Explain It to Me

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

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Those pesky delivery fees May 22, 2024

Pretty much everyone is unhappy with food delivery these days. Prices are rising for customers; workers are barely making minimum wage; and restaurants feel gauged by delivery apps. Today on The Weeds: how the gig economy turned sour, and how you can still order your favorite food without feeling guilty. Vox senior reporter Whizy Kim explains.

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Lawmakers are overreacting to crime

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

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Panic! At The Drugstore May 15, 2024

Do you think crime is on the rise? You aren’t the only one. According to Gallup, over 75 percent of Americans think crime is up from last year. The crime rate, though, has actually been falling. So why do so many Americans think crime is getting worse? Vox policy correspondent Abdallah Fayyad joins Weeds host Jonquilyn Hill to discuss the disconnect and what the numbers tell us.

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The shoplifting scare might not have been real — but its effects are

The cruel consequences of America’s aging prison population - Vox

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What marijuana reclassification means for the United States

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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A new era of cannabis research May 08, 2024

Last week, the US Drug Enforcement Administration announced a move to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug, after the Biden administration requested a review in late 2022. For decades, cannabis has been classified as Schedule I alongside drugs like heroin and LSD—and research on its effects and medical use has been limited. While rescheduling could lead to more clinical research on marijuana, the future is currently hazy. Today on The Weeds: what rescheduling cannabis means for medical research, and why it still might not be enough to push past the barriers that still exist.

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Are baby bonds a good investment? May 01, 2024

Something is happening in Connecticut. Back in 2021, the state legislature passed a measure that would create something called baby bonds: trust accounts for children receiving government assistance. It’s an idea that started decades ago and was championed by Darrick Hamilton, the founding director of the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at the New School. On this week's episode of The Weeds, host Jonquilyn Hill sits down with Hamilton to discuss how the idea came to fruition, how a race-neutral policy can close the racial wealth gap, and the way we define economic value.

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Alexa, is Amazon a monopoly? Apr 24, 2024

If you’ve never used Amazon, you almost definitely know someone who has. Amazon is pretty much everywhere. In the three decades since its founding, Amazon has grown from a small startup to a trillion-dollar company, skirting rules, taxes, and accountability along the way. Then, in 2023, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against the company for monopolistic business practices. Reporter Dana Mattioli has covered Amazon for years, and chronicled their rise to power in her new book, The Everything War: Amazon’s Ruthless Quest to Own the World and Remake Corporate Power.

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The Supreme Court will decide what cities can do about tent encampments

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Is homelessness a crime? Apr 17, 2024

America is in the midst of a homelessness crisis. With little affordable housing and limited space at shelters, many people are instead sleeping outside. But as tent encampments become more common, particularly on the West Coast where the housing crisis is most acute, the pressure on local governments to address the problem has skyrocketed. Now, the Supreme Court has decided to weigh in. The issue at the center of it is whether cities can fine or jail unhoused people for sleeping outside. Vox senior policy reporter Rachel Cohen (X, Instagram) explains the case and the stakes.

Supreme Court Amicus Brief No. 23-175

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Abortion and the erosion of privacy Apr 10, 2024

Since the Dobbs decision almost two years ago, reproductive rights have been at the center of our national consciousness. Two of the latest headlines come from Florida and Arizona: a six-week abortion ban, and a total abortion ban unless the life of the pregnant person is threatened, respectively. Both states have constitutions that name-check privacy rights, but both courts found that those rights don’t extend to abortion. What does privacy look like in the United States, and do we still have it in a post-Dobbs world?

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Fetal personhood laws, explained - Vox

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What is “fetal personhood”? Apr 03, 2024

Earlier this year, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos have the same rights as children. The decision sent shockwaves throughout Alabama and raised serious questions about the future of IVF in the United States. While the Alabama legislature has since passed legislation protecting IVF in the state, that doesn’t address the big question behind the court’s decision: What does personhood mean, and what does it mean for the anti-abortion movement?

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Alabama’s Supreme Court IVF ruling is a warning to the country - Vox

Opinion | The Anti-Abortion Movement Is Gunning for Fetal Personhood - The New York Times

How America’s Two Abortion Realities Are Clashing - The New York Times

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Tyler (@tylerlimaroope) | TikTok

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A safety net’s poverty trap Mar 27, 2024

What if you weren’t allowed to have more than $2,000 at any given time? Could you make it work? For people who receive Supplemental Security Income, this isn’t a what-if — it’s reality. SSI beneficiaries are subject to strict requirements and risk losing their benefits if they have more than $2,000 in financial assets, even if they exceed that by just a dollar. Why is the limit so low, and is anything being done to fix it? That’s today on The Weeds.

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The Case for Updating SSI Asset Limits | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

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Kathryn's plan to fix child care

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Let’s fix child care together Mar 20, 2024

America is in the midst of a child care crisis. The cost of child care has skyrocketed to the point where, in some states, caring for kids in pre-k is more expensive than college tuition or a home mortgage. According to economist Kathryn Anne Edwards, it’s a market failure. So how do we fix it? That’s in today’s installment of our series exploring economic fanfiction and the stories we should be covering this election year.

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The Black Box: Even AI's creators don't understand it - Unexplainable

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Bringing back the SAT Mar 13, 2024

Four years after a pandemic pause, some colleges and universities are again requiring applicants to submit standardized test scores. Inside Higher Ed’s Liam Knox and the University of Delaware’s Dominique Baker explain.

This episode of Today, Explained was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Rob Byers, and guest-hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. It originally ran on March 8th, 2024.

Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained

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The AI election Mar 06, 2024

2024 is a big year for elections, not just in the US but globally: More than 50 countries will be holding elections this year. With rampant disinformation and polarization in politics, fast-moving technologies like AI pose a unique threat to democracy. On a scale from 1–10, how worried should we be about AI and the election? Host Jonquilyn Hill talks to New York Times reporter Tiffany Hsu to find out.

Learn More:

Test Yourself: Which Faces Were Made by A.I.? - New York Times

In Big Election Year, A.I.’s Architects Move Against Its Misuse - New York Times

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Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society by Arline T. Geronimus

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

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The case for banning...millionaires? Feb 28, 2024

Political philosopher Ingrid Robeyns believes that there should be a maximum amount of money and resources that one person can have. She tells Sean how much is too much and why limiting personal wealth benefits everyone, including the super rich. This episode of The Grey Area originally aired in January 2024.

Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area

Guest: Ingrid Robeyns. Her book is Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth.

Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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Producer: Jon Ehrens

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How racism ages Black people Feb 21, 2024

There are a host of health disparities across the racial divide. Black people are more likely to develop chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Black people are also more likely to be diagnosed with fibroids or die from pregnancy complications. One of the factors in these disparities could be a phenomenon known as weathering — the stress of racism literally aging Black people’s bodies at a faster rate. Host Jonquilyn Hill discusses this with Dr. Uché Blackstock, the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity and the author of Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine.

Health in Her HUE

Irth App

Advancing Health Equity

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Skipping the broom Feb 14, 2024

Romantic relationships are in a weird place right now. Statistically things are shifting, but the numbers are particularly stark for Black Americans. In the last 50 years, the percentage of Black women who have yet to walk down the aisle has more than doubled; now 48 percent haven’t jumped the broom. Professor and author Dianne M. Stewart argues that there are policies in place keeping Black women from partnering, resulting in what she calls forbidden Black love. Could policy shifts have a major impact on the marriage rate? And why does marriage even matter in the first place?

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Eviction Tracking System | Eviction Lab

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Eviction: the scarlet E Feb 07, 2024

According to the Eviction Lab, about 7.6 million Americans every year face the threat of eviction, and a disproportionate number of those threatened are Black women. This week, host Jonquilyn Hill sits down with New America senior writer and editor Julia Craven to discuss why this disparity exists and what policies could help end evictions for everybody. It’s the first of a special series this month entitled “Black women and ...” that examines the ways policy particularly impacts Black women.

Evictions: a hidden scourge for black women - Washington Post

TANF Policies Reflect Racist Legacy of Cash Assistance

Evictions and Infant and Child Health Outcomes - PMC

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Kathryn Edwards on TikTok (@keds_economist)

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Let’s fix retirement together Jan 31, 2024

It’s an election year, and there are so many different policy discussions we could be having: affordable child care, housing, health care, you name it. Based on how the campaigning has gone so far, though, it seems that hard policy debates and discussions won’t get much — if any — airtime. So, how about we have that discussion? Today on The Weeds: the economic policies we should be talking about.

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Hannah Ritchie fights climate doomerism with facts — Vox

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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How to be a (realistic) climate optimist Jan 24, 2024

The Earth was its hottest in recorded history in 2023. Our winters are shorter, our summers hotter, and our natural disasters more extreme. It’s dark. But maybe it doesn’t have to be. Hannah Ritchie is deputy editor at Our World in Data and author of the book Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet. On this week’s episode of The Weeds, she talks with host Jonquilyn Hill about how the world has never been sustainable, why scientists shouldn’t advocate for policy, and ways to balance optimism and realism when it comes to stopping climate change.

What If People Don't Need to Care About Climate Change to Fix It? — NYT

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Zhang Zhehan is a deepfake: fandom conspiracy theories are getting worse — Vox

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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How celebrity fandom explains Trump Jan 17, 2024

To no one’s surprise, former president Donald Trump handily won the Republican Iowa caucuses this week. Despite his recent bout of legal trouble, he still has the backing of a dedicated voting base. But at times, his base feels more like stans than supporters. This week on The Weeds, host Jonquilyn Hill sits down with Vox culture writer Aja Romano to discuss the origins of fandom, the toxicity of stan culture and online harassment, and how we’ve trained politicians to be performers first.

What Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ Tour Tells Us About Trump’s Appeal — Politico

2024 campaign: Trump rallies aren't even about politics at this point — Slate

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Republicans are weaponizing antisemitism to take down college DEI offices — Vox

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Why we can’t stop talking about Harvard Jan 10, 2024

Harvard and elite institutions like it have been in the news a lot lately. Following the outbreak of war in Gaza, three university presidents — Liz Magill, Claudine Gay, and Sally Kornbluth — testified in a congressional hearing about antisemitism on campus. And since that hearing, two of those three presidents have resigned from their posts. But the criticism of inadequate responses to antisemitism — and the accusations of plagiarism — are just the tip of the iceberg. Weeds host Jonquilyn Hill sits down with the Atlantic’s Adam Harris to discuss.

The State Must Provide: Why America's Colleges Have Always Been Unequal—and How to Set Them Right (Hardcover) | Loyalty Bookstores

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Labor unions aren't “booming.” They're dying.

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Are unions making a comeback? Dec 20, 2023

2023 was a big year for unions. WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes brought Hollywood to a standstill, and the UAW made historic gains for nearly 150,000 of its members. But despite all of the commotion around unions, membership is still way down from its peak — and has been steadily declining since the 1950s. Was the past year a sign of an upcoming resurgence in the labor movement? Weeds host Jonquilyn Hill talks to journalist and organizer Kim Kelly to find out.

The UAW Strike May Have Finally Set Us Up for a General Strike

Fight Like Hell: The Untold History Of American Labor

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The Triumph of Doubt: Dark Money and the Science of Deception

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Why are so many kids missing school? Dec 13, 2023

Nearly four years after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and years after school reopenings, schools still face a major challenge: Students aren’t showing up. An estimated 14.7 million students didn’t show up regularly in the 2022-23 school year and were “chronically absent.” As data rolls out, states are realizing that they can’t address chronic absences without strategic plans to target it. Today on The Weeds, Vox reporter Fabiola Cineas explores what chronic absenteeism is, how it affects children's learning in both the short and long term, and what strategies have a proven track record of getting kids back to school.

More from David Michaels:

Doubt Is Their Product: How industry’s Assault on Science Threatens Your Health

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Cristian Ayala, engineer

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Special thanks to Katelyn Bogucki

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Why isn’t school lunch free? Aug 30, 2023

The problem of school lunch debt is not a new one. But during the early days of the Covid-19 public health emergency, Congress had a solution: universal free school lunch. Suddenly, federal waivers were available to public schools around the country, and food insecurity in at-risk households dropped by 7 percent. But, like many other Covid-era policies, it lapsed. And while some states moved to make universal free lunch permanent, many didn’t. Vox senior correspondent Anna North (@annanorthtweets) explains.

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Georgia Trump indictment: The 5 conspiracies at its heart - Vox

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Trump’s RICO problem Aug 23, 2023

In case you missed it, Donald Trump was indicted once again, this time for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. But this indictment is different from the others, because it involves a RICO charge. RICO, short for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, is most commonly used to prosecute organized crime. These cases can also be exceedingly complicated, and often take months to even make it to trial. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis wants to see a trial date within six months, but is that too ambitious? Stanford law professor David Sklansky (@d_a_sklansky) explains.

Florida man indicted (again) (again) (again) - Today, Explained

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Eagle Pass residents sour on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star

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Biden messed with Texas Aug 16, 2023

In early July, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott installed a chain of buoys and barbed wire in the Rio Grande as part of his “Operation Lone Star” plan to crack down on illegal border crossings. Then, a few days later, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit in response to the floating buoy border. The DOJ is using an obscure 1899 law called the Rivers and Harbors Act as the legal basis for this suit, claiming the border obstructs navigable waterways. Will that be enough for the DOJ to force Abbott to remove the buoys? Weeds host Jonquilyn Hill asks Texas A&M law professor Gabriel Eckstein and Texas Tribune reporter Uriel García to find out.

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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Biden wants YOU (to go to therapy) Aug 09, 2023

Finding a therapist can be exhausting. Between connecting with a clinician you like and locating someone who takes your insurance, it can be a daunting process. And despite a 2008 law that requires parity between mental and physical health care, insurers have found workarounds. Now, the Biden administration is moving to strengthen the parity law to make it easier for folks to access mental health care. Will it work? Vox’s Dylan Scott explains.

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The Supreme Court put itself in charge of the executive branch with its major questions doctrine | Vox

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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A new era for birth control Aug 02, 2023

For the first time ever in America, a birth control pill will be available over the counter. In July 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved Opill, a progestin-only form of daily oral contraception. This move could open the doors to millions of people who need, and want, to use birth control. To understand the court rulings that got us here, the potential obstacles to equal access, and what Opill means for the future of contraceptives in the US, host Jonquilyn Hill speaks with Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, an OBGYN and the CEO of Power to Decide, and Khiara M. Bridges, a professor of law at UC Berkeley School of Law.

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Who broke student loans? Jul 26, 2023

Last month, the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program. Student loan debt these days weighs in at about $1.7 trillion. Leah Litman and Josh Mitchell join us on the latest episode of The Weeds to dive into the legal landscape and discuss how we got this student loan system in the first place.

Student Debt Relief Bad, Bigotry Good | Crooked Media

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Weed in pregnancy: Is it safe? - Vox

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Expecting: Weed and Pregnancy Jul 19, 2023

Many states have extremely punitive policies around cannabis and pregnancy. But researchers don't actually have great data on cannabis's harms. This episode of Unexplainable originally aired in May 2023.

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It's an HOA world; you're just living in it Jul 12, 2023

If you’re buying a new home, there’s a good chance it’s part of a homeowners association. HOAs are a form of common interest housing, and roughly a quarter of Americans live in communities with one. These private entities work as a pseudo-government in many neighborhoods, and they’re shaping housing policy across the country.

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Jonquilyn Hill, host

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The Republican plot to defund public libraries Jun 28, 2023

A popular saying is that public libraries are the last bastion of true democracy. But in recent months, Republican state lawmakers and local elected boards in states including Texas and Missouri have threatened libraries as a way to control what materials patrons can and cannot access. But these funding threats didn’t come out of nowhere. They often start with book bans in public schools. In today’s episode of The Weeds, we dig into threats to defund public libraries and the growing movement to ban books at schools and libraries across the country. Cody Croan, an administrative librarian in Missouri, talks about what he’s seen on the ground, and Kasey Meehan, the program director for Freedom to Read at PEN America, tells us what this new level of censorship means for American democracy.

The “anti-intellectual attack” on higher ed will take years to undo | Vox

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A conversation with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield Jun 21, 2023

In this live taping of The Weeds from TruCon 2023, host Jonquilyn Hill sits down with Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, for a conversation about the role of Africa in the current geopolitical landscape. They discuss the ongoing conflict in Sudan, Uganda’s new anti-LGBTQ law, South Africa’s move to supply weapons to Russia, and take some audience questions.

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We need to rethink discipline in schools Jun 14, 2023

For many Black children, their first encounter with the discrimination that will trail them their whole lives comes from the school system — a system where they are five times more likely to attend a segregated school than their white counterparts. This early exposure to segregation is one of many possible factors contributing to what’s known as the racial achievement gap — the gap between Black and white students’ test scores. Education experts have looked to a number of factors as root causes of the gap: family income, single parenthood, school resources. Another is the disparities in school discipline. In today’s episode of The Weeds, we dig into school discipline and the achievement gap with Francis Pearman of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education.

Read more:

Discrimination everywhere | Vox and Capital B

Abbott Elementary Recap: Janine and Gregory Sitting in a Tree | Vulture

Excerpt: Collective Racial Bias and the Black-White Test Score Gap

Schools are still segregated, and Black children are paying a price | Economic Policy Institute

Full study: Collective Racial Bias and the Black-White Test Score Gap | SpringerLink

Submit your policy questions!

The Supreme Court discovers that ending affirmative action is hard in the Harvard and UNC cases - Vox

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The kids suing their state for climate change Jun 07, 2023

Do Montanans have a constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment? According to the state constitution they do. And a group of young people are using that language to sue the state over its energy policies. The case is called Held v. Montana, and the plaintiffs want to prove the state’s energy policies directly harm the Montana environment. In today’s episode of The Weeds, we’ll dig into the case with Amanda Eggert (@amandaleggert), environmental reporter at the Montana Free Press, and also hear from a plaintiff about why she decided to join the lawsuit.

You can read more reporting from Amanda on the Montana legislature, state energy policy, and the environment at MontanaFreePress.org

We reached out to the Montana attorney general’s office for comment. Here is the full statement below:

“Following the legislative session, there are no existing laws or policies for the district court to rule on. A show trial on laws that do not exist, as the district court seems intent on holding, would be a colossal waste of taxpayer resources. This same lawsuit has been thrown out of federal court and courts in a dozen other states — and it should be dismissed here in Montana as well.” —Emily Flower, spokeswoman for Attorney General Austin Knudsen

“This entire lawsuit is a meritless publicity stunt to increase fundraising for their political activism at the expense of Montana taxpayers. Our Children’s Trust is a special-interest group that is exploiting well-intentioned Montana kids — including a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old — to achieve its goal of shutting down responsible energy development in our state. Unable to implement their policies through the normal processes of representative government, these out-of-state climate activists are trying to use liberal courts to impose their authoritarian climate agenda on Montanans.” —Kyler Nerison, communications director for Attorney General Austin Knudsen

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The fate of affirmative action May 24, 2023

Summer is around the corner, which means the latest rulings from this Supreme Court are as well. Two cases will take on affirmative action. In this episode of The Weeds we go on a deep dive with Vox reporters Fabiola Cineas and Ian Millhiser and look at the man behind both cases, the current state of affirmative action, and what a future without this policy would look like.

Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby, by Stephen L. Carter

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Why is child labor making a comeback? May 17, 2023

The first child labor law in America went on the books almost 200 years ago, and federal labor protections were enshrined in the Fair Labor Standards Act nearly 100 years later in 1938. So almost a century after the passage of the FLSA, why are we seeing reports of children working in factories, slaughterhouses, and even at McDonald’s? Meanwhile, state legislators are introducing bills across the country that further weaken child labor protections. Historian Beth English and Vox senior policy reporter Rachel Cohen explain.

References:

The Republican push to weaken child labor laws, explained | Vox

Alone and Exploited, Migrant Children Work Brutal Jobs Across the U.S. | The New York Times

10-year-olds among hundreds of children found working at McDonald's restaurants | NBC News

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Brandon McFarland, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The Weeds, Live – Anti-trans legislation, explained May 10, 2023

In recent years, there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures across the country. The ACLU is currently tracking 474 such bills, the majority of which target transgender rights. Meanwhile, trans people are over four times more likely than cisgender people to be the victims of violent crime. And according to a 2022 report from the Trevor Project, 45 percent of LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.

In this live taping of The Weeds, host Jonquilyn Hill sits down with Danni Askini, co-executive director of national programs for the Gender Justice League. The two examine the history of gender-affirming care, discuss how changes in health policy and advancements in marriage equality have led to this backlash, and explore how advocates are responding.

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Policymaking on the high seas May 03, 2023

Question: What is the world’s largest habitat? Here’s a hint: It also takes up about half of the Earth’s surface. Any guesses? It’s the high seas, the parts of the open ocean outside any single country’s jurisdiction. And for the first time ever, there is a plan to protect it.

The High Seas Treaty, Explained | Reuters

The BBNJ agreement and liability | ScienceDirect Journal

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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How Secretary Buttigieg wants to make America’s roads safer Apr 26, 2023

On this week’s episode ofThe Weeds, we sit down with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to talk about transportation policy in America. From subways and buses to cars and safer roads, listen for more about the future of public transportation and the policies that can curb traffic deaths. Plus, more from Vox’s Marin Cogan and her reporting on the deadliest road in America.

Cars transformed America. They also made people more vulnerable to the police.

A driver killed her daughter. She won't let the world forget.

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Mifepristone and the FDA’s exhaustive approval process, explained Apr 18, 2023

It’s been 10 days since a federal judge in Texas issued an unprecedented ruling that nullified the 2000 Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone, the first medication in a two-pill combination for medication abortion. A confusing legal battle ensued, and now we are waiting to hear from the Supreme Court. But we still want to know: What does this mean for the future of FDA drug approval? Vox’s Keren Landman (@landmanspeaking) explains.

References:

Abortion pill ruling: Why mifepristone is safe abortion medication - Vox

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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How corporations got all your data Apr 11, 2023

Sean Illing speaks with Matthew Jones, historian of science and technology, and co-author (with data scientist Chris Wiggins) of the new book How Data Happened. They discuss the surprisingly long history of data from the 18th century to today, in service of explaining how we wound up in a world where our personal information is mined by giant corporations for profit. They talk about how the allure of measurement and precision spread from astronomy to the social sciences, why advertising became so bound to the operation of the internet, and how we can imagine a more democratic future for us and our data, given the unprecedented power of today's tech companies.

Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area

Guest: Matthew L. Jones (@nescioquid), author; James R. Barker Professor of Contemporary Civilization, Columbia University

References:

How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithmsby Chris Wiggins and Matthew L. Jones (W.W. Norton; 2023)
"How Alan Turing Cracked The Enigma Code" (Imperial War Museum)
Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass media by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky (1988)
"The manipulation of the American mind: Edward Bernays and the birth of public relations" by Richard Gunderman (The Conversation; July 9, 2015)
On Herbert Simon (The Economist; Mar. 20, 2009)
The Age of Surveillance Capitalismby Shoshana Zuboff (Profile; 2019)
Jeffrey Hammerbacher quoted in "This Tech Bubble Is Different" by Ashlee Vance (Bloomberg Businessweek; Apr. 14, 2011)

Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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This episode was made by:

Producer: Erikk Geannikis
Engineers: Patrick Boyd & Brandon McFarland

Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall

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Do assault weapons bans work? Apr 04, 2023

After the shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville in late March, President Biden once again called for reinstating the federal assault weapons ban. The United States banned new sales of assault weapons from 1994 to 2004, but the law was easy to skirt, and the data we do have about its effectiveness is complicated. Is an assault weapons ban where advocates should spend their political capital?

References:

America's unique, enduring gun problem, explained

The Secret History of Guns

Gun Policy in America | RAND

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Help keep this show and all of Vox's journalism free by making a gift to Vox today: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Medicaid’s “Great Unwinding” Mar 28, 2023

On April 1, 2023, a Covid-era Medicaid policy called continuous enrollment will end. The policy allowed recipients to retain their benefits, even if they were no longer eligible, throughout the federal public health emergency and prevented lapses in coverage. Now that that’s coming to an end, state Medicaid offices need to audit their enrollees. But that process isn’t so simple, and millions are expected to slip through the cracks. Vox senior correspondent Dylan Scott (@dylanlscott) explains.

References:

Millions of people are about to get kicked off Medicaid

Our Welfare Puritanism : Democracy Journal

Subscribe to the VoxCare newsletter

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Why Illinois wants to end cash bail Mar 21, 2023

This month, the Illinois Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case examining the Safe-T Act. The legislation would bring sweeping reform to the state’s criminal justice system, but one policy in particular has caught the eye and the ire of prosecutors: the elimination of cash bail. Proponents say ending cash bail bonds will get rid of inequities that favor the rich; opponents say it will lead to a rise in crime. What does the fight over cash bail in Illinois tell us about criminal justice in America?

References:

Season 4 of WBEZ’s Motive podcast

Safe-T Act and cash bail goes before Illinois Supreme Court | WBEZ Chicago

The Chicago Community Bond Fund

I Was Locked Away from My Children for 14 Months Because I Couldn't Make Bail

The Lifeline and 988

Guests:

Lavette Mayes

Shannon Heffernan (@shannon_h)

Insha Rahman

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The debt ceiling drama Mar 14, 2023

You’ve probably heard by now that President Joe Biden released his 2024 budget proposal. You’ve also probably heard that it has almost no chance of passing through both chambers of Congress. What is likely to come to pass is more drama over a recurring problem: the fight over the debt ceiling. If the US doesn’t raise the ceiling and defaults on its debt, financial catastrophe would ensue. What does that mean for the country’s fiscal future?

References:

What’s in Biden’s new White House budget - Vox

Biden’s billionaire tax proposal, explained - Vox

House Republicans are taking steps to prepare for a possible debt ceiling default - Semafor

President's Budget | OMB | The White House

Guests:

Joseph Zaballos-Roig (@josephzeballos)

Kathleen Day (@kathleenday)

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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What East Palestine can tell us about the rail industry Mar 07, 2023

On the evening of February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed outside of East Palestine, Ohio. The environmental impact was almost immediate: Residents were forced to evacuate while authorities carried out a controlled release of the hazardous chemical vinyl chloride. The aftermath also raises questions about freight rail policy and regulation. Host Jonquilyn Hill talks with Joanna Marsh of FreightWaves and Ian Duncan of the Washington Post about what East Palestine tells us about the rail industry’s past and future.

References:

Ohio senators introduce rail safety bill after fiery crash

5 questions you might ask about freight train accidents

Yes, the Ohio train wreck is an environmental disaster. No, it's not Chernobyl.

The East Palestine, Ohio, train wreck didn't have to be this bad

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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How a 1996 US immigration policy changed everything Feb 28, 2023

Almost 30 years ago, President Bill Clinton signed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act into law. This policy would have far-reaching implications and ripple effects that are still present today. Here to explain are two beloved Weeds alumni: Dara Lind and Dylan Matthews.

References:

(2016) The disastrous, forgotten 1996 law that created today's immigration problem

(2016) "If the goal was to get rid of poverty, we failed": the legacy of the 1996 welfare reform

(2021) Time Machine: Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965

One Mighty and Irresistible Tide: The Epic Struggle Over American Immigration, 1924-1965 by Jia Lynn Yang

Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Will the Supreme Court ruin the internet? Feb 21, 2023

On Tuesday, February 21, the Supreme Court will hear two cases that could dramatically change the way we use the internet. The cases are against two tech giants, Google and Twitter. More specifically, it hits their algorithms. The big question is: can these companies be held responsible for crimes like terrorism because of how their algorithms prioritize content? Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser explains.

References:

The Supreme Court hears two cases that could ruin the internet

Host:

Jonquilyn Hill

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The Ukraine war: past, present, and future Feb 14, 2023

It’s been almost one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Since the invasion, thousands have died, millions have been displaced, and the world has felt the ripple effects of the war. After a year of fighting, is anyone winning? What’s next for Ukraine, Russia, and the nations’ respective allies? Jonquilyn Hill sits down with Vox’s Jen Kirby and Jonathan Guyer to find out.

