Shows / Today, Explained
Today, Explained
Today, Explained is Vox's daily news explainer podcast. Hosts Sean Rameswaram and Noel King will guide you through the most important stories of the day. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Episodes
Today, ExplainedOur $40,000,000,000,000 debt
The US debt keeps breaking records. Should we panic? This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov…
Today, ExplainedTrump’s Ballroom Blitz
President Trump is racing to finish his ballroom, and if the Supreme Court doesn't stop him it will have major implications for conservation efforts around the…
Today, ExplainedTrump's human printer
Natalie Harp may be the most powerful executive assistant in the world, and her unusual relationship with her boss — the president — is getting a lot of…
Today, ExplainedMedicare for All fever
A new crop of Democrats is running on an old slogan: Medicare for All. Now might be the moment it finally catches on. This episode was produced by Peter…
Today, ExplainedWhy everyone's an introvert now
Move aside extroverts. In this episode — which aired last year — we explore personality types and whether they are set in stone. This episode was produced by…
Today, ExplainedIs MAGA still electable?
Left-leaning Democratic candidates have faced a lot of scrutiny in the last year about whether they’re “electable” in a general election. Why aren’t people…
Today, ExplainedThe pop girlies are sad
Ella Langley’s heartbreak anthem “Choosin’ Texas” is ruling the charts in this sad girl summer we’re having. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited…
Today, ExplainedThe tragedy of Jason Arday
What the death of a star Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism tells us about race, culture, and who we are. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto…
Today, ExplainedTrans Panic! At The WNBA
When WNBA player Sophie Cunningham recently said she wanted to protect girls in sports from "biological men," a new front in the culture wars opened up. This…
Today, ExplainedFlock cameras are watching you
Law enforcement agencies are using a vast network of AI-powered license plate cameras to track drivers. You may not have noticed them, but they have noticed…
Today, ExplainedThe last real place on the internet
Reddit is one of the last remaining websites where people are still talking to people. But brands and AI bots want in. This episode was produced by Hady…
Today, ExplainedWhy can’t I remember being a baby?
Even if we have little to no memory of our first few years, our earliest experiences still matter. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited by…
Today, ExplainedHasan Piker’s challenge to the center
Democrats have been duking it out all summer. He’s at the center of it all. This show was edited by Kasia Broussalian, fact checked by Esther Gim, mixed by…
Today, ExplainedThe influencer recession
An oversaturated internet filled with slop has made influencing a lot harder. It's left creators and brands scrambling for ways to regain our attention. This…
Today, Explained“Woke 1 was crazy”
The progressive left wants your vote. But some candidates for major races have a lot of online baggage. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by…
Today, ExplainedTestosterone is all the rage
Prescriptions for testosterone are way up. But it's not just men looking to live a high-T life. We revisit our show on taking T. This episode was produced by…
Today, ExplainedThe AIPAC backlash
AIPAC is one of the biggest spenders in American politics. This year, it could backfire. This episode was produced by Denise Guerra and Peter Balonon-Rosen…
Today, ExplainedMAGA rethinks Ukraine
After years of skepticism, an important MAGA figure is warming to the Ukrainian cause. And she has the ear of the president. This episode was produced by Kelli…
Today, ExplainedVacation? In this economy?
Gas is expensive and Europeans want us to stay home. How can you still make use of that precious PTO? This episode was produced by Denise Guerra, edited by…
Today, ExplainedThe gas price vote
Will high gas prices actually change how people vote? We went to Pennsylvania to find out. This show was edited by Kasia Broussalian, fact checked by Esther…
Today, ExplainedTV is getting dumber
We revisit an episode about how our shrinking attention spans are changing TV. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jolie Myers…
Today, ExplainedThe Lindsay Clancy murder trial
A Massachusetts jury is weighing whether a woman should be convicted in the deaths of her three young children or found not guilty based on her defense of…
Today, ExplainedThe communist comeback
There's a new Red Scare bubbling up in politics. Just how real is the communist threat? This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Amina Al-Sadi…
Today, Explained“It must suck to be young”
Young people used to vote reliably blue. But they're burnt out on politics as usual, which means their votes are up for grabs. This episode was produced by…
Today, ExplainedWeapons of mass infection
A new book imagines the chaos that could unfold if a biological weapon were released — either accidentally or on purpose. This episode was produced in…
Today, ExplainedGoing broke on wellness
Americans spend billions on healthcare products, from green powders and cold plunges to costly gym memberships. Last summer we asked: what good do they do?…
Today, ExplainedFantasy draft: 2028 presidential race
Journalists Astead Herndon, Don Lemon, and Kara Swisher hold a fantasy draft to find out who has the best shot at becoming president in 2028. This show was…
Today, ExplainedDad, where’s my inheritance?
