Today, Explained

Dry January

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The start of a new year is increasingly a time when people choose to abstain from drinking for a month. We’re using the moment as an opportunity to ...

The Joshua Generation grows up

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A group of evangelical Christians raised their children to become influential in the White House, on Capitol Hill, and in the Supreme Court. We’re r...

Let’s process food

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Doctor and journalist Chris van Tulleken wanted to know how ultra-processed foods affect us, so for a month he ate almost nothing but UPFs. His book U...

Shein wants to go public

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Chinese apparel company Shein, a favorite of Gen Z shoppers and the latest frontier in US-China tensions, has indicated it plans to go public in 2...

The stretched-too-thin blue line

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

FBI data shows police departments have been solving fewer violent crimes since 2020. Data analyst Jeff Asher explains where policing is failing, and D...

How Barnes & Noble survived

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The bookseller has gone from big-box villain to company on the brink of bankruptcy to bright spot in the mostly dismal retail space. The Verge’s Nil...

EU vs. AI

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The EU has advanced first-of-its-kind AI regulation. The Verge’s Jess Weatherbed tells us whether it will make a difference, and Columbia University...

Why millennials dread motherhood

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

American policy failures and bad PR have made millennials dread motherhood. Vox’s Rachel Cohen and Momfluenced author Sara Petersen explain. This ep...

An oily climate deal

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Semafor’s Tim McDonnell says what made COP28 successful was the same thing that made climate activists skeptical about the conference: its host was ...

Long live your dog

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A drug that aims to increase life expectancy for dogs is getting closer to market. But pet ethicists aren’t sure it’s great news for man’s best ...

The fight over campus antisemitism

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Three elite university presidents walk into Congress for a hearing on antisemitism. Only two still have their jobs. New York magazine reporter Nia Pra...

A concrete solution to climate change

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Concrete is one of the world’s biggest sources of carbon emissions. Tech companies, including a startup co-founded by former NBA star Rick Fox, are ...

Are movies too long now?

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

No, movies aren’t getting longer. Even though, yes, it definitely does feel like they are. Slate’s Sam Adams makes it make sense. This episode was...

Get the lead out

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Biden administration wants all lead pipes ripped up. It’ll take billions of dollars and rarely seen cooperation among government agencies. We as...

Still hot and bothered

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this year the FDA approved a game-changing drug to treat hot flashes, a symptom of menopause. But menopause is much more than just hot flashes...

They paved paradise

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In our quest to accommodate parked cars, we’ve paved over downtowns, polluted the planet, and made it damn near impossible to get anywhere without d...

How Palestine went global

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

People with no direct connection to the Middle East have taken to seeing the Palestinian cause as an anti-colonial struggle connected to their own exp...

The Golden Bachelor was actually good

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

72-year-old Gerry Turner has handed out his final rose on ABC’s The Golden Bachelor. In a season full of gendered tropes about love and marriage (li...

Kissinger’s long goodbye

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Noted American diplomat and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is revered by few, reviled by many, and now he’s dead. Vox’s Jonathan Guyer ...

The American politics of Israel

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Israel-Hamas war is dividing the previously united Democrats and uniting the recently fractured Republican party. Semafor’s David Weigel explain...

Taking Tuesday

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Package theft is on the rise, and it affects everyone, from the retailer, to shippers, to consumers. So maybe it’s time to take a cue from Gen Z and...

The hostage deal (brought to you by Qatar)

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After 50 days of the Israel-Hamas war, both sides took a breather to save lives. And it couldn’t have happened without Qatar. This episode was produ...

Chaos at OpenAI

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been a wild few days at OpenAI, whose board fired CEO Sam Altman on Friday only to rehire him late Tuesday. Vox reporter Sigal Samuel explains ...

How Cassie sued Diddy

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sean "Diddy" Combs is the latest high-profile figure to be accused of sexual assault under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, a law that expires this w...

Inside the occupied West Bank

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the world focused on Gaza, Israeli settlers and soldiers are increasing attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Writer Nathan Thrall and journa...

