Today, Explained
Episodes
Silicon Valley Bank goes bust
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
SVB’s collapse is the biggest bank failure since 2008. Insider’s Ben Bergman explains why the bank collapsed, why the Biden administration interve...
Top Fun: Oscars vs. blockbusters
12 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Huge hits like Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water got nominated alongside Tár. In this episode of Into It, which is now available twice a...
The war on drag
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Melissa Brown, a state politics reporter for The Tennessean, spills the tea on Tennessee’s new drag restrictions. And drag performer Bella DuBalle p...
Congress is daddy
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
DC is baby. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Robert Mounsey, and h...
Auditing Ukraine
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Congress wants more oversight of how the billions in US aid to Ukraine are being used. But our own military can’t even seem to pass an audit. This e...
How to save a murderer
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Should past trauma prevent a convicted killer from being executed? The Marshall Project’s Maurice Chammah reports on “mitigation specialists” wh...
The fight for affordable insulin
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Insulin was the poster child of overpriced life saving drugs, but a manufacturer finally capped the cost at $35. Vox’s Dylan Scott explains how phar...
The rockstar maestro
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gustavo Dudamel brought classical music to the masses in Los Angeles. Now he’s announced that he’s taking his talents to New York, which could rev...
Why newspapers fired Dilbert
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Newspapers across the country pulled the long-running comic “Dilbert” after its creator uploaded a racist tirade about Rasmussen poll results. Jou...
Block the sun, save the earth?
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Solar geoengineering — the idea of cooling the planet by deflecting the sun’s rays — is so risky that scientists and policy experts can’t even...
Biden’s border orders
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden promised a more humane approach to immigration when he entered office. After two years and a flurry of activity on asylum policies, t...
The shadow war on Russian yachts
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bloomberg's Stephanie Baker and the New Yorker’s Evan Osnos explain the fight to seize (and maintain) billionaire boats. This episode was produced b...
Another phone call from Ukraine
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the morning Russia invaded Ukraine, we called Yulya and Kurii. A year later, we’re calling them back. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamb...
Pharrell Vuitton
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Pharrell Williams was happy to be named the new head of Louis Vuitton’s menswear, but his appointment had fashion industry hopefuls feeling like the...
Just how dangerous is the Ohio train crash?
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals has residents of East Palestine, Ohio fearing for their health and safety. Two weeks after the inci...
Ban TikTok?
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Politicians across the United States are calling for an outright ban on the popular social media platform. Alex Heath, deputy editor at The Verge, exp...
Honey, they stole the bees
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Humanity can’t survive without bees, which is why bees are big business for thieves. Today, Explained’s Haleema Shah heads to the capital of sting...
Turkey's man-made catastrophe
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of buildings collapsed after Turkey’s massive earthquakes. Now President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is facing a backlash for an amnesty program...
Nikki Haley kicks off a Republican mutiny
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, is running for president. Vox’s Andrew Prokop says she’s likely the first of many prominent Re...
Democratizing spying
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Zero-click spyware” is making it easier for governments to get their hands on individuals’ personal data. New York Times investigative reporter...
Pow pow power grid
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Attacks on vulnerable electrical infrastructure are surging. The tactic — embraced by everyone from copper-seeking vandals to chaos-minded white nat...
The great American cattle swindle
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Easterday was ranching royalty in Washington state until he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for swindling two companies out of $244 million. ...
Decisions after Dobbs
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade is reshaping the way a lot of Americans think about pregnancy and abortion. Vox’s Marin Cogan...
One earthquake, two recoveries
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey is digging itself out from the devastating earthquake that has killed thousands across the country. Recovery efforts have been more difficult i...
The fight over AP African American Studies
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The College Board piloted an AP course on African American Studies. Then, after conservative pushback, it debuted a revised curriculum. But the group ...
Hullaballoon
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The balloon crisis is blown up. Politico’s Alex Ward deflates it for us. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact...
Paying ex-gang members to stop shootings
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Policymakers across the country are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on “violence interruptor” programs to try to stop shootings before th...
Sickened chickens
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Poultry farmers are in flock-down. The bird flu known as H5N1 is being called “the largest foreign animal disease outbreak in US history.” Vox’s...
Dry February?
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
New national health guidelines in Canada say any amount of alcohol consumption could lead to serious health risks. The guidance comes as more and more...
The police killing of Tyre Nichols
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Memphis braced for an explosive reaction to footage of the deadly police beating. It never came. Wendi C. Thomas of the nonprofit newsroom MLK50: Just...
“Okay, Google, what’s a monopoly?”
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Department of Justice wants Google to break up its advertising business. The Wall Street Journal’s Keach Hagey explains how the DOJ’s antitrus...
Why are businesses acting like there’s a recession?
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Wealthy companies like Google and Microsoft are announcing unprecedented layoffs — all while the economy is trending in the right direction. Vox’s...
Peru’s democracy crisis
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dozens have died in anti-government protests in Peru. Journalist Simeon Tegel reports from Lima on how the mounting anger over corruption and inequali...
Fine dining isn’t fine
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chef René Redzepi said his Copenhagen restaurant, Noma, deemed the best in the world, isn't sustainable and will close next year. But if an establish...
Why Mexico’s top cop is on trial in NYC
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The US and Mexican governments trusted Genaro Garcia Luna to crack down on the drug trade. Now he’s on trial for conspiring with El Chapo’s Sinalo...
Thanks but no tanks, Ukraine
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine desperately needs tanks to fight Russia. The US, which has provided many other weapons, is refusing. This e...
The politics of India’s biggest blockbusteRRR
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most people watch RRR and see one of the greatest action epics in the history of cinema. But some see an insidious brand of Hindu nationalism that’s...
It’s debt ceiling season
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
House Republicans are refusing to raise the US debt ceiling without huge concessions. Vox’s Dylan Matthews explains why we have a debt ceiling to be...
The half-baked gas stove debate
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No, the government isn’t coming for your gas stove. Vox’s Rebecca Leber explains why you might want to switch anyway. This episode was produced by...
Compost yourself
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Remember you are dirt and to dirt you shall return. Science journalist Eleanor Cummins and law professor Tanya Marsh explain the rise of human compost...
What’s up, docs?
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do a Delaware garage and a Florida palace have in common? We dig into Joe Biden’s classified document mess. This episode was produced by Siona ...
Too much water for California
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rain is good for California, but the state was not prepared for what might be a megastorm. KQED’s Dan Brekke assesses the damage from the San Franci...
The Taliban vs. women
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When the Taliban took power, it promised a place for women in its new Afghanistan. Now, hardliners are embracing policies that do the opposite. This e...
Brazil’s January 6?
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Except it was on January 8. The Brazilian Report’s Gustavo Ribeiro explains from São Paulo. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Mat...
Andrew Tate: The king of toxic masculinity
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Controversial manfluencer Andrew Tate is in a Romanian prison, accused of rape and human trafficking. Vox’s Rebecca Jennings and sociolinguist Rober...
Will Kevin McCarthy become speaker?
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The 118th Congress has begun with a showdown over who will be elected House speaker. Vox’s Andrew Prokop argues that this is the culmination of a de...
Why we’re all on antidepressants
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ray Osheroff was a successful doctor in the DC area until his depression became debilitating. The way he was treated — and not treated — changed p...
The many lies of George Santos
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
George Santos is supposed to become a member of Congress this week. We still have no idea who he is. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, ...
Let’s eat lab meat
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Happy New Year! Maybe you’re interested in trying new things? Sean and his mom are. In today’s episode, they drive to Alameda, California to try “...
Abortions before Roe
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Before Roe v. Wade, Eleanor Oliver was a Jane: a member of a group in Chicago that helped women get safe but illegal abortions. Sean Rameswaram sat do...
How to save kids from online extremism
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of IRL violence starts with online radicalization. We revisit our conversation with writer and parent Joanna Schroeder, who wrote a guide for pa...
Why the Ukraine war happened
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Vladimir Putin believes Ukraine belongs to Russia, and he used that a pretense to invade. In an episode originally released in February, historian Tim...
What’s the dill with pickleball?
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pickleball is bringing America together. Pickleball is tearing America apart. Sports Illustrated’s John Walters explains. This episode was produced ...
Why gaslighting is the word of the year
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s sooo 2016, but the word still mattered a lot in 2022. Merriam-Webster explains. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, edited by Matt Colle...
Criminal referrals for Donald Trump
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The January 6 committee sent the Justice Department four criminal referrals against the former president, who it alleges engaged in an elaborate crimi...
The case against movie trailers
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Movie trailers are misleading audiences. Vox’s Alissa Wilkinson says you should stop watching them. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edit...
Do I have to care about the Twitter Files?
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe not, but you’re going to be hearing about them for a while anyway. Republicans are saying they’ll use them to investigate the Biden administ...
Megan Thee Stallion
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Megan Thee Stallion is everywhere — including in court, testifying against the rapper Tory Lanez, who is charged with shooting her. Vox’s Fabiola ...
Throwing soup at art
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tensions are simmering in London as climate protesters turn up the heat on their soup-flinging activism. Rishi Sunak’s government is attempting to k...
Art-ificial intelligence
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Between chatbots and image generators, artificial intelligence has gotten scary good lately. The Verge’s James Vincent explains what’s behind the ...
Hint of crime
12 Dec 2022
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...
R-E-S-P-E-C-T (for Marriage Act)
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sen. Tammy Baldwin managed to rally bipartisan support for a marriage equality bill, but she’s the first to admit the legislation is “humble.” A...
The prisoner swap for Brittney Griner
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
US officials are sending the “Merchant of Death” — a notorious arms dealer named Viktor Bout — back to Russia in exchange for the WNBA star’...
Power-tripping sheriffs
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A growing number of county sheriffs believe they hold ultimate power in their jurisdictions. Some have even stopped enforcing state and federal laws t...
The Moscow murders
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Investigators are still trying to solve the brutal November killings of four college students in Moscow, Idaho. Making their work harder: the hordes o...
Digging tunnels for cars
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elon Musk created The Boring Company to fix traffic, but his fantasy of underground Tesla tunnels is running on empty. Curbed’s Alissa Walker and au...
8 billion humans
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The United Nations says humanity has reached 8 billion, but Western nations are worried about population decline. Africa isn’t, though. The continen...
China’s biggest protests since Tiananmen Square
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The protests in China might force the government to back down from its extreme Covid restrictions and ramp up its extreme surveillance programs. The W...
Disney’s boomerang CEO
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Disney’s board wished upon a star and brought back former CEO Bob Iger, who replaced his own replacement, the now-axed CEO Bob Chapek. The Hollywood...
Nancy podcast
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Democrats vote on new leadership this week, meaning Nancy Pelosi is out. Time’s Molly Ball explains why the country might really miss her. This epis...
Can you spare some climate change?
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a UN-brokered agreement, more than 190 countries agreed to pay for “loss and damage” caused by climate change. But determining who owes what —...
NASA wants to live in space
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
NASA’s Artemis mission is the first step toward a long-term human settlement on the moon. Vox’s Unexplainable examines whether humans are even cap...
Little influencers, big business
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Parents are turning their kids into influencers on social media. What could go wrong? This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, fact-checked b...
Gen Z in the House
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Florida’s Maxwell Frost, 25, is the first member of Generation Z elected to Congress. He tells us what he plans to get done. This episode was produc...
Ticketmaster (Taylor’s Version)
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s me, Ticketmaster. I’m the problem, it’s me. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bu...
World Cup: How 2 B a legend
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pelé. Maradona. Ronaldo. Soccer’s greats are so good, they’re typically known by one name. Men in Blazers soccer journalist Roger Bennett explain...
Pushing the Russians back
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In its biggest victory yet, Ukraine retook its vital port city, Kherson. The Guardian’s Luke Harding calls Russia’s retreat a turning point in the...
An inconvenient glacier
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While the world’s leaders are meeting at COP27 to discuss climate change, Antarctica’s massive Thwaites Glacier is melting. The world’s coastlin...
The FTX cryptocalypse
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With the collapse of one of its largest exchanges, crypto’s having its very own Lehman Brothers moment. Semafor’s Liz Hoffman explains the repercu...
The tech boom is over
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Zuckerberg fired 11,000 employees at Meta. Elon Musk axed half his staff at Twitter. Other tech giants are slashing jobs and eliminating perks, t...
World Cup: They built this city
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The people who built Qatar’s stadiums, hotels, and transit systems were employed under the country’s exploitative migrant worker system. Officials...
A vaccine for RSV
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A respiratory virus called RSV has a lot of kids in critical condition and hospitals overwhelmed. Vox public health reporter and epidemiologist Keren ...
No red wave
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The midterms weren’t a clear victory for Republicans, and it’s still too early to know who’ll control Congress. Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains. ...
What if you HAD to vote?
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Midterm elections are a tough sell in the United States. Half of eligible voters show up in a good year. On Election Day, we’re revisiting an episod...
Kari Lake is MAGA’s rising star
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps the most consequential midterms in US history are this week. Arizona’s Kari Lake, a former news anchor turned gubernatorial candidate, embod...
World Cup: Welcome to Qatar!
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Soccer is sometimes called “the second religion of the Arab World,” and Qatar is the region’s first country to host the World Cup. But FIFA’s ...
Elon’s Twitter hell
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Twitter is about to suck for you. But it’s going to suck for self-proclaimed “Chief Twit” Elon Musk too. Recode’s Shirin Ghaffary and The Verg...
How does the war in Ukraine end?
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The next Congress could be a whole lot less willing to keep spending billions on aid to Ukraine. It’s time to talk about how this war could end. Thi...
The teen’s gambit
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The chess world is in chaos after its top player accused 19-year-old Hans Niemann of using AI to cheat. Niemann is responding with a $100 million laws...
A win for Lula (and democracy) in Brazil
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro vowed he wouldn’t accept the results of the Brazilian election if he lost. Then he lost. Samantha Pearson, Brazil...
Our annual Halloween hysteria
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This year’s fear of rainbow fentanyl in kids’ trick-or-treat bags is just the latest unfounded Halloween candy freakout. But the yearly panic has ...
Supermarket supermerger
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Grocery story giants Kroger and Albertsons want to become one mega-company. The chains say merging will allow them to lower their prices, but antitrus...
Teflon Ron
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has hit on a winning — if possibly unethical — campaign strategy: prosecuting people who accidentally committed voter fr...
A police sketch based on DNA
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this month, police in Edmonton, Canada, released a sketch of a suspect. The issue is, no one knows what the suspect looks like. This episode w...
Investigating women’s soccer
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Allegations of misconduct have rocked US women’s soccer for the last year. The Athletic’s Steph Yang breaks down a new report on the degree to whi...
On with Kara Swisher (and Stacey Abrams)
23 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stacey Abrams is running for governor of Georgia, again … against Brian Kemp, again. The two last faced off in a heated contest in 2018, with Kemp’...
Nikola (not Tesla)
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The bombastic founder of an electric truck startup (no, not Elon) has been convicted for his role in his company’s “intricate fraud.” But even w...
Truss fall
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Liz Truss accomplished at least one thing in her 45 days as prime minister: She set a record for the shortest term in office. The Atlantic’s Tom McT...
The devil’s bargain on inflation
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Federal Reserve knows raising interest rates disproportionately hurts Black people. It just doesn’t have any better tools, says the Minneapolis ...
The Los Angeles city council meltdown
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Leaked audio revealed elected officials, including City Council President Nury Martinez, making xenophobic, homophobic, and racist statements about th...