References:

One year in, both Ukraine and Russia still think they can win - Vox

What to know about the $60 price cap, the plan to limit Russia's oil revenues - Vox

Martial law and missile strikes are Putin’s latest moves in Russia’s war against Ukraine. What’s next? - Vox

3 reasons why House Republicans won’t cut the military budget - Vox

This DC party invite shows all the money to be made off the Ukraine war - Vox

How the Other Side Leaves - This American Life

Host:

Jonquilyn Hill

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Patrick Boyd, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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$14 trillion and no mules Feb 07, 2023

Paying the price. One of the typical questions asked during conversations about reparations is how to pay for them. Fabiola talks with economist William “Sandy” Darity and folklorist Kirsten Mullen about how reparations could be executed. The husband-and-wife team lays out a comprehensive framework in their book, From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century, for who would qualify and how the federal government would afford the $14 trillion price tag. This is part of 40 Acres, a four-part series examining reparations in the United States.

This series was made possible by a grant from the Canopy Collective and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. To provide feedback, please take our survey here: https://forms.gle/w9vYsfFGvdJLJ3LY9

Host: Fabiola Cineas, race and policy reporter, Vox

Guests: William “Sandy” Darity and Kirsten Mullen, authors of From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century

References:

From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century by William A. Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen (The University of North Carolina Press; 2020)
Homestead Act (1862)
Disparities in Wealth by Race and Ethnicity in the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances (Federal Reserve; 2020)
Evanston is the first U.S. city to issue slavery reparations. Experts say it's a noble start. (NBC News; 2021)
The Root of Haiti’s Misery: Reparations to Enslavers (New York Times; 2020)
‘We’re Self-Interested’: The Growing Identity Debate in Black America (New York Times; 2019)

This episode was made by:

Producer: Jonquilyn Hill
Engineer: Patrick Boyd

Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall

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The Biden policy that could change your neighborhood Jan 31, 2023

One of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation in American history is the Fair Housing Act of 1968. It is also a piece of legislation that has rarely been properly enforced. So, in early January, the Biden administration released a proposal that would give the FHA a new set of teeth. Vox senior policy reporter Rachel Cohen (@rmc031) explains.

PLUS: The Biden administration wants to hear from you. Click here to find out how to submit your feedback about the new proposal.

References:

Your segregated town might finally be in trouble

The Gray Area: The roots of homelessness

The homeownership society was a mistake

Public commenting rules

Host:

Jonquilyn Hill

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Insulin is for the world Jan 24, 2023

When insulin was discovered in 1923, the scientists sold the patent for only a dollar, hoping to make it accessible to those who need it. At the time, one of the discoverers said, “Insulin is for the world.” Fast-forward over 100 years, and some diabetics are rationing the lifesaving drug because the price is so high. Why does insulin cost so much, and what does that cost tell us about the American health care system? Host Jonquilyn Hill talks with Vox Senior Correspondent Dylan Scott about the price of insulin and the steps some states are taking to bring it down.

References:

Insulin is way too expensive. California has a solution: Make its own.

Host:

Jonquilyn Hill

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Weeds Time Machine: The Voting Rights Act Jan 17, 2023

Buckle up for another trip in the Weeds Time Machine! Today, we are going back in time to 1965 to talk about one of the most significant pieces of civil rights legislation in American history: the Voting Rights Act. Once again, its fate is in the hands of the Supreme Court. Professor Atiba R. Ellis walks us through the legislative and judicial history of this landmark policy.

References:

Atiba Ellis

Brief amici curiae of Boston University Center for Antiracist Research & Professor Atiba R. Ellis

Atiba Ellis: Using Memes to Break Out of Voter Fraud Talk

The Changing Racial and Ethnic Composition of the U.S. Electorate | Pew Research Center

Voting Rights Act (1965) | National Archives

Host:

Jonquilyn Hill

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Reintroducing The Weeds Jan 16, 2023

Politics is how people achieve power. Policy is what they do with it. Every week on The Weeds, host Jonquilyn Hill and guests break down the policies that shape our lives, from abortion to financial regulations to affirmative action to housing. We dive deep and we get wonky, but we have fun along the way. New episodes drop every Wednesday. From Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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The great American gerrymander Jan 10, 2023

Gerrymandering shapes our political maps, which in turn shape our policies. While there are concerns about how hyperpartisan voting maps are becoming, there’s one state where grassroots organizers have changed the system. On today’s episode of The Weeds, we pass the mike to one of you and answer your burning questions about redistricting in this polarized era.

References:

Where Did the Term “Gerrymander” Come From? | History| Smithsonian Magazine

Opinion: Gerrymandering on steroids is the new normal | CNN

Redistricting experts weigh in on results of first general election under new maps | Detroit Free Press

Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesn't Count, a book by David Daley

Host:

Jonquilyn Hill

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The scourge of the “time tax” Dec 27, 2022

(Originally aired May 2022) 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 Hard to Make a Website for the Government? from the New York Times

White paper — Program Recertification Costs: Evidence from SNAP

A sudden change to SSI eligibility had huge, lasting negative consequences

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Climate optimism in 2023 Dec 20, 2022

In 2022, we saw a lot of climate change news. Europe hit record-high temperatures, Pakistan was devastated by flooding, and in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency got a little less powerful. While those are major causes for concern, there is a bright spot on the climate change policy landscape: 2023. Vox’s Rebecca Leber (@rebleber) tells us what to look forward to next year.

References:

The next frontier for climate action is the great indoors

The mystery of methane gone missing

The US could stop one cause of heat wave deaths tomorrow

Climate change has made air conditioning a vital necessity. It also heats up the planet

The good and bad news for the planet after the latest UN climate talks

Even Breathing Is A Risk In One Of Orlando's Poorest Neighborhoods | HuffPost Voices

Host:

Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Our mental health doom loop Dec 13, 2022

Last month, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a new mental health policy that lowers the threshold for involuntary commitments for psychiatric care. While the Adams administration argues this shift is a solution for growing crime and homelessness numbers, critics argue it’s a step in the wrong direction. What’s the history behind involuntary holds, and what does it say about mental health policy in America?

References:

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

SAMHSA

Introducing the "Designed to Fail" series | Mental Health America

America's Long-Suffering Mental Health System

Hosts:

Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The bipartisan bill that could protect elections Dec 06, 2022

With the 2022 midterm elections mostly over, members of Congress are back on the Hill to wrap up loose legislative ends. One of the bipartisan bills floating through the lame-duck session is the Electoral Count Reform Act, a bill that would add protections to the presidential transfer of power. So, what exactly does this legislation do to protect elections, and is it enough?

Hosts:

Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The rebirth of industrial policy Nov 29, 2022

(Originally aired August 2022) Vox senior correspondent Dylan Matthews sits down with Felicia Wong (@FeliciaWongRI), president and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, to talk about a new era of industrial policy. They discuss the theory of modern supply-side economics, the passage of the Inflation Reduction and CHIPS acts, and how much common ground exists between the political left and the right.

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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It’s time to regulate crypto Nov 22, 2022

The world of cryptocurrency is infamously unregulated, but what happens when a major crypto exchange crashes, uprooting almost the entire crypto ecosystem, and there’s no regulatory body in charge? You have the FTX crash of 2022. And it’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room: why don’t we have a regulation framework for crypto? It seems like an obvious solution, but as The Verge’s Liz Lopatto (@mslopatto) and financial regulation expert Yesha Yadav explain, it’s not as simple as it sounds.

References:

Sam Bankman-Fried tries to explain himself

The collapse of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried’s shocking downfall

How FTX played both parties and almost won Washington

Man who cleaned up Enron says FTX is worse

Binance to sell rest of FTX token holdings as Alameda CEO defends firm's financial condition

Hosts:

Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Patrick Boyd, engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The Weeds’ weed episode Nov 15, 2022

Let’s be blunt: Weed policy is complicated. As with many elections in the past decade, recreational marijuana was on the ballot again during the 2022 midterm elections. After Colorado and Washington voted to legalize recreational use in 2012, more and more states have decided to ride the green wave. And recent moves by the Biden administration signal the federal government may finally come around to decriminalizing marijuana. But do these policies have any power?

References:

Marijuana election results: Maryland and Missouri vote to legalize cannabis by ballot measure

President Biden’s pardons for marijuana possession, explained

Federal marijuana legalization is stopped in its tracks

Hosts:

Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to call an election Nov 08, 2022

We did it, y’all – we made it to Election Day! And if you’re like us, tonight you’ll be glued to your TV and constantly refreshing Vox.com waiting for the returns to come in. We’re pretty used to knowing the winner that same night, but in 2020, we had to wait days before a winner was announced. So this got us thinking: How do news networks know when to make a call? And how has that changed through the years? We talked to three experts to find out.

References:

The 2022 midterm elections, explained

When will we know results in the 2022 midterm elections?

How elections are called and what “projected winner” means, explained (November 2020)

How we call races | AP

EXPLAINER: Why do the media call races in US elections? | AP News

Hosts:

Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to fix inflation Nov 01, 2022

With only a week to go until the US midterm elections, inflation is the issue at the top of most voters’ minds. As Democrats and Republicans make their cases for who can get prices to come down, one thing remains true: High prices are not going to go away overnight. Economists Mike Konczal (@rortybomb) of the Roosevelt Institute and Michael Strain (@MichaelRStrain) of the American Enterprise Institute discuss how we got here and the least painful way out of this.

References:

Is the cure for inflation worse than the disease?

Today, Explained: The devil’s bargain on inflation

To beat inflation, the Fed might have to trigger a recession

What aren't we doing to fix inflation?

Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Won’t Make Inflation Worse—Even If It Adds $400 Billion To Deficit, Goldman Says

Hosts:

Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Efim Shapiro, engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why scaring voters works Oct 25, 2022

Midterm elections are around the corner, and while voters are concerned about the economy, inflation, and abortion, there’s one other issue jumping to the top of the list: crime. Rising crime comes up in campaigns like clockwork, but during this election season, it's making a particular mark on two key Senate races: Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Vox’s Nicole Narea (@nicolenarea) and Li Zhou (@liszhou) explain.

References:

The 2022 midterm elections, explained

2021 crime rates are a big mystery

Hosts:

Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Efim Shapiro, engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The most interesting issues on the ballot Oct 18, 2022

The midterm elections are three weeks away, and candidates aren’t the only ones on the ballot. Voters across the country will decide new laws and policy through ballot initiatives, which can include proposals like legalizing recreational marijuana, funding in-state college tuition, and raising taxes to fight climate change. But how do these issues get on the ballot in the first place, and will they stay there? Vox policy editor Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson) explains.

References:

The 2022 midterm elections, explained

Two states, two visions for the future of labor

The states where the midterms will directly decide the future of abortion access

New Mexico voters are set to weigh in on a constitutional ballot measure for early childhood education this November

Sample ballot lookup — Ballotpedia

VOTE411

Hosts:

Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The candidates haunting the GOP Oct 11, 2022

The midterm elections are four weeks away. Senate control is on the line, and races in battleground states are tightening. Few things say “close election” like an October surprise. The one getting the latest buzz this election cycle comes from Georgia, courtesy of Republican senatorial candidate Herschel Walker. Vox politics reporter Li Zhou (@liszhou) explains the race, and Rutgers professor David Greenberg (@republicofspin) tells us the origin of the October surprise.

References:

Herschel Walker is an epically flawed candidate. He could still win.

Hosts:

Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AMERICA HAS A (POLLING) PROBLEM Oct 04, 2022

Pollsters are starting to panic. There’s headline after headline after headline ahead of the midterms on whether this election cycle’s polling is accurate or not. How does polling actually work? Is it really representative of how voters are feeling and what the outcome will be on Election Day? And when it comes to Democrats, why is polling so wrong? Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, explains why polls are complicated, lessons to learn from past elections, and what we could expect this November.

References:

Which Midterm Polls Should We Be Taking With a Grain of Salt?

Pollsters fear they’re blowing it again in 2022

Hosts: Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Abbott and DeSantis: Stunt queens or policy makers? Sep 27, 2022

US immigration policy is complicated. And when Republican Govs. Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis chartered buses and planes to relocate migrants to “blue cities,” it raised a ton of legal questions. But it also ignited the age-old question about our immigration system: Why is it so complicated? Weeds veteran Dara Lind (@DLind) explains.

References:

Why Ron DeSantis is baiting Biden on the border

Opinion | Ron DeSantis Is Making an Asylum Crisis of His Own

Host:

Jonquilyn Hill (@jonquilynhill), Vox senior producer

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fastest growing voting bloc in America Sep 20, 2022

For the September issue of The Highlight, the Vox politics team examined the fastest growing voting bloc in the country: Latino voters. But the 32 million voters that make up the Latino electorate are not a monolithic group. In today’s episode, we’ll look at the intricacies and nuances of the Latino voting bloc and what might happen in the 2022 midterm elections.

References:

Ruben Gallego's ready for a fight — even if the Democratic Party isn't

Yes, most Latinos are Christian. No, that doesn't make them anti-abortion.

Latino voters are being flooded with even more misinformation in 2022

The full September issue of The Highlight from Vox

Hosts:

Marin Cogan (@marincogan), senior correspondent

Christian Paz (@realcpaz), senior politics reporter

Nicole Narea (@nicolenarea), politics reporter

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who decides how we’ll save the future? Sep 13, 2022

How do we make life better for future generations? Who gets to make those decisions? These are tough questions, and today’s guest, philosopher William MacAskill (@willmacaskill), tries to help us answer them.

References:

What We Owe the Future by William MacAskill

Effective altruism's most controversial idea

How effective altruism went from a niche movement to a billion-dollar force

Effective altruism’s longtermist goals for the future don’t hurt people in the present

Hosts:

Bryan Walsh (@bryanrwalsh)

Sigal Samuel (@sigalsamuel)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vitamin X Sep 06, 2022

Today on The Weeds, we are sharing an episode of another Vox podcast, Unexplainable, that originally aired in June 2022.

Millions of Americans take dietary supplements — everything from vitamins and minerals to weight-loss pills and probiotics. But because supplements are loosely regulated in the US, their makers don't have to prove that they work, or even that they are safe.

Full transcript available here.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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It’s a policy team takeover! Aug 30, 2022

Join editor Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson) and reporters Rachel Cohen (@rmc031) and Madeleine Ngo (@maddiengo) for a summer policy wrap-up. Inflation, the economy, and gas prices were on everyone’s minds, but we have even more policy news to talk about. Both Congress and the Biden administration made one last late-summer policy push with the Inflation Reduction Act and student loan cancellation. What does this all mean for you? Listen to find out!

References:

School vaccine mandates for Covid-19 are not happening

Will student loan forgiveness make inflation worse?

Inflation is finally slowing down. Will things get cheaper?

The inflation numbers are bad — but how bad are they?

GDP declined again — but that might not mean we're in a recession

”Standard Oil” octopus cartoon

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, deputy editorial director

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The rebirth of industrial policy Aug 23, 2022

Vox senior correspondent Dylan Matthews sits down with Felicia Wong (@FeliciaWongRI), president and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, to talk about a new era of industrial policy. They discuss the theory of modern supply-side economics, the passage of the Inflation Reduction and CHIPS acts, and how much common ground exists between the political left and the right.

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Could the war on terror be over? Aug 16, 2022

Vox senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp and Vox senior foreign writer Jonathan Guyer discuss the killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, one of the organizers behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US. His death marks a turning point in the “war on terror” and US foreign policy, but what kind of turning point? Can we say the war on terror is over, or is it just entering a new stage?

References:

What Ayman Zawahiri’s death tells us about terrorism and US foreign policy

Ayman al-Zawahiri’s death by drone was President Biden’s opportunity to end the war on terrorism

No one has been held accountable for the catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal

Where in the world are Russians going to avoid sanctions?

Hosts:

Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox

Jonathan Guyer (@mideastXmidwest), senior foreign policy writer, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The new politics of abortion Aug 09, 2022

In a surprise to many, last week Kansas overwhelmingly voted down an anti-abortion ballot initiative. If abortion rights can win in a deep-red state, what does that mean for the midterms this fall? Join Vox policy editor Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson), Vox senior policy reporter Rachel Cohen (@rmc031), and Vox politics reporter Nicole Narea (@nicolenarea) for a conversation about the new state of abortion politics.

References:

Abortion was on the ballot in Kansas. Access won.

Why the Kansas abortion amendment is so confusing

The challenge of turning pro-choice Americans into pro-choice voters

The states pushing abortion ballot measures in 2022 post-Roe

Senate Democrats slowly consider their options after Roe

Hosts:

Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson)

Rachel Cohen (@rmc031)

Nicole Narea (@nicolenarea)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maybe we’re not doomed? Aug 02, 2022

As the Earth swelters through yet another record-breaking summer, a surprise push for climate legislation on Capitol Hill gave us a shimmer of optimism and hope toward fighting climate change. But, while it’s a step in the right direction to reduce carbon emissions, it’s not a panacea. How do we maintain optimism, even when the right steps feel too small?

References:

Summaries of the climate, tax, and prescription drug parts of the Manchin deal

What Democrats' big new bill would actually do

What the Inflation Reduction Act needs to pass, including Sen. Sinema

Princeton researchers’ estimate of the deal’s climate impact

The Republican vote against benefits for veterans exposed to toxins

The White House/Employ America plan to reduce gas prices

Nina Kelsey’s theory of the “green spiral”

It’s so hot in Europe that roads are literally buckling

Europe is burning like it’s 2052

Hosts:

Bryan Walsh(@bryanrwalsh), Future Perfect editor, Vox

Dylan Matthews, (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Sigal Samuel (@sigalsamuel), Future Perfect senior reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Weeds Time Machine: The ADA Jul 26, 2022

Dylan Matthews, Dara Lind, and special guest Ari Ne’eman (@aneeman) fire up the Weeds Time Machine for a special episode on the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was signed into law 32 years ago today, and while the legislation had a profound impact on almost every corner of American society, the bill wasn’t perfect. So hop into the Time Machine to learn about the history of the disability rights movement, how the ADA came to be, and what the movement is working toward today.

References:

What if Disability Rights Were for Everyone?

Opinion | A 'Safety Net' That's a Kafkaesque Mess

Watch Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution | Netflix Official Site

The Power of 504

Episode transcript

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What the hell is up with SCOTUS? Jul 19, 2022

Dara Lind is joined by Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) to discuss the major decisions handed down by the Supreme Court this term. They talk about the Court’s emphasis on historical narrative, its move away from settled legal doctrine, and the politicization of the Court. Plus, a white paper on originalism and stare decisis written by then-professor Amy Coney Barrett.

References:

The post-legal Supreme Court

Originalism and Stare Decisis

Hosts:

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The legal limbo of abortion rights Jul 12, 2022

Vox Supreme Court correspondent Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) speaks with Michele Goodwin, a law professor, bioethicist, and leading expert on reproductive health policy, about the future of abortion rights in a world without Roe.

References:

Policing the Womb by Michele Goodwin

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pregnancy in a post-Roe America Jun 28, 2022

Dylan Matthews and Dara Lind are joined by Vox senior reporter Keren Landman, M.D., (@landmanspeaking) to discuss the extremely high maternal mortality rate in the United States. Breaking down those numbers by socioeconomic factors like race or income, the rate of pregnancy-related deaths gets even worse. What will happen now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned?

References:

Where will abortion still be legal now that Roe v. Wade has been overruled?

The end of Roe will mean more children living in poverty

Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2020

Maternity Care Deserts Report

Maternal Mortality and Maternity Care in the United States Compared to 10 Other Developed Countries

How Many American Women Die From Causes Related to Pregnancy or Childbirth? No One Knows.

Overturning Roe v. Wade Could Make Maternal Mortality Even Worse

White paper: Maternal Mortality and Women's Political Power

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ConGRADulations, fellow kids Jun 21, 2022

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 Rameswaram.

Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained

Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How the world became rich Jun 14, 2022

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

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does the US need a National Guard of nurses? Jun 07, 2022

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 (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The gun control stalemate, explained May 31, 2022

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.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

References:

The Uvalde massacre and America's unique gun violence problem, explained

Dylan on how gun ownership became a powerful political identity

White paper 1: “The Science of Gun Policy”

White paper 2: “Presence of Armed School Officials and Fatal and Nonfatal Gunshot Injuries During Mass School Shootings, United States, 1980-2019”

White paper 3: “The Impact of Mass Shootings on Gun Policy”

Press coverage of mass shootings can cause copycat shootings

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Most Dangerous Branch: A well-regulated militia May 27, 2022

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, Regulation, and the Future of Heller, Joseph Blocher

The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America, Carol Anderson

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial advisor

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Immigration, democracy, and the rise of the Western far right May 24, 2022

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 in the Philippines

Jen wrote about the French presidential runoff elections in April

She also recommends this piece about far-right politics in Germany

The first installment of the multi-part series from NYT about Tucker Carlson and Fox News

White paper: Waking Up the Golden Dawn: Does Exposure to the Refugee Crisis Increase Support for Extreme-Right Parties?

White paper: Refugee Migration and Electoral Outcomes

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Jen Kirby (@j_kirby1), foreign and national security reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The scourge of the “time tax” May 17, 2022

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 Hard to Make a Website for the Government? from the New York Times

White paper — Program Recertification Costs: Evidence from SNAP

A sudden change to SSI eligibility had huge, lasting negative consequences

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ukraine and the global food supply crisis May 10, 2022

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 global famine looms. The U.S. could prevent it.

How war in Ukraine is making people hungry in the Middle East

Russian Blockade Prompts Ukraine to Find New Ways to Shift Vital Wheat Exports

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What the Alito leak means for Roe — and everything else May 05, 2022

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 down Roe

Ian’s interview with Professor Melissa Murray

Professor Melissa Murray NYT op ed from December: What would a post-Roe America look like?

Hosts:

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Most Dangerous Branch: Roe v. Wade May 03, 2022

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 opinion shows

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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Why do we go to war? Apr 26, 2022

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 conflict

Using summer vacations to study peace deal mediators

The influence of royal mounties in the 19th century may make Canadian hockey less violent now

Blattman on Ukraine before the war

Civil war predictions in the US

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

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Weeds Time Machine: The Clean Air Act Apr 19, 2022

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 LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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Tax time at the culture wars Apr 12, 2022

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 Toluse Olorunnipa and Robert Samuels

The Tax Policy Center’s analysis of the Rick Scott plan

How many people don’t pay income tax?

The original 47% remarks

The folk Republican morality behind the plan

White paper: “Unemployment Insurance and Opioid Overdose Mortality in the United States”

Medicaid expansion reduced opioid deaths too

The relationship between the economy and the opioid epidemic

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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Taxes! Let’s get right Intuit. Apr 05, 2022

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 others

TR Reid’s A Fine Mess

Justin Trudeau’s return-free tax promise

Dylan explaining near-term options to reform tax filing

“What is return-free filing, and how would it work?”

The benefits of return-free filing

Option one: the pre-filled return

Option two: pay-as-you-earn

ProPublica on Intuit/H&R Block lobbying that’s kept taxes complicated

White paper: “Inertia and Overwithholding: Explaining the Prevalence of Income Tax Refunds” by Damon Jones

Does the EITC promote work?

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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The Great Expiration Mar 29, 2022

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 Christine’s new book, Rethinking Sex.

References:

Christine’s book, Rethinking Sex

A guide to all the Covid-era social safety net expansions

Li Zhou on the child tax credit’s expiration

3.4 million more children were in poverty in February than December

Up to 16 million Americans could lose Medicaid after the public health emergency lifts

The effect of bonus unemployment insurance expiring last year

Sam Adler-Bell’s profile of David Leonhardt

Ed Yong on reopening and the lack of a safety net

The enormous learning loss caused by the pandemic

White Paper: “Consent, Legitimation, and Dysphoria” by Robin West

BDSM-interested parents have lost child custody just for their kink

Oklahoma’s new abortion ban

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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The art of the gerrymander Mar 22, 2022

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 gerrymandering

An argument that the 2022 redistricting has featured “an unprecedented attack … on the political power of communities of color”

White Paper: "The Triumph of Tokenism: The Voting Rights Act and the Theory of Black Electoral Success"

“The US Senate considerably dilutes the voting power of African Americans”

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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The myth of US energy independence Mar 15, 2022

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 imports

And, you can sign up for Rob’s newsletter here

Vox reporter Rebecca Leber busted a few myths about oil and gas prices

Biden’s administrative authority to lower gas prices

Russell Gold’s The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World

White Paper: “Carbon Taxes and CO2 Emissions: Sweden as a Case Study”

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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Why it’s so hard to move in America Mar 08, 2022

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 paper from David Schleicher called Stuck! The Law and Economics of Residential Stagnation

Research from the Brookings Institution: US migration still at historically low levels

NBER paper: The China Shock: Learning from Labor Market Adjustment to Large Changes in Trade

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

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Russia's terrible invasion Mar 01, 2022

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 attacking Ukraine

Adam Tooze on the economic war with Russia

Putin’s brother died in the siege of Leningrad

The real history of the Soviet-Pepsi submarine deal

WHITE PAPER: “Authoritarian Public Opinion and the Democratic Peace”

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Zack Beauchamp (@ZackBeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and mix engineer

Dara Lind, studio engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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A quick update Feb 25, 2022

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

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Why San Francisco’s school board got booted Feb 23, 2022

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 arguing in favor of the new admissions policies

The Asan American backlash against changing Lowell admissions (see also)

Students in selective exam schools don’t seem to reap many benefits

A review of exam schools nationwide

Putting “non-gifted” students in gifted classrooms helps them a lot

White Paper: The Effects of the “Great Resignation” on Labor Market Slack and Inflation

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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Democracy in crisis: The two-party problem Feb 18, 2022

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

References:

"How does this end?" by Zack Beauchamp (Vox; Jan. 3)
Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America (Oxford; 2020)
"Democracy in America? Partisanship, Polarization, and the Robustness of Support for Democracy in the United States" by Matthew H. Graham and Milan W. Svolik (American Political Science Review, 114 (2); May 2020)
"One way to reform the House of Representatives? Expand it" by Lee Drutman and Yuval Levin (Washington Post; Dec. 9, 2021)

Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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This episode was made by:

Producer: Erikk Geannikis
Editor: Amy Drozdowska
Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey
Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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The curse of the midterms Feb 15, 2022

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: “One Vote Out of Step? The Effects of Salient Roll Call Votes in the 2010 Election”

Dylan’s old, wrong article arguing that congressional position-taking doesn’t matter much

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Dara Lind, engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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Beijing, boycotts, and the enduring politics of the Olympics Feb 11, 2022

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 Walsh on the failure of the Games to promote international peace

Olympic sponsors are facing pressure over China’s human rights violations

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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Affirmative action could be doomed (again). What comes next? Feb 08, 2022

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 Kang on the Harvard case
Ending affirmative action in California pushed Black and Latinx students into worse schools and jobs
Randall Kennedy’s case for affirmative action
Sheryll Cashin’s case for “place-based affirmative action”
An argument that class-based affirmative action produces more racial diversity than regular affirmative action
Nicholas Lemann on affirmative action for the New Yorker
How the Texas “10 percent” rule changed high school enrollment
White paper: "The Effects of Education on Mortality: Evidence Using College Expansions"
“A Generation of American Men Give Up on College: ‘I Just Feel Lost,’” the Wall Street Journal
Opinion | “Affirmative Action Was Never a Perfect Solution,” the New York Times
“Estimating Benefits from University-Level Diversity”

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds cohost, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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It’s not about Ukraine. It’s about Putin. Feb 04, 2022

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 from NPR’s Throughline about the rise of Putin

The Weaponisation of Everything: A Field Guide to the New Way of War, by Mark Galeotti

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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Think of the children Feb 01, 2022

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 study and his piece on the universal pre-K findings

The impact of a poverty reduction intervention on infant brain activity. PNAS

The New York Times’s Jason DeParle’s take on the cash-transfer study

Scott Alexander summarizes the skeptical takes on the cash transfer study

Noah Smith’s review of the research on pre-K, and Kelsey Piper’s

Effects of a Statewide Pre-Kindergarten Program on Children’s Achievement and Behavior Through Sixth Grade

White Paper: Parents, Infants and Voter Turnout: Evidence from the United States

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), immigration reporter, ProPublica

Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson), policy editor, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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Unions! Jan 28, 2022

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 recent article about school closures and Democrats

The recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report on union membership numbers

Hosts:

Dara Lind (@dlind), immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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What happens to voting rights now? Jan 25, 2022

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 voting rights fights

White Paper: “What the Debate over Voter ID Laws' Effects Teaches about Asking the Right Questions”

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Are corporations winning at inflation? Jan 21, 2022

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 aboutrising 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 companies taking advantage of market power

The letter from President Joe Biden to FTC chair Lina Khan

“Could strategic price controls help fight inflation?” in the Guardian

Rethinking Inflation Policy: A toolkit for economic recovery by JW Mason and Lauren Melodia

Hosts:

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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What BBB means for climate policy Jan 19, 2022

Weeds co-hosts Jerusalem Demsas and Dara Lind talk with Robinson Meyer (@yayitsrob), staff writer at the Atlantic, about the climate provisions in President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill. They discuss specific climate-focused policy proposals and the political stalemate Congress is in, thanks to the filibuster in the Senate. Plus, a white paper about building codes and wildfires in California.

References:

Robinson Meyer on the climate gamble going on in Congress

Weeds alum Matt Yglesias on the Build Back Better Bill

Vox’s Rebecca Leber on why Joe Manchin may have doomed climate policy

A 2016 piece from Vox’s Dylan Matthews about money in politics

“Progressive leader calls on Biden to unilaterally act on agenda,” The Hill

“Manchin's $1.8 trillion spending offer appears no longer to be on the table,” The Washington Post

“Noisy and Unsafe: Stop Fetishizing Old Homes,” The Atlantic

Hosts:

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind) immigration reporter and Weeds host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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How the 1918 flu pandemic ended Jan 14, 2022

Dylan talks to John M. Barry, distinguished scholar at Tulane University and author of The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, about the Spanish flu of 1918-1919, its parallels to Covid-19, and what that pandemic’s end tells us about how this one might end.

References:

The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The case for more babies Jan 11, 2022

Dylan, Jerusalem, and special guest Bryan Walsh discuss the slowing population growth in America, and what a smaller-than-expected America could mean. They also talk about which immigration and child care policies could speed up population growth. Finally, they discuss a paper on why Europe is so much more equal than America.

References:

The Great Population Slowdown

How immigration could reverse population decline

The rise of childlessness

The climate case that it’s okay to have kids

The link between fertility and income

The complex relationship between housing prices and fertility

Changes in abortion access in a post-Roe America

Romania’s abortion ban and its effect on fertility

Recent research on global fertility patterns and cohabitation

What is the relationship between gender equality and fertility rates?

The Conservative Fertility Advantage

White paper: “Why Is Europe More Equal than the United States?”

A critique of the paper’s approach to health care

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Bryan Walsh (@bryanrwalsh), editor for Future Perfect, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The building blocks of radicalization Jan 07, 2022

How does someone get radicalized? What do political scientists see as the building blocks of political violence? Is there anything we can do to stop radicalization? One year after the insurrection on January 6, 2021, Vox policy reporter Jerusalem Demsas talks with Peter Neumann, a professor of security studies at King’s College in London, to answer these questions.

References:

Vox’s Zack Beauchamp on where the crisis in American democracy might be headed

Peter Neumann’s paper: The trouble with radicalization

A Q&A with a French philosopher about the fear of replacement within white nationalism

Colin Clarke writes for Politico on what happened after January 6

Northwestern University research about the perceived threat of a racial demographic shift in the US

Hosts:

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

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Why hasn’t student debt been canceled? Jan 04, 2022

Dylan and Dara are joined by Vox’s Libby Nelson to talk about the policy merits and political implications of plans to cancel some or all student loans. They also discuss whether President Joe Biden has the power to cancel student debt unilaterally. And, Vox’s Jerusalem Demsas joins Dylan and Dara for a white paper about prisoners of war and genetics.

References:

Brookings Institution’s Andre Perry on why student loan forgiveness isn't regressive
How canceling student debt helps beneficiaries get out of other debt
The racial justice case for student loan cancellation
Luke Herrine arguing that the Department of Education can erase debt unilaterally
Is there a secret memo saying Biden can erase the debt?
David Leonhardt’s case against debt cancellation
White Paper of the Week: “Health Shocks of the Father and Longevity of the Children's Children”

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox
Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox
Dara Lind (@dlind), immigration reporter
Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson) policy editor, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer
Libby Nelson, editorial adviser
Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Best Of: The coming climate exodus Dec 28, 2021

Vox senior reporter Rebecca Leber (@rbleber) joins The Weeds to explain the problem of migration caused by climate change, such as that due to wildfires, rising seas, and crop failures. She explains how a warming planet is forcing people to move both in the US and internationally, and how policymakers are and aren’t adapting. Vox reporters Dylan Matthews and Jerusalem Demsas continue the conversation with ProPublica’s Dara Lind, discussing a new white paper arguing that social mobility in America rose in the 20th century.

References:

ProPublica’s feature on climate migration in Central America

How climate change is driving up flood insurance premiums in Canarsie, Brooklyn

NPR’s investigation into the federal government selling flood-prone houses to low-income families

California is encouraging rebuilding in fire-prone regions

The case for “managed retreat” from coastal areas

A New York Times feature on how climate migration will reshape America

The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck

Why Greg Clark is pessimistic that social mobility even exists

White Paper of the Week: Intergenerational Mobility in American History: Accounting for Race and Measurement Error, Zachary Ward

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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America’s Public Health Experiment: Federal failures Dec 21, 2021

In the final episode of our series, America’s Public Health Experiment, Dylan, Dara, and Jerusalem discuss how the CDC and the FDA failed the American public in the early months of the pandemic. Plus, a white paper about excess deaths in the first year of Covid-19.

References:

How the experts botched masking advice

Zeynep Tufekci on the case for masks (in March 2020)

Inside the Fall of the CDC

Can the CDC be fixed?

How the CDC failed to detect Covid early

Scott Gottlieb on CDC versus FDA turf wars

The Government Asked Us Not To Release Records From The CDC’s First Failed COVID Test. Here They Are.

Zeynep Tufekci in the Atlantic: The CDC Is Still Repeating Its Mistakes

Dylan Scott on FDA approval of controversial Alzheimer's drug

White paper: Excess Deaths in the United States During the First Year of COVID-19

What happened to drug deaths in 2020

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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America's Public Health Experiment: More checks, less politics Dec 17, 2021

In the penultimate episode of our series America’s Public Health Experiment, Vox policy reporter Jerusalem Demsas talks to Arnab Datta, senior counsel at Employ America, about automatic stabilizers: what they are and how they could help during a crisis that affects the economy, such as a global pandemic.

References:

Vox's Emily Stewart on Democrats abandoning automatic stabilizers

Recession Ready: Fiscal Policies to Stabilize the American Economy

Structuring Federal Aid To States As An Automatic (And Autonomous) Stabilizer

A Historic Decrease in Poverty

GOP Governors Reject Extra Federal Unemployment Payments

Host:

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Can school be normal again? Dec 14, 2021

Dylan and Jerusalem are joined by Vox Policy Editor Libby Nelson to talk about the current state of Covid-19 and schools. They discuss vaccine mandates, rapid testing – or a lack thereof – and teacher burnout. Plus, a white paper about college majors and GPA requirements.

References:

Why schools weren’t “back to normal” this year

The pandemic caused huge levels of learning loss, especially in districts with less in-person schooling, and especially in poor countries

Can pandemics affect educational attainment? Evidence from the polio epidemic of 1916

Some schools are going remote on Fridays to address “burnout”

Schools cre closing classrooms on Fridays. Parents are furious.

Do school closures and school reopenings affect community transmission of COVID-19? A systematic review of observational studies

Quarantines are driving down attendance

The “test to stay” alternative to quarantines

How school districts have used their Covid relief funds

White Paper: “College Major Restrictions and Social Stratification”

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson), policy editor, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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America’s Public Health Experiment: The agencies Covid broke Dec 10, 2021

In the second episode of our series, America’s Public Health Experiment, Weeds co-host Dara Lind looks at two government agencies that went from quietly to loudly broken during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dara is joined by the Washington Post’s Jacob Bogage (@jacobbogage) and Jeremy McKinney (@McKJeremy) from the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Host:

Dara Lind (@dlind), immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Learning to love rent control Dec 07, 2021

Dara and Dylan talk to Jerusalem about her new article defending rent control laws. The three discuss the policy impacts of rent limits and the politics driving their adoption in large American cities. Finally, they discuss a new paper on declining fertility in 18th-century France.

References:

Jerusalem’s case for rent control

A poll of leading economists, who almost all oppose rent control

Economist Rebecca Diamond on the effects of rent control

Manhattan Institute fellow Michael Hendrix’s case against rent control

Time for revisionism on rent control?

The Invention of Brownstone Brooklyn by Suleiman Osman

Review of the literature by the Urban Institute

White paper: “The Cultural Origins of the Demographic Transition in France” by Guillaume Blanc

Blanc’s Twitter summary of his paper

The demographic transition for beginners

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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America’s Public Health Experiment: The testing failure Dec 03, 2021

German talks with Dr. Neeraj Sood, director of the Covid Initiative at the University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, about the US’s many failures on Covid-19 testing. They dive into the country’s original mistakes, then go into how lack of testing continues to plague America’s pandemic response. They conclude with what this means not just for the current pandemic but for future public health crises, too.

Host:

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Defund the police? Dec 01, 2021

German, Jerusalem, and Dylan talk about an idea that has come to dominate national discussions of policing: defunding the police. They walk through the pros and cons of the idea as a policy proposal, then discuss how it’s affecting the politics of criminal justice. Finally, they discuss new research on discrimination against Black and Latinx renters.

References:

German’s article on police research

German’s article on guns and policing

Austin’s defunding journey

Study finding more police mean fewer homicides

Study finding London police closures led to more violent crime

Expert survey finding most say more police funding would mean public safety improvements

2020's protests led to state policing reforms, but not defunding

Pew on public opinion toward defunding the police

Rogé Karma interviews Patrick Sharkey on The Ezra Klein Show

White paper: “Racial Discrimination and Housing Outcomes in the United States Rental Market”

Jerusalem's article on discrimination against housing voucher recipients

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Biden’s $3.40 a gallon problem Nov 24, 2021

Dylan, Jerusalem, and Dara talk about the specific kind of inflation that’s roiling American politics: the heightened price of gas. They discuss how and why gas prices have shot up in recent months, and what it means for Joe Biden’s popularity and presidency. Plus, a white paper about the most important labor market of all: the global market for soccer (excuse me, football) players.

References:

Biden’s strongly worded letter on gas prices

Biden is tapping the strategic petroleum reserve

Reuters on why gas prices are high

Why OPEC isn’t lowering gas prices

Eric Levitz on what Biden should do to combat inflation

The correlation between Biden’s popularity and gas prices

Lasting Impacts of a Gas Price Shock during Teenage Driving Years

Voters who drive a lot are likelier to vote based on gas prices

Presidential approval is historically strongly affected by gas and food prices (and not due to media coverage)

The collapse of New England’s Transportation and Climate Initiative

White paper: “Does Employing Skilled Immigrants Enhance Competitive Performance? Evidence from European Football Clubs”

Mo Salah reduced prejudice

Newcastle Football Club controversy

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Taxing Back Better Nov 19, 2021

Dylan talks to Chye-Ching Huang, the executive director of the Tax Law Center at NYU Law, about the many, many, many tax provisions in Democrats’ Build Back Better package. First they dive into the new tax benefits in the bill, from the expanded child tax credit to the $7,500 credit for electric cars. Then they talk about how the bill raises money through taxes, especially through higher taxes on high-income people and corporations. Then they talk about the future of taxes, like what will happen when most of the Trump tax cuts expire at the end of 2025.

References:

A breakdown of the components of the House Build Back Better bill

Whose taxes Build Back Better would raise and cut

Huang’s testimony to Congress on Build Back Better

UChicago and Columbia researchers on the Child Tax Credit and employment

The health care tax credit provisions of Build Back Better, explained

The clean energy tax credits would help cut emissions by 40-50 percent

The bill’s minimum corporate tax plan and millionaire surtax, explained

How rebuilding the IRS would boost tax compliance

Host:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does the pandemic end? Nov 16, 2021

Now that nearly 60 percent of the US population is fully vaccinated, Dylan, German, and Jerusalem discuss potential exit strategies for policies such as mask mandates and mandatory quarantines. They also talk about what an “endemic” Covid might be like in the US and which aspects of pandemic life might stick around. Finally, they discuss how better access to mental health care could affect crime.

References:

Mandate the vaccines, not masks

The case for ending school mask mandates at the end of the year

The case for keeping mask mandates

Emily Oster on kids and masks

The Black Death and its Consequences for the Jewish Community in Tàrrega

Against “deep cleaning” surfaces for COVID

Vaccines are coming along for children under 5

Do booster shots make vaccinating the world harder?

White paper of the week: Better access to outpatient psychiatric care reduces crime

Cognitive-behavioral therapy reduced crime in Liberia

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reshaping America’s cities Nov 12, 2021

Vox policy reporter Jerusalem Demsas talks with the Atlantic’s Derek Thompson (@DKThomp) about how the future of remote work could reshape America’s cities, upend US labor markets, and cause fundamental shifts in where people live. Derek and Jerusalem discuss how it would take only a small percentage of remote workers to impact the urban geography of the US — with complicated implications for electoral politics and the climate.

References:

Jerusalem's Q&A with housing economist Enrico Moretti on the future of remote work: Remote work is overrated. America’s supercities are coming back.

Superstar Cities Are in Trouble [The Atlantic]

How America Lost Its Mojo [The Atlantic]

The Coronavirus is Creating a Huge, Successful Experiment in Working From Home [The Atlantic]

Where Americans Are Moving [Bloomberg]

Could a Heartland visa help struggling regions? [Economic Innovation Group]

Host:

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pass the SALT? Nov 10, 2021

Dylan, Jerusalem, and Dara discuss congressional Democrats’ efforts to uncap the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, and how the party found itself proposing a massive tax cut for high-income households. They also dive into the deduction’s stated purpose (encouraging states to spend on social programs) and talk about other programs that could encourage states to invest in health and education. Finally, they examine a white paper showing that domestic violence crimes didn’t increase during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

References:

The state and local tax deduction, explained [Vox]

SALT cap repeal would overwhelmingly benefit high income households [Tax Policy Center]

Reconciliation may deliver a tax cut to the rich [Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget]

5-Year SALT cap repeal would be costliest part of Build Back Better [Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget]

Senators Menendez and Sanders show the way forward on the SALT cap [Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy]

Easy on the SALT: A qualified defense of the deduction for state and local taxes [Daniel J. Hemel, University of Chicago Law School]

Congress can help state and local governments prepare for a rainy day without repealing the SALT cap [Tax Policy Center]

What you don’t know about fiscal federalism can hurt you [Milken Institute Review]

Progressive politics from the ground up [CommonWealth Magazine]

California is making liberals squirm [The New York Times]

Effects of COVID-19 shutdowns on domestic violence in US cities [Amalia R. Miller, Carmit Segal, and Melissa K. Spencer, National Bureau of Economic Research]

One explanation for conflicting reports on domestic violence during the pandemic [Aaron Chalfin, Twitter]

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Most Dangerous Branch: Covid-19 v. The Constitution Nov 05, 2021

Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser talks to law professor Nicholas Bagley about the pandemic — and how the courts are undermining the government's ability to respond to emergencies. They discuss the constitutionality of vaccine mandates, religious exemptions to public health laws, and court decisions undermining the power of public health agencies.

References:

Delegation at the Founding (Columbia Law Review)

The Supreme Court’s coming war with Joe Biden, explained

Religious conservatives have won a revolutionary victory in the Supreme Court

A New Supreme Court case could gut the government’s power to fight climate change

Hosts:

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Facebook really that bad? Nov 02, 2021

Dylan, German, and Dara talk about Facebook and the controversy surrounding it in recent weeks. They cover just how much — and how little — we know about Facebook’s impact on the world and talk about whether there are good policy solutions to Facebook’s problems. For the white paper of the week, they break down a study on free school lunch programs.

References:

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial advisor

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Housing policy, but make it British Oct 29, 2021

America’s housing market is failing to meet the needs of most Americans. Rents have skyrocketed, homeownership is slipping out of grasp for young and other first-time homebuyers, and policymakers have struggled to meet the moment. But we’re not alone. The UK is also facing a dire housing shortage, one that is leading to skyrocketing rents and home prices. Usually, the solution to this problem is pushing higher levels of government to step in where local government has failed, but today’s guest, John Myers, the co-founder of London YIMBY, thinks his country should go in the opposite direction: more local.

References:

More Housing? YIMBY, Please (Bloomberg)

Strong Suburbs: Enabling streets to control their own development (Policy Exchange)

Seoul searching – does the Korean capital have the solution to the housing crisis? (CapX)

How Houston Achieved Lot Size Reform (Planetizen)

California is ending a rule that helped cause its housing crisis (Vox)

Hosts:

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The case for and against open borders Oct 26, 2021

Dylan, German, and Jerusalem get together to discuss one of the world’s least likely but most interesting utopian ideas: open borders. They discuss the moral and economic logic for making it easy to move to and work in different countries, and the political constraints that make such an idea anathema in most rich countries. Also, they discuss a new paper about how housing regulation is making it hard for Americans to move to where they’d get the best jobs.

References:

Bryan Caplan’s case for open borders, on Vox and in comic book form

Matt Yglesias’s case for more immigration

Michael Clemens’s economic case for broader migration

A review of the evidence on voter backlash to immigration

Angela Nagle’s leftist case against open borders

Arlie Hochschild’s Strangers in Their Own Land

Jerusalem on the intersection of refugee policy and housing policy

”Angela Merkel Was Right” by NYT's Michelle Goldberg

“Does Immigration Produce a Public Backlash or Public Acceptance? Time-Series, Cross-Sectional Evidence from Thirty European Democracies”

White Paper: “Location, Location, Location” by David Card, Jesse Rothstein, and Moises Yi

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial advisor

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Most Dangerous Branch: A well-regulated militia Oct 22, 2021

Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser 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, Regulation, and the Future of Heller, Joseph Blocher

The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America, Carol Anderson

Hosts:

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial advisor

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is inflation out of control? Oct 19, 2021

Dylan, German, and Dara talk about the whopping 5.4 percent inflation rate the Consumer Price Index estimated last week, what it means, and if inflation is going to get worse. They dig into a paper out of the Federal Reserve arguing that we're thinking about inflation all wrong. And they close out with a fascinating new study on what the Great Migration meant for African Americans who moved northward.

References:

Ben Casselman explains where prices are rising

Why looking at “trimmed” inflation measures can be useful

Neil Irwin from the New York Times on “shadow inflation”

Back when Dylan was less worried about inflation

JW Mason explains why “America’s inflation debate is fundamentally confused”

Jeremy Rudd, "Why Do We Think That Inflation Expectations Matter for Inflation? (And Should We?)"

Ricardo Reis’s critique of the Rudd paper; Joe Gagnon’s critique of the Rudd paper

Rudd and Blinder on the oil explanation for the inflation in the 1970s

This week’s white paper: Ellora Derenoncourt, "Can you move to opportunity? Evidence from the Great Migration"

Leah Boustan's book on the economic effects of the Great Migration on migrants and those left behind

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The home care fight in Congress Oct 15, 2021

Joe Biden has proposed a landmark $400 billion expansion of funding for home and community-based services (HCBS), the part of Medicaid that funds support services for older adults and people with disabilities living at home rather than in institutions. But with Congress fighting over which of Biden's priorities to cut to appease moderate Democrats, that proposal could be in peril.

Mia Ives-Rublee is a longtime disability rights activist who helped organize the Women's March in 2017 and now serves as director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. She spoke with Vox's Dylan Matthews about how HCBS works now, and how Democrats' plans for additional funding would change it.

References:

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The coming climate exodus Oct 12, 2021

Vox senior reporter Rebecca Leber (@rebleber) joins The Weeds to explain the problem of migration caused by climate change, such as that due to wildfires, rising seas, and crop failures. She explains how a warming planet is forcing people to move both in the US and internationally, and how policymakers are and aren’t adapting. Vox reporters Dylan Matthews and Jerusalem Demsas continue the conversation with ProPublica’s Dara Lind, discussing a new white paper arguing that social mobility in America rose in the 20th century.

References:

ProPublica’s feature on climate migration in Central America

How climate change is driving up flood insurance premiums in Canarsie, Brooklyn

NPR’s investigation into the federal government selling flood-prone houses to low-income families

California is encouraging rebuilding in fire-prone regions

The case for “managed retreat” from coastal areas

A New York Times feature on how climate migration will reshape America

The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck

Why Greg Clark is pessimistic that social mobility even exists

White Paper of the Week: Intergenerational Mobility in American History: Accounting for Race and Measurement Error, Zachary Ward

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Most Dangerous Branch: Roe v. Wade Oct 08, 2021

Vox Supreme Court correspondent Ian Millhiser talks with NYU professor Melissa Murray (@ProfMMurray) about the future of reproductive freedom. The Supreme Court started its new term this week, and with six conservative judges on the bench, Republicans are likely to win a generational victory overruling Roe v. Wade.

Resources:

Texas’s radical anti-abortion law explained

The staggering implications of the Supreme Court’s Texas anti-abortion ruling

“Race-ing Roe: Reproductive Justice, Racial Justice, and the Battle for Roe v. Wade

Hosts:

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, Producer & Engineer

Libby Nelson, Editorial Advisor

Amber Hall, Deputy Editorial Director of Talk Podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter

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Yes, vaccine mandates work Oct 05, 2021

Dylan, German, and Jerusalem talk about vaccine mandates. They discuss the evidence supporting vaccine requirements, the United States’ history with inoculation campaigns, and the patchwork nature of America’s many public health measures. Plus, a white paper about elite universities.

References:

This is a good summary of the evidence supporting vaccine mandates

Here is the Homevoter Hypothesis Dylan mentioned

The NIMBY lawsuit against UC Berkeley and the NIMBY war against Georgetown’s expansion

German mentioned two vaccination studies: this one and this one

This week’s white paper about elite universities

Leopold Aschenbrenner on the case for smaller universities

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter

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How genes impact your life Oct 01, 2021

Dylan and Jerusalem are joined by Kathryn Paige Harden, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, to discuss her new book The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality. They talk about what geneticists have learned about the impact of genes on income and education inequality, the social implications of this research and its potential misuse, and why genetics should leave us humbled by the huge effect of luck in our lives.

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@JerusalemDemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director, talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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The debt ceiling’s threat to America Sep 28, 2021

Dylan, German, and Dara discuss the debt ceiling: the current crisis, what the debt ceiling even is, and how the debt ceiling has become a politically polarized issue. They also talk about why the debt ceiling is bad for democracy. Plus, a white paper about Canadian bread cartels.

Resources:

The Bipartisan Policy Center’s estimate of when we’ll hit the debt ceiling

Congressional Research Service’s history of the debt ceiling

Janet Yellen on the costs of breaching the debt ceiling

Neil Buchanan and Michael Dorf on why breaching the debt ceiling is the “least illegal” option

The trillion dollar coin (and the Obama rejection of it) explained

Steven Schwarcz on using special investment tools to evade the debt ceiling

Matt Yglesias on the “Honduras scenario” for American democracy failing

"Hub and Spoke Cartels: Theory and Evidence from the Grocery Industry" by Robert Clark, Ignatius Horstmann, Jean-François Houde

Netflix documentary on the Canadian maple syrup cartel

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), Senior Correspondent, Vox

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, Producer & Engineer

Libby Nelson, Editor

Amber Hall, Deputy Editorial Director of Talk Podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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AMA time with Dylan, German, and Jerusalem Sep 24, 2021

Dylan, German, and Jerusalem sit down to answer listener questions. In our first AMA episode of the post-Matt-Yglesias Weeds era, the trio discusses constitutional amendments, climate change, how we could fix global poverty, influential books, and more.

Resources:

Reasons and Persons by Derek Parfit

Gang of Five: Leaders at the Center of the Conservative Ascendancy by Nina J. Easton

The Collaborator: The Trial and Execution of Robert Brasillach by Alice Kaplan

Night by Elie Wiesel

The Cult of Pharmacology: How America Became the World’s Most Troubled Drug Culture by Richard DeGrandpre

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Cochrane

The Journalist’s Resource, the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy

Jim Tankersley, the New York Times (@jimtankersley)

Victoria Guida, Politico (@vtg2)

Eric Levitz, New York magazine (@ericlevitz)

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@JerusalemDemsas), policy reporter, Vox

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director, talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Means testing our patience Sep 21, 2021

Dylan, German, and Jerusalem discuss means testing and work requirements after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) suggested their inclusion in one of Biden's legacy priorities: the expanded child tax credit. Right now Democrats in Congress are trying to hammer out a 10-year, $3.5 trillion budget that includes an extension of the federal child tax credit; expanding Medicare to include dental, vision, and hearing aids; additional resources for home care workers; a slew of climate change measures; and much more.

Resources:

“The Time Tax” by Annie Lowrey (The Atlantic; July 27, 2021)

“We’re Still Here” by Jennifer Silva

“‘Neoliberalism has really ruptured’: Adam Tooze on the legacy of 2020” by Zack Beauchamp (Vox.com; September 9, 2021)

“Are we automating racism?” by Joss Fong (Vox.com; March 31, 2021)

“AIs Islamophobia problem” by Sigal Samuel (Vox.com; September 18, 2021)

White Paper: “New Evidence on Redlining by Federal Housing Programs in the 1930s” by Price V. Fishback, Jonathan Rose, Kenneth A. Snowden, and Thomas Storrs

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), Senior Correspondent

Jerusalem Demsas (@JerusalemDemsas), Policy Reporter, Vox

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, Producer & Engineer

Amber Hall, Deputy Editorial Director of Talk Podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ezra, Matt, and Sarah Try (Again) to Podcast Sep 17, 2021

For Matt’s last episode of The Weeds, Ezra Klein and Sarah Kliff return for a look at why health care and drug costs in the US keep rising, how subsidizing industries leads to higher consumer costs, and what both political parties can do about it. It gets real nerdy just as fast as the last time these three co-hosted. We also learn about the first print piece Matt ever published, and he shares some feelings about pseudo-Cyrillic.

Resources:

“How the US made affordable homes illegal” by Jerusalem Demsas (Vox Media; Aug 17, 2021)

“Building housing — lots of it — will lay the foundation for a new future” by Matt Yglesias (Vox Media; Sep 23, 2020)

“The true story of America’s sky-high prescription drug prices” by Sarah Kliff (Vox Media; May 10, 2018)

"The real reason American health care is so expensive" by Liz Scheltens, Mallory Brangan, and Ezra Klein (Vox Media; Dec 1, 2017)

White Paper: “Cost Disease Socialism: How Subsidizing Costs While Restricting Supply Drives America’s Fiscal Imbalance” by Steven Teles, Samuel Hammond, Daniel Takash (Niskanen Center; Sep 9, 2021)

Guest:

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Columnist, The New York Times

Sarah Kliff (@sarahkliff), Investigative Reporter, The New York Times

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

Sofi LaLonde, Producer, The Weeds

Efim Shapiro, Engineer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The Weeds Will Live Forever Sep 14, 2021

Matt, Dara, Jerusalem, and German use Matt’s last Tuesday episode to discuss life expectancy in the US. They explore paternalistic policy decisions, the misnomer of “deaths of despair,” and the longevity of The Weeds. US life expectancy is compared to that of European and Asian nations, and the US numbers are disaggregated and examined up close.

Resources:

“Why Americans Die So Much” by Derek Thompson (The Atlantic; Sep 12, 2021)

“Inequality in Mortality between Black and White Americans by Age, Place, and Cause, and in Comparison to Europe, 1990-2018” by Hannes Schwandt et al. (NBER; Sep 2021)

“The Great Divide: Education, Despair and Death” by Anne Case and Angus Deaton (NBER; Sep 2021)

The Insider by Michael Mann (Touchstone Pictures; 1999)

“Immigration and improvements in American life expectancy” by Arun S. Hendi and Jessica Y. Ho (Science Direct; Sep 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Jerusalem Demsas (@JerusalemDemsas), Policy Reporter, Vox

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

Sofi LaLonde, Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Federal Reserve's regulatory issues Sep 10, 2021

Matt is joined by Mike Konczal, Director of Macroeconomic Analysis and Progressive Thought at the Roosevelt Institute and author of Freedom From the Market. They explore Jerome Powell’s tenure as Fed Chair, the relationship between interest rates and unemployment numbers, and ways to use monetary policy to create an equitable society.

Resources:

“Fed Up” by Matthew Yglesias (Democracy Journal; Spring 2011)

“Disparities in Wealth by Race and Ethnicity in the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances” by Neil Bhutta et al. (The Federal Reserve; Sep 28, 2020

Guest:

Mike Konczal (@rortybomb), Director, Roosevelt Institute Macroeconomic Analysis and Progressive Thought, Author, Freedom From the Market

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Federal Reserve: Climate Change edition Sep 07, 2021

Vox's Dylan Matthews joins Matt and Jerusalem to talk about whether the Federal Reserve can use monetary policy to fight climate change and how the ideal Fed Chair may not exist. Plus, a new study about the effectiveness of masking against Covid-19 reignites the debate on public health messaging around the pandemic. Also, Matt wants experts to stay in their lanes.

Resources:

“Will Biden Make a Historic Mistake at the Fed?” by J. Bradford Delong (Project Syndicate; Sep 1, 2021)

“Strengthening the Financial System to Meet the Challenge of Climate Change” by Lael Brainard (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Dec 18, 2020)

“The Planet Depends on the Next Federal Reserve Chair” by David Dayen (The American Prospect; Aug 27, 2021)

“The Planet Needs Jerome Powell” by Robinson Meyer (The Atlantic; Sep 1, 2021)

“On Maximizing Employment, a Case for Caution” by Raphael Bostic (Policy Hub: Macroblog; Oct 26, 2018)

White paper: “The Impact of Community Masking on COVID-19: A Cluster-Randomized Trial in Bangladesh” by Mushfiq Mobarak et al. (Innovations for Poverty Action; Sep 1, 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Jerusalem Demsas (@JerusalemDemsas), Policy Reporter, Vox

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), Senior Correspondent

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Who's afraid of a big bad poll? Sep 03, 2021

Matt is joined by David Shor, Head of Data Science at OpenLabs R&D, to discuss the causes and implications of polling errors in recent election cycles. By looking at different response rates and the implicit bias in some polls David explains why some policies are less popular than they seem. Their conversation also tackles what can be done by politicians to achieve broader appeal.

Resources:

“What Do Partisan Donors Want?” by David Broockman and Neil Malhotra (Public Opinion Quarterly; 2020)

“Balancing, Generic Polls and Midterm Congressional Elections” by Joseph Bafumi, Robert S. Erikson, and Christopher Wlezien (Dartmouth Scholarship; 2010)

Guest:

David Shor (@davidshor), Head of Data Science, OpenLabs R&D

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Galaxy Brain Recession Aug 31, 2021

Matt, Dara, and German use this week’s episode to explore the infrastructure bill before Congress. They focus on broadband access for rural and urban America and explore the purpose of the money being set aside for Amtrak. Parallels between the two emerge both in the need for connecting Americans and in the pitfalls facing this country if we fail to make progress. This week’s white paper is a study of a methodology for predicting recessions based on individuals' expectations of their own employment status and perception of the economy rather than a scientific dissection of impersonal macro data sets.

Resources:

“What’s in the new infrastructure bill — and why it’s a big deal” by German Lopez (Vox; Aug 10, 2021)

White Paper: “The Economics of Walking About and Predicting Unemployment” by David G. Blanchflower & Alex Bryson (NBER; August 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Afghan refugees face an uncertain future Aug 27, 2021

Matt is joined by Vox’s Nicole Narea for a discussion on the complex situation facing Afghan refugees following the United States withdrawal. Nicole explains the variety of avenues through which Afghans can attempt to reach the US and why many of them are not viable at this moment. Nicole and Matt also compare the US evacuation from Kabul with the evacuations from Iraq and Vietnam.

Resources:

“Biden had a chance to save US allies in Afghanistan. He wasted it.” by Nicole Narea (Vox; Aug 17, 2021)

Google Map of Macedonia, Iraq, and Afghanistan

U.S. Refugee Admissions Program

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - Office Of Refugee Resettlement

UNHCR - USA

Guest:

Nicole Narea (@nicolenarea), Immigration Reporter, Vox

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Boosters: Worth it or not, here they come Aug 25, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's German Lopez to talk about the Biden administration’s plan to authorize third doses of the vaccine for Americans beginning in September. They discuss the scientific, political, and moral reasons behind the decision. They also look at the international implications of sharing vaccines and the difficulties of ramping up production in the vaccine supply chain ecosystem. This week’s white paper is a study of how slave-owning southern families retained their wealth and influence after the Civil War. The conversation illuminates the importance of social ties to political continuity and explores a similar study of Chinese generational wealth spanning the Maoist revolution.

Resources:

"U.S. officials’ decision on Covid-19 booster shots baffles — and upsets — some scientists" by Helen Branswell (Stat News; Aug. 18, 2021)

"Myths of Vaccine Manufacturing" by Derek Lowe (Science Translational Medicine; Feb 2, 2021)

"The U.S. Is Getting a Crash Course in Scientific Uncertainty" by Apoorva Mandavilli (New York Times; Aug 22, 2021)

“Following full FDA approval Pfizer-BioNTech must share Covid-19 vaccine technology to boost global supply” by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF; Aug 23, 2021)

White Paper: “The Intergenerational Effects of a Large Wealth Shock: White Southerners after the Civil War” by Philipp Ager, Leah Boustan, Katherine Eriksson (American Economic Review; Forthcoming)

The Son Also Rises: Surnames and the History of Social Mobility by Gregory Clark (Princeton University Press; Feb 23, 2014)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Baby making vibes Aug 20, 2021

Matt is joined by The Atlantic’s Elizabeth Bruenig. They discuss J.D. Vance’s attacks on the parental status of liberal politicians and dissect what is actually happening with left-wing birth rates. They explore the policy decisions that would actually affect natality and the vibes that right-wing media focus on instead. Listen for true facts about Batman’s role as a father, Matt’s take on children’s TV, and why we should all watch Daniel Tiger.

Resources:

"Invasion of the Baby-Haters" by Elizabeth Bruenig (The Atlantic; Aug 11, 2021)

"I Became a Mother at 25, and I’m Not Sorry I Didn’t Wait" by Elizabeth Bruenig (The New York Times; May 7, 2021)

One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger by Matthew Yglesias (Penguin Random House; Sep 15, 2020)

Guest:

Elizabeth Bruenig (@ebruenig), staff writer, The Atlantic

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back to School: Masters mishaps Aug 17, 2021

Matt is joined by Vox's Libby Nelson and Jerusalem Demsas for a conversation about the rising cost of master’s programs, their usefulness in today’s economy, and their role as federally subsidized job training. Matt, Libby, and Jerusalem reflect on their varied educational paths and discuss the effectiveness of student loan forgiveness for higher ed. This week’s white paper illuminates the downstream consequences of raising pollution standards for battery recycling in the United States.

Resources:

“‘Financially Hobbled for Life’: The Elite Master’s Degrees That Don’t Pay Off” by Melissa Korn and Andrea Fuller (The Wall Street Journal; July 8, 2021)

The Masters Trap, Part Two, Part Three by Anne Helen Peterson (Culture Studies; July 2021)

“Graduate programs have become a cash cow for struggling colleges. What does that mean for students?” by Jon Marcus (PBS Newshour; September 18, 2017)

“Master’s degree programs surge at nation’s colleges and universities” by Nick Anderson (The Washington Post; May 25, 2013)

White Paper: “North-South Displacement Effects of Environmental Regulation: The Case of Battery Recycling” (NBER; August 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson), Deputy Policy Editor

Jerusalem Demsas (@JerusalemDemsas), Policy Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Reign of Terror Aug 13, 2021

Matt is joined by reporter Spencer Ackerman, author of the new book Reign of Terror. Ackerman explains the ways in which America’s approach to domestic white terrorism differs from its approach to international threats. They discuss the treatment of Timothy McVeigh after the Oklahoma City bombing, and the way in which it primed the political and cultural response to 9/11 and the War on Terror. Ackerman also argues that the unlawful and immoral approach of the government laid the groundwork for Trump's presidency.

Resources:

Reign of Terror by Spencer Ackerman (Penguin Random House; Aug 10, 2021)

The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins (Public Affairs; May 19, 2020)

"Second Inaugural Address" by George W. Bush (January 20, 2005)

State of Exception by Giorgio Agamben (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press; 2005)

Guest:

Spencer Ackerman (@attackerman), author, reporter, and publisher of Forever Wars on Substack, contributing editor at the Daily Beast.

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Back to School: Learning loss Aug 10, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's German Lopez for a conversation about student learning loss. They focus on the policy decisions that led to school shutdowns during the pandemic, the consequences for different demographics, and alternative solutions for future crises. In this week’s white, paper the concept of associating a monetary value with life is explored through re-enlistment bonuses paid out by the military.

Resources:

“COVID-19 and education: The lingering effects of unfinished learning” by Emma Dorn, Bryan Hancock, Jimmy Sarakatsannis, and Ellen Viruleg (McKinsey & Company; July 27, 2021)

“Learning Loss and Educational Inequalities in Europe: Mapping the Potential Consequences of the COVID-19 Crisis” by Zsuzsa Blaskó, Patricia da Costa, and Sylke V. Schnepf (Institute of Labor Economics; April 2021)

“Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic” by Per Engzell, Arun Frey, and Mark D. Verhagen (PNAS; April 27, 2021)

“Is Summer Learning Loss Real?” by Paul T. von Hippel (Education Next; June 4, 2019)

White Paper: “The Heterogeneous Value of a Statistical Life: Evidence from U.S. Army Reenlistment Decisions” by Kyle Greenberg, et al. (NBER; July 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Dare to speak freely Aug 06, 2021

Matt is joined by author and CEO Suzanne Nossel for a discussion about how to reconcile a robust defense of free speech with the advancement of an inclusive and progressive society. They explore the risks associated with a censorious culture, and look at the effects on social media, retail, and school environments.

Resources:

Dare to Speak by Suzanne Nossel (HarperCollins Dey Street; July 2020)

Guest:

Suzanne Nossel (@SuzanneNossel), CEO, PEN America; author, Dare to Speak

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Back to School: All for pre-K, and pre-K for all Aug 04, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's Jerusalem Demsas for a conversation about pre-K and day care programs. They discuss the impacts of pre-K programs on socioeconomics, diversity, and political behavior. Plus, some historical research is considered on a Norwegian program of rural education expansion.

Resources:

"Exploring New Research on Pre-K Outcomes" by Adrienne Fischer, Tom Keily and Matt Weyer (Education Commission of The States; May 2020)

"Growing the Economy Through Affordable Child Care" by Rasheed Malik (Center for American Progress; May 24)

White paper: "The Making of Social Democracy: The Economic and Electoral Consequences of Norway’s 1936 Folk School Reform" (NBER; July 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Jerusalem Demsas (@JerusalemDemsas), Policy Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Producer & Engineer

Erikk Geannikis, Producer, Talk Podcasts

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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Getting power to the people Jul 30, 2021

Matt is joined by Liza Reed of the Niskanen Center to talk about energy policy, electricity transmission, and how America's complex system of power grids really function.

Resources:

"Transmission Stalled: Siting Challenges for Interregional Transmission" by Liza Reed (April 14)

Summary of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPA)

Guest:

Liza Reed (@LizaBevin), Research Manager, Low Carbon Technology Policy, Niskanen Center

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis (@erikk38), Producer

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Engineer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

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Time Machine: Buchanan v. Warley (1917) Jul 28, 2021

Vox's Jerusalem Demsas joins Matt and Dara on a time machine trip back to a WW1-era Supreme Court decision that shaped land use policy, zoning, and racial discrimination in housing. Discussion of Buchanan (and the related Euclid case decided nine years later) leads our hosts to talk a lot about the interrelated histories of zoning and racism in twentieth-century America.

Resources:

Buchanan v. Warley, 245 US 60 (1917)

Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Company, 272 US 365 (1926)

"The racial origins of zoning: Southern cities from 1910–1940" by Christopher Silver (Planning Perspectives; May 8, 2007)

"Prelude to Euclid: The United States Supreme Court and the Constitutionality of Land Use Regulation, 1900-1920" by Joseph Gordon Hylton (Washington University Journal of Law & Policy; January 2000)

"Race, Ethnicity, and Discriminatory Zoning" by Allison Shertzer, Tate Twinam, and Randall P. Walsh (NBER; 2018)

"The National Rise in Residential Segregation" by Trevon Logan & John Parman (NBER; Feb. 2015)

"The Impact of Zoning on Housing Affordability" by Edward L. Glaeser & Joseph Gyourko (NBER; March 2002)

American Society of Planning Officials Report on Rooming Houses (1957)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Jerusalem Demsas (@JerusalemDemsas), Policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis (@erikk38), Producer

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Engineer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

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Prices on the rise Jul 23, 2021

Matt is joined by economist Julia Coronado to talk about inflation, markets, and employment in the pandemic recovery economy. They discuss housing, new and used car markets, and possible strategies toward achieving full employment.

Resources:

"Economic Outlook and Risks to Inflation" by Julia Coronado (presentation to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Economic Advisory Panel; April 9)

"Here's Who Will Be Left Behind in the Housing Boom" by Ali Wolf (New York Times; July 13)

Guest:

Julia Coronado (@jc_econ), Founder and President, MacroPolicy Perspectives; Clinical Professor of Finance, UT Austin

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis (@erikk38), Producer

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Engineer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

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Time Machine: Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 Jul 21, 2021

Vox's Li Zhou joins Dara and Matt for another spin in the time machine, to talk about the policy that shaped how immigration largely still works in America. They discuss the history and context of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (a.k.a. the Hart-Celler Act), and the previous discriminatory immigration policies that preceded it. Our hosts also discuss how this piece of legislation shaped — and still shapes — the way immigration in America takes place today.

Resources:

One Mighty and Irresistible Tide: The Epic Struggle Over American Immigration, 1924-1965 by Jia Lynn Yang (W.W. Norton; 2021)

"Unintended Consequences of US Immigration Policy: Explaining the Post-1965 Surge from Latin America" by Douglas S Massey and Karen A. Pren (Popul Dev Rev.; 2012)

"Modern Immigration Wave Brings 59 Million to U.S., Driving Population Growth and Change Through 2065: Views of Immigration's Impact on U.S. Society Mixed" (Pew Research Center, 2015)

"Who Was Shut Out? Immigration Quotas, 1925-1927" (GMU/Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1929)

Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern Americaby Mae M. Ngai (Princeton; 2014)

"Why income inequality is growing at the fastest rate among Asian Americans" by Natalie Zhang (CNBC; May 26)

The Making of Asian Americaby Erika Lee (Simon & Schuster; 2015)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Li Zhou (@liszhou), Politics and policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis (@erikk38), Producer

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Engineer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The critical race theory debate Jul 16, 2021

Matt is joined by Education Week reporter and editor Andrew Ujifusa to talk about the ill-defined and somewhat facetious debate over critical race theory. But really, this conversation is about the schools, and all sorts of issues facing them: pandemic learning loss, re-opening plans, and the perennial debates over how best to serve all students, particularly students of color.

We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes about five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here: vox.com/survey

Resources:

"'Stop CRT' Bill, Votes in Congress Add to Political Drama Over Critical Race Theory" by Andrew Ujifusa (Education Week; July 15)

"How to Manufacture a Moral Panic: Christopher Rufo helped incite an uproar over racism education with dramatic, dodgy reporting" by Sarah Jones (New York; July 11)

"Randi Weingarten Rips CRT Critics for 'Trying to Stop Us From Teaching Students Accurate History'" by John Nichols (The Nation; July 9)

Guest:

Andrew Ujifusa (@AndrewUjifusa), Assistant Editor, Education Week

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis (@erikk38), Producer

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Engineer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Time Machine: Volcker Shock Jul 14, 2021

Vox's Dylan Matthews joins Matt and Dara for another step into Weeds Time Machine: a visit to the past to review some now-forgotten chapter in policy history. This week, it's a return to the late 1970s and a reexamination of "Volcker shock": an attempt by Fed Chairman Paul Volcker to cope with rising inflation, and the myriad consequences of his efforts. Our hosts discuss the oil crisis, stagflation, the curious relationship between central banking and fiscal policy, and give some much-needed reanalysis to this crucial and topsy-turvy time in American history.

We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes about five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here: vox.com/survey

Resources:

Charts: Unemployment in the 1970s & Inflation in the 1970s

"America's Peacetime Inflation: The 1970s" by J. Bradford De Long in Reducing Inflation: Motivation and Strategy, eds. Christina D. Romer and David H. Romer (U. Chicago; 1997)

"Commentary" [on 1970s inflation] by Christina D. Romer (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review; 2005)

Keeping At It: The Quest for Sound Money and Good Government by Paul Volcker (Public Affairs; 2018)

"Other People's Blood" by Tim Barker (n+1; 2019)

"Paul Volcker Was a Hero of the Ruling Class" by Doug Henwood (Jacobin; 2019)

The Economists' Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Societyby Binyamin Appelbaum (Little, Brown; 2019)

"What really drives inflation" [on "Regulation Q"] by Itamar Drechsler, Alexi Savov, Philipp Schnabl (Sept. 11, 2019)

"Paul Volcker's Complicated Latin American Legacy" by Tyler Cowen (Bloomberg; Dec. 10, 2019)

"The Rise of Finance" by Jonathan Levy (Public Books; Nov. 22, 2011)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis (@erikk38), Producer

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Engineer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Cruelty: the point Jul 09, 2021

Matt is joined by Atlantic staff writer Adam Serwer, author of the new book The Cruelty Is the Point. They discuss the racial politics of the Trump-era, how these tactics persist in the GOP today, and how the dynamics of the present moment have led us to relitigate Reconstruction-era problems that go against the fundamental understanding of American equity. They also have a few things to say in there about Die Hard and Indiana Jones.

Resources:

"The Cruelty Is the Point" by Adam Serwer (The Atlantic; Oct. 3, 2018)

The Cruelty Is the Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Trump's America by Adam Serwer (Penguin Random House, June 2021)

"The Flight 93 Election" by Michael Anton (Claremont Review of Books; Sept. 5, 2016)

"The Great Awokening" by Matthew Yglesias (Vox; Apr. 1, 2019)

"The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates (The Atlantic; June 2014)

Steadfast Democrats: How Social Forces Shape Black Political Behavior by Ismail K. White and Chryl N. Laird (Princeton' Oct. 2021)

Schoolbook Nation: Conflicts over American History Textbooks from the Civil War to the Presentby Joseph Moreau (U. Michigan; 2004)

Guest:

Adam Serwer (@AdamSerwer), staff writer, The Atlantic; author, The Cruelty Is the Point

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Producer

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Engineer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Time Machine: No Child Left Behind Jul 07, 2021

Vox's Libby Nelson joins Matt and Dara on the first episode of the Weeds Time Machine: a visit to the past to review some now-forgotten chapter in policy history. This week, it's No Child Left Behind. Our hosts discuss the bipartisan consensus that existed at the outset of this policy, how everyone eventually turned on it, and the legacy it still leaves behind in our school systems today.

Resources:

"The GOP's Plan to Take Education Policy Back to the Early 1990s" by Kevin Carey (Oct. 5, 2011; The New Republic)

"The scariest lesson of No Child Left Behind" by Libby Nelson (July 27, 2015; Vox)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson), Deputy Policy Editor, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Producer

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Engineer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Coming attractions Jun 30, 2021

Vox film critic and culture reporter Alissa Wilkinson joins Matt and Dara to take a break from politics (sort of) to talk about movies. They discuss the state of the streaming wars, the fate of the post-Covid movie theater, and rehearse some Hollywood history to discover that vertical integration might be... good? Plus, some research is examined that deals with spectator inattention and umpire performance in Major League Baseball.

Resources:

"On going back to the movies" by Alissa Wilkinson (Vox; June 23)

The Paramount Decrees (Dept. of Justice)

"Judge Agrees to End Paramount Consent Decrees" by Eriq Gardner (Hollywood Reporter; Aug. 7, 2020)

White paper: "The Dynamics of Inattention in the (Baseball) Field" by James E. Archsmith, Anthony Heyes, Matthew J. Neidell & Bhaven N. Sampat (NBER; June 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie), Film Critic and Culture Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Producer

Ness Smith-Savedoff, Engineer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Who started Covid? Jun 26, 2021

Matt is joined by deputy editor of New York magazine and author David Wallace-Wells to talk about the new evidence for the so-called "Lab-Leak hypothesis," and about the possible origins of Covid-19. Wallace-Wells introduces the new research done by Jesse D. Bloom on possible missing tranches of genetic sequencing data from Chinese servers, and the discussion turns to what we know, don't know, can't know, and might know about the origins of Covid . . . and where that leaves us for the next pandemic.

Resources:

"Understanding the Origins of SARS-CoV-2" (June 14; Fred Hutch News Service)

"Recovery of deleted deep sequencing data sheds more light on the early Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 pandemic" by Jesse D. Bloom (June 22)

"Scientist Opens Up About His Early Email to Fauci on Virus Origins" by James Gorman and Carl Zimmer (June 14, New York Times)

"The Lab-Leak Hypothesis" by Nicholson Baker (Jan. 4, New York magazine)

"Could COVID-19 Have Escaped from a Lab?" by Rowan Jacobsen (Sept. 9, 2020, Boston Magazine)

"We Had the Vaccine the Whole Time" by David Wallace-Wells (Dec. 7, 2020, New York magazine)

"The Implications of the Lab-Leak Hypothesis" by David Wallace-Wells (June 12, New York magazine)

Guest:

David Wallace-Wells (@dwallacewells), Deputy Editor, New York magazine; author, The Uninhabitable Earth

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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So, for the next pandemic.... Jun 23, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's German Lopez to talk through some of the lessons we seem not to have learned from the way the Covid pandemic unfolded — or, is still unfolding. Our hosts discuss the abandonment of the Obama-era pandemic playbook, the politicized messaging and idiosyncratic inattention of former President Trump, and what it would mean to develop a truly harm-reducing strategy for the America we actually have. Plus, some research is discussed that evaluates the relationship between access to treatment facilities and morbidity due to substance abuse.

Resources:

"America still needs to learn from its biggest pandemic failure" by German Lopez (June 4; Vox)

"The US doesn't just need to flatten the curve. It needs to 'raise the line'" by Eliza Barclay, Dylan Scott, and Christina Animashaun (Apr. 7, 2020; Vox)

"The fundamental question of the pandemic is shifting" by Ed Yong (June 9; The Atlantic)

White paper: "Tackling the Substance Abuse Crisis: The Role of Access to Treatment Facilities" by Adriana Corredor-Waldron and Janet Currie (NBER; May 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Producer

Paul Robert Mounsey, Engineer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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What's the deal with that new Alzheimer's drug? Jun 16, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's Dylan Scott to learn about aducanumab, the new drug that was recently approved by the FDA for treating Alzheimer's disease despite a lack of evidence of its effectiveness, possibly serious side effects, and a jaw-droppingly high price tag. Matt, Dara, and Dylan discuss the situation in light of lessons learned, or not quite learned, from the global pandemic. Then, some research is discussed that evaluates the effects of work requirements on supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) participation and the workforce.

Resources:

"The new Alzheimer's drug that could break Medicare" by Dylan Scott (June 10; Vox)

"FDA's Decision to Approve New Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease" by Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, Director, FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (June 7)

"The maddening saga of how an Alzheimer's 'cabal' thwarted progress toward a cure for decades" by Sharon Begley (June 25, 2019; STAT News)

"What the Rich Don't Want to Admit About the Poor" by Ezra Klein (June 13; New York Times)

White paper: "Employed in a SNAP? The Impact of Work Requirements on Program Participation and Labor Supply" by Colin Grey, et al. (Sept. 2019)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Dylan Scott (@dylanlscott), Policy Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Zoning our way through it Jun 12, 2021

Matt is joined by Emily Hamilton of the Mercatus Center to talk about the way that zoning and land use policy affects property value, housing availability, and affordability. They discuss some example statutes from those laboratories of democracy, the several states, tackle the most divisive issue in all of housing Twitter, and Matt just lets totally loose about how he's not allowed to replace his home's windows.

Resources:

H.R. 4307, the Build More Housing Near Transit Act

2006 Arizona Proposition 207

Kelo v. New London (545 US 269, 2005)

"How policymakers can improve housing affordability" by James Pethokoukis and Emily Hamilton (May 4, American Enterprise Institute)

Guest:

Emily Hamilton (@ebwhamilton), Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Urbanity Project, Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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Hot jobs summer Jun 09, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's Emily Stewart to talk about the state of the economy right now. They take on the jobs numbers, some of the markets that were hit with unforeseen interruptions and shortages, and get pretty philosophical amidst a detailed discussion about the supply chain for chicken wings. Then, some research is discussed that suggests that maybe your tweets really do matter... or, at least when you tweet through U.S. elections where Donald Trump is on the ballot.

Resources:

"May's solidly meh jobs report" by Emily Stewart (June 4, Vox)

"Lumber mania is sweeping North America" by Emily Stewart (May 3, Vox)

White paper: "The Effect of Social Media on Elections: Evidence from the United States" by Thomas Fujiwara, Karsten Müller, and Carlo Schwarz (October 27, 2020)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Emily Stewart (@EmilyStewartM), Senior Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The pipeline to prison Jun 05, 2021

Matt sits down with John Pfaff, professor and author of Locked In, an influential and important 2017 book about mass incarceration in America. The two discuss some common misconceptions about America's prison population, three different meanings of the term "broken windows," and what might be the true cause of the current trending rise in violent crime across the nation.

Resources:

Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform by John Pfaff (2017; Basic Books)

Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America by Jill Levoy (2015; One World)

"Crime and Punishment: An Economic Approach" by Gary S. Becker (Journal of Political Economy v. 76 no. 2, Mar.-Apr. 1968)

Uneasy Peace: The Great Crime Decline, the Renewal of City Life, and the Next War on Violence by Patrick Sharkey (2019; W.W. Norton)

The Death and Life of Great American Citiesby Jane Jacobs (1961)

"Broken Windows: The police and neighborhood safety" by George L. Kelling and James Q. Wilson (March 1982; The Atlantic)

Guest:

John Pfaff (@JohnFPfaff), author; professor, Fordham Law School

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The lab-leak hypothesis Jun 02, 2021

Matt is joined by Vox's Libby Nelson and Jerusalem Demsas for a conversation about the rising cost of master’s programs, their usefulness in today’s economy, and their role as federally subsidized job training. Matt, Libby, and Jerusalem, explore their varied educational paths and discuss the effectiveness of student loan forgiveness for higher ed. This week’s white paper illuminates the downstream consequences of raising pollution standards for battery recycling in the United States.

Resources:

"The Lab-Leak Theory" by David Leonhardt (May 27, New York Times)

"The Biological Weapons Convention at a crossroad" by Bonnie Jenkins (Sept. 6, 2017; Brookings)

Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster by Adam Higginbotham (Simon & Schuster; 2019)

"The NPT [Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty]: Learning from a Longtermist Success" by Danny Bressler (May 19, Effective Altruism)

White paper: "Strict ID Laws Don't Stop Voters: Evidence from a U.S. Nationwide Panel, 2008–2018," by Enrico Cantoni and Vincent Pons (May 22; The Quarterly Journal of Economics)

"After Dramatic Walkout, a New Fight Looms Over Voting Rights in Texas" by Dave Montgomery and Nick Corasaniti (May 31, New York Times)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Stephen Breyer should retire May 28, 2021

Matt is joined by author and Harvard Kennedy School professor Maya Sen to talk about the state of the American judiciary. They discuss Breyer's unwillingness to retire, the pervasive influence of prestige on the "legal elite," the cult of RBG, the influence and role of The Federalist Society, and the inherent biases in the elite legal system that have led to an "affirmative action"-like feeder program for conservative judges.

Resources:

The Judicial Tug of War: How Lawyers, Politicians, and Ideological Incentives Shape the American Judiciary by Adam Bonica and Maya Sen (Cambridge University Press, 2020)

"The Endgame of Court-Packing" by Adam Chilton, Daniel Epps, Kyle Rozema, and Maya Sen (May 17)

Ideas with Consequences: The Federalist Society and the Conservative Counterrevolution by Amanda Hollis-Brusky (Oxford University Press, 2015)

The Rise of the Conservative Legal Movement: The Battle for Control of the Law by Steven M. Teles (Princeton, 2008)

"Legal Scholar's Anti-Sotomayor Letter Leaks, Causing Awkward Fallout" by Heather Horn (The Atlantic, Nov. 5, 2010)

"The Case Against Sotomayor" by Jeffrey Rosen (The New Republic, May 4, 2009)

Guest:

Maya Sen (@maya_sen), professor, Harvard Kennedy School

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Give more money to cranks! May 25, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's Dylan Matthews to talk about what the Covid vaccine development process has taught us vaccine development, production, and regulation. They also discuss the way we fund scientific research, evaluating a possible "prize"-based alternative to our current grant-funding system, and some research is analyzed that concerns the resiliency of so-called "forced entrepreneurs," and their businesses' tendency to better weather recessions.

Resources:

"How to supercharge vaccine production for the next pandemic" by Dylan Matthews (May 20; Vox)

"Inside Moderna: The Covid Vaccine Front-Runner With No Track Record and an Unsparing CEO" by Peter Loftus and Gregory Zuckerman (July 1, 2020; Wall Street Journal)

"The story of mRNA: How a once-dismissed idea became a leading technology in the Covid vaccine race" by Damian Garde and Jonathan Saltzman (Nov. 10, 2020; STAT News)

"Science funding is a mess. Could grant lotteries make it better?" by Kelsey Piper (Jan. 18, 2019; Vox)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Research the police May 21, 2021

Matt is joined by economist and NYU faculty fellow Morgan Williams, Jr. to talk about his research on policing and gun control legislation, and the consequences of policy on crime and incarceration.

Resources:

"Police Force Size and Civilian Race" by Aaron Chalfin, Benjamin Hansen, Emily K. Weisburst & Morgan C. Williams Jr. (Dec. 2020)

"Body-Worn Cameras in Policing: Benefits and Costs" by Morgan C. Williams Jr., Nathan Weil, Elizabeth A. Rasich, Jens Ludwig, Hye Change & Sophia Egrari (Mar. 2021)

"When You Add More Police To A City, What Happens?" by Greg Rosalsky (Apr. 20, NPR)

"Gang Behavior, Law Enforcement, and Community Values" by George Akerlof and Janet L. Yellen

"The Effects of Local Police Surges on Crime and Arrests in New York City" by John MacDonald, Jeffrey Fagan, and Amanda Geller (2016)

"Peaceable Kingdoms and War Zones: Preemption, Ballistics and Murder in Newark" by Brendan O'Flaherty and Rajiv Sethi (2010)

Guest:

Morgan Williams, Jr. (@MWillJr), faculty fellow, NYU Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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Masks off! Party time? May 18, 2021

It's everybody's birthday! No, seriously. Taurus Matt Yglesias is joined by two people who also share a May 18th birthday: Vox's Libby Nelson and The Atlantic's Derek Thompson. They discuss the confusing range of public health and policy directives that have been issued to the American people over the 15+ months of the Covid pandemic. Plus, some research is discussed that evaluates the outcome of the recent rollout of universal preschool in Boston.

Resources:

"The CDC's Big Mask Surprise Came Out of Nowhere" by Derek Thompson (May 14, The Atlantic)

"The CDC Is Still Repeating Its Mistakes" by Zeynep Tufekci (Apr. 28, The Atlantic)

"Are Outdoor Mask Mandates Still Necessary?" by Derek Thompson (Apr. 19, The Atlantic)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson), Deputy Policy Editor, Vox

Derek Thompson (@DKThomp), Staff writer, The Atlantic

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

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The plan for more free school May 14, 2021

Matt is joined by New York Times education reporter Dana Goldstein to talk about what Biden's American Families Plan will do to bolster and expand public education access in this country. They talk about the plan for universal preschool, free community college, and also talk about how the administration has been involved in pandemic-related school reopening decisions behind the scenes.

Resources:

"Schools Are Open, but Many Families Remain Hesitant to Return" by Dana Goldstein (New York Times, May 9)

The Teacher Wars: A History of America's Most Embattled Profession by Dana Goldstein (Anchor; 2015)

"Biden Directs Education Funding to Community Colleges, a Key Lifeline" by Stephanie Saul and Dana Goldstein (New York Times, Apr. 28)

Learning in Public: Lessons for a Racially Divided America from My Daughter's Schoolby Courtney E. Martin (Little, Brown; August 2021)

Guest:

Dana Goldstein (@DanaGoldstein), national correspondent, New York Times

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Homelessness and the rising tide May 11, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox Politics and Policy Fellow Jerusalem Demsas to talk about homelessness, and the policies that have failed to even properly confront this problem. They talk about the decline of SRO housing, the progressives who seem to oppose any way to help out, and the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still. Then, some research is discussed that takes a look at how Italian workers responded to a 2011 pension reform.

Resources:

"Iowa is making it harder to be a low-income renter" by Jerusalem Demsas (Vox, May 5)

"Homeless Reflect on Life in a New York City Hotel Room, One Year Later" by Claudia Irizarry Aponte (The City, May 10)

"The effort to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom, explained" by Jerusalem Demsas (Vox, Apr. 26)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Jerusalem Demsas (@JerusalemDemsas), Politics and Policy Fellow, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The app store war May 07, 2021

Matt is joined by Makena Kelly of The Verge to talk about some recent stories at the intersection of policy and tech. She discusses the Facebook Oversight Board's ambivalent "ruling" on Trump's ban from the platform, Apple's ongoing antitrust court battles, and the prospect for a sweeping antitrust overhaul foreshadowed by Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI).

Resources:

"Facebook's Trump ban can stay in place, says Oversight Board" by Makena Kelly and Adi Robertson (The Verge, May 5)

"As Epic v. Apple approaches the courtroom, Valve is getting sued over Steam too" by Sean Hollister (The Verge, May 1)

"Amazon's Antitrust Paradox" by Lina M. Khan (Yale Law Journal, Jan. 2017)

"Facebook's shadow court" (The Weeds, March 5)

"Apple Accused of 'Power Grab' in Senate App Store Hearing" by David McLaughlin and Anna Edgerton (Bloomberg, Apr. 21)

Guest:

Makena Kelly (@kellymakena), policy reporter, The Verge

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The "hundred days" myth May 05, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's Andrew Prokop to talk about the very notion of a president's "first hundred days," whether or not it is a useful or important metric for their performance. Andrew talks about the history of the term, originating with F.D.R., and our hosts evaluate some of the recent lines of comparison between Biden and Roosevelt that have been floating around in the discourse lately. Plus, some research is analyzed that examines the effect of the channel placement of Fox News in certain areas, and Republican performance in federal elections.

Resources:

"The myth of a president's 'first 100 days'" by Andrew Prokop, Vox (Apr. 29, 2021)

"Biden's first 100 days, explained in 600 words" by German Lopez, Vox (Apr. 30, 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Andrew Prokop (@awprokop), Senior Politics Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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There's lead in your turmeric Apr 30, 2021

Matt is joined by Rachel Silverman, a policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, who talks about the extreme dangers and high prevalence of lead contamination globally. Despite the manifest health benefits that would be served by Biden's plans to finally replace lead pipes in the U.S., this is marginal compared to the lead poisoning occurring due to unregulated electronics recycling, traditional ceramics glazing, and by bright, yellow turmeric.

Resources:

"Biden Wants to Eliminate Lead Poisoning in American Children. We Propose an Even More Ambitious Goal: Global Eradication" by Susannah Hares, Rachel Silverman, and Lee Crawfurd (Apr. 20, 2021)

"Your old phone is full of untapped precious metals" by Bianca Nogrady, BBC (Oct. 18, 2016)

"Ground Turmeric as a Source of Lead Exposure in the United States" by Whitney Cowell, Thomas Ireland, Donna Vorhees, and Wendy Heiger-Bernays, Public Health Reports (May-Jun 2017)

Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollutionby Beth Gardiner (U. Chicago, 2019)

"New evidence that lead exposure increases crime" by Jennifer L. Doleac, Brookings Institution (June 1, 2017)

Guest:

Rachel Silverman (@rsilv_dc), policy fellow, Center for Global Development

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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A Manchin for all seasons Apr 28, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's Andrew Prokop, author of an in-depth revelatory profile on America's swingiest Senator: Mr. Manchin in the Middle. Andrew brings Manchin's history as a legislator to bear in discussion, shedding light on what Manchin's policy goals as a legislator in this Congress might be (if he has any, that is), what his governing ideology might be beyond the mere politics of his re-election, and why, ultimately, he is being so weird about the filibuster right now. Joe, if you're out there: please get in touch. Also, some research is discussed that explores the connection between the partisan identity of members of the so-called "deep state" (non-political-appointee civil servants) and their performance at their jobs.

Resources:

"Joe Manchin wants to save Democrats from themselves" by Andrew Prokop, Vox (Apr. 27, 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Andrew Prokop (@awprokop), Senior Politics Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

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Why transit projects fail Apr 23, 2021

Matt is joined by professor and transit researcher Eric Goldwyn to talk about why transit projects in the U.S. often fail. They discuss several high-profile cases, including the Second Avenue subway line in New York, the Green Line Extension in Boston, and the DC Streetcar. Why do cities spearhead redundant transit lines on top of existing rights-of-way? Why do cities in other countries spend so much less per mile on transit than American cities do? And, how can the political opposition to mass transit be met, to build the more accessible and environmentally-conscious transit infrastructure of the future?

Resources:

The Transit Costs Project

"The Boston Case: The Story of the Green Line Extension" by Eric Goldwyn, Alon Levy, and Elif Ensari (Dec. 9, 2020)

"Costly Lessons from the Second Avenue Subway" by Eric Goldwyn, New York Review of Books (Sep. 22, 2020)

Guest:

Eric Goldwyn (@ericgoldwyn), Program Director at the Marron Institute of Urban Management and Associate Professor in the Transportation and Land-Use program, NYU Marron Institute.

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The pandemic playbook Apr 21, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's Dylan Scott to talk about his new Pandemic Playbook project from Vox, exploring how six nations coped with the Covid-19 pandemic, and evaluating what we can all learn from their experiences to help us with the next pandemic. In this episode, Dylan talks with Matt and Dara about how South Korea's response to Covid-19 was shaped in many ways by the 2015 MERS outbreak, and about how the South Korean people's relationship to their government contrasts with the situation in the U.S. Then, some research is analyzed that aims to evaluate a correlation between female representation in the venture capital industry with news coverage of a high-profile trial.

Resources:

"The Pandemic Playbook: Vox explores the successes — and setbacks — in six nations as they fought Covid-19" by Dylan Scott, Vox (Apr. 19, 2021)

"South Korea's Covid-19 success story started with failure" by Dylan Scott and Jun Michael Park, Vox (Apr. 19, 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Dylan Scott (@dylanlscott), Policy Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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Think like a scout Apr 17, 2021

Matt is joined by author and podcast host Julia Galef to talk about her new book The Scout Mindset. They talk about the difference between epistemic and social confidence, the role of uncertainty in thinking critically, and — most of all — about fighting with people on the internet.

Resources:

The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don'tby Julia Galef (Apr. 2021)

Guest:

Julia Galef (@juliagalef), Author, host of the Rationally Speaking podcast

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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White paper-palooza Apr 14, 2021

It's an all white paper episode, folks. Vox climate reporter Umair Irfan joins Matt and Dara to take on three research papers all concerning climate change: first, on the social costs of carbon; then on the disparate effects of temperature rise on a diverse array of geographic regions; finally, on global migration due to climate change.

Be sure to check out the bonus content on the short-form version of The Weeds that comes out Wednesday mornings as part of Vox Quick Hits. Subscribe to Vox Quick Hits wherever you get your podcasts.

Resources:

White Paper #1: "Revisiting the cost of social carbon" by William D. Nordhaus, PNAS 114 (7) 1518-1528; Feb. 2017. See also Umair's article on this paper: "Climate change is a global injustice. A new study shows why" by Umair Irfan, Vox (Sep. 26, 2018)

White Paper #2: "The Economic Geography of Global Warming" by Jose Luis Cruz Alvarez & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, NBER Working Paper 28466; Feb. 2021.

White Paper #3: "Climate Vulnerability and Human Migration in Global Perspective" by Martina Grecequet, Jack DeWard, Jessica J. Hamilton, and Guy J. Abel, Sustainability 9 (5), Apr. 2017.

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Umair Irfan (@umairfan), Staff Writer, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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It's time for class warfare Apr 10, 2021

Matt is joined by Faiz Shakir, a top adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders and the former manager of his 2020 presidential campaign, to talk about adopting a working class lens for crafting progressive policy, cultivating an ethic of solidarity, and about the organization he founded, More Perfect Union, which aims to craft media that centers working people. Faiz also gets Matt to go on the record about how his own feelings on Bernie have evolved, from the 2016 campaign to now.

Resources:

Mission Statement, More Perfect Union

Guest:

Faiz Shakir (@fshakir), Adviser, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Founder, More Perfect Union

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

Bernie Sanders, Would have won

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Bidencare? Apr 07, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's Dylan Scott to examine the $400 billion portion of Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure plan that is designated for the "caretaking economy." Is this merely an expansion of Medicaid? Does it actually address fundamental structural issues in the economics of long-term care? Plus, some research is examined that helps illustrate the power of "defaults" in ACA-type health insurance marketplaces.

Resources:

"White House unveils $2 trillion infrastructure and climate plan, setting up giant battle over size and cost of government" by Jeff Stein, Juliet Eilperin, Michael Laris and Tony Romm, Washington Post (Apr. 1, 2021)

"How Biden's infrastructure plan could leave child care behind" by Anna North, Vox (Apr. 3, 2021)

"Joe Biden is stretching Obamacare as far as it can go" by Dylan Scott, Vox (Mar. 29, 2021)

"Exclusive: Nearly 7 million uninsured Americans qualify for free health insurance" by Dylan Scott, Vox (Apr. 1, 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Dylan Scott (@dylanlscott), Policy Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

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The politics of cultural criticism Apr 03, 2021

Matt is joined by Alyssa Rosenberg, cultural critic and opinion columnist at the Washington Post, to talk about the intersection of criticism and politics. Should J.K. Rowling's recent anti-trans political statements retroactively alter the critical appraisal of Harry Potter? Can one be a fan of a cop show like Brooklyn Nine-Nine without committing to the show's interior politics? And can a show operate without interior politics when it, like David Simon's The Wire, confronts problems in policing at the institutional level — but happens to be a sitcom?

Resources:

"Why the world's most powerful people just want to podcast and make TV shows" by Alyssa Rosenberg, Washington Post (Mar. 25, 2021)

"'I was appalled to be tarred as misogynist': Variety critic hits back at Carey Mulligan's sexism accusations" by Catherine Shoard, The Guardian (Jan. 28, 2021)

Guest:

Alyssa Rosenberg (@AlyssaRosenberg), Opinion columnist covering culture, Washington Post

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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All circuits matter Mar 31, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox Senior Correspondent Ian Millhiser to discuss the future of judicial appointments in Biden Administration — starting with the spate of appointees announced on Tuesday, just as we began taping. They also discuss some new research about the historical roadshow of the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation around the country, and how this correlated with an uptick in racial violence in roadshow localities in the ensuing years.

Resources:

"What Biden's first list of judicial nominees tells us about his approach to the courts" by Ian Millhiser, Vox (Mar. 30, 2021)

The Agenda: How a Republican Supreme Court is Reshaping America by Ian Millhiser (Mar. 30, 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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The optimistic leftist Mar 27, 2021

Matt is joined by political scientist and author Ruy Teixeira to talk about how Democratic messaging has gone wrong, and how to get it right.

Resources:

"Immigrant Neighborhoods Shifted Red as the Country Chose Blue" by Weiyi Cai and Ford Fessenden, New York Times (Dec. 20, 2020)

"The Five Deadly Sins of the Left" by Ruy Teixeira, American Compass (Oct. 13, 2020)

"'Hidden Tribes,' the new report centrists are using to explain away polarization, explained" by Zack Beauchamp, Vox (Oct. 22, 2018)

Guest:

Ruy Teixeira, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Is gun violence fixable? Mar 24, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox Politics and Policy Fellow Jerusalem Demsas to talk about gun violence and mass shootings in America. They discuss the recent shootings in Atlanta and Boulder, talk through the difference between real policy solutions and more superficial ones, and discuss several non-productive but entrenched aspects of the media landscape surrounding mass shootings, gun violence, and progressive reforms. Then, they take on some new research on the correlation between political polarization in a society and the presence of a "charismatic leader."

Resources:

"The long history of anti-Asian hate in America, explained" by Li Zhou, Vox (updated Mar. 5, 2021)

"The history of tensions — and solidarity — between Black and Asian American communities, explained" by Jerusalem Demsas and Rachel Ramirez, Vox (Mar. 16, 2021)

"America's gun problem, explained" by German Lopez, Vox (updated Mar. 23, 2021)

"Here's What's Actually Being Done To Address Anti-Asian Racism" by Lydia Wang, Refinery29 (updated Mar. 19, 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Jerusalem Demsas (@JerusalemDemsas), Politics and Policy Fellow, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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All about inflation Mar 19, 2021

Skanda Amarnath from Employ America joins Matt to talk about inflation. They discuss how the Fed tracks markers of inflation, the difference between cyclical and asymmetric inflation, and talk about whether or not to give into Larry Summers's fears about an "overheated" economy in our recovery.

Resources:

"Inflation: The Good, The Bad, and The Transitory" by Skanda Amarnath and Alex Williams (Feb. 12, 2021)

Guest:

Skanda Amarnath (@IrvingSwisher), Director of Research & Analysis, Employ America

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Asylum policy for the here and now Mar 17, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox Senior Correspondent Ian Millhiser to examine the current state of affairs at the southern border, and to evaluate the Biden administration's immigration response more generally. Then, some research is discussed that examines (pre-Covid) data on the correlation between life expectancy and both race and educational attainment.

Resources:

Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas Regarding the Situation at the Southwest Border (Mar. 16, 2021)

"Biden to Announce Broad Plan to Reverse Trump Immigration Policies" by Michael D. Shear, New York Times (Jan. 19, 2021)

"Death in the prime of life: Covid-19 proves especially lethal to younger Latinos" by Akilah Johnson, Washington Post (Mar. 15, 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Introducing Unexplainable Mar 14, 2021

Unexplainable is a new podcast from Vox about everything we don’t know. Each week, the team look at the most fascinating unanswered questions in science and the mind-bending ways scientists are trying to answer them. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

Learn more: vox.com/unexplainable

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unexplainable/id1554578197

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0PhoePNItwrXBnmAEZgYmt?si=Y3-2TFfDT8qHkfxMjrJL2g

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An A.I. wrote this title Mar 12, 2021

Vox's Kelsey Piper joins Matt to talk about the future of artificial intelligence and AI research. Should AI research be more heavily regulated, or banned? What kind of future will the continued development of AI bring us? Will AI turn out to be more like Skynet, or... like Philip Morris?

Resources:

"The case for taking AI seriously as a threat to humanity" by Kelsey Piper, Vox/Future Perfect (Updated Oct. 15, 2020)

Guest:

Kelsey Piper (@KelseyTuoc), Staff Writer, Vox

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The right to vote, constrained Mar 10, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox Senior Correspondent Ian Millhiser to talk through the several ongoing legal challenges being initiated by the GOP to curtail and hinder the right to vote in America. They talk through what has become of the Voting Rights Act, H.R. 1, as well as landmark Supreme Court cases of the past few decades — including the ones yet to be decided. Then, some research is discussed that examines the effect of private equity on nursing home patient welfare. Spoiler alert: Matt glimpses the abyss.

Resources:

"The new Republican war on voting rights, explained" by Ian Millhiser, Vox (Mar. 9, 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook's shadow court Mar 05, 2021

Kate Klonick, law professor at St. John's University, joins Matt to talk about her investigation into Facebook's secret content moderation board. She talks about her inside-Silicon-Valley reporting, the problems of regulating content in general, and why Facebook both is and is not like a newsstand.

Resources:

"Inside the Making of Facebook's Supreme Court" by Kate Klonick, The New Yorker (Feb. 12, 2021)

"The New Governors: The People, Rules, and Processes Governing Online Speech" by Kate Klonick, Harvard Law Review (Mar. 2017)

Guest:

Kate Klonick (@Klonick), Assistant Professor of Law, St. John's University

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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How to destroy the suburbs Mar 03, 2021

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox Politics and Policy Fellow Jerusalem Demsas to talk about how to take on America's housing problem, exclusionary and discriminatory zoning restrictions, message against NIMBYs, and ultimately, to sue and destroy the suburbs. Then, research is analyzed that confronts the effects of rising prescription drug prices on patient behavior.

Resources:

"America's racist housing rules really can be fixed" by Jerusalem Demsas, Vox (Feb. 17, 2021)

"How to convince a NIMBY to build more housing" by Jerusalem Demsas, Vox (Feb. 24, 2021)

"How George Floyd's death is fueling a push for affordable housing in mostly White parts of D.C." by Paul Schwartzmann, Washington Post (March 1, 2021)

"Homeowners and Opposition to Housing Development" by William Marble and Clayton Nall (Feb. 6, 2020)

"HUD can't fix exclusionary zoning by withholding CDBG funds" by Jenny Schuetz, Brookings (Oct. 15, 2018)

"Stuck! The Law and Economics of Residential Stability" by David Schleicher, Yale Law Journal (Vol. 127, 2017)

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, by Heather McGhee (2021)

"Organizing Power: Theda Skocpol and Caroline Tervo"

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Jerusalem Demsas (@JerusalemDemsas), Politics and Policy Fellow, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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All organizing is local Feb 26, 2021

Author, researcher, and University of Pittsburgh professor of history Lara Putnam sits down with Matt to talk about the structure of local progressive political organization. They talk about the recent history of these movements in the wake of the 2016 election, the effect of these groups on downballot races in Pennsylvania and nationally, and look to the future of these groups in the Biden era.

Resources:

"Democrats are surging in special elections, and that's not what we've been used to in recent years" by Daniel Donner, Daily Kos (Sept. 27, 2017)

"The Other Infrastructure Program: Progressive Organizing" by Lara Putnam, The American Prospect (Feb. 22, 2021)

"Let's Organize—and Not Scapegoat Leaders" by Michael Podhorzer, The American Prospect (Feb. 17, 2021)

Guest:

Lara Putnam (@lara_putnam), UCIS Research Professor, University of Pittsburgh

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Covid-$1.9T Feb 23, 2021

Vox's Emily Stewart joins Matt and Dara to unpack what's in the Covid relief bill, now that it's out of committee. They talk about state & local relief, UI extensions, the $15 minimum wage, and why Congress is perma-hamstrung to effect real change. Plus, some research is analyzed about popular trading app Robin Hood, and its possible affect on stock prices.

Resources:

"The year that Congress just gave people money" by Dylan Matthews, Vox (Feb. 5, 2021)

House Hearing on Child Care During COVID-19 (Feb. 19, 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Emily Stewart (@EmilyStewartM), Business and Politics reporter, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The problem of child care Feb 19, 2021

Melissa Boteach of the National Women's Law Center joins Matt to have a discussion about the role of child care in the economy, which has been "made visible" in the Covid-19 pandemic, and exposed the economically marginalized care workers who perform this essential work in an industry on the verge of collapse.

Resources:

"How COVID-19 Relief for the Care Economy Fell Short in 2020" by Julie Kashen (Jan. 27, 2021)

"The COVID Relief Package Must Include Much-Needed Tax Credit Expansions for Women & Families" by Kathryn Menefee (Feb. 16, 2021)

"Undervalued: A Brief History of Women's Care Work and Child Care Policy in the United States" by Julie Vogtman (2017)

Guest:

Melissa Boteach (@mboteach), Vice President for Income Security and Child Care/Early Learning, National Women's Law Center

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The Antipope in Mar-a-Lago Feb 17, 2021

Vox's Emily Stewart joins Matt and Dara to wonder about whether and how Trump may rear his head in politics again, and about the future of the Republican party (zombie Paul Ryanism, or dynastic Trumpism?). Plus, a new study about the EITC is examined that leads to a broader discussion about the role of "nudges."

Resources:

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Emily Stewart (@EmilyStewartM), Business and Politics reporter, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Rethinking immigration Feb 12, 2021

Immigration advocate Ali Noorani of the National Immigration Forum joins Matt to discuss the future of immigration in America, including the oncoming "grey tsunami," the consequences of Trump's border and asylum policies, and the effects of the way we speak about immigration on immigration policy.

Resources:

"Room to Grow: Setting Immigration Levels in a Changing America" by Ali Noorani & Danilo Zak (Feb. 3, 2021)

One Billion Americans by Matt Yglesias (2020)

One Mighty and Irresistible Tide: The Epic Struggle over American Immigration, 1924-1965 by Jia Lynn Yang (2020)

Guest:

Ali Noorani (@anoorani), President & CEO, National Immigration Forum

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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What's happening with the stimulus? Feb 10, 2021

White House reporter Ella Nilsen joins Matt and Dara to talk about the current state of the Covid-19 relief bill, and the implications of the debate for both Congress and the Biden Administration. Plus, research on the correlation between SNAP benefit timing and college entrance exam scores.

Resources:

"The Senate vote-a-rama gets Democrats closer to approving Covid-19 relief on their own" by Li Zhou & Ella Nilsen, Vox (Feb. 4, 2021)

"The Biden stimulus is admirably ambitious. But it brings some risks, too." by Larry Summers, Washington Post (Feb. 4, 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Ella Nilsen (@ella_nilsen), White House reporter, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The future of remote work Feb 05, 2021

Economist Adam Ozimek from Upwork joins Matt to discuss the future of remote work, post-pandemic. They discuss the implications for migration, local governance, and the elusive concept of work/life balance.

Resources:

"Economist Report: Future Workforce" by Adam Ozimek (Dec. 2020)

Guest:

Adam Ozimek (@ModeledBehavior), Chief Economist, Upwork

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

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Where are the vaccines? Feb 03, 2021

Vox Senior Correspondent German Lopez joins Matt and Dara to discuss what went — and is still going — wrong with vaccine distribution, as well as to talk through some new research about the effects of implementing eviction moratoria on the spread of Covid-19.

Resources:

"What Biden can do to fix America's Covid-19 vaccine mess" by German Lopez, Vox (Jan. 22, 2021)

"'We crushed it': How did West Virginia become a national leader in Covid vaccination?" by Laura Strickler and Lisa Cavazuti, NBC News (Jan. 31, 2021)

U.S. Senate rules on filibuster and cloture

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Filibusted Jan 29, 2021

Matt is joined by author Molly Reynolds of the Brookings Institution to talk about the intricacies of the Senate filibuster, budget reconciliation, and the Byrd rule, with a view toward the prospect of getting legislation through a divided Senate.

Resources:

"The history of the filibuster" by Sarah Binder, Brookings

Exceptions to the Rule: The Politics of Filibuster Limitations in the U.S. Senateby Molly E. Reynolds (2017).

Guest:

Molly Reynolds (@mollyereynolds), Senior Fellow, Brookings

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Biden's immigration shuffle Jan 27, 2021

Vox Senior Correspondent German Lopez joins Matt and Dara to discuss some of the motivations, obstacles, and oppositions to the Biden administration's early signals on immigration policy, as well as a white paper on a natural experiment in the effects of a reduction in the number of police staff on crime.

Resources:

"Biden's sweeping immigration bill, explained" by Nicole Narea, Vox (Jan. 20, 2021)

"Biden's flurry of first-day executive actions, explained" by German Lopez, Vox (Jan. 20, 2021)

UPDATE: "A Texas judge just blocked Biden's 100-day pause on deportations" by Nicole Narea, Vox (Jan. 26, 2021)

"Legislative Process 101 — The Senate's Byrd Rule"

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

German Lopez (@germanrlopez), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Freedom from markets Jan 22, 2021

Matt is joined by author Mike Konczal, Director of Progressive Thought at the Roosevelt Institute, and author of the new book Freedom from the Market. They talk about the past, present, and future of public affordances in America, and discuss the shifts in political imagination that could inaugurate a new era of public programs in the earnest interest of benefitting Americans.

Resources:

Mike's new book, Freedom from the Market: America's Fight to Liberate Itself from the Grip of the Invisible Hand, on sale here.

Read an excerpt: "When Medicare Helped Kill Jim Crow" by Mike Konczal, The Nation (Jan. 19, 2021).

Guest:

Mike Konczal (@rortybomb), Director, Progressive Thought, Roosevelt Institute

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Biden's rescue plan Jan 20, 2021

Vox business and politics reporter Emily Stewart joins Matt and Dara to unpack what's in Biden's giant stimulus package, and to examine how the new Congress will handle the massive imperatives of economic recovery, on the eve of the commencement of the Biden administration.

