Matt and Dara are joined by Vox's German Lopez to talk through some of the lessons we seem not to have learned from the way the Covid pandemic unfolded — or, is still unfolding. Our hosts discuss the abandonment of the Obama-era pandemic playbook, the politicized messaging and idiosyncratic inattention of former President Trump, and what it would mean to develop a truly harm-reducing strategy for the America we actually have. Plus, some research is discussed that evaluates the relationship between access to treatment facilities and morbidity due to substance abuse. Resources: "America still needs to learn from its biggest pandemic failure" by German Lopez (June 4; Vox) "The US doesn't just need to flatten the curve. It needs to 'raise the line'" by Eliza Barclay, Dylan Scott, and Christina Animashaun (Apr. 7, 2020; Vox) "The fundamental question of the pandemic is shifting" by Ed Yong (June 9; The Atlantic) White paper: "Tackling the Substance Abuse Crisis: The Role of Access to Treatment Facilities" by Adriana Corredor-Waldron and Janet Currie (NBER; May 2021) Hosts: Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration Reporter, ProPublica German Lopez (@germanrlopez), Senior Correspondent, Vox Credits: Erikk Geannikis, Producer Paul Robert Mounsey, Engineer As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter. The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production. Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts About Vox Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices