In recent years, there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures across the country. The ACLU is currently tracking 474 such bills, the majority of which target transgender rights. Meanwhile,

Why is child labor making a comeback?

1 May 17th, 2023 55m 4s

The first child labor law in America went on the books almost 200 years ago, and federal labor protections were enshrined in the Fair Labor Standards Act nearly 100 years later in 1938. So almost a century after the passage of the FLSA, why are

How corporations got all your data

Apr 11th, 2023 55m 3s

Sean Illing speaks with Matthew Jones, historian of science and technology, and co-author (with data scientist Chris Wiggins) of the new book How Data Happened. They discuss the surprisingly long history of data from the 18th century to today,

Baby making vibes

1 Aug 20th, 2021 54m 14s

Matt is joined by The Atlantic’s Elizabeth Bruenig. They discuss J.D. Vance’s attacks on the parental status of liberal politicians and dissect what is actually happening with left-wing birth rates. They explore the policy decisions that would

The critical race theory debate

1 Jul 16th, 2021 56m 29s

Matt is joined by Education Week reporter and editor Andrew Ujifusa to talk about the ill-defined and somewhat facetious debate over critical race theory. But really, this conversation is about the schools, and all sorts of issues facing them:

Who started Covid?

1 Jun 26th, 2021 54m 52s

Matt is joined by deputy editor of New York magazine and author David Wallace-Wells to talk about the new evidence for the so-called "Lab-Leak hypothesis," and about the possible origins of Covid-19. Wallace-Wells introduces the new research do

The pipeline to prison

Jun 5th, 2021 1h 8m

Matt sits down with John Pfaff, professor and author of Locked In, an influential and important 2017 book about mass incarceration in America. The two discuss some common misconceptions about America's prison population, three different meaning

What is critical race theory, anyway?

1 Oct 13th, 2020 54m 47s

Ian Haney Lopez joins Jane to discuss critical race theory: what it is and what it isn't.Resources:"Which Party Represents the Racial Future?" by Ross DouthatGuest:Ian Haney Lopez (@IanHaneyLopez), Professor of Law, UC BerkeleyHost:Jan

By the People: The Supreme Court's war on democracy

Oct 10th, 2020 1h 2m

In this last episode of the By The People mini-series, host Ian Millhiser talks with legal scholar Pam Karlan about how the Supreme Court has harmed our democracy in the recent past, and what it's likely to do to voting rights in the future. Th

The mask fiasco

1 Mar 31st, 2020 1h

Jane, Dara, and Matt on the evidence for mask wearing, and a totally non-coronavirus white paper.Resources:"Why America ran out of protective masks — and what can be done about it" by German Lopez, Vox"Why Telling People They Don’t Need Mask

The story of Trump's swamp

Mar 21st, 2020 59m 1s

Jane talks to Asawin Suebsaeng and Lachlan Markay about their new book "Sinking in the Swamp" on chaos at the White House and how President Trump differs (and doesn't) from prior administrations.As a note - this episode was recorded on Februa

A "titan" of social conservatism on the courts and his battles ahead

1 Mar 7th, 2020 1h

Conservative thinker Robert George joins Jane to talk about abortion, marriage, the Supreme Court, and wielding the power of the federal government. Guest: Robert George, (@McCormickProf) Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton UniversityHost:

How we pick a president

1 Feb 7th, 2020 1h 29m

University of Maryland political scientist David Karol joins Matt to explain the consequences of presidential nomination reform.Guest: David Karol, (@DKarol) Government & Politics professor, University of MarylandHost:Matthew Yglesias (@mat

The road to polarization

Jan 24th, 2020 1h 23m

Ezra Klein joins Matt to discuss his forthcoming book; Why We're Polarized.Guest: Ezra Klein, (@ezraklein) Co-founder and Editor-at-Large, VoxHost:Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, VoxMore to explore:Subscribe to Im

Into the weeds with Elizabeth Warren

1 Jun 11th, 2019 52m 43s

The Massachusetts senator joins Ezra Klein to explain her plans, and her plan to make the plans happen.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Infrastructure week (jk it's about Comey)

Jun 9th, 2017 52m 37s

Dara Lind and Yochi Dreazen join Matt to talk about Comey's testimony and the larger consequences of the Russia investigation.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Great Awokening

1 Jul 31st, 2020 1h 10m

John McWhorter joins Matt to discuss the changing way we talk about racism in America.Resources:"“Latinx” is growing in popularity. I made a comic to help you understand why." by Terry Blas, Vox"Racist Police Violence Reconsidered" by John M

Vitamin X

1 Sep 6th, 2022 35m 13s

Today on The Weeds, we are sharing an episode of another Vox podcast, Unexplainable, that originally aired in June 2022. Millions of Americans take dietary supplements — everything from vitamins and minerals to weight-loss pills and probiotic

The new politics of abortion

Aug 9th, 2022 43m 39s

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 (@libbyane

Maybe we’re not doomed?

Aug 2nd, 2022 1h 1m

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 re

Immigration, democracy, and the rise of the Western far right

May 24th, 2022 1h 16m

This special episode of The Weeds was taped live at TruCon 2022! Join Dara Lind, Zack Beauchamp, and Jen Kirby for a live panel discussion about the state of global democracy. They discuss the complicated relationship among migration, the threa

The case for and against open borders

Oct 26th, 2021 59m 49s

Dylan, German, and Jerusalem get together to discuss one of the world’s least likely but most interesting utopian ideas: open borders. They discuss the moral and economic logic for making it easy to move to and work in different countries, and

The Most Dangerous Branch: A well-regulated militia

Oct 22nd, 2021 1h 6m

Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser talks with law professor Joseph Blocher and historian Carol Anderson about the Second Amendment, the triumph of the NRA's vision for that amendment, and an upcoming Supreme Court case that endangers more t

The coming climate exodus

Oct 12th, 2021 1h

Vox senior reporter Rebecca Leber (@rebleber) joins The Weeds to explain the problem of migration caused by climate change, such as that due to wildfires, rising seas, and crop failures. She explains how a warming planet is forcing people to mo

The Most Dangerous Branch: Roe v. Wade

Oct 8th, 2021 1h 11m

Vox Supreme Court correspondent Ian Millhiser talks with NYU professor Melissa Murray (@ProfMMurray) about the future of reproductive freedom. The Supreme Court started its new term this week, and with six conservative judges on the bench, Repu