Jonquilyn Hill
Appearances
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Everything Iris loved about the apartment remains true. Her room, absolutely gorgeous. When the weather is nice, Noodle the dog wears a little red bandana on her walks. And when it rains, she has a little yellow raincoat. Iris is just constantly on the verge of tears looking at this dog because she's so perfect.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And living with three men in their mid-30s as a 20-something fresh out of college has its perks. The chore chart is more detailed than most of Iris' final exams. But she hasn't seen so much as a fruit fly since she walked in. Plus, Michael and Blake take pity on Iris the first time they catch her eating ramen for dinner two nights in a row.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
If they have any leftovers whenever they cook, which is almost every night, they let Iris have them. Since Aiden works nights, Iris almost never sees him. It's kind of a dream. Until the first roommate accountability meeting. OK, JQ, what do you think a roommate accountability meeting is?
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
So Iris has no idea what a roommate accountability meeting is. She just gets a text from Michael one night that says, looks like everyone's home. Ram tonight, queen. Ram is obviously the acronym for roommate accountability meeting.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
I'm like, hold on. What? What? Yeah. So Rams happen once every quarter and they are run by Michael and he describes them as forums to address any unresolved issues. So in practice, what that looks like is a lot of calling in about improperly loaded dishwasher racks or unsorted recycling. Even Blake, who is Michael's partner, doesn't escape scrutiny.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
At Iris's very first roommate accountability meeting, Michael gently reminds Blake that clothes are not to be left in the washing machine overnight. And if they are, they must be washed again before being put into the dryer to avoid odor. Iris is like, I wish to never be called in. Iris is one of those people that teachers called a pleasure to have in class. Relatable.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
She is a rule follower, a people pleaser, a submissive for courtesy. How do you think this vibe would mesh with Michael's, which isn't unlike that of a benevolent dictator?
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
I really wanted to preserve this space for all of us. All to say, I was really fucking scared. And now I'm so deeply touched by the response this season is already beginning to receive. I am learning on a very public stage and I am a perfectionist. So that is very hard for me to do. And y'all have really been so graceful and kind. And I can't express how much that means to me without crying.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
In the roommate accountability meetings, he always praises her for how thoroughly she vacuums the living room rugs. One time, Michael texted the roommate group chat with a photo of Iris' bathroom with a text that's waxing poetic about how clean the tub is. It also helps that Iris doesn't really think any of the house rules are super unreasonable. It's like, take the trash out on time.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
No dishes in the sink overnight. Perishable food in the fridge needs to be eaten or thrown out within two weeks. There are more rules, but they're kind of all of this nature. So it's less the rules and more the enforcement of them that lends Michael his benevolently dictatorial energy. Within a few weeks of moving in, Iris learns a few important facts.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
First, Michael isn't just the longest resident of the house. He's the owner of it. Iris wishes she had known that Michael is not just her roommate, but her landlord when she moved in. But it's too late for that. That's crazy to not disclose. Yeah. So important fact number one, Michael's the landlord. Important fact number two, Michael is a very talented woodworker.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
He had built not just the beautiful table in the dining room, but also the rocking chairs on the porch. All to say, Michael has good reason to be hypervigilant about coasters, which he very much is. Iris is honestly a little impressed by Michael's ability to throw a party that is both orderly and fun.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
She sees this ability in action on a semi-monthly basis because Blake and Michael are the party friends of their friend group. They're the kind of friend group that's going to celebrate National Pie Day, not because any of them are mathematicians or because they particularly love pie, but because it's an excuse to eat dessert and drink wine. I respect that. I respect that.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And it's at one of these parties that Iris is introduced to Teddy. JQ, do you have like tertiary friends?
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Exactly. Teddy is a recurring character. He is a tertiary friend of Aiden, our hot bartender roommate who is barely present. If you ask Aiden, he honestly couldn't even remember how he met Teddy. But what Aiden does know about Teddy is that Teddy's workplace is always hiring, which is why Aiden introduces Iris to Teddy in the final month of her fellowship when she is desperate for a job.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Teddy works for an arts education nonprofit that, like a lot of nonprofits, has a really high turnover rate. Iris immediately sets out to charm Teddy, which turns out to be really easy because Teddy also loves New Girl and also has a crush on Max Greenfield. After a few minutes of conversation, Teddy is like, I'm going to do my very best to make sure you get one of these jobs that have opened up.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And he is true to his word. Iris gets the job and immediately decides that Teddy needs to become her new work bestie, which is very easy because Teddy is like me and could talk to a brick wall. How do you feel about pranks?
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
So Teddy loves a good prank and he has a lot of thoughts on what makes a good prank. So good pranks have some important qualities. They have to be low stakes, but not lazy. So Teddy's not doing a whoopee cushion unless he's sitting on them. Good pranks cannot humiliate or embarrass the person being pranked. Okay. All right. And good pranks do not involve jump scares. Oh, okay. All right. Okay.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
So that's the end of feelings corner. On to the main event. I am so, so, so excited to be joined today by someone I absolutely love talking to. Our producer, Sierra Spragley-Rix, can attest to how much we love to cut up. She has to cut a lot of it out.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Iris learns about Teddy's love for pranks within her first week of starting at the nonprofit. She comes into work one day and sees that the family photo that she had pinned to the wall of her cubicle had been replaced with an almost identical copy that had Teddy photoshopped in.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
It's a good enough Photoshop job that Iris actually ends up keeping the tampered photo and displaying it alongside the original, which Teddy gives back immediately. So all in all, Iris is pretty pleased with her choice of work bestie. She's even more pleased when a few months after starting her new job, Teddy is invited to a party at the townhouse.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Since he's a tertiary friend, he's not always invited. But this party is bigger than usual because it's a going away party for Aiden, who is finally taking the plunge and moving to Arizona. A couple of hours have passed in this party and Iris is appropriately tipsy. Her and Teddy are gossiping in a corner about one of their mutual co-workers, one of life's great joys.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
When in the middle of this conversation, Teddy turns to Iris and says, watch this. And without further explanation, he turns and kind of sidles his way across the room right into a conversation with a few of Michael and Blake's friends. Iris is watching, not sure what Teddy is up to. And she only gets more confused when she sees Teddy's fingers slide across a bookshelf behind him.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And so they come across a little decorative figurine. And then without anyone but Iris noticing, Teddy takes the figurine off the bookshelf and hides it under his sweater. Teddy makes eye contact with Iris, who mouths, what are you doing? And Teddy winks and then gives a signal that says, he'll explain later, just play it cool for now. What do you think is going on?
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Yes, in the first season? Yeah. But also, ugh, this is why I hate praying. Stop. Be normal. So, since Iris has lived in the townhouse for about nine months now, she is more than familiar with the figurine that Teddy has just nicked. It is about, like, eight inches in height, and it's made from that sort of shiny gold metal that almost everything in anthropology is made out of. Mm.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
But the most important thing about this statue is that it looks exactly like Noodle the dog. It looks so much like Noodle that when Iris first noticed it a few months after she moved in, she had asked Blake which had come first, the dog or the dog statue.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Blake had sort of rolled his eyes and been like, ugh, that fucking thing is so tacky, before explaining that it had been a wedding gift, one of those things that he and Michael had thrown onto their registry after too many Proseccos. He'd actually wanted to get rid of it when it showed up on their doorstep, but Michael had fallen in love with the little gold statue.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Today's guest is none other than Jonquan Hill, the host of Explain It To Me, a Vox podcast that you can think of as a hotline to all your unanswered questions.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
The shelf that Teddy had just nicked the statue off of was even specially built into the bookcase by Michael just to display the statue. That's a little crazy. So as soon as Iris gets a moment to ask, she's like, Teddy, why did you take that statue? You know Michael loves that thing, right?
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And Teddy kind of starts giggling before revealing that he had actually been the one to buy the statue off the wedding registry. Because Teddy was knowingly a B-list invitation to Michael and Blake's wedding. This is actually one of Teddy's favorite situations to be in. He loves being the fun friend that's invited after Great Aunt Mildred decides not to attend.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
But part of being that friend meant that almost everything that was both affordable and practical on Blake and Michael's wedding registry had already been bought by the time Teddy was invited. Thus, the dog statue. And now Teddy has a brilliant idea for the dog statue. He wants to pull a prank. Huge news!
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Our Dowager Queen, Kelsey McKinney, wrote a New York Times best-selling book of beautiful essays about gossip. It's called You Didn't Hear This From Me, mostly true notes on gossip, and I am obsessed. It's about how we use gossip to learn about ourselves. It's about Britney Spears and Weston Caleb and Gilgamesh and Picasso. It's so fun.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And not to be biased, but I kind of think it's pretty excellent. It's out right now in a hardback and a super sexy audiobook, which Kelsey narrates. You can buy wherever you buy your books. You can also go to KelseyMcKinneyBook.com to see all retailers.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Teddy has this brilliant idea of doing a flat Stanley with the Noodle the Dog statue, which basically entails taking pictures of the Noodle the Dog statue in various locations across the city. Do you remember Teddy's rules for a good prank?
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
I do. I do. Well, the first part of our hang, I have to ask, what is your relationship to gossip?
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
So I have a feeling you think Michael will not take kindly to this prank.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Yeah. So at this point, Iris has had several rosé jello shots. Oh, that's great. And she's remembering how funny the Photoshop picture of her family is and how much she loves it now. And Teddy's her work bestie, which is the most sacred of relationships when you're 22. So Iris says, go forth. I'll keep your secret. Do you think this is a good idea? Yeah.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
My name's Bennett and I ain't in it. Yeah. So the next day is Saturday and it's the kind of typical Saturday morning after a party. Everyone is sort of barely conscious. The townhouse is immaculate, though, because of Michael's post-party protocol, which is called post-party protocol. Iris is watching Michael perform the second part of his inspection.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
When she sees his spine sort of stiffen, a second later, he drops his cup of coffee. Oh. Blake, who's been hanging out on the couch with Iris, is like, babe, what just happened? Because Michael doesn't drop things. Michael turns toward Blake and Iris. He's as white as a sheet. It's gone, Michael says. Iris starts kind of like sinking into the couch. She's like, I'm not here.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And Michael's like, the statue of Noodle, it's gone. Blake's like, oh, is that all? Michael is apoplectic. He's like, is that all? Is that all? What do you mean, is that all? Did you not hear me? It's gone. Someone stole it. Blake's like, honey, I don't think anyone would steal that statue. It probably just fell behind the bookcase or something.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Iris is like, yeah, it's probably behind the bookcase.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
You and Iris are actually on the exact same wavelength here. So Iris just kind of keeps her mouth shut and helps Michael when he asks her for help searching the area around the bookcase. She helps him when he widens the search to the living room. She helps him when he widens the search to the dining room and the kitchen. Within an hour, they have searched the entire townhouse.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And as Iris expected, the statue doesn't turn up. Blake cares no more than he did an hour ago. When Michael returns to the living room, Blake very gently is like, babe, we can just buy another one. I'm pretty sure it's from West Elm. But do you have anything in your house that you're just like maybe a little too attached to?
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Something that if it was gone, you would just be like, I know I'm not acting rationally, but I'm so upset. Oh, girl, all types of stuff.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
No, that's real. So Michael burst into tears after this. Oh, oh, Michael. And at this point, Iris is like, I got to get out of here. She has done enough fake searching that she feels able to go safely hide in her room at this point.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
As soon as she's in her room, she checks the partiful invite and sees that Michael has just written a post that starts with, I have been a victim of a crime in my own home. And ends with, I will find you and report you to the proper authorities. Michael has also replied to his own post with a photo of his tear-stained face so that the thief can see the emotional damage that they've brought.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Iris is panicking. She texts Teddy, who seemingly isn't awake yet. And Michael is starting to go vigilante mode. He spends an hour squirreled away in his office and emerges with bloodshot eyes and a stack of posters that have clearly been hastily designed on Canva. The poster includes an image of the statue, an image of Noodle for reference, and it offers a $250 reward for any information.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Not even the return of the statue, just information. At what point do you think a prank becomes a crime? When there's bloodshed. That's a good line to draw. Yeah. Yeah. So Iris makes up a birthday party she has to attend that night so she doesn't get roped into spending her Saturday night posting flyers for a statue that costs like $75 max.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And it's as she's leaving for her party that Teddy finally texts her back and she calls him as soon as she's a block away from the house.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
I'm not about to play with y'all. Iris is like, dude, you have to return the statue. Michael's freaking out. And at first, Teddy's like, you're just not used to pulling pranks. It's fine. This always happens. But then Iris makes him check the partiful where a witch hunt is currently ensuing. Only one lone voice of reason has commented, maybe it was just a prank.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
To which Michael has responded, anyone who knows me knows that I do not like pranks.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
What do you think are Iris and Teddy's options here?
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Iris is like, why don't I just come to your place, get the statue and I'll return it. Teddy is immediately like, you can't return it. I don't want you to get into any trouble over my stupid idea. He's like, what if I just deliver it to the door and run away like ding dong ditch style? Iris is like, that's not going to work.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Michael and Blake have cameras at every door to the house because this neighborhood is notorious for package thievery. She's like, the minute they find the box, they're going to go back to the camera footage to find out who left it and they're going to see that it's you. And so Teddy's like, damn. And they're both quiet for a minute. And then Teddy's like, okay, what about this?
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
What if I hire an Uber driver to come pick up the statue from my place and then drop it off at y'all's place? That way, it'll be someone Michael and Blake can't recognize. Do you see any problem with this plan?
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Iris can't really think of anything better. So she's like, yeah, fine, whatever. Teddy has plans that Saturday night. So the reverse heist will have to take place the next day. So Iris spends the next day and night just sick to her stomach from stress. Missing statue posters are just plastered across their neighborhood.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
When Iris ventures outside her room, she can hear Michael and Blake talking in tense, hushed tones in the kitchen. At one point, Aiden and Michael actually get into a little fight. Michael is convinced that since the statue was stolen the night that Aiden had control of the guest list, that Aiden should be doing more to help find the statue.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Aiden is busy packing to move to Arizona and preparing for his shift at the bar. And so at first he's calm and he's like, I'll do as much as possible. I'll text my friends, et cetera, et cetera. But then he starts getting a little angry as Michael kind of keeps like badgering him. And finally he says, none of my friends would want your stupid statue, which is real and fair.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Aiden also tells Michael that he will not be sharing his special spicy mojito recipe when he moves out, which is Michael's favorite recipe. So morale is bad in the house, all to say. The only person no one is angry at is Iris, which is maybe why Blake asked Iris if she'll watch the Oscars with them that Sunday night. He even says he'll buy her takeout.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Iris knows a bribe when she sees one, but Michael and Blake also exclusively order from the kind of restaurants that Iris can't afford. So she's not going to say no to that. This is exactly how Iris finds herself on the couch between Blake and Michael who are talking to each other in that sort of clip tone that couples talk in when they're fighting, but there's someone else in the room.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
So they're watching the 94th Academy Awards. It's Sunday night. It has now been 33 hours since the statue went missing. Do you watch the Oscars?
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
That's fair. Iris doesn't really care about the Oscars that much. So she sort of just like half watches the ceremony, which is pretty boring that year. She's mostly watching her phone. The ceremony has just cut to commercial when Teddy finally texts her that the Uber is on its way to him. Iris is like, thank God my long national nightmare is almost over.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
A few minutes later, Teddy texts Iris again. He writes, okay, change of plan. Iris's stomach just drops. Apparently the Uber driver had gotten freaked out by Teddy's request. Teddy had had to show the Uber driver what was in the box that he had wanted delivered. And even after seeing the dog statue, the Uber driver had made Teddy get in the car too. So Iris is beginning to sweat.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Luckily, they had ordered Thai for dinner so she can blame her sweating on her extra spicy drunken noodles. Best documentary feature is about to be presented as Iris is sweating and Teddy is updating her on his location. Iris isn't just nervous because all of this is categorically insane.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
She's nervous because she knows that to get to the front door of the townhouse, you have to open like a little fence and go a couple feet to the door. And the sound of the fence opening always makes Noodle bark. She texts Teddy, like, remind the driver that he shouldn't linger at the door too long. And Teddy's like, okay, got it. Iris is staring at the TV screen, seeing nothing.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
She barely registers Chris Rock say, Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can't wait to see it. Do you remember what happened after this? Keep my wife's name! So Iris just immediately forgets her reverse heist because without warning, Will Smith goes from laughing at Chris Rock's joke to climbing up onto the stage. And well, we all know what happened next.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
immediately the room dissolves into shrieks of, what the fuck just happened? Was that part of the show? Oh my God, was that real? A full 10 minutes pass before any of them think to check their phones, at which point Iris learns that her reversed heist has hit yet another roadblock. Because while Will Smith was slapping the shit out of Chris Rock...
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
The Uber driver had been getting more and more freaked out. And the situation isn't helped by the fact that as the car gets closer and closer to the townhouse, Teddy is just sliding further and further down the seat so he won't be visible from the outside. Instead of delivering the box to the door as planned, the Uber driver sort of just like chucked it over the fence into the front yard. Oh!
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
which is why Noodle hasn't barked. Iris is like silently dying inside. She keeps checking the app on her phone that's connected to the cameras to check on the package, which she can see is like right in the front yard. Luckily, Blake and Michael are engrossed in their phones trying to figure out what the fuck just happened on screen.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
There's like Zapruder film level analysis happening online of the minutes leading up to and immediately after the slap. Iris feels insane. She's like, what is going on tonight? Finally, though, finally, Blake gets up to let Noodle out for the last pee of the night. And from the front porch, Iris hears Blake say, what the fuck is that?
