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
Jun 25, 2019 • 50min
What’s really going on with child detention?
Dara, Jane, and Matt on the breakdown of trust that’s driving the latest crisis at the border.Related reading:The horrifying conditions facing kids in border detention, explainedWhite paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 21, 2019 • 54min
What’s really happening in Central America
Adriana Beltrán of the Washington Office on Latin America joins Matt to explain the deep roots of the migration crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 19, 2019 • 12min
Jamestown: Utopia for Whom
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 18, 2019 • 1h 8min
The “illiberal” right
Jane and Ezra discuss the ongoing conservative crackup and the case of Parkland teen Kyle Kashuv.Related reading:A New ConsensusKyle Kashuv Becomes a Symbol to Conservatives Who Say the Left Can’t ForgiveAgainst David French-ismJane’s article about David French vs. Sohrab AhmariAgainst the Dead ConsensusKyle Kashuv on his Harvard crisisThe Illiberal Right Throws a TantrumIs the Religious Right Privileged? by Ross Douthat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 14, 2019 • 58min
5 big ideas to use tax credits to fight poverty
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.Related reading:Understanding Five Major Federal Tax Credit ProposalsAmerican Family ActWorking Families Tax Relief ActLIFT ActLIFT+ Act Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 11, 2019 • 50min
Into the weeds with Elizabeth Warren
The Massachusetts senator joins Ezra Klein to explain her plans, and her plan to make the plans happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 7, 2019 • 1h 7min
A user's guide to antitrust
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 4, 2019 • 56min
Trump’s tariff triple option
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” explainerTrump’s plan, explainedMexican president’s response to TrumpWhite paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 31, 2019 • 1h 9min
Monetary mysteries revealed
Bloomberg’s Karl Smith joins Matt to explain how the Federal Reserve’s errors discredited capitalism and how full employment can fix almost everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 28, 2019 • 1h
Building the Trump state
Jane, Dara, and Matt break down Trump's multi-front resistance to congressional oversight and increasing pressure on the civil service.Related reading:Trump vs. IRS lawyersThe shift at USCISWhite Paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
