Explain It to Me

Sarah, Dara, and Matt discuss Trump's latest proposal, suspicious ER billing practices, and SNAP investigations Sarah's articles about hospital ER fees White Paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sarah, Dara, and Matt analyze the prolonged shutdown's impact on the future of the federal workforce Reference Articles: The shutdown threatens the promise of government jobs — and a way of life FBI, federal agents see cases hampered, lives rattled as shutdown continues The American Action Forum explainer on the Anti-Deficiency Act How the Border Patrol union became Trump’s closest shutdown allies...

Jane, Ezra, and Matt consider the ethics and economics of a 70 percent top marginal rate Americans misperceive racial economic equality Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jane, Dara, and Matt explain the argument over economic populism that’s roiling the conservative world Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt, Sarah, and Dara take questions from our audience Book Recommendations: The Field of Blood by Joanne B. Freeman Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life by Kathleen Dalton Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou Stories: The 17 saddest moments of Jeb Bush’s very sad campaign by Dara Lind Despite congressional pressure, Amtrak can’t get its story straight on train...

Dara, Jane, and Matt explain why a shutdown is not The Purge and delve into the all-important difference between slats, bollards, and walls  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jane Coaston joins Dara, Ezra, and Matt to talk about the racial panic tearing America apart and also salt. References and further reading: Ezra's piece on the changing demographics in America Identity Crisis book mentioned by Ezra Salt white paper This episode is a rebroadcast from July of 2018.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sarah, Ezra, and Matt share what they learned in 2018, predictions for 2019, and their favorite research of the year. Links: Matt's white paper pick Sarah's white paper pick Ezra's white paper pick Sarah’s ER opus Ezra on white threat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jane, Dara, and Matt analyze the substance and political context of the big bipartisan criminal justice reform bill. References and further reading: German Lopez explains the First Step Act Jane’s piece on Kanye West’s meeting with President Trump James Forman Jr. examines why many African American leaders supported the war on crime  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adcho...

Sarah, Ezra, and Matt decide it’s not too soon to start talking about the 2020 election. Plus — Obamacare litigation forever! References and further reading: Matt’s explainer on the Democratic field for 2020 Matt’s piece on Joe Biden’s policy ideas A previous episode of The Weeds on the Obamacare lawsuit Ezra’s piece on the Texas ruling against Obamacare  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po...

Matt, Dara, and Jane discuss what happens when engineering crushes dreams. Links: For an in-depth read on the border wall, here's a great explainer. The GAO report Dara cited can be found here. And here's the Atlantic article that Matt mentioned about the ICE crackdown  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jane, Ezra, and Matt consider Paul Ryan’s legacy and new research on crime and the minimum wage. References and further reading: Ezra’s piece on House Speaker Paul Ryan’s legacy Matt’s essay following the announcement of Paul Ryan’s retirement Ted Cruz’s confusing tweet of Beto O’Rourke speaking on the shooting of Botham Jean A white paper examines the effects on criminal recidivism when states in...

Special guest Tommy Vietor of Crooked Media’s Pod Save the World joins Dara and Matt to break down the anti-Saudi backlash sweeping Washington.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jane, Ezra, and Matt talk about state-level GOP power grabs and the curious case of Trump’s disappearing populism. References and further reading: Tara Golshan’s piece on the recent legislation proposed by GOP lawmakers David Frum’s book and Yascha Mounk’s book on populism and the threat to democracy Ezra’s conversation with Nate Silver Matt’s explainer on the Indiana Carrier factory Michael Brend...

Dara and Matt explain the situation at the border now that the caravan has finally arrived. References and further reading: Li Zhou explains the liberal blowback against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Vox’s piece on the shutdown negotiations The weird outlet mall at the border Dara’s article on the asylum bottleneck A New York Times piece on the current conditions in Tijuana The Washington P...

Dylan Scott joins Sarah and Matt to break down eight different plans circulating to expand government health insurance programs. References and further reading: Sarah breaks down five competing health care plans from Democrats Dylan lays out the Urban Institute’s proposed health care plan   A white paper finds ICE partnerships with local police led to a decline in elementary-school enrollment of H...

Our Thanksgiving special is an episode of The Impact -- a show about how policy shapes our lives hosted by Sarah Kliff. This season, Sarah and her team are focusing on the most exciting, innovative ideas at the state and local level. This episode, they're in Vermont, looking at a radical law to equalize education funding. Like what you’re hearing? Find The Impact on Apple Podcasts|Google Podcasts|...

Jane, Ezra, and Matt explain a new brand of right-wing politics rising under conditions of permanent opposition. References and further reading: Jane’s piece on the driving force that is California-style conservatism A white paper examining which voters supported Medicaid in Maine’s 2017 referendum John Sides, Michael Tesler, and Lynn Vavreck explain the 2016 presidential election through identity...

Dara, Jane, and Matt analyze the social network that America loves to hate and can't escape. References and further reading: New York Times exposé on Facebook’s reaction to Russian interference on their site Michelle Goldberg tells Democrats to leave Facebook in a Times opinion piece An article from the New York Times on advertisers’ reactions to the Facebook report An interview with Sheryl Sandbe...

Dara, Jane, and Matt talk about the endgame for the attorney general Trump loved to hate. References and further reading: Dara reports on Trump’s asylum ban Dara defines Jeff Sessions’s legacy through immigration crackdowns and deportation Heather Mac Donald’s “The War on Cops” The Trump administration enters its Leeroy Jenkins phase A piece from Politico on the magical powers of Trump Jane’s essa...

Sarah, Ezra, and Matt break down seven key takeaways from Tuesday's election. References and further reading: Ezra’s piece on Trump’s failing political strategy Ezra’s essay on William Kristol’s 1993 health memo  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sarah, Ezra, and Matt offer midterm predictions, look at democracy vouchers, and analyze the real impact of Daylight Savings Time. References and further reading: Sarah explores the effects of Seattle’s democracy vouchers on The Impact Nicholas Carnes’s piece on the representation of the working class in government A working paper presents evidence that Daylight Savings Time results in an increase...

Jane, Dara, and Matt dissect the rising currents of anti-Semitism in the Trump era. References and further reading: Adam Serwer’s piece on the Pittsburgh shooter Dara joins Today, Explained to discuss the migrant caravan Time analyzes Ted Nugent’s anti-Semitic Facebook post about gun control The Atlantic’s profile of a neo-Nazi who took Trump’s speech as an endorsement of anti-Semitism Michael Bre...

Defense correspondent Alex Ward joins Dara and Matt to analyze Trump’s dispatch of thousands of US soldiers to the border. References and further reading: Alex’s piece on the role of troops at the US-Mexico border An article from Reuters on the clashes at the Mexico-Guatemala border Dara explains the migrant caravan Dara’s piece on the shrinking caravan Dara reports on a new “travel ban” that the...

Sarah, Ezra, and Matt break down rhetoric and reality on preexisting conditions. References and further reading: Sarah outlines the position of Republicans on preexisting conditions Sarah’s piece from 2016 on the future of Obamacare Robert Draper’s article on Priorities USA and its campaign against Mitt Romney Ezra makes the case that Trump is a moderate  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po...