Resources:

"Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid-19 stimulus plan, explained" by Emily Stewart, Vox (Jan. 14, 2021)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Emily Stewart (@EmilyStewartM), Business and Politics Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The Next Four Years: Fighting tech monopolies Jan 15, 2021

Matt is joined by antitrust and competition policy expert Charlotte Slaiman to discuss the ongoing antitrust cases against Google and Facebook, the basics of antitrust litigation, and their outlook for the future of regulatory efforts to rein in the power of Big Tech through pro-competition policy.

Resources:

"Only Regulation Can Jumpstart Competition in Big Tech" by Gene Kimmelman and Charlotte Slaiman, Fortune (July 16, 2019)

"FTC Sues Facebook for Illegal Monopolization" (December 9, 2020)

"Colorado Attorney General leads multistate lawsuit seeking to end Google's illegal monopoly in search market" (December 17, 2020)

Guest:

Charlotte Slaiman (@CharlottesWWWeb), Competition Policy Director, Public Knowledge

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

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About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Will the GOP be Q-pilled or Coup-pilled? Jan 13, 2021

Vox Senior Correspondent Zack Beauchamp joins Matt and Dara to discuss some of the potential political ramifications of the insurrection of 1/6/21, as well as what this event might portend for addressing questions of police reform.

Resources:

"Capitol police officer praised as hero for diverting mob from Senate chamber" by Randi Richardson, NBC News (Jan. 11, 2021)

"I experienced the heinous assault on Capitol; now, time to face reality" op-ed by Rep. Peter Meijer, Detroit News (Jan. 9, 2021)

"Outgoing Capitol Police chief: House, Senate security officials hamstrung efforts to call in National Guard" by Carol D. Loennig, Aaron C. Davis, Peter Hermann and Karoun Demirjian, Washington Post (Jan. 10, 2021)

"Several Capitol police officers suspended, more than a dozen under investigation over actions related to rally, riot" by Aaron C. Davis, Rebecca Tan and Beth Reinhard, Washington Post (Jan. 11, 2021)

"What the police really believe" by Zack Beauchamp, Vox (July 7, 2020)

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer.

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Unemployment Insurance in the pandemic, and beyond Jan 08, 2021

Matt is joined by Employ America policy advisor Elizabeth Pancotti for a detailed discussion about unemployment insurance. They take on the recent expansion of the benefits, explain some of the difficulties in distributing them, and outline a possible road toward meaningful reform.

Resources:

"Bennet Unveils Sweeping Proposal to Strengthen Unemployment Insurance Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic" (March 24, 2020)

Guest:

Elizabeth Pancotti (@ENPancotti), policy advisor, Employ America

Host:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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America's vaccine distribution needs a shot in the arm Jan 06, 2021

Umair Irfan joins Dara and Matt to discuss some challenges and obstacles to prioritization and distribution of the Covid vaccine, in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Resources:

Kamala Harris's plan for $2,000 a month transfers to every man, woman, and child

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Umair Irfan (@umairfan), Science Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please make a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Best of: Homelessness and how to fix it Dec 22, 2020

Mary Cunningham, vice president of Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy at the Urban Institute, joins Matt for part two of homelessness week to discuss the causes and potential solutions of homelessness. They dive deep into the data surrounding the issue, and take a look at President Trump's claim that homelessness is on the rise.

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The Next Four Years: Beyond the student debt debate Dec 18, 2020

New America’s Kevin Carey explains loan forgiveness and the deeper problems with American higher education.

Guest:

Kevin Carey (@kevincarey1), Vice President, Education Policy and Knowledge Management, New America

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Producer

Jackson Bierfeldt, Editor

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Build Back Exactly The Same Dec 15, 2020

Dylan Matthews joins Matt and Dara to discuss Covid’s impact on poverty and the road to recovery.

Resources:

"Joe Biden is taking office amid a poverty crisis" by Dylan Matthews, Vox

Income and poverty in the COVID-19 pandemic by Jeehoon Han, Bruce D. Meyer, and James X. Sullivan

Plan to have the Fed give people money by making everyone a bank

Who is Manasi Deshpande?

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please make a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The Next Four Years: An optimistic climate agenda Dec 11, 2020

Third Way’s Josh Freed and Jackie Kempfer explain a path forward for low-carbon policy in a time of divided government.

Guest:

Josh Freed (@ThirdWayEnergy), Senior VP, Climate and Energy Program, Third Way

Jackie Kempfer (@JackieKempfer), Senior Policy Advisor, Climate and Energy Program, Third Way

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Producer

Jackson Bierfeldt, Editor

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The blob is back Dec 08, 2020

Alex Ward joins Dara and Matt to analyze the Biden national security team.

Resources:

"The revenge of the blob" by Alex Ward, Vox

Why Nations Fall

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), Staff Writer, International Security and Defense, Vox

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please make a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The Next Four Years: The Covid transition Dec 04, 2020

Kaiser’s Jennifer Kates joins Matt to explain the next steps in countering the pandemic.

Guest:

Jennifer Kates (@jenkatesdc), Senior VP/Director, Global Health & HIV Policy, Kaiser Foundation

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Producer

Jackson Bierfeldt, Editor

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The job nobody wants Dec 01, 2020

Dara and Matt on Biden’s choice to run Homeland Security and the many challenges he’ll face.

Resources:

"Biden picks Alejandro Mayorkas, a son of Jewish Cuban refugees, to lead the Department of Homeland Security" by Nick Miroff and

Maria Sacchetti, Washington Post

"How an Obama appointee helped influential Democrats get visas for rich immigrants" by Dara Lind, Vox

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please make a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The post-election economy Nov 24, 2020

Emily Stewart joins Dara and Matt to discuss the prospects for Covid relief and Janet Yellen.

Resources:

"Janet Yellen's mistake" by Matthew Yglesias, Slowboring.com

"Electoral politics on an unfair playing field" by Aaron Strauss, Slowboring.com

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Emily Stewart (@EmilyStewartM), Business and Politics Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please make a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The Next Four Years: Joe Biden’s world Nov 20, 2020

The Atlantic Council’s Emma Ashford joins Matt to explain the president-elect’s approach to national security.

Guest:

Emma Ashford (@EmmaMAshford), Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Producer

Jackson Bierfeldt, Editor

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Georgia on my mind Nov 17, 2020

Resources:

"Why Georgia has runoff elections" by Jerusalem Demsas, Vox

"David Perdue and Jon Ossoff advance to Georgia Senate runoff" by Ella Nilsen and Jerusalem Demsas

"Detailed Turnout Data Shows How Georgia Turned Blue" by Nate Cohn, New York Times

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica

Ella Nilsen (@ella_nilsen), Politics & Policy Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please make a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The Next Four Years: How to make a Biden Boom Nov 13, 2020

Vox’s new series THE NEXT FOUR YEARS delving into the policy prospects for the Biden Era kicks off with Bloomberg’s Karl Smith explaining a bipartisan approach to healing the labor market.

Guest:

Karl Smith (@karlbykarlsmith), Bloomberg Columnist

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

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The never ending election story Nov 10, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on Trump’s refusal to quit and his “surprising” Hispanic support.

Resources:

"How Democrats Missed Trump’s Appeal to Latino Voters" by Jennifer Medina

"Why Democrats Lost So Many South Texas Latinos—the Economy" by Elizabeth Findell, Wall Street Journal

Live results for the 2020 Senate races

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please make a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Democracy lost Nov 06, 2020

Ezra and Matt on the election results and the prospects for majority rule.

Resources:

Chris Hayes and I process this wild election, Ezra Klein Show

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Election Day Special Nov 03, 2020

In this special live episode of the Weeds - Ella Nilsen joins Matt and Jane to highlight the most contested senate races, and what to watch for as results come in.

Resources:

2020 Election Coverage

Vox’s live results for the 2020 presidential election

2020 House election live results

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Ella Nilsen (@ella_nilsen), Politics & Policy Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please make a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

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Lessons learned from Trump’s first term Oct 30, 2020

Ezra and Matt look back on what’s surprised them.

Resources:

"Can anything change Americans’ minds about Donald Trump?" by Ezra Klein, Vox

"Republicans are sowing the seeds of the next financial crisis" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

"Trump Is Losing Ground With White Voters But Gaining Among Black And Hispanic Americans" by Geoffrey Skelley and Anna Wiederkehr, FiveThirtyEight

"Nate Silver on why 2020 isn't 2016" Ezra Klein Show

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

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Biden’s border options Oct 27, 2020

Dara, Jane, and Matt on the big immigration questions that will face a new administration.

Resources:

"Would Biden 'rebuild the old program' to reduce Northern Triangle migration?" by Teresa Welsh, Devex

"Inside the Refugee Camp on America's Doorstep" by Caitlin Dickerson, NYT

Confirm you are registered to vote

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds, and participate in "The Weeds Live" on election day? Please make a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Trump’s last stand Oct 23, 2020

Ezra and Matt on the final presidential debate.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Trump's second term agenda Oct 20, 2020

Dara, Jane, and Matt break down the policy stakes in 2020.

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Go For Broke: Inside the Dot-Com Bubble Oct 17, 2020

Go For Broke is a new narrative series from Epic Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network exploring the 2000 dot-com bubble... and what happened when the bubble popped. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/31ovruD

Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/34WWNZI

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Email scandals are back! Oct 16, 2020

Ezra and Matt discuss Hunter Biden’s laptop, social media regulation, and the ongoing stimulus standoff.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

This episode was brought to you by Novartis. To learn more about Cell and Gene Therapy visit vox.com/ad/novartis

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What is critical race theory, anyway? Oct 13, 2020

Ian Haney Lopez joins Jane to discuss critical race theory: what it is and what it isn't.

Resources:

"Which Party Represents the Racial Future?" by Ross Douthat

Guest:

Ian Haney Lopez (@IanHaneyLopez), Professor of Law, UC Berkeley

Host:

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior Politics Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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By the People: The Supreme Court's war on democracy Oct 10, 2020

In this last episode of the By The People mini-series, host Ian Millhiser talks with legal scholar Pam Karlan about how the Supreme Court has harmed our democracy in the recent past, and what it's likely to do to voting rights in the future. Then he speaks with Supreme Court journalist Mark Joseph Stern about court-packing and other possible ways to reform the Court.

Featuring:

Pam Karlan, Professor of Public Interest Law at Stanford Law School

Mark Joseph Stern, Staff Writer at Slate

Host:

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Producer/Editor: Jackson Bierfeldt

Editor: Elbert Ventura

Executive Producer: Liz Nelson

About Vox:

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Please consider making a contribution to Vox to support this show: bit.ly/givepodcasts. Your support will help us keep having ambitious conversations about big ideas.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The stimulus standoff Oct 09, 2020

Ezra and Matt on the deadlock in congress and the VP debate.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Erick Gomez, Schuyler Swenson (@SchuylerSwenson), and Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Producers

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

This episode was brought to you by Novartis. To learn more about Cell and Gene Therapy visit vox.com/ad/novartis

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On biracial identity (with Thomas Chatterton Williams) Oct 06, 2020

Jane and Thomas Chatterton Williams talk about mixed-race identity, race and racism, and what being biracial means now.

Resources:

"My Family's Life Inside and Outside America's Racial Categories" by Thomas Chatterton Williams, NYT

"A Detailed Look at the Downside of California’s Ban on Affirmative Action" by Kevin Carey, NYT

"Thomas Chatterton Williams on Race, Identity, and “Cancel Culture”" by Isaac Chotiner, NYT

"The Great Escape From Slavery of Ellen and William Craft" by Marian Smith Holmes, Smithsonian Magazine

"Black With (Some) White Privilege" by Anna Holmes, NYT

"Still Processing: Being Biracial" by Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham, NYT

"The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic

Guest:

Thomas Chatterton Williams (@thomaschattwill), Contributing Writer at New York Magazine, Columnist at Harpers Magazine

Host:

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior Politics Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

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By the People: Blame the Constitution Oct 03, 2020

Host Ian Millhiser talks with political scientist Norm Ornstein and Vox’s Matt Yglesias about the structural factors — many of them written into the Constitution itself — that impede a democratic majority from electing their preferred leaders and several ideas about how these hurdles can be overcome.

Relevant resources:

Featuring:

Norman Ornstein, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute

Matthew Yglesias, Senior Correspondent at Vox

Host:

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Producer/Editor: Jackson Bierfeldt

Editor: Elbert Ventura

Executive Producer: Liz Nelson

About Vox:

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Please consider making a contribution to Vox to support this show: bit.ly/givepodcasts. Your support will help us keep having ambitious conversations about big ideas.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fighting back against factory farming Oct 02, 2020

On this special episode, we give you a preview of season 3 of the Future Perfect podcast. Vox's Dylan Matthews comes on to talk about meat and environmental justice.

Subscribe to Future Perfect on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app to automatically get new episodes of the latest season each week.

Further listening and reading:

ProPublica’s Talia Buford has done in-depth reporting on the problems of overflowing pig waste lagoons in North Carolina, and you can see images of the aftermath of lagoon flooding from Hurricane Florence collected here.
Pig waste from factory farms is not just a problem in North Carolina. You can read about issues in Iowa, Minnesota, and Ohio.

We always want to hear from you! Please send comments and questions to futureperfect@vox.com.

This podcast is made possible thanks to support from Animal Charity Evaluators. They research and promote the most effective ways to help animals.

Featuring:

Marianne Engleman Lado, Environmental Justice Clinic, Vermont Law School

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Follow all of Future Perfect’s reporting on the Future of Meat.

Subscribe to Vox’s Future Perfect newsletter, which breaks down big, complicated problems the world faces and the most efficient ways to solve them.

Follow Us:

Vox.com

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A dark, dangerous debate Sep 30, 2020

Ezra and Matt on the disturbing presidential showdown.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Buy Matt's book!

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

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By the People: How to make sure your vote is counted Sep 26, 2020

Host Ian Millhiser talks with voting rights lawyer Sophia Lin Lakin and vote-by-mail advocate Amber McReynolds about voting, COVID-19, and what steps you can take to ensure that your vote is counted this election.

Relevant resources:

Confirm you are registered to vote

How to vote at home

ACLU’s Voting Rights Project

ACLU’s Voter Education Tool

Featuring:

Sophia Lin Lakin, Deputy Director of the Voting Rights Project at the ACLU

Amber McReynolds, CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute

Host:

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Producer/Editor: Jackson Bierfeldt

Editor: Elbert Ventura

Executive Producer: Liz Nelson

About Vox:

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Please consider making a contribution to Vox to support this show: bit.ly/givepodcasts. Your support will help us keep having ambitious conversations about big ideas.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dianne Feinstein, please listen to this episode! Sep 25, 2020

Ezra and Matt discuss the past and future of the US Senate.

Resources:

"How Mitch McConnell is changing the Democratic Party" by Ezra Klein, Vox

"America needs a democratic revolution" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Buy Matt's book!

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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After RBG Sep 22, 2020

Vox’s judiciary expert Ian Milhiser joins the panel to explain Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy and the future of American jurisprudence

Resources:

"Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy, and the future of the Supreme Court, explained" by Ian Millhiser, Vox

"The Surprising Conservatism of Ruth Bader Ginsburg" by Kimberly Wehle, Politico

"Social conservatives feel betrayed by the Supreme Court — and the GOP that appointed it" by Jane Coaston, Vox

"As Trump rushes to fill a court seat, conservative groups fear missteps" by Gabby Orr, Politico

"What happens to the Supreme Court (and the Constitution) if Trump wins" by Ian Millhiser, Vox

Guest:

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) Senior Correspondent, Vox

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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By the People: How to rig an election Sep 19, 2020

Introducing By The People?, a new podcast miniseries on voting rights in the 2020 election, hosted by Ian Millhiser. Each episode will examine a specific obstacle facing voters in the upcoming election, and lay out various policy proposals and practical ways to overcome that obstacle. Our first episode takes a deep dive into intentional efforts to suppress the vote with historian Carol Anderson and voting rights lawyer Janai Nelson.

Relevant resources:

Confirm you are registered to vote

Legal Defense Fund Voting Rights Information

Featuring:

Carol Anderson, author of One Person, No Vote, professor of African American Studies at Emory University

Janai Nelson, Associate Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund

Host:

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Producer/Editor: Jackson Bierfeldt

Editor: Elbert Ventura

Executive Producer: Liz Nelson

About Vox:

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Please consider making a contribution to Vox to support this show: bit.ly/givepodcasts. Your support will help us keep having ambitious conversations about big ideas.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One Billion Americans Sep 18, 2020

In this crossover episode from the Ezra Klein Show - Ezra and Matt discuss the early days of blogging, Twitter, climate change, and Matt's case for having 1 billion Americans.

Buy Matt's book!

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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How Trump closed the border Sep 15, 2020

Rep. Veronica Escobar joins Jane, Dara, and Matt to talk about Texas politics and the use of the pandemic as a pretext to clamp down on asylum.

Guest:

Rep. Veronica Escobar (@RepEscobar) US Congresswoman from Texas' 16th Congressional District

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Meredith Haggerty (@manymanywords), Deputy Editor, The Goods

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The definitive case against the filibuster Sep 11, 2020

Ezra joins Matt to workshop his latest article — and save American democracy.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Steal this podcast Sep 08, 2020

Meredith Haggerty joins Jane and Matt to debate looting and corporate cooptation of social justice.

Resources:

"One Author's Controversial View: 'In Defense Of Looting'" by Natalie Escobar, NPR

"Examining Vicky Osterweil’s Case for Looting" by Isaac Chotiner

Baby, I'm an Anarchist by Against Me!

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Meredith Haggerty (@manymanywords), Deputy Editor, The Goods

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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LAW AND ORDER Sep 04, 2020

Matt and Ezra discuss why crime is rising in certain American cities, and the country's growing housing crisis.

Resources:

"Trump claims crime is up in US cities. The truth is more complicated." by German Lopez, Vox

Policing the Police: The Impact of "Pattern-or-Practice" Investigations on Crime by Roland Fryer Jr. & Tanaya Devi

The Effect of Police Oversight on Crime and Allegations of Misconduct: Evidence from Chicagoby Roman Rivera & Bocar A. Ba

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Trump sells out Sep 01, 2020

Dara, Jane, and Matt discuss Jane’s argument that the GOP establishment changed Trump more than he changed the party.

Resources:

"Trump was supposed to change the GOP. But the GOP changed him." by Jane Coaston, Vox

"Trump's approval rating among black voters jumps nine points during GOP convention: Poll" by Carly Ortiz-Lytle, Washington Examiner

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The Trump Show Aug 28, 2020

Ezra and Matt on the GOP convention and the politics of "law and order".

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The Cut: Optimism Aug 26, 2020

Introducing The Cut, a new podcast from our friends at New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network that dives deep into the cultural conversations that matter most in our current moment. Led by host Avery Trufelman, alumna of the podcasts 99% Invisible, Articles of Interest and Nice Try!, the Cut aims to answer questions before listeners know they have them, with a generous wit and an expansive idea of what is possible.

Subscribe to the Cut for new episodes every Wednesday.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump's peddling a fake Covid-19 cure Aug 25, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on convalescent plasma, FDA reform, and the politics of science.

Resources:

"Trump used a rare disease survivor to take a shot at the FDA" by Julia Belluz, Vox

"Making American Great Again–The FDA" by Alex Tabarrok, Marginal Revolution

"Reopening schools safely is going to take much more federal leadership" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

"Straight talk on the FDA’s tumultuous weekend — and new questions about its independence" by Adam Feuerstein & Matthew Herper, Stat News

One Billion Americansby Matthew Yglesias

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Statement

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Democratic convention special Aug 21, 2020

Ezra and Matt stay up late to review Joe Biden's big speech and the Democrats' big week.

Resources:

"Obama’s Convention Speech Is the First Time I Have Seen Him Scared" by Jonathan Chait, NY Mag

"The tragedy of Hillary Clinton" by Ezra Klein, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTF is happening with USPS Aug 18, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on the health and history of the postal service, the political games being played, and what it means for November's election.

Resources:

"The Post Office Mess Is Meant to Exhaust You. Don’t Let It." by Charlie Warzel, New York Times

"On the Post Office 'sabotage'" by Jay Caruso, The Monday Notice

"Why We Should Love The Post Office" by Addison Del Mastro, The American Conservative

"USPS badly needs an overhaul, but not smack in the middle of the Trump-Biden campaign" by Paul Brandus, USA Today

"State officials rush to shore up confidence in Nov. 3 election as voters express new fears about mail voting" by Amy Gardner and Seung Min Kim, WaPo

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What the hell is the Republican party doing? Aug 14, 2020

Ezra and Matt on Republican policy nihilism and the Kamala Harris pick.

Resources:

"Kamala Harris Is Biden’s Choice for Vice President" by Alexander Burns and Katie Glueck, NYT

"How inequality and white identity politics feed each other" with Paul Pierson and Jacob Hacker, Ezra Klein Show podcast

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is the economy, stupid? Aug 11, 2020

Vox's Emily Stewart joins Dara and Jane to discuss the relationship between "the market" and the "real economy."

Resources:

"The Stock Market Is an Engine of Civic Destruction" by Libby Watson, New Republic

"Who gets to be reckless on Wall Street?" by Emily Stewart, Vox

Hosts:

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Emily Stewart (@EmilyStewartM), Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Veepstakes Aug 07, 2020

Ezra and Matt on Susan Rice, Kamala Harris, and Trump’s increasingly chaotic authoritarianism.

Resources:

"What we know about Joe Biden’s possible vice presidential picks" by Ella Nilsen, Vox

"Harris allies granted call with Biden campaign after Dodd blowup" by Christopher Cadelago & Natasha Korecki, Politico

"Think the world is on fire? Obama’s national security adviser says things are better than ever." by Zack Beauchamp, Vox

"How inequality is changing the Republican Party — and breaking American politics" by Ezra Klein, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The stimulus standoff Aug 04, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on the congressional deadlock over economic aid.

Resources:

"“The jobs aren’t there”: Why cutting off enhanced unemployment benefits would leave workers in the lurch" by Li Zhou, Vox

"Senate GOP Coronavirus Bill Has Some Good Provisions but Needs Serious Work" by Adam Michel, Rachel Greszler, Lindsey M. Burke, & Brian Finch, Heritage Foundation

"The Zombie Reaganism Trap" by Peter Spiliakos, National Review

Polaris Statement on Wayfair Sex Trafficking Claims

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Great Awokening Jul 31, 2020

John McWhorter joins Matt to discuss the changing way we talk about racism in America.

Resources:

"“Latinx” is growing in popularity. I made a comic to help you understand why." by Terry Blas, Vox

"Racist Police Violence Reconsidered" by John McWhorter, Quillette

"The Virtue Signalers Won’t Change the World" by John McWhorter, The Atlantic

"The Dehumanizing Condescension of White Fragility" by John McWhorter, The Atlantic

"‘This Is How We Lost to the White Man’" by Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic

"The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic

Ibram X. Kendi wants to redefine racism, The Ezra Klein Show, VMPN

Guest:

John McWhorter (@JohnHMcWhorter), Professor at Columbia University / Host of the Lexicon Valley podcast, Slate

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trafficking, and trafficking panics Jul 28, 2020

Dara, Jane, and Matt on Wayfair, massage parlors, and reality.

Resources:

"The modeling industry is filled with exploitation—this labor activist is fighting back" by Sara Ziff, Fast Company

"American Airlines Reportedly Accused a Black Social Worker of Kidnapping the White Child In Her Care. Now She's Suing." by Elizabeth Nolan Brown, Reason

"Sen. Josh Hawley Says He 'Took on an Asian Trafficking Ring' and 'Freed a Dozen Women in Sex Slavery.' That's Not True." by Elizabeth Nolan Brown, Reason

"Trump has turned the war on trafficking into a war on immigrants" by Melissa Gira Grant & Debbie Nathan, The Appeal

"ICE Agents Fight Sex Trafficking by Paying Potential Victims for Hand Jobs" Elizabeth Nolan Brown, Reason

"'White slavery': the origins of the anti-trafficking movement" by Laura Lammasniemi, Open Democracy

"Baltimore Mayor Says Men in White Vans Are Snatching Young Girls for Sex Trafficking" Lenore Skenazy, Reason

"The allure of child trafficking conspiracy theories" Ben Sixsmith, Spectator

"The Making of “The Trafcking Problem”" by Ine Vanwesenbeeck

"American Fringes: How the extremes define our society" by Nick Fouriezos

"The bogus claim that 300,000 U.S. children are ‘at risk’ of sexual exploitation" by Glenn Kessler, WaPo

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The evidence on crime and policing Jul 24, 2020

Texas A&M's Jennifer Doleac joins Matt to explain what we know (and don't know) about criminal justice.

Resources:

"How to Fix Policing" by Jennifer Doleac, Niskanen Center

"How to Make a Police Force More Diverse" by Jennifer Doleac, Bloomberg

"Changing Police Recruitment Messages Attracts a Larger and More Diverse Applicant Pool" by Jennifer Doleac, CCJ

"Making Fair and Respected Cops: Procedural Justice Training in Chicago Proves Successful" by Jennifer Doleac, CCJ

"Encouraging desistance from crime" by Jennifer Doleac

"The Unintended Consequences of “Ban the Box”: Statistical Discrimination and Employment Outcomes When Criminal Histories Are Hidden" by Jennifer Doleac (Texas A&M) & Benjamin Hansen (Univ. or Oregon)

Guest:

Jennifer Doleac (@jenniferdoleac), Economics professor, Texas A&M / Host of the Probable Causation podcast

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bad for the Jews? Jul 21, 2020

Dara, Jane, and Matt on Nick Cannon, Louis Farrakhan, and antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Resources:

"The conspiracy theories behind the anti-Semitic violence in New York" by Jane Coaston, Vox

"Nick Cannon let go by ViacomCBS over anti-Semitic comments" by Lisa Respers France, CNN

"Calling out racism and anti-Semitism is a responsibility" by David Love, CNN

"Black Demagogues and Pseudo-Scholars" by Henry Louis Gates Jr., NYT

"July 20, 1992: Bias Is Poison" by Henry Louis Gates Jr., NYT

"Why Tamika Mallory Won’t Condemn Farrakhan" by Adam Serwer, The Atlantic

BIDEN-SANDERS UNITY TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Biden reloaded Jul 17, 2020

Ezra and Matt on Joe Biden’s unification strategy with the left.

Resources:

"How Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders joined forces to craft a bold, progressive agenda" by Ella Nilsen, Vox

"It’s time to move past employer-based health insurance" by Ezra Klein, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

School’s out for Covid Jul 14, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on the school reopening debate and the political consequences of HIV/AIDS.

Resources:

"The debate over reopening America’s K-12 schools, explained" by Anna North, Vox

"I’m an epidemiologist and a dad. Here’s why I think schools should reopen." by Benjamin P. Linas, Vox

"‘I Don’t Want to Go Back’: Many Teachers Are Fearful and Angry Over Pressure to Return" by Dana Goldstein and Eliza Shapiro, NYT

"In D.C. wards hit hardest by covid-19, sending kids to school is a risk some parents won’t take" by Perry Stein

"Crucial Steps in Combating the Aids Epidemic; Identify All the Carriers" by William F. Buckley

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Covid resurgence Jul 10, 2020

Ezra and Matt on how America failed while the world made progress on the pandemic, and what on earth is going on with the republican party.

Resources:

"Reopening schools safely is going to take much more federal leadership" by Matthew Yglesias

"Trumpism, not polarization, drives America’s disastrous coronavirus politics" by Ezra Klein

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Contagious enthusiasm Jul 07, 2020

Dara, Jane, and Matt on Biden’s excitement gap.

Resources:

"So … About That Supposed Lack Of Enthusiasm For Biden?" Five Thirty Eight

"Social conservatives feel betrayed by the Supreme Court — and the GOP that appointed it" by Jane Coaston, Vox

"Trump’s surprising resilience with Hispanic voters, explained" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Land of the Giants: The Netflix Effect Jul 03, 2020

Land of the Giants is a podcast from our friends at Recode and the Vox Media Podcast Network that examines the most powerful tech companies of our time.

The second season is called The Netflix Effect, and it’s hosted by Recode editors Rani Molla and Peter Kafka.

The Netflix Effect explores how a company that began as a small DVD-by-mail service ultimately upended Hollywood and completely changed the way we watch TV.

It’s a fascinating look at what really goes on behind the scenes at Netflix, one of the few companies that’s actually growing during the pandemic, and how they’re continuing to transform entertainment for you and me.

New episodes are released every Tuesday morning.

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The war on bad statues Jun 30, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on Confederate Memorials, Woodrow Wilson, and the battle for historical memory.

Resources:

"Woodrow Wilson was extremely racist — even by the standards of his time" by Dylan Matthews, Vox

"Inside the growing movement to ditch Columbus Day and celebrate Native Americans instead" by Victoria M. Massie, Vox

"The battle over Confederate statues, explained" by German Lopez, Vox

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The Veepstakes Jun 26, 2020

Ezra and Matt on Warren, Abrams, Harris, and the Tammies and the links between racial and economic justice.

Resources:

"The Second Defeat of Bernie Sanders" by Ross Douthat, NYT

"The Black-White Wage Gap Is as Big as It Was in 1950" by David Leonhardt, NYT

"What is Owed" by Nikole Hannah-Jones, NYT

"The Triumph of Black Lives Matter and Neoliberal Redemption" by Cedric Johnson, Nonsite.org

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Talking about talking Jun 23, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt explain “intersectional,” “structural” and the new language of identity discourse.

Resources:

"The intersectionality wars" by Jane Coaston, Vox

"The Origins of “Privilege”" by Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker

"Toward Black Liberation " National Humanities Center

Police Employment, Officers Per Capita Rates for U.S. Cities

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The legal doctrine that protects brutal policing Jun 19, 2020

Cato's Clark Neily joins Jane to discuss Qualified Immunity - where is came from, why it exists, and what's being done to eliminate it. Clark details how the Supreme Court invented the civil doctrine to protect public workers from personal liability, and details hows it's being used to cloak police officers from being held accountable for unlawful practices.

*This interview was recorded on Monday, June 15th 2020

Relevant cases:

Amy Corbitt, Petitioner v. Michael Vickers, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Jessop v. City of Fresno, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Sims v. Labowitz, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Relevant articles:

"To Make Police Accountable, End Qualified Immunity" by Clark Neily, The Bulwark

"Is Qualified Immunity Unlawful?" by William Baude, California Law Review

"Jury Rejects Damages for Victims of Pot Raid Based on Wet Tea Leaves" by Jacob Sullum, Reason

"George Floyd’s Death Must Be a Catalyst for Accountability" by Clark Neily, Cato

Please visit https://www.unlawfulshield.com/ for more information on Cato's efforts to eliminate Qualified Immunity

Guest:

Clark Neily (@ConLawWarrior) Vice President of Criminal Justice, Cato Institute

Host:

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior Politics Reporter, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fixing the police Jun 16, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on what we know about police reform and its limits

Resources:

"Unbundle the Police" by Derek Thompson, The Atlantic

"Why Are the Police in Charge of Road Safety?" by Alex Tabarrok, Marginal Revolution

Collective Bargaining Rights and Police Misconduct: Evidence from Florida, by Dhammika Dharmapala, Richard H. McAdams, & John Rappaport, University of Chicago

Reducing Racial Disparities in Crime Victimization, by Anna Harvey & Taylor Mattia, NYU

The Impact of Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Policing by Bocar Ba, Dean Knox, Jonathan Mummolo, & Roman Rivera

Glossary of Nonviolence

A Force More Powerful

Gandhi on Non-Violence

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America gives up on Covid-19 Jun 12, 2020

Ezra and Matt on the return of a virus that never went away.

Resources:

"America Is Giving Up on the Pandemic" by Alexis C. Madrigal & Robinson Meyer, WaPo

"14 states and Puerto Rico hit highest seven-day average of new coronavirus infections" by Kim Bellware & Jacqueline Dupree, WaPo

"How Trump uses a crisis: Repeal rules while nobody is looking" by Rachel Augustine Potter, WaPo

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After George Floyd Jun 09, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on America's dual reckonings with racism and police impunity

Resources:

"It's Time To Bust Police Unions" by Peter Suderman, Reason

"Libertarianism For Me, Authoritarianism For Thee" by Chris Arnade, American Compass

A Colony in a Nation by Chris Hayes

"10 Events that Shaped Cincinnati: Timothy Thomas is Shot and Killed" by Cedric Rose, Cincinnati Magazine

"The data proves that school segregation is getting worse" by Alvin Chang, Vox

"NYC delays controversial rezoning of 7 Brooklyn elementary schools" by Christina Veiga, Chalkbeat New York

"Restrictive Zoning Promotes Racial Segregation" by Matthew Yglesias, Slate

Mapping Police Violence

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Defund the police? Jun 05, 2020

Ezra and Matt on reformism vs radicalism and reimagining law enforcement

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Producer

Jackson Bierfeldt, Editor

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The global class war Jun 02, 2020

Barron's economics commentary Matt Klein explains what's really behind international trade conflicts

Guest:

Matthew C. Klein (@M_C_Klein) Senior Writer, Barrons and author of Trade Wars Are Class Wars

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Tweeting through it May 29, 2020

Ezra and Matt on Trump's war on social media, plus Joe Biden's policy agenda.

*This episode was recorded on Thursday, May 28th, 2020.

Resources:

"Twitter Must Cleanse the Trump Stain" by Kara Swisher, NYT

"Joe Biden has a plan for that" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe Biden ain't black May 26, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on gaffes and the racial politics of 2020

Resources:

"Do Joe Biden’s “you ain’t black” comments ultimately matter?" by Fabiola Cineas, Vox

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The stimulus failure May 22, 2020

Ezra and Matt on Trump's pseudo-federalism and Pelosi's strange aversion to automatic stabilizers.

Resources:

"Nancy Pelosi says Democrats opted against putting federal aid on autopilot in their $3 trillion coronavirus spending package to avoid amplifying sticker shock" by Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Business Insider

"Trump Rewrites the Book on Emergencies" by Christopher DeMuth, WSJ

"Federalism Is an Asset" by Danielle Allen, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Josh Simons, & Carmel Shachar, Harvard

References:

Recession Ready: Fiscal Policies to Stabilize the American Economy, The Hamilton Project

Fix recessions by giving people money - The Weeds, featuring Claudia Sahm

The case for subsidized jobs - The Weeds, featuring Indi Dutta-Gupta

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Actual enumeration May 19, 2020

Dara, Jane, and Matt take a look at America's first pandemic Census.

Resources:

"The pandemic may leave communities of color undercounted in the census — and cost them billions" by Donna M. Owens, Vox

"Trump is still trying to collect citizenship data for redistricting" by Nicole Narea, Vox

"A once-in-a-century pandemic collides with a once-in-a-decade census" by Andrew Whitby, Brookings

"Over a million Hispanics turned white between the 2000 and 2010 Census" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The psychology of opening up May 15, 2020

Ezra and Matt on the deep roots (or not) of the lockdown debate.

Resources:

"Experts’ 7 best ideas on how to beat Covid-19 and save the economy" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

"This drawing explains a surprising amount about your political views" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

"America’s coronavirus testing numbers are really improving — finally" by German Lopez

"The Density Divide" by Will Wilkinson, Niskanen Center

"Trump Rewrites the Book on Emergencies" by Christopher DeMuth, WSJ

"Without More Tests, America Can’t Reopen" by Ezekiel J. Emanuel &Paul M. Romer

Books referenced:

Prius or Pickup? by Jonathan Weiler & Marc Hetherington

Open versus Closed by Christopher M. Federico, Howard G. Lavine, & Christopher D. Johnston

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will the economy bounce back? May 12, 2020

Dara, Jane, and Matt on the road ahead for the worst labor market since the Great Depression.

Resources:

"As deaths mount, Trump tries to convince Americans it’s safe to inch back to normal" by Josh Dawsey, Ashley Parker, Philip Rucker and Yasmeen Abutaleb, Washington Post

"Get ready for a second wave of economic pain" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

"The economy is in free fall. So why isn’t the stock market?" by Emily Stewart, Vox

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reopening without a plan May 08, 2020

Ezra and Matt on America's lost month and what happens next.

Resources:

"April was another lost month for Trump’s coronavirus response" by German Lopez, Vox

"Flattening the curve isn’t good enough" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

"COVID-19: The CIDRAP Viewpoint" by Peter M. Sandman & Jody Lanard, Cidrap

"Canada succeeded on coronavirus where America failed. Why?" by Zack Beauchamp, Vox

"US coronavirus data is at odds with Trump’s push to get the economy back up and running" by Aaron Rupar, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to win elections May 05, 2020

Dara, Jane, and Matt break down the great mobilization vs persuasion debate.

Resources:

"What Happened in the Georgia Gubernatorial Election?" Catalist Analytics, Medium

"The case for taking Trump’s black outreach seriously" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

"Michelle Obama Is Mad at ‘Our Folks,’ Not Trump Voters: ‘That’s My Trauma’" by Kevin Fallon, Daily Beast

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are Democrats getting rolled? May 01, 2020

Ezra and Matt on congressional bargaining strategy and the China blame game.

Resources:

"Congressional Democrats are governing from the minority" by Ezra Klein, Vox

"Many world leaders have seen double-digit polling surges amid coronavirus. Trump isn’t one of them." by Roge Karma, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A faster Covid-19 vaccine Apr 28, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt discuss the possibility of "human challenge trials" to speed vaccine development.

Resources:

"How Anthony Fauci Became America’s Doctor" by Michael Specter, The New Yorker

"What Each Side of the COVID-19 Debate Should Understand About the Other" by Brian Doherty, Reason

"Special Report: Peruvian coca farmers to Paris pushers, coronavirus upends global narcotics trade" by Gabriel Stargardter, Drazen Jorgic, Reuters

The Heritage Foundation's plan.

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who models the modelers? Apr 24, 2020

Ezra and Matt on the failures of some popular epidemiological forecasts and a viral Silicon Valley essay urging America to build again.

Resources:

"The US has a national service for predicting the weather. It needs one for predicting disease." by Brian Resnick, Vox

"What happens next in the coronavirus outbreak? We mapped 8 scenarios." by Julia Belluz, Vox

"It's time to build" by Marc Andreessen, a16z

"Why we can’t build" by Ezra Klein, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

Open courtesy of StatQuest

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Opening up Apr 21, 2020

Dara, Jane, and Matt on conservatives’ desire for a rapid reopening of American businesses, and a 'feel good' white paper about air pollution.

Resources:

"This is where all 50 states stand on reopening" by Alaa Eslassar, CNN

The American Enterprise's plan.

The Center for American Progress's plan

"The legal scholar who shaped Trump’s coronavirus response defends his theory" by Jane Coaston, Vox

"Inclined to Putrefaction" by Erin Maglaque, London Review of Books

The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory

COVID-19 Outbreak Associated with Air Conditioning in Restaurant, Guangzhou, China, 2020, CDC

"Policy by no other means" The Weeds

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Help is on the way (sort of) Apr 17, 2020

Ezra and Matt break down the implementation problems that have bedeviled the CARES Act.

Resources:

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld, (@jeff_geld), Editor and Producer

Cold open courtesy of NBC News

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The corporate bailout watchdog Apr 14, 2020

Congressional oversight committee member Bharat Ramamurti joins Matt to explain his new job and what's wrong with shareholder capitalism.

Guest:

Bharat Ramamurti (@BharatRamamurti), Member, Congressional Oversight Commission

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Jeff Geld (@jeff_geld), Editor & Producer

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does this end? Apr 10, 2020

Ezra and Matt review four major plans for after social distancing; plus the Democratic primary finally ends.

Resources:

Dan Hopkins' tweet

"National coronavirus response: A road map to reopening" by Scott Gottlieb, AEI

"A National and State Plan To End the Coronavirus Crisis" By Zeke Emanuel, Neera Tanden, Topher Spiro, Adam Conner, Kevin DeGood, Erin Simpson, Nicole Rapfogel, and Maura Calsyn, Center for American Progress

COVID-19 Response White Papers, Harvard University

"Simulating Covid-19: Part 1" by Paul Romer

"Even A Bad Test Can Help Guide the Decision to Isolate: Covid Simulations Part 3" by Paul Romer

"It’s time to move past employer-based health insurance" by Ezra Klein, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Producer and edited by Jeff Geld

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Covid-19 and the border Apr 07, 2020

Dara, Jane, and Matt on the intersection between the pandemic and Trump's border crackdown, and a white paper about happiness.

Resources:

"It’s Impossible to “Distance” in ICE Detention. Doctors Say Free All Detainees." by Jack Herrera, Truthout

"How ice operations in New York set the stage for a coronavirus nightmare in local jails" by Ryan Devereaux, The Intercept

"Leaked Border Patrol Memo Tells Agents to Send Migrants Back Immediately — Ignoring Asylum Law" by Dara Lind, ProPublica

"The Real Roots of Midlife Crisis" by Jonathan Rauch, The Atlantic

"Why Elders Smile" by David Brooks, NYTimes

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

The Weeds is produced and edited by Jeff Geld

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Coronavirus meets health reform Apr 03, 2020

Ezra and Matt discuss Covid-19's impact on insurance premiums, the case for single-payer, and more.

Resources:

"Coronavirus May Add Billions to U.S. Health Care Bill" by Reed Abelson, NYTimes

"The coronavirus crisis hasn't changed Joe Biden's mind on 'Medicare for All'" by Sahil Kapur, NBC News

Briahna Joy Gray Tweet

"Fighting coronavirus won’t help struggling Maine hospitals pay the bills" by Charles Eichacker, BDN

"California’s rural hospitals can’t handle a coronavirus wave. ‘People will die,’ doctor warns" by Ryan Sabalow and Jason Pohl, The Sacramento Bee

"Is U.S. Health Care Well-Equipped for the Coronavirus?" by Robert Orr, Niskanen Center

"Trump rejects Obamacare special enrollment period amid pandemic" by Susannah Luthi, Politico

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

Credits:

Producer and edited by Jeff Geld

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The mask fiasco Mar 31, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on the evidence for mask wearing, and a totally non-coronavirus white paper.

Resources:

"Why America ran out of protective masks — and what can be done about it" by German Lopez, Vox

"Why Telling People They Don’t Need Masks Backfired" by Zeynep Tufekci, NYTimes

"It's Time to Face Facts, America: Masks Work" by Ferris Jabr, Wired

"Masks for Coronavirus Will Not Last Long in the West" by Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review

"FACE MASKS: MUCH MORE THAN YOU WANTED TO KNOW" by Scott Alexander, Slate Star Codex

"the global coronavirus epidemic: commentary on east asia’s response" by Rashawn Ray and Fabio Rojas, Contexts

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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When $2 trillion isn’t enough Mar 27, 2020

Ezra and Matt analyze the huge but inadequate stimulus bill

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Fighting coronavirus with corporate conscription Mar 24, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on the Defense Production Act, wartime mobilization, and pandemic-induced autarky.

Resources:

"Trump’s excuses for not using the Defense Production Act are wrong — and dangerous" by Alex Ward, Vox

"“We are desperate”: Trump’s inaction has created a crisis with protective medical gear" by Caroline Hopkins, Vox

"The Defense Production Act, the law Trump is using to boost coronavirus supplies, briefly explained" by Alex Ward, Vox

"How Ford's Willow Run Assembly Plant Helped Win World War II" by Tim Trainor, Assembly Magazine

Willow Run

President Trump's oval office address

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The story of Trump's swamp Mar 21, 2020

Jane talks to Asawin Suebsaeng and Lachlan Markay about their new book "Sinking in the Swamp" on chaos at the White House and how President Trump differs (and doesn't) from prior administrations.

As a note - this episode was recorded on February 26, 2020.

Resources:

"Too Many Trump Books Are Like Eagles Records. These Daily Beast Reporters Wanted Theirs to Feel Like a Mudhoney Album" by Andrew Beaujon, Washingtonian

Sinking in the Swamp by Asawin Suebsaeng and Lachlan Markay

Guests:

Lachlan Markay, (@lachlan) Reporter, Daily Beast

Asawin Suebsaeng, (@swin24) White House Reporter, Daily Beast

Host:

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Devaluing black assets Mar 20, 2020

Brookings’ Andre Perry explains his research on how racism cripples black entrepreneurs and homeowners

Guest:

Andre Perry, (@andreperryedu) Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, Brookings

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Rescuing the economy from coronavirus Mar 17, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt discuss President Trump’s new more serious tone and competing economic stimulus proposals.

Resources:

"Coronavirus’s threat to the global economy — and what to do about it" by Matt Yglesias, Vox

"Dear Congress: Send Americans cash. Send it now." by Dylan Matthews, Vox

"Mitt Romney’s coronavirus economic plan: $1,000 to each American adult" by Dylan Matthews, Vox

"Restaurants Are Fucked — Unless They Get a Bailout" by Hillary Dixler Canavan, Eater

"A family of 4 could get $18,000 this year under a cash bill by Senate Democrats" by Dylan Matthews, Vox

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Weeds 2020: The coronavirus election Mar 14, 2020

Ezra and Matt on dueling pandemic response plans from Sanders and Biden, and Trump's disastrous speech.

Resources:

Joe Biden's coronavirus address

Bernie Sanders' coronavirus address

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Meet the YIMBYs Mar 13, 2020

Conor Dougherty on his new book "Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America"

Guest:

Conor Dougherty, (@ConorDougherty) Economics reporter, New York Times

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Mayor Pete and the state of LGBTQ politics Mar 10, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on queer politics after marriage equality.

Resources:

"Before Stonewall" by Jane Coaston, MTV News

"My Mayor Pete Problem" by Dale Peck, New Republic

"Last Men Standing" by Erin Allday, SF Chronicle

"You Wanted Same-Sex Marriage? Now You Have Pete Buttigieg." by Shannon Keating, BuzzFeed

"The Struggle for Gay Rights Is Over" by James Kirchick, Atlantic

Census & LGBT Demographic Studies Archive, The Williams Institute

Hosts:

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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A "titan" of social conservatism on the courts and his battles ahead Mar 07, 2020

Conservative thinker Robert George joins Jane to talk about abortion, marriage, the Supreme Court, and wielding the power of the federal government.

Guest:

Robert George, (@McCormickProf) Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University

Host:

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Behind the Covid-19 curve Mar 06, 2020

The Kaiser Foundation's Josh Michaud explains what the US is — and should be — doing to fight coronavirus.

Guest:

Josh Michaud, (@joshmich) Associate Director, Global Health Policy, The Kaiser Foundation

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Coronavirus 101 Mar 03, 2020

Jane, Dara and Brian Resnick talk about COVID-19 -- how it started, its potential impact, and where we go from here.

Resources:

"11 questions about the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, answered" by Julia Belluz, Vox

"If the coronavirus hits America, who’s responsible for protecting you?" by Brian Resnick, Vox

"“This is not the bat’s fault”: A disease expert explains where the coronavirus likely comes from" by Brian Resnick, Vox

"The coronavirus diagnostic testing snafu, explained" by Julia Belluz and Brian Resnick, Vox

"Ebola will make Americans more likely to give up civil liberties" by Shana Gadarian and Bethany Albertson, WaPo

Hosts:

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Brian Resnick (@B_resnick), Science reporter, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Weeds 2020: The Bernie electability debate Feb 29, 2020

Welcome to Weeds 2020! Every other Saturday Ezra and Matt will be exploring a wide range of topics related to the 2020 race.

Since the Nevada caucuses, Bernie Sanders has become the clear frontrunner in the 2020 Democratic primary, spurring lots of debate over whether he could win in the general election. We discuss where the electability conversation often goes off-the-rails, why discussing electability in 2020 is so different than 1964 or 1972, the case for and against Bernie’s electability prospects, and the strongest attacks that Trump could make against Sanders and Joe Biden.

Then, we discuss Ezra’s favorite topic of all time: the filibuster. Ezra gives a brief history of this weird procedural tool, and we discuss why so many current Senators are against eliminating it.

Resources:

"Bernie Sanders can unify Democrats and beat Trump in 2020" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

"The case for Elizabeth Warren" by Ezra Klein, Vox

"How the filibuster broke the US Senate" by Alvin Chang, Vox

"Running Bernie Sanders Against Trump Would Be an Act of Insanity" by Jonathan Chait, Intelligencer

"The Sixty Trillion Dollar Man" by Ronald brownstein, Atlantic

"The Day One Agenda" by David Dayen, American Prospect

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large, Vox

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Going nuclear Feb 28, 2020

Jessica Lovering joins Matt to discuss nuclear power's role in combatting climate change.

Guest:

Jessica Lovering, (@J_Lovering) Fellow, Energy for Growth

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Black voters take the stage Feb 25, 2020

The New Republic's Osita Nwanevu joins Jane and Matt to discuss black voting patterns and the South Carolina primary.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Osita Nwanevu (@OsitaNwanevu), Staff writer, New Republic

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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The year of housing reform Feb 21, 2020

Mercatus' Emily Hamilton on what's working and what isn't to increase housing abundance.

Guest:

Emily Hamilton, (@ebwhamilton) Research Fellow, Mercatus

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Mike can get what done? Feb 18, 2020

Jane, Dara, and Matt on Michael Bloomberg’s record as mayor of New York City.

Related material:

"National education ratings show NYC student test scores stagnant since 2013, ranks them about average for big cities" by Michael Elsen-Rooney, New York Daily News

"Boost for Congestion Pricing in Manhattan as de Blasio Supports Cuomo Plan" by Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Jesse McKinley, NYT

"The quiet, massive rezoning of New York" by Sarah Laskow, Politico

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Private equity, explained Feb 14, 2020

Vox business and politics reporter Emily Stewart on the mysteries of one of America's most powerful industries.

Guest:

Emily Stewart, (@EmilyStewartM) Reporter, Vox

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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After asylum Feb 11, 2020

Jane and Matt join as Dara explains her reporting on the new reality at the border.

Related material:

"“Women to One Side, Men to the Other”: How the Border Patrol’s New Powers and Old Carelessness Separated a Family" by Dara Lind, ProPublica

"Two Gay Immigrants Left Everything For Safety In The US. Instead, They Were Sent To Guatemala." by Hamed Aleaziz, Buzzfeed

"The demise of America’s asylum system under Trump, explained" by Nicole Narea, Vox

Latest polling averages from FiveThirtyEight.com

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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How we pick a president Feb 07, 2020

University of Maryland political scientist David Karol joins Matt to explain the consequences of presidential nomination reform.

Guest:

David Karol, (@DKarol) Government & Politics professor, University of Maryland

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Iowapocalypse Now Feb 04, 2020

Vox politics reporter Andrew Prokop joins Dara and Matt to explain Monday night's disaster.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Andrew Prokop (@awprokop), Senior politics correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

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Fix recessions by giving people money Jan 31, 2020

Claudia Sahm from the Washington Center for Equitable Growth joins Matt to explain a surprisingly simple strategy to stabilize the economy.

Guest:

Claudia Sahm, (@Claudia_Sahm) Director of Macroeconomic Policy, Washington Center for Equitable Growth

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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A conversation about anti-Semitism Jan 28, 2020

Matt, Dara and Jane talk about the rise in anti-Semitic violence aimed at Hassidic communities, and what the political implications may be.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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The road to polarization Jan 24, 2020

Ezra Klein joins Matt to discuss his forthcoming book; Why We're Polarized.

Guest:

Ezra Klein, (@ezraklein) Co-founder and Editor-at-Large, Vox

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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Pre order Why We’re Polarized at ezraklein.com

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Green New Germany Jan 22, 2020

Introducing season 3 of The Impact!

The 2020 candidates have some bold ideas to tackle some of our country's biggest problems, like climate change, the opioid crisis, and unaffordable health care. A lot of their proposals have been tried before, so, in a sense, the results are in.

This season, The Impact has those stories: how the big ideas from 2020 candidates succeeded — or failed — in other places, or at other times. What can Sen. Elizabeth Warren's proposal to fight the opioid crisis learn from what the US did to fight the AIDS epidemic? How did Germany — an industrial powerhouse that invented the automobile — manage to implement a Green New Deal? How did public health insurance change Taiwan?

In this bonus episode Jillian and team fly to Germany to investigate a law that looks a lot like part of the Green New Deal some Democrats are proposing in the US.

Subscribe to The Impact on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app to automatically get new episodes of the latest season each week.

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Three roads to universal coverage Jan 21, 2020

Dylan Scott and special guest Sarah Kliff join Matt for a close look at health care in Taiwan, Australia, and the Netherlands.

Recommended reading:

"Everybody Covered" by Dylan Scott, Ezra Klein, and Tara Golshan, Vox

"Taiwan’s single-payer success story — and its lessons for America" by Dylan Scott, Vox

"Two sisters. Two different journeys through Australia’s health care system." by Dylan Scott, Vox

"The Netherlands has universal health insurance — and it’s all private" by Dylan Scott, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Dylan Scott (@dylanlscott), National security reporter, Vox

Sarah Kliff (@sarahkliff), Investigations and health policy, New York Times

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Facebook group: The Weeds

Our project, Everybody Covered, was made possible by a grant from The Commonwealth Fund.

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The way forward on family leave Jan 17, 2020

New America's Vicki Shabo joins Matt to discuss universal paid leave and how to finance it.

Guest:

Vicki Shabo, (@VShabo) Senior Fellow, Paid Leave Policy and Strategy, New America

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Ezra and Matt debate the debaters Jan 15, 2020

Ezra and Matt break down the last debate before the Iowa caucuses, and explore the current state of the Democratic field.

Related reading:

"Joe Biden will never give up on the system" by Ezra Klein, Vox

"4 winners and 3 losers from the January Democratic debate" Vox Staff

"The case for Elizabeth Warren" by Ezra Klein, Vox

"Bernie Sanders can unify Democrats and beat Trump in 2020" by Matthew Yglesias

"Joe Biden skates by again" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

"Elizabeth Warren’s new plan to reform bankruptcy law, explained" by Matthew Yglesias

"The Third Rail of Calling ‘Sexism’ Warren tried not to talk about it." by Rebecca Traister, The Cut

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large & co-founder, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Mission Accomplished? Jan 14, 2020

Vox national security correspondent Alex Ward joins Jane and Matt to break down Trump's Iran policy.

Recommended reading:

"Trump’s team insists Soleimani was an “imminent” threat. Just don’t ask for details." by Alex Ward, Vox

"9 questions about the US-Iran crisis you were too embarrassed to ask" by Zack Beauchamp, Vox

"The US killed Soleimani. What will Iran do next?" by Alex Ward, Vox

"The Soleimani Strike Defied the U.S. Constitution" by Oona A. Hathaway, The Atlantic

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), National security reporter, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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Why are we fighting Iran? Jan 10, 2020

Cato’s Emma Ashford joins Matt to explain America’s larger (lack of) strategy in the Persian Gulf region.

Guest:

Emma Ashford, (@EmmaMAshford) Research Fellow in Defense and Foreign Policy, Cato Institute

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Midichlorian chili Jan 07, 2020

Dara, Jane, and Matt kick the new year off by answering listeners' questions on everything under the sun.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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Neighborhood Defenders Jan 03, 2020

Boston University's Katherine Levine Einstein explains the dysfunctional politics behind America's housing crisis.

Guest:

Katherine Levine Einstein, Boston University

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

About Vox

Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

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2019 in review Dec 31, 2019

Dara, Jane, and Matt talk about what surprised them in 2019, remember the last decade, and predict what 2020 might have in store.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

More to explore:

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The next abortion debate Dec 27, 2019

UC Berkley's Abigail Burman on the growing battles over self-managed abortion.

Guest:

Abigail Burman, UC Berkeley

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

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No room at the inn (live!) Dec 24, 2019

Dara, Jane, and Matt on the global crackdown on refugees. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the historic 6th and I synagogue in Washington, D.C.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

More to explore:

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Wine cave cage match Dec 20, 2019

Vox politics reporter Ella Nilsen joins Matt to break down this week's Democratic debate.

Guest:

Ella Nilsen (@ella_nilsen), Politics & Policy Reporter, Vox

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

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Primary mooples Dec 17, 2019

Dara, Jane, and Matt on America's odd system of choosing presidential nominees.

What to read:

"There is no single “black vote.” There are many." by P.R. Lockhart, Vox

"The extremely small number of votes it takes to win the Iowa caucuses, explained" by Tara Golshan and Ella Nilson, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

More to explore:

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Policy by other means Dec 13, 2019

Georgetown’s Don Moynihan and Pamela Herd explain administrative burdens and why they matter.

Guest:

Don Moynihan (@donmoyn), Professor at Georgetown, Visiting Professor at Oxford & Aarhus

Pamela Herd (@Pamela_Herd), Professor of Public Policy, Georgetown University

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

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The free college debate Dec 10, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt on tuition, debt relief, and the role of major choice in the gender wage gap.

