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.

Education
Society & Culture
Politics
101
The rebirth of industrial policy
And a new era of industrialism.
46 min
102
Could the war on terror be over?
What Zawahiri’s death means for US foreign policy.
59 min
103
The new politics of abortion
Let’s talk about Kansas.
41 min
104
Maybe we’re not doomed?
Maintaining climate optimism in a world on fire.
56 min
105
Weeds Time Machine: The ADA
The landmark civil rights policy, explained.
58 min
106
What the hell is up with SCOTUS?
The latest Supreme Court term, explained
58 min
107
The legal limbo of abortion rights
Roe v. Wade is gone, but its demise raises a whole host of new questions.
59 min
108
Pregnancy in a post-Roe America
Our maternal mortality rate was already bad. What happens now?
43 min
109
ConGRADulations, fellow kids
Ten months ago, the faculty of Cramer Hill Elementary set out to get their kids back on track after a year of mostly remote learning.
24 min
110
How the world became rich
A quick recap of thousands of years of economic history.
57 min
111
Does the US need a National Guard of nurses?
The country doesn’t have enough nurses. This could be one way to fix that.
40 min
112
The gun control stalemate, explained
There is no panacea for mass shootings.
42 min
113
The Most Dangerous Branch: A well-regulated mil...
With six conservative judges on the bench this term, the Supreme Court could rule in favor of the most sweeping gun rights laws yet.
63 min
114
Immigration, democracy, and the rise of the Wes...
The Weeds live at TruCon 2022
70 min
115
The scourge of the “time tax”
The miserable sludge of applying for government aid.
48 min
116
Ukraine and the global food supply crisis
What happens when the global breadbasket is empty?
41 min
117
What the Alito leak means for Roe — and everyth...
The draft opinion, explained.
54 min
118
The Most Dangerous Branch: Roe v. Wade
What does the future of abortion rights look like?
68 min
119
Why do we go to war?
An expert on why wars start and how to prevent them.
44 min
120
Weeds Time Machine: The Clean Air Act
How the landmark environmental policy changed America.
43 min
121
Tax time at the culture wars
Why Sen. Rick Scott’s 11-point plan to save America scares Mitch McConnell.
50 min
122
Taxes! Let’s get right Intuit.
Why filing your taxes is so annoying.
46 min
123
The Great Expiration
Saying goodbye to the Covid-era social safety net
51 min
124
The art of the gerrymander
Why a fair electoral map is more complicated than it looks
49 min
125
The myth of US energy independence
How can America call itself energy independent when it still relies on foreign oil?
49 min