The Weeds

By Vox

Social Sciences

What's The Weeds about?

Everyone is always warning you not to get lost in the weeds. But not Vox's Ezra Klein, Sarah Kliff, and Matthew Yglesias. They love the weeds. That's where all the policy is. This is the podcast for people who follow politics because they love thinking about health care, economics, and zoning. It is not podcast for people who like hearing talk about gaffes.

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LAST EPISODE

The case for subsidized jobs

11.15.2019

Indi Dutta-Gupta of the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality's big idea for turning Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) into an effective recession-fighting tool. What to read: "Recession ready: Fiscal policies to stabilize the American economy" by Heather Boushey, ...

The Weeds episodes:

11.15.2019 The case for subsidized jobs Indi Dutta-Gupta of the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality's big idea for turning Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) into an effective recession-fighting tool. What to read: "Recession ready: Fiscal policies to stabilize the American economy" by Heather Boushey, ...
11.13.2019 Introducing Reset Every story is a tech story. We live in a world where algorithms drive our interests, scientists are re-engineering our food supply, and a robot may be your next boss. Host Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why–and how–tech is changing everything. Produced ...
11.12.2019 The billionaire backlash Jane, Dara, and Matt on Michael Bloomberg’s presidential aspirations and the case against billionaires. What to read: "Bashing Bill Gates lets the rest of the billionaire class off the hook" by Dylan Matthews, Vox "AOC’s policy adviser makes the case ...
11.08.2019 The internet we lost Function's Anil Dash joins Matt to discuss how Big Tech broke the web and how we can get it back. Guest: Anil Dash (@anildash), CEO of Glitch and host of Function with Anil Dash Host: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, ...
11.05.2019 Paying for single-payer Jane, Dara, and Matt on Elizabeth Warren's Medicare-for-all financing plan and its critics. What to read: "Elizabeth Warren’s plan to pay for Medicare-for-all, explained" by Ezra Klein, Vox "The Sanders-Warren dispute about how to pay for Medicare-for-all, explained" by Matthew ...
11.01.2019 Beyond the leaky bucket Heather Boushey of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth makes the case that a rise in equality would stimulate the economy. Guest: Heather Boushey (@HBoushey), Executive Director and Chief Economist at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth Hosts: Matthew Yglesias ...
10.29.2019 The fall of Katie Hill Jane, Dara, and Matt on the California representative’s resignation, power imbalances, and the problem of “revenge porn.” Relevant links: "Revenge porn, biphobia, and alleged relationships with staffers: The complicated story around Rep. Katie Hill, explained" by Anna North, Vox "The ...
10.25.2019 The scary truth about air pollution Gretchen Goldman of the Union of Concerned Scientists on the science and politics of clean air. Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica More to explore: Subscribe ...
10.22.2019 The electability debate Jane, Dara, and Matt debate the idea of pundits trying to guess what the public thinks — plus research on what happens when doctors are patients. Relevant links: American Voter Bot (@american__voter) White paper Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, ...
10.19.2019 The four words that will decide impeachment This was the week of confessions. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney admitted to a Trump administration quid quo pro with Ukraine, with cameras rolling. EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland confirmed that President Trump made Rudy Giuliani the hinge ...
10.16.2019 Debating the robot takeover Ezra and Matt break down some of the nerdier aspects of the fourth Democratic primary debate. Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica More to explore: Subscribe ...
10.15.2019 Understanding the student debt crisis The Aspen Institute's Katherine Lucas McKay joins Matt to discuss the origins and consequences of America's ballooning student debt loan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
10.11.2019 Progressives' Supreme Court problem Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
10.09.2019 Mayor Pete explains his prescription drug plan Pete Buttigieg joins Matt to discuss his latest prescription drug plan policy rollout and his broader thinking on health care. Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica ...
10.08.2019 What to expect when you’re impeaching Dara, Jane, and Matt answer your questions on the impeachment inquiry. Related pieces: "What’s wrong with a President Pence?" by Jane Coaston, Vox "9 scenarios for how the Trump-Ukraine impeachment process could end" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox White paper Hosts: ...
10.04.2019 Homelessness and how to fix it Mary Cunningham, vice president of Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy at the Urban Institute, joins Matt for part two of homelessness week to discuss the causes and potential solutions of homelessness. They dive deep into the data surrounding the issue, ...
10.01.2019 Trump's war on the homeless We’re live from the Texas Tribune Festival! Jane, Dara, and Matt take the stage to discuss the strange revival of interest in punitive approaches to the housing crisis and answer questions from the audience. References: "The New American Homeless" by ...
09.27.2019 America's missing babies Lyman Stone of the Institute for Family Studies joins Matt to discuss why Americans have fewer kids than they say they want. More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you ...
09.24.2019 The Kiev Caper Jane, Dara, and Matt break down the scandal that seems to have set Trump on the road to impeachment. Links to resources discussed: “To beat Trump, try running an outsider” by Matthew Yglesias, Vox “The timeline of Trump’s decision to ...
09.20.2019 Did economists break America? The New York Times' Binyamin Appelbaum joins Matt to explain his new book, The Economists' Hour. More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ...
09.17.2019 Out of sight, out of mind Dara, Jane, and Matt explore how Trump “fixed” the asylum crisis. Links to resources discussed: “Trump's Asylum Policies Sent Him Back to Mexico. He Was Kidnapped Five Hours Later By a Cartel.” by Emily Green, Vice “Letter to the Orlando ...
09.13.2019 ABCDebate After Vox's Tara Golshan reviews the third Democratic debate, Matthew Yglesias explains how Joe Biden wins even when he loses. News comes at you fast. Join us at the end of your day to understand it. Subscribe to Today, Explained ...
09.13.2019 50 shades of Green New Deal Vox climate reporter David Roberts joins Jane and Matt live in Seattle to break down the 2020 candidates' climate change plans. Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87), Senior politics reporter, Vox David Roberts (@drvox), Writer, Vox ...
09.10.2019 A plan to revive American unions SEIU President Mary Kay Henry joins Matt to explain her push for sectoral bargaining. Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Mary Kay Henry (@MaryKayHenry) , International President, Service Employees International Union (@SEIU) More to explore: Subscribe for free to the ...
