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Explain It to Me

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Vox

Is my dentist scamming me? Why do political campaigns cost so much? Should Gen Z bother to save for retirement? Explain It To Me is the hotline for all your unanswered questions. Sometimes explanations are hard to find, misinformation is rampant, and those internet searches and AI asks can come up empty. Call 1-800-618-8545 with what’s on your mind, and host Jonquilyn Hill will be your friendly guide to the answers you're looking for — and maybe even the ones you don’t expect. New episodes every Wednesday starting September 18. Part of Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

#738

Could ranked choice voting fix our elections?

Earlier this month, millions of voters got to pick a president: Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. But what if we had a totally different kind of election system, one where you could rank a bunch of people you’d like as president, instead of being forced to choose between just two viable options? Listener William wants to know: Why hasn’t ranked-choice voting taken off? And could it be the fix for our super polarized politics? Jonquilyn Hill goes to [Vox senior correspondent Dylan Matthews] (https://www.vox.com/authors/dylan-matthews) for some lunch ordering strategy, Hollywood trash talk, and, most importantly, answers. Is there something you’re dying to figure out? [Send us your questions!] (https://www.vox.com/23700653/explain-it-to-me-crowdsourcing-ask-vox) Call 1-800-618-8545. Read More: [Can ranking candidates fix elections?] (https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/382097/ranked-choice-voting-nevada-colorado-dc-final-five) Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer Caitlin PenzeyMoog, fact checker Carla Javier, supervising producer Jorge Just and Natalie Jennings, editors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

20 Nov 2024

47 MINS

47:28

20 Nov 2024

#737

Why can’t I tell my left from my right?

Listener Piper called us up with this question, “Why do some people have a harder time than others distinguishing their left and right?” When our friends at the Vox podcast Unexplainable heard it they were so intrigued that they created a whole game show around it and invited our very own Explain It to Me host Jonquilyn Hill to play along. Why do some people struggle to tell their left from their right? What makes someone a lefty? And why does life have this weird rule about only having either left- or right-handed molecules? Check out Unexplainable [wherever you get your podcasts.] (https://link.chtbl.com/unexplainable) If you have a question — something you’d like us to explain to you — give us a call at 1-800-618-8545. You can also [send us your question here] (https://vox.com/ask) . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

13 Nov 2024

32 MINS

32:04

13 Nov 2024

#736

What just happened, and what comes next

Wow, what a week. The country has a new president-elect, and our listeners have a ton of questions about what comes next. Why did Latino voters swing right? How will Democrats respond? What’s going to happen to Donald Trump’s court cases? Will Trump really do all the things he said he would during the campaign? Host Jonquilyn Hill sits down with Vox correspondents Christian Paz, Ian Millhiser, and Zack Beauchamp to answer all that and more. Submit your questions — about politics, or, if you need a break, about anything else — by calling 1-800-618-8545. You can also submit them [here] (https://www.vox.com/23700653/explain-it-to-me-crowdsourcing-ask-vox) . Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde and Gabrielle Berbey, producers Cristian Ayala, engineer Carla Javier, supervising producer Caity PenzeyMoog, Anouck Dussaud, and Sarah Schweppe, fact checkers Jorge Just, Julia Longoria, and Natalie Jennings, editors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

08 Nov 2024

51 MINS

51:50

08 Nov 2024

#735

It’s election week. Ask us anything.

The US elections are officially upon us. And we have the Vox newsroom standing by to answer your questions and reflect on your experiences. All you have to do is [ask!] (https://www.vox.com/23700653/explain-it-to-me-crowdsourcing-ask-vox) Leave a voicemail at 1-800-618-8545 or send a voice memo to [askvox@vox.com] (mailto:askvox@vox.com) and check back here Friday morning for our election special. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

04 Nov 2024

01 MINS

01:20

04 Nov 2024

#734

Why can I buy Halloween candy that would be banned in other countries?