When boomers die, they’ll leave trillions to their adult children. Some of those kids say they should get that money now. This episode was produced by Danielle…
Today, ExplainedThe culture wars turn deadly
The US is intentionally losing a fight against HIV that could be won. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jolie Myers and Miranda Kennedy…
Today, ExplainedThe scandal undoing the ICC
The International Criminal Court has a lot on its hands. The chief prosecutor was ousted over abuse allegations, the Trump administration is on the warpath…
Today, ExplainedAI just went rogue
OpenAI recently briefly lost control of an AI agent during a contained security test. After years of warnings, AI is now outsmarting its masters. This episode…
Today, ExplainedThe Trump-Saudi-Israel drama
The US and Saudi Arabia signed a nuclear deal but Israel hates it. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh and Dustin DeSoto, edited by Amina Al-Sadi…
Today, ExplainedThe perimenopause moment
Women’s health and hormones have been misunderstood by the medical establishment for decades. That’s changing. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru…
Today, ExplainedThe Boomer politicians who won't retire
Democratic Congressman James Clyburn turned 86 years old this week. He has no plans to retire. This show was edited by Kasia Broussalian, fact checked by…
Today, ExplainedAmerica’s best hot dog
Chef José Andrés explains what makes the winning wiener. A DC hot dog vendor respectfully disagrees. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by…
Today, ExplainedOur tick nightmare
Ticks are exponentially expanding their territory, using us for their next blood meal. We must fight back. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited…
Today, ExplainedThe truth about Iran
The on-again, off-again war is on again. But we still don't know the point of it all or how it will end. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Hady…
Today, ExplainedDefunding Israel
Democrats in Congress voted in shocking numbers to cut aid to Israel. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto with help from Miles Bryan, edited by Miranda…
Today, ExplainedTrump's 2020 obsession
President Trump has a midterm message that Republicans hate and Democrats love. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Denise Guerra, edited by Amina…
Today, ExplainedWhat's in a name?
Jalen and Olivia and Liam and Ailany. We look at what makes a name top the popularity charts. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited by Jenny…
Today, ExplainedProgressives take on the Rust Belt
First there was New York, then Colorado. But can a progressive candidate win in the Rust Belt? This show was edited by Kasia Broussalian, fact checked by…
Today, ExplainedParasite (2026)
Cyclospora can cause explosive diarrhea that can last a month. But you don’t need to swear off vegetables. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger with…
Today, ExplainedVance vs. Rubio 2028
The Republican front-runners for the 2028 presidential nomination represent two competing visions for post-Trump conservatism. This episode was produced by…
Today, ExplainedAnarchy in the UK
The UK is about to have its seventh prime minister in 10 years. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel…
Today, ExplainedThe Mitch McConnell mystery
You'd probably get fired for not showing up to work for a month — unless you're a member of Congress. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and…
Today, ExplainedICE kills again
The new guy overseeing ICE was supposed to dial back the shock and awe. But in Houston, another person was just shot and killed by an ICE agent. This episode…
Today, ExplainedTanning is back
Never mind skin cancer. Summer 2026 is all about tanmaxxing. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa…
Today, ExplainedKamala, 2028
The former vice president’s loyal base seems ready for another go, but Democratic donors are wary. This show was edited by Kasia Broussalian, fact checked by…
Today, ExplainedLove Island or Lust Island?
Love Island has some lessons to teach us about modern dating. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Gabriel…
Today, ExplainedPope Leo excommunicates
The recent excommunication of a conservative Catholic group and a sharp stance on AI means that Pope Leo XIV is dealing with the same problems as the rest of…
Today, ExplainedSmart glasses are officially here
There's a race to get smart glasses on your face. But privacy and security concerns are freaking people out. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited…
Today, ExplainedA white, male military
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been blocking military promotions — especially if you're a woman, Black, or perceived as disloyal. This episode was…
Today, ExplainedTrump’s secret war
America's longest ongoing conflict isn't with Iran. It's in Somalia. But almost no one is talking about it. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited…
Today, ExplainedThe socialists are coming!
The Democratic Socialists of America is seeing a surge of enthusiasm for its candidates around the country. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt…
Today, ExplainedJared and Ivanka’s accidental revolution
Jared and Ivanka Kushner thought they were investing in luxury resorts in Albania. Instead, they sparked the biggest protests the country has seen since the…
Today, ExplainedEverything is dupes
Fender declared war on guitar makers. Lululemon declared war on Costco. Ugg declared war on Quince. Welcome to the era of the dupe product wars. This episode…
Today, ExplainedThe World Cup is healing us
The World Cup is showing what Trump can’t destroy about America. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru and Kelli Wessinger, edited by Amina Al-Sadi…
Today, ExplainedCan we cheat death?
The trick to living a longer, happier life. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Michelle Hirsch, engineered by…
Today, ExplainedHow Trump lost the bro vote
The group of men that famously helped propel Trump to the White House in 2024 is having second thoughts. Here’s what that means for Republicans in the future…
Today, ExplainedLonely fans
No friends, no kids, no partner. You might think their lives are sad, but loneliness influencers are attracting huge followings. This episode was produced by…