Hey, Weeds listeners: Today, we are bringing you an episode of Today, Explained that originally aired in early June. Ten months ago, the faculty of Cramer Hill Elementary set out to get their kids back on track after a year of mostly remote learning. Today, Explained’s Miles Bryan attended eighth-grade graduation to see how they did. This episode was reported and produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and hosted by Sean Ramesw...
Jun 21, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dylan Matthews sits down with economic historians Jared Rubin and Mark Koyama to discuss their new book, How the World Became Rich. It tries to answer one of the hardest questions in history: Why, roughly 200 years ago, did parts of the world start experiencing sustained economic growth? References: How the World Became Rich by Jared Rubin and Mark Koyama Dylan also wrote about the book Hosts: Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox Credits: Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer Lib...
Jun 14, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dylan Matthews and Dara Lind are joined by Vox senior correspondent Dylan Scott (@dylanlscott) to discuss the shortage of nurses in the American health care workforce. The nursing shortage goes back many years, and not only did the pandemic exacerbate the problem, it also put it under a microscope. The US needs more nurses, but what can be done? References: America needs more doctors and nurses to survive the next pandemic The way the United States pays for nurses is broken Hosts: Dylan Matthews...
Jun 07, 2022•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dylan Matthews and Dara Lind are joined by Vox politics reporter Nicole Narea (@nicolenarea) to talk about gun violence. They discuss the findings of three different research studies related to gun policy, which gun control policies are effective, the outcomes of specific violence interventions, and how state legislatures respond to mass shootings. Editorial note: This episode touches on gun violence and suicide. If you want to talk to someone, you can call 1-800-273-8255 or visit www.suicidepre...
May 31, 2022•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode originally published in October 2021 as the second installment of our “Most Dangerous Branch” miniseries about the Supreme Court. Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) talks with law professor Joseph Blocher and historian Carol Anderson about the Second Amendment, the triumph of the NRA's vision for that amendment, and an upcoming Supreme Court case that endangers more than a century of American gun control laws. References: The Positive Second Amendment Rights, Regul...
May 27, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast This special episode of The Weeds was taped live at TruCon 2022! Join Dara Lind, Zack Beauchamp, and Jen Kirby for a live panel discussion about the state of global democracy. They discuss the complicated relationship among migration, the threat of the populist far right, and what this means for global democracy. References: Zack’s latest piece on “replacement theory” He also wrote about Democrats and immigration policies in 2019 And more from Zack about Hungary, Tucker Carlson, and the election...
May 24, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dylan Matthews and Dara Lind are joined by Annie Lowrey (@annielowrey), a staff writer at the Atlantic, to talk about why it’s so hard for people to get government benefits. Frequently called the “time tax,” the administrative burden of applying for and distributing government benefits leads to thousands of people not getting the aid they qualify for. References: Annie Lowrey on Code America’s efforts to fight the Time Tax Pamela Herd and Don Moynihan's book on administrative burden Why Is It So...
May 17, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dylan Matthews and Dara Lind talk with Washington Post economic columnist Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) about the global food supply crisis spinning out of the war in Ukraine. The crisis is so bad that the United Nations said it could be the worst shortage since World War II. What, if anything, can be done? Dylan, Dara, and Heather discuss how we got here and the costs of potential solutions. References: The war in Ukraine is triggering a global food crisis. Here’s how the U.S. can help. A globa...
May 10, 2022•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dara Lind sits down with Vox Supreme Court correspondent Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) for a deep dive into the leaked draft opinion on abortion written by Justice Samuel Alito. They discuss the text of the opinion itself; why Alito was chosen to write it; and what could happen in the days, weeks, and months following a ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. References: The Roe opinion and the case against the Supreme Court Ian’s explainer on the draft memo What happens next if the Supreme Court strikes ...
May 05, 2022•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode originally published in October 2021 as the first installment of our “Most Dangerous Branch” miniseries about the Supreme Court. Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) talks with NYU professor Melissa Murray about the future of Roe v. Wade, specifically discussing some of the legal theories used to chip away at the law. References: What we know and don't know on the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade draft opinion Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opi...
May 03, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dylan Matthews interviews economist Chris Blattman (@cblatts) about his new book Why We Fight, which examines the root causes of war and what can be done to stop it. In a wide-ranging discussion that touches on conflict all over the world, Dylan and Chris discuss the role of the state, commonalities among historical conflicts, and the game theory of war. References: Chris Blattman’s book, Why We Fight Chris’s research work Research on how drug gangs govern in Colombia How therapy can reduce conf...
Apr 26, 2022•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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, Vox Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox Credits: Sofi L...
Apr 19, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 To...
Apr 12, 2022•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Apr 05, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Chri...
Mar 29, 2022•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 wars The Supreme Court’s last ruling on partisan gerryma...