09.06.2019 The left’s path to power Data for Progress co-founder Sean McElwee explains his strategy for a left-wing takeover of American politics, and the data-driven path to winning elections. Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Sean McElwee (@SeanMcElwee) , Co-founder, Data for Progress More to explore: ...
09.03.2019 Trump's primary challengers Jane, Dara, and Matt talk about Donald Trump’s potential 2020 presidential primary challengers — Joe Walsh, Bill Weld, Justin Amash, and others, and what their bids mean for the post-Trump future. We also ruminate on a white paper exploring potentially ...
08.30.2019 The case for foreign policy restraint Emma Ashford, a research fellow in defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute, joins Matt for a wide-ranging discussion on China and the Middle East, the United States’ relationship with Russia since the Cold War, and the defense budget. ...
08.27.2019 Trump's latest trade war Ezra, Jane, and Matt talk about Trump's approach to China and what his critics get right and wrong. Links to resources discussed: “Making China Great Again” by Evan Osnos, The New Yorker “The past 3 wild days in Trump’s trade ...
08.23.2019 Does America need trade deals? Yale's Hilary Matfess joins Matt to debate Elizabeth Warren's trade proposals, and the role of trade policy in progressive politics. Recommended reading: “The progressive case for free trade” by Hilary Matfess ------------------------------------------------------- Join the Weeds Facebook group! News comes at ...
08.20.2019 Slavery and its legacy Jane, Dara, and Matt discuss the 1619 project and its critics Related reading: “The 1619 Project” New York Times Magazine “Henry Clay, Edward Baptist, and the Whipping Machine” by Bradley A. Hansen “Cotton, Slavery, and the New History of Capitalism” ...
08.16.2019 Trump's war on Medicaid The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' Jessica Schubel explains how Medicaid works, and how the White House is trying to undermine it. Join the Weeds Facebook group! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
08.13.2019 Epstein conspiracy time Jane, Dara, and Matt try to offer actual facts about prison suicide and new research on hot weather and crime. Related reading: “Jeffrey Epstein’s Death, in Context”’ by Ken White, the Atlantic "Jeffrey Epstein’s Death Underlines A Nationwide Problem" by ...
08.09.2019 The case for a Green New Deal Julian Brave NoiseCat of Data for Progress joins Matt to discuss the vision of the Green New Deal, the need to link it to social justice, and whether or not it’s politically viable. Recommended reading: “No, climate action can’t be ...
08.06.2019 Domestic terrorism after El Paso ProPublica’s Dara Lind joins Jane and Matt to talk about the mass shooting in El Paso and what it means to take white nationalist violence seriously. Recommended reading: “The top House Republican is blaming video games for the weekend’s mass ...
08.02.2019 The second Democratic debate Ezra and Matt dissect the six-hour, two-night July debate marathon. Vox’s guide to where 2020 Democrats stand on policy Join the Weeds Facebook group! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
07.30.2019 The many mysteries of Jeffrey Epstein ProPublica’s Dara Lind joins Jane and Matt to discuss the sexual assault case that’s also a political scandal and a financial puzzle. White paper starts at 45:20 Recommended reading: “Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who is friends with Donald ...
07.26.2019 Dysfunctional federalism Yale law professor David Schleicher joins Matt to talk about why state and local politics don’t work anymore. Join the Weeds Facebook group! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
07.23.2019 Go back to Cincinnati ProPublica reporter Dara Lind joins Jane and Matt to discuss President Trump’s rhetoric around the small group of congresswomen known as “the Squad”: Reps. Ayanna Presley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib. They also dive into Trump's crackdown on ...
07.19.2019 Why everyone hates Big Tech, with The Verge's Nilay Patel Verge editor-in-chief and Vergecast host Nilay Patel joins Matt in this special crossover episode to explain what Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which allows platforms to circumnavigate liability for user content, really means. They also discuss Elizabeth Warren’s ...
07.16.2019 Space Force all the way! Worldly's Alex Ward joins Jane and Matt to explain Trump's more-tedious-than-it-sounds plan for military domination of the final frontier. Recommended reading: “Trump really, really wants troops in space” by Alex Ward “Trump wants a ‘Space Force.’ We have many questions.” ...
07.12.2019 School’s out for summer Cristina Novoa from the Center for American Progress joins Matt to talk about child care disruptions and possible solutions. “When Parents Can’t Find Summer Child Care, Their Work Suffers” by Cristina Novoa Join the Weeds Facebook group! Learn more about ...
07.09.2019 Ask Weeds Anything ProPublica reporter Dara Lind joins Jane and Matt to answer your questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
07.05.2019 A progressive case for globalism Reed College economist Kimberly Clausing joins Matt to talk about trade and the middle class. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
07.02.2019 Democracy's week in court Jane, Dara, and Matt on two big Supreme Court cases on gerrymandering and the census. White paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
06.28.2019 Debate Weeds: Ezra and Matt on the long-awaited Democratic presidential debate Matt and Ezra weigh in on the first Democratic presidential debate of the 2020 cycle. Read more of Vox's coverage of the debate here: Winners and losers from night one of the debate Winners and losers from night two of ...
06.25.2019 What’s really going on with child detention? Dara, Jane, and Matt on the breakdown of trust that’s driving the latest crisis at the border. Related reading: The horrifying conditions facing kids in border detention, explained White paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
06.21.2019 What’s really happening in Central America Adriana Beltrán of the Washington Office on Latin America joins Matt to explain the deep roots of the migration crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
06.19.2019 Jamestown: Utopia for Whom Nice Try! is a new podcast from Curbed and the Vox Media Podcast Network that explores stories of people who have tried to design a better world, and what happens when those designs don't go according to plan. Season one, ...
06.18.2019 The “illiberal” right Jane and Ezra discuss the ongoing conservative crackup and the case of Parkland teen Kyle Kashuv. Related reading: A New Consensus Kyle Kashuv Becomes a Symbol to Conservatives Who Say the Left Can’t Forgive Against David French-ism Jane’s article about ...
06.14.2019 5 big ideas to use tax credits to fight poverty Meg Wiehe from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy explains the leading progressive tax plans in Congress and how they differ from Trump’s tax cuts. Related reading: Understanding Five Major Federal Tax Credit Proposals American Family Act Working Families ...

Older episodes

The Weeds

What's The Weeds about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Weeds episodes:

The case for subsidized jobs

Introducing Reset

The billionaire backlash

The internet we lost

Paying for single-payer

Beyond the leaky bucket

The fall of Katie Hill

The scary truth about air pollution

The electability debate

The four words that will decide impeachment

Debating the robot takeover

Understanding the student debt crisis

Progressives' Supreme Court problem

Mayor Pete explains his prescription drug plan

What to expect when you’re impeaching

Homelessness and how to fix it

Trump's war on the homeless

America's missing babies

The Kiev Caper

Did economists break America?

Out of sight, out of mind

ABCDebate

50 shades of Green New Deal

A plan to revive American unions

The left’s path to power

Trump's primary challengers

The case for foreign policy restraint

Trump's latest trade war

Does America need trade deals?

Slavery and its legacy

Trump's war on Medicaid

Epstein conspiracy time

The case for a Green New Deal

Domestic terrorism after El Paso

The second Democratic debate

The many mysteries of Jeffrey Epstein

Dysfunctional federalism

Go back to Cincinnati

Why everyone hates Big Tech, with The Verge's Nilay Patel

Space Force all the way!

School’s out for summer

Ask Weeds Anything

A progressive case for globalism

Democracy's week in court

Debate Weeds: Ezra and Matt on the long-awaited Democratic presidential debate

What’s really going on with child detention?

What’s really happening in Central America

Jamestown: Utopia for Whom

The “illiberal” right

5 big ideas to use tax credits to fight poverty

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