Explain It to Me
Vox
Should I buy a house? Why do I say “like” so much? Should Gen Z bother to save for retirement?Explain It to Me is the hotline for the issues that matter to your life. Send us your questions about health, personal finance, relationships, and anything else that matters to you. Host Jonquilyn Hill will take you on a journey to find the answers, whether it's to the halls of Congress or the local bar. You’ll get the answers you were looking for, and sometimes ones you didn't expect — and always with a dose of humor. New episodes every Sunday. Part of Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 30, 2019 • 55min
The many mysteries of Jeffrey Epstein
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 CutWhite Paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 26, 2019 • 1h 8min
Dysfunctional federalism
Yale law professor David Schleicher joins Matt to talk about why state and local politics don’t work anymore.Join the Weeds Facebook group! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 23, 2019 • 49min
Go back to Cincinnati
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 RuparJoin the Weeds Facebook group! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 19, 2019 • 59min
Why everyone hates Big Tech, with The Verge's Nilay Patel
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 CastroFacebook’s $5 billion FTC fine is an embarrassing joke by Nilay PatelSubscribe to Vergecast!Join the Weeds Facebook group! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 16, 2019 • 46min
Space Force all the way!
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 WardJoin the Weeds Facebook group! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 12, 2019 • 42min
School’s out for summer
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 NovoaJoin the Weeds Facebook group! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 9, 2019 • 1h 32min
Ask Weeds Anything
ProPublica reporter Dara Lind joins Jane and Matt to answer your questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 5, 2019 • 1h
A progressive case for globalism
Reed College economist Kimberly Clausing joins Matt to talk about trade and the middle class. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 2, 2019 • 49min
Democracy's week in court
Jane, Dara, and Matt on two big Supreme Court cases on gerrymandering and the census.White paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 28, 2019 • 1h 4min
Debate Weeds: Ezra and Matt on the long-awaited Democratic presidential debate
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 one of the debateWinners and losers from night two of the debateMatt on Warren's performanceEzra on Harris' performance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
