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, ExplainedChicago Pope
The first American pope's pro-immigrant views have put him publicly at odds with Vice President JD Vance. How Pope Leo XIV's ancient Catholic order collides…
Today, ExplainedWhat did Wikipedia do?
The Trump administration is going after the free encyclopedia. Journalist Stephen Harrison explains how the site went from “the last bastion of shared reality”…
Today, ExplainedLittle Marco’s big portfolio
A former rival of President Donald Trump’s now holds four positions in his administration. How Marco Rubio became important at work. This episode was produced…
Today, ExplainedThe two dolls economy
Shortages are on the way. President Trump says children must live with fewer dolls and the rest of us have to adapt, too. This episode was produced by Miles…
Today, ExplainedThe Harvey Weinstein apologist
Candace Owens has found a new audience with her breakdown of the Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively saga. Her latest cause? Exonerating Harvey Weinstein. This…
Today, ExplainedWhy is personal style so hard?
Fashion has made a big swing from a strict set of rules to the idea that we should all just wear what we want. But personal style is still dictated by outside…
Today, ExplainedPrepping for doomsday
Preparing for the end of the world is a multibillion-dollar business. People are stockpiling weapons, buying luxury bunkers, and even building flammable…
Today, ExplainedNo love (on the spectrum) for RFK Jr.
Love on the Spectrum stars James B. Jones and Dani Bowman say the HHS secretary’s planned autism studies are making things worse for people with autism. This…
Today, ExplainedTariffs hit like a Mack truck
Workers at a Mack truck plant in Pennsylvania hoped tariffs would help protect their jobs. Now they are facing layoffs — and corporate is citing tariffs as the…
Today, Explained100 days of payback
Vox's Andrew Prokop says retribution was one of the major themes of the first 100 days of Trump's second term. John Bolton, who had his security detail yanked…
Today, ExplainedHow Trump saved Canada’s libs
The Liberal Party was set to lose today’s election. Now, thanks to President Trump, it just might win. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by…
Today, ExplainedRetire? In this economy?!
With 401(k)s taking a hit and the fate of Social Security uncertain, we get some advice for how to talk to the elders in your life about work and retirement…
Today, ExplainedThe most dangerous award
There’s a brand-new category coming to the Academy Awards: Best Stunt Design. A writer and two stunt performers explain why it took almost a century. This…
Today, ExplainedThe startup that cried dire wolf
Colossal says it's brought the dire wolf back from extinction — but the accuracy of that claim and the ethics of de-extinction are in question. This episode…
Today, ExplainedHow the Abrego Garcia standoff ends
Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland recounts his visit with Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Former prosecutor Elie Honig explains the three scenarios that could end this…
Today, ExplainedConclave (2025)
We try to divine who will follow Pope Francis and introduce you to one of his many legacies: the first millennial saint. This episode was produced by Victoria…
Today, ExplainedAmerican_history_v9_final_FINAL_THIS ONE
Government websites have erased references to American heroes like Harriet Tubman and Jackie Robinson in order to comply with Trump’s anti-DEI push. But…
Today, ExplainedIs climate progress doomed?
Many worry that the clean energy transition will be derailed by the Trump administration. But there's reason to believe otherwise. Listen to Explain It to Me…
Today, ExplainedMar-a-Lago makeover
There is a very distinct “look” many people in the MAGA world have adopted, and comedian Suzanne Lambert is making a career calling it out. Mother Jones senior…
Today, ExplainedTrump v. Mangione
The Trump administration is seeking the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, who is scheduled back in court this week. Plus, a closer look at a work that may have…
Today, ExplainedWhy Harvard is fighting back
Harvard is refusing to play along with the Trump administration's demands of elite universities, whereas at least 10 Florida public universities are openly…
Today, ExplainedArt of the (Iran) deal
Iran allegedly plotted to assassinate President Donald Trump late last year. But that’s not stopping the Trump administration from trying to strike a nuclear…
Today, ExplainedIt’s China’s turn
China has spent years preparing for this trade war — and for a world no longer dominated by the US. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Jolie…
Today, ExplainedWhat if college isn't for everyone?
For decades, high schools and parents have prioritized college for all graduating seniors. Now, more students are asking if there's another way. This episode…
Today, ExplainedWatercooler TV is back
The Pitt, The White Lotus, and Severance have people talking about TV again. A writer from The Pitt and Vulture's Kathryn VanArendonk explain why. This episode…
Today, ExplainedLaura Loomered the NSA
President Trump fired the head of the NSA — not because of a cyber attack, but because conservative activist Laura Loomer said so. How did she become so…
Today, ExplainedPlastic rain, plastic rain
We (mostly) got rid of acid rain, but now there’s another scary thing falling from the sky. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Jolie Myers…
Today, ExplainedThe nostalgia economy
President Donald Trump’s tariffs are meant to return America to a throwback economy — and culture. An economist who advises the White House makes the case for…
Today, ExplainedProject 2025’s next chapter
Project Esther offers a blueprint for casting some campus protesters as part of a “Hamas Support Network,” making it easier to detain and deport them. Critics…
Today, ExplainedIs a house still a good investment?
Given the economy and interest rates, homebuying doesn't seem like it’s necessarily the way to go anymore. So consider this not your parents’ real estate…
Today, ExplainedPray for Hooters
The “breastaurant” filed for bankruptcy this week. Many say good riddance, but Peter Rothpletz explains why he’ll remember his “conversion therapy with a side…
Today, ExplainedThe day after "Liberation Day"
It's unclear what Trump's latest tariffs liberate us from. Tariffs can be good policy when done right, but this latest round is scrambling America's alliances…
Today, ExplainedWhy young people are getting cancer
It’s not just Dwyane Wade, James Van Der Beek, and Kate Middleton; younger and younger people are getting cancer more and more. Vox’s Dylan Scott lays out what…
Today, ExplainedHasan Piker explains himself
Last week we talked about Hasan. Now we talk to him — about the Democrats, protein, and not giving in to nihilism. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan…
Today, ExplainedNot Coming to America
Traveling to the United States is getting tricky, but there are ways to be careful. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh and Amanda Lewellyn, edited by…
Today, ExplainedBlinded by the headlights
Drivers and passengers are right: Car headlights are brighter now. And the solutions aren't simple. If you have a question for us, please give a call at…
Today, ExplainedHuge week for the group chat
This week offered some lessons on, among other things, how to text responsibly 👊🇺🇸🔥 This episode was produced by Gabrielle Berbey and Avishay Artsy, edited by…
Today, ExplainedFear is the economy killer
The biggest threat to the American economy might be the American consumer’s sour mood. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Carla Javier, edited by…
Today, ExplainedThe “Joe Rogan of the left”
Data on who didn’t vote for the Dems is finally coming in and it’s clear that they have a problem. Can Hasan Piker be the solution? This episode was produced…
Today, ExplainedTrump's judge grudge
Judges, including one of his own Supreme Court appointees, are trying to rein President Trump in. In return, Trump is threatening to impeach judges. This…
Today, ExplainedMake America Measles Again (MAMA)
The US eliminated measles, but now it’s making a comeback — and RFK Jr’s advice isn’t exactly helping. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by…
Today, ExplainedGen Sex
Gen X women are freeing themselves from the hangups of the '90s, and having the best sex of their lives. Media portrayals of middle-aged women are starting to…
Today, ExplainedSnow White and the Seven Controversies
Disney’s new live action Snow White has a little something to upset everyone, from casting to Israel-Palestine to President Trump. Slate’s Nadira Goffe and…
Today, ExplainedNo kids on the block
The pro-natalism movement argues that people need to have more babies. Some want to prevent economic implosion, others want to protect traditional family…
Today, ExplainedThe autocrat's prison
The US is deporting alleged members of the gang Trén de Aragua and paying El Salvador to house them in a mega-prison. But we don’t know if the deportees are…
Today, ExplainedSilencing the Voice of America
President Donald Trump has ordered the federally funded broadcaster to be “eliminated.” Longtime VOA correspondent Steve Herman explains why it will be missed…
Today, ExplainedAn America First trap
This isn’t the first time we’ve tried to go America First. The last time helped blow up the economy and our relationships with our allies. This episode was…
Today, ExplainedDid diversity ever work ... at work?
There's a backlash against corporate DEI efforts, and it’s not just from the right. It's everywhere. What does that mean for employees? This episode was…
Today, ExplainedWhat if we stopped shopping?
Fed up with consumerism, Mia Westrap went a whole year without buying unnecessary stuff. She went viral, and so did her goal. Now, the Buy Nothing movement is…
Today, ExplainedThe man who helped kill DEI
Policy in the second Trump administration is being driven by a small group of thinkers from the online right. We talk to one of them about how he got DEI…
Today, ExplainedDeporting Mahmoud Khalil
The Trump administration has fallen short of its promise to deport millions. The White House now seems focused on attention-grabbing arrests, including that of…
Today, ExplainedTeslump
Protests against Tesla embody the outrage against Elon Musk’s DOGE-e behavior. But Musk doesn't seem to care. And given his position in the federal government…
Today, ExplainedA Walz to Remember
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sat down with Sean Rameswaram over the weekend at SXSW in Austin, Texas, to talk about 2024, 2025, and what might help his party in…
Today, ExplainedWhy does dating suck for guys?
The rules of romance have changed, and many young men feel they can't keep up. We get some tips from a Texas men's relationship coach. This episode was…
Today, ExplainedWhey too much protein
Added protein really seems to be in all the food lately. Reporter Chris Gayomali says to thank environmental regulations, GLP-1s, and Arnold Schwarzenegger for…
Today, ExplainedThe Zizian "death cult"
Journalist Max Read explains how a bunch of Silicon Valley computer scientists spun into a cult accused of killings. This episode was produced by Amanda…
Today, ExplainedServing your country while trans
Sam Rodriguez is on active duty in the US Navy. They are also trans. Now, the Trump administration wants to remove them from the US military. This episode was…
Today, ExplainedBreaking up with Ukraine
Why the humiliation of Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a twisted appeal for Trump's core supporters. And what Europe plans to do about it. This episode was produced…
Today, ExplainedThe Gulf of America?
What started as a liberal joke is now a MAGA reality. Just check your map app. But it’s not just Google, Apple, and Microsoft falling in line. This episode was…
Today, ExplainedThe messiest Oscars category
The Seed of the Sacred Fig was (secretly) shot in Iran with Iranian actors and an Iranian director. But it’s Germany’s submission for Best International Film…