Listener Sommer calls in to ask why she can buy foods in her grocery store that other countries have banned. Trying to figure out what all the chemicals and dyes in her food might do to her has left her with one question: “Don’t you care about us?” This week on Explain It to Me, host Jonquilyn Hill gets some answers (and a scary story about orange dye!) from [Vox producer Kimberly Mas] (https://www.vox.com/authors/kimberly-mas) and the Environmental Working Group’s Melanie Benesh. Election Day is less than a week away. To commiserate, we’re producing a special episode featuring [your election-related questions and experiences] (https://www.vox.com/23700653/explain-it-to-me-crowdsourcing-ask-vox) , from heading to the polls to processing the results. So save our number now 1-800-618-8545 and call us next week with what you suddenly need to know. Read More: [Why food recalls are everywhere right now] (https://www.vox.com/food/379474/mcdonalds-e-coli-boars-head-listeria-salmonella-outbreak) [Watch Kim’s video about Red Dye No. 3 here] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq9dhQIoDw8) Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer Anouck Dussaud, fact-checker Carla Javier, supervising producer Jorge Just, editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

30 Oct 2024

48 MINS

48:43

30 Oct 2024

#733

Why do I keep getting these weird fundraising texts?

“We are hitting the PANIC button.” Does that wording sound familiar? You’ve probably seen it on your phone. This week on Explain It to Me, we begin to answer the questions we’ve gotten from you about the election, like why you’re getting so many urgently phrased texts asking for money. We also take a closer look at polling. Host Jonquilyn Hill gets answers from [Vox senior politics reporter Christian Paz] (https://www.vox.com/authors/christian-paz) and Banter founder Lloyd Cotler. We want to help answer more of your election-related questions for our election week episode. Tell us what’s on your mind [here] (https://www.vox.com/23700653/explain-it-to-me-crowdsourcing-ask-vox) , or give us a call. Our number is 1-800-618-8545. Read More: [Can we trust the polls this year?] (https://www.vox.com/2024-elections/370649/trust-polls-2016-2020-election-2024-pollster-polling-miss) [Why are political campaigns always guilt-tripping us to donate?] (https://www.vox.com/politics/376660/campaign-fundraising-text-email-2024-election) Sign up for the Today, Explained and Explain It to Me newsletters [here] (https://www.vox.com/newsletters) . Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer Caitlin PenzeyMoog, fact-checker Carla Javier, supervising producer Jorge Just, editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

23 Oct 2024

53 MINS

53:55

23 Oct 2024

#732

Will the world end before I can retire?

From the moment Carolina graduated from college and started her first real job, the financial advice came pouring in. It felt like everyone she knew was telling her to save for retirement. So Carolina wants to know: really? Maybe that advice was good for boomers, Gen X and millennials, but the world Carolina would be saving for seems like it’s on the brink of collapse. So should Gen Z do things differently? Vox editor Bryan Walsh tells us how close we might be to an extinction-level event, and Vivian Tu a.k.a. Your Rich BFF offers some financial real talk. Submit your questions [here] (https://www.vox.com/23700653/explain-it-to-me-crowdsourcing-ask-vox) , or give us a call. Our number is 1-800-618-8545. Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Andrea Kristinsdottir, engineer Carla Javier, supervising producer Melissa Hirsch, fact checker Katherine Wells and Jorge Just, editors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

16 Oct 2024

38 MINS

38:23

16 Oct 2024

#731

My parents divorced. Will I?

Listener Siobhan is very much in love. So in love that she and her boyfriend will probably walk down the aisle soon. But she’s also seen the marriages of older people in her life fall apart. As she considers embarking on this next step in life, she wants to know: Are younger generations less likely to get divorced than their parents? And what’s behind the shifting trends in matrimony? Host Jonquilyn Hill gets answers from author and historian Stephanie Coontz. Read More: [Welcome to the Divorce Issue of The Highlight!] (https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/374094/divorce-issue-october-divorcemoon-troubled-unhappy) [Marriage, A History] (https://bookshop.org/p/books/marriage-a-history-how-love-conquered-marriage-stephanie-coontz/16712282) Submit your questions [here] (https://www.vox.com/23700653/explain-it-to-me-crowdsourcing-ask-vox) , or give us a call. Our number is 1-800-618-8545. Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer Caitlin PenzeyMoog, fact-checker Carla Javier, supervising producer Jorge Just, editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

10 Oct 2024

30 MINS

30:31

10 Oct 2024

#730

Is it okay to go to the zoo?

Listener David runs 5K fundraisers for his local zoo. And he wants to know: Is he doing the right thing? Are zoos a bastion for conservation, educating the public about endangered species? Or are they nothing more than a prison for pandas, creating a troubling power dynamic between humans and other living creatures? Host Jonquilyn Hill gets into the ethics of zoos with Vox senior reporter Kenny Torrella. Read More: [Zoos aren’t for animals. They’re for us.] (https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23914885/zoo-animals-conservation-endangered-threatened-species-sanctuaries) [Vox.com’s new newsletter, Processing Meat] (https://www.vox.com/pages/processing-meat-newsletter-signup) Submit your questions [here] (https://www.vox.com/23700653/explain-it-to-me-crowdsourcing-ask-vox) , or give us a call. Our number is 1-800-618-8545. Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer Caitlin PenzeyMoog, fact-checker Carla Javier, supervising producer Katherine Wells and Jorge Just, editors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

02 Oct 2024

34 MINS

34:40

02 Oct 2024

#729

Why do I say “like” so much?

Much to the chagrin of English teachers everywhere, people use the word “like”…a lot. Listener Allison calls the hotline to ask why we talk the way that we do and if she can change her own speech. Host Jonquilyn Hill gets answers from sociolinguist [Valerie Fridland] (https://www.valeriefridland.com/) and speech coach [Rhonda Khan] (https://www.simplyspeechsolutions.com/) . Send us your questions! You can call us at 1-800-618-8545, email us at [askvox@vox.com] (mailto:askvox@vox.com) , or [fill out this form] (https://www.vox.com/23700653/explain-it-to-me-crowdsourcing-ask-vox) . Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer Carla Javier, supervising producer Katherine Wells, editor Caitlin PenzeyMoog, fact-checker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

25 Sep 2024

44 MINS

44:21

25 Sep 2024

#728

Is my dentist scamming me?

Matt wants to know how to tell if he’s being scammed by his dentist. To find the answer, we open up the surprising history of dentistry, ask why it seems so different from internal medicine, and drill down on why dental insurance doesn’t really feel like insurance. Host Jonquilyn Hill talks with journalist Mary Otto and Dr. Lisa Simon, DMD, MD, to find the answers. [We want to hear your questions] (https://www.vox.com/23700653/explain-it-to-me-crowdsourcing-ask-vox) . Call us at 1-800-618-8545, or email us at [askvox@vox.com] (mailto:askvox@vox.com) Extra reading: [Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America] (https://bookshop.org/p/books/teeth-the-story-of-beauty-inequality-and-the-struggle-for-oral-health-in-america-mary-otto/7401685?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrp-3BhDgARIsAEWJ6Sy8nQLQx21FS6JNV-j_VwwmPt9sOZ52ljQXDduxRpuDVp1slv_QlugaAmsWEALw_wcB) [Dental Use and Spending in Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare, 2010-2021 | Health Policy] (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2815467) Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Andrea Kristinsdottir and Cristian Ayala, engineers Carla Javier, supervising producer Katherine Wells, editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

18 Sep 2024

42 MINS

42:49

18 Sep 2024

#727

Introducing Explain It to Me

Life is complicated, and here at Vox, we love to explain it. Enter Explain It to Me: your go-to hotline for all the questions you can’t quite answer on your own. Give us a call, and we’ll do all the heavy lifting to get you the answers you need. Call 1-800-618-8545, send an email to askvox@vox.com, or submit a question [here] (https://www.vox.com/23700653/explain-it-to-me-crowdsourcing-ask-vox) . New episodes drop every Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

08 Sep 2024

02 MINS

02:38

08 Sep 2024

#726

Our next chapter

We have some exciting news to share: There are some big changes coming to this feed, and we need your help with them! The Weeds as you know it is ending, but we’ll be back this fall with the same crew, some new artwork, and a new sound. We’ll be answering your burning questions — about politics, policy, and everything in between. So send us an email with your questions to [askvox@vox.com] (mailto:askvox@vox.com) or call us at 1-800-618-8545. Have a great summer! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

30 May 2024

02 MINS

02:13

30 May 2024

#725

How we Got Milk

If you went to public school in America, you most likely got a serving of milk with your lunch. The National School Lunch Program has been in operation for decades, serving tens of millions of school-aged kids cow’s milk with their lunches. But it turns out, there’s more supply than demand: According to USDA findings in 2019, students threw away about 41 percent of the milk served in schools. So why do schools keep serving it? Today on The Weeds: Why the US government loves milk. Submit your policy questions! [We want to know what you’re curious about.] (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRgpIzzYiDUmcpSg30WtAJZqLhvWGh8sWDwUifCzcgf08jTg/viewform) Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts Support The Weeds by becoming a Vox Member today: [http://www.vox.com/members] (http://www.vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

29 May 2024

41 MINS

41:16

29 May 2024

#724

Those pesky delivery fees

Pretty much everyone is unhappy with food delivery these days. Prices are rising for customers; workers are barely making minimum wage; and restaurants feel gauged by delivery apps. Today on The Weeds: how the gig economy turned sour, and how you can still order your favorite food without feeling guilty. Vox senior reporter Whizy Kim explains. Read More: [Food delivery fees have soared. How much of it goes to workers?] (https://www.vox.com/money/24118201/food-delivery-cost-expensive-doordash-ubereats-grubhub) Submit your policy questions! [We want to know what you’re curious about.] (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRgpIzzYiDUmcpSg30WtAJZqLhvWGh8sWDwUifCzcgf08jTg/viewform) Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts Support The Weeds by becoming a Vox Member today: [http://www.vox.com/members] (http://www.vox.com/members) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

22 May 2024

40 MINS

40:06

22 May 2024

#723

Panic! At The Drugstore

Do you think crime is on the rise? You aren’t the only one. According to Gallup, over 75 percent of Americans think crime is up from last year. The crime rate, though, has actually been falling. So why do so many Americans think crime is getting worse? Vox policy correspondent Abdallah Fayyad joins Weeds host Jonquilyn Hill to discuss the disconnect and what the numbers tell us. Read More: [Lawmakers are overreacting to crime] (https://www.vox.com/policy/24139552/crime-rates-falling-tough-laws-mass-incarceration) [The shoplifting scare might not have been real — but its effects are] (https://www.vox.com/politics/24025691/shoplifting-scare-criminal-justice-reform) [The cruel consequences of America’s aging prison population - Vox] (https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/24119956/prisons-elderly-aging-prisoners-criminal-justice) Submit your policy questions! [We want to know what you’re curious about.] (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRgpIzzYiDUmcpSg30WtAJZqLhvWGh8sWDwUifCzcgf08jTg/viewform) Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: [bit.ly/givepodcasts] (http://bit.ly/givepodcasts) Please take a second to help us learn more about you! [vox.com/podcastsurvey] (https://voxmedia.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_80NiOhwtezB9wy2) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

15 May 2024

41 MINS

41:09

15 May 2024

#722

A new era of cannabis research

Last week, the US Drug Enforcement Administration announced a move to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug, after the Biden administration requested a review in late 2022. For decades, cannabis has been classified as Schedule I alongside drugs like heroin and LSD—and research on its effects and medical use has been limited. While rescheduling could lead to more clinical research on marijuana, the future is currently hazy. Today on The Weeds: what rescheduling cannabis means for medical research, and why it still might not be enough to push past the barriers that still exist. Read More: [Marijuana could be classified as a lower-risk drug. Here’s what that means. - Vox] (https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/8/31/23853907/marijuana-schedule-health-human-services-dea-cannabis) [What marijuana reclassification means for the United States] (https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-reclassification-biden-garland-dea-3c9478472e124c7aaa9b934270b0d450) Submit your policy questions! [We want to know what you’re curious about.] (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRgpIzzYiDUmcpSg30WtAJZqLhvWGh8sWDwUifCzcgf08jTg/viewform) Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: [bit.ly/givepodcasts] (http://bit.ly/givepodcasts) Please take a second to help us learn more about you! [vox.com/podcastsurvey] (https://voxmedia.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_80NiOhwtezB9wy2) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

08 May 2024

38 MINS

38:04

08 May 2024

#721

Are baby bonds a good investment?

Something is happening in Connecticut. Back in 2021, the state legislature passed a measure that would create something called baby bonds: trust accounts for children receiving government assistance. It’s an idea that started decades ago and was championed by Darrick Hamilton, the founding director of the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at the New School. On this week's episode of The Weeds, host Jonquilyn Hill sits down with Hamilton to discuss how the idea came to fruition, how a race-neutral policy can close the racial wealth gap, and the way we define economic value. Submit your policy questions! [We want to know what you’re curious about.] (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRgpIzzYiDUmcpSg30WtAJZqLhvWGh8sWDwUifCzcgf08jTg/viewform) Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: [bit.ly/givepodcasts] (http://bit.ly/givepodcasts) Please take a second to help us learn more about you! [vox.com/podcastsurvey] (https://voxmedia.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_80NiOhwtezB9wy2) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

01 May 2024

39 MINS

39:26