Vox Quick Hits

It feels like mushrooms are everywhere these days, but why? Vox culture reporter Terry Nguyen explains why mushrooms are super versatile, and how the fungi took over food, wellness, and (of course) drugs.

Read Terry’s story here. 

Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Quick Hits ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Quick Hits by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

This episode was made by: 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States and China play leading roles in the global response to climate change: Together, they account for 43 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. And it’s not just actions within their borders that matter; they are highly influential in the world, too. Many industrialized countries look to the US for cues on climate action, and many developing countries look to China. Jariel Arvin (@jarielarvin), a fellow at Vox, discusses what the US and China are doing on climate, including President Biden’s attempt to reset America on the environment post-Trump; what’s going on with China’s Belt and Road Initiative; and what’s next for the two superpowers.

**Update** Over the weekend, the US and China signed a rare statement of cooperation on climate, which includes an agreement to enhance their respective climate actions in the 2020s. You can read more about the update here.

Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde.

Learn More: Read Jariel’s story about how the US and China can work together on climate here.

Enjoyed this episode? Rate Tell Me More ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

What do you want to learn about on Tell Me More? Send your requests and questions to [email protected]. We read every email! 

Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Tell Me More by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

Support Tell Me More by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arguments in the trial of Derek Chauvin have wrapped after a brutal week for policing in America. Minnesota Public Radio’s Jon Collins shares his reporting from Minneapolis.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perhaps the oddest film about the environment that you’ll ever see is Darren Aronofsky’s Mother!, a movie that layers metaphors and symbols into one very weird tale. Vox film critic Alissa Wilkinson and critic at large Emily VanDerWerff dig into what the film means and why you should watch it.

Read Alissa’s review of Mother! here.

This episode was made by: 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about President Joe Biden’s announcement that all remaining US troops will withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021 — the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that launched the war. They discuss what the US withdrawal means for the near-term future of Afghanistan, why Biden finally made the tough call that his predecessors couldn’t (or wouldn’t), and what that decision tells us about how Biden sees the future of US military engagement abroad.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recent police crackdown on a tent camp in Los Angeles has left the city divided. One thing everyone agrees on is the dire need for lasting solutions to the growing homelessness crisis in the United States.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate writer and Vox contributor David Roberts talks with Jessika Trancik, Associate Professor at the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society at M.I.T. They discuss many aspects of the vast undertaking to remake our world in response to the realities of climate change. They survey the technologies and innovations that are being deployed in this effort, and talk about what sorts of policy initiatives would be best-suited for the road ahead. While we might feel like our future will be full of sacrifices we're asked to make, Trancik explains that now is the time to shape a world in which we could live more equitably, efficiently, and comfortably.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scientists don’t understand why so many people suffer from Covid-19 symptoms for months, well after they stop testing positive. But that’s just the start of the mystery. There are other diseases that cast these long shadows, and they point to a major blind spot in medicine.

For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable

It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show transcripts, and read more about the topics on our show.

Also, email us! [email protected]

We read every email.

Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz’s sex scandal.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the top Oscar contenders is Judas and the Black Messiah, a film based on the true story of Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party. It features two break-out performances, but neither are nominated for Best Actor. Vox film critic Emily VanDerWerff unpacks why this likely happened and peels the curtain back on the nomination process.

Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices