Today, Explained

CBD? TBD.

19 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

CBD is winding up in your lattes, your gummies, and your massages, but what exactly is it? And is anyone regulating it? Learn more about your ad choic...

American hate

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Christchurch shooting took place thousands of miles from the United States, but for Muslims in America, the threat of white supremacy remains very...

A mass shooting, live-streamed

15 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A terrorist attacked two mosques in New Zealand during Friday prayer, killing at least 49 people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoic...

Boeing 737 Max

14 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed on Sunday killing all 157 aboard. The response was unprecedented. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcas...

Becky with the bad grades

13 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Remember Aunt Becky from Full House? She might be heading to the big house. Fifty grown-ups, including Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, are facing ...

For all eyes only

12 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Can't pass an FBI background check? Not a problem. That's the Trump administration's approach to top secret security clearances for some White House o...

Sailing a boat on an alien sea

11 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

SpaceX and Blue Origin have been driving much of the excitement around space travel for the past several years, but NASA got back in the game today. D...

Trump's money man

08 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Cohen mentioned one name multiple times during his Congressional testimony: accountant Allen Weisselberg. We peel back the curtain on the keep...

The Title X factor

07 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration got a lot closer to defunding Planned Parenthood this week — 21 states are fighting back with a sweeping new lawsuit. Learn...

Uh-oh, Trudeau!

06 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Canada’s prime minister is accused of pressuring his attorney general to go easy on a wealthy corporation, and two cabinet officials resigned in pro...

Outbreak

05 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The United States officially eliminated measles in 2000. But the deadly disease is making a comeback, and the anti-vaccine movement is largely to than...

Michael Jackson, allegedly

04 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Two men accuse Michael Jackson of sexually abusing them as children in a new HBO documentary. Sean Rameswaram speaks with the film's director and a la...

Friends without benefits

01 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Facebook moderators watch suicides, decapitations, and drone attacks so you don’t have to—and they’re paid just a fraction of what the average F...

Terrorism, airstrikes, tea

28 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The long-simmering feud between nuclear powers India and Pakistan is boiling over. Ankit Panda from The Diplomat explains why. Learn more about your a...

Michael Cohen LIVE

27 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After weeks of delays and drama, President Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, testified before Congress today. Vox’s Andrew Prokop s...

Your money is under arrest

26 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Police can seize your property without ever charging you with a crime. And you probably won’t get it back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p...

Aiding chaos

25 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Venezuela's whole “two presidents” thing has turned lethal. Emiliana Duarte spent the weekend at Venezuela’s border with Colombia where security...

Jussie Smollett's worst enemy

22 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jussie Smollett was the victim of a racist, homophobic hate crime last month. Or at least that’s what he’d have you believe. The Advocate’s Zach...

Train takes a bullet

21 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Californians were promised high-speed rail. Eleven years and billions of dollars later, all they have is a fight with President Trump. Vox’s Matthew...

HQ2-1

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon decided on two headquarters: one in New York and the other in Arlington, Virginia. One deal fell apart, the other just might work out perfectly...

A little privacy, please

19 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Verge's Casey Newton says a California privacy law to protect your online data might finally push federal legislators to come up with one set of r...

2020 vision

18 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly a dozen candidates have announced their run for the presidency and 2019 has only just begun. John Dickerson of Slate’s Political Gabfest expl...

Emergency podcast!

15 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump declared a national state of emergency today. It’s the latest installment in his controversial “Build the wall!” series. ...

The 400% interest rate

14 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Remember the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? It’s not doing so well. Enforcement is down by 75 percent, employees are leaving in droves, and n...

Race runs through it

13 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Virginia: birthplace of American democracy and American slavery, first state to elect a black governor and maybe the first to have a governor with a K...

Killing Sears

12 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sears was on its way to the graveyard of American icons when its former CEO, a reclusive billionaire named Eddie Lampert, stepped in to buy it. Unfort...

Virginia is for scandals

11 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

First it was blackface. And maybe the KKK? Then there was an accusation of sexual assault. Then more blackface. Then another sexual assault. Welcome t...

Alexa, disable camera

08 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Bezos. Donald Trump. The Washington Post. The National Enquirer. This dick pic is not like the others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po...

Inauguration investigation

07 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump’s inaugural committee this week received a sweeping subpoena. Federal prosecutors in New York want to know where a record-breaking a...

Pushing opioids over lunch

06 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Let's do lunch! And talk Oxy! A new study suggests a correlation between aggressive marketing and opioid overdoses. The timing isn't great for Purdue ...

The State of the World

05 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump delivers his second State of the Union tonight, but how’s the world doing? Believe it or not, Vox’s Dylan Matthews says things are...

The Shadow Rulers

04 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Big changes are afoot at the second-biggest federal agency, the Department of Veterans Affairs. ProPublica’s Isaac Arnsdorf explains how a trio of P...

Written in blood

01 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For 31 years, Joe Bryan has been in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. He was convicted based on bloodstain-pattern analysis, but ProPubl...

They're calling it a revolution

31 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Historic protests threaten to topple Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir. Reporter Reem Abbas speaks to Sean Rameswaram after being tear gassed in Khart...

All your data for $20

30 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Facebook has been paying 13- to 35-year-olds $20 in exchange for access to their phones and Apple isn't happy about it. The Verge’s Casey Newton exp...

Peace with the Taliban

29 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The US and the Taliban are working out a deal to end America’s longest war. Afghanistan is nervous. Vox’s Jennifer Williams explains. Learn more a...

Grounding the shutdown

28 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Air traffic controllers aren’t allowed to strike, but they may have found another way to end the government shutdown on Friday. Vox’s Matthew Ygle...

The Man with the Nixon Tattoo

25 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been quite a day for Roger Stone. Arrested before dawn. Released on $250,000 bond. Called Alex Jones. Gave a circus of a press conference. Vox'...

Venezuela's two presidents

24 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In one corner, there’s Nicolás Maduro, the incumbent presiding over a failing economy. In the other, you have Juan Guaidó, a 35-year-old lawmaker ...

Ebola is back

23 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The second-largest Ebola outbreak in history is spreading toward a major city. Vox’s Julia Belluz explains whether you should panic now, later, or m...

SHUTDATE UPDOWN

22 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump would very much like a deal to end his shutdown. The Republican-controlled Senate is with him. Vox’s Dara Lind explains why t...

28 Days Later

18 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The partial government shutdown is now officially a record-breaking, trip-cancelling, State of the Union-postponing, Cardi B-angering hot mess. Learn ...

When your power company is a felon

17 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What if your utility were a felon filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy? You would be one of 16 million in California. KQED’s Marisa Lagos lays out Pacif...

The Roberts Court

16 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Supreme Court is back in session and Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick says Chief Justice John Roberts is ready to take a swing at balancing an increasing...

The $600 EpiPen

15 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If there’s one thing pretty much everyone in the government can agree on, it’s this: prescription drug prices are too damn high. But how to fix th...

Chapo Big House

14 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brooklyn really does have everything: a basketball team, a laundromat-pinball bar, and now the drug lord trial of the century. Keegan Hamilton, host o...

The shutdown gets very, very real

11 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Come midnight, the government shutdown will be the longest in US history. Vox’s Li Zhou runs through the consequences for federal workers and the re...

What can the president do during a national emergency?

10 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This morning, the president doubled down on his threat to declare a national emergency to build a border wall. Such a declaration could also allow him...

Let's talk about tax, baby. Let's talk about AOC.

09 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has floated a marginal tax rate of 70% for top earners in America. A lot of people are upset, and even more ha...

The troop withdrawal withdrawal

08 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

National security advisor John Bolton traveled to Turkey to meet with President Erdogan, who cancelled today. It's the latest development in a very me...

The nine lives of Obamacare

07 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Obamacare’s back in the crosshairs. Vox’s Sarah Kliff breaks down a lawsuit that’s pitting states’ attorneys general against each other, and h...

You should not throw away your shot

04 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Around 80,000 people died of the flu last season. Despite that, Sean doesn’t want to get the flu shot. Luckily, Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National In...

Who is Paul Whelan and why does Russia think he’s a spy?

03 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Whelan went to Moscow for a wedding. The Russians arrested him, and today charged him with espionage. Amie Ferris-Rotman, Moscow correspondent fo...

Shutdown

02 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Day 12 of the government shutdown. Vox’s Li Zhou explains what that means for the country and Matthew Yglesias argues that the core issue of ...

Let's Explain "Today, Explained"

01 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If you like this trailer, then you're going to love this show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All my friends are robocalls (replay)

28 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Why even answer the phone anymore? All your questions about all those pesky automated phone calls are answered in this holiday rebroadcast. Learn more...

The Stanford Prison Correction (replay)

27 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In 1971, a professor locked a bunch of young men in a basement to understand evil. The results were explosive. This summer, it all came crashing down....

Black Panther is (still) the most important movie of 2018

26 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We called it! Sean Rameswaram attends a "Black Panther"-themed engagement party and speaks to Evan Narcisse, writer of the "Rise of the Black Panther"...

"A horrible miscarriage of justice"

21 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A Florida millionaire created a system to rape or abuse at least 80 young girls for years. The current Secretary of Labor may have helped him get away...

The most powerful woman in the world

20 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is officially planning her exit from politics. The Guardian’s Kate Connolly explains how an awkward scientist became...

Take a penny, take a penny (replay)

19 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump Foundation is shutting down. The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold shares a series of increasingly unbelievable stories about the charit...

The World in 2018

18 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The North Korea summit. Brexit chaos. The brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The hosts of Vox's Worldly podcast look back on the biggest international ...

Tumblr's war on sex

17 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tumblr is removing adult content from its platform today. Vox’s Aja Romano says it's about much more than banning “female-presenting nipples". Lea...

This episode is unrated

14 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"The House That Jack Built" opens in select theaters across the country today, but it’s not the version director Lars von Trier wanted you to see. T...

Paul Ryan vs. himself

13 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

After 20 years, Speaker Paul Ryan is set to leave the House of Representatives in early January. Ezra Klein says Paul Ryan’s legacy would be a big l...

Fraud, actually

12 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

One man in North Carolina may have swung an election by defrauding voters. But North Carolina is interested in stopping a different type of voter frau...

The Replacements

11 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump is looking to fill some key positions. One pick is a former attorney general, another comes from "Fox & Friends". Learn more about you...

"Totally clears the President. Thank you!"

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Except it doesn't. Vox's Andrew Prokop explains why the latest pieces of Robert Mueller's puzzle are bad news for President Trump. Learn more about yo...

Wait, why did Canada arrest a Chinese CFO?

07 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Canada arrested a Chinese executive at the request of the United States this week. It may set off a whole new Cold War. Learn more about your ad choic...

Don Jr.

06 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

There used to be one Trump Tower controversy. Now there are two. Donald Trump Jr. is in the middle of both of them. The Washington Post’s David Fahr...

Power, stripped

05 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Wisconsin Republicans are scrambling to pass last-minute measures that would strip the incoming Democratic governor of a lot of his powers. Learn more...

Is it time to delete Facebook?

04 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Verge’s Casey Newton explains the pros and cons of staying on Facebook after the latest scandal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcast...

One-term wonder

03 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

George H. W. Bush went from a record-breaking 89 percent approval rating after the Gulf War to losing his re-election bid to an upstart from Arkansas....

Humans 2.0

30 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A Chinese scientist says he has genetically engineered two human babies, with another on the way. Is this the beginning of the end? Learn more about y...

Madam Speaker

29 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nancy Pelosi is now officially the nominee for Speaker of the House. Time's Molly Ball explains who's happy and who's mad about it. Learn more about y...

Mandatory minimums

28 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump and both parties actually agree on something: mandatory minimum sentences are too harsh. Can they fix them? Learn more about your ad c...

Battleship: Russia vs. Ukraine

27 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Russia rammed one of its ships into a Ukrainian tug boat, further straining an already strung-out relationship. Vox’s Alex Ward takes us on a voyage...

From bad to worse at the border

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. Border Patrol tear-gassed asylum seekers who rushed the border yesterday. Maya Averbuch was there reporting for the New York Times. Vox’s Dara ...

When dogs fly

21 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Airlines are getting tough on emotional support animals. Some people think they're a scam. Science isn’t sure. An expert weighs in, as does an emoti...

Those weird Cuban attacks

20 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration is punishing Cuba in response to mysterious attacks on U.S. diplomats in Havana. ProPublica's Sebastian Rotella explains what...

Still burning

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Camp Fire is the most destructive fire in California history, surpassing a record set just a few months ago. Vox’s Umair Irfan heads to Paradise...

Do it for the gram

16 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Massive news: Scientists in France voted to officially redefine the kilogram today. They’ve been weighing their options for centuries. Learn more ab...

The simplest way to fix our gun laws

15 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

California has the strictest gun laws in the country, but they didn't prevent last week’s mass shooting in Thousand Oaks. Vox’s German Lopez expla...

The citizenship question

14 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration would very much like to know if you’re a citizen come the 2020 census. NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang explains how that might break ...

Sit in a circle. Save your baby’s life.

13 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

South Carolina used to be one of the most dangerous places in America to have a baby. But now, it’s reducing infant mortality with an unconventional...

Total Recount

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Almost a week after the midterm elections, several key races remain undecided and recounts are coming. The president calls shenanigans. Learn more abo...

Could one man’s death change the conflict in Yemen?

09 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder has put the spotlight on an unlikely place: Yemen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co...

thank u, next (Attorney General remix)

08 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is out. His replacement has criticized the Mueller probe. Is the investigation safe? Vox’s Andrew Prokop isn’t so s...

What now?

07 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The results are in! Vox’s Libby Nelson provides a rundown. Matthew Yglesias predicts the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoi...

Why is voting optional?

06 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

For answers, we head to Australia where it isn't. Turnout surpasses 90% and elections are celebrated with democracy sausages on the barbie. Learn more...

Everything you need to know about tomorrow’s midterms

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In case you’ve been living under a rock, the midterm elections are tomorrow. A pair of Vox’s congressional reporters take a tour of key races befo...

Can I hack it? (Yes, you can.)

02 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hacking our elections is so easy, a 7-year-old can do it. (Really.) How we got here and why the best solution is one you might not expect. Learn more ...

$$ FREE MONEY FREE MONEY $$

01 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What if the government just gave everyone money? No strings attached. Crazier things have happened. Nixon even tried to implement such a program once....

What the frack is up with Colorado

31 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Colorado's Proposition 112 is dividing the state. The ballot measure could severely limit oil and gas production, including fracking. Sean Rameswaram ...

One week to midterms, 5000 troops to border

30 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

THE CARAVAN IS COMING! DISEASE! MUSLIMS! DANGER! LOCK THE BORDER! Or maybe just listen to this episode in which Vox’s Dara Lind separates truth from...

Tree of Life

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue has confirmed what many believed to be true: Anti-Semitism is on the rise in America, and it's fueling white...

The Purge

26 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

More than 50,000 voters in Georgia have found themselves on a “pending list.” One candidate for governor is responsible for it. The other is fight...

Bombs in the mail

25 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

America’s favorite Democrats are getting pipe bombs in the mail. Who even mails bombs anymore? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoice...

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Kill the Treaty

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration announced it’s throwing out a decades-old arms treaty with Russia. Arms control specialist Alexandra Bell explains why this...

What the transgender memo means

23 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A leaked Health and Human Services memo has left transgender Americans feeling like the Trump administration wants to define them out of existence. Do...