F1: Gears and Loathing in Las Vegas

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Formula 1 spent half a billion dollars to return to Las Vegas. Jalopnik’s Elizabeth Blackstock explains how a lackluster season and this weekend’s...

Speaker Johnson’s first test

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, infamous election denier, moved to the middle to make a budget deal with Democrats. But he promised the real fight ...

Who can fix 150% inflation?

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

That’s what voters are trying to figure out as they prepare for this weekend’s runoff election between Peronist insider Sergio Massa and unorthodo...

A call from Gaza

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

People are desperately trying to escape Gaza as the siege on the strip continues. Mohammed Ghalaieny, a Palestinian British man, tells us why he is ch...

China’s soft (and fluffy) power

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Panda diplomacy couldn’t fix the US and China’s tense relationship. Perhaps a meeting between Presidents Biden and Xi can bring back that fuzzy fe...

A scam cost me $31k and a pool

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Writer Devin Friedman has wanted a pool since he was a kid. As an adult, he saved tens of thousands of dollars to install one, but nothing went as pla...

Adjust the tip

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tipping’s getting even more complicated thanks to a DoorDash change that will prioritize diners who tip over diners who don’t. The Verge’s Andre...

Ceasefire?

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Protesters, politicians, and the pope are calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, but the US and Israeli governments remain opposed. Vox’s ...

There’s Something About Romney

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On his way out of the United States Senate, Mitt Romney gave one reporter unprecedented access to his emails, texts, and journals. McKay Coppins, auth...

Should domestic abusers lose gun rights?

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Supreme Court will decide if Zackey Rahimi, a man accused of domestic violence and involved in at least five shootings, still has a constitutional...

Is DEI DOA?

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The lawyer behind the Supreme Court case that overturned affirmative action in university admissions has a new target: a small venture capital firm th...

The view from Israel

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Israelis overwhelmingly disapprove of their government’s handling of the October 7 attacks, but their desire for unity keeps Prime Minister Benjamin...

The law that broke immigration

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Supporters of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act pledged it wouldn’t radically change immigration. David Leonhardt, author of Ours Was the Shi...

Pope friction

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Pope, his bishops, and some women walk into the Vatican. The National Catholic Reporter’s Joshua McElwee explains what happens next. This episod...

Gaza’s humanitarian crisis

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cut off from water and power and recovering from a communications blackout, Gaza is plunged deeper into crisis. It’s not just a humanitarian problem...

The Dollar General will see you now

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The primary care physician shortage is ruining health care in America. Dollar General, Best Buy, and Walmart are trying to fill the void. Vox’s Dyla...

New Dork City

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Silicon Valley billionaires are battling local residents over plans to build a whole new city in California, part of a global trend of wealthy investo...

Why does the US always side with Israel?

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This was the top question we got from Today, Explained listeners. Joel Beinin, Middle East history professor emeritus at Stanford, has answers. This e...

Trump, gagged

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The most indicted president in history has judges grappling with how to balance the right to free speech against his history of targeting perceived en...

Hearts, minds, and likes

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

False information about what is happening in Israel and Gaza is taking over social media faster than journalists like BBC Verify’s Shayan Sardarizad...

Airbnbanned

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To Airbnb, or not to Airbnb, that is the question. Wired’s Amanda Hoover and the Atlantic’s Kate Lindsay have the answers. This episode was produc...

Speakerless

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Republicans made history when they ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and they continue to make history in their inability to replace him. Vox’s Andrew ...

Biden goes to Israel

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been 11 days since Hamas attacked Israel, killing civilians and taking hostages. Israel’s retaliation has killed hundreds of Palestinians and...

So I unelected an authoritarian

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The outcome of Poland’s election surprised the world. Vox's Jen Kirby explains what happened, and Anna Grzymała-Busse of Stanford University looks ...

How Palestinians view Hamas

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The US along with Israel and many of its allies have long considered Hamas a terrorist group. Khaled Al-Hroub, a professor at Northwestern University ...

America’s most successful downtown?

