Today, Explained

AI and nuclear doomsday

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI is in everything these days. But should it be in our nuclear arsenal? This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-ch...

That text is a scam

02 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You know those annoying scam texts offering an easy remote job? We find out how they work, why they're so ubiquitous, and the dark world behind them. ...

Everyone is on testosterone

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Should they be? Let’s see. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Adriene ...

Food stamp rage bait

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Millions of Americans are about to lose their SNAP benefits. The fight over who deserves them has been juiced by online videos that claim to show reci...

Are we going to invade Venezuela?

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump is sending warships to Venezuela and bombing so-called drug boats off the coast. His aggression toward Venezuela smells a lot like the...

The AI bubble

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

And what happens when it pops. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Kelli Wessinger, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard...

Extreme Makeover: White House Edition

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump demolished part of the White House to make room for a lavish new ballroom. The gold and glitz is part of a broader rebranding project ...

Paging Dr. ChatBot

26 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Patients and doctors both are turning to AI for help with diagnosing ailments and managing chronic issues. Should we trust it? This episode was produ...

Capitalism (Taylor’s Version)

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Taylor Swift reaches new heights with her latest album, which is both divisive and record-breaking. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edite...

Can you sue ICE?

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You can. And ICE's aggressive tactics are inviting legal challenges from protesters. But some recent court rulings will make it hard for them to win. ...

A test of Trump's coalition

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We visit New Jersey, where there are cracks emerging in Trump's gains with Latinos. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Peter Balonon-Rosen,...

The "I love Hitler" group chat

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When the private messages of Young Republican leaders leaked, it exposed an antisemitism problem that is dividing the GOP. And the online world that i...

The Americans with their bags packed

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration is making an effort to systematically exclude trans people from public life. For many trans Americans, it feels like an exist...

Why (some) food tastes better abroad

19 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We tell the stories of three ingredients that can shine outside the US: beef, bread, and tomatoes. This episode was produced by Denise Guerra and Pet...

Victoria’s Secret wants you back

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The lingerie brand was tarnished by its connection to Jeffrey Epstein, and by fading cultural appeal. With the relaunch of its once-iconic fashion sho...

Marjorie Taylor Greene gone rogue

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over two weeks in, the government shutdown is exposing fault lines on both sides of the aisle. Perhaps the most surprising one: the political left tur...

Is voting doomed?

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The 1965 Voting Rights Act enfranchised millions of Black voters in the Jim Crow era. The Supreme Court may be about to decide it's no longer needed. ...

What the Gaza ceasefire really means

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens next in Gaza now that a ceasefire has been reached and how the last two years might have taught the world the wrong lessons about war. T...

When young adults get cancer

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Getting a cancer diagnosis at any age is life changing. But when you’re in your 20s or 30s, it can feel like hitting the pause button on life. That’...

Should we give toddlers phones?

12 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What we know about early childhood and screens, including a surprising argument for introducing tech at a tender age. This episode was produced by Mi...

The campus resistance

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this special feed drop of On with Kara Swisher, Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber talks about standing up to Donald Trump and what free spe...

Saudi Arabia is no joke

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Riyadh Comedy Festival was billed as “two weeks of laughs in the desert” but has comics asking, “At what cost?” This episode was produced...

Trump deploys the National Guard

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The president is attempting to send the National Guard into two American cities for two (seemingly) different reasons with two (for now) different res...

We're in our AI slop era

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Meta just dropped Vibes and OpenAI just dropped Sora 2. Both social media platforms are filled with AI videos that warp our sense of reality. This ep...

TrumpRx

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump wants to put his stamp on health care. But TrumpRx is no Obamacare. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jolie Mye...

Is empathy toxic?

05 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Society teaches us empathy is a good thing. But some are now saying the opposite, and science is complicating our assumptions too. This episode was p...

KPop Demon Hunters keeps slaying

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters is a mega cultural phenomenon. And the studio that used to own animation, Disney, is watching its dominan...

Hegseth’s hectic military

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered top military officials to DC for a surprise lecture on the "warrior ethos." Chaos ensued. With Hegseth, it usua...

Shutdown for what?

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We ask Sen Elizabeth Warren why. President Donald Trump is reportedly mostly worried about the midterms. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger...

Rupert Murdoch presents: Succession

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Murdoch has built a media empire that leads all the way to the White House. But nothing lasts forever. And at age 94, he finally has an official succe...

How Rupert Murdoch remade the world

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Murdoch started his media empire in Australia, sharpened his playbook in the UK, and became one of the most powerful people in the world once he came ...

Who is the modern American dad?

28 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Young men are more interested in becoming parents than young women are, and there's a growing number of single dads by choice. A look at modern father...

labubu matcha dubai chocolate

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How TikTok reshaped the trend cycle. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered...

$100,000 for a visa

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With its announcement that an H-1B visa will now cost $100,000, the Trump administration is proving it's willing to wreak havoc on American industry i...

A Palestinian state

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As Israel continues pushing into Gaza, a growing number of world leaders are saying they now recognize statehood for Palestine. This episode was prod...

TikTok’s new owners

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The US and China have a plan for American TikTok. It involves a Trump-aligned billionaire whose family is building a new media empire. This episode w...

RFK Jr.'s vaccine dream team

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Noted vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced a key board of vaccine advisers at the CDC. After a chaotic meeting, they just handed down their ...

A nation of jerks

21 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Americans seem to be getting ruder. Are our attempts at making ourselves better actually making us worse? This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy,...

Silencing Kimmel

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

ABC’s “indefinite” suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show has people worried about the First Amendment under President Trump. This epis...

Kash Patel is posting through it

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The FBI director's handling of the Kirk assassination proves knowing the ropes isn't as important as being the president's bestie. This episode was p...

The Charlie Kirk revenge plot

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The motives behind Charlie Kirk’s killing are still unclear, but the Trump administration is mounting a crackdown on people and groups he says are p...

Debate or rage-bait?

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jubilee Media has figured out a way to make the issues that divide Americans go viral - for better or worse. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajd...

Should Democrats shut it down?

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Democrats are debating whether a government shutdown is a way to push back on Trump’s authoritarian impulses or a bad idea made worse by the killing...

Why horror kills at the box office

14 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hollywood has always made money from vampires and brain-eating zombies. But this year's a record-breaker thanks to sequels, hilariously unlikely creat...

What the right gets wrong about Tolkien

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Many far-right conservatives think The Lord of the Rings is about them. They may love Tolkien, but it's very possible Tolkien would not have loved the...

Charlie Kirk's America

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The fatal shooting of conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk has reignited a debate about political violence, even as authorities search for his killer. ...

Trump's chief culture warrior

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Christopher Rufo is leading a ruthless — and successful — counterrevolution against American elite culture. What does the country look like if he ...

The report RFK Jr. buried

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A new report that links increased alcohol consumption to cancer was supposed to help inform the government's new dietary recommendations. Instead, it ...

Trump’s new war on drugs

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump promised to crack down on illicit drugs. Then, he blew up a Venezuelan vessel in international waters. This episode was produc...

The United States is Southern now

07 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From #rushtok to country music, American culture is getting more and more southern. This episode was produced by Denise Guerra, edited by Miranda Ken...

Hamilton and Obamacore cringe

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The smash hit musical Hamilton is now in a movie theater near you. But in the decade since it came out, Hamilton — and much of Obama-era culture —...

Trump and Modi’s broken bromance

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

India’s prime minister was so tight with Donald Trump that they held hands during public appearances. But the two strongmen are on the outs, and Nar...

Deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia (to Uganda)

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The US government is trying to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia again. It's part of a larger war on immigrants that could lead to a smaller, poorer America...

Trump's "tough on crime" spree

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump thinks he solved crime in the nation's capital. Let’s take a look at the data (which he says is dubious). This episode was p...

The Made in the USA myth

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This special feed drop of NPR's Planet Money examines the United States' dwindling domestic garment industry and whether it is ever likely to come bac...

$250 million to work for Meta

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Meta Mark is going all-out to put his superintelligence lab on superdrive. What is superintelligence, you ask? This episode was produced by Gabrielle...

Fed up

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump wants to control interest rates. To do that, he needs to control the Federal Reserve. So he's turned to a toady to dig up dirt ...

The future of vaccines

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump 1.0 got us safe COVID vaccines in record time. Trump 2.0 is trying to take the vaccines away. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and De...

AI took your job

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hundreds of job applications, but not one call. Young workers are frustrated, scared, and wondering where all the entry-level jobs went. This episode...

The golden age of exercise

24 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Americans are flocking to gyms and fitness classes. It wasn't always that way. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda Kennedy ...

Good Bunny

22 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bad Bunny is having a very good summer making Puerto Rico feel like the center of the universe. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by...

Trump evicts homeless people

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of his strategies is throwing people into treatment programs without their consent. Blue states are into it, too?! This episode was produced by R...

South Park is not your friend

20 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The latest season of South Park has been vicious in its critique of Trump 2.0. But the creators aren't just anti-Trump. They're anti-everyone. This e...

Is America still capitalist?

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump is threatening CEOs, nationalizing the steel industry, and demanding a cut of Nvidia's profits. There's a term for all that — and it...

Trump meets with Europe

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Russia's Vladimir Putin last week. Now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has come to Washington, and...

Hacking our health

17 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We track our steps and our sleep, guzzle supplements and protein shakes, and even inject hormones – all in the name of wellness. This episode was p...

Living on Mars

15 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The most powerful people in the world want to send humans to Mars. Getting there will be extremely difficult. Staying there will be even harder. This...

A soccer mom takes on ICE

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Angie Vargas witnessed an ICE raid near her hometown. Now, she's the one chasing ICE agents around Southern California. This episode was produced by ...

"Roving mobs of wild youth"

13 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump says he is taking over DC’s police to save the city from crime — it's really just another way to demonstrate power, and generate headlines. ...

What Trump really wants from colleges

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s not just about the money. This episode was produced by Gabrielle Berbey, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by...

Drilling for clean energy

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An unlimited source of energy lurks below the earth. On this special episode of the Unexplainable podcast, why it’s so hard to tap into geothermal e...

What wellness costs us

10 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Americans are investing billions in their health and wellness. What good do all these green powders and costly club memberships actually do? This epi...

Going to Mars

08 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The president and Elon Musk still agree on Mars. Our close neighbor has captured the imagination of Americans for over a century. This episode was ma...

TEXAS HOLD DEMS

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Texas Republicans want to remake voting maps to their advantage. Democrats say they’re ready to play that game too. Who wins? You have to listen to ...

Can China save our climate?

06 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While the Trump administration rolls back decades of climate regulation, the world’s biggest polluter is taking the lead on clean energy. This epis...

The deal with Trump's deals

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump's been cutting trade deals left and right, saying they're the key to unlocking an era of economic prosperity. New data does not back him up. Th...

Schooling kids at PragerU

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

PragerU’s AI slop is the Trump administration’s new favorite educational resource for a revisionist history. This episode was produced by Gabriel...

America’s high-speed rail fail

03 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The US is well behind much of the world in building passenger rail, especially high-speed trains. But we do have one major advantage. This episode wa...

This is your brain off books

01 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A return to orality is frying our politics and our brains. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Jolie Myers and Amina Al-Sadi,...

The Trumpiest judge yet

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Emil Bove, the president's former lawyer, was just confirmed to the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The only place to go from there is the ...

AI is killing the internet

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a first-of-its-kind decision, an AI company wins a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by authors. It's part of a larger fight that is remaking ...

Gaza's breaking point

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Israel says it will allow more food aid to reach starving Palestinians, but it’s going to be tough if the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation remains in th...

The mother of all conspiracies

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Epstein scandal won't go away, but that won't stop President Donald Trump from trying to pivot to "Russia Russia Russia." This episode was produc...

Is tipping fair?

27 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From raising the tipped minimum wage to "no tax on tips," we look at the challenges of remaking tipped work. This episode was produced by Peter Balon...

Crashing out

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone from Love Island’s Huda to Hunter Biden is screaming, crying, or throwing up for the cameras. The big emotions are real, but so are the dow...

Revoking US citizenship

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump wants to ramp up denaturalization — revoking citizenship from Americans who were born elsewhere. It’s a practice with a long and c...

America’s miraculous murder decline

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last two years, crime rates have been plunging in cities across America. In Baltimore, gun crime is at the lowest it’s been in decades. Th...

Stop the press!

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From Stephen Colbert to Rupert Murdoch, powerful media figures are in President Trump’s crosshairs. And in many cases, Trump is getting his way. Th...

We’re setting fire to food aid

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration is dismantling — or quite literally burning up — both domestic and international food aid programs. The actions will lik...

The summer I turned into a bookworm

20 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Summer. Time for pools, BBQs, and the beach read. But why do we read "summer books"? This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-S...

Super mad about Superman

18 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a bunch of pundits acting like Superman was ever anything but an immigrant and a humanitarian. This episode was produ...

How the YIMBYs won

17 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Yes in My Backyard-ers are celebrating reforms to California's landmark environmental laws, which they say will bring much-needed housing. Nationwide,...

Trump's Epstein problem

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You probably shouldn't expect to see the Epstein Files anytime soon. That's because the Department of Justice belongs to President Trump. This episod...

Trump’s dork philosopher

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Curtis Yarvin began as an anonymous blogger arguing esoteric ideas about how America would be better off as a monarchy. He’s now the Trump administr...

Elon's party in the USA

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk says he wants to launch a new political party. Voters consistently say they want more choices. But history is littered with failed third-par...

Chat BFF

13 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

More and more of us are interacting with chatbots. Can we have real relationships with AI, and can AI teach humans to be better people? This episode ...

Plastic rain

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We're revisiting an episode from earlier this year about how we were mostly able to get the acid rain problem under control...only to find ourselves w...

From Alligator Alcatraz to South Sudan

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration is not happy with their deportation numbers. They're turning to more extreme strategies to hit 1 million by year's end. This...

I was told there would be deals

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After pressing pause on the steepest tariffs, the Trump Administration promised 90 tariff deals in 90 days. That deadline is nearly here but the deals...

Trump's Nobel Peace Prize

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Donald Trump he has nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize for his Middle East efforts. We hea...