Explain It to Me

Latest Episodes:

The six-hour shutdown, explained Feb 09, 2018

Show notes

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

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What's up with Amazon's health venture — and the stock market Feb 06, 2018

Show notes

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

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MS-13, explained Feb 02, 2018

Show notes

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

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The state of our podcast is strong Jan 31, 2018

Show notes

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

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The white genocide episode you’ve been waiting for Jan 26, 2018

Show notes

A DACA ransom note from the White House prompts Matt, Dara and Jane Coaston to muse on whose nation this is, anyway. Referenced Works The American Conservative piece Jane referenced: Of Sh*tholes And Second Thoughts Elizabeth Bruenig's op ed for The Washington Post: The antisocial politics of Trump The Passing of a Great Race Nations and Nationalism Imagined Communities Profile of Stephen Miller in high school: How a liberal Santa Monica high school produced a top Trump advisor and speechwriter Further Reading Explainer on the White House immigration framework: The immigration deal Trump’s White House is floating, explained Dara on framework pitting current immigrants against future immigrants: The White House is trying to force Democrats to choose between current immigrants and future ones Jane’s piece on white genocide: The scary ideology behind Trump’s immigration instincts Economic consensus on immigration: There's no evidence that immigrants hurt any American workers

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Shutdown deal special Jan 22, 2018

Show notes

Dara, Sarah, and Ezra dig into the details of the new shutdown deal — and what it means for the future of shutdown politics.

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The Shutdown Special Jan 19, 2018

Show notes

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

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No one wants to take responsibility for sick kids or fake news Jan 16, 2018

Show notes

Matt, Ezra, and Sarah talk about Mark Zuckerberg's recent announcement regarding what Facebook will focus on in 2018, and the state of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

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Shithole special Jan 12, 2018

Show notes

The mask slipped with Trump's "shithole" comments, and Matt and Dara take a hard look at what lies beneath it. Content warning: explicit policy discussions.

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Lie back, light up, and enjoy some executive time Jan 09, 2018

Show notes

German Lopez joins Matt and Sarah to talk about Attorney General Jeff Sessions' most recent move on marijuana, how Trump spends his time, and child mortality in the US.

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