Today, Explained

Weed did it, Joe

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The federal government has moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous controlled substance. Politico cannabis policy reporter Natalie Fertig ex...

Is Russia winning now?

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It sure seems like it. The Wall Street Journal’s Matthew Luxmoore reports from Ukraine on why $60 billion of your tax money isn’t making much of a...

Amazon’s garbage book factory

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Vox senior correspondent Constance Grady went inside the seedy underbelly of online self-publishing and lived to tell the tale. This episode was produ...

Cicada time

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The last time these exact cicada broods emerged from the ground at the same time, Thomas Jefferson was president. The red-eyed bugs come out looking f...

Florida man’s unhushed money

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The hush money trial has exposed the ecosystem that once protected former president Donald Trump. Journalist Andrea Bernstein tells us what its like i...

What fixes medical debt

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's gotten so bad in America, people are crowdfunding their doctor bills. Vox's Dylan Scott and associate professor Nora Kenworthy explain an imperfe...

Separation of church and church

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Leaders of the United Methodist Church, one of the largest Christian denominations in the US, gathered in North Carolina to hash out a disagreement th...

 The real victims of Baby Reindeer

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Netflix show Baby Reindeer is a hit. It's been viewed 56 million times. The writer claims it's a true story. Others call it slanderous fiction. T...

Biden’s breaking point on Gaza

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

President Joe Biden says the US won’t supply further weapons if Israel is going to use them in Rafah. Axios reporter Barak Ravid explains what that ...

Kendrick, Drake, and the last great rap beef

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The best rapper in the world is beefing with the biggest rapper in the world. The Ringer’s Charles Holmes explains what their feud says about the st...

Israel, Gaza, and Eurovision

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The pop music competition is facing boycott calls over Israel’s participation. Switched on Pop’s Charlie Harding and historian Tess Megginson expl...

Is divesting from Israel possible?

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Yes, but it’s hard. Inside Higher Ed’s Josh Moody and UC Merced’s Charlie Eaton explain. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by A...

The tourist tax

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Venice is drowning in tourists. A new fee for day-trippers is the latest tool aimed at keeping overtourism at bay. This episode was produced by Amanda...

Paramount’s looking for a deal they can’t refuse

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Media behemoth Paramount Global is struggling. Stock prices are down. The CEO was just ousted. And the head of this family business is ready to cash o...

One Flu Over The Cowcow’s Nest

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Avian flu, which recently leapt from chickens to cows, has now been detected in milk. Vox’s Keren Landman and Kenny Torrella explain how worried hum...

North America’s biggest city is running out of water

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Officials say “Day Zero” is imminent in Mexico City. A walk through the city reveals the historical roots of the water crisis, its present-day cha...

The failed promise of egg freezing

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Egg freezing was once hailed as a reproductive game changer, but as Vox's Anna North reports, it might not live up to the hype. This episode was produ...

Honey, We Saved the Bees

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Millions of bees died because of colony collapse disorder over the past few decades, but America’s honeybee population has now rocketed to an all-ti...

The TikTok “ban” is law

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

President Joe Biden signed into law a bill that would ban the app unless it’s sold to an American company. Vox’s Christian Paz explains. This epis...

Columbia’s free-speech fight

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Daily Spectator news editor Sarah Huddleston reports on the protests at her university. AAUP President Irene Mulvey explains the stakes for campus fre...

Florida man wants immunity

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You can beat the heat if you beat the charges too. Vox’s Ian Millhiser previews the Donald Trump immunity case going before the Supreme Court this w...

Just in: Trudeau’s plan to fight populism

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Canadian-American podcast host Sean Rameswaram goes one-on-one with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to find out how he might win over Gen Zed. ...

Feeling Bluey

19 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bluey delights children and reduces their grown-ups to tears. But the latest episode has fans young and old wondering whether the ride is coming to an...

The great American squatter panic

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Politicians and conservative news outlets say there’s an epidemic of people moving into a stranger’s house and refusing to leave. Curbed’s Bridg...

How car ownership got so expensive

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Drivers are increasingly paying sticker price or more for a new car. Then there are sky-high insurance rates and mortgage-level car payments. Vox’s ...

