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
Feb 6, 2018 • 1h 6min
What's up with Amazon's health venture — and the stock market
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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Feb 2, 2018 • 56min
MS-13, explained
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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Jan 31, 2018 • 50min
The state of our podcast is strong
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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Jan 26, 2018 • 1h 2min
The white genocide episode you’ve been waiting for
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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Jan 22, 2018 • 47min
Shutdown deal special
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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Jan 19, 2018 • 56min
The Shutdown Special
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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Jan 16, 2018 • 59min
No one wants to take responsibility for sick kids or fake news
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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Jan 12, 2018 • 59min
Shithole special
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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Jan 9, 2018 • 44min
Lie back, light up, and enjoy some executive time
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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Jan 5, 2018 • 50min
Winter, explained
Brian Resnick joins Dara and Matt to talk about the 'bomb cyclone' and how it relates to the climate.
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