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

And the ecological crisis that threatens everything. Today, Explained’s Miles Bryan heads to Salt Lake City. This episode was reported and produced ...

RFK goes rogue

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is ditching his family’s party. David Freedlander explains how the candidate might have just gone from being a problem for the...

Driver’s license to kill

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Across the country, traffic deaths are spiking. Vox’s Marin Cogan tells the tragic story of one grisly crash in Washington, DC, and we ask whether c...

Israel, Hamas, and how we got here

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This Israel-Hamas war is unlike the ones that came before it, says Haaretz’s Allison Kaplan Sommer. But it was years in the making, says Vox’s Zac...

Who shot ya, Tupac?

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For 27 years there was no arrest in the shooting death of rapper Tupac Shakur. Slate’s Joel Anderson explains how that finally changed. This episode...

Caste away

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A bill outlawing caste-based discrimination in California could become the first law of its kind in the US. Reporter Sonia Paul explains the backlash ...

We Need to Talk About Kevin

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As House speaker, Kevin McCarthy worked with Democrats to keep the government open. Then Matt Gaetz worked with Democrats to get McCarthy fired. Semaf...

Crypto’s crown prince in court

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial begins today; a guilty verdict could represent the final nail in crypto’s coffin. Bloomberg’s Zeke Faux, w...

Shutshow

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The US government is open for business at the cost of Ukraine aid. Semafor’s Jordan Weissmann explains how we got here. And White House communicatio...

Hip-hop is 50 and it's having a midlife crisis

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

So much of the coverage of hip-hop’s 50th birthday has been congratulatory, in spite of its record of misogyny and anti-LGBTQ sentiment. In this epi...

Blame Capitalism: Degrowing pains

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Capitalism isn’t natural, was never inevitable, and endless growth is killing Earth. The final episode of “Blame Capitalism” examines the degrow...

Man’s best friend banned in UK

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says his government will ban a type of dog called the American Bully XL — a relative of the pit bull. Political editor...

Why the US is suing Amazon

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Trade Commission has brought a landmark antitrust suit against Amazon. The Verge’s Makena Kelly and former FTC director Bill Baer explai...

Should you blow up a pipeline?

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Climate activists have tried marching and lobbying. Now, a growing flank of movement radicals want to take more extreme action. Author Dana Fisher tel...

Murder, Canada Wrote

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Canada’s unprecedented decision to publicly accuse India of assassinating a Canadian citizen in Canada is upending the two countries' relationship. ...

Blame Capitalism: The 99%

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two wildly different political movements — Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party — emerged from the Great Recession. They forever changed the way A...

The six D-words of climate change

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s climate week. To mark the occasion we’re talking to scientist Michael E. Mann about six D-words that help us understand where the conversatio...

Taxing traffic

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

New York City wants to be the first in the nation to implement congestion pricing to charge people for driving during peak hours. New Jersey says fuhg...

Everybody’s moving to Florida

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re not just talking snowbirds. The Sunshine State is the fastest growing in the nation despite, you know, climate change. Vox’s Marin Cogan and...

Autoworkers slam the brakes

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The United Auto Workers union is on strike at three different factories. We ask the Wall Street Journal's Nora Eckert what the union workers want, and...

Blame Capitalism: Profit over everything

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Economist Milton Friedman published an essay in 1970 arguing that the job of a corporation was solely to make money for its shareholders. General Elec...

From North Korea with Love

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kim Jong Un took a bulletproof train to visit Vladimir Putin in Russia this week. Jenny Town at the Stimson Center explains how the two leaders have l...

New variant just dropped

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Seems like everyone’s got Covid again. Vox’s in-house epidemiologist, Dr. Keren Landman, delivers the good news and the bad news about Pirola. Thi...

In Google we antitrust

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Google is headed to court over allegations its search engine violates federal antitrust law. The Verge’s Adi Robertson breaks down the case, and Dav...

Hunter becomes the hunted

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hunter Biden is set to be indicted this month. The WSJ’s Aruna Viswanatha goes over the evidence with us, and Politico’s Jonathan Lemire looks at ...

Blame Capitalism: Souring on the system

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Capitalism has entered its villain era. In a new series running Fridays this month, we look at how Americans came to blame it for just about everythin...

From Pac-12 to Pac-2

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Pac-12 college football conference has lost nearly all its teams now that schools like USC and Colorado have announced they’re leaving for rival...

Why American sunscreen sucks

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Better sunscreen exists, you just can’t get it in the US. Amanda Mull and Elise Hu explain why. This episode was produced by Jon Ehrens, edited by M...

The new Cold War

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Cold War started earlier than we think — and maybe never ended at all. Historian Calder Walton says understanding the US-Soviet conflict prepare...

…We’re trusting it anyway

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tech companies are racing to make new, transformative AI tools, with little to no safeguards in place. This is the second episode of “The Black Box,...

We don’t know how AI works…

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The researchers who create and study tech like ChatGPT don’t understand exactly how it’s doing what it does. This is the first episode of “The B...

#SeAcabo: Spain’s World Cup reckoning

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Saying “it’s over,” Spain’s World Cup-winning women are using an unwelcome kiss to try to end sexism in sports. This episode was produced by H...

The Real Housewives of Today, Explained

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Taking cues from striking actors and writers, reality TV stars are lobbying for better treatment from networks like Bravo and Netflix. This episode wa...

Why top Republicans want to bomb Mexico

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Long-shot presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said he would send US forces into Mexico “on day one.” Longer-shot presidential candidate Will Hurd ...

China’s young and restless

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

China’s ambitious youth planned to cash in on their country’s meteoric rise on the world stage. Instead, many of these 20-somethings are disillusi...

America is so Messi

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With Lionel Messi, footy may have finally arrived in the United States. The Athletic’s Tom Bogert and Men in Blazers founder Roger Bennett explain h...

Death of a Hot Dog Salesman

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, the caterer-turned-warlord who recently attempted to overthrow Russia’s government, has apparently died in a...

The other eight debate

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fox News desperately wants you to watch tonight’s Republican presidential debate. The Washington Post’s Erik Wemple explains why, and Vox’s Chri...

Back to school loans

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden can’t stop, won’t stop trying to forgive student debt, even as borrowers are shortly expected to resume payments. The Washington P...

Why Russians still support the war

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Putin's war is hurting Russians, too. Writer Masha Gessen and researcher Jade McGlynn explain why public opinion doesn't reflect that. This episode wa...

After the Green Rush

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adelanto, California, was broke. Could legalizing marijuana cultivation offer a fix? Reporter David Weinberg’s podcast Dreamtown details how the pat...

RoboCab

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The San Francisco Standard’s Liz Lindqwister reports from San Francisco, where people are flipping her off for hailing rides in robotaxis. The Verge...

Florida man indicted (again) (again) (again)

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Oft-indicted former President Donald Trump is at it again. Stephen Fowler, host of Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Battleground: Ballot Box podcast, e...

Why Maui burned

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hawaii’s landscape has been rapidly changing for the last 200 years thanks to plantations, tourism, and climate change. A reporter and climatologist...

A postpartum pill

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The FDA’s approval of a new pill that treats postpartum depression could be yet another signal that we are living in a golden age of medicine. This ...

Suing big food

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tostitos chips without real lime. Root beer made with fake vanilla. Instant mac and cheese that isn’t so instant. These products are among the hundr...

The Rikers takeover

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today a federal judge hears arguments on whether New York City Mayor Eric Adams should be stripped of control of the jails on Rikers Island. Gothamist...

Shein trouble

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Chinese apparel company Shein is a favorite of Gen Z shoppers and the latest frontier in US-China tensions. Vogue Business editor Hilary Milnes ex...

ESPN 4 SALE

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Disney CEO Bob Iger says the company is looking for a “strategic partner” to invest in the massive sports network, which has been struggling in an...

Hot topic

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to climate policy, President Biden has accomplished more than any of his predecessors. But activists want more: They want him to declare...