Vox Quick Hits

Matt, Dara, and Vox's Umair Irfan take on a white paper about indoor pollution and its effects on cognition. A bonus clip from the "White paper-palooza" episode of The Weeds (4/13/21). Resource: "The Impact of Indoor Climate on Human Cognition: Evidence from Chess Tournaments" by Steffen Künn, Juan Palacios, and Nico Pestel (Apr. 29, 2019) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US government is calling for an immediate pause in Johnson & Johnson vaccinations after six recipients (out of millions) developed blood clots. ProPublica’s Caroline Chen explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a presidency ends, the National Archives and Records Administration's work begins. They play a key role in transferring millions of records and artifacts from the White House. And they even archive the Twitter accounts belonging to members of the previous administration. We first saw this happen with the Obama administration, and those archived accounts are still around. But President Trump has created a kind of thorny problem for the National Archives: how do you preserve the tweets of a president who's been banned from Twitter? Politico’s Quint Forgey (@QuintForgey) explains. Read Quint’s story here. Enjoyed this episode? Rate Recode Daily ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. What do you want to learn on Recode Daily? Send your questions and requests to [email protected]. We read every email! Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Recode Daily by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices This episode was made by: - Host: Teddy Schleifer (@teddyschleifer) - Producer: Sofi LaLonde (@sofilalonde) - Engineer: Paul Mounsey Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Democrats have the slimmest of majorities in the United States Senate, and it’s up to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to keep his caucus together. He has to manage moderates, such as Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, while at the same time dealing with progressives to his left. And, he’s up for reelection in 2022 and would rather not face a primary challenge from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Vox reporter Li Zhou (@liszhou) recently interviewed Schumer. She and host Emily Stewart discuss the New York Democrat’s political style — which includes lots of personal calls to lawmakers on his flip phone — and how he hopes to accomplish “big, bold change” in the coming months. 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

Recode’s Rebecca Heilweil explains how proving you got the shot became controversial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are signs everywhere that this summer could be...the best ever? A post-pandemic world has some of us speculating this new season could look like the Roaring 20s meets the Summer of Love. Vox culture writers Terry Nguyen and Melinda Fakuade join host Rebecca Jennings to talk about the trends making us excited to re-emerge into society. Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis in 2020 was a deeply traumatic moment for America, and Black Americans, in particular, were affected. Now, many people are living that pain as the trial for former police officer Derek Chauvin, who faces criminal charges in Floyd’s death, is underway. Vox race reporter Fabiola Cineas (@fabiolacineas) discusses what’s happening in the trial, the prosecution’s plan for using video and witness testimony to advance their case, and the impact those elements can have on people participating in the trial and those watching at home. Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart and produced by Sofi LaLonde. Learn More: Read Fabiola’s story on the trauma of the trial 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

Or maybe, after listening to this episode, it’ll be more like CICADAPALOOZA! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alissa loved Godzilla vs. Kong. She wishes she could have seen it on an IMAX screen. She breaks down the plot (spoiler-free!) and the most spectacular moments, shares her one major quibble with the film, and explains why, ultimately, Godzilla vs. Kong is the welcome, bombastic relief we all need right now. Read her review here. Godzilla vs. Kong (113 minutes) is available in theaters and on HBO Max. - 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 megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the royal drama that has roiled the normally quiet kingdom of Jordan this week: The king has accused his half-brother, the former crown prince, of a vague conspiracy against the crown and has put him under house arrest. References: Alex wrote Vox’s explainer on the royal family feud. This is the audio of Prince Hamzah and the Jordanian general talking that Jenn mentioned. The New York Times has a good piece on the roots of the King Abdullah and Prince Hamzah split. You can watch Hamzah’s self-filmed video sent to the BBC, well, on the BBC. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the biggest pop stars in the world is rerecording her first six albums at the artistic peak of her career. The Atlantic’s Shirley Li explains Swift’s gambit to reclaim her catalog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is The Best Money I Ever Spent, a series of personal essays about the purchases we make – big and small — that make an impact on our lives. When Max Ufberg and his girlfriend left New York for Pennsylvania at the beginning of the pandemic, they assumed it would be a quick trip. But as weeks became months, they splurged on a kayak and began to spend their downtime ambling through the very landscapes Max had once been so eager to leave behind. And he started to realize just how wrong he was about this place. Read his 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by: Producers: Sofi LaLonde and Schuyler Swenson Editors: Alanna Okun and Taylor Maycan Engineer: Paul Mounsey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Writer and Vox contributor Anne Helen Petersen talks with poet and novelist Patricia Lockwood about the experience of being extremely online. They discuss Lockwood's book No One Is Talking About This, writing and religious upbringing, the parts of life perfectly suited to the internet, and the human experiences that glitch the system. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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 group of students in Topeka, Kansas, discovered their high school was named after an exalted cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan. Then they tried to change it. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the most famous moral panics in history, the Satanic Panic, may have been at its peak in the 80s, but did it ever really go away? Vox culture writer Aja Romano walks up through the history of this fear of the occult from the Mason family to Lil Nas X. Read Aja Romano’s full story at Vox.com 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's Dylan Scott to examine the portion of Biden's infrastructure plan designated for the "caretaking economy." 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Monday night, the Senate parliamentarian gave Democrats an unprecedented blessing. Vox’s Ella Nilsen and Li Zhou explain what they might do with it. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One way that America can get “back to normal” is through what's called a digital vaccine passport. America is well underway with its covid vaccination rollout and while we still have a long way to go, more and more people are getting vaccinated. But while carrying a digital vaccine record sounds like a useful idea, experts warn of privacy issues and serious ethical concerns. Vox’s Rebecca Heilweil explains. References: Read Rebecca’s story here Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Quick Hits ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. What do you want to learn about on Recode Daily? Send your requests and questions to [email protected]. We read every email! Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Recode Daily by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices This episode was made by: - Host: Teddy Schleifer (@teddyschleifer) - Producer: Sofi LaLonde (@sofilalonde) - Engineer: Paul Mounsey Support Vox Quick Hits and Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Joe Biden has a decision to make by May 1: whether to pull troops from Afghanistan or have them stay. There is no easy answer; both options could have serious consequences. But a decision has to be made. President Donald Trump made a deal with the Taliban that troops would leave by May 1, but in the end, Biden has to make the call. What would happen if the troops stay, and what would happen if they leave? Vox’s Alex Ward is here to discuss. He’s a White House reporter and a co-host of the Worldly podcast. Learn more: Alex recently talked to two experts who argued both sides of the decision. You can read those arguments here: staying in Afghanistan or leaving Afghanistan. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support Tell Me More and Vox Quick Hits by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Tell Me More is hosted by Emily Stewart. Let us know what you want to learn more about! Send us an email at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Major League Baseball, Delta, and Coke are calling out Georgia for its new voting reforms, but some of these corporations were involved in crafting the legislation. WABE’s Emma Hurt explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not all mother-daughter relationships are sunny and cheerful. Vox book Critic Constance Grady recommended a few novels that unpack complicated dynamics in clever, original ways. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Hot Milk by Deborah Levy Ask a Book Critic is an exclusive series from Vox Quick Hits. New episodes every other Wednesday and you can read the column here. If you’d like Constance to recommend a book for you, email [email protected] with the subject line “Ask a Book Critic.” The more specific your mood, the better! 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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 lot of people felt overworked before the pandemic. Now, well, you can imagine. American work culture has become increasingly untenable for many people. It's basically impossible to keep up with the demands of work and the rest of life, which is especially true for parents, even when we’re not living through a pandemic. The past year has exposed America’s problem with work culture, and pushed working parents to their limits. Is there a way we can fix this? Vox’s Anna North is here to explain. References: Read Anna’s story about work culture and pandemic parenting here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Vox Quick Hits archive (Feb. 19, 2021): Vox film critic Alissa Wilkinson and critic-at-large Emily VanDerWerff recommend Minari. Minari is the story of Korean immigrants Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Yeri Han) who move their two small children (Noel Kate Cho and Alan S. Kim) from California to Arkansas in pursuit of Jacob’s dream of farming. But Jacob and Monica’s marriage is on the rocks, a circumstance that doesn’t improve the way they hoped it would when Monica’s mother (Yuh Jung Youn) comes to stay with them. Written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung (Munyurangabo, Lucky Life) and set in the 1980s Ozarks, Minari feels deeply personal. It’s both a family drama seen through the eyes of a Korean American boy and a moving tale of love and loss in the American heartland, exquisitely told. Read Alissa's review of Minari here. Hosts: Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie) and Emily VanDerWerff (@emilyvdw) Enjoyed this episode? Rate us ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Want to get in touch? Email our producer: [email protected] Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear next week's episode 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

