Today, Explained

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...

The air-istocracy

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Private jets aren’t what they used to be. AOC is calling out Hollywood executives for having too many, and European nations are trying to ban them. ...

Battlechips

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Semiconductors are used in just about every piece of technology. The US wants to limit what China can do with them. Alex W. Palmer explains the latest...

Florida man indicted (again) (again)

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The latest unprecedented is about January 6, but does the American public still care about January 6? This episode was produced by Siona Peterous with...

Where did the recession go?

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A much-dreaded recession doesn’t actually seem to be materializing. We called up some experts — economics reporters Tracy Alloway and Greg Ip, plu...

Will “parental rights” mobilize Muslims?

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some Muslim parents wanted their kids to opt out of reading schoolbooks with LGBTQ characters and themes. Today, Explained reporter Haleema Shah expla...

Music’s nostalgia-industrial complex

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of our new hit music sounds just like our parents’ old hit music. Pitchfork’s Jayson Greene says you should blame publishing companies. This...

Sound of Freedom

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Wall Street Journal’s John Jurgensen explains how Sound of Freedom, an action-drama about fighting child sex trafficking, beat Tom Cruise and In...

A third nuclear superpower

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, a delicate strategy of deterrence kept Russia and the US from nuclear war. With China upping its nuclear ambitions, things are about to g...

Inside the AI factory

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are used to thinking of artificial intelligence as knowledge generated by machines. The Verge’s Josh Dzieza pulls back the curtain on the vast ne...

I want you! (to fight the culture war)

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The defense bill is the latest piece of legislation to be weaponized by the far-right Freedom Caucus. It’s also the latest test for House Speaker Ke...

Barbie Dreampodcast

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is Barbie a toy commercial doubling as the first installment of an inevitable Mattel Cinematic Universe? Or does it have something important to say? B...

Bidenomics

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of Americans are still feeling iffy about the economy, but Joe Biden’s so proud of how things are going that he’s stuck his name on it. The ...

Is ethical investing a sham?

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Republican presidential candidates have a bone to pick with ESG investments. So does James Surowiecki, contributing writer at The Atlantic. This episo...

Inside the Actors Strike

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The actors are officially on strike. Vox senior correspondent and critic Alissa Wilkinson breaks down what SAG-AFTRA is afta, and the New Yorker’s M...

Vacation ... all I ever wanted?

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

🎵 Now that I’m away, I wish I had stayed. 🎵 Vox’s Allie Volpe explains why travel feels like such a mess right now (and how to make it a bit...

The Joshua Generation

14 Jul 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. Now, as a...

Disaster unpreparedness

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Vermont just got slammed with flash floods, road closures, and evacuations. Harvard’s Juliette Kayyem says the storm reveals how unprepared the US i...

Can Threads unravel Twitter?

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As Meta launches its Twitter competitor, The Verge’s David Pierce says that we are watching the end of the social internet in real time. This episod...

NATO to Ukraine: Not yet

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden and other world leaders say it’s too dangerous to admit Ukraine into NATO while it’s at war with Russia. But, to the dismay of all...

Why everyone’s mad about equity

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone is fighting about “equity.” If only they could define it. Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edite...

Where’s the beef?

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A rancher in the Pacific Northwest scammed two companies out of $244 million. In this episode we first served in February, KUOW’s Anna King — host...

Excuseflation

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Inflation happens for a lot of reasons that can be hard for even economists to fully grasp. But — as we learned this spring in an episode we’re re...

Even more forever chemicals

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The chemical manufacturer 3M will pay $10 billion to settle claims it contaminated drinking water with “forever chemicals.” Good thing we already ...

Smokeshow

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the second time this month, huge sections of the US are blanketed by wildfire smoke. Vox’s Rebecca Leber and climate journalist Jeff Goodell say...

Supreme Court: Race need not apply

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Supreme Court ruled against race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard and UNC. The ruling is likely to reshape affirmative action in America. ...

Mall cop nation

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The three biggest private employers in North America are Walmart, Amazon, and a security firm you’ve maybe never heard of: Allied Universal. Time’...

Woke, woke, woke, woke, woke

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How “woke” went from Marcus Garvey to Childish Gambino to Ron DeSantis. This episode was produced by Siona Peterous, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact...

The man behind Russia’s mutiny

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Yevgeny Prigozhin rose from hot dog seller to top chef to Russia’s leading mercenary. Journalist Paul Wood and Harvard’s Timothy Colton explain wh...

OceanGate

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Deep-sea explorer G. Michael Harris has been down to the wreck of the Titanic 14 times. He begged his friend PH Nargeolet not to get on the OceanGate ...

Dinner and a Modi

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Despite US concerns over the decline of Indian democracy and human rights, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is getting a prestigious state dinner from the...

Okla-home-a

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A group in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will pay remote workers $10,000 to move there. Vox’s Rani Molla explains why the city is banking on a digital workforce ...

Childproofing Pornhub

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

States want to restrict kids’ access to harmful content online via age verification systems. New York Times reporter Natasha Singer explains how a w...

The Today, Explained Center for Kids Who Can’t Read Good

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, American schools have taught reading with an approach that doesn’t work very well. Emily Hanford of the podcast “Sold a Story: How Te...

How the Saudis bought pro golf

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The PGA Tour wanted nothing to do with a rival Saudi-funded golf tour, but like Silicon Valley and the White House, it couldn’t resist the Kingdom’...

Kids sue Montana over climate change

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Held v. Montana, a first-of-its-kind climate lawsuit, pits young people — and their constitutionally enshrined right to a clean environment — agai...

Vivek Ramaswamy explains himself

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The entrepreneur is running a longshot campaign for the GOP nomination on an “American nationalist,” anti-“woke capitalism” platform. Semafor’...

Why Marvel movies look bad

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bad visual effects in movies may have less to do with technology and more to do with workers being underpaid and overworked. Vulture senior reporter C...

Florida man indicted (again)

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time in American history, a former president faces federal charges. Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains. This episode was produced by Miles B...

Texas messed with Houston schools

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The state of Texas took over Houston’s Independent School District and replaced the superintendent and the elected board. But state takeovers like t...

California is becoming uninsurable

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two insurance giants will stop issuing new policies for California homes. CalMatters reporter Ben Christopher and Vox’s Umair Irfan say insurers hav...

Apple’s $3,500 goggles

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Apple’s launch of a new mixed reality headset shows that, for Apple, the metaverse isn’t dead. The Verge’s David Pierce explains. This episode w...

Real Housebans of Tallahassee

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A new Florida law will restrict where Chinese citizens can buy homes, and other states may follow suit. The legislation is eerily similar to racist la...

Hannah Gadsby and “Pablo-matic" Picasso

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Comedian Hannah Gadsby railed against Pablo Picasso in “Nanette.” So why are they curating an exhibition timed to the 50th anniversary of his deat...

Ukraine’s counteroffensive

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ukraine vowed to mount a counteroffensive against Russia. Drone attacks on Moscow might signal it has begun. The Washington Post’s Mary Ilyushina an...

Target-ing Pride

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Companies have been leaning into Pride month for years. So why are brands like Target and Bud Light facing such intense backlash now? Vox’s Emily St...

The Kia Boyz are coming for your car

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Turns out Kias and Hyundais are easy to steal. Teens are taking advantage, and putting it all on TikTok. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, e...

Hot and bothered

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The FDA approved a game-changing drug to treat hot flashes, a symptom of menopause. Health writer Jancee Dunn talks about why a transition that happen...

He's Ronning

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

NBC’s Matt Dixon explains how Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to Make America Florida. Vox’s Andrew Prokop spells out how the governor’s brain works. Pl...

A cancer vaccine?

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Vinod Balachandran explains how he and his colleagues successfully treated pancreatic cancer with bespoke mRNA vaccines. Science journalist Charle...