Explain It to Me
Is my dentist scamming me? Why do political campaigns cost so much? Should Gen Z bother to save for retirement?
Explain It To Me is the hotline for all your unanswered questions. Sometimes explanations are hard to find, misinformation is rampant, and those internet searches and AI asks can come up empty. Call 1-800-618-8545 with what’s on your mind, and host Jonquilyn Hill will be your friendly guide to the answers you're looking for — and maybe even the ones you don’t expect. New episodes every Wednesday starting September 18.
Part of Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
226
Facebook's shadow court
Kate Klonick joins Matt to talk about her investigation into Facebook's new content moderation board
45 min
227
How to destroy the suburbs
Vox's Jerusalem Demsas joins Matt and Dara to talk about the fight against exclusionary zoning
54 min
228
All organizing is local
Professor Lara Putnam talks about the local dynamics of grassroots progressive organizing
54 min
229
Covid-$1.9T
Vox's Emily Stewart sits down with Matt and Dara to unpack some of the lesser-analyzed aspects of the Covid relief bill
53 min
230
The problem of child care
Matt is joined by expert Melissa Boteach to break down the multi-dimensional economics of child care in America
43 min
231
The Antipope in Mar-a-Lago
Vox's Emily Stewart joins Matt and Dara to wonder about whether and how Trump will rear his head again
53 min
232
Rethinking immigration
Matt is joined by Ali Noorani, who says Americans need to change the way they think — and talk — about immigration
49 min
233
What's happening with the stimulus?
Vox's Ella Nilsen joins Matt and Dara to talk about the state of the Covid relief bill
54 min
234
The future of remote work
Economist Adam Ozimek joins Matt to discuss the post-pandemic future of remote work
53 min
235
Where are the vaccines?
Vox's German Lopez joins Matt and Dara to discuss what went — and is still going — wrong with vaccine distribution.
62 min
236
Filibusted
Matt is joined by Brookings' Molly Reynolds to get into the weeds on Senate filibuster and budget reconciliation procedure
64 min
237
Biden's immigration shuffle
Matt and Dara are joined by German Lopez to discuss the Biden administration's early immigration moves and policy signals
56 min
238
Freedom from markets
Author Mike Konczal joins Matt to talk about the history and future of public benefit programs in America
56 min
239
Biden's rescue plan
What's in Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid relief stimulus plan? Emily Stewart joins Matt and Dara to explain.
51 min
240
The Next Four Years: Fighting tech monopolies
Charlotte Slaiman joins Matt to discuss the ongoing antitrust cases against Google and Facebook, and the prospects for tech regulation in the Biden administration.
49 min
241
Will the GOP be Q-pilled or Coup-pilled?
Zack Beauchamp joins Matt and Dara to discuss the attempted overthrow of American democracy.
68 min
242
Unemployment Insurance in the pandemic, and beyond
Matt is joined by Employ America policy advisor Elizabeth Pancotti to discuss U.I.'s history, its recent expansion during the pandemic, and a vision for its future.
54 min
243
America's vaccine distribution needs a shot in ...
Umair Irfan joins Dara and Matt to discuss some challenges and obstacles to the Covid vaccine rollout
57 min
244
Best of: Homelessness and how to fix it
A look back at one of our favorite episodes from the archives
50 min
245
The Next Four Years: Beyond the student debt de...
New America’s Kevin Carey explains loan forgiveness and the deeper problems with American higher education
51 min
246
Build Back Exactly The Same
Dylan Matthews joins Matt and Dara to discuss Covid’s impact on poverty and the road to recovery
56 min
247
The Next Four Years: An optimistic climate agenda
Third Way’s Josh Freed and Jackie Kempfer explain a path forward for low-carbon policy in a time of divided government
66 min
248
The blob is back
Alex Ward joins Dara and Matt to analyze the Biden national security team.
56 min
249
The Next Four Years: The Covid transition
Kaiser’s Jennifer Kates joins Matt to explain the next steps in countering the pandemic
47 min
250
The job nobody wants
Dara and Matt on Biden’s choice to run Homeland Security and the many challenges he’ll face
60 min