Florida man’s first criminal trial begins

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The first of former President Donald Trump's four criminal trials began this week. Vox's Andrew Prokop explains what's at stake, and Vox's Abdallah Fa...

Why Iran attacked Israel

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Economist’s Gregg Carlstrom explains. Jerusalem-based journalist Noga Tarnopolsky explores whether the unprecedented attack hurts or helps Benja...

America at war, now in theaters

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The new movie Civil War delivers a sensational story about political polarization spilling into mass violence. If that seems reckless, it’s what apo...

Speaker Johnson's next test

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Congress is back in session and the House speakership is once again on the line. The New Yorker’s David Kirkpatrick explains how Mike Johnson got th...

Prosecuting parents

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Oxford, Michigan, school shooter's parents will serve up to 15 years in prison. Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first parents held criminally ...

The man with a pig kidney

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A pig’s kidney was just transplanted into a human. But Vox’s Dylan Matthews says we shouldn't need the pigs. This episode was produced by Victoria...

Is college still worth it?

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

More and more Americans feel like college isn’t a good deal anymore. One state thinks it’s found a way to turn things around. This episode was rep...

The Sephora kids

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tweens are shopping for trendy, expensive skincare products. Gen Z worries it’s “aging like milk.” Are today’s young people too afraid of look...

Israel’s attack on World Central Kitchen

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Wall Street Journal’s Stephen Kalin explains what happened, and Refugees International President Jeremy Konyndyk lays out what this means for Ga...

Project 2025

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump arrived at the White House in 2017 without a lot of plans to actually govern. The conservative Heritage Foundation wants to make sure tha...

The fight for control of Disney’s kingdom

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

CEO Bob Iger is fighting off activist investor Nelson Peltz, who argues the company spends too much on message-based “woke” programming and is cam...

Making taxes less taxing

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The IRS finally has a brand-new, totally free tax-filing software for you. But not everyone’s excited about it. This episode was produced by Victori...

The kids are all home

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Living with your parents is so hot right now, with more adults doing it now than at any other time in the modern era. First, we hang out with a member...

Buy a house? In this economy?

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Home affordability hasn’t been this bad in decades. Wall Street Journal housing reporter Nicole Friedman explains the economic forces shaping the ma...

The Baltimore bridge collapse

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Key Bridge disaster is yet another reminder of the vulnerability of global shipping. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Jesse Alejandro ...

Why ISIS attacked Moscow

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Moscow terror attack could mark the beginning of an even more brutal phase in Russia’s war in Ukraine — even if Ukraine had nothing to do with...

Spoiler alert: RFK’s VP

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Robert Kennedy Jr. is set to announce his running mate this week. To mark the occasion, Semafor’s Dave Weigel explains whether third-party options c...

Beyoncé country

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Beyoncé has a new country album. The first single has already broken records and drawn criticism from those who think of country music as a “white”...

Can Caitlin Clark fix college sports?

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The biggest star of this year’s March Madness basketball tournament isn’t one of the male players, explains SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell. The W...

Can Congress ban TikTok?

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Probably not. Punchbowl’s Andrew Desiderio and Kate Ruane from the Center for Democracy and Technology explain. This episode was produced by Amanda ...

How gangs took over Haiti

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Haiti’s latest crisis is being driven by something new: The country’s gangs have united, and they are demanding political power. Financial Times j...

Conned into the Russian army

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Desperately low on troops for its protracted war with Ukraine, the Russian military is relying on men from countries like India to fill its ranks. Jou...

Live from SXSW: Noel King interviews Charlamagne tha God and Angela Rye

17 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this no-holds-barred interview from the SXSW stage, Vox's Noel King asks comedian and radio host Charlamagne tha God and political commentator Ange...

Hollywood’s still not back

15 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Covid and last year’s strikes delivered a one-two punch that the entertainment industry still hasn’t recovered from. Entertainment journalists Mar...

Lip gloss, gum, and the Pill

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Soon you can buy them all at your local drugstore. The FDA approved an over-the-counter birth control pill that will be available later this month. Jo...

