Today, Explained

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...

We're gonna need a bigger vote

22 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A ballot initiative on November 6 might re-enfranchise over a million Floridians. Demetrius Jifunza explains what it would mean to regain the right to...

FW: FW: FW: SECRETS TO BOOST YOUR METABOLISM

19 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Metabolism is one of the greatest mysteries of the human body. Vox’s Julia Belluz spends a day in a metabolic chamber and emerges with some answers....

Consequences

18 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It is now almost certain that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered at the hands of the Saudi government. As more and more gruesome details...

Affirmative reaction

17 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Harvard is on trial. A group of Asian Americans is facing off against the college in court, where it might dismantle the very affirmative action law t...

Beto and Ted's Excellent Adventure

16 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Everything’s bigger in Texas, including a Senate race that feels more like a presidential one. Texas Monthly’s Eric Benson explains how Beto O’R...

Remember, remember the 6th of November

15 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Midterm elections are three weeks and a day away. Vox’s Dylan Scott says if you think the country's polarized, you ain't seen nothing yet. Learn mor...

The $629 Band-Aid

12 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine a world where a Band-Aid costs $629. Bad news: you live in that world. Vox’s Sarah Kliff explains how American hospitals tack on “facility...

Disappeared

11 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week, but he never left. Now, Turkish officials claim he was killed and ...

Earth is cancelled due to weather

10 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The United Nations now says the planet has 12 years to avoid catastrophic climate change. Vox’s Umair Irfan explores the options humanity has left. ...

Nikki out

09 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Surprise! Nikki Haley, President Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, has resigned. Vox’s Alex Ward explains why one of the most popular memb...

The death penalty and the gopher frog

08 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Brett Kavanaugh starts his new job tomorrow. The Washington Post’s Robert Barnes previews the Supreme Court’s new term and Vox’s Matthew Yglesia...

All my friends are robocalls

05 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Why even answer the phone anymore? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Kavanaugh report is here and no, you can't see it

04 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The FBI has finished its investigation of Brett Kavanaugh. Today, senators entered a highly secured room to review it. Learn more about your ad choice...

How to run for president from a hospital bed

03 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

One candidate was stabbed. Another is sitting in jail. His replacement was slapped with corruption charges. Just your friendly neighborhood candidates...

Good news for Canadians who like milk

02 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The United States, Mexico, and Canada have a new trade deal. It’s called USMCA, or “the new NAFTA.” Vox’s Jen Kirby breaks it down before poli...

Internet fist fight

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

California passed the strongest net neutrality law the country’s ever seen this weekend. The Department of Justice immediately sued. Who’s gonna w...

"Somebody's gotta explain this to Trump"

28 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

After tense words and a walkout, the Republicans got their man and the Democrats got their FBI investigation. Vox's Ezra Klein explains how both sides...

Testimony (Part 2 of 2)

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Brett Kavanaugh responded to Christine Blasey Ford's testimony that he tried to rape her in high school. (An episode on Ford's testimony was re...

Testimony (Part 1 of 2)

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Christine Blasey Ford publicly testified about her allegations that Brett Kavanaugh attempted to rape her in high school. (Expect an additional...

The ghost of Florence

26 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dozens died, millions of animals drowned, billions of dollars worth in damage done, and Hurricane Florence isn’t even over yet. Before rebuilding be...

Red light, green card

25 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration wants to make it a whole lot harder to get a green card. Vox's Dara Lind explains the newest proposal to rein in legal immigr...

Accusers, plural

24 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is facing more accusations of sexual misconduct. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com...

Chicago on trial

21 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke shot Laquan McDonald 16 times. His murder trial began this week, four years after Laquan was killed. WBEZ's Shan...

elon r u ok

20 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk is having a bit of a week, a month, a year. Now the Department of Justice is investigating him, as is Today, Explained. Learn more about you...

China's concentration camps

19 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

China has a secret that’s slowly slipping out: roughly a million Uighurs are being held in “reeducation camps”. Gulchehra Hoja, a Uighur journal...

Now’s a great time to commit some white-collar crime

18 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Mueller investigation has revealed how easy it is to get away with white-collar crime in the United States. ProPublica’s Jesse Eisinger explains...

What the letter said

17 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Christine Blasey Ford has come forward to accuse Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault. Vox's Li Zhou recounts the alleged assault and Emily Bazelon from ...

Back to Juul

14 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The FDA announced this week it’s cracking down on e-cigarettes, demanding that manufacturers like Juul prove within 60 days they aren’t harmful to...

Have you talked to God about this?

13 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Pope Francis met with American bishops at the Vatican to discuss the fallout from a report on decades of abuse by priests. A religion reporter ...

CAROLINAS, PLEASE EVACUATE

12 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Meteorologist Angela Fritz forecasts the catastrophic storm that's about to slam the Carolinas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...

Deadname

11 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Three transgender women of color have been murdered in the past two weeks. ProPublica’s Lucas Waldron explains why so many murders of trans people r...