Mar 22, 2022•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 oil He was also on Today, Explained to talk about the US banning Russian oil i...
Mar 15, 2022•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 America Nick Buttrick’s research: The cultural dynamics of declining residential mobility A pa...
Mar 08, 2022•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Ukraine All of Vox’s written coverage on Russia and Ukraine Zack’s piece on why Putin is at...
Mar 01, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Feb 25, 2022•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 succeeded Former Green Party mayoral nominee Matt Gonzalez’s case for the recall Former board president Gabriela López's post-mortem after she was recalled López’s 2021 interview with the New Yorker on school renaming The $87 million lawsuit Lowell alum Justin Lai arguin...
Feb 23, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Vox Senior Correspondent Zack Beauchamp talks with political scientist Lee Drutman, author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop. They discuss the history of the two-party system in American politics, and examine a number of possible structural reforms that could work to get the U.S. out of the morass it's in, looking to several other countries' democracies for inspiration. Host: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), Senior Correspondent, Vox Guest: Lee Drutman (@leedrutman), senior fellow, New America...
Feb 18, 2022•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Dylan Matthews and Jerusalem Demsas are joined by Vox’s Andrew Prokop (@awprokop) to talk about the midterm elections. More specifically, why the president’s party almost always loses seats in Congress. They discuss the theories of this phenomenon and what, if anything, can work on the margins. Plus, a white paper about Obamacare and the 2010 midterm elections. References: Why the president’s party almost always has a bad midterm The political science of door-knocking and TV ads White paper: “On...
Feb 15, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dylan Matthews talks with Victor Cha (@VictorDCha) about the international politics surrounding the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The US and several other countries are boycotting the games to protest China’s human rights record, which brings up the question: What does this boycott mean for US-China relations? References: Beyond the Final Score by Victor Cha Cha on the politicization of the 2022 Games Vox’s Jen Kirby on the Biden administration’s diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Olympics Vox’s Bryan Wals...
Feb 11, 2022•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dylan Matthews, Dara Lind, and Jerusalem Demsas talk about affirmative action. They dig into the current Supreme Court case about Harvard’s admission rates and ask: How do we make sure our elite institutions adequately reflect the population? Plus, a white paper about the effects of education on mortality. References: Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser’s explainer about the SCOTUS cases Peter Arcidiacono, Josh Kinsler, and Tyler Ransom's empirical papers on Harvard admissions Jay Caspian Kan...
Feb 08, 2022•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dylan Matthews talks with Mark Galeotti (@MarkGaleotti), director of Mayak Intelligence, about what’s going on in Ukraine. They discuss in depth the historical tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Russia’s NATO problem, and the calculations and motivations behind President Vladimir Putin’s moves. References: Today, Explained’s episode about Ukraine's pipeline problem Vox’s Jen Kirby wrote an explainer about Russia-Ukraine tensions Adam Tooze on Russia as a petro-state An excellent 2019 episode f...
Feb 04, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dylan Matthews, Dara Lind, and Vox policy editor Libby Nelson discuss the findings of two recent studies on early childhood development. One study found that cash transfers increase brain activity in infants, while the other found a negative impact of universal pre-K on academic outcomes. So ... what’s actually going on here? Does one negate the other? The Weeds team talks it out. Plus, a white paper on the effects of parenthood on voter turnout. References: Dylan’s story on the cash-transfer st...
Feb 01, 2022•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dara Lind talks with professor Gabriel Winant of the University of Chicago about the new Bureau of Labor Statistics report that showed a topline decline in union membership despite increasing labor-oriented momentum. And later, journalist Rachel Cohen (@rmc031) joins to talk about the importance of teachers’ unions in the labor movement and in Democratic politics. References: The Next Shift: The Fall of Industry and the Rise of Health Care in Rust Belt America, Gabriel Winant Rachel Cohen’s rece...
Jan 28, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dylan Matthews and Jerusalem Demsas talk with Emily Rong Zhang, a PhD candidate in political science at Stanford and a former Skadden Fellow at the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, about the recent attempts in Congress to pass voting rights legislation. And, a white paper about voter ID laws, written by Emily herself! References: Recapping Congress’s failed voting rights push Why some Dem strategists were skeptical of the effort The case for fixing the Electoral Count Act What happens after the vot...
Jan 25, 2022•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jerusalem Demsas and Dylan Matthews talk with Joey Politano (@JosephPolitano), economics blogger and self-described "mid-tier take-haver," to go over one big question on people’s minds right now: are corporations profiting off of inflation? References: Joey’s blog post about rising corporate prices and inflation Sen. Elizabeth Warren on rising corporate profit margins Paul Krugman’s newsletter from this week Binyamin Appelbaum on the meatpacking industry The White House’s statement on meat compa...
Jan 21, 2022•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