What to read:

"Democrats’ ongoing argument about free college, explained" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

"‘Free’ College Is a Terrible Idea. Here’s a Better One." by David L. Bahnsen, National Review

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

More to explore:

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Movement building in the Trump era Dec 06, 2019

Indivisible co-founder Leah Greenberg joins Matt to talk about her new book and the path forward for democratic reform.

Guest:

Leah Greenberg (@Leahgreenb), Co-Executive Director of Invisible

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

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You say "usmca," I say "U-S-M-C-A" Dec 03, 2019

Dara and Matt on the congressional debate over Trump's trade deal.

What to read:

"USMCA, the new trade deal between the US, Canada, and Mexico, explained" by Jen Kirby, Vox

"How the Trans-Pacific Partnership could drive up the cost of medicine worldwide" by Julia Belluz, Vox

"How Canada's supply management system works" by John Paul Tasker, CBC

"Top U.S. official visits protesters in Kiev as Obama admin. ups pressure on Ukraine president Yanukovich" NYT

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

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Build housing near transit Nov 29, 2019

San Diego-area congressman Scott Peters joins Matt to talk about his plan to boost transit-oriented development.

Guest:

Rep. Scott Peters (@RepScottPeters), U.S. Representative from California's 52nd congressional district

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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Impeachment's policy roots Nov 26, 2019

Andrew Prokop joins Dara and Matt to discuss the long shadow of Viktor Yanukovitch's downfall.

What to read:

"Paul Manafort has now been sentenced to a combined 7.5 years in prison" by Andrew Prokop, Vox

"Former CIA Director: We worried arming Ukraine would hand technology to Russian spies" by Ken Dilanian, NBC News

""Hillary is the worst option": How Moscow sees American politics" by Max Fisher, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Andrew Prokop (@awprokop), Senior Politics Correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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Single-payer federalism Nov 22, 2019

Rep. Ro Khanna joins Matt to make the case for his legislation encouraging state-based Medicare for All programs.

What to read:

Rep. Khanna's proposed legislation

Guest:

Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna), U.S. Representative from California's 17th congressional district

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

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Groypers vs. Conservatism Inc. Nov 19, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt on white nationalists' campus battles, plus a major scandal in Swedish administrative data.

What to read:

"Why alt-right trolls shouted down Donald Trump Jr." by Jane Coaston, Vox

"Democrats want Stephen Miller to resign after report exposes emails promoting white nationalism" by Michael Brice-Saddler, The Washington Post

"The groypers are American fascists" by Dominic Green, Spectator

"Stephen Miller planted anti-Rubio stories in Breitbart during 2016 campaign, leaked emails show" by Ben Collins and Anna Schecter, NBC News

"Immigration, Not White Suburbs, Turning VA Blue. GOP Still Can Win With Sailer Strategy—But Ultimately Needs An Immigration Moratorium" Anonymous, Vdare

"The real reason SAT scores are falling" by Libby Nelson

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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The case for subsidized jobs Nov 15, 2019

Indi Dutta-Gupta of the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality's big idea for turning Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) into an effective recession-fighting tool.

What to read:

"Recession ready: Fiscal policies to stabilize the American economy" by Heather Boushey, Ryan Nunn, and Jay Shambaugh, Brookings

"'If the goal was to get rid of poverty, we failed': the legacy of the 1996 welfare reform" by Dylan Matthews, Vox

"The Legacy of the TANF Emergency Fund" by LaDonna Pavetti, Ph.D.

"Why politicians should promise every American a job" by Matthews Yglesias, Vox

Guest:

Indi Dutta-Gupta (@IndivarD), Co-Executive Director at the Georgetown Center on Poverty & Inequality

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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Introducing Reset Nov 13, 2019

Every story is a tech story. We live in a world where algorithms drive our interests, scientists are re-engineering our food supply, and a robot may be your next boss. Host Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why–and how–tech is changing everything. Produced by Recode and Stitcher, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

If you enjoyed these episodes, If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Reset for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get new episodes every week.

More to explore:

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The billionaire backlash Nov 12, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt on Michael Bloomberg’s presidential aspirations and the case against billionaires.

What to read:

"Bashing Bill Gates lets the rest of the billionaire class off the hook" by Dylan Matthews, Vox

"AOC’s policy adviser makes the case for abolishing billionaires" by Dylan Matthews, Vox

"Anand Giridharadas on the elite charade of changing the world" by Ezra Klein, Vox

"A Michael Bloomberg presidential run is unlikely to help moderate Democrats’ cause" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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The internet we lost Nov 08, 2019

Function's Anil Dash joins Matt to discuss how Big Tech broke the web and how we can get it back.

Guest:

Anil Dash (@anildash), CEO of Glitch and host of Function with Anil Dash

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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Paying for single-payer Nov 05, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt on Elizabeth Warren's Medicare-for-all financing plan and its critics.

What to read:

"Elizabeth Warren’s plan to pay for Medicare-for-all, explained" by Ezra Klein, Vox

"The Sanders-Warren dispute about how to pay for Medicare-for-all, explained" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

"From Incremental to Comprehensive Health Reform: How Various Reform Options Compare on Coverage and Costs" Urban Institute (white paper)

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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Beyond the leaky bucket Nov 01, 2019

Heather Boushey of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth makes the case that a rise in equality would stimulate the economy.

Guest:

Heather Boushey (@HBoushey), Executive Director and Chief Economist at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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The fall of Katie Hill Oct 29, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt on the California representative’s resignation, power imbalances, and the problem of “revenge porn.”

Relevant links:

"Revenge porn, biphobia, and alleged relationships with staffers: The complicated story around Rep. Katie Hill, explained" by Anna North, Vox

"The Trauma of Revenge Porn" by Rebekah Wells, NYT

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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The scary truth about air pollution Oct 25, 2019

Gretchen Goldman of the Union of Concerned Scientists on the science and politics of clean air.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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The electability debate Oct 22, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt debate the idea of pundits trying to guess what the public thinks — plus research on what happens when doctors are patients.

Relevant links:

American Voter Bot (@american__voter)

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

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The four words that will decide impeachment Oct 19, 2019

This was the week of confessions. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney admitted to a Trump administration quid quo pro with Ukraine, with cameras rolling. EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland confirmed that President Trump made Rudy Giuliani the hinge of America’s Ukraine policy. And then the administration announced that the location for the upcoming G7 summit: Trump’s own resort in Doral, Florida. We break down the three stories that mattered most in impeachment this week.

And then we dig into the four words that will shape the entire impeachment fight: “High Crimes and Misdemeanors.” What did they mean when they were added to the Constitution? How have they been interpreted through American history? And do Trump’s acts qualify?

Welcome to Impeachment, Explained. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

References:

"Indispensable Remedy: The Broad Scope of the Constitution’s Impeachment Power" by Gene Healy

"The case for normalizing impeachment" by Ezra Klein

Credits:

Producer and Editor - Jeff Geld

Researcher - Roge Karma

Engineers - Malachi Broadus & Jeremey Dalmas

Theme music composed by Jon Natchez

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Debating the robot takeover Oct 16, 2019

Ezra and Matt break down some of the nerdier aspects of the fourth Democratic primary debate.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe to Impeachment, Explained on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get stay updated on this story every week.

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Understanding the student debt crisis Oct 15, 2019

The Aspen Institute's Katherine Lucas McKay joins Matt to discuss the origins and consequences of America's ballooning student debt loan.

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Progressives' Supreme Court problem Oct 11, 2019

Vox's judiciary reporter Ian Millhiser joins Matt to analyze the Supreme Court's new term and what the left gets wrong about the courts.

Guest:

Ian Millhiser, (@imillhiser) Senior Correspondent, Vox

Host:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

More to explore:

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Mayor Pete explains his prescription drug plan Oct 09, 2019

Pete Buttigieg joins Matt to discuss his latest prescription drug plan policy rollout and his broader thinking on health care.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

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What to expect when you’re impeaching Oct 08, 2019

Dara, Jane, and Matt answer your questions on the impeachment inquiry.

Related pieces:

"What’s wrong with a President Pence?" by Jane Coaston, Vox

"9 scenarios for how the Trump-Ukraine impeachment process could end" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

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Homelessness and how to fix it Oct 04, 2019

Mary Cunningham, vice president of Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy at the Urban Institute, joins Matt for part two of homelessness week to discuss the causes and potential solutions of homelessness. They dive deep into the data surrounding the issue, and take a look at President Trump's claim that homelessness is on the rise.

More to explore:

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Trump's war on the homeless Oct 01, 2019

We’re live from the Texas Tribune Festival! Jane, Dara, and Matt take the stage to discuss the strange revival of interest in punitive approaches to the housing crisis and answer questions from the audience.

References:

"The New American Homeless" by Brian Goldstone, The New Rupublic

"The most cost-effective way to help the homeless is to give them homes" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

White paper:

"Ideology Justiﬁes Morality: Political Beliefs PredictMoral Foundations" by Peter K. Hatemi, Charles Crabtree, & Kevin B. Smith,

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

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America's missing babies Sep 27, 2019

Lyman Stone of the Institute for Family Studies joins Matt to discuss why Americans have fewer kids than they say they want.

More to explore:

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The Kiev Caper Sep 24, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt break down the scandal that seems to have set Trump on the road to impeachment.

Links to resources discussed:

“To beat Trump, try running an outsider” by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

“The timeline of Trump’s decision to withhold aid to Ukraine is increasingly suspicious” by Sean Collins, Vox

“A wave of moderate House Democrats are suddenly eager for an impeachment investigation” by Ella Nilson, Vox

“Segregation and Violence Reconsidered: Do Whites Benefit from Residential Segregation?” By Michael T. Light & Julia T. Thomas (white paper)

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us:Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here!

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Did economists break America? Sep 20, 2019

The New York Times' Binyamin Appelbaum joins Matt to explain his new book, The Economists' Hour.

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us:Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here

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Out of sight, out of mind Sep 17, 2019

Dara, Jane, and Matt explore how Trump “fixed” the asylum crisis.

Links to resources discussed:

“Trump's Asylum Policies Sent Him Back to Mexico. He Was Kidnapped Five Hours Later By a Cartel.” by Emily Green, Vice

“Letter to the Orlando Sentinel” by Zora Neale Hurston

“Student-Teacher Racial Match and Its Association With Black Student Achievement: An Exploration Using Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling” by Lisa M. Yarnell & George W. Bohrnstedt (white paper Matt referenced toward the end)

“School Desegregation and Black Teacher Employment” by Owen Thompson (white paper)

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us:Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

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ABCDebate Sep 13, 2019

After Vox's Tara Golshan reviews the third Democratic debate, Matthew Yglesias explains how Joe Biden wins even when he loses.

News comes at you fast. Join us at the end of your day to understand it. Subscribe to Today, Explained

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50 shades of Green New Deal Sep 13, 2019

Vox climate reporter David Roberts joins Jane and Matt live in Seattle to break down the 2020 candidates' climate change plans.

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

David Roberts (@drvox), Writer, Vox

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us:Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

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A plan to revive American unions Sep 10, 2019

SEIU President Mary Kay Henry joins Matt to explain her push for sectoral bargaining.

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Mary Kay Henry (@MaryKayHenry) , International President, Service Employees International Union (@SEIU)

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us: Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

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The left’s path to power Sep 06, 2019

Data for Progress co-founder Sean McElwee explains his strategy for a left-wing takeover of American politics, and the data-driven path to winning elections.

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Sean McElwee (@SeanMcElwee) , Co-founder, Data for Progress

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us:Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

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Trump's primary challengers Sep 03, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt talk about Donald Trump’s potential 2020 presidential primary challengers — Joe Walsh, Bill Weld, Justin Amash, and others, and what their bids mean for the post-Trump future. We also ruminate on a white paper exploring potentially racist hiring practices.

Links to resources discussed:

“Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld explains why he’s primarying Donald Trump” by Jane Coaston, Vox

“The problem with primarying Trump” by Jane Coaston, Vox

“Former Rep. Joe Walsh, once a Trump supporter and conspiracy theorist, is running for president” by Jane Coaston and Sean Collins, Vox

“Decades before Trump, Marion Barry fooled D.C.” by Jane Coaston, MTV News

“Ex-Newark Mayor Is Accused of Misusing Campaign Funds” by Richard Pèrez-Peña, New York Times

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein), Editor-at-large Vox

Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us:Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

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The case for foreign policy restraint Aug 30, 2019

Emma Ashford, a research fellow in defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute, joins Matt for a wide-ranging discussion on China and the Middle East, the United States’ relationship with Russia since the Cold War, and the defense budget. They also explore the difference between restraint and realism, and whether or not President Donald Trump is an isolationist.

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us:Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

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Trump's latest trade war Aug 27, 2019

Ezra, Jane, and Matt talk about Trump's approach to China and what his critics get right and wrong.

Links to resources discussed:

“Making China Great Again” by Evan Osnos, The New Yorker

“The past 3 wild days in Trump’s trade war with China, explained” by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

“Trump’s puzzling trade war with China, sort of explained” by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

“Why Elizabeth Warren is declaring war on an obscure trade policy” by Danielle Kurtzleben, Vox

“Elizabeth Warren’s vision for changing America’s trade policy, explained” by Matthew Yglesias, Vox

“The progressive case for free trade” by Hilary Matfess, Vox

“The weak defenses of Elizabeth Warren’s trade plan” by Daniel W. Drezner, Washington Post

Hosts:

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias),

Senior correspondent, Vox Ezra Klein (@ezraklein),

Editor-at-large Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter,

VoxDara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.

Follow Us:Vox.com

Facebook group: The Weeds

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Does America need trade deals? Aug 23, 2019

Yale's Hilary Matfess joins Matt to debate Elizabeth Warren's trade proposals, and the role of trade policy in progressive politics.

Recommended reading:

“The progressive case for free trade” by Hilary Matfess

-------------------------------------------------------

News comes at you fast. Join us at the end of your day to understand it. Subscribe to Today, Explained

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Slavery and its legacy Aug 20, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt discuss the 1619 project and its critics

Related reading:

“The 1619 Project” New York Times Magazine

“Henry Clay, Edward Baptist, and the Whipping Machine” by Bradley A. Hansen

“Cotton, Slavery, and the New History of Capitalism” by Alan L. Olmstead and Paul W. Rhode

“Capitalism and Slavery” by John J. Clegg, New York University

“Slavery and Anglo-American capitalism revisited” by Gavin Wright, Stanford University

--------------------------------------

News comes at you fast. Join us at the end of your day to understand it. Subscribe to Today, Explained

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Trump's war on Medicaid Aug 16, 2019

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' Jessica Schubel explains how Medicaid works, and how the White House is trying to undermine it.

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Epstein conspiracy time Aug 13, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt try to offer actual facts about prison suicide and new research on hot weather and crime.

Related reading:

“Jeffrey Epstein’s Death, in Context”’ by Ken White, the Atlantic

"Jeffrey Epstein’s Death Underlines A Nationwide Problem" by Jesselyn Cook, Huffington Post

**********************************

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

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The case for a Green New Deal Aug 09, 2019

Julian Brave NoiseCat of Data for Progress joins Matt to discuss the vision of the Green New Deal, the need to link it to social justice, and whether or not it’s politically viable.

Recommended reading:

“No, climate action can’t be separated from social justice” by Julian Brave NoiseCat

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Domestic terrorism after El Paso Aug 06, 2019

ProPublica’s Dara Lind joins Jane and Matt to talk about the mass shooting in El Paso and what it means to take white nationalist violence seriously.

Recommended reading:

“The top House Republican is blaming video games for the weekend’s mass shootings” by Jane Coaston, Vox

“A question for conservatives: what if the left was right on race?” by Jane Coaston, Vox

“Crush This Evil” by The Editors, National Review

“Who are the Trenchcoat Mafia?” BBC News

“Columbine: Whose Fault Is It?” by Marilyn Manson, Rolling Stone

“Network exposure and excessive use of force” by Marie Ouellet et al, Criminology & Public Policy (white paper)

Vox’s guide to where 2020 Democrats stand on policy

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The second Democratic debate Aug 02, 2019

Ezra and Matt dissect the six-hour, two-night July debate marathon.

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The many mysteries of Jeffrey Epstein Jul 30, 2019

ProPublica’s Dara Lind joins Jane and Matt to discuss the sexual assault case that’s also a political scandal and a financial puzzle.

**White paper starts at 45:20**

Recommended reading:

“Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who is friends with Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, explained” by Jane Coaston, Vox

“Who Was Jeffrey Epstein Calling?” by the editors of The Intelligence

“Jeffrey Epstein Burrowed Into the Lives of the Rich and Made a Fortune” by Khadeeja Safdar, Rebecca Davis O’Brien, Gregory Zuckerman, and Jenny Strasburg, Wall Street Journal

“How a future Trump Cabinet member gave a serial sex abuser the deal of a lifetime” by Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald

“Jeffrey Epstein Pitched a New Narrative. These Sites Published It.” by Tiffany Hsu, New York Times

“What’s next in the Jeffrey Epstein case? A former federal prosecutor explains.” by Jane Coaston, Vox

“Jeffrey Epstein's Accusers Are Finally in the Spotlight” by Lily Herman, Refinery29

“Too many men think teenage girls are fair game. That gave Jeffrey Epstein cover” by Moira Donegan, the Guardian

“Alan Dershowitz, Devil’s Advocate” by Connie Bruck, the New Yorker

“How a Predator Operated in Plain Sight” by Lisa Miller, the Cut

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Dysfunctional federalism Jul 26, 2019

Yale law professor David Schleicher joins Matt to talk about why state and local politics don’t work anymore.

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Go back to Cincinnati Jul 23, 2019

ProPublica reporter Dara Lind joins Jane and Matt to discuss President Trump’s rhetoric around the small group of congresswomen known as “the Squad”: Reps. Ayanna Presley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib. They also dive into Trump's crackdown on refugee resettlement and a white paper about the connection between student debt and job satisfaction.

Recommended reading:

“The Trump racism spin cycle” by Jane Coaston

“Asylum Seekers That Followed Trump Rule Now Don’t Qualify Because of New Trump Rule” by Dara Lind

“‘Send her back!’: Trump’s attacks on Ilhan Omar — and the response to them — represent a new low” by Aaron Rupar

“Trump says he’s not concerned about being racist because ‘many people agree’ with him” by Aaron Rupar

Subscribe to Vergecast!

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Why everyone hates Big Tech, with The Verge's Nilay Patel Jul 19, 2019

Verge editor-in-chief and Vergecast host Nilay Patel joins Matt in this special crossover episode to explain what Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which allows platforms to circumnavigate liability for user content, really means. They also discuss Elizabeth Warren’s proposal to break up big tech platforms, and how it may or may not fix anything.

Recommended reading:

Why the internet's most important law exists and how people are still getting it wrong by Alex Castro

Facebook’s $5 billion FTC fine is an embarrassing joke by Nilay Patel

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Space Force all the way! Jul 16, 2019

Worldly's Alex Ward joins Jane and Matt to explain Trump's more-tedious-than-it-sounds plan for military domination of the final frontier.

Recommended reading:

“Trump really, really wants troops in space” by Alex Ward

“Trump wants a ‘Space Force.’ We have many questions.” by Alex Ward

“Trump’s call for a Space Force, explained” by Alex Ward

Join the Weeds Facebook group!

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School’s out for summer Jul 12, 2019

Cristina Novoa from the Center for American Progress joins Matt to talk about child care disruptions and possible solutions.

“When Parents Can’t Find Summer Child Care, Their Work Suffers” by Cristina Novoa

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Ask Weeds Anything Jul 09, 2019

ProPublica reporter Dara Lind joins Jane and Matt to answer your questions.

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A progressive case for globalism Jul 05, 2019

Reed College economist Kimberly Clausing joins Matt to talk about trade and the middle class.

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Democracy's week in court Jul 02, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt on two big Supreme Court cases on gerrymandering and the census.

Winners and losers from night one of the debate

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Debate Weeds: Ezra and Matt on the long-awaited Democratic presidential debate Jun 28, 2019

Matt and Ezra weigh in on the first Democratic presidential debate of the 2020 cycle.

Read more of Vox's coverage of the debate here:

Winners and losers from night two of the debate

Matt on Warren's performance

Ezra on Harris' performance

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What’s really going on with child detention? Jun 25, 2019

Dara, Jane, and Matt on the breakdown of trust that’s driving the latest crisis at the border.

Kyle Kashuv Becomes a Symbol to Conservatives Who Say the Left Can’t Forgive

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What’s really happening in Central America Jun 21, 2019

Adriana Beltrán of the Washington Office on Latin America joins Matt to explain the deep roots of the migration crisis.

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Jamestown: Utopia for Whom Jun 19, 2019

Nice Try! is a new podcast from Curbed and the Vox Media Podcast Network that explores stories of people who have tried to design a better world, and what happens when those designs don't go according to plan. Season one, Utopian, follows Avery Trufelman on her quest to understand the perpetual search for the perfect place. Enjoy this special preview of the first episode, Jamestown: Utopian for Whom, and subscribe to Nice Try! for free in your favorite podcast app.

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The “illiberal” right Jun 18, 2019

Jane and Ezra discuss the ongoing conservative crackup and the case of Parkland teen Kyle Kashuv.

Related reading:

A New Consensus

Against David French-ism

Jane’s article about David French vs. Sohrab Ahmari

Against the Dead Consensus

Kyle Kashuv on his Harvard crisis

The Illiberal Right Throws a Tantrum

Is the Religious Right Privileged? by Ross Douthat

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5 big ideas to use tax credits to fight poverty Jun 14, 2019

Meg Wiehe from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy explains the leading progressive tax plans in Congress and how they differ from Trump’s tax cuts.

American Family Act

Working Families Tax Relief Act

LIFT Act

LIFT+ Act

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Into the weeds with Elizabeth Warren Jun 11, 2019

The Massachusetts senator joins Ezra Klein to explain her plans, and her plan to make the plans happen.

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A user's guide to antitrust Jun 07, 2019

Matt sits down with Public Knowledge policy counsel Charlotte Slaiman to explain how US antitrust enforcement works and how it might better wrestle with Big Tech.

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Trump’s tariff triple option Jun 04, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt discuss Trump's efforts to halt unauthorized immigration through Mexico by threatening tariffs, and a white paper on private prisons.

Related reading:

Dara’s “remain in Mexico” explainer

Trump’s plan, explained

Mexican president’s response to Trump

Jake Tapper on Trump telling border patrol agents to ignore the law

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Monetary mysteries revealed May 31, 2019

Bloomberg’s Karl Smith joins Matt to explain how the Federal Reserve’s errors discredited capitalism and how full employment can fix almost everything.

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Building the Trump state May 28, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt break down Trump's multi-front resistance to congressional oversight and increasing pressure on the civil service.

Recommended reading:

The White House’s wish list for DHS actions

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s resignation, explained

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Attack of the clone bills Apr 05, 2019

Matt, Sarah, and Dara copied this discussion of model legislation from an asbestos lobbyist.

Recommended reading:

USA Today article

Article on 'ALEC'

Research on model legislation 1

Research on model legislation 2

Research on model legislation 3

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Learning from Norway's lesbian mothers Apr 02, 2019

Dara, Jane, and Matt on President Donald Trump’s latest border moves and a new wrinkle in the story of the gender pay gap.

Recommended reading:

Explainer on Trump cutting off aid

Explainer on border closure

CNN report on Trump’s border briefings

The US policy of returning Central American asylum seekers to wait in Mexico

An optimistic take on aid and El Salvador

A pessimistic take on aid and El Salvador

Amy Klobuchar's infrastructure plan

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Infrastructure Week (and Farm Week and Teacher Week) Mar 29, 2019

Dara, Jane, and Matt analyze three new policy proposals from Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, and Kamala Harris.

Recommended reading:

Elizabeth Warren's agriculture plan

Kamala Harris's teacher-pay plan

HuffPost feature on Harris's truancy policy

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Mueller's investigation is over. Obamacare repeal isn't. Mar 26, 2019

Sarah, Dara, and Jane discuss the Hill's response to Mueller, the DOJ's siege of Obamacare, and the benefits of IUDs.

National Review article

Zack Beauchamp's article on the reaction to William Barr's Mueller letter

New York Times article on Mueller report

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Should presidential candidates get into the weeds? Mar 22, 2019

Sarah, Jane, and Matt debate the value of policy details in the primary.

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The reparations primary Mar 19, 2019

Dara, Jane, and Matt on the unexpected issue of the moment, plus Swedish administrative data on what makes a CEO.

Suggested reading:

Original Ta-Nehisi Coates essay on reparations

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Live Weeds with Julián Castro Mar 15, 2019

Dara, Jane, and Matt sit down with the former US secretary of housing and urban development and 2020 presidential candidate, live from South by Southwest.

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Introducing Switched on Pop Mar 13, 2019

Vox takes culture seriously. Our coverage seeks to understand how our cultural touchstones work — and what they reveal about who we are.

That's why we’re excited to introduce you to Switched on Pop. It's a podcast that digs into the cultural context and musical theory of pop music, and it's now part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

In this episode, you'll meet hosts Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding. You'll hear some of their favorite interviews, as they pull back the curtain on how pop hits work their magic. You can subscribe to Switched on Pop wherever you get your favorite shows.

We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3X6WMNF

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Live Weeds with Pete Buttigieg Mar 12, 2019

Dara, Jane, and Matt sit down with the South Bend, Indiana, mayor and presidential candidate, live from South by Southwest.

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The long con Mar 08, 2019

Jane and Matt discuss Jacob Wohl and the intermingling of grift and conservative politics.

Jane's article on Jacob Wohl

Iraqi dinar on YouTube

Casey Newton's newsletter - The Interface

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But seriously, how are you going to pay for it? Mar 05, 2019

Sarah, Dylan, and Matt discuss Pramila Jayapal’s Medicare-for-all bill, its lack of pay-fors, and an interesting white paper on income transparency.

Sarah on private insurance in other countries

Dylan's interview with Matt Bruenig

Sarah's interview with Rep. Jayapal on her bill

Paper on the Jill Robinson Effect

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The Weeds fixes racism Mar 01, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt excavate the most contentious moment in the Cohen hearing in a hunt for "racist bones."

Recommended reading:Dara on the Meadows/Tlaib standoff

Jane on Steve King

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Amy Klobuchar and the Jill Robinson effect Feb 26, 2019

Sarah and Matt discuss the recent spate of stories about the Minnesota senator — and an announcement from Ezra!

Relevant articles:

Buzzfeed Klobuchar story

Huffington Post Klobuchar story

Kelsey Piper story on the fake white paper

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Day care for all! Feb 22, 2019

Sarah, Dara, and Matt discuss Elizabeth Warren's universal child care plan — and the other options on the table.

Relevant articles:

Alvin Chang wealth tax explainer

Jonathan Cohn day care story

Quebec day care study

Warren's child care plan

The Family Fun Pack

Head Start negative evaluation

Head Start positive evaluation

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Collusion and the Mueller endgame Feb 19, 2019

Andrew Prokop joins Dara and Matt to explain what we've learned from the latest developments in the Russia investigation.

Andrew's article on Jerome Corsi's unreliable book

Article on the redacted Manafort transcript

Marcy Wheeler article

Special counsel regulation text

Trump Tower Moscow explainer

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Emergency Weeds Feb 15, 2019

Dara, Sarah, and Matt explain the border security deal and Trump’s plan to bypass Congress.

Dara's article

Matt's article on non-legislative priorities

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What’s the best way to help the poor? Feb 12, 2019

Dylan Matthews joins Sarah, Ezra, and Matt to discuss five new plans on poverty from leading Democrats.

Dylan's Article

Sarah's Article on Childhood Wealth

Elizabeth Warren's Housing Bill

Cory Booker's HOME Act

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WTF, VA? Feb 08, 2019

Virginia is embroiled in multiple blackface scandals — and Jane Coaston, Sarah Kliff, and Dylan Scott are here to talk about it.

Video about Slavery in the US Medical System

Jane's Article

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Do we need private insurance? Feb 05, 2019

Sarah, Ezra, and Matt break down the latest twist in the Medicare-for-all debate — plus rigorous new research on Facebook.

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House Democrats’ plan to save democracy Feb 01, 2019

Jane, Dara, and Matt break down HR 1 — the first bill from the new Democratic majority.

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Elizabeth Warren and the Two-Income Trap Jan 29, 2019

Sarah, Ezra, and Matt analyze the presidential candidate’s first popular book and review new evidence on the dangers of opioid marketing.

Ezra's Article

Matt's Article