The Weeds
In politics, you’re often told not to get lost in the weeds. But we love the weeds! That’s where politics becomes policy – the stuff that shapes our lives. Every Tuesday, Dylan Matthews, Dara Lind, and other voices dig into the weeds on important national issues, including healthcare immigration, and housing.
Produced by Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
1
The bipartisan bill that could protect elections
Why lawmakers are trying to reform a 135-year-old law.
41 min
2
The rebirth of industrial policy
Supply-side economics, explained.
36 min
3
It’s time to regulate crypto
The FTX crash, explained.
51 min
4
The Weeds’ weed episode
Let’s be blunt: Weed policy is complicated.
44 min
5
How to call an election
Hint: Let the math people do the work.
50 min
6
How to fix inflation
Hint: Let the Fed do the work.
55 min
7
Why scaring voters works
Republicans are hitting Democrats on crime. It’s working.
44 min
8
The most interesting issues on the ballot
The 2022 ballot initiatives, explained.
40 min
9
The candidates haunting the GOP
It’s campaign spooky season.
40 min
10
AMERICA HAS A (POLLING) PROBLEM
Why are the polls so wrong so often?
51 min
11
Abbott and DeSantis: Stunt queens or policy mak...
Could relocating migrants in the US be a policy solution?
44 min
12
The fastest growing voting bloc in America
What do we know about how Latinos and Hispanics will vote in 2022 and beyond?
54 min
13
Who decides how we’ll save the future?
The case for – and against – longtermism
60 min
14
Vitamin X
The wild and unregulated west of dietary supplements.
32 min
15
It’s a policy team takeover!
Student loans, inflation, and back-to-school (oh my!)
38 min
16
The rebirth of industrial policy
And a new era of industrialism.
46 min
17
Could the war on terror be over?
What Zawahiri’s death means for US foreign policy.
59 min
18
The new politics of abortion
Let’s talk about Kansas.
41 min
19
Maybe we’re not doomed?
Maintaining climate optimism in a world on fire.
56 min
20
Weeds Time Machine: The ADA
The landmark civil rights policy, explained.
58 min
21
What the hell is up with SCOTUS?
The latest Supreme Court term, explained
58 min
22
The legal limbo of abortion rights
Roe v. Wade is gone, but its demise raises a whole host of new questions.
59 min
23
Pregnancy in a post-Roe America
Our maternal mortality rate was already bad. What happens now?
43 min
24
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
25
How the world became rich
A quick recap of thousands of years of economic history.
57 min
26
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
27
The gun control stalemate, explained
There is no panacea for mass shootings.
42 min
28
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
29
Immigration, democracy, and the rise of the Wes...
The Weeds live at TruCon 2022
70 min
30
The scourge of the “time tax”
The miserable sludge of applying for government aid.
48 min
31
Ukraine and the global food supply crisis
What happens when the global breadbasket is empty?
41 min
32
What the Alito leak means for Roe — and everyth...
The draft opinion, explained.
54 min
33
The Most Dangerous Branch: Roe v. Wade
What does the future of abortion rights look like?
68 min
34
Why do we go to war?
An expert on why wars start and how to prevent them.
44 min
35
Weeds Time Machine: The Clean Air Act
How the landmark environmental policy changed America.
43 min
36
Tax time at the culture wars
Why Sen. Rick Scott’s 11-point plan to save America scares Mitch McConnell.
50 min
37
Taxes! Let’s get right Intuit.
Why filing your taxes is so annoying.
46 min
38
The Great Expiration
Saying goodbye to the Covid-era social safety net
51 min
39
The art of the gerrymander
Why a fair electoral map is more complicated than it looks
49 min
40
The myth of US energy independence
How can America call itself energy independent when it still relies on foreign oil?
49 min
41
Why it’s so hard to move in America
The cultural cost of high housing prices
40 min
42
Russia's terrible invasion
And what the US can do about it
64 min
43
A quick update
A brief message from Dylan about our spring schedule
1 min
44
Why San Francisco’s school board got booted
What a local election can say about our national political climate.
48 min
45
Democracy in crisis: The two-party problem
Just how worried should we be about the future of American democracy?
54 min
46
The curse of the midterms
Yes, Democrats should be worried.
55 min
47
Beijing, boycotts, and the enduring politics of...
What does a diplomatic boycott actually do?
34 min
48
Affirmative action could be doomed (again). Wha...
A conservative-leaning Supreme Court could mean the end of affirmative action.
36 min
49
It’s not about Ukraine. It’s about Putin.
It’s not about Russia, either.
48 min
50
Think of the children
What two studies about early childhood poverty interventions can tell us about pediatric brain development
41 min
51
Unions!
Why unions are stronger yet smaller than ever
52 min
52
What happens to voting rights now?
The plan to make it easier to vote has been fili-busted.
40 min
53
Are corporations winning at inflation?
If they are profiting from inflation, can we do anything about it?
40 min
54
What BBB means for climate policy
Can the White House and Congress see eye-to-eye on climate?
65 min
55
How the 1918 flu pandemic ended
What the deadliest pandemic in history can tell us about Covid-19
33 min
56
The case for more babies
We need to talk about the slowing population growth.
49 min
57
The building blocks of radicalization
What happens when political extremism goes mainstream
52 min
58
Why hasn’t student debt been canceled?
A look at the policy merits and political implications of canceling student loan debt.
50 min
59
Best Of: The coming climate exodus
A look back at The Weeds from earlier this year.
55 min
60
America’s Public Health Experiment: Federal fai...
Did the government fail in its public health response for the American people?
52 min
61
America's Public Health Experiment: More checks...
How automatic stabilizers could help prevent future economic disaster.
49 min
62
Can school be normal again?
55 min
63
America’s Public Health Experiment: The agencie...
When the government fails its customers.
64 min
64
Learning to love rent control
Does rent control actually control rent?
53 min
65
America’s Public Health Experiment: The testing...
How the US got it wrong from the very beginning.
39 min
66
Defund the police?
German, Jerusalem, and Dylan walk through the pros and cons of defunding the police as a policy proposal.
58 min
67
Biden’s $3.40 a gallon problem
How do you make gas cheaper while fighting global warming?
45 min
68
Taxing Back Better
The wonkiest Biden tax episode you can imagine.
43 min
69
How does the pandemic end?
Dylan, German and Jerusalem discuss possible exit strategies for the Covid-19 pandemic.
54 min
70
Reshaping America’s cities
Surprise! The future of work is actually about housing.
53 min
71
Pass the SALT?
Dylan, Jerusalem, and Dara discuss congressional Democrats’ efforts to uncap the state and local tax (SALT) deduction.
59 min
72
The Most Dangerous Branch: Covid-19 v. The Cons...
Do Covid-era public health policies stand up in court?
50 min
73
Is Facebook really that bad?
Are there any legitimate policy solutions that could fix Facebook?
47 min
74
Housing policy, but make it British
Don’t worry, we’re not the only ones to have screwed up our housing market
37 min
75
The case for and against open borders
Our open borders episode is here.
54 min
76
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.
60 min
77
Is inflation out of control?
It's probably time to talk about inflation.
52 min
78
The home care fight in Congress
What elderly and disabled activists want from Biden.
40 min
79
The coming climate exodus
What happens when the climate forces you to move?
55 min
80
The Most Dangerous Branch: Roe v. Wade
What the new Supreme Court term means for the future of Roe v. Wade.
66 min
81
Yes, vaccine mandates work
Get the shot, whether you want it or not.
52 min
82
How genes impact your life
What role do genes play in social inequalities?
59 min
83
The debt ceiling’s threat to America
The current debt ceiling crisis, what the debt ceiling is, and how to address it.
51 min
84
AMA time with Dylan, German, and Jerusalem
Your Weedsy questions, answered.
67 min
85
Means testing our patience
Should work requirements still exist for federal tax credits and benefits?
52 min
86
Ezra, Matt, and Sarah Try (Again) to Podcast
For Matt’s last episode of The Weeds, Ezra Klein and Sarah Kliff return for a discussion about how subsidies lead to rising health care costs
68 min
87
The Weeds Will Live Forever
Matt, Dara, Jerusalem, and German use Matt’s last Tuesday episode to discuss life expectancy in the US
59 min
88
The Federal Reserve's regulatory issues
Matt is joined by Mike Konczal to discuss Jerome Powell’s tenure as Fed Chair and the relationship between interest rates and unemployment numbers
58 min
89
The Federal Reserve: Climate Change edition
Vox's Dylan Matthews joins Matt and Jerusalem to talk about whether the Federal Reserve can use monetary policy to fight climate change
57 min
90
Who's afraid of a big bad poll?
Matt is joined by David Shor, Head of Data Science at OpenLabs R&D to discuss the causes and implications of polling errors in recent election cycles
65 min
91
Galaxy Brain Recession
Matt, Dara, and German use this week’s episode to explore the infrastructure bill before Congress
52 min
92
Afghan refugees face an uncertain future
Matt is joined by Vox’s Nicole Narea for a discussion on the complex situation facing Afghan refugees
44 min
93
Boosters: Worth it or not, here they come
Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's German Lopez to discuss the scientific, political, and moral reasons behind the Biden administrations plan to offer third doses of the vaccine to Americans
58 min
94
Baby making vibes
Matt is joined by The Atlantic’s Elizabeth Bruenig for a conversation about the policies and political vibes that affect birth rates in America
48 min
95
Back to School: Masters mishaps
Matt is joined by Vox's Libby Nelson and Jerusalem Demsas for a conversation about the rising cost of master’s programs, their usefulness in today’s economy, and their role as federally subsidized job training
59 min
96
Reign of Terror
Spencer Ackerman joins Matt to discuss the War on Terror, tying its roots to the Oklahoma City bombing and its legacy to Trump’s presidency
57 min
97
Back to School: Learning loss
Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's German Lopez for a conversation about student learning loss during the pandemic
64 min
98
Dare to speak freely
Matt is joined by author and CEO Suzanne Nossel to explore her defense of free speech
52 min
99
Back to School: All for pre-K, and pre-K for all
Vox's Jerusalem Demsas joins Matt and Dara to discuss how pre-K programs could lead to societal changes on a state and national level
48 min
100
Getting power to the people
Matt is joined by Liza Reed of the Niskanen Center to talk about energy policy, electricity transmission, and America's complex power delivery system
39 min