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, ExplainedThe Reflecting Pool fiasco
Donald Trump famously came to Washington, DC to “drain the swamp,” but he may have inadvertently created one. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh and…
Today, ExplainedThe world’s stingiest trillionaire
Ten ways Elon Musk could use his money to make the world a better place... and why he probably won’t. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by…
Today, ExplainedThe Trump phone grift
President Trump's ongoing efforts to become a mobile mogul and to run a bank suggest Trump grift is alive and well. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto…
Today, ExplainedNorth Korea's girl dad dictator
North Korea has been led by a string of vicious dictators — all men. But Kim Jong Un seems to be auditioning his daughter for the job. This episode was…
Today, ExplainedHow to beat mosquitoes
They’re the deadliest animal on the planet. Now even Google is getting into the extermination business. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by…
Today, ExplainedThe young candidates shaking up the Dem Party
AI, policing and generational change are among the issues influencing two primary races in New York that reflect the broader 2026 midterms. This show was…
Today, ExplainedThe death of dating
Gen Z is saying no to dating and backing away from romantic relationships. This episode of The Gray Area explains why. This episode was produced by Beth…
Today, ExplainedHow Trump’s maps could backfire
The president's push to redraw congressional maps to favor Republicans is making voters mad on both sides. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by…
Today, ExplainedIran won the war
Deal or no deal? Doesn’t matter. The war on Iran has irrevocably transformed the country and the region. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and…
Today, ExplainedWhy the Antichrist is back
Former supporters of President Trump have speculated about whether he could be the Antichrist. Accusations like this are not new to politics in the US. This…
Today, ExplainedTrump loves the inflation
President Trump's messaging on the economy is increasingly bizarre. So is our perception of it. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh and Dustin DeSoto…
Today, ExplainedThe lost art of handwriting
How our relationship with writing has changed, and how that’s changed us. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Avishay Artsy, fact-checked by…
Today, ExplainedHasan Piker vs. The Establishment
Hasan Piker has become one of the most prominent leftist voices in the US. But his rapid rise has sparked a furious backlash from establishment Democrats --…
Today, ExplainedYouTube at the movies
It's blockbuster season, but low-budget horror films from YouTubers — like Iron Lung, Obsession, and Backrooms — are what's got Hollywood talking. This episode…
Today, ExplainedNike lost its cool
And once a brand has lost its cool, it's almost impossible to get it back. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by…
Today, ExplainedIs Platner too “authentic”?
Senate candidate Graham Platner swept the Maine Democratic primary no problem. The question is whether his "authenticity" can carry him past his scandals to a…
Today, ExplainedAmerica's birthday blues
America's 250th birthday party has gotten political. So did its last big one. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jolie…
Today, ExplainedPutin's plan to live forever
Russia has long been a cradle of modern longevity science, even before its current president started spending billions to extend his life. This episode was…
Today, ExplainedDIY or don’t?
YouTube has advice for how to do everything from plumbing to electrical work. Should you take it? This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jenny…
Today, ExplainedCan corruption drive voter turnout?
We went to Virginia to report on redistricting. What we found was a potential new message for Democrats to win over voters. This show was edited by Kasia…
Today, ExplainedThe Ferrari of electric vehicles
Ferrari is about to drop an almost $700,000 electric vehicle on the market. It has even fewer fans than the typical EV. This episode was produced by Ariana…
Today, ExplainedWhy Israel won’t stop
Trump and Netanyahu are beefing over Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon. Israel has seized land there, in Gaza, and in Syria. And in service of something…
Today, ExplainedTrump enters his flop era
The Trump administration will no longer create a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund, the latest in a series of losses for the President and his agenda…
Today, ExplainedAI goes IPO
Some of the richest companies on Earth want your money. OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX are racing to raise as much of it as possible by going public. This…
Today, ExplainedEbola conspiracies
As Ebola continues to spread in Central and East Africa, conspiracies and myths about the disease are making it harder to control. This episode was produced by…
Today, ExplainedWhy people cheat
Our fears about infidelity reveal a lot about us. And so do our reasons for cheating. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Hady Mawajdeh, edited by…
Today, ExplainedYou voted. Does it matter?
Democrats talk a lot about protecting democracy, but for most Americans, the system was written to exclude them a long time ago. This show was edited by Kasia…
Today, ExplainedThe steroid olympics
The Enhanced Games are kind of like the Olympics except everyone is on performance enhancing drugs. The organizers want to push back on the shame of doping…
Today, ExplainedThe fall of Ben Shapiro
Ben Shapiro used to be the leading voice in MAGA media. His downfall tells a bigger story of chaos and shifting allegiances in the conservative media world…
Today, ExplainedRaw milk is having a mooment
Lawmakers around the country are trying to make it easier to access raw milk. Our co-host Sean takes a sip. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited…
Today, ExplainedCuba, too
Cuba seems willing to concede more than ever if the Trump administration is willing to take the win. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and…
Today, ExplainedDating my AI
Real-life humans are searching for love and seem to be finding it… with their chatbots. We revisit our conversation with them. This episode was produced by…
Today, ExplainedEw, are we post-literate?
In this episode from last year, we explain how a return to orality is frying our politics and our brains. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen…
Today, ExplainedLate night’s long goodbye
The end of Colbert is just the beginning. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by…
Today, ExplainedEverything is clips now
An army of people posting clips of podcasts, songs, and movies has taken over your algorithm, which means everything you see could be a psyop. This episode was…
Today, ExplainedThe Great American Road Trip?
The Secretary of Transportation took a sponsored road trip across the US with his wife and nine kids. Now if only Boeing could pay for YOUR family's summer…
Today, ExplainedHow the right embraced psychedelics
The MAGA right is enthusiastically embracing a potent psychedelic called ibogaine. Its the new counter-counter-culture. This episode was produced by Kelli…
Today, ExplainedPrepping for doomsday (or Tuesday)
How to prepare for the worst while still living your best life. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa…
Today, ExplainedThe data center war
There’s a growing disconnect between a local community that says it’s being treated as the "guinea pigs" in a new industrial revolution, and Washington…
Today, ExplainedThe rise of death doulas
Celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Chloé Zhao say they're training in this growing field. What preparing people for death teaches us about life. This episode…
Today, ExplainedAll Quiet on the Climate Front
The fight against climate change has never been more urgent, but no one in US politics wants to talk about it anymore. And maybe they shouldn’t. This episode…
Today, ExplainedIs it a bad book or is it AI?
An author gets her book pulled after accusations that it was written with AI, but it might not always be so easy to catch AI writing. This episode was produced…
Today, ExplainedAbortion pills at the Supreme Court
There are more abortions now than when the Court overturned Roe v. Wade. But a ruling on whether to keep abortion pills accessible could change that. This…
Today, ExplainedControlling hantavirus
Quarantine, cruise ships, and passenger tracking are reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the hantavirus is different, and public health officials are…
Today, ExplainedChems in your cosmetics
From lotions to hair extensions, the products that make us look good may also make us feel bad. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt and Peter…
Today, Explained"Affordability" is the new progressive
What do buzzwords like “progressive” and “affordability” mean to voters? We went to one of the most Democratic congressional districts to find out. This show…
Today, ExplainedIs smoking back?
Gen Z is making smoking — or at least posing with cigarettes — cool again. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by…
Today, ExplainedOne billion humanoid robots
Tech companies are betting big on robots that look like humans and do human jobs. Why, robot? This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Jolie…
Today, ExplainedIs Venezuela better now?
It’s been over four months since the United States overthrew Nicolás Maduro. One Venezuelan says she is grateful for the intervention and is cautiously…
Today, ExplainedRIP Spirit Airlines
Lessons from the life and death of America’s most beloved, most hated, most bootleg airline. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jolie Myers…
Today, ExplainedThe Supreme Court's gerrymaxxing
States are already making changes to their election maps after the Supreme Court decided to unleash a new era of partisan gerrymandering. And just in time for…
Today, ExplainedThe cost of “I do”
Love is in the air, but only if you’ve got thousands to throw at it. How couples are navigating the pressures and expenses of planning their perfect wedding…
Today, ExplainedGrading America's first 250 years
America at 250 years old may need a new founding document. Historian Heather Cox Richardson drafts a new social contract. This show was edited by Kasia…
Today, ExplainedThe burnout economy
From special coaches to luxury sleep vacations, you can beat burnout — for a price. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt and Peter Balonon-Rosen…
Today, ExplainedThe Michael Jackson "biopic"
The movie is breaking records at the box office despite — or maybe because of — moonwalking past the abuse allegations. This episode was produced by Avishay…
Today, ExplainedChina is winning the Iran war
The US and Iran still have not reached a deal to end the war, but one winner is already clear: China. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina…
Today, Explained“Staged”
Conspiracy theories flooded the internet after a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. What used to be fringe is now a default reaction. This…
Today, ExplainedWho's afraid of teen takeovers?
Teenagers are taking over pockets of American cities and local governments are struggling to deal with them. We set out in search of solutions. This episode…
Today, ExplainedBurnout sandwich
How to manage the squeeze of taking care of your kids and your parents at the same time. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt and Peter Balonon-Rosen…
Today, ExplainedThis Senator has an Eric Swalwell problem
We were set to talk to Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego about solving our immigration crisis. Then Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress. This show was edited by…