Where's Kate?!?

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two grainy paparazzi shots and an edited Mother’s Day photo are the only “sightings” of the Princess of Wales the public has had since Christmas...

The real fight over fake meat

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Americans are eating more meat than ever, and it’s wreaking havoc on the environment. Vox’s Kenny Torrella explains how lab-grown meat could be th...

Charlamagne tha God on Biden v. Trump

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A recent poll shows almost a quarter of registered Black voters would vote for Donald Trump. We ask Charlamagne tha God, author and radio host of “T...

Bringing back the SAT

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Four years after a pandemic pause, some colleges and universities are again requiring applicants to submit standardized test scores. Inside Higher Ed’...

Can Reddit survive going public?

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the first major social media IPO since 2017. CNN’s Clare Duffy breaks down what is at stake, and New York magazine’s John Herrman explains ...

Why measles is back

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One state (cough, cough Florida) is leading the US in measles cases. The contagious disease was once declared eliminated, but Florida’s surgeon gene...

How Israel is upending Democratic races

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Super Tuesday is the biggest day of the presidential primary campaign, but the biggest race in the biggest state isn’t about Biden or Trump. Instead...

Why groceries are still so expensive

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When it’s time to Stop & Shop, the American Publix is finding it costs more than ever to fill a Market Basket. Whizy Kim and Elizabeth Pancotti help...

It’s Shotime!

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Shohei Ohtani made his Dodger debut this week. His record-setting contract solidifies an international era for Major League Baseball, which hasn’t y...

The politics of IVF

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A theologian explains why he agrees with Alabama’s Supreme Court ruling that embryos are children. A conservative pollster explains why it's a bad l...

“Make Argentina Great Again!”

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

US inflation feels bad until you look at Argentina’s, which is breaking 200 percent. Today, Explained’s Sean Rameswaram reports from Buenos Aires,...

The protest vote against Biden

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michigan’s primary today will test President Biden’s viability with Muslim voters amid the war in Gaza. One Arab American leader says the communit...

What Ozempic can't fix

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Fat women make less money than thin women and get fewer raises and promotions. It’s going to take more than a wonder drug to fix fatphobia in Americ...

The Ozempic economy

23 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The weight loss drug is so profitable that its parent company, Danish health care giant Novo Nordisk, is propping up Denmark’s entire economy. It’...

Fight at the Museum

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New federal regulations are forcing museums across the United States to take down, cover up, or close their exhibits. ProPublica reporter Mary Hudetz ...

Florida man owes half a billion

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Former President Donald Trump has now lost back-to-back civil trials in New York. Reporter Andrea Bernstein says it’s a big problem for him. Vox’s...

The Panama Canal is drying up

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A drought has dramatically reduced the Panama Canal’s capacity, leading to higher costs and big delays for US-bound goods. Reporter Mie Dahl and eco...

What dies with Alexei Navalny?

16 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, 47, has died in an Arctic prison. The Guardian’s Luke Harding explains the life and death (and afterlife) ...

Rafah, the last “safe” zone

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Palestinians are trapped in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, where about 1.5 million people have sought refuge. After bombings this weekend, Israeli...

Why America loves faerie smut

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Romantasy is the most popular literary genre in America right now. Vulture’s Kathryn VanArendonk and Circana’s Kristen McLean explain why. This ep...

Forgetful old men

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Biden’s age and mental acuity are center stage after a Justice Department prosecutor described him as an “elderly man with a poor memory.” V...

A Tale of Two Chinatowns

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Residents of Philadelphia’s Chinatown have mobilized against plans for a new arena in their backyard. To find out how their concerns might bear out,...

Why Taylor left TikTok

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Her label, Universal Media Group, pulled its entire catalog off TikTok. The Verge’s Nilay Patel explains why, and author Cory Doctorow says the app’...

When one (airplane) door opens ...

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Missing bolts, door panels flying off in midair — and that’s not even on the planes that crashed. The Washington Post’s Ian Duncan and the Wall ...

The border standoff in Eagle Pass

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Congress has failed to pass an immigration bill. The House is attempting to impeach Biden’s secretary of homeland security. As Washington flails, a ...

“The world’s coolest dictator”

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

That’s how El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele describes himself. Silvia Viñas from the news podcast El hilo explains how his victory this weekend is a bl...

Build Back Biden

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New York magazine’s Jonathan Chait wants Joe Biden to win. He explains how his coalition has fallen apart. Former White House staffer Jamal Simmons ...

A new treatment for deafness

02 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A promising gene therapy can help kids born without the ability to hear. A Deaf bioethicist wants you to consider the implications. This episode was p...

Make the economy Trump’s again?

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As president, Donald Trump presided over a good — sometimes great — economy. But his proposals are unnerving business leaders this time around. Th...

Iran and the Axis of Resistance

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Iran-backed militias use drones, missiles, and even TikTok dances to antagonize the United States and Israel. The International Crisis Group’s Ali V...

Living in Zyn

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer accidentally started a culture war over Zyn. Semafor’s Dave Weigel explains. And Vox health reporter Keren Land...

Israel at the International Court of Justice

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

South Africa took Israel to court over claims of genocide. Courthouse News reporter Molly Quell and the International Crisis Group’s Robert Blecher ...

Music’s Pitchfork in the road

26 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pitchfork’s parent company is folding the influential music site into GQ. Vulture’s Craig Jenkins explains how this is the end of an era. Bloomber...

Prostate of the union

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin drew flak after trying to keep his prostate cancer surgery a secret. Health journalist Howard Wolinsky explains that’...

Is the Republican primary already over?

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nikki Haley pinned her presidential hopes on a powerful showing in New Hampshire but still wound up in second place. The Boston Globe’s James Pindel...

Modi’s temple grandstanding

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a Hindu temple in the once-sleepy city of Ayodhya on Monday. The BBC’s Soutik Biswas and The Caravan...

Frosty the Tesla

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New electric vehicle owners have been finding out the hard way that extreme cold weather and their cars don’t mix very well. The Verge’s Andrew J....

Buy me to the moon

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

NASA has long relied on private companies to build its rockets, but now it’s turning to private companies to own and operate them too. Washington Po...

How the war in Gaza ends

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Israel's war against Hamas has now been raging for over 100 days. According to Ian Lustick, professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, hist...

Cocaine problems

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Growing cocaine demand and booming coca leaf cultivation is fueling unrest in Ecuador. The Economist’s Ana Lankes and Will Freeman of the Council on...

Iowa caucused

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Trump won big. DeSantis came in second, but Vox’s Zack Beauchamp says that won’t be enough to keep his campaign alive. This episode was produced b...

Hollywood’s secret musicals

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The studios promoting Mean Girls, Wonka, and The Color Purple are hiding something from you. The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh explains why. This episode w...

Elections everywhere all at once

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This weekend, Taiwan goes to the polls, kicking off the biggest election year in history. The Guardian’s Amy Hawkins brings us up to speed on the ca...

Nikki Haley, maybe?

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nikki Haley is gunning for second place in the Iowa Republican caucuses. In New Hampshire polls, she’s gaining on Donald Trump. Vox’s Andrew Proko...

Is the US ghosting Ukraine?

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last year’s counteroffensive failed and Ukraine needs American aid to win. Republicans in Congress won’t give it up without a fight. This episode ...

Pirates of the Red Sea

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Houthis, a rebel group from Yemen, are seizing cargo ships in retaliation for the war in Gaza. Vox’s Joshua Keating explains how the pirates are...

Many unhappy returns

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Your aunt mailed you a sweater for Christmas that’s three sizes too small. Armed with a gift receipt, you set out to return it. The Atlantic’s Ama...

Will Trump be on your ballot?

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As states decide whether Donald Trump is eligible to be on their primary ballots based on his actions on January 6, 2021, the Supreme Court is facing ...

Israel’s next move

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces trouble at home and abroad. AP correspondent Tia Goldenberg and scholar Hussein Ibish explain the sign...

When solar power leaves you feeling burned

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The potential of rooftop solar is being squandered. Time’s economic correspondent Alana Semuels reports a cautionary tale, and writer Andrew Moseman...