans even care if Kavanaugh is guilty?

Sarah, Jane, and Matt break down an excruciating day in American politics. References and further reading: Laura McGann’s piece on sexual harassment claims against Glenn Thrush of the New York Times Constance Grady explains rape culture of the 1980s A poll found evangelicals would support Kavanaugh even if allegations against him were true Eric Erickson argues Trump will escalate matters if Kavanaugh is rejected Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 28, 201850 minEp. 240

What Sarah learned on parental leave

Sarah, Matt, and Ezra dive into how other countries design parental leave policies — and what the US could do better. Plus: a white paper on subways, and outer space! References and further reading: RAND review on child care allowance Pew research finds birthrates are down while the desire to have kids is not ProPublica relates mothers to candy wrappers Henrik Levin charts attitudes toward working mothers with school-age children White paper on subways and pollution in urban centers Learn more a...

Sep 25, 201859 minEp. 239

What could stop the next Botham Jean?

Jane, Dara, and Matt discuss a tragic death in Dallas and the difficult politics of police reform. References and further reading: Adam Serwer’s piece in the Atlantic on the National Rifle Association’s Catch-22 Numbers on the NRA David French names this “the worst police shooting yet” Jane Esberg and Jonathan Mummolo paper explaining the misperceptions of crime Josh Sugarmann explains the ties between the firearm industry and the NRA Pew poll on how the police and the public view policing Justi...

Sep 21, 201859 minEp. 238

#MeToo goes to the Supreme Court

Dara, Ezra, and Matt discuss the allegations that could derail Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation References and further reading: Christine Blasey Ford speaks out to the Washington Post Malcolm Gladwell's episode of Revisionist History on Brian Williams Twitter thread from Sandra Newman on false accusations Report on binge drinking by high school students since the 70s Slate article on Judge Kozinski's inappropriate emails Caitlin Flanagan's piece on why she believes Ford Jian Ghomeshi reflects afte...

Sep 18, 20181 hr 11 minEp. 237

Can Elon Musk save Tesla from himself?

Jane, Dara, and Matt talk about the potential meltdown of one of America’s most important entrepreneurs. References and further reading: Emily Stewart's piece on Elon Musk smoking pot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 14, 201855 minEp. 236

I am the Resistance inside The Weeds podcast

Dara, Ezra, and Matt talk about Bob Woodward’s book, that op-ed, and the two-track Trump presidency. References and further reading: The infamous NY Times op-ed written by a White House insider Andrew Prokop's explainer of Bob Woodward's new book White paper: Does Rape Culture Predict Rape? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 11, 20181 hr 19 minEp. 235

Colin Kaepernick, the most important election issue in the world

Jane, Dara, and Matt get ready for some football. References and further reading: Jane's explainer of the NFL protests Jane's piece on Nike's new "Just Do It" campaign Jane's piece "Nike has made billions selling rebellion to young people" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 07, 201850 minEp. 234

What’s at stake in the midterms

Jane, Dara, and Matt kick off the unofficial beginning of campaign season by asking what happens if Democrats win in November and what if they lose? References and further reading: Matt's piece on the House Republican list of investigations that could happen if Dems win David Mayhew's Divided We Govern, mentioned by Matt Dara's piece on where DACA stands now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 04, 201857 minEp. 233

America picked a lousy time to turn its back on refugees

In an unexpectedly globe-hopping episode of The Weeds, Dara and Worldly co-host Zack Beauchamp examine the ripple effects of Trump’s America First attitude toward the refugee crisis. References and further reading: Politico article about how the Trump administration is slow walking refugee resettlement for 2018 with rumors of even lower levels for 2019 Trump's turn away from global leadership on refugee issues The disqualifying comments of Trump's nominee to lead the International Organization f...

Aug 31, 201853 minEp. 232

John McCain vs. the idea of John McCain

Vox politics editor Laura McGann joins Dara and Matt to talk about John McCain's legacy and Donald Trump's response to his death, then Dara and Matt tackle a white paper that looks at the connection between financial decisions and partisanship. References and further reading: Matt's piece about John McCain's death Laura's piece on John McCain's ties to Sarah Palin Ryan Lizza's piece on the 2013 immigration plan, mentioned by Dara White paper: Partisanship and Risky Financial Decisions Learn more...

Aug 28, 20181 hr 6 minEp. 231

The art of the squeal

Jane, Dara, and Matt talk about Paul Manafort’s guilty verdict, Michael Cohen’s guilty plea, and what comes next for Donald Trump. References and further reading: Dara's piece about Donald Trump's tweets and what they say about his relationship with Manafort and Cohen Matt's piece about Trump's Fox & Friends interview Jane's piece on how the right is spinning the Cohen and Manafort news Ken White's tweet thread, mentioned by Dara Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...

Aug 24, 201859 minEp. 230

Elizabeth Warren’s plan to save/destroy capitalism

Dara, Ezra, and Matt discuss a big idea to make the economy great again. References and further reading: Matt's piece on Elizabeth Warren's corporate accountability bill Matt's piece on Kevin Williamson's attack on Warren's accountability bill The Varieties of Capitalism, book mentioned by Matt David Ciepley's writing on corporations, mentioned by Dara Dylan Matthews' piece on co-determination , mentioned by Ezra Sam Hammond's piece on Warren's bill, mentioned by Ezra and Dara Aaron Klein's anal...

Aug 21, 20181 hr 10 minEp. 229

We’re not gonna pay rent

Jane Coaston joins Matt and Dara to talk about exploding housing costs in America’s coastal cities and what we can do about them. References and further reading: Jeff Stein's piece on rent and housing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 17, 201858 minEp. 228

Lordy, Omarosa has tapes

Emily Stewart joins Dara and Matt to talk about the perhaps-unbelievable book everyone’s talking about, and the dysfunctional White House that spawned it. References and further reading: Emily's piece on Omarosa's recording of John Kelly Emily's highlights from Omarosa's book Unhinged Maggie Haberman tweet confirming that earlier secret White House tapings were not Omarosa, mentioned by Dara White paper "Unemployment, Temporary Work, and Subjective Well-Being: The Gendered Effect of Spousal Labo...

Aug 14, 20181 hr 2 minEp. 227

#FakeScience

Senior health correspondent Julia Belluz and science reporter Brian Resnick join Dara and Matt to discuss the replication crisis in scientific studies. References and further reading: Brian's piece on the marshmallow test John P. A. Ioannidis' "Most Published Research Findings Are False," mentioned by Julia Scientists tired to replicate 100 psychological studies, 40% passed, mentioned by Brian Scientists also tried to replicate 100 economic studies, 60% passed Vox's survey of 270 scientists abou...

Aug 10, 201849 minEp. 226

The Great Twitter Wars of 2018

Jane Coaston and Dylan Matthews join Ezra to discuss the Sarah Jeong fracas, the Ben Shapiro-Mark Duplass meltdown, the problems with Twitter, the ways partisan dehumanize each other, and more. References and further reading: The context for Sarah Jeong's "goblins" tweet The context for Sarah Jeong's "cut white people" tweet German Lopez's piece on what makes people less racist Brian Resnick's piece on reducing prejudice William F. Buckley supporting segregation Zack Beauchamp's piece in defense...

Aug 07, 20181 hr 14 minEp. 225

Paul Manafort, alleged ostrich-collar criminal

Andrew Prokop joins Dara and Matt to talk about Paul Manafort’s trial and what it means for the larger Russia investigation. References and further reading: Andrew's piece on the trials of Paul Manafort Andrew's breakdown of the opening statements at Manafort's trial Franklin Foer's profile of Manafort, mentioned by Andrew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 03, 20181 hr 5 minEp. 224

The great white panic

Jane Coaston joins Dara, Ezra, and Matt to talk about the racial panic tearing America apart and also salt. References and further reading: Ezra's piece on the changing demographics in America Identity Crisis book mentioned by Ezra Salt white paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 31, 20181 hr 10 minEp. 223

“Mission Accomplished,” trade war edition

Congressional reporter Tara Golshan joins Dara and Matt to break down Trump’s kinda sorta trade deal with the EU and ongoing trade tensions with China” References and further reading: Tara's piece on Trump's mischaracterization of the US trade deficit Politico Europe rundown of the trade deal, mentioned by Matt The Weeds has been nominated for this year's People's Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for The Weeds for free before Tuesday, July 31st at podcastawards.com. Learn more about your ad...

Jul 27, 201848 minEp. 222

What Republicans can do on Trump and Russia

Matt, Dara and Ezra talk about Republicans, Trump and Russia. Plus: A research paper reveals how Dara lost on College Jeopardy. References and further reading: Politico Playbook piece mentioned by Matt, "GOP to the world: What would you like us to do?" Law Review paper "Separation of Parties, Not Powers" The Weeds has been nominated for this year's People's Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for The Weeds for free before Tuesday, July 31st at podcastawards.com. Learn more about your ad choice...

Jul 24, 20181 hr 1 minEp. 221

It’s surprisingly easy to get away with murder in America

Senior criminal justice reporter German Lopez joins Dara and Matt to talk about the high number of unsolved homicides in America. References and further reading: Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America by Jill Leovy German's reporting on the violent crime clearance rate in America Study referenced by Dara that looked at community cooperation from Secure Communities (a massive federal immigration enforcement program) In-depth reporting on the low murder clearance rate across the US from The...

Jul 20, 201849 minEp. 220

There’s collusion, and then there’s collusion

Dara, Ezra, and Matt discuss President Trump's remarkable performance in Helsinki and new research on employers colluding to hold down pay. Links: Dara mentioned Quinta Jurecic's piece tying Trump in Helsinki to Trump on Charlottesville. Here's the Ari Fleischer tweet Ezra referenced. Ezra walked through what we know about Trump's dealings with Russia. Here's that rundown (and more analysis) in text form. Trump tweeted during recording — here's the full text Matt read. Matt mentioned Adam Entous...

Jul 17, 20181 hrEp. 219

Republicans' plan for health care: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Dylan Scott joins Dara and Matt to talk about the Trump administration’s latest moves to destabilize health insurance markets. Dylan's piece on risk adjustment payments, and another piece on the Trump administration’s latest steps to undermine the Affordable Care Act. Dylan also specifically referenced Nicholas Bagley. Read him on risk adjustments here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 13, 201849 minEp. 218

Brett Kavanaugh and the future of the Supreme Court

Dara, Ezra, and Matt break down what we know about Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court References and further reading: Paper about Norwegian immigrants, mentioned by Matt "Twice a Stranger: The Mass Expulsions that Forged Modern Greece and Turkey" good book with background on the refugee paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 10, 201857 minEp. 217

1,2,3,4 Trump declares a trade war

Staff writer Zeeshan Aleem joins Dara and Matt to break down what's really happening with Trump and trade, and how much it matters. References and further reading: Zeeshan's piece on the US-China trade war Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 06, 201849 minEp. 216