Game, Upset, Match

11 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Naomi Osaka defeated her lifelong hero Serena Williams to win the US Open on Saturday. The match might be remembered for the wrong reasons. Learn more...

Arrested for reporting a massacre

07 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Two Reuters reporters have been sentenced to seven years in prison for calling attention to a recent massacre in Myanmar. The United Nations says it's...

But his emails!

06 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Brett Kavanaugh’s emails are spilling out and they’re causing waves on Capitol Hill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/ad...

Bad blood

05 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The scandal-plagued blood-testing startup Theranos is shutting down. The Wall Street Journal’s John Carreyrou chronicles the rise and fall of a $10 ...

Confirmation screamings

04 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings for the United States Supreme Court began today. Slate's Dahlia Lithwick say they were unlike any she'd seen...

America's worst defense attorney

31 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Who is Robert Mueller? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Don't call it a comeback

30 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Louis CK surprised New York City's Comedy Cellar with a fresh set of jokes Sunday night. Some were not amused. Vox's Constance Grady explains how to a...

Take a penny, take a penny

29 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

New York investigators are turning up the heat on the Trump Foundation this summer. The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold shares a series of incre...

False profit

28 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The top student loan officer in the country kicked off the school year by quitting. He says the Trump administration "turned its back on young people ...

The empty seat in Arizona

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Love him, hate him, or both, Senator John McCain will be remembered as a towering figure of American politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Kill me maybe

24 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The EPA is rolling back Obama-era regulations on coal-fired plants. It says its decision will kill 1400 Americans per year by 2030. Learn more about y...

Insecurity complex

23 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The president has threatened to revoke the national security clearances for current and former government officials. The Washington Post's Shane Harri...

Guilty. Guilty. Guilty?

22 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In an unprecedented one-two punch Donald Trump’s personal lawyer pleaded guilty to and his campaign manager was found guilty of serious crimes yeste...

19 cents per hour

21 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Inmates nationwide go on strike today to protest conditions they call “modern-day slavery": incarcerated Americans are paid pennies on the dollar fo...

No fair, ride share

20 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

New York City has approved the first cap in the U.S. on Uber and Lyft vehicles. WIRED’s Aarian Marshall explains who’ll be impacted the most, and ...

Never tweet

17 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Twitter temporarily banned Alex Jones and Infowars this week. Why'd it take so long? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoi...

Saw something, said nothing

16 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A Pennsylvania grand jury has released a 1300-page report on child sex abuses within the state's Catholic Church. Jack Jenkins from Religion News Serv...

Crazy. Rich. And finally seen.

15 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Crazy Rich Asians hits theaters today. Los Angeles Times film critic Jen Yamato says it's been 25 years in the making. Learn more about your ad choice...

Democracy Dies in Daylight

14 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Democracies can fall many ways: military coups, assassinations, mass protests. But what does it look like when a democracy quietly backslides into aut...

NASA shoots a billion dollars at the sun

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You might have missed it this weekend, but NASA shot a spaceship at the sun. Once it gets there, the Parker Solar Probe might find the secret to keepi...

"These bastards tried to kill me"

10 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Aubtin Heydari tells the story of how he was almost murdered by a white supremacist at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville last year. Learn m...

This too shall MoviePass

09 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

MoviePass is changing the way we see movies, but it's going to have to get its act together. Vox’s Alissa Wilkinson explains. Learn more about your ...

When a season lasts a year

08 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

California’s Mendocino Complex Fire is now the biggest in the state’s recorded history, surpassing a record set… last year. Vox’s Umair Irfan ...

Wrestling with Ohio State

07 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan wants to be the next Speaker of the House, but a pack of wrestlers could be blocking his path. Corky Siemaszko broke the s...

HQ2

06 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon will soon announce which city will land its second headquarters along with 50,000 new jobs. There’s a lot to win and maybe just as much to lo...

Is the economy great again?

03 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The US economy is booming, unemployment keeps dropping, and the country is in the midst of one of the longest economic expansions in our history. Gues...

You must sign here

02 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

An immigration lawyer at the border says ICE agents are pressuring parents into being deported with their children. Vox’s Dara Lind broke the story....

Ready, print, fire

01 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today was supposed to be a big day for people who wanted to make their own guns with 3D printers. But last night, a federal judge in Seattle temporari...

How to solve the opioid crisis

31 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Vox's German Lopez explains America's opioid crisis and goes looking for a solution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoi...

Manafort, day in court

30 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The first trial of the Mueller investigation begins tomorrow. Vox’s Andrew Prokop runs through the many, many charges Paul Manafort is facing. Learn...

Delete your account

27 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Harmon quit Twitter. James Gunn was fired by Disney. Sarah Silverman defended a nine-year-old joke about molestation. Vox’s Aja Romano explains ...

Cricketer-in-Chief

26 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A thrice-married, nightclub-loving cricket star just won Pakistan’s election. Mehreen Zahra-Malik explains why the military backed Imran Khan and Br...

Soy Story

25 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration stirred up a flurry of trade disputes that threatened to put farmers in the red. Then it threw out a lifesaver: $12 billion i...