Explain It to Me

Join editor Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson) and reporters Rachel Cohen (@rmc031) and Madeleine Ngo (@maddiengo) for a summer policy wrap-up. Inflation, the economy, and gas prices were on everyone’s minds, but we have even more policy news to talk about. Both Congress and the Biden administration made one last late-summer policy push with the Inflation Reduction Act and student loan cancellation. What does this all mean for you? Listen to find out!

References:

School vaccine mandates for Covid-19 are not happening 

Will student loan forgiveness make inflation worse?

Inflation is finally slowing down. Will things get cheaper? 

The inflation numbers are bad — but how bad are they?  

GDP declined again — but that might not mean we're in a recession 

”Standard Oil” octopus cartoon 

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

A.M. Hall, deputy editorial director

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Vox senior correspondent Dylan Matthews sits down with Felicia Wong (@FeliciaWongRI), president and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, to talk about a new era of industrial policy. They discuss the theory of modern supply-side economics, the passage of the Inflation Reduction and CHIPS acts, and how much common ground exists between the political left and the right.

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director 

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Vox senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp and Vox senior foreign writer Jonathan Guyer discuss the killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, one of the organizers behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US. His death marks a turning point in the “war on terror” and US foreign policy, but what kind of turning point? Can we say the war on terror is over, or is it just entering a new stage?

References:

What Ayman Zawahiri’s death tells us about terrorism and US foreign policy

Ayman al-Zawahiri’s death by drone was President Biden’s opportunity to end the war on terrorism

No one has been held accountable for the catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal 

Where in the world are Russians going to avoid sanctions? 

Hosts:

Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox

Jonathan Guyer (@mideastXmidwest), senior foreign policy writer, Vox 

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

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In a surprise to many, last week Kansas overwhelmingly voted down an anti-abortion ballot initiative. If abortion rights can win in a deep-red state, what does that mean for the midterms this fall? Join Vox policy editor Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson), Vox senior policy reporter Rachel Cohen (@rmc031), and Vox politics reporter Nicole Narea (@nicolenarea) for a conversation about the new state of abortion politics.

References:

Abortion was on the ballot in Kansas. Access won. 

Why the Kansas abortion amendment is so confusing 

The challenge of turning pro-choice Americans into pro-choice voters 

The states pushing abortion ballot measures in 2022 post-Roe

Senate Democrats slowly consider their options after Roe  

Hosts:

Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson)

Rachel Cohen (@rmc031)

Nicole Narea (@nicolenarea)

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter 

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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As the Earth swelters through yet another record-breaking summer, a surprise push for climate legislation on Capitol Hill gave us a shimmer of optimism and hope toward fighting climate change. But, while it’s a step in the right direction to reduce carbon emissions, it’s not a panacea. How do we maintain optimism, even when the right steps feel too small?

References:

Summaries of the climate, tax, and prescription drug parts of the Manchin deal

What Democrats' big new bill would actually do 

What the Inflation Reduction Act needs to pass, including Sen. Sinema

Princeton researchers’ estimate of the deal’s climate impact

The Republican vote against benefits for veterans exposed to toxins

The White House/Employ America plan to reduce gas prices

Nina Kelsey’s theory of the “green spiral”

It’s so hot in Europe that roads are literally buckling

Europe is burning like it’s 2052

Hosts:

Bryan Walsh(@bryanrwalsh), Future Perfect editor, Vox

Dylan Matthews, (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Sigal Samuel (@sigalsamuel), Future Perfect senior reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter 

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Dylan Matthews, Dara Lind, and special guest Ari Ne’eman (@aneeman) fire up the Weeds Time Machine for a special episode on the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was signed into law 32 years ago today, and while the legislation had a profound impact on almost every corner of American society, the bill wasn’t perfect. So hop into the Time Machine to learn about the history of the disability rights movement, how the ADA came to be, and what the movement is working toward today.

References:

What if Disability Rights Were for Everyone?

Opinion | A 'Safety Net' That's a Kafkaesque Mess

Watch Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution | Netflix Official Site

The Power of 504 

Episode transcript

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter 

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Dara Lind is joined by Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) to discuss the major decisions handed down by the Supreme Court this term. They talk about the Court’s emphasis on historical narrative, its move away from settled legal doctrine, and the politicization of the Court. Plus, a white paper on originalism and stare decisis written by then-professor Amy Coney Barrett. 

References:

The post-legal Supreme Court 

Originalism and Stare Decisis 

Hosts:

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter 

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Vox Supreme Court correspondent Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) speaks with Michele Goodwin, a law professor, bioethicist, and leading expert on reproductive health policy, about the future of abortion rights in a world without Roe.

References:

Policing the Womb by Michele Goodwin 

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter 

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Dylan Matthews and Dara Lind are joined by Vox senior reporter Keren Landman, M.D., (@landmanspeaking) to discuss the extremely high maternal mortality rate in the United States. Breaking down those numbers by socioeconomic factors like race or income, the rate of pregnancy-related deaths gets even worse. What will happen now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned? 

References:

Where will abortion still be legal now that Roe v. Wade has been overruled? 

The end of Roe will mean more children living in poverty 

Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2020 

Maternity Care Deserts Report 

Maternal Mortality and Maternity Care in the United States Compared to 10 Other Developed Countries

How Many American Women Die From Causes Related to Pregnancy or Childbirth? No One Knows.

Overturning Roe v. Wade Could Make Maternal Mortality Even Worse

White paper: Maternal Mortality and Women's Political Power

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter 

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

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Hey, Weeds listeners: Today, we are bringing you an episode of Today, Explained that originally aired in early June. 

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. Today, Explained’s Miles Bryan attended eighth-grade graduation to see how they did.

This episode was reported and produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.

Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained

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