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Thank you. I love honesty and transparency here on this podcast. Speaking of gossip, I heard you have some for me.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Blake comes back into the house with the box and is like, did y'all order something? Michael and Iris are both shaking their head no. Iris is just like vibrating out of her skin watching Blake open this box.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
She's channeling Oscar's worthy performance as she leans in. And it's a little easier to do because she's genuinely worried that the statue has maybe gotten damaged as it got thrown over the fence. So the gasp of shock she lets out when Blake pulls the unharmed statue out of the box is only half fake.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
The house immediately descends into chaos for the second time that night. Oh. Michael screams and then cries and then goes to check the footage from the video cameras. This time, Iris' shock is all real. Because the Uber driver was trying to keep as much of a distance from this whole thing as possible. Real, fair, same. He didn't come close enough to be caught on camera.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
So all the camera sees is his arm tossing it in. Iris immediately texts us to Teddy, who is already safely home. Meanwhile, Michael just starts going theory mode. He is no longer convinced it was one of Aiden's friends because the thief obviously knew the exact visual range of their security cameras, which means it had to be an inside job.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Well, Michael tries to get everyone to speculate with him about who could have possibly done this. But no one is biting because Iris is obviously keeping her mouth shut. And Blake is far more concerned with figuring out why Will Smith just slapped Chris Rock.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
No, exactly. Staying with random roommates is just like, you're not my family. And somehow we are so intimate. Yeah.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And then it's like, no, we're just bound together by.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Thank you for listening to Normal Gossip. If you have a gossip story to share with us, email us at normalgossip at defector.com or you can leave us a voicemail at 2679GOSSIP. If you love this podcast and want to support us, become a friend or a friend of a friend at supportnormalgossip.com. You can follow the show on Instagram and TikTok at Normal Gossip.
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You can follow me on all social media at HeyDanae, H-E-Y-Y-D-A-N-A-E. This podcast was produced by Sierra Spragley-Rix and Jay Tolviera. The co-creators and dowager queens of Normal Gossip are Alex Sujong Laughlin and Kelsey McKinney. Justin Ellis is Defectors Projects Editor. Jasper Wang and Sean Kuhn are Defectors Business Guys. Alex Sujong Laughlin is Defector's supervising producer.
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Tom Lay is our editor-in-chief. Dan McQuaid runs our merch store, which you can find in normalgossip.store. Tara Jacoby designed our show art. Thank you to Catherine Xu, Brandi Jensen, Louise Pais Pumar, Chris Thompson, Jasper Wang, Sabrina Embler, Dave McKenna, Patrick Redford, and Ray Rado for your help on this season. Thanks to the rest of the Defector staff.
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Defector Media is a collectively owned subscriber-based media company. Normal Gossip is a proud member of Radiotopia. I'm your host, Rachel Hampton. And remember, you didn't hear this from me.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Hello, and welcome to Normal Gossip. I'm your host, Rachel Hansen, and in each episode of this podcast, we're going to bring you an anonymous morsel of gossip from the real world. Welcome to episode three of season eight, y'all. If this is your first time tuning in this season, I would love to know why you picked this episode. Was it the guest? Do you just like the number three? I have questions.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
So many things, especially with a Nigerian wedding. I feel like there's like a ton of events happening.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And he deserved to lose. Listen, I love a comeuppance. I love bullying a man. Yes. I hope the bride went on their honeymoon. Like with a friend. Oh, yeah. You know, like you shouldn't have to because you already paid the deposit. You can't. I don't think you can get that back. They should have cried. I bet if you called and you were like, I found out that my husband to be was cheating on me.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
I bet they upgrade your room for free. Oh, probably. And like definitely take it because the other woman knows he can't take her. Exactly. Wow. I would have been so stressed out that my eyebrows were going to be like really high up while I was getting them threaded as I'm hearing this story.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
I'm like, please pay attention to the shape of my eyebrows because I can't stop moving my face while you're telling me this story. Yes. That's beautiful. That is one of the best situations to be in where someone is like, I'm going to tell you a story and I want you to spread it as far as possible because I want more people to hear this. Well, do I have something for you, JQ? Ooh! Are you ready?
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Are you ready to hear some gossip? I am always ready to hear some gossip. Today, our story takes place in a major city full of young professionals. Our friend of a friend, Iris, has just graduated from college. She feels exceptionally lucky to have found employment after graduation in the form of a fellowship. Okay.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Send me your answers. But also know that I'm not the only one. You don't need to see an ENT. I'm not Kelsey. For more information on the peaceful transition of power that normal gossip is going through, check out the finale of season seven. And yes, we will continue to refer to it as a peaceful transition of power because that's what it was and continues to be.
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
The fellowship doesn't pay a ton, but what it does do is give Iris six months to find full-time employment. And it pays enough that Iris can afford to stay in the city as long as she finds roommates and doesn't stay downtown. JQ, what's the last group housing situation you were in and how did you find it?
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Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
This is kind of a perfect segue into today's story. So one day, Iris goes to check out a place that seems too good to be true in her housing search. According to the pictures she had seen in a queer Facebook housing group, this place is a three-story townhome with beautiful red brick and white trim. There's in-unit laundry. The kitchen has a dishwasher.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And in the pictures, it seems not just clean, but also well-decorated. After the apartments that Iris has seen, this place looks like a palace. So the day Iris goes to check out this place, she's doing that thing where she's kind of telling herself that her expectations are low, when in reality, they're like sky high.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Have you ever walked into like an apartment or a house and kind of just known that it was right for you?
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Yeah, that's the feeling Iris has as she walks down the terracotta stepping stones that lead to the front door. She walks past the in this house we believe in science yard sign. She goes up the steps to the porch, which has a gorgeous set of rocking chairs that Iris can already picture reading a book in with a glass of wine on a warm evening.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
At this point, Iris has just fully dispensed with the fiction of having low expectations and is just silently praying to the housing gods that their roommates be normal. When the front door opens, revealing a man in beautiful silk pajamas holding a wine glass. How would you react to this?
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And we know we need some examples of that in this world right now. Speaking of that transition, I'm going to be emo for a second because it's my right. And also, I know like half of y'all don't listen to this section, which is your right. One of the hardest parts of making this show is the time where we are in the middle of production but haven't released anything.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
So, hey, all fair reactions. Iris doesn't really have a chance to react because before she can say anything, the man in the pajamas says, welcome. And then he asked her, would you like some rosé? He turns with a swish of silk and then ushers Iris inside where Iris is greeted by between seven to ten other men. They all say hello in that sort of sing-songy way that people do when they're buzzed.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
And it's immediately clear to Iris that she has stumbled across elder millennials in their natural habitat at brunch. There are remnants of a mimosa station on the counter. The man in the silk pajamas presses a glass of rosé into Iris' hand before giving her a tour of the townhouse, which is somehow even more beautiful in person.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
The room Iris would be taking is on the second story, and it's the only bedroom on that floor, which means she would have her own bathroom. Oh, yes. Oh, my gosh. I knew you would appreciate that. When she looks out the window, there's a stunning view of the tree-lined street.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Iris is already picturing where her furniture will go, and she hasn't even met the other inhabitants of the townhouse, who luckily seem lovely. So the inhabitants of the house are Blake, who is the man in the silk. He shares the master bedroom with his partner, Michael. Blake is a creative director at an ad agency, which helps explain how his hair is so beautiful.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
He's got one of those like trendy middle part hairstyles that looks a little bit fascist on most people, but makes Blake look like Milo Thatcher in the Atlantis movie.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Meanwhile, his partner Michael kind of looks like the embodiment of a dark gray Patagonia vest. He's even wearing a button-down at a brunch in his own house. Iris learns that the brunch is actually a welcome-back brunch for Blake and Michael, who recently returned from their honeymoon. And despite having just met them, Iris is immediately thrilled for their recent wedding.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
The third roommate is Aiden, a bartender and a college classmate of Michael's. And then finally, there is the most important roommate of all, Noodle, Blake and Michael's border collie. Noodle is possibly the cutest dog that Iris has ever seen.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Exactly. And this is all the information Iris has before she has to make a decision.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
Yeah, so one of Iris' favorite shows is New Girl. So before she even finishes her glass of rosé, she says yes. Blake pours her another glass in celebration, and Iris is absolutely positive she has just made the best decision of her life. She moves in a few weeks later, and living in the townhouse goes great for the most part. What does that mean, the most part? What's that? I'm so glad you asked.
Normal Gossip
Reverse Heist with Jonquilyn Hill
I am one of those people who's always going to think about what could go wrong before I think about what will probably go right. Yes, I am on Lexapro. You don't need to ask. All to say, one of my primary fears when I agreed to take over the show was disappointing the listeners. This show is so fun, which I feel like we have so little of these days.
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
You just described some pretty huge structural problems. What exactly changed in this short amount of time?
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
So, you know, Europe gets that Vance shaped wake up call in Munich. And, you know, I also imagine that Trump's take on the war between Russia and Ukraine has also shaken up the continent. What what do you do when that happens? What's the solution that they've come up with?
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
Heather, I have a question. This is just something I've personally wondered. Maybe it's because, like, I was 18 in 2008, but, like, is there, are there, like, what will make me say, oh, girl, there's a recession happening? And she's here. Like, are there things or you just got to wait and see? That's a good one.
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
Are we going to see a real change to the way European lives look? I mean, it's often pointed to Europe as look at the social services they have. Look at, you know, health care, all these different things. Are we getting to the end of that? Is that going to no longer be the standard in Europe?
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
So with all of these changes coming about, are we sure the Europeans are going to stick together? I mean, when it comes down to actually writing these checks, are countries going to follow through?
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
Henry Foy, Brussels Bureau Chief for the Financial Times. Our show today was produced by Miles Bryan and Carla Javier, edited by Jolie Myers, engineered by Andrea, Kristen's daughter, and Patrick Boyd, and fact-checked by Laura Bullard. I'm Jonquan Hill. This was Today Explained. And hey, if you find me kind of endearing, you're in luck. I host a podcast called Explain It To Me.
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
New episodes drop Sundays, right here in the very place you're listening right now.
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
Let's get into the stock market first, because that's where we've seen some of the most dramatic change. Stocks went way up after Trump was elected, and since they've fallen dramatically. Why? What is going on?
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
Are American consumers changing their behavior in reaction to all of this?
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
Tariffs, the stock market, doge cuts. Americans are getting bad vibes from the economy. But if consumers quit spending, a vibe session could turn into a real session. I'm Jonquan Hill, guest hosting today's show. And all this is coming up on today, Explained.
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
Yeah. What impact has we seen on jobs? Are people concerned about that at all?
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
Why does it matter that people are afraid? Does that have an impact on the economy?
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
So the way you're describing the U.S. economy makes it sound like we really depend on buying stuff. Does it have to be that way?
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
Coming up, how Trumponomics is making Europe great again.
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
It's Today Explained. And it turns out things are going kind of okay on the other side of the Atlantic. So we brought on Financial Times Brussels Bureau Chief Henry Foy to get into the Europe of it all.
Today, Explained
Fear is the economy killer
Yeah, we've been talking about the American economy since Trump's election back in November, but I kind of want to rush him on this. I want to get all the different perspectives. How has this played out from the European perspective?
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
There was this brief moment a couple years ago when it looked like Americans just might finally get their credit card spending in check. We were spending less during COVID and those federal stimulus checks meant a lot of us were actually making more money.
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
How did we get to the point where there can be these wild, wild interest rates?
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
So we're at a record high right now, but have Americans always carried credit card debt since these cards have been available?
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
Like when you put your Amex on the card and everyone's like, ooh, it's so heavy. It's metal.
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
That sounds like a good way to get your credit card information stolen.
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
It's Today Explained. I'm Jonquan Hill, filling in as host. And today we're talking to this guy.
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
Are there states or lawmakers who are advocating for capping these interest rates right now?
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
Nick's been following the rapid growth of credit card debt, talking to banks and credit card companies and regular people dealing with debt. And he says the first thing you've got to understand about credit cards right now is interest rates.
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
Is there a way to get off this credit card ride? Like, is there a way you can just opt out and say, I'm not doing this? No, no, no.
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
That's CNET's Nick Wolney. You can read his latest on credit cards, Maxed Out, Inside America's Credit Card Debt Crisis, and What We Do Next over at CNET.com. Today's episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlain, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Amina Alsadi, and engineered by Andrea Christian's daughter and Patrick Boyd. I'm Jonquan Hill, and this is Today Explained.
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
I wonder, do people understand what they're getting into when they get these high limit, high interest credit cards and then don't pay off their balance every month? Do people even realize that they're getting a high limit, high interest credit card?
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
Over the past year and a half, as Americans were putting more on their credit cards than ever before, interest rates rose on those cards by nearly a third.
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
As you were doing that explanation, I couldn't help but hear the voice of my mom. Like I remember the first time my credit card limit got raised and I didn't add. They were just like, yeah, hey girl, you want some more thousands to spend? And my mom was like, no, that's what they want. Like, don't do it.
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
Coming up on Today Explained, we're revisiting an episode from earlier this year about how Americans racked up over a trillion dollars in credit card debt and what it'll take to get out of it.
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
Is this credit card debt evenly distributed throughout demographics or are there subsets of people in the country who are feeling this a lot more?
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
I want to talk about the almighty credit score, like which is part of the reason people even get credit cards in the first place. You know, you needed to get a car. You need to get a house like you need it for all these things. What is this doing to people's credit scores?
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
Yeah, I guess it's like it's it's one of those things where it's like, OK, in the grand scheme, you probably need a credit card before your frontal lobe develops. But it's like, should you have a credit card before your frontal lobe develops? I don't know. I think of me at 21. No, take that away from her.
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
More with CNET's Nick Wolney when Today Explained returns.
Today, Explained
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
Today Explained, we're back with CNET's Nick Wolney talking credit cards. Okay, Nick, wasn't there legislation post-financial crisis that was supposed to fix all of this and ease the burden on credit card holders?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
It seems like, you know, they're paying attention to the regulations. They're doing something, but they're not doing any more than they really have to or, you know, as of now, need to do. Does this mean that bright headlights aren't a safety issue? The fact that they're not being regulated more?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
There's literally a subreddit dedicated to this. And there are even scientists who dedicate their time to setting it. Like John Bullough, a research scientist at the Light and Health Research Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Yeah, and you know, NHTSA is not the only player here. There's also car manufacturers. How are they responding? Because it sounds like their customers are not happy.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
That's writer Nate Rogers. If regulators and car companies aren't taking action, is there anything we can do to avoid getting blinded on the roads? One more break and we'll find out. We're back. We've talked about the rules of the road, or lack thereof, when it comes to bright headlights. How are we supposed to manage while we wait for regulations to catch up?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Automotive and tech journalist Tim Stevens told me the worst offenders actually aren't new cars.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Okay, I want to get some clarity because you're blowing my mind a little bit here. So if I get a car with these headlights, it's not an accident. I have to actively choose to get these bright-ass headlights.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Yeah. Speaking of everyone else, is there anything we can do to get these modified lights dimmed?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
A constant refrain we've heard working on this episode is that there's difficulty regulating and car manufacturers aren't exactly springing into action. Is there an effort to develop technology that could successfully dim these LED headlights?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Can you tell us more about that adaptive beam technology? You know, is it successful? How does that work?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Okay. In the meantime, while we're waiting for that to happen, are there things we can do when we're driving at night if we're struggling to see with those bright lights?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
I'd love to get your thoughts on the question we got from our listener. Are headlights brighter than they used to be?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Remember John Belot, who ended up having and loving a job no kid dreams of, being a lighting scientist? I asked him what solutions he'd suggest for the bright lights problem too.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Is there any chance that we could get something from federal regulators that all automakers would be required to do across the country?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Before we go, we wanted to go back to Mark Baker, the guy who says he was so incapacitated by headlights that he had to quit his job. He's obviously thought a lot about helping people avoid being triggered by overly bright headlights.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Thanks so much to Mark Baker and all our car and lighting experts who helped us answer Reid's question today. We're making a show soon about post-high school graduation blues. If you have a question about those next steps, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545. This episode was produced and sound designed by Hadi Mawagdi. It was edited by Miranda Kennedy. It was fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
And Patrick Boyd was our engineer this week. I'm your host, Jonquan Hill. Talk to you soon. Bye.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
And does that include LED lights and non-LED lights that have gotten brighter, or is it just these LED lights that are brighter?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Okay, so LED and non-LED lights are brighter, both low beam and high beam. But for the purpose of this conversation, let's focus on LED lights. That's the industry standard, right?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Are there other factors coming into play when we talk about the brightness of headlights and drivers?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
What's happening because it feels like everyone has their brights all up in my car. It looks like y'all got ring lights for your headlights.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
John, thank you so much for confirming that our listener, Reid, is not losing it. Yes, lights are indeed brighter than ever, but they're also appearing brighter than ever. We're going to say goodbye to John for now, but when we're back, we'll find out who's responsible for these bright lights.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Hey there, I'm John Glenn Hill, and this is Explain It To Me, where we answer the questions that matter to you most.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Can somebody please just explain it to me? And these days... I only really get behind the wheel when I'm out of town. So when I noticed a change in cars on the road, I thought it was just me. But then we got a call from Reed and he also worried it was just him.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
We're back. It's Explain It To Me. Looking at why headlights are so bright these days, it's a question that's literally tormented our next guest, Mark Baker. He says that his intense experience with headlights led him to a diagnosis of mild autism and changed his life. He now runs an organization to protect people from the impacts of LEDs, the Soft Lights Foundation.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
How did you get involved in this? Like what inspired you to, you know, take this up?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
I understand you've had quite a few people sign a petition about this. Could you talk about that a little bit?
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Marks also lobbied Congress to get a hearing on the impact of LED headlights, and he's tried working with state legislatures to pass light intensity laws, but he has as of yet to score a W for all his efforts. So how did we get here? We reached out to Nate Rogers, who explored all this in his extensive article for The Ringer called Asleep at the Wheel in the Headlight Brightness Wars.
Today, Explained
Blinded by the headlights
Why did car manufacturers make that switch in the first place?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
How would you like to listen to Explain It To Me without any ads? Vox members now get ad-free podcasts. Members get all kinds of cool benefits as a thank you for supporting our work. Stuff like unlimited reading on our website and exclusive newsletters. Go to vox.com slash members right now to sign up.
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
So depending on a lot of different factors, some of us may be in the workforce longer than we anticipated, or we may have to go back on the job market after we've left it. How can generations work together in the workplace? Stay tuned.
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
Okay, so we heard from a lot of you about your concerns around 401ks, but we also got a call from Marsha in Oklahoma who had another kind of concern about her generation.
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
Our producer Gabrielle called Marsha back to hear more about her new job working for the city of Tulsa.
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
We posed Marsha's question to Professor Bobby Duffy. He lives across the pond where he studies generational differences at the Policy Institute at King's College London.
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
What are some of the big questions you have about retirement right now?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
You studied how much these stereotypes hold up in reality. What data were you collecting and where from?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
Did you find that these generational stereotypes hold up to reality?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
I just worked eight hours and you expect me to go make dinner right now?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
Are there benefits you've found to intergenerational workplaces?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
Do you have any practical tips for baby boomers who are navigating intergenerational workplaces? And especially for those who maybe were like stopped working, now they're back or, you know, it's like, OK, I'm going to have to work a little longer. I'm going to be with people who are younger than me. How should they navigate that?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
Oh, really? Yeah. We shared what we learned from Professor Bobby with Marsha.
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
This is Noah Shidelower, economy reporter at Business Insider. He has a particular focus on older Americans. I called him up because he's heard from more than 3,000 baby boomers.
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
I appreciate it. Thanks to everyone who called in to share your experiences for this episode. Coming up, we're doing an episode about personal style. Why it's so hard to figure out what to wear and what not to wear and where to even start when it comes to developing your style. Are you trying to find it? Or have you already figured it out? If you did, how'd you do it?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
Give us a call and leave us a message. Our number is 1-800-618-8545. This episode was produced by Gabrielle Berbet and Carla Javier, who also runs our show. It was edited by our executive producer, Miranda Kennedy. Melissa Hirsch checked the facts. Andrea, Kristen's daughter, and Patrick Boyd mixed and engineered. And I'm John Fullen Hill. Talk to you soon. Bye.
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
What are you looking for to better understand how this economy is impacting older Americans?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
For those that are panicking, are they panicking unnecessarily? Do they need to be this concerned?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
Okay, so don't do anything you would regret. Easier said than done, though. So how can you prepare for the worst case scenario? I'm going to ask one of my favorite personal finance columnists after this break.
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
We're back. It's Explain It To Me. And I'm here now with Michelle Singletary, personal finance columnist with The Washington Post.
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
Hey, you're listening to Explain It To Me. I'm Jonquan Hill, and I know I'm not supposed to, but after hearing all of this news about the economy, its ups, its downs, I did the thing they tell us not to do. I looked at my 401k, and you guys, it was not cute. I started to worry. I even more so for my parents and other people their age.
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
Yeah, what do you fear that could happen? What's the worst-case scenario?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
Okay, so I was particularly interested in this episode because my parents are boomers. And, you know, I tend to give that generation a lot of grief. But it does come from a place of love. You know, what advice do you have for listeners who are like me, where you want to be able to help the older people in your life, whether that's with advice or anything else?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
How do you recommend that listeners start that conversation with the retirement age folks in their lives?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
What should people prioritize when they look at their finances?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
What advice do you have for people who are at retirement age but haven't been able to save as much? Is there anything they can do to play catch up?
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
They're so much closer to needing that money than I am right now.
Today, Explained
Retire? In this economy?!
Financial advice can admittedly be a little frustrating because I think we hear the same thing over and over again, you know, like sit tight, stay the course, don't make any rash decisions. What do you say to people who feel antsy right now who want a different answer than what they usually hear? Yeah.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
All right, Joe. Thank you so much for explaining this to us.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Coming up, what if I told you there's a potential cure-all on the horizon? Would you try it? That's after the break. It's Explain It To Me and we're back, this time with my colleague Dylan Scott, who covers health for Vox. Okay, so we've spoken about seasonal allergies and related issues with indoor air quality. How effective are the allergy medications that are available over the counter?
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
You know, it feels like there are so many options. You've got your pills, your sprays, all these different things. What is the landscape like?
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
So, your reporting shows that, you know, we might be on the cusp of another medication revolution for allergies, almost like the one allergy cure to rule them all. But it's not a new medication per se. There's some history there.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
I'm plagued by them myself. As the weather gets warmer, there's this fine gold dust that settles on everything and that's when the sneezing really begins. And it makes sense. One in five kids are allergic to pollen and about a quarter of all adults are too. Wir werden darüber sprechen, wie wir sie besser machen, aber bevor wir das ausarbeiten können, müssen wir verstehen, woher sie kommen.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
So, you know, we've talked about Zolaire in the context of seasonal allergies, but are there other allergies that this medication could help with?
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Also habe ich Tanilu Tumala gesprochen. Sie ist ein Ehr-, Nose- und Schmerzschwester bei NYU Langone Health.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
That honestly is amazing. I'm sure there are plenty of people who will be able to say, oh my gosh, I can have shellfish or peanut butter or these things that I have not been able to have. What is the cost of Zolaire looking like? You know, pharmaceuticals are notoriously expensive.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Also, gerade jetzt, die vorderste Pollen, mit der wir uns beschäftigen, ist die Baumwolle. And so when trees grow, they produce pollen. And a lot of times these pollen, the pollen is dispersed, especially early in the mornings. And when certain individuals, not everyone, but unfortunately, when certain individuals breathe in this pollen, it triggers an immune response inside their bodies.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Earlier we heard from an ear, nose and throat doctor about how climate change is making allergy seasons longer and more intense. Do you feel like American science is ready to face these challenges, you know, with so many attacks from the Trump administration on federal funding for scientific research?
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Mit dieser Immunreaktion erzeugt man eine Kaskade von inflammierenden Reaktionen. Es werden also bestimmte Zellen im Körper aktiviert, die alle diese inflammierenden Marker erzeugen, z.B. Histamin. Dies schafft viele verschiedene Symptome. Aus der Nasensicht her sind die Hauptsymptome Nasenkongestion, also, dass es schwerer ist, durch den Mund zu atmen.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Es schafft Schnaufen, und es schafft eine Menge Nasendrainage und Mucosproduktion.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Ist die Allergie-Saison jetzt anders als in der Vergangenheit?
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Die Allergie-Saison hat sich in den letzten Jahren verändert. Und es gibt ein paar Gründe dafür. Und einer der Gründe, die ich wirklich wichtig finde, ist der Klimawandel. Also in den letzten 30 bis 50 Jahren, als das Umfeld wärmer geworden ist, As precipitation patterns have changed, the data also shows that the pollen allergy season has changed as well.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
But basically over the past like 30 to 50 years or so, the pollen season is about three weeks longer. And there's slight variation depending on what region you're looking at in the US. And there's about 20% more pollen in the air. So with warmer temperatures starting earlier in the year, the ground thaws and trees are able to grow earlier in the year.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Im Sommer, weil es nicht so kalt und schnell wird und der Boden nicht so schnell kühlt, steckt die Radweihpollen länger als früher. Das ist der Grund, weshalb wir das langweilig sehen, weil es einen früheren Anfang der Pollenallergie-Saison gibt und die Pollenallergie-Saison länger im Sommer dauert.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Okay, so this makes something in my life make sense because it'll be fall and I'm like, oh, is this a cold? Is it flu? And then I test negative for that, but I take allergy medication. I feel better. And I'm like, oh, that explains that. Should we expect seasonal allergies to just continue to get worse as climate change keeps going? So.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Es gibt Studien, die versucht haben, zukünftige Projekte zu schauen, wie sich die Pollenallergie-Saison weiter verändert und verändert wird. Yeah, I want to get into impact now. What are the most common complaints you hear from your patients when it comes to seasonal allergies? Whenever the trees start blooming like now, the bugs start coming out.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Es gibt ein paar Symptome, die ich von Patienten oft höre. Und der große ist, dass ich durch meinen Nase nicht atmen kann. Und ich fühle mich immer, als ob mein Nase flüssig ist oder ich immer meinen Nase schlagen muss. Und natürlich gibt es nur das ständige Gefühl, dass man schnauzen muss oder ständig schnauzen muss. Es ist du!
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Und was ich von meinen Patienten oft höre, sind die spezifischen Symptome, die nach allergischer Rhinitis auftreten, nämlich die Nasenallergie-Symptome. Und die drei Hauptsymptome sind Nasenkongestion, Schwierigkeit, durch den Nase zu atmen, erhöhte Mucosproduktion, also wie eine Postnasendrüppung oder ständig deinen Nase zu blöden und dann zu atmen.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Aber dann ist ein zweiter Wunsch, den ich von meinen Patienten oft höre, ist, dass ich nicht alle Nacht schlafen kann, dass ich nicht gut durch meinen Nase atme, das beeinflusst meine Schlafqualität. Und dann auch, ich fühle mich nicht, dass ich während des Tages so gut aufmerksam bin. Und das ist tatsächlich ein riesiges Verständnis in Kindern auch.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Studien haben gezeigt, dass Kinder, die Allergien haben, ob es zu Pollen, Mold, Schmerzen, Tierverletzungen sind, sie sind auch nicht so gut in der Schule, in bestimmten Studien, weil sie von ihren Allergien-Symptomen beeinflusst sind. Und das beeinflusst ihre Möglichkeit, sich während des Schuljahres aufmerksam zu machen.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Gibt es mehr seriöse Auswirkungen an Allergien?
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
So basically when you're introduced to these allergens, and we're talking about pollen here specifically, and it creates this immune reaction in the body that then causes this cascade of the inflammatory reaction, that can increase your risk of having an asthma attack, which is a huge respiratory concern and definitely is a major driver of people having to go to the emergency department to be able to protect their breathing.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Is there anything you want our listeners to know before we let you go?
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Anything we haven't touched on? There's a lot of different ways that climate change is impacting allergies beyond just pollen allergies. One of the other things that we're seeing is the increased risk of mold exposure with worsening natural disasters in the face of climate change.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
I've had allergies my whole life. When trees grow they produce pollen. Allergies suck.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Explain It To Me is back. And unfortunately, so are your allergies. And the worst of it is, you can't escape them inside. Enter Joseph Allen. He's the director of Harvard's Healthy Buildings Program.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Hey, I'm John Glenn Hill, and you're listening to Explain It To Me, the podcast where we answer the questions that matter most to you. A couple weeks ago, we asked to hear about your allergy struggles, and we found out a lot of you have them.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Wissen wir, wie prävalent Allergien für Indoor-Allergen sind?
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
I would love to go back in time and kind of talk about the history of this building quality situation. Let's start back in the mid-1800s and take us on through. What's it looking like? What do we know?
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
I'm curious how those disparities show up when it comes to indoor air quality.
Today, Explained
Why are my allergies getting worse?
Okay, sagen wir, jemand hört das und sagt, lass mich mein Indoor-Leib zusammenbringen. Lass mich mein Indoor-Aeroqualität-Leib zusammenbringen. Was empfiehlst du, dass sie tun? Gibt es Dinge, die sie kaufen sollten, Dinge, die sie tun sollten?
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
OK. Admittedly, you know, when I hear that, especially comparisons to lunch counters, like my initial gut reaction is to eye roll. And I'm kind of curious what you think about this idea on the right that there should be this kind of, quote unquote, colorblind equality.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
Is this just going to kind of be a rebrand? Like we're just going to find different words to use for these programs?
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
So that's what companies have to do. But what does it mean for you if you work at a company rolling back its DEI initiatives? That's after the break. It's Explain It To Me. We're back with another question from our caller, Em.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
OK, so our caller M also had another question that I want to play for you.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
Okay, I want to play you a question from another caller. His name is Chang, and I'd love to know what you think about this question.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
To get an answer to this question, I knew just who to talk to, Abdullah Fayyad.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
Okay, let's talk through what we mean when we talk about DEI. I think we should stay focused on private companies instead of the federal sector, because that could be its own conversation. But yeah, what exactly are we talking about?
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
Okay, so what does all of this mean for employees? Should people be worried about their jobs right now? Let's go back to Vox.com policy correspondent Abdullah Fayyad.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
So I'm curious what you think about this idea of using business practices to create more equity in the world. You know, people... quote Audre Lorde a lot, the master's tools can never dismantle the master's house. Is it naive to think that this is a way to enact change and create a more equitable workplace?
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
All right, Abdullah, thank you so much for explaining this to us.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
Okay, that's it for us this week, y'all. After last week's episode on men and dating, a lot of you wrote in to ask us to talk about women's perspectives. Well, we heard you, and we are. Next week, we'll be talking about the women of Gen X and whether or not they're really having the best sex of their lives right now. Let us know what you think about this week's episode.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
And if you have a question you want answered, something you want us to explore, give us a call. The number is 1-800-618-8545 or you can send a voice memo to askvox at vox.com. This episode was produced by Hadi Mawagdi. It was edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, with sound design by Patrick Boyd. I'm your host, Jonquan Hill. Thanks so much for listening. Talk to you soon.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
Yeah, what does it actually look like? You know, I feel like it's a buzzword that gets thrown around. I mean, we saw Kendrick Lamar perform at the Super Bowl halftime show. And there were people who reacted and said, this is a DEI halftime show. And that is not what we're talking about when it comes to these businesses. How does DEI manifest in companies today?
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
We've ended the journey of so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
You know, these companies have chosen to diversify even though they weren't required to. What's the reason they give for going above and beyond when it comes to these initiatives?
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
Yeah, you know, it's interesting. Em was curious, you know, in saying, am I being too cynical? Like, is this just about business? Is this just saying, okay, this is the best way to be profitable? Or is it kind of like, oh, out of the goodness of our hearts, We want to better represent America in our business. Sort of what's the thought process behind these decisions?
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
OK, so there are these instances where DEI policies are in place, but they aren't all that effective. We've talked a little bit about this pendulum swing from DEI, and it's happened both on the right and on the left. When did we start to see that pendulum swing back on DEI? How did we go from like, you know, this peak moment in 2020 to where we are now?
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
All right. Thanks, Abdullah. I want you to stay close because I have a few more questions for you. But first, we're going to take a second to talk with an innovator in the world of diversity, equity and inclusion about where DEI falls short. That's coming up next on Explain It To Me. This is Explain It To Me. We're back. And today we're getting to what all the hullabaloo around DEI means.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
We reached out to Eric Ellis. He's the CEO and president of a corporate coaching organization called Integrity Development. Basically, a lot of his job is to help companies meet their diversity, equity and inclusion goals. Right now, in 2025, those feel like buzzwords. But Eric's been in the game a long time.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
Hey, y'all. I'm Jonquan Hill, and this is Explain It To Me, your hotline for the questions that matter most to you. You've reached the Explain It To Me hotline. You've got questions.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
I want to take us to the now. You know, earlier in the show, we talked with my colleague, Abdullah Fayyad, and he walked us through, you know, this backlash against DEI and how it predates Trump. But since coming into office, President Trump has instituted a lot of big changes in the federal workplace and also at universities because, you know, federal grants.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
Have you seen a major change in how for-profit companies are responding to this in the wake of the Trump administration?
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
You know, it's really interesting to think of, I don't know, the values companies hold, because, you know, we saw all these black squares in 2020, all of these, and now it's just such a reversal. I'm like, just the pendulum has been swinging back and forth. And it's kind of like, okay, well, what is it you actually think and believe?
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
OK, I'm glad you brought up white guys, because speaking of white guys, we need to talk about where a lot of this stems from. You know, recently, a New York Times podcast interviewed the conservative activist Chris Ruffo. He played a major role in rolling back affirmative action. And he also came up with a lot of the anti-DEI policies that the Trump administration is implementing right now.
Today, Explained
Did diversity ever work ... at work?
I want to play a quick clip from that for you.
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
Yeah, this seems so sticky because... There aren't really federal laws protecting genetic data. Are there any safeguards out there, maybe on like a different level, a state level, something? Is there anything out there?
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
So the market for genetic data testing was really booming at one point. What happens next? Is this going to go away?
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
Okay, so now you've got what you need to reach out to the family you didn't previously know you had. How do you go about doing that, though? That's next.
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
That definitely got my antenna up, so we gave her a call. It turns out she was looking for her dad. I always knew my dad was out there somewhere. When she first reached out to us, she'd never met him.
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
We're back. It's Explain It to Me. And Libby Copeland's book, Lost Family, looks at how DNA technology has impacted families. I wanted to know what got her so interested in this.
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
You know, if someone's taken one of these at-home DNA tests and they realize they have a family member, how should they go about trying to connect with them?
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
And what's the proper way to go about this? You know, do you show up on their doorstep? Do you DM them on Instagram? Do you write a letter? Like what what do you do?
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
So I want to ask you something about the caller who sparked this episode. Her name's Hannah, and she found her dad on Ancestry.com, and she found out she has five siblings. What approach would you suggest in that kind of situation?
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
What did you know about your dad growing up? Did you know him at all?
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
I guess there's a question of what do you do with that? But I think it's also a question of... What are people looking for when they're looking to connect with new family? Yeah. You know, are you trying to figure out like, oh, where did I get my eyes? Are you trying to figure out where did I get my personality? Are you trying to figure out genetic health? All of it. Yeah. Right?
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
I also wonder how much we should make of the similarities we see in family that's found when it comes to personality traits, you know? Yeah. I guess it's that nature versus nurture question.
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
Yeah, Libby, in all of this talk of found family, we haven't really talked about managing the existing family you have. How do people juggle that desire to find out about new family members without unintentionally hurting or alienating the people who have been there for them all along?
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
Do you think at-home DNA tests have been a net positive?
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
That was Libby Copeland. Thanks, Libby. Also thanks to Emily Mullen and to Hannah for telling us her story. If you have questions you want us to explore, give us a call. Right now we're working on a show about recession pop and other recession indicators. What questions do you have about how to measure the scale of what's on our economic horizon? That's 1-800-618-8545.
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
How did you feel about that growing up? I mean, knowing that you had your dad out there, but not really having that relationship with him.
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
This episode was produced by Hadi Milwagdi. It was edited by our executive producer, Miranda Kennedy. Fact-checking by Melissa Hirsch. Engineering by Brandon McFarlane and Patrick Boyd. I'm your host, Jon Glenn Hill. Thank you so much for listening. Talk to you soon. Bye!
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
So you emailed us and before this conversation, you and I had a shorter conversation and you told me that... I actually recently found him. What? Yeah, I know.
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
just awesome okay so originally you wrote us to ask how do you find a long-lost relative but you found not just one but five others in addition how can we help you now what are some things we can explain for you
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
We gotta take a break, but when we come back, why there's controversy around finding family members.
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
We're back. If you've used at-home DNA tests to find out where your family's from or your genetic information, you might have some questions right about now, especially around privacy. Because 23andMe, one of the companies behind these at-home tests, has filed for bankruptcy. I called up Emily Mullen, who covers biotech for Wired.
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
I asked her to start by walking us through the history of these at-home DNA tests.
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
OK, so 23andMe wasn't the only, you know, at home DNA testing site that we had. There's also Ancestry.com and there are others. But right now I want to stick with 23andMe. So originally this company was huge. It was gigantic. You could walk into Target or Walmart and see a whole wall of tests. Like what what happened?
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
Okay, we spoke with a listener named Hannah, and she used Ancestry.com to find her father, but it turns out she didn't even need to use her DNA. There was information already there. Is that common? How much of our DNA is already on these sites?
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
So fast forward and 23andMe's declared bankruptcy. What exactly happened? How did we get there?
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
So what can you do if you've submitted your DNA to 23andMe, but you're like, wait, what's going to happen to my data? Is it going to go to like TBD company? Yeah.
Today, Explained
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
This is Explain It To Me. I'm Jonquan Hill. Each week, we answer the questions that matter to you most, like what our weird economic outlook could mean for you. But sometimes we get a question that's way more personal than that.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
This is Explain It To Me. I'm Jonquan Hill. And this is producer Hadi Mawagdi.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Okay, Hadi. Our caller Rohan told us he's not necessarily looking for dating advice, but he does want support. Like a role-playing public service-y kind of thing to help him learn how to approach women in real life and online. Were you able to find that for him?
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
model they don't have that big brother that's taking them out and going oh here's what you do next here's this because big brother's in the room playing video games and eating pizza just like they are okay so these are thoughtful men they've struggled with relationships they've learned a lot and now they have the water tank in austin thanks for taking us there hottie okay let's go to charlie who runs the group
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Yeah. OK, this is very good advice, but I understand how it can elicit eye rolls from men who are struggling with dating. You know, I've heard my fair share of like, oh, you need to work out yourself. Love comes in, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I've like I've been it. Listen, I've been in the trenches. I have been on those apps. It is rough out here.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Like, what do you say to men who are like, OK, that's fine. But like, yeah, I'm still not getting dates. I still haven't found my person. Like, OK, I love me. Now what? Yeah.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Charlie, we invited you on the show because, you know, we got a call from one of our listeners, Rohan, and he is struggling to meet women. He says he doesn't usually approach women in public. What should he do?
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Hey, y'all. I'm John Glenn Hill, and this is Explain It To Me, your hotline for the questions that matter most to you. We recently got a call from Rohan.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
I wonder how do you get past... you know, the quote unquote cringe of it all. I think, you know, I don't know if it's the internet. I don't know what it is about the time we're in, but it's like any sense of earnestness is considered embarrassing, but it takes earnestness to make the kind of connections you're talking about. How do you get past that?
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
That was Charlie McKeever. Today's show was about men, but in a couple weeks, we'll be talking about women and their dating lives. Specifically, Gen X women and how they're navigating sex. How has your sex life changed through the decades? Anything surprise you? Give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or send a voice memo to askvox at vox.com. This episode was produced by Hadi Mawagdi.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
It was fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, edited by Miranda Kennedy, with mixing by Patrick Boyd. Our supervising producer is Carla Javier, and I'm Jonquan Hill. Talk to you next week. Bye!
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Yeah. And you piqued my interest. I wanted to hear more about how it's going for Rohan.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Yeah, I'm curious. Do you and your friends ever talk about this? Like, what kind of conversations do you guys have with each other about this?
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Yeah, I definitely get what you mean. Like, you know, I've seen my fair share of colorism in dating, especially in my early 20s. It sounds like you use dating apps. Do you mind telling me which ones you're on?
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
He wants to know why people in their 20s and 30s are dating less.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Ooh, okay. I am well-versed in all three of these apps. Okay, walk me through your approach. So, like, say you're on an app, you see a woman you want to match with. Like, what's the next step?
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
I'm sorry, Rohan. That's all right. That sucks. That is like not OK. And that sucks.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Yeah, it's like people forget, no, you're talking to another person on the end of that phone.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
So that's kind of like the landscape of stuff online. I'm curious, do you ever try to approach women like IRL?
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
He's asking because he's been having his own trouble on the dating scene. The state of dating, particularly for men, has been everywhere.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Yeah, I get what you're saying. It's this idea of like, OK, no one wants to be creepy. No one wants to be cringe. But people do want to know where they stand. But you kind of have to be forward in that way and risk the, oh, does someone think I'm creepy? Does someone think I'm cringe to get that clarity?
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
If you could come away with like something after listening to the episode, what would you want it to be? Like I have marching orders or I feel good about what I've learned.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Okay, so we're gonna get Rohan some dating help. And look, I'm no man expert. So Hadi, our producer who you met earlier. Hi. He paid a visit to a men's relationship group at a bar in Austin to figure out how we can be Rohan's proverbial wingman.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
That's coming up. We're going to figure out how to help guys get dates. Stay tuned.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
It's Explain It To Me. I'm Jonquan Hill. Before the break, we heard from a caller who's struggling in the romance department. And when it comes to all matters of the heart, there's one go-to person here at Vox. Senior reporter Allie Volpe. Okay, Allie, is Rohan an outlier or do his struggles with dating sound familiar to you? I don't think he's an outlier at all.
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
Producer Hadi Mawagdi knows about them firsthand. Okay, Hadi, you were pretty excited about taking this question from Rohan. Why was that?
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
We all know that TikTok where it's like, you know, if you found somebody on apps, you got the last chopper out of nom. But it seems like guys specifically are having issues. Why is that happening?
Today, Explained
Why does dating suck for guys?
But it sounds like the standards have also changed. What's changed and why have they changed?
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
To get an answer, I called up James Rodriguez, senior real estate reporter at Business Insider. Do you ever just like scroll through Zillow dreaming of what it would be like to own your own home or am I telling on myself?
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
You know, we've been talking about these climate scores as a way to help people find a home to buy, but so much of our wealth in America is tied up in home ownership. I wonder if there's a flip side to this where it's negatively impacting home values.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
of property value in in specific neighborhoods overall how much of a science versus an art is it to factor in climate change predictions like you know there's geopolitics there's a human factor on top of weather and all these external events like how do you do that
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
OK, so the story is bigger than just climate. And in fact, the story of home buying is bigger than any one single factor. What that means for those of us still considering opting into the Home Ownership Society and also what to do if you aren't. That's coming up after this break. We're back. This is Explain It To Me, and I was super excited to get to call up our next guest.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
So the conventional wisdom is that buying a home is the way to build wealth in here in America. Is that true? Has that ever been true?
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
OK, so I have to admit, I am a brown ambition listener. You know, I'm trying to get my big girl finances in order. So I'm very happy to be talking with you today about homeownership, which feels like one of the big girl finance things.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
Yeah. It's interesting. This question we got jumped out to me because it's one that I have too. So I'm a renter and I have a lot of friends who have bought or just starting to buy. And I admit that I have not completely given up a little bit of a dream of owning a sexy condo in the city. Like that is how I see it.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
I don't know if I'm like, I'm not trying to have a yard or anything, but you know, I could, I could live in a condo.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
Yeah. And we've been told for years that buying a home is this important milestone for adulthood. And, you know, it's this first step to building equity and wealth and generational wealth. I wonder what you make of the question from our listener. Like, should she buy a house? Is this something she should be working towards?
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
Yeah. So if you sit down and you go through these numbers, you do the checklist, you find out where you are emotionally, lifestyle, and you're like, okay, buying a house, that is for me, that is what I want to do. What are the first steps? What do you suggest that a person do?
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
Like you're a different person than we talk about right now.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
When people are looking at their finances, is there a limit on how much they should budget for home ownership-related costs?
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
that's if you want to buy a home but say you can't buy a house or you know there are some of us who just don't want to how do you build that equity because home ownership is kind of raised as this this is how you do it this is how you get a net worth this is how you do xyz what if you don't want to buy into that what can you do oh you get some bitcoin obviously no just kidding
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
That's Mandy Woodruff-Santos. You can find her on her podcast, Brown Ambition. We're working on a show about what to do after you graduate. If you're in middle school or high school and have thoughts about what you want to do after you get your diploma, give us a call. 1-800-618-8545. This episode was produced by Hadi Mawagdi and Carla Javier, who also runs our show.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
It was edited by a different Miranda than our caller, Miranda Kennedy, with fact-checking by Melissa Hirsch and engineering by Andrea Christenstadter. Special thanks to Bird Pinkerton. I'm your host, Jonquilin Hill. Talk to you soon. Bye!
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
Yeah, I want to talk a little bit about why that conventional wisdom around home buying and building wealth isn't hitting quite like it used to. What's different for today's homebuyers? Hmm.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
Is this the case in particular for zoomers and millennials who are looking to buy homes in their 20s and 30s? Like, it just feels so like, I don't know, I just think of, oh, baby boomers, they got to get their house for like $5. And now the rest of us have been priced out. And they're aging in place. Like, there's just so much. And I don't want to just blame baby boomers.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
Hey, I'm Jonquan Hill and this is Explain It To Me, the show where you call 1-800-618-8545 and we find the answers to the questions that matter most to you. Miranda Hales from the Twin Cities and called in with a question that's on more than a few people's minds.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
It's very easy to do that. That's a little unfair. But yeah, what's what's keeping these younger generations out?
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
Yeah. Can you sort of run through kind of what the home buying experience and, you know, growth has been like from the boomer side and then sort of compare it to how it goes now?
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
What would it mean for the economy if housing wasn't this go-to way to build wealth? Like if that was not the answer for how do I get a net worth?
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
That threat of wildfires and floods James mentioned, it's real. How much has climate change raised insurance prices and how much should we really worry about that when we're thinking of buying a home? That's coming up after the break.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
We're back, it's Explained It To Me, and we're talking about whether it's a good idea to buy a house these days. It's 2025 and climate change is definitely a factor. So I called up Dr. Jeremy Porter. He heads up research into housing and climate for First Street. They analyze the climate risk of homes and share that analysis with websites like Zillow and Redfin.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
Hurricane Debbie wreaking havoc across the coast.
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
This is a question I've wondered about, too. OK, I'm going to be honest. I love to scroll through real estate websites. But should we be buying homes? Given the economy and the interest rates, it can often feel like a fantasy. The market is just so much more different than it was when our parents were looking for starter homes. Is this really where our money should be going?
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
That's really interesting. Our caller is in her late 20s, Miranda. She lives in the Twin Cities, and she's considering whether buying a house is the right decision for her. What would you say to someone like her?
Today, Explained
Is a house still a good investment?
I wonder how all of this plays a role in like inequity and gentrification and things like that. Like who's getting pushed where? Who's having the impacts of climate change?
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
Yeah, that seems like such a bummer. It seems like there's this growing number of people who are refusing to keep up with trends. Does that resistance feel new or has that been there kind of the whole time?
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
All this frustration makes sense. It feels like the trend cycle has gone from a season to 24 hours. Also, there were once rules for what to wear. Not anymore. We're supposed to wear what we want now. But what do you do if you don't know what you want to wear? My colleague Constance Grady tried to figure this out.
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
How do economic realities factor into the fashion industry and predictions about what's going to be new? You know, I mean, I can't even fathom what tariff fashion is about to be.
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
Okay, so we've learned where style comes from. But now, what do we do with it? How to dress yourself after the break.
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
So we know finding our personal style is hard. A lot of it isn't even in our hands. But some of it is. That's what we went to our next two guests about. Two very stylish and very online people who think about this for a living.
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
Okay, so Lagan, I want to start with you. I want to ask you about your clients. So you're a personal stylist. Are there themes that come up when you're talking with a new client who's looking for your services?
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
Like, and what's the first thing you tell someone who's like, oh my gosh, how do I figure out what to wear?
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
I want to pose a question to y'all that we got from a listener. So someone sent in a voicemail and it's from a caller and it's about dressing curvy bodies.
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
Yeah. Okay. I want to do a rapid fire with you all. This will be really quick. Say the first word or answer that pops up in your mind. Okay, desert island piece of clothing. So the thing you can't live without. A silk blouse.
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
Okay, and what is the longest you've held on to one piece of clothing?
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
I'm curious how you all feel about how the internet has changed your relationship with fashion. Y'all are both very online. I mean, that complimentary. I am too. Do you think the internet has made it easier or harder to figure out what your own style actually is?
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
Before we go, thank you for all your calls about personal style and fashion. So we're asking for your help for another upcoming episode. Spring is the season of love and possibility, but it's also the season of allergies. Explain It To Me wants to hear your stories of seasonal allergies, your outdoor ones and your indoor ones too, if you suffer from them.
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
Call 1-800-618-8545 or send a voice memo to askvox at vox.com. That's 1-800-618-8545 or askvox at vox.com. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlain. It was edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checking by Melissa Hirsch, and engineering by Matt Billy. Also, special thank you to Carla Javier, who helped develop Explain It To Me and who ran our show.
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
Um, you, like me, are a millennial, so is it safe to assume that you grew up mainlining Stacey and Clinton on what not to wear also?
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
Yeah, how about pants that fit? I don't know, call me crazy, but it feels like that's an option!
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
So the pendulum has swung. Why has it swung so much? You know, we went from these cinch wastes and blazers to wearing, you know, business casual at the club to, you know, I mean, if I go into the office, there is like a dress up sweat pant that I will wear on occasion. You know, I will wear a pair of jeans. How did we change so much in the span of like a couple decades?
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
You can be who you are and you can be a fat person and you can live a full, fulfilling life while being fat.
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
Okay, Constance, you learned a lot during this whole process about the new rules or the lack of rules we have now. But did you do it? Did you figure out your personal style?
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
So that's Constance's fashion journey. But what about all those outside forces dictating her style choices? Who's doing that? And why are they doing it? We'll find out after we pay a few bills.
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
This is Explain It To Me. I'm John Glenn Hill, and we recently asked you what you want to know about personal style. And man, so many of you called in to tell us.
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
Okay, how would you introduce yourself at like a party?
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
That's Avery Truffleman. She's a fashion writer, and yes, she's also a podcaster. She hosts a show called Articles of Interest. It's about what we wear and also why we wear it, how trends happen, and who dictates them. Avery tackles all this and more on her podcast.
Today, Explained
Why is personal style so hard?
I think something that's been a big through line is trends, you know, where they come from, how one emerges over the other. Can you tell us a little bit about that pipeline? Like, how does that happen?
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
Aber eines meiner Lieblingsfeatures sind die Kandelabrennen hinter dem Altar. Einer davon war ein Geschenk von Abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Er hat dort Service geleistet und es ist sogar dort, wo er seinen Feierabend gehalten hat. Als Kind war die Kirche ein normaler Teil meines Lebens. Mein Vater ist Pastor in der afrikanischen Methodistischen Episkopatschurch.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
In der Kirche habe ich viele Freundinnen und Freunde gemacht. Es gab mir den ersten Eindruck des öffentlichen Redens. Und, da die Pastorinnen und Pastor in dieser Tradition von Kirche zu Kirche umgekehrt werden, hat es auch die Bedeutung, wo ich gelebt habe, auf verschiedenen Städten auf der ganzen Welt. Es gibt eine Vergnügung und eine Freude beim Gehen.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
Ich mag es, die Songs zu hören, die ich als Kind hörte. Ich mag es, aufzuhören und zu den Leuten zu sagen, die ich kenne. Es macht mich mehr auf der Grundlage. I'm a millennial. A lot of my friends don't go to church. I'm an outlier in my friend group that way. A lot of my friends don't practice any religion at all, even if they grew up with it.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
Wenn Sie mehr über Jin Zee und Christenheit lesen möchten, haben wir einen von seinen Vox-Szenen in unseren Show Notes gelinkt. On an upcoming episode of Explain It To Me, we're going to summer camp and we want to hear from you. Do you have a favorite memory from camp or a horror story? Or do you think summer camp is overrated and overpriced? Thank you so much for listening. Talk to you soon. Bye.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
So, I was interested to learn recently that a lot of young people are turning to organized religion today in ways that many people in their 30s and older just aren't. And a couple weeks ago, we asked our Gen Z listeners to share their experiences coming back to church.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
And so many of you called in with stories of returning to faith in your 20s.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
After church, during the time where people tend to mill about before heading to brunch or whatever other Sunday plans they have that day, I asked people if they were seeing more young folks coming.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
Wir sehen das tatsächlich. Und was wir finden, sind Seekern, die eine theologische Nähe wollen. Und eines der Dinge, die ich gelernt habe, JQ, ist, junge Leute wollen nicht nur gebetet werden, sie wollen eine Gemeinschaft bauen.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
This week, we're looking into why young Americans are getting more religious, especially when it comes to Christianity. Later on, we'll visit a traditional Catholic parish that Gen Zers are flocking to. But first, we're going to talk to a political science professor about why this is happening in the first place. Stay with us.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
I always tell people to introduce themselves and do it like you would at a dinner party. But also a dinner party where it's okay to talk about religion and politics.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
Okay, um zu verstehen, wo wir junge Menschen singen, die in die Religion zurückkehren und warum, ging ich zu Dr. Ryan Burge, associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
When I hear that, it sounds so reminiscent of stories of churches I've heard, and it sounds like it fits into this wider picture of Christianity in America. This year, Pew Research Center released the findings from their most recent religious landscape study. Tell us what the religious landscape study is and what it found this time around.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
And after like a week, I sort of looked around and was like, where is everyone else?
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
Ist der Verlust, den wir gesehen haben, spezifisch für die Christenheit, oder ist das auch bei anderen organisierten Religionen passiert?
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
So how did this decline we've seen in Christianity break down along the generational lines?
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
I'm kind of curious why we're seeing more young people turn towards religion in this moment.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
Hi, Tom, good to meet you. Does God love me? Hi! I'm Jonquan Hill. This is Explain It To Me. A couple Sundays ago, I did something I try to do at least once a month. I climbed the stairs and entered the sanctuary of Metropolitan AME in person instead of online. Wenn du reinfährst, ist eines der ersten Dinge, die du bemerkst, diese wunderschönen verkleideten Gläserwände.
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
Sehen wir diesen Schiff ebenfalls zwischen jungen Frauen und jungen Männern? Oder ist es ein Gender Breakdown?
Today, Explained
How Gen Z found religion
I'm curious which religious denominations we're seeing young people turn towards to more right now.