Today, Explained

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...

Why does dating suck for guys?

09 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The rules of romance have changed, and many young men feel they can't keep up. We get some tips from a Texas men's relationship coach. This episode wa...

Whey too much protein

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Added protein really seems to be in all the food lately. Reporter Chris Gayomali says to thank environmental regulations, GLP-1s, and Arnold Schwarzen...

The Zizian "death cult"

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist Max Read explains how a bunch of Silicon Valley computer scientists spun into a cult accused of killings. This episode was produced by Aman...

Serving your country while trans

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Rodriguez is on active duty in the US Navy. They are also trans. Now, the Trump administration wants to remove them from the US military. This epi...

Breaking up with Ukraine

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why the humiliation of Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a twisted appeal for Trump's core supporters. And what Europe plans to do about it. This episode was ...

The Gulf of America?

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What started as a liberal joke is now a MAGA reality. Just check your map app. But it’s not just Google, Apple, and Microsoft falling in line. This ...

The messiest Oscars category

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Seed of the Sacred Fig was (secretly) shot in Iran with Iranian actors and an Iranian director. But it’s Germany’s submission for Best Interna...

Is flying still safe?

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Recent airplane crashes and near misses have everyone freaked out, just as DOGE is laying off workers at the agency charged with keeping people safe i...

Eggs aren't expensive enough

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At least if we want to stop the next pandemic. Vox's Kenny Torrella explains. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-...

Quid pro bros

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

First, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and President Donald Trump struck up an unlikely friendship. Then, the Trump administration ordered prosecutors ...

Germany's rightward march

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party won its best ever results this weekend. We hear why an anti-immigrant, fascist-curious party is surg...

Sugar daddies and mommies

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Boomers are the wealthiest generation ever. And they're funneling trillions to their adult children for down payments, school tuition, even monthly al...

Vatever you vant, Vladimir

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kremlin defender Tulsi Gabbard is the US’s new spy chief, while the US and Russia are holding peace talks without European and Ukrainian officials a...

Breaking the internet

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration’s effort to purge government websites is accelerating digital decay. It’s a trend that imperils our record of ourselves. ...

Mr. Project 2025

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Russell Vought is the architect and legal scholar behind the Trump administration’s attempt to reshape the federal government. Simon Rabinovitch, US...

Is science in danger?

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Funding cuts and research censorship have shaken the foundations of America’s health and science agencies, leaving researchers shocked, confused, an...

The making of a beauty king

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sephora revolutionized high-end beauty and turned tiny brands into household names. Now, comes the reckoning. Fast Company’s Liz Segran on whether S...

Elon's African roots

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump is offering to resettle white South Africans in the US, and his white South African bestie may have something to do with it. This epis...

Tater bot

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The prices of all kinds of things have stayed stubbornly high even as inflation has cooled. And a spate of lawsuits point to algorithmic price fixing ...

DOGE-y behavior

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk promised to feed "USAID into the wood chipper." The way he's dismantling the agency provides a roadmap for the administration moving forward...

Guantanamo’s other history

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration has begun detaining migrants at Guantanamo Bay. For more than 40 years, the US has sent immigrants to Gitmo, explains Jeffrey...

Super Bowl GNX

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kendrick Lamar is celebrating his latest album, GNX, on the biggest stage in American music. But everyone wants to know if he’s bringing the beef. N...

Chaos in Congo

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is at war. Again. Sixty-five years of mismanagement began with a CIA assassination plot that condemned millions o...

Democrats, where you at?

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

NBC News reporter Sahil Kapur and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) try to explain if the Democrats are, like, dead. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewelly...

Tariffied

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The first battles have now been fought in the new North American trade war. President Donald Trump came out on top. Companies that make things across ...

Rebuilding Los Angeles

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

LA Times reporter Liam Dillon assesses the damage now that the fires are fully contained. Torched editor Alissa Walker explains how the 2028 Olympics ...

Turkey with the good hair

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Turkey has become the hair transplant capital of the world. And it's part of a global boom in medical tourism. This episode was produced by Hady Mawaj...

DeepSeek deepdive

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The emergence of DeepSeek — a Chinese AI model that was developed for a fraction of the cost of leading Western ones, but seems to perform on par wi...

How America went MAHA

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

RFK Jr. adviser Calley Means explains why so many Americans are suspicious of food and pharma companies, and what the HHS secretary nominee plans to d...

Trump’s government purge

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump is remaking the federal government in his name, says Vox’s Andrew Prokop. Efforts at a more efficient government may have a point, says Jennif...

The Silk Road pardon

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump pardoned Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht and launched his own memecoin, signaling a new attitude toward cryptocurrency in his s...

From TikTok to 小红书

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

TikTok's uncertain future has driven a flood of users to a fully Chinese social media app full of opportunities for genuine cultural exchange. And it'...

It’s not easy being Greenland

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump says he wants Greenland for America. Greenlandic government minister Naaja Nathanielsen says the country's not for sale but it's open for...

Cafeteria wars

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

RFK Jr. is the latest in a long line of reformers who have tried to clean up school lunch. The history of those attempts illustrates how hard it is to...

Back in (executive) action

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump kicked off his second term with a flurry of executive actions. Vox’s Andrew Prokop and Nicole Narea explain. This episode was produced by Aman...

47

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The New Yorker’s Susan B. Glasser says Donald Trump’s second inauguration is very different from his first. Vox’s Ian Millhiser explains how the...

Generation Gentle Parent

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Many millennials are pushing back against traditional parenting styles used by their boomer parents. We explore the confusion and chaos in today's par...

Zuck your feelings

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Meta is going MAGA. New York magazine’s John Herrman explains Mark Zuckerberg’s makeover. Writer Ben Wofford introduces Meta’s policy puppet mas...

Life after Ozempic

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Americans were told “diet and exercise” was the key to better health, but lifestyle changes were never that life changing. Medication is. This epi...

The politics of fire

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Wildfires overtook Los Angeles, firefighters ran out of water, and the political finger-pointing began. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and...

The Good, the Bad, and the Biden

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Biden’s lack of leadership and priorities means he will leave office without any real lasting policy achievements, says Vox's Dylan Matthews. This e...

Beige, don't kill my vibe

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Two Amazon influencers are in a legal battle over whether or not one has appropriated the other’s aesthetic. The Verge’s Mia Sato breaks down the ...

TikTok on the dock(et)

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The TikTok ban lands at the Supreme Court on Friday. Turns out ByteDance is far from the only Chinese company in the US government’s crosshairs. Thi...

Seoul searching

08 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

South Korean lawmakers impeached not only their martial-law-declaring president but also the guy who stepped up to replace him. The Wall Street Journa...

MAGA meltdown

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

MAGA is fighting over immigration. Vox’s Andrew Prokop tells us what happened, and the Wall Street Journal’s Tim Higgins explains why it isn’t t...

"Happy Sixthmas"

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

January 6 is always a big day in the DC jail where many alleged insurrectionists are awaiting trial and sentencing. It's even bigger this year, with "...

Canadian bakin’

03 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

More Americans are now daily weed smokers than daily drinkers. To better understand this public health experiment, we turn to Canada, which has federa...

Elon's company town

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The world's richest man is developing a company town outside Austin, Texas. Like the industrialists who came before him, Elon Musk may learn it’s ha...

When Carter called out America

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1979, Jimmy Carter delivered his “Crisis of Confidence” speech, a tirade against American individualism and consumerism. Historian Kevin Mattso...

Almost Heaven

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The appeal of "Country Roads" extends far beyond West Virginia or even the United States. We're revisiting an episode from this summer that examines t...

Our trillion-dollar credit card bill

26 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Christmas is over and now comes the financial hangover. In an episode from earlier this year, guest host Jonquilyn Hill looks into the root causes of ...

The case against legal sports betting

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sports betting is a costly mistake, says addiction researcher Charles Fain Lehman. He and NBA great Danny Green discuss how it's changed sports for th...

One year of Sphere

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Las Vegas Sphere was supposed to be the future of live entertainment. But just over a year into its run, New York Post writer Josh Kosman explains...

The price of paying college athletes

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Name and likeness rights are fundamentally changing college sports at a rapid pace. SB Nation’s JP Acosta and sports commentator Pablo Torre explain...

Can Trump get a Gaza ceasefire?

18 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

He'd love to take credit for a deal, although Israel and Hamas are still deadlocked. But Amir Tibon of Haaretz and Steven Cook of the Council on Forei...

The right to die

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A growing number of countries are legalizing assisted suicide, mostly for terminally ill patients. The Washington Post's Karla Adam and Vox's Marin Co...

Trump trolls the neighbours

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

President-elect Trump says he can see Justin Trudeau becoming governor of “the great state of Canada.” It’s part of a pressure campaign to get b...

Trad wife takeover

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Trad wives are having a moment. A new conservative women’s magazine promising to be the anti-Cosmo is capitalizing on the trend. This episode was pr...

Will Syrians return home?

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Syrian refugees are celebrating the end of the Assad regime. But for Omar Alshogre and millions like him, going back to Syria is a complicated decisio...

A win in the opioid crisis

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The US saw a significant drop in the number of drug overdose deaths. The Trump administration has a shot at keeping the trend going. STAT News's addic...

The UnitedHealth CEO shooting

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Gothamist’s Brittany Kriegstein explains who police just arrested. STAT News’s Bob Herman explains the anger resonating against UnitedHealthcare. ...

Target misses the mark

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As Target struggles to retain its customers, rivals like Walmart are making gains. The Wall Street Journal’s Sarah Nassauer explains what’s behind...

The truth about Y2K

06 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kyle Mooney dreams up a New Year’s Eve 1999 apocalypse. Historian Zachary Loeb explains why the real Y2K wasn't one. This episode was produced by Av...