Today, Explained

It’s hard to ratify U-S-M-C-A

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump wants his NAFTA replacement deal ratified. But President Trump appears to be standing in the way. (Transcript here.) Learn more about ...

Sex and branding

31 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nxivm: sounds like a drug, looks like a cult. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Agent Assange?

30 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Julian Assange was already in heaps of trouble when the United States indicted him under the Espionage Act last week. Now he (and journalism) might be...

Mueller speaks

29 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Special counsel Robert Mueller made his first public statement about his investigation today. No questions. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your a...

Hack to the Future

28 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Baltimore is under attack. Hackers have hijacked the city’s online services and are demanding $100,000 worth of bitcoin. ProPublica’s Renee Dudley...

How to save a life

24 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dylan Matthews, host of Vox's Future Perfect podcast, gave away his kidney because it felt like the right thing to do. Learn more about your ad choice...

"Keep our honor clean"

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump is reportedly considering issuing a series of pardons for alleged war crimes in time for Memorial Day. Some see parallels to Nixon’s...

Tissue issues

22 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stem cell clinics are popping up all over the United States. They're profitable and full of promises, but almost totally unregulated. ProPublica's Car...

The mother of all elections

21 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When you have 900 million eligible voters, elections take a little longer. After 39 days of polling, India’s will be over this week. Journalist Ashi...

How to kill a gram

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today, a new definition of the kilogram officially takes effect. But it's just one piece in the massively complicated history of weight. Learn more ab...

All shows must die

17 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What do we say to the God of Death? Not today. Explained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The race to ban abortion

16 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The governor of Alabama signed the nation’s strictest anti-abortion bill into law. Vox’s Anna North explains what the legislation means and Sean R...

Make America Trade Again

15 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump's trade war with China just got a lot worse. Can you feel it? Vox's Matthew Yglesias says most Americans won't, but it's still bad for...

The fight for your face

14 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today San Francisco could become the first American city to ban government agencies from using facial recognition technology. Vox’s Sigal Samuel exp...

Life sentence, no trial

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Terry Allen has been in prison for over 30 years without a conviction because of a little-known rule that was meant to reform the criminal justice sys...

Missile in a bottle

10 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After a long hiatus, Kim Jong-un is back to launching missiles. A lot of people are up in arms, but Vox's Alex Ward says North Korea's Supreme Leader ...

Uber but for strikes

09 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Uber drivers want some R-E-S-P-E-C-T. And it might actually be as easy as A-B-C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who framed Mayor Pete?

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Two right-wing operatives tried to frame Mayor Pete Buttigieg for sexual assault. It didn’t go as planned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p...

“Awwww, Shucky Ducky!”

07 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has tried and failed to install two controversial candidates onto the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias...

Sarah Kliff vs. Zuckerberg General

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Vox's Sarah Kliff has been writing about surprise ER bills for a year, but the practices at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital were unlike anyt...

A Mueller walks into a Barr

03 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week in Mueller report aftermath: An incendiary letter leaks; the attorney general spars with senators and then cancels a date with the House. Sl...

Track and Female

03 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The track and field world is trying to figure out what it means to be female. South African Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya’s future is caught ...

Bovine intervention

01 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Burger King announced it's going nationwide with a meatless Whopper that tastes like the real thing. Is this the end for Big Meat? Learn more about yo...

After the smoke clears

30 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sri Lanka is both returning to normalcy and struggling with last week’s Easter attacks. Roel Raymond provides an update from Colombo and Amarnath Am...

Standoff at the NRA

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Things are so bad at the NRA that President Trump told the organization to get its act together today. Infighting, self-dealing, and lavish spending h...

Subpoena season

26 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Post-Mueller, President Trump is navigating a sea of subpoenas. He says he doesn't want his aides to testify, setting the stage for a showdown with th...

Tuition: Impossible

25 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants to cancel your college debt. To pay for it, she wants to tax the ultra-rich and take more than just their income. Learn mo...

Follow the drugs

24 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time, federal prosecutors have brought drug trafficking charges against pharmaceutical executives. It's one way to fight the opioid cris...

Martin Sheen 2020?

23 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ukraine elected a new president on Sunday and his only meaningful preparation for the position was playing the president on TV. Learn more about your ...

Sri Lanka's Easter attacks

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Almost 300 people were killed in a string of bombings on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. Roel Raymond reports from Colombo and Amarnath Amarasingam explai...

Frankenswine

19 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Maybe you've heard about the pig brains that were resuscitated by Yale researchers? But did you hear about the human brain genes that were inserted in...

It's Robert Time!

18 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Attorney General William Barr released Robert Mueller’s report today. Vox’s Andrew Prokop reads between the redactions and Ezra Klein explains wha...

The Jeffrey Epstein scandal isn't over

17 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A Florida millionaire created a system to sexually abuse around 80 young girls. The sitting Secretary of Labor who let him off easy might now be held ...

My lovely lady pumps

16 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Check it out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a great time to cheat on your taxes

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The IRS is in a bit of a crisis. ProPublica’s Paul Kiel explains how a profitable government agency succumbed to politics and ended up losing tens o...

Maximum Pressure

12 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this week, President Trump designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. It is the first time the United States has ever g...

They called it (a revolution)

11 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After 30 years in power, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the authoritarian leader of Sudan, has been ousted. Reporter Reem Abbas explains how the Sud...

Medicare Bears

10 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Senator Bernie Sanders rolled out a new Medicare-for-all bill today. Vox’s Sarah Kliff explains how such a huge overhaul of the healthcare system we...

Achy Breaky Charts

09 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

“Old Town Road” officially became the most popular song in America today. But it’s also the most controversial. Vox’s Allegra Frank chronicles...

A brutal new law in Brunei

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sex between men will now get you stoned to death in Brunei. It’s a strict reading of Sharia by a sultan who seems to have little regard for it. Lear...

The Art of the Green New Deal

05 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's the hottest resolution since sliced bread. But is it just empty calories? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Banned: Aid

04 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After months of threats, President Donald Trump has officially taken steps to cut off aid to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Vox's Dara Lind exp...

RU$H HOUR

03 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

New York City wants to charge drivers a congestion fee to slim down traffic. We travel the world to see if it’s a good idea. Learn more about your a...

What women really want

02 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

To mark Equal Pay Day 2019, Vox’s Sarah Kliff reveals the very simple reason women earn less than men. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...

The right to refuse

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Texas Senate is debating a bill that would give state-licensed professionals the freedom to deny services based on religious beliefs. Lauren McGau...

Once, twice, three times a Brexit

29 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Theresa May staked her prime ministership on her Brexit deal and, for the third time, the British Parliament rejected it. Vox's Jen Kirby explains a v...

Grounded

28 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Unsettling details continue to arise about Boeing's 737 Max and now Congress is pressing the FAA and America's largest manufacturing exporter for answ...

I got 5G on it

27 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You've heard about the trade war, but how about the phone war? Politico's Steven Overly explains why the US and China are fighting over Huawei and 5G....

The Golan Heights

26 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, breaking with decades of United States policy...

The report on the report

25 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Robert Mueller's investigation has ended and Attorney General William Barr has furnished a four-page summary. Vox's Andrew Prokop says this is far fro...

Jacinda

22 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The terrorist attacks in New Zealand have thrust Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern into the spotlight. Radio New Zealand’s Jane Patterson explains the 3...

Electoral College dropout

21 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg are calling to abolish the Electoral College and a dozen states have signed on to a plan that would subvert it. Le...

Tried six times for the same crime

20 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today the Supreme Court hears oral arguments about Curtis Flowers, who has been tried six times for the same crime: a quadruple homicide at a furnitur...

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...