We asked if you still had vaccine questions, and you did. We found answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack, Alex, and returning guest Jen Kirby talk about the potential for a “bloodbath” in Myanmar. Since the military deposed the democratic government in a February 1 coup, pro-democracy protesters and armed ethnic groups have risen up against the junta. They’ve been met with extreme violence, leading to more than 500 dead and concerns from experts that a broader civil war is coming. The Worldly crew explains how this horrible situation came to be, what may come next, and what — if anything — the international community can do to stop a Syria-like crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New York is the latest state to legalize recreational marijuana, but President Joe Biden won’t budge. This means that it’s possible to become a billionaire or a convicted felon for selling weed in the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Vox Quick Hits archives (Jan. 21, 2021): A preview of Vox columnist Anne Helen Petersen's conversation with sociologist Rachel Sherman about Sherman's research into the anxieties of wealthy people and their desire to be seen as "middle class." Her work exposes the flawed stories we tell ourselves about who qualifies as middle class and who qualifies as "good" in the US. Want to hear the rest of the conversation? Listen 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 mini episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox's Worldly host Zack Beauchamp talks with author and New Statesman editor Emily Tamkin about the life and legacy of George Soros. How did a Hungarian billionaire philanthropist become the No. 1 boogeyman of right-wing nationalist movements on both sides of the Atlantic? They unpack the meaning of the smear campaign against him, and the inherent contradictions of a wealthy man trying to use his influence to make societies more democratic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s infrastructure week in America. President Joe Biden unveiled a plan to spend trillions on bridges, roads, housing, and clean energy to prove it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Vox Quick Hits archives (Jan. 27, 2021): “Manifesting,” or the practice of thinking aspirational thoughts with the purpose of making them real, has never been more popular: From late March to mid-July in 2020, Google searches for the term skyrocketed 669 percent; “shut up I’m manifesting” was among the defining memes of 2020. Vox's Rebecca Jennings joins host Meredith Haggerty to explain what manifesting is, who's doing it, how it works, and how it doesn't. Read Rebecca's story here. Host: Meredith Haggerty (@manymanywords), co-deputy editor of The Goods Enjoyed this episode? Rate us ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of One Good Answer by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt and Dara talk with Vox judicial reporter Ian Millhiser, author of The Agenda: How a Republican Supreme Court is Reshaping America, about Biden's court appointments, and look ahead to the future of the judiciary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More than half of US states are working to ban, or even criminalize, trans athletes playing sports. Vox contributor Katelyn Burns explains how conservative politicians came to care so much about women’s sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When scientists examined the DNA of ancient bones found near a Himalayan lake, they were forced to confront a seemingly impossible conclusion. For further reading, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America has never been particularly concerned with women's sports, and yet a slew of bills trying to block transgender girls and women from participating in them are popping up across the country. Transgender student athletes are just the latest target in conservatives’ attempts to pass anti-LGBTQ legislation; before they were talking about sports, they were fretting over bathrooms and puberty blockers. This move against trans athletes stems from the argument that men are biologically stronger than women. But is the science there? Katelyn Burns, a contributing writer at Vox, explains. References: Read Katelyn’s story here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Evergiven, a Japanese cargo ship chartered by a Taiwanese shipping company flying the Panamanian flag and bound for the Netherlands, finally floated down the Suez Canal today after being stuck for six days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Vox Quick Hits archives (March 8, 2021): Earlier in the pandemic, a feud between Gen Z and millennials started, largely on TikTok. And recently there’s been a resurgence of Gen Z dragging their elders to filth online. Vox reporter Terry Nguyen (a Gen Zer) explains to Rebecca Jennings (a millennial) why there’s a war and why we should care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Like many Americans, you may have an extra $1,400 dollars in your bank account, or you're expecting it to arrive soon. After President Biden signed the Covid-19 relief bill on March 11, stimulus checks went out to millions of people, but not everyone who's eligible got one. In fact, many of the most vulnerable Americans, including people experiencing homelessness, did not receive payments. Vox's Kelsey Piper explains what happened and how we may be able to fix it. References: Read Kelsey’s story here 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

Recent mass shootings in Georgia and Colorado have recharged the movement to regulate gun ownership. But federal gun control legislation has little chance of passing. Patrick Blanchfield from the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research argues that the best way to mitigate gun violence may be not talking about gun control at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a very special Worldly episode, Zack, Jenn, and Alex answer YOUR questions! From the many great listener questions sent in over the last several weeks, the gang picked four to answer in this week’s episode: What is “the Quad” and how does it fit into geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific; what’s driving migration to the US from Central America; why Imperial Japan’s use of Korean forced labor and “comfort women” in the 1930s and ’40s continues to complicate relations between Japan and South Korea today; and how to go about explaining world affairs topics to folks who don’t have a deep background in these subjects. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Democrats in charge, there is a lot of talk about big ideas for the country, including … banning menthol cigarettes? Politico’s Sarah Owermohle explains why Black lawmakers are split over whether a ban would help or hurt Black communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aarti Shahani, NPR journalist and host of WBEZ podcast Art of Power, talks with investigative journalist and author Alfredo Corchado about the US-Mexico border. Trump's actions created a new urgency for the political establishment to better understand the border, and Biden's challenges there continue to grow. Corchado, a former child farmworker and a Mexican-American with identities on both sides of the border wall, discusses the reality, politics, history, and future of the border. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Trace’s Jennifer Mascia explains why two gun reform bills the House recently passed are likely to fail in the Senate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your 20s can feel like the best of times and also the worst. Book Critic Constance Grady offers a few reads to help navigate through the murky existential waters of starting a career or finding a new purpose. Wild by Cheryl Strayed Losing It Emma Rathbone Florence in Ecstasy by Jessie Chaffee. Ask a Book Critic is an exclusive series from Vox Quick Hits. New episodes every other Wednesday and you can read the column here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt, Dara, and Vox's Jerusalem Demsas discuss the politics of progressive control proposals that rise to the fore in the wake of mass shootings, and whether or not they can be effective at curing the real ills of gun violence in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Monday, a tweet sold for $2.9 million. That followed a JPEG that went for $69 million. The Verge’s Liz Lopatto explains how internet ephemera turned to gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sixty years ago, geologists tried to drill down through the Earth’s crust to pull up a piece of the Earth’s mantle. Their mission didn’t go exactly as planned. But it sowed the seeds for a new field of science that’s helped us rewrite not only the history of the planet, but, potentially, our definitions of life itself. The documentaries featured in this episode are "The First Deep Ocean Drilling: Mohole, Phase 1" and "Project Mohole: Report No. 1." For further reading, sign up for our newsletter here: http://vox.com/unexplainable-newsletter Show transcript and articles at: http://vox.com/unexplainable Email us! [email protected] We read every email. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the argument for student debt forgiveness has been fleshed out in recent years, so has the case that it’s not the right way to go. Some experts, economists, and ordinary Americans are skeptical of forgiving student debt. They argue that while debt is certainly a problem for the people who have it, forgiveness isn’t a really effective way to stimulate the economy or to tackle equity goals. Beth Akers, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, lays out the case against broad-based student debt forgiveness in Tell Me More’s two-part series on student debt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The United States and China met in Anchorage, Alaska, on Thursday to air grievances, and the cameras were rolling. Vox’s Alex Ward explains how the meeting set the stage for one of the world’s biggest rivalries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s about to be a huge transfer of wealth from the pockets of Boomers to younger generations. Will “the great wealth transfer” magnify existing inequalities or expand the middle class? Deputy editor Meredith Haggerty discusses her story on this hard-to-talk-about topic and unpacks why inheritance is more complicated than it seems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices