Today, Explained
Episodes
No coup for you!
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe won. And won. And won. Rudy can fail. And fail. And fail. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho...
How Melbourne eradicated Covid-19
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Melbourne, Australia, had a first wave. Then it had a second wave. Then it decided it was done with Covid-19. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Le...
It’s beginning to look a lot like stimulus
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In an end-of-year plot twist, Congress is working on a fresh bipartisan stimulus bill. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad ...
A woman’s work is never done
04 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Millions of women left the workforce as Covid-19 forced school closures, but that doesn’t mean they have less on their plates. Is government-funded ...
God-given right?
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court ruled that New York state can’t limit how many people gather in church, even during a pandemic. Vox’s Ian Millhiser explains why...
America Offline
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Low-income students are dropping out of college because many don’t have a reliable way to get online. Vox’s Emily Stewart says the solution is sim...
The key to the Cabinet
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President-elect Biden has started announcing his Cabinet nominees, but Matthew Yglesias says the most important positions aren’t the ones you’d th...
What if developing a vaccine was the easy part?
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19 vaccines are coming out faster than many thought possible. But distributing the vaccines could be an even tougher challenge. Transcript at vo...
Unexplainable
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists all over the world are searching for dark matter: an invisible, untouchable substance that holds our universe together. But they haven’t ...
Withdrawing won’t end the war
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With two months left in the Trump presidency, the US is reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan in an attempt to end America's longest war. But B...
All the mall things
20 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Retail was struggling. Then came the virus. Recode’s Jason Del Rey explains how the American mall will never be the same, and how the machines might...
The peacemaker’s civil war
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
An ethnic conflict in Ethiopia has thrown the Horn of Africa into disarray and could upset order on the continent. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplaine...
Badlands
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19 is surging across the United States, just in time for cold weather and major holidays. North Dakota is doing particularly badly. Vermont may ...
America said yes to drugs
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Oregon decriminalized all drugs. Red states and blue states are doing the same with weed. It’s the culmination of a failed drug war. Transcript at v...
MAGAlomaniac
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A weekend of protests, violence, and enmity in DC revealed what Donald Trump has planned post-presidency. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn ...
(Home)school is cool
13 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19 is surging (again). Schools are closing (again). Kids are learning online (again). And more American parents than ever are turning to homesch...
They fought the Lyft and the Lyft won
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
California tried to strengthen labor rights for gig workers. Uber, Lyft, and their food-delivering cohorts responded with a $200 million propaganda of...
Fox & Frenemies
11 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After a fraught Election Week, cable news is finally cutting away from President Trump’s falsehoods. Erik Wemple, media critic for the Washington Po...
No concession!
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The 45th president of the United States has thus far refused to acknowledge the 46th. Political scientist Zeynep Tufekci explains this latest test of ...
Biden’s coronavirus plan
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
And some big vaccine news, too. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Joe Biden wins
06 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
-And Kamala Harris, too. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What happened to Congress?
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Vox’s Ella Nilsen explains why Democrats are waving goodbye to the blue wave. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices...
President Biden?
04 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains the latest election math, and Ezra Klein argues that, despite record-setting turnout, it wasn’t a great night for Ame...
Today (should be a holiday), Explained
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This Election Day, voter turnout is projected to break records in the United States, but it won’t get anywhere close to Australia’s. Professor Lis...
What to expect when you’re electing
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains how Joe Biden — or President Trump — could win 270 electoral votes. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn mor...
The Trump Years: State of our union
30 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the final episode of our five-part series, New York Magazine’s Rebecca Traister and Vox’s Ezra Klein explain how four years of the Trump presid...
The Trump Years: Health of the nation
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the fourth of our five-part series, Vox’s Dylan Scott explains how a president with no plan on health care evolved into a president with no plan ...
The Voters
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Election turnout is on track to be the highest in a century. Farmers, essential workers, prisoners, and two ladies named Ruth explain their 2020 presi...
The Supreme Court may disenfranchise you now
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Pandemic or not, the highest court in the land won’t extend Wisconsin’s deadline for mailed ballots. Good thing it’s not a swing state. Oh, wait...
#EndSARS
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alexis Akwagyiram, bureau chief for Reuters in Nigeria, explains how a protest to reform the country’s police made its way around the world. Transcr...
The Trump Years: Win at all costs
23 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the third of our five-part series, Vox’s Andrew Prokop says there’s one key takeaway from the Mueller investigation and impeachment: Trump will...
“Hey Google,” the United States is suing you
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bill Barr and Elizabeth Warren have found a common enemy. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...
Will Covid-19 cancel the holidays?
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Last Christmas, I gave you my health. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Block the vote?
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The 2020 election is well underway, as are efforts to prevent people from voting. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choic...
The parody-proof president
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Live from New York, impressions are trite! Vox critic-at-large Emily VanDerWerff explains why late-night TV struggles to satirize President Trump, and...
The Trump Years: America First
16 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the second of our five-part series, Vox’s Nicole Narea and Jenn Williams explain how President Trump has fundamentally changed the perception of ...
Do you believe in magic?
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A Los Angeles magician struck gold with a glorified Zoom meeting. Some are asking if he’s figured out how to save theater. Transcript at vox.com/tod...
Amy Coney Barrett’s originalism
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The judge isn’t saying much in her confirmation hearing, but Vox’s Ian Millhiser explains how her legal theory will guide her on the Supreme Court...
The case for ending the filibuster
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Even if Democrats win the White House, take the Senate, and hold the House, most of their legislation could be doomed because of the filibuster. Vox’...
The Trump Years: Deregulator in chief
09 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the first of our five-part series, Vox’s Matthew Yglesias explains why President Donald Trump seldom boasts about his biggest accomplishment. Tra...
Did anyone defund the police?
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In June, nine members of the Minneapolis City Council stood onstage at a community rally and pledged to dismantle the police. Council member Alondra C...
1600 Coronavirus Avenue
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After months of downplaying the risks, the White House has come down with Covid-19. Vox’s Aaron Rupar gives the updates, and Future Perfect’s Siga...
Who are the Proud Boys?
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump told a fringe group of misogynistic racists to “stand back and stand by” at the first presidential debate. Vox’s Jane Coaston ex...
It’s time to talk about Mike Pence
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump is battling Covid-19 and the vice-presidential debate is days away. McKay Coppins from the Atlantic explains the man waiting in the wi...
Contact tracing President Trump
02 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The president had a very busy week, then tested positive for the coronavirus. Vox’s Aaron Rupar traces his steps and Ella Nilsen explores the possib...
Missing Chapter
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A forgotten protest movement in a seaside Florida town helped end legal segregation in the United States. Vox’s Ranjani Chakraborty explains. Transc...
Joe Versus the Volcano
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While it might feel as though nothing could be worse than last night’s presidential debate, Vox’s Ezra Klein explains what could happen if Preside...
Amy Coney Barrett
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee first garnered attention after being questioned about her Catholic faith. Vox’s Ian Millhiser says that at...
$750
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
That's how much "billionaire" President Trump paid in federal income taxes his first year in office, according to reporting from the New York Times. T...
Justice For Breonna Taylor (Part II)
25 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the three officers who shot at Breonna Taylor’s apartment was indicted ... for endangering her neighbors. Tessa Duvall from the Louisville Co...
Dr. Fauci on pandemic politics
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With mounting concerns over the politicization of federal health agencies, Dr. Anthony Fauci explains why Americans should still trust the vaccine app...
Working from work
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What do a bus driver, a teacher, a McDonald’s employee, and a project manager with a conference on her calendar all have in common? Transcript at vo...
RBG’s seat
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Republicans appear ready to fill the seat left vacant by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before the end of the year. Vox’s Ian Millhiser explains Democr...
Supreme
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The fight over Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat has already begun, but let’s not forget to celebrate her legendary life. Transcrip...
Class of Covid-19
18 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Colleges reopened. Outbreaks followed. Robert J. Jones, chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, explains why he still thinks bri...
ICE and involuntary hysterectomies
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A whistleblower complaint alleges immigrants being detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Georgia have been subjected to involuntary proc...
A firefighter on battling wildfires
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After 16 seasons of wildfires, Glen Haydon has figured out how to cope. For everyone else, there’s an app for that. Transcript at vox.com/todayexpla...
This is the future Joe Biden wants
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Trillions spent on the environment, caregiving, manufacturing, and the racial wealth gap: Vox’s Dylan Matthews explains how Biden wants to “Build ...
Can the Democrats take the Senate?
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Vox’s Ella Nilsen says the implausible is now looking possible. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcast...
Cupid-19
11 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic hasn’t stopped Americans from dating, hooking up, or tying the knot. In fact, lockdown has been helping people get down. Transcript at ...
What was Putin the tea?
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A chief political rival of Vladimir Putin has been poisoned in what Foreign Policy’s Amy MacKinnon says is a watershed moment for Russia. Transcript...
The truth about herd immunity
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Some people think it’s the only way out of the pandemic. Those people are very wrong. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Learn more about your ad ...
A Fake News Survival Guide
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As the election draws near, of fake news you must steer clear. For you (and your uncle), this episode is here. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Le...
The movies are back*
04 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
*But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should go see one. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoic...
Is the stock market bull?
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Vox’s Emily Stewart clears up the mystery of the market, and Ella Nilsen offers an update on the stimulus that has collapsed into stalemate. Transc...
Let’s talk about ventilation
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ventilation is key to reopening office buildings safely. But The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson says many workers aren’t going back, even when it’s s...
Is Facebook ready for the election?
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the company made an “operational mistake” in its handling of Kenosha militia groups. The Verge’s Casey Newton ...
Wakanda forever
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The actor Chadwick Boseman died of cancer on Friday, but because of Black Panther he’ll live forever. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Learn mor...
The Island of Explained: A Summer of Protest
29 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
All summer long, we have been explaining complex news stories to kids. In our final summer camp journey to the Island of Explained, we tackle the figh...
Unconventional (Part II)
28 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The GOP proved that laws were made to be broken at its 2020 convention. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
Kenosha
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times by police and the protests escalated all the way to the NBA. Gina Barton, investigative reporter at th...
Optimism in 2020
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Being an optimist can seem ridiculous right now, but in the inaugural episode of The Cut podcast, host Avery Trufelman is searching for some well-grou...
Plasmania
25 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid’s hottest new treatment is plasma. Vox’s Umair Irfan explains why, and where the world stands on a vaccine. Transcript at vox.com/todayexpl...
What is QAnon?
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As the Republican National Convention gets underway, a bonkers (and dangerous) conspiracy theory is gaining a foothold inside the GOP. President Trump...
Unconventional
21 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Democrats proved a virtual convention doesn't have to be a downer. Especially when Rhode Island brings calamari. Transcript at vox.com/todayexpla...
Who polices the police?
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
ProPublica's Eric Umansky explains how the New York Police Department's Civilian Complaint Review Board has struggled for decades to hold the NYPD to ...
Class is in quarantine
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Schools in the US are reopening even though kids play a key role in community transmission of Covid-19. Georgia Public Broadcasting reporter Ellen Eld...
A woman’s place is at the polls
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The 19th Amendment’s centenary is today, but the fight for universal suffrage in the United States continues. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained....
The mail, man
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The House of Representatives is cutting its vacation short to block changes at the United States Postal Service that could affect the integrity and ou...
The Island of Explained: Escape from Boredom
15 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After hearing from kids around the world who are grappling with serious boredom, Noam Hassenfeld and Byrd Pinkerton venture deep into the belly of a w...
Well, this is awkward
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The coronavirus is complicating our relationships with family, friends, and strangers. But it’s also making us better at life?? Transcript at vox.co...
2020 makes no census
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The 2020 census is fighting a losing battle against the coronavirus and President Trump. NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang explains how a decade of money and powe...
Kamala
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Biden picked Harris. Vox’s Fabiola Cineas explains the role race is already playing in the election, and Ezra Klein argues Donald Trump is making th...
The dictator vs. the homemaker
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The longtime leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, is facing nationwide protests and accusations that he stole Sunday’s election. His opponent, a...
How Trump’s relief plan helps and hurts
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump wants to resolve the congressional deadlock over stimulus relief by himself. Vox’s Li Zhou rummages through the mixed bag. Transcrip...
TikTok, on the clock, Donald says your time is up
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump is threatening to ban TikTok, but Microsoft might be able to stop the clock. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about yo...
Florida’s Covid-19 tragedy
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The state saw Covid-19 coming. It still became an outbreak epicenter. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po...
What’s going on in Lebanon
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A chemical blast has made a very bad situation worse for Lebanon. Journalist Habib Battah explains from Beirut. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. ...
Everything that could go wrong with the November election
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A worsening pandemic. A poll worker shortage. A hobbled postal service. Russian hacking. Donald Trump. Vox’s Ella Nilsen explains the many obstacles...
Who’s “Karen?” And what’s BIPOC?
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A Washington Post columnist named Karen explains her feelings about “Karen.” A University of Arizona linguist named Sonja explains BIPOC and the c...
The Island of Explained: Election Day
31 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Election Day on the Island of Explained! Will the candidate with the most votes win, or will the island’s Electoral College determine a diffe...
Tim, Mark, Jeff, and Sundar
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The leaders of Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Google testified before Congress on Wednesday in what The Verge’s Casey Newton says might have been the ...
Life after Covid-19, explained by Carl (who had it)
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Some people walk away from Covid-19 feeling fine. Others are dealing with a long list of lingering health issues. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained...
Stimulating America
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Democrats and Republicans have a $2 trillion disagreement on how to relieve Americans from the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus. Transcript a...
Rural America meets Black Lives Matter
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In Bethel, Ohio, a Black Lives Matter rally became a standoff between armed bikers and peaceful protesters. BuzzFeed’s Anne Helen Petersen explains....
Houston, we have a problem
24 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Baseball’s back, but fans won’t get the chance to boo the cheating Astros. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices....
The Anti-maskers
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The United States has now confirmed 4 million cases of Covid-19. Some Americans still don’t want to wear a mask. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplaine...
Biden’s $2 trillion climate plan
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden is tacking to the left and embracing a historic climate plan. Vox’s David Roberts explains whether it stands a chance. Transcript at vox.c...
Tucker Carlson’s America
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The most popular host in the history of cable news returned from a week-long vacation after his head writer was exposed as a raging bigot. The Washing...
When the feds came to Portland
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
They came in military camouflage and unmarked vans. Now the state of Oregon is suing the federal government over its policing tactics. Oregon Public B...