Today, Explained

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...

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 ...