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, Explained
Covid, kids, and a mystery illness
Dozens of children have fallen ill with an inflammatory syndrome that may be linked to Covid-19. Harvard Medical School’s Dr. Kevin Friedman explains…
- Today, Explained
Will Ahmaud Arbery’s killing change Georgia law?
Two white men are accused of killing a black jogger. Georgia state Rep. Jasmine Clark wants to change the laws that could be used to defend them. Transcript at…
- Today, Explained
A few men in fishing boats try to take Venezuela
While the world was distracted by a pandemic, a ragtag team of Americans and Venezuelans attempted to overthrow President Maduro. Transcript at…
- Today, Explained
Quarantine dreams
Think you’ve been having exceptionally strange dreams lately? Harvard psychologist Deirdre Barrett says it’s not a figment of your imagination. Transcript at…
- Today, Explained
The Reopening States of America
Dr. Richard Besser, former head of the Centers for Disease Control, explains how states can reopen without putting lives in danger. Transcript at…
- Today, Explained
Why Sweden stayed open
The Kingdom of Sweden watched the world lock down and decided to do the opposite. Swedish journalist Nathalie Rothschild explains. Transcript at…
- Today, Explained
How to be happy
The most popular course in Yale's 300-year history is all about achieving happiness. The pandemic has made it more relevant than ever. Transcript at…
- Today, Explained
Tara Reade alleges, Joe Biden denies
Vox's Laura McGann explains the sexual assault allegation against former Vice President Joe Biden, and the implications for his campaign. Transcript at…
Today, ExplainedThe Island of Explained
Come with us to the magical Island of Explained, where we’ll climb trees and venture into caves to answer kids’ biggest coronavirus questions. Go to…
- Today, Explained
The Invisible Man
Vox's Alex Ward explains what's going on with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- Today, Explained
Overflowing farms, desperate food banks
American farmers are destroying their crops while demand is mounting at food banks. Politico food and agriculture reporter Helena Bottemiller Evich explains…
- Today, Explained
Inside the world's biggest lockdown
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered 1.4 billion Indians to stay home. The world had never seen anything like it. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad…
- Today, Explained
Oil is broke. Green New Deal with it?
Oil just went negative for the first time in history. Vox's David Roberts says that creates an opportunity to make more history. (Transcript here.) Learn more…
- Today, Explained
Georgia on my mind
As the state reopens, Vox's Jillian Weinberger zooms to rural Georgia to hear how a Covid-19 outbreak spiraled out of control. (Transcript here.) Learn more…
- Today, Explained
Conspiracy-19
Vox’s science editor, Eliza Barclay, arms you with the facts you need to fight your uncle’s favorite coronavirus conspiracy theories. (Transcript here.) Learn…
- Today, Explained
This one's for Earth
Cryptic treehunters. Unknown apples. Flowers fighting back. On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Vox’s Umair Irfan and Brian Resnick explain what we learned…
- Today, Explained
One day, three healthcare workers
A nurse, a paramedic, and a physician’s assistant record themselves throughout the course of a day in the fight against Covid-19. (Transcript here.) Learn more…
- Today, Explained
The epicenter of the epicenter
Covid-19's victims, and the people they leave behind. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- Today, Explained
Long shot
It could be a year or more before the vaccine is ready, but there’s a radical plan to speed up the process. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad…
- Today, Explained
Zeke Emanuel’s exit strategy
President Trump wants to reopen the country yesterday. Bioethicist Zeke Emanuel, who served as a health policy advisor to former President Obama, offers a safe…
- Today, Explained
Death Cab for The Postal Service?
The United States Postal Service is on the brink of collapse. Vox's Matthew Yglesias explains how and why the country should save it. (Transcript here.) Learn…
- Today, Explained
All praise, no pay
Essential workers in the food, transportation, and retail industries are being called American heroes. They want to be paid as such. (Transcript here.) Learn…
- Today, Explained
Elizabeth Warren has a plan for this, too
Friend of the show Ezra Klein speaks to Sen. Elizabeth Warren about several plans she has proposed to combat this pandemic. (Transcript here.) Learn more about…
- Today, Explained
The loneliness pandemic
Coronavirus has led to another pandemic: social isolation. Vox’s Ezra Klein says this sickness has a cure. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices…
- Today, Explained
Six feet away from God
While a few religious leaders flout shelter in place ordinances, Easter, Passover, and Ramadan are inspiring most to get creative with worship. (Transcript…
- Today, Explained
Vote and die
Wisconsinites had to choose between catching Covid-19 and voting on Tuesday. Is the rest of the country next? (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad…
- Today, Explained
"The Great Equalizer"
Madonna was wrong. Covid-19 isn't an equalizer. It's coming for America's most vulnerable populations. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices…
- Today, Explained
The immunity test
A vaccine will take a while, but Vox’s Umair Irfan says the global effort to test for immunity and treat Covid-19 is well underway. (An earlier version of this…
- Today, Explained
Mask on? Mask off?
In an about-face, the Centers for Disease Control would now like you to cover your mouth and nose when you go outside. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your…
- Today, Explained
6.6 million more unemployed
Last week's unemployment numbers shattered all records. This week, they doubled. Vox's Matthew Yglesias, host of The Weeds podcast, proposes a way out of this…
- Today, Explained
Lockdown while locked up
Arthur Longworth calls Sean from Washington State Reformatory to explain what it's like to serve a life sentence at a prison where the coronavirus is…
- Today, Explained
The trouble with Trump’s daily briefings
Part rally, part media-bashing, part critical updates on the coronavirus crisis, President Trump's daily press briefings are muddying the message. (Transcript…
- Today, Explained
How Covid-19 attacks your body
In this episode of Vox's Reset podcast Ed Yong from The Atlantic explains how a little spiky ball called SARS-CoV2 brought the world to its knees. (Transcript…
- Today, Explained
Your coronavirus questions, answered (Part II)
On today's show, more listener questions: Why isn't everyone social distancing? Will I be immune after I get it? When will this end? My anxiety is…
- Today, Explained
The emergency room emergency
The Atlantic's James Hamblin explains why America has a critical shortage of medical supplies. New York City ER doctor Calvin Sun says, “It’s like a lottery…
- Today, Explained
The two trillion dollar question
Congress has settled on an historic stimulus package, but Ezra Klein is worried it might not be enough. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices…
- Today, Explained
Asia's second wave
Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore managed to contain Covid-19, but now things look less promising. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
- Today, Explained
Giving birth in a pandemic
Vox's Julia Belluz went from covering the global coronavirus pandemic to giving birth in the middle of it. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices…
- Today, Explained
Your coronavirus questions, answered
On today's show, we answer listener questions: Why is there no TP? Will we run out of food? Can I get the virus from sex? How can I help? (Transcript here.) An…
- Today, Explained
Six feet away
Vox’s Brian Resnick (safely) meets Sean in a Washington, D.C. park to deliver the Five Commandments of social distancing. Start your #SixFeetAwaySong journey…
- Today, Explained
TFW your dad gives you Covid-19
Sean speaks to a Brooklyn family that has Covid-19, and Vox’s Dylan Scott explains how the United States is still trying to get its act together on testing…
- Today, Explained
Can President Trump fix this?
After dismissing coronavirus concerns for months, President Donald is pivoting to serious action to slow the crisis in the United States. (Transcript here.)…
- Today, Explained
School's out for Covid
The country’s largest school district told a million kids to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s creating chaos for teachers, students, and…
- Today, Explained
Living in lockdown
Italy has quarantined the whole country in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. Vox’s Julia Belluz explains why the US might look like Italy…
- Today, Explained
How to slow down coronavirus
President Trump has banned most Europeans from traveling to the US. Vox’s Jen Kirby explains why that won’t stop the novel coronavirus from spreading, and…
- Today, Explained
Old Country for Old Men
After last night, Joe Biden is one step closer to the nomination, but no matter who wins, the next president will be over 70. The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson…
- Today, Explained
Coronavirus hits the markets
The stock market’s going haywire. Major companies are telling their employees to stay home. Austin has canceled SXSW. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias says governments…
- Today, Explained
James Carville thinks Trump will lose
The veteran political strategist argues that Democrats are well-positioned to win back not only the White House, but the Senate, too. (Transcript here.) Learn…
- Today, Explained
So you think you have Covid-19
Thus far, the United States hasn't been doing the best job of testing for the novel coronavirus. ProPublica's Caroline Chen explains why. (Transcript here.)…
- Today, Explained
Roe v. Wade v. Roberts
There's a new fight over abortion at the Supreme Court and Chief Justice John Roberts is in the swing position. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad…
- Today, Explained
Thanks, Obama
Vox's Andrew Prokop runs through Super Tuesday results, before Laura McGann explains Vice President Biden's "Joementum." (Transcript here.) Learn more about…
- Today, Explained
Covid-19, explained by Carl (who has it)
Carl Goldman was on the Diamond Princess cruise ship and now he has Covid-19. He speaks to Sean Rameswaram from a CDC quarantine in Omaha, Nebraska…
- Today, Explained
Tuesday, Explained
Vox's Andrew Prokop explains what makes this Tuesday so super and performs some basic arithmetic to suggest how Democrats could end up with a contested…
- Today, Explained
Make America Doubt Again
McKay Coppins built a fake Facebook profile to fully experience President Trump's 2020 digital strategy. It didn't take long for him to start doubting reality…
- Today, Explained
The last stronghold in Syria
Idlib province in northwestern Syria is now the last stronghold of opposition to President Bashar al-Assad and one of the world’s greatest humanitarian crises…
- Today, Explained
Pandemic?
Covid-19 may be on the brink of becoming a pandemic. Vox’s Julia Belluz explains what that p-word means and Brian Resnick breaks down what an outbreak response…
- Today, Explained
Putin his thumb on the scale
Russian interference in U.S. elections could go from Vlad to worse as President Trump sidelines U.S. intelligence agencies. (Transcript here.) Learn more about…
- Today, Explained
Weekend at Bernie’s
Bernie Sanders took Nevada with a landslide coalition so diverse it has left Joe Biden feeling nervous heading into South Carolina. (Transcript here.) Learn…
- Today, Explained
The sixth sense (the real one)
A study at the National Institutes of Health offers a window into some of science’s biggest mysteries, from the origins of pain to how consciousness works…
- Today, Explained
Ok, Bloomberg
Enter the Bloomberg! Exit the Bloomberg? (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices