Today, Explained

By Vox

What's Today, Explained about?

News comes at you fast. Join us at the end of your day to understand it. Today, Explained is your all-killer, no-filler, Monday to Friday news explainer co-hosted by Sean Rameswaram and Noel King. Every episode features the finest reporters from the Vox Media Podcast Network and beyond.

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Hannah Gadsby and “Pablo-ma...

06.02.2023

Comedian Hannah Gadsby railed against Pablo Picasso in “Nanette.” So why are they curating an exhibition timed to the 50th anniversary of his death? Gadsby and author Claire Dederer explain what we should do with art from monstrous artists. This ...

Today, Explained episodes:

06.02.2023 Hannah Gadsby and “Pablo-matic" Picasso Comedian Hannah Gadsby railed against Pablo Picasso in “Nanette.” So why are they curating an exhibition timed to the 50th anniversary of his death? Gadsby and author Claire Dederer explain what we should do with art from monstrous artists. This ...
06.01.2023 Ukraine’s counteroffensive Ukraine vowed to mount a counteroffensive against Russia. Drone attacks on Moscow might signal it has begun. The Washington Post’s Mary Ilyushina and the Guardian’s Luke Harding explain. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked ...
05.31.2023 Target-ing Pride Companies have been leaning into Pride month for years. So why are brands like Target and Bud Light facing such intense backlash now? Vox’s Emily Stewart and historian Kyle Williams explain. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by ...
05.30.2023 The Kia Boyz are coming for your car Turns out Kias and Hyundais are easy to steal. Teens are taking advantage, and putting it all on TikTok. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted ...
05.26.2023 Hot and bothered The FDA approved a game-changing drug to treat hot flashes, a symptom of menopause. Health writer Jancee Dunn talks about why a transition that happens to half the world’s population still feels like a mystery. This episode was produced by ...
05.25.2023 He's Ronning NBC’s Matt Dixon explains how Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to Make America Florida. Vox’s Andrew Prokop spells out how the governor’s brain works. Please clap. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, ...
05.24.2023 A cancer vaccine? Dr. Vinod Balachandran explains how he and his colleagues successfully treated pancreatic cancer with bespoke mRNA vaccines. Science journalist Charles Graeber says this could be cancer’s “penicillin moment.” This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked ...
05.23.2023 How wellness killed Jenny Craig The diet company is shutting down. Bloomberg’s Emma Court explains how Jenny Craig’s strategy — heavy on celebrity endorsements and meal plans — couldn’t compete with a shift toward body positivity and pharmaceuticals. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan ...
05.22.2023 The rehabilitation of Bashar al-Assad Syrian President Bashar al-Assad became a regional pariah after brutal crackdowns on his own citizens. But on Friday, the most powerful men in the Middle East welcomed him back into the Arab League. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy ...
05.19.2023 Parking is a lot In our quest to accommodate parked cars, we’ve paved over downtowns, polluted the planet, and made it near impossible to get anywhere without driving. Slate’s Henry Grabar explains Big Parking — and how electric cars might offer an opportunity to ...
05.18.2023 Kevin McCarthy wants you to get a job With the debt ceiling deadline approaching, Republicans want to expand rules that require welfare recipients to work. Vox’s Dylan Scott and Marketplace’s Krissy Clark explain. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Amina Al-Sadi and Matt Collette, fact-checked ...
05.17.2023 The most important election of 2023 After 21 years of leading Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a global political giant. But a crumbling Turkish economy and the opposition candidate pose the biggest threat to his power in years. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, edited ...
05.16.2023 The new border crisis Title 42, a Covid-era policy that included strict limits on migration into the US from Mexico, has expired. El Paso Times reporter