Vox Quick Hits

Reporters from the Vox newsroom recount Joe Biden's latest round of presidential actions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vox critic-at-large Emily VanDerWerff and film critic Alissa Wilkinson recommend Lupin, starring Omar Sy. It’s a five-episode French TV show based on a classic literary character who is a master of disguise and who delights in tricking criminals to bring justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the nationwide demonstrations in Russia in support of dissident opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who returned to the country this week from Germany, where he was recuperating from a poisoning believed to be an assassination attempt directed by the Kremlin. Navalny was immediately arrested upon his arrival, sparking protests across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vox’s Emily Stewart explains how GameStop’s stock jumped by 1,700 percent this month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Jo Livingstone got lost in a new city, they found a fortune teller and a path forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vox's Sean Illing talks to Yale professor and author Jason Stanley about why American democracy provides such fertile soil for fascism, how Donald Trump demonstrated how easy it was for our country to flirt with a fascist future and what we can do about it. 8:44 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Tammy Duckworth wants the military to do a better job of rooting out extremism in its ranks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Manifesting is the latest iteration of The Law of Attraction, the belief that you can make things happen through desire and attention. Vox's Rebecca Jennings explains how it works, and how it doesn’t. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Yglesias, Dara Lind, and German Lopez discuss the research and the evidence for the effects of the number of police officers on crime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One year after our first episode on the novel coronavirus, Vox’s Julia Belluz explains what we got right, what we got wrong, and what comes next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial is on the horizon, even though he’s out of the White House. Trump was impeached for the second time in January, this time on incitement of insurrection over the riots at the US Capitol, and now, the matter is headed to the Senate. Some Democrats worry conducting an impeachment trial now will collide with Joe Biden’s early agenda, but lawmakers insist they can balance legislation, appointee confirmations, and Trump. Vox’s Li Zhou explains the lay of the land. References: Li’s story with Ella Nilsen about the impeachment vote. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marianne Williamson was applauded as well as ridiculed on the presidential debate stage when she warned of the “dark psychic forces of collectivized hatred.” Now, just a few weeks after a lethal insurrection, a historic second impeachment, and the inauguration of President Joe Biden, she talks about the possibility of unity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How a highly exclusive, luxury spin class business rose to power and its dramatic downfall. Vox’s Alex Abad-santos breaks down his investigative report on SoulCycle and reveals the toxic culture behind the once star-studded fitness studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Joe Biden in office, the United States has a chance to reset its response to the Covid-19 pandemic and address the crisis at hand. President Biden has set a goal of administering 100 million Covid-19 vaccines in 100 days. Central to his plan to get there: an increased federal role in the process and billions of dollars in investment. Vox’s German Lopez discusses America’s current vaccination landscape, Biden’s coronavirus strategy, and how the new administration’s approach differs from Donald Trump’s. References: German’s explainer on Biden’s vaccine rollout plan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamala Harris has already broken barriers, but ahead lies the rare task of leading a polarized and evenly divided Senate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vox critic-at-large Emily VanDerWerff and film critic Alissa Wilkinson picked their favorite movies: Spirited Away, Blue, Margaret, and The Death of Stalin. Alissa and Emily chat about why they love the movies and how to find them on Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex host the first Worldly episode of the Biden administration, the show’s first-ever episode when Donald Trump is not president. They discuss how US foreign policy will differ under Biden — and surprising ways it might stay the same — on topics ranging from China to Middle Eastern alliances to climate change. References: Alex has a thorough explainer on Biden’s foreign policy. Vox wrote up how the confirmation hearings for Biden’s key national security Cabinet picks went this week. 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 More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his first few minutes in office, President Biden hit CTRL+Z on former President Trump’s agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vox columnist Anne Helen Petersen talks with sociologist Rachel Sherman about her research into the anxieties of wealthy people and their desire to be seen as "middle class." Sherman's work exposes the flawed stories we tell ourselves about who qualifies as middle class and who qualifies as "good" in the US. 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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawmakers in Washington are fighting over an internet law you’ve never heard of called Section 230. It’s a sword and shield that basically means internet companies like Twitter and Facebook can police their platforms however they want, and they’re not liable for what people post there. But now, the law is increasingly under fire on both sides of the aisle. Recode reporter Sara Morrison explains the growing criticism of Section 230 and whether scrapping or reforming it is really the best way to make the internet better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his inaugural speech, President Joe Biden spoke about the pandemic while also calling out the rise of far-right extremism and misinformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new role, Kamala Harris will break many barriers: she is the first woman, first Black person, and first person of South Asian descent to become the vice president of the United States. For some people, that last part is news: Wait, Harris is Asian American? When she was nominated, there was much discussion about Harris’s identity. While some South Asian voters were upset that this part of her identity has long been downplayed, others were excited about the historic nature of her nomination and what it represents for South Asian American women and women of color. Meanwhile, some Black voters debated whether she is truly “Black enough,” and far-right critics pushed birther-style arguments, questioning whether Harris is a US citizen and her eligibility for vice president. Vox’s Nisha Chittal walks us through Kamala Harris’s background and explains why Americans still struggle to talk about multiracial people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Ask a Book Critic, hosted by Vox's book critic Constance Grady. She recommends reads to suit your very specific mood: either how you’re feeling right now, or how you’d like to be feeling instead. This week, Constance has books that will help you figure out who you are. Maybe you're trying to find your identity or build a new one. Or maybe you're thinking about the kind of person you want to be in this new year, which is an issue books tackle uniquely well. Recommendations: Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel Lavery Amateur by Thomas Page McBee Perfect Circle by Sean Stewart Possession by A.S. Byatt Daniel Deronda by George Eliot War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy If you're looking for a book recommendation, email: constance[dot]grady@vox[dot]com Be sure to use the subject line “Ask a Book Critic.” Remember, the more specific you can be about the kind of book you want to read, the better. No request will go unanswered, and that's our guarantee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's most important in the Covid rescue plan outlined by the Biden team? The Weeds hosts Matt Yglesias and Dara Lind are joined by Vox's Emily Stewart to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America’s two-month lame-duck period gave supporters of the outgoing president ample time to plan a violent uprising. Vox’s Ian Millhiser argues the long transition needs to end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While an absolutely incredible value, TSA PreCheck status shouldn't exist, comedian and writer Josh Gondelman argues. Still, it's the best $80 he has ever spent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vox's book critic, Constance Grady, recommends books by Bill Cunningham, Tina Brown and Cookie Mueller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new hit Regency romance series on Netflix from Shonda Rhimes is drawing attention from critics for its handling of race. Vox’s Aja Romano talks about what the series gets right about the time period and its playful approach to the genre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump is not an anomaly, he’s an American consistency, one that many people — namely white people — often overlook. Vox race reporter Fabiola Cineas talks about how Trump elevated white supremacy in the United States and how his divisive rhetoric culminated in the Capitol riots on January 6. We also get into how America’s history on race landed Trump in the White House in the first place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vaccine rollouts have always been fraught. Sam Kean tells the story of the Balmis expedition, which brought the smallpox vaccine to the Americas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A daily playlist of bite-sized audio from Vox to start your day a little more informed. Tune in every weekday morning starting Tuesday, January 19th for episodes spanning politics, policy, and culture – all in 10 minutes or less. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices