Today, Explained

Texas blame game

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dozens of people were swept away by flash floods in Texas this weekend. The finger-pointing has already begun. This episode was produced by Denise Gu...

Our complicated relationship with the flag

06 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar openly celebrate the American flag. But a lot of Black Americans feel differently. What does that tell us about identity t...

Disney's America

03 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There’s no shortage of fights over American history right now, but let’s see what we can learn from that one time in the '90s when Disney tried to...

Make America Uninsured Again

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If the Senate's massive tax and immigration bill passes the House it will be the biggest cut to Medicaid since the program began and could fracture th...

Unmasking ICE

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

ICE agents are showing up to immigration raids masked. The Trump administration says it's for the protection of the agents, but how does it impact acc...

Porn on the docket

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Supreme Court has a long history of taking on cases about porn, including one they decided on Friday. Vox's Ian Millhiser explains how that histor...

Can we ever know our dogs?

29 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

So many of us believe we understand what our pets are feeling. Are we fooling ourselves? This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Miranda ...

Swole Girl Summer

27 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Weightlifting is the fastest growing sport among women. It's challenging how we think about who is allowed to be strong and what fitness really means....

Wars have rules

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The legal architecture that would define and prosecute what’s happening in Gaza is failing. Reporter Suzy Hansen explains how 80 years of internatio...

Burrito now, pay later

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Americans are turning to "buy now, pay later" apps for purchases as small as a burrito—it’s a symptom of a larger national addiction to debt. Thi...

Elon Musk presents: Taxis

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk and Tesla launched their long-delayed robotaxi service this weekend in Texas. The Verge's Andrew Hawkins explains why so much is riding on i...

America First (unless Iran...)

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Vox's Josh Keating and author Vali Nasr explain what bombing Iran won’t accomplish. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and Hady Mawaj...

Sleepaway camp's nostalgia economy

22 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Unpacking the American rite of passage that so many children love — but that isn't right for everyone. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz,...

Elon’s Boring town

20 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We're revisiting an episode from earlier this year about the world's richest man and the company town he's developing outside of Austin, Texas. Like t...

Five boroughs. One mayor. Mad drama.

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

New York Public Radio icon Brian Lehrer breaks down the New York City mayor's race and New York magazine's David Freedlander explains what Democrats n...

Iran, Israel, and Trump

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The conflict between Israel and Iran is revealing a deep divide within the MAGA universe over whether to get more involved or stay on the sidelines. ...

America the extreme

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This weekend saw a shocking act of political violence, a military parade in DC, and political protests across the US. What's going on? This episode w...

Let's fight over bike lanes

15 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A caller asks why it's so hard to make biking safe in LA. We bike around different US cities to get the answer. This episode was produced by Miles Br...

The big business of small streamers

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dropout is a smaller streaming platform where improv comedy is king. It might be the blueprint for the future of streaming. This episode was produced...

Palantir has your info

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration wants to merge all of our data across government agencies. And it's asked a controversial company to help. This episode was ...

Elon and Trump need space

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Vox’s Joshua Keating explains why the US government can’t have a big, beautiful breakup with Elon Musk. And now that he’s left DOGE, Elaine Kama...

Trump's other big breakup

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump recently blew up his alliance with the conservative legal group that helped him remake the judiciary. But the group’s leader is alre...

Fire and ICE in Los Angeles

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump sent in the National Guard to quell protests caused by ICE raids. LA Times reporter Rachel Uranga covered the chaos, which Mark Krikor...

The recession indicator game

08 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Press-on nails, new music from Katy Perry, and an uptick in Klarna purchases: signs of an economic downturn or no? This episode was produced by Hady...

AI Video Killed the Video Star

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Google’s new AI video tool Veo 3 looks freakishly real, but it might take Hollywood to fully harness its power. This episode was produced by Gabrie...

Baby’s first gene edit

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time ever, experimental gene editing technology has been used to treat a baby with a fatal condition. Just don’t mess with the embryos...

Black schools, red states

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A supporter of President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis was just appointed to lead the historically Black college Florida A&M University. Students...

Donald Trump's "Golden Dome"

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump wants to build a "Golden Dome" to protect the US from the threat of nuclear weapons. It’s a sign we’re in a new nuclear era. This...

The white gold rush

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The US has enormous deposits of critical minerals like lithium right here at home. So why are we looking at mining the ocean floor and asteroids? Thi...

How Gen Z found religion

01 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time in decades, American Christianity is not in decline. What are young people looking for–and finding–at church? Further reading:...

What Bill Belichick’s relationship tells us

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The legendary coach is getting more attention for his relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson than football these days. It’s a reminder that we ...

All eyes back on Gaza

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From podcaster Theo Von to children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel to the new pope to President Trump, a strange coalition of people is criticizing Israel...

A comedian tries to fix aviation

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Newark’s crisis is coming soon to an airport near you. Thankfully, comedian Nathan Fielder is dead serious about aviation safety. This episode was ...

The minerals that rule our world

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The race to control critical mineral deposits has become a major driver of US foreign policy -- and is redrawing global alliances. This episode was m...

Methamphetamine: The most misunderstood drug?

25 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Methamphetamine is best known as one of the most addictive and dangerous drugs out there. But it's also an FDA-approved drug that can be used to treat...

All the sad young literary men

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Writer Ross Barkan says young men's voices have vanished from literary fiction. Economist Joel Waldfogel offers a reality check from the world of publ...

Should women be in combat?

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Combat roles have been open to women for a decade, but President Donald Trump's Pentagon still questions whether women can be lethal. Army veteran Eme...

Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill”

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“You are tearing me apart, Congress.” This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with help from Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-che...

White genocide Grok

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When the Twitter/X chatbot, Grok, started glitching with responses about white genocide to unrelated questions, it pulled back the curtain on the peop...

My colleague, the scammer

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

North Korea has been sending young, tech-savvy operatives to pose as ordinary American job seekers. Tech reporter Bobbie Johnson investigates the scam...

Why are my allergies getting worse?

18 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It feels like sneezing season lasts longer and takes more victims every year. An allergist and a public health specialist explain how to fight back. ...

How to "fix" your face

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

All that time staring at ourselves on Zoom has led to a rise in procedures like “baby botox.” The Atlantic’s Yasmin Tayag explains the lure and ...

All the president’s side hustles

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ethical concerns abound on the president's first big trip to the Middle East since reentering office. But if you really want conflicts of interest, ta...

Trump’s emergency powers grab

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump has declared an unprecedented number of national emergencies. He's used them to wage a trade war, deport people, and speed up o...

Oops!... I voted for Trump

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the run-up to the election, Donald Trump successfully convinced a historic number of younger, Black, and Latino voters that he was the best option....

Is John Fetterman ok?

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

New York magazine’s Ben Terris talks through his reporting on Sen. John Fetterman’s health and what it means for the future of the Democratic Part...

The drama and trauma of 23andMe

11 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With the at-home DNA testing company 23andMe filing for bankruptcy, what happens to all the data millions of Americans handed over? And how should you...

Chicago Pope

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The first American pope's pro-immigrant views have put him publicly at odds with Vice President JD Vance. How Pope Leo XIV's ancient Catholic order co...

What did Wikipedia do?

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration is going after the free encyclopedia. Journalist Stephen Harrison explains how the site went from “the last bastion of shar...

Little Marco’s big portfolio

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A former rival of President Donald Trump’s now holds four positions in his administration. How Marco Rubio became important at work. This episode...

The two dolls economy

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Shortages are on the way. President Trump says children must live with fewer dolls and the rest of us have to adapt, too. This episode was produced...

The Harvey Weinstein apologist

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Candace Owens has found a new audience with her breakdown of the Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively saga. Her latest cause? Exonerating Harvey Weinstein....

Why is personal style so hard?

04 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fashion has made a big swing from a strict set of rules to the idea that we should all just wear what we want. But personal style is still dictated by...

Prepping for doomsday

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Preparing for the end of the world is a multibillion-dollar business. People are stockpiling weapons, buying luxury bunkers, and even building flammab...

No love (on the spectrum) for RFK Jr.

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Love on the Spectrum stars James B. Jones and Dani Bowman say the HHS secretary’s planned autism studies are making things worse for people with aut...

Tariffs hit like a Mack truck

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Workers at a Mack truck plant in Pennsylvania hoped tariffs would help protect their jobs. Now they are facing layoffs — and corporate is citing tar...

100 days of payback

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Vox's Andrew Prokop says retribution was one of the major themes of the first 100 days of Trump's second term. John Bolton, who had his security detai...

How Trump saved Canada’s libs

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Liberal Party was set to lose today’s election. Now, thanks to President Trump, it just might win. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy...

Retire? In this economy?!

27 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With 401(k)s taking a hit and the fate of Social Security uncertain, we get some advice for how to talk to the elders in your life about work and reti...

The most dangerous award

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a brand-new category coming to the Academy Awards: Best Stunt Design. A writer and two stunt performers explain why it took almost a century...

The startup that cried dire wolf

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Colossal says it's brought the dire wolf back from extinction — but the accuracy of that claim and the ethics of de-extinction are in question. Thi...

How the Abrego Garcia standoff ends

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland recounts his visit with Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Former prosecutor Elie Honig explains the three scenarios that could e...

Conclave (2025)

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We try to divine who will follow Pope Francis and introduce you to one of his many legacies: the first millennial saint. This episode was produced by...

American_history_v9_final_FINAL_THIS ONE

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Government websites have erased references to American heroes like Harriet Tubman and Jackie Robinson in order to comply with Trump’s anti-DEI push....

Is climate progress doomed?

20 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Many worry that the clean energy transition will be derailed by the Trump administration. But there's reason to believe otherwise. Listen to Explain ...

Mar-a-Lago makeover

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There is a very distinct “look” many people in the MAGA world have adopted, and comedian Suzanne Lambert is making a career calling it out. Mother...

Trump v. Mangione

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration is seeking the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, who is scheduled back in court this week. Plus, a closer look at a work that...

Why Harvard is fighting back

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Harvard is refusing to play along with the Trump administration's demands of elite universities, whereas at least 10 Florida public universities are o...

Art of the (Iran) deal

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Iran allegedly plotted to assassinate President Donald Trump late last year. But that’s not stopping the Trump administration from trying to strike ...

It’s China’s turn

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

China has spent years preparing for this trade war — and for a world no longer dominated by the US. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edite...

What if college isn't for everyone?

13 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, high schools and parents have prioritized college for all graduating seniors. Now, more students are asking if there's another way. This...

Watercooler TV is back

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Pitt, The White Lotus, and Severance have people talking about TV again. A writer from The Pitt and Vulture's Kathryn VanArendonk explain why. Th...

Laura Loomered the NSA

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump fired the head of the NSA — not because of a cyber attack, but because conservative activist Laura Loomer said so. How did she becom...

Plastic rain, plastic rain

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We (mostly) got rid of acid rain, but now there’s another scary thing falling from the sky. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by J...

The nostalgia economy

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump’s tariffs are meant to return America to a throwback economy — and culture. An economist who advises the White House makes ...

Project 2025’s next chapter

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Project Esther offers a blueprint for casting some campus protesters as part of a “Hamas Support Network,” making it easier to detain and deport t...

Is a house still a good investment?

06 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Given the economy and interest rates, homebuying doesn't seem like it’s necessarily the way to go anymore. So consider this not your parents’ real...

Pray for Hooters

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The “breastaurant” filed for bankruptcy this week. Many say good riddance, but Peter Rothpletz explains why he’ll remember his “conversion the...

The day after "Liberation Day"

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's unclear what Trump's latest tariffs liberate us from. Tariffs can be good policy when done right, but this latest round is scrambling America's a...

Why young people are getting cancer

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s not just Dwyane Wade, James Van Der Beek, and Kate Middleton; younger and younger people are getting cancer more and more. Vox’s Dylan Scott ...

Hasan Piker explains himself

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Last week we talked about Hasan. Now we talk to him — about the Democrats, protein, and not giving in to nihilism. This episode was produced by Mil...

Not Coming to America

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Traveling to the United States is getting tricky, but there are ways to be careful. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh and Amanda Lewellyn, e...

Blinded by the headlights

30 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Drivers and passengers are right: Car headlights are brighter now. And the solutions aren't simple. If you have a question for us, please give a call...

Huge week for the group chat

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week offered some lessons on, among other things, how to text responsibly 👊🇺🇸🔥 This episode was produced by Gabrielle Berbey and Avi...

Fear is the economy killer

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The biggest threat to the American economy might be the American consumer’s sour mood. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Carla Javier, e...

The “Joe Rogan of the left”

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Data on who didn’t vote for the Dems is finally coming in and it’s clear that they have a problem. Can Hasan Piker be the solution? This episode ...

Trump's judge grudge

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Judges, including one of his own Supreme Court appointees, are trying to rein President Trump in. In return, Trump is threatening to impeach judges. ...

Make America Measles Again (MAMA)

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The US eliminated measles, but now it’s making a comeback — and RFK Jr’s advice isn’t exactly helping. This episode was produced by Avishay A...

Gen Sex

23 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Gen X women are freeing themselves from the hangups of the '90s, and having the best sex of their lives. Media portrayals of middle-aged women are sta...

Snow White and the Seven Controversies

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Disney’s new live action Snow White has a little something to upset everyone, from casting to Israel-Palestine to President Trump. Slate’s Nadira ...

No kids on the block

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The pro-natalism movement argues that people need to have more babies. Some want to prevent economic implosion, others want to protect traditional fam...

The autocrat's prison

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The US is deporting alleged members of the gang Trén de Aragua and paying El Salvador to house them in a mega-prison. But we don’t know if the depo...

Silencing the Voice of America

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump has ordered the federally funded broadcaster to be “eliminated.” Longtime VOA correspondent Steve Herman explains why it wi...

An America First trap

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This isn’t the first time we’ve tried to go America First. The last time helped blow up the economy and our relationships with our allies. This ep...

Did diversity ever work ... at work?

16 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There's a backlash against corporate DEI efforts, and it’s not just from the right. It's everywhere. What does that mean for employees? This episode...

What if we stopped shopping?

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fed up with consumerism, Mia Westrap went a whole year without buying unnecessary stuff. She went viral, and so did her goal. Now, the Buy Nothing mov...

The man who helped kill DEI

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Policy in the second Trump administration is being driven by a small group of thinkers from the online right. We talk to one of them about how he got ...

Deporting Mahmoud Khalil

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration has fallen short of its promise to deport millions. The White House now seems focused on attention-grabbing arrests, includin...

Teslump

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Protests against Tesla embody the outrage against Elon Musk’s DOGE-e behavior. But Musk doesn't seem to care. And given his position in the federal ...

A Walz to Remember

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sat down with Sean Rameswaram over the weekend at SXSW in Austin, Texas, to talk about 2024, 2025, and what might help his par...