Vox Quick Hits

Books can feel like a plane ticket to a new part of the world you’ve never seen, a glimpse into a lifestyle or new way of being in the world. A caller from Chicago requests sprawling nonfiction books about a city and the characters in them. Constance recommends: Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City Thomas Dyja’s New York, New York, New York Conor Dougherty’s Golden Gates Watch all of Constace’s conversation with author N.K. Jemisin and The Great Cities trilogy at the vox book club here: https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/5/1/21242844/nk-jemisin-interview-the-city-we-became-vox-book-club If you’re looking for a book recommendation, you can email Constance Dot Grady at Vox dot com. Be sure to use the subject line “Ask A Book Critic.” 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 Ask a Book Critic on Vox Quick Hits by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You may have noticed that shorts are getting shorter, legs are the new abs, and it’s now socially acceptable to thirst over men with huge thighs on the internet. Vox senior culture reporter, Alex Abad-Santos (@alex_abads) explains why this summer is all about men’s thighs and why we should care. Read Alex’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. This episode was made by: Host: Rebecca Jennings (@rebexxxa) Producer: Schuyler Swenson Engineer: Paul Mounsey Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve all got one: a go-to comfort watch — that show or movie you can always turn to for a pick-me-up. This week on What to Watch, we share ours. Vox’s film critic Alissa Wilkinson is hooked on HBO’s Selena + Chef, critic at large Emily VanDerWerff can always count on Star Trek (especially Deep Space Nine), and senior producer Taylor Maycan explains her longtime love of CBS’s Survivor. What to Watch is a Vox Quick Hits exclusive series. New episodes every Friday. Hosts: Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie) and Emily VanDerWerff (@emilyvdw) Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Quick Hits ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Can’t find a good movie or show to watch? Let us help! No request is too broad or too specific. We read every email: [email protected]. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear next week's episode of What to Watch by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Crypto philanthropy is a burgeoning field, and one with lots of unique complications. Take the case of Vitalik Buterin, the programmer who co-founded the cryptocurrency ethereum, and his recent donation to a charity in India to help respond to the Covid-19 crisis there. He gave $1.5 billion in cryptocurrency, including $1 billion in a memecoin called Shiba Inu coin. And, well, that gift didn’t work out as planned. Former Recode senior reporter Teddy Schleifer discusses what happened with Buterin’s donation and what it might mean for other crypto donations like it. Learn more: Read Teddy’s story here. Emily has a story on the current crypto craze here. – Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. Enjoyed this episode? Rate Tell Me More ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple What do you want to learn about on Tell Me More? Send your requests and questions to [email protected]. We read every email! Podcasts. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Language and identity are tightly intertwined. Which is why for Latina writer Maria Theresa Hart, conquering the Spanish language was something she’s tried to achieve since childhood. When Trump was elected in 2016, she decided to double down on her commitment. Read Maria’s essay here: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/8/4/21348704/spanish-classes-latina-trump-america-english This episode was made by: Writer: Maria Theresa Hart Editor: Alanna Okun Producers: Schuyler Swenson, Sofi LaLonde Engineer: Paul Mounsey 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 The Best Money I Ever Spent on Vox Quick Hits by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo are getting a second chance in 2021 after being postponed due to the pandemic. But whether they should is an open question. Japan is in the midst of a Covid-19 surge, and polls show a majority of its citizens don’t want the games to happen. If there is an outbreak at the Olympics, it’s not just that athletes and coaches could be sickened; they also risk taking the virus home. Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has a lot riding on the event, and Japan and the International Olympic Committee are forging ahead. They insist the Olympics can still be safe. Vox reporter Jen Kirby explains the Olympic Games in flux. Learn More: Read Jen’s story here. – Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. Enjoyed this episode? Rate Tell Me More ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple What do you want to learn about on Tell Me More? Send your requests and questions to [email protected]. We read every email! Podcasts. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s an ongoing reckoning happening in the book publishing industry. Younger staff at publishing houses like Simon & Schuster and Hachette are starting to organize a protest their company’s decisions to publish books by controversial figures, from Mike Pence to Woody Allen. And it’s forcing the industry to ask itself some really tough questions about it’s role as a huge platform and financial resource for authors. Vox book critic Constance Grady joins the show to shed some light on book deals and discuss her take on the industry’s existential woes. Read the full story: https://www.vox.com/culture/22423485/publishing-book-deal-simon-schuster-mike-pence-kellyanne-conway-dutton-linda-fairstein 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. This episode was made by: - Hosts: Rebecca Jennings (@rebexxxa) Meredith Haggerty (@manymanywords) - Producer: Taylor Maycan, Schuyler Swenson - Engineer: Paul Mounsey Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jean Smart (the living legend and multiple Emmy winner) plays Deborah Vance, a famous comedian whose glory days are behind her. Deborah’s agent has a suggestion for her: Hire a younger comedy writer named Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to help spice up her material. Smart and Einbinder’s chemistry and performances take “Hacks” from a showbiz comedy to something with broader appeal. It’s a show that’s interested in the ways women in male-dominated industries are constantly one mistake away from having their careers seriously undermined, the ways that women across different generations view the world differently, and the ways those different points of view can make for varied types of comedy. “Hacks” will release two new episodes on HBO Max every Thursday until June 10. The first four are streaming now. Read Emily’s review of Hacks here. Looking for a new show or movie? Let us help! No request is too vague or too specific. We’ll pair you with something perfect. Contact [email protected]. We read every email! 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. What to Watch has new episodes every Friday. Support the show by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You probably think you know what cancel culture is, but do you really? The term “cancel culture” has become a trope on Twitter and Fox News, with people constantly decrying someone or something is unfairly being canceled — Dr. Suess, Ellen DeGeneres, July Fourth. But a lot of people misunderstand what cancel culture is, or at least what it was supposed to be: a way to hold powerful people accountable. Vox internet culture reporter Aja Romano joins to discuss what cancel culture means in theory and in practice, whether it’s as much of a problem as the right claims, and whether we need to have a broader conversation about having empathy for one’s past mistakes. Learn more: Read Aja’s excellent piece here: https://bit.ly/3yoCIsW – Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. Enjoyed this episode? Rate Tell Me More ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple What do you want to learn about on Tell Me More? Send your requests and questions to [email protected]. We read every email! Podcasts. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A caller writes “I love a good plot twist. Bonus if the plot isn’t a murder or cfrime.” Vox book critic, Constance Grady gives some recs and shares an excerpt of her conversation with Susan Choi, author of Trust Exercise, from the Vox Book Club. Constance recommends: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein The Nickle Boys by Colson Whitehead Trust Exercise by Susan Choi Watch Susan Choi’s full conversation with Constance here: https://www.vox.com/culture/22163906/susan-choi-trust-exercise-interview-vox-book-club If you are looking for a book recommendation, you can email Constance Dot Grady at Vox dot com. Be sure to use the subject line “Ask A Book Critic.” 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Right-wing coffee shops are popping up across the country, proving yet again that America can make pretty much anything political. One sells blends such as “The Don” and “Sleepy Joe Decaf.” Another offers concealed-carry permit classes. Many have Donald Trump-themed decor and products. Reporter Luke Winkie discusses the MAGA coffee trend and why Republicans are looking for a conservative-leaning version of Starbucks. Learn More: Read Luke’s story on right-wing coffee here. – Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. Enjoyed this episode? Rate Tell Me More ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple What do you want to learn about on Tell Me More? Send your requests and questions to [email protected]. We read every email! Podcasts. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thanks to Afterpay and Klarna, it’s easier than ever to buy in installments. Now, the model is coming for necessities. The buy now pay later concept isn’t new, but as startups make it more popular, what might be the unforeseen consequences, and why might Americans be particularly susceptible to going into more and more debt? Terry Nguyen wrote about this for The Goods. Read the full story: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2021/5/11/22429014/buy-now-pay-later-pandemic-expansion 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. This episode was made by: - Hosts: Rebecca Jennings (@rebexxxa) Meredith Haggerty (@manymanywords) - Producer: Taylor Maycan, Schuyler Swenson - Engineer: Paul Mounsey Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This weekend, Vox critic-at-large Emily VanDerWerff and film critic Alissa Wilkinson recommend you dive into the first few episodes of Amazon Prime Video’s 10-episode miniseries The Underground Railroad. Directed by Moonlight director Barry Jenkins, the series adapts Colson Whitehead’s award-winning novel about a young woman escaping slavery by traveling on a literal underground railroad, with a train and everything. The series is a mesmerizing adaptation of a wonderful novel, and it’s one of the best TV shows of the year so far. All 10 episodes are available on Amazon Prime Video. Episodes range in length from 20 minutes to 77 minutes. (Yes, really. But trust us — it works) Read Emily’s review of The Underground Railroad. Looking for a new show or movie? Let us help! No request is too vague or too specific. We’ll pair you with something perfect. Contact [email protected]. We read every email! - 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. - What to Watch has new episodes every Friday. Support the show by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Episode by: - Hosts: Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie) and Emily VanDerWerff (@emilyvdw) - Producer: Taylor Maycan (@taylormaycan) - Engineer: Paul Mounsey ^^^^^^ copy to review - thanks so much! ^^^^^^^ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lumber mania is sweeping North America. Prices are skyrocketing, and lumber supplies are scarce. It’s making building or renovating a home more expensive and has turned a stick of wood into a hot commodity at places like Home Depot and Lowe’s. The internet has taken notice of America’s lumber frenzy and has turned it into a bit of a meme on places like TikTok and Twitter. Paul Jannke, principal at Forest Economic Advisors, explains the current supply-demand crunch going on in lumber and whether there’s any end in sight. Learn More: Read Emily’s story here. Read more from Vox about lumber and sustainable building here. – Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. Enjoyed this episode? Rate Tell Me More ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple What do you want to learn about on Tell Me More? Send your requests and questions to [email protected]. We read every email! Podcasts. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you haven’t been fat, you might not know what it’s like to fly as a fat person. To walk past rows of passengers who meet your face with dread, disgust, or fear. To hear your body loudly derided in your presence. To be removed from a flight and required to rebook, sometimes without a refund, and nearly always without legal recourse. This week on The Best Money I Ever Spent, Aubrey Gordon, the writer behind ‘Your Fat Friend’ and the co-host of the Maintenance Phase, explains how a simple device she purchased for $19.98 — her travel talisman — helped her reclaim control and dignity over some of the worst aspects of flying. Read Aubrey’s essay here. This episode was made by: - Writer: Aubrey Gordon (@yrfatfriend) - Editor: Alanna Okun (@alanna) - Producers: Schuyler Swenson, Taylor Maycan (@taylormaycan) - Engineer: Paul Mounsey 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The term “Asian American” applies to more than 50 ethnic groups and people who speak upwards of 100 languages. While it’s served Asian Americans to build political power, it’s also left many people feeling marginalized and erased. Lumping such a diverse group together masks the different ways people experience the economy, culture, and society. The Indian American experience is quite different from, say, the Burmese American experience. Vox reporter Li Zhou discusses the inadequacy of the term “Asian American." Learn More: Read Li’s story on the inadequacy of the term “Asian American” here. Enjoyed this episode? Rate Tell Me More ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. What do you want to learn about on Tell Me More? Send your requests and questions to [email protected]. We read every email! Podcasts. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whether or not you grew up watching the hit TV teen drama, Dawson’s Creek, you are probably familiar with a gif of the titular Dawson, played by James Van Der Beek, sobbing all over the internet. Why did this become a thing and what was the backstory behind it’s existence in the first place? Vox’s Constance Grady interviewed showrunners, editors, and TV critics to find the answers. Read the full story. 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. This episode was made by: Host: Rebecca Jennings (@rebexxxa) Producer: Schuyler Swenson Engineer: Paul Mounsey Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox critic-at-large Emily VanDerWerff and film critic Alissa Wilkinson recommend FX’s groundbreaking series Pose, which recently started its third and final season. The show dramatizes the lives of members of New York City’s drag ball community in the late 1980s and early ’90s. It’s a fundamentally warm and optimistic celebration of found family, but it’s also not afraid to look at the terrible things that can happen to queer people in our culture, particularly during that time period. Seasons 1 and 2 are available on Netflix. 18 episodes total. New episodes Sunday on FX and available Monday on Hulu. Looking for a new show or movie? Let us help! No request is too vague or too specific. We’ll pair you with something perfect. Contact [email protected]. We read every email! Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Quick Hits by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. What to Watch has new episodes every Friday on Vox Quick Hits. Support the show by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Quick Hits ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and please leave a review! Episode by: Hosts: Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie) and Emily VanDerWerff (@emilyvdw) Producer: Taylor Maycan (@taylormaycan) Engineer: Paul Mounsey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tell Me More is Vox Quick Hits exclusive series, hosted by Vox reporter Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. America’s high-flying housing market might mean you’ll be renting forever — or, at least, for quite some time. Housing prices have soared during the pandemic as people have rushed to buy homes to escape cities and secure space for themselves and their families. Big companies have scooped up houses as well, sometimes outcompeting would-be homebuyers. As a result, more people may be pushed toward rentals because they can’t find or afford houses to buy. Recode’s Rani Molla explains whether the housing boom is turning America into a nation of renters. Learn more: Read Rani’s story on how soaring home prices are pushing people into the rental market here. Find Vox’s explainer about North America’s lumber mania here. Tell Me More is Vox Quick Hits exclusive series, hosted by Vox reporter Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. What are you curious to know more about? Send your questions to [email protected]. We read every email! Enjoyed this episode? Rate Tell Me More ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A caller from Austin, TX wants to check out some books from her local library, but is finding that many titles are on hold. Vox book critic, Constance Grady recommends some under the radar hits that will likely be available a local public library. Constance recommends: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis Cakes and Ale by William Somerset Maugham The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah If you are looking for a book recommendation, you can email Constance Dot Grady at Vox dot com. Be sure to use the subject line “Ask A Book Critic.” 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A rumor has taken hold among some Republicans that President Joe Biden wants to curtail America’s meat consumption — a rumor that, to be clear, isn’t true. The White House has no plans to limit people to eating certain amounts of beef as part of its climate proposal. However, that doesn’t mean meat has a positive impact on the environment. Food-related emissions, including those resulting from meat production, are a major contributor to climate change. Vox senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp debunks claims of Biden’s burger crackdown — and discusses why we should be having a discussion about meat if we really want to save the planet. Learn more: Read Zack’s story about Biden’s fake burger ban here. Season 3 of Future Perfect is about the meat industry. Listen to the trailer here. Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. –– Enjoyed this episode? Rate Tell Me More ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple What do you want to learn about on Tell Me More? Send your requests and questions to [email protected]. We read every email! Podcasts. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let’s be clear: All the available vaccines are worth taking and public health officials have avoided comparing them, because the best coronavirus vaccine is whichever one you can get. But that hasn’t stopped people from inventing their own perceptions about what it means to be part of the Moderna Mafia or the Pfizer Pham. Vox contributor Luke Winkie (@luke_winkie) explains why we do this. Read the story. 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: Host: Rebecca Jennings (@rebexxxa) Producer: Schuyler Swenson Engineer: Paul Mounsey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve been hunkered down at home for more than a year and, for many families, that’s meant finding common ground in viewing habits. This week on What to Watch, Vox film critic Alissa Wilkinson and critic at large Emily VanDerWerff help Stasi, a California mom with two tweens (ages 10 and 12). Stasi says it has been tough to find things to watch as a family — the options are either too juvenile or too mature, and very few hit that sweet spot right in middle. So she wants to know: What should they try? Emily recommends: Wolfwalkers (Apple TV+): Animated storytelling at its finest. Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix): One of the greatest shows ever made. Lost (Hulu): Perhaps the most significant show of the 21st century. Alissa recommends: Nailed It! (Netflix): A playful reality baking show that celebrates the joy of sugar, friendship, and messing up. I Am Greta (Hulu): An intimate, vulnerable documentary about the teen behind the headlines. The Water Man (in theaters May 7): It feels like a family film from a bygone era — and that’s what makes it great. Looking for a new show or movie? Let us help you find it! No request is too broad or too specific, and we’ll pair you with something perfect. Email [email protected]. We read every email. 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. What to Watch has new episodes every Friday. Support the show by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by: Hosts: Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie) and Emily VanDerWerff (@emilyvdw) Producer: Taylor Maycan (@taylormaycan) Engineer: Paul Mounsey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Questionable facts and numbers plague the conversation around sustainability and fashion, and that makes the industry harder to regulate. Sustainable fashion expert and journalist Alden Wicker found out why and how the average person can help. Read Alden’s full story here. - Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Quick Hits ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. - Looking for a new show or movie? Let us help you find it! No request is too vague or specific. Email [email protected]. We read every email. - Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Quick Hits by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. - What to Watch has new episodes every Friday. Support the show by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by: - Host: Meredith Haggarty (@manymanywords) - Producer: Taylor Maycan (@taylormaycan), Schuyler Swenson - Engineer: Paul Mounsey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The House of Representatives recently voted to make Washington, DC, the 51st state in the union, something many residents have wanted for a long time. Even though momentum is building, the bill probably isn’t going anywhere in the Senate unless Democrats get rid of or change the filibuster rules. Vox policy reporter Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas) discusses what DC not being a state means for the people who live there as well as politics and polling around the issue. Learn more: Read Jerusalem’s story on DC statehood here. Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You may have noticed that shorts are getting shorter, legs are the new abs, and it’s now socially acceptable to thirst over men with huge thighs on the internet. Vox senior culture reporter, Alex Abad-Santos (@alex_abads) explains why this summer is all about men’s thighs and why we should care. Read Alex’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. This episode was made by: Host: Rebecca Jennings (@rebexxxa) Producer: Schuyler Swenson Engineer: Paul Mounsey Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For months, the primary tools we had to combat Covid-19 outbreaks were testing, distancing, and masks. Now there’s a new and highly effective tool: vaccines. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has asked the White House for more vaccines and resources to address the state’s Covid spike. Thus far, the Biden administration is sticking to its plan of distributing vaccines according to population, whatever case rates in certain areas may be. Vox senior correspondent German Lopez (@germanrlopez) discusses whether the US needs to tweak its vaccine plan so that more shots get directed to places where the virus is surging. Learn More: Read German’s story here Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Film critic Alissa Wilkinson and critic-at-large Emily VanDerWerff do an epic speed run through the eight films nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars (Sunday, April 25, on ABC). In this Best Picture Battle Royale, Alissa and Emily go head to head and each make a case for four films — why these films deserve to win Best Picture and why you should watch them before the big night. (Spoiler alert: Not all of them are worth your time!) Read more about the nominees: Judas and the Black Messiah Mank Minari Nomadland Promising Young Woman Sound of Metal The Father The Trial of the Chicago 7 Are you on the hunt for a good show or movie? Let us help you find it! No request is too broad or too specific. We’ll pair you with something perfect. Email [email protected]. We read every email. Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Quick Hits ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Looking for a new show or movie? Let us help you find it! No request is too vague or specific. Email [email protected]. We read every email. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Quick Hits by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. What to Watch has new episodes every Friday. Support the show by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by: Hosts: Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie) and Emily VanDerWerff (@emilyvdw) Producer: Taylor Maycan (@taylormaycan) Engineer: Paul Mounsey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Or at least 30 percent of it. Support this show by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Twelve of Europe’s richest soccer teams tried, and failed, to create their own elite tournament in a naked money grab. Worldly’s Alex Ward, arguably Vox’s top soccer fan, explains why the move angered basically everyone and the scheme failed — for now. References: Alex wrote an explainer on the Super League and how the fans killed it. Support Worldly by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a very special Earth Month episode, Zack, Jenn, and Alex use Nigeria as a case study to uncover the deep reasons why it’s so hard for the world to quit fossil fuels. Nigeria is a country deeply threatened by climate change, but it’s also one with a major oil industry that hopes to lift millions out of poverty — a feat that has never been done without some degree of reliance on dirty energy. The team explains how these barriers affect the prospects for mitigating climate change in both Nigeria and globally, and talk about what solutions might help overcome these barriers. References: Check out all of Vox’s Earth Month podcasts. This is Nigeria’s national climate action plan. Reuters reports on how Nigeria’s minister of environment said the country must be ready for oil’s decline. Science magazine explains how fighting poverty makes it harder to fight climate change. Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò wrote about the African case for carbon capture for Africa Is A Country. Zack read from this smart paper on home energy needs in Nigeria. Learn about the problem with “degrowth.” Support Worldly by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listen to the Atlantic’s Robinson Meyer explain the arguments and then decide for yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox environmental reporter Benji Jones talks with journalist and author Michelle Nijhuis about her book Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction. They talk about the history of the conservation movement and its many characters, the standout successes and ugly truths, and why, even with millions of species under threat, there's still reason to hope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Highlighting Earth Week with an essay by London-based writer Grace Linden about the $219 air filter she bought her parents after the historic fires in California and the pandemic. Read Grace's essay 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. This episode was made by: Editor: Alanna Okun (@alanna) Producer: Schuyler Swenson Engineer: Paul Mounsey Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Norway has lapped the world in adopting electric vehicles. Christina Bu explains how they did it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the spirit of Earth Week, Vox book critic, Constance Grady shares some favorite books that inspired her to start her own garden: reads about what makes gardens look good and what emotional needs they can provide for us. Constance recommends: Down to Earth by Monty Don Essential Earthman by Henry Mitchell “The Rosary” an essay from How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee If you are looking for a book recommendation, you can email Constance Dot Grady at Vox dot com. Be sure to use the subject line “Ask A Book Critic.” 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox's Dylan Scott joins Matt and Dara to talk about South Korea's response to Covid-19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2019, David Wallace-Wells wrote a book called The Uninhabitable Earth. Just two years later, he’s feeling hopeful — thanks to the world’s biggest polluters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The environmental cost of growing marijuana is quite a bit higher than you might think, especially when growing indoors. America’s legal marijuana production industry consumes enough electricity to power nearly 100,000 homes every year. According to one estimate, if Colorado would shift all of its marijuana production to outdoors, it would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 1.3 percent annually. Dharna Noor (@dharnanoor), a staff writer at Earther, discusses the surprising environmental impact of marijuana production. Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. Learn More: Read Dharna’s story about indoor marijuana farms 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

And other items from the lunch menu of 2050. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: Host: Rebecca Jennings (@rebexxxa) Producer: Schuyler Swenson Engineer: Paul Mounsey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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. Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Quick Hits ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Looking for a new show or movie? Let us help you find it! No request is too vague or specific. Email [email protected]. We read every email. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Quick Hits by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. What to Watch has new episodes every Friday. Support the show by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by: Hosts: Emily VanDerWerff (@emilyvdw) and Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie) Producer: Taylor Maycan (@taylormaycan) Engineer: Paul Mounsey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz’s sex scandal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices