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.
126
The Great Expiration
Saying goodbye to the Covid-era social safety net
51 min
127
The art of the gerrymander
Why a fair electoral map is more complicated than it looks
49 min
128
The myth of US energy independence
How can America call itself energy independent when it still relies on foreign oil?
49 min
129
Why it’s so hard to move in America
The cultural cost of high housing prices
40 min
130
Russia's terrible invasion
And what the US can do about it
64 min
131
A quick update
A brief message from Dylan about our spring schedule
1 min
132
Why San Francisco’s school board got booted
What a local election can say about our national political climate.
48 min
133
Democracy in crisis: The two-party problem
Just how worried should we be about the future of American democracy?
54 min
134
The curse of the midterms
Yes, Democrats should be worried.
55 min
135
Beijing, boycotts, and the enduring politics of...
What does a diplomatic boycott actually do?
34 min
136
Affirmative action could be doomed (again). Wha...
A conservative-leaning Supreme Court could mean the end of affirmative action.
36 min
137
It’s not about Ukraine. It’s about Putin.
It’s not about Russia, either.
48 min
138
Think of the children
What two studies about early childhood poverty interventions can tell us about pediatric brain development
41 min
139
Unions!
Why unions are stronger yet smaller than ever
52 min
140
What happens to voting rights now?
The plan to make it easier to vote has been fili-busted.
40 min
141
Are corporations winning at inflation?
If they are profiting from inflation, can we do anything about it?
40 min
142
What BBB means for climate policy
Can the White House and Congress see eye-to-eye on climate?
65 min
143
How the 1918 flu pandemic ended
What the deadliest pandemic in history can tell us about Covid-19
33 min
144
The case for more babies
We need to talk about the slowing population growth.
49 min
145
The building blocks of radicalization
What happens when political extremism goes mainstream
52 min
146
Why hasn’t student debt been canceled?
A look at the policy merits and political implications of canceling student loan debt.
50 min
147
Best Of: The coming climate exodus
A look back at The Weeds from earlier this year.
55 min
148
America’s Public Health Experiment: Federal fai...
Did the government fail in its public health response for the American people?
52 min
149
America's Public Health Experiment: More checks...
How automatic stabilizers could help prevent future economic disaster.
49 min
150
Can school be normal again?
55 min