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, ExplainedGOP women are over it
Some Republican women in the House are so frustrated with the leadership of speaker Mike Johnson that they're turning on him. This episode was produced by…
Today, ExplainedLet AI replace you
If AI handles all our busy work and optimizes our resources, it may also give us the one thing there never seems to be enough of: time. This episode was…
Today, ExplainedPop culture is conservative now
Why books, movies, music, and fashion all took a turn to the right. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by…
Today, ExplainedThe ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ economy
Trump calls the idea of “affordability” a hoax. Nonetheless, he pressured the Fed to fix it. It's just one example of Trump prizing loyalty over economic…
Today, ExplainedEveryone’s fired now
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on a case that could give President Donald Trump the power to fire…just about anyone. This episode was produced by…
Today, ExplainedThe Republicans bucking Trump
From a redistricting fight in Indiana to a wave of GOP retirements from Congress, there are signs MAGA's chokehold on the Republican Party may be loosening…
Today, ExplainedFear and uncertainty in Venezuela
It's a waiting game inside the country, where the US is threatening military action. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Amina Al-Sadi…
Today, ExplainedThe rise of the introverts
Turns out those personality tests you’re taking online are all wrong. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by…
Today, ExplainedI fell in love with my AI
Two humans — and their AI lovers — spill it all. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard…
Today, ExplainedFishy business
Fish farms promise to grow massive amounts of seafood to feed a hungry planet, and to do it ethically. But what’s good for the humans isn’t always good for the…
Today, ExplainedBettor living through Polymarket
Polymarket is making it easier than ever to bet billions on anything — including politics. But should we be able to? This episode was produced by Ariana…
Today, ExplainedCan Rubio end the Ukraine war?
The Trump administration is trying to sell its latest peace plan to Russia — and it's enlisted the help of former Russia hawk Marco Rubio. This episode was…
Today, ExplainedData center backlash!
AI data centers are driving up the cost of energy — and it's starting to get political. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Miles Bryan, edited by…
Today, ExplainedThe DOJ's revenge agenda
A judge just threw out indictments against some of Trump's sworn enemies. It's part of a long year of chaos and confusion at the Justice Department. This…
Today, ExplainedMAGA’s other immigration battle
The debate over high-skill work visas is revealing cracks between President Trump and his base. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and Miles…
Today, ExplainedTrump's new billionaire bestie
Nvidia is the most valuable company in the world. Major parts of the economy hinge on its success. CEO Jensen Huang and President Trump have become…
Today, ExplainedTalk turkey to me
How this big, lean bird became the staple of the most American of meals. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by…
Today, ExplainedAttention deficit television
The screens are getting smaller, and so are our attention spans. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Miles…
Today, ExplainedHow antidepressants got political
More young people are taking antidepressants. And there's a brewing backlash to the meds on the right. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by…
Today, ExplainedCan Trump help Sudan?
Two military generals are responsible for Sudan's brutal civil war. The American president just pledged to get involved. This episode was produced by Danielle…
Today, ExplainedTrump's Epstein flip
President Donald Trump told Congress to vote to release the Epstein files. That shows just how eager he is to close the growing gap within his MAGA movement…
Today, ExplainedTrump can't bring prices down
The affordability crisis is not entirely the president's fault. But he promised lower prices, and now it is his problem. This episode was produced by Hady…
Today, ExplainedThe case for renting forever
Housing prices aren't coming down, and that's challenging us to redefine the American dream. Maybe renting isn't so bad? This story was supported by a grant…
Today, ExplainedThe billionaire backlash
The number of billionaires is growing. So is the call to abolish them. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura…
Today, ExplainedThe bet that's ruining sports
Another week, another sports betting scandal. This time, it's the MLB. It's all happening because of an increasingly popular way to bet on games. This episode…
Today, ExplainedRepublicans have a Nazi problem
An antisemitic influencer went on Tucker Carlson's show. What happened next is fracturing the American right. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Hady…
Today, ExplainedThe end of dieting
The Trump administration is making GLP-1s more affordable. This class of drugs seems to have forever changed the game on diet and exercise for Americans. This…
Today, ExplainedWhy Democrats caved
Enough Democrats joined the GOP to strike a deal that could end the government shutdown. And now they're feeling the heat. This episode was produced by Kelli…
Today, ExplainedWhy your health insurance is so expensive
It’s open enrollment season, and new health insurance premiums are causing sticker shock around the country. So how do you pick a health care plan that won’t…
Today, ExplainedThe art of the breakup album
Lily Allen's West End Girl is a scorched-earth tell-all about the end of her celebrity marriage. It's the breakup album for our parasocial age. This episode…
Today, ExplainedYour flights will be canceled
The government shutdown is making flying even worse. And maybe more dangerous. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Amina Al-Sadi…
Today, ExplainedThe Mamdani moment
Democrats had a very big night and now need to figure out how to make it last. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Ariana Aspuru, edited by Amina…
Today, ExplainedTrump’s ICE shakeup
The president wants more arrests and faster deportations of unauthorized immigrants. Which means the shock-and-awe enforcement campaigns might get even more…
Today, ExplainedAI and nuclear doomsday
AI is in everything these days. But should it be in our nuclear arsenal? This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by…
Today, ExplainedThat text is a scam
You know those annoying scam texts offering an easy remote job? We find out how they work, why they're so ubiquitous, and the dark world behind them. This…
Today, ExplainedEveryone is on testosterone
Should they be? Let’s see. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Adriene Lilly with…
Today, ExplainedFood stamp rage bait
Millions of Americans are about to lose their SNAP benefits. The fight over who deserves them has been juiced by online videos that claim to show recipients…
Today, ExplainedAre we going to invade Venezuela?
President Trump is sending warships to Venezuela and bombing so-called drug boats off the coast. His aggression toward Venezuela smells a lot like the…
Today, ExplainedThe AI bubble
And what happens when it pops. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Kelli Wessinger, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard…
Today, ExplainedExtreme Makeover: White House Edition
President Trump demolished part of the White House to make room for a lavish new ballroom. The gold and glitz is part of a broader rebranding project for an…
Today, ExplainedPaging Dr. ChatBot
Patients and doctors both are turning to AI for help with diagnosing ailments and managing chronic issues. Should we trust it? This episode was produced by…
Today, ExplainedCapitalism (Taylor’s Version)
Taylor Swift reaches new heights with her latest album, which is both divisive and record-breaking. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Amina…
Today, ExplainedCan you sue ICE?
You can. And ICE's aggressive tactics are inviting legal challenges from protesters. But some recent court rulings will make it hard for them to win. This…
Today, ExplainedA test of Trump's coalition
We visit New Jersey, where there are cracks emerging in Trump's gains with Latinos. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by…
Today, ExplainedThe "I love Hitler" group chat
When the private messages of Young Republican leaders leaked, it exposed an antisemitism problem that is dividing the GOP. And the online world that is…
Today, ExplainedThe Americans with their bags packed
The Trump administration is making an effort to systematically exclude trans people from public life. For many trans Americans, it feels like an existential…
Today, ExplainedWhy (some) food tastes better abroad
We tell the stories of three ingredients that can shine outside the US: beef, bread, and tomatoes. This episode was produced by Denise Guerra and Peter…
Today, ExplainedVictoria’s Secret wants you back
The lingerie brand was tarnished by its connection to Jeffrey Epstein, and by fading cultural appeal. With the relaunch of its once-iconic fashion show…
Today, ExplainedMarjorie Taylor Greene gone rogue
Over two weeks in, the government shutdown is exposing fault lines on both sides of the aisle. Perhaps the most surprising one: the political left turn of the…
Today, ExplainedIs voting doomed?
The 1965 Voting Rights Act enfranchised millions of Black voters in the Jim Crow era. The Supreme Court may be about to decide it's no longer needed. This…
Today, ExplainedWhat the Gaza ceasefire really means
What happens next in Gaza now that a ceasefire has been reached and how the last two years might have taught the world the wrong lessons about war. This…
Today, ExplainedWhen young adults get cancer
Getting a cancer diagnosis at any age is life changing. But when you’re in your 20s or 30s, it can feel like hitting the pause button on life. That’s how some…
Today, ExplainedShould we give toddlers phones?
What we know about early childhood and screens, including a surprising argument for introducing tech at a tender age. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan…
Today, ExplainedThe campus resistance
In this special feed drop of On with Kara Swisher, Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber talks about standing up to Donald Trump and what free speech on…
Today, ExplainedSaudi Arabia is no joke
The Riyadh Comedy Festival was billed as “two weeks of laughs in the desert” but has comics asking, “At what cost?” This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh…
Today, ExplainedTrump deploys the National Guard
The president is attempting to send the National Guard into two American cities for two (seemingly) different reasons with two (for now) different results…
Today, ExplainedWe're in our AI slop era
Meta just dropped Vibes and OpenAI just dropped Sora 2. Both social media platforms are filled with AI videos that warp our sense of reality. This episode was…
Today, ExplainedTrumpRx
President Trump wants to put his stamp on health care. But TrumpRx is no Obamacare. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jolie Myers…
Today, ExplainedIs empathy toxic?
Society teaches us empathy is a good thing. But some are now saying the opposite, and science is complicating our assumptions too. This episode was produced by…
Today, ExplainedKPop Demon Hunters keeps slaying
The Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters is a mega cultural phenomenon. And the studio that used to own animation, Disney, is watching its dominance be…