Seven-Minute Explainers

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 49: How previous White House scandals altered the political landscape May 25, 2017

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Watergate. Iran-Contra. Trump-Russia? History can provide scenarios for thinking about how this investigation might play out.

Ep. 48: Anatomy of a commencement speech May 18, 2017

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We combed through dozens of inspirational, funny, and memorable commencement speeches and found the best ones follow a surprisingly similar pattern comprising eight distinct parts.

Ep. 47: A phonological description of beatbox noises May 11, 2017

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Whenever people listen to a beatboxing expert, there are two big questions that come up: What are those noises? And how are they being made?

Linguistics to the rescue!

Even if you still can't reproduce the sounds, you will soon be able to talk about them in terms nearly as startling as the sounds themselves.

Ep. 46: How today's pro-immigrant activists are adopting the tactics of abolitionists May 04, 2017

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Their plan to stop Trump's immigration crackdown: Resist. Rebuff. Repeat.

Ep. 45: The EPA's changing mission, explained Apr 27, 2017

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After decades of dramatic successes — as well as failures — the Environmental Protection Agency is at a crossroads.

Ep. 44: The obscure 19th century murder case that shaped our reproductive laws Apr 20, 2017

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The origins of our modern battles over abortion date back to 1838 and the untimely death of a 21-year-old factory girl named Eliza Sowers

Ep. 43: How sugar became Public Enemy No. 1 Apr 13, 2017

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Many experts believe that sweetened foods have caused a global health crisis. What's so bad about sugar?

Ep. 42: The rise and fall and rise of bitcoin Apr 06, 2017

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In 2014, bitcoin was all but written off as a failed experiment. In March 2017, it made history. And its recent, more gradual success suggests the virtual currency is here to stay. Here's the story behind its resurrection and the factors that might help it survive. For more, visit theweek.com/podcasts.

Ep. 41: The growing nuclear threat from North Korea Mar 30, 2017

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Kim Jong Un is building a nuclear missile that can reach the U.S. Can he be stopped?

Ep. 40: Can President Trump rescue the Rust Belt? Mar 23, 2017

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He promised to reverse the decades-long decline of manufacturing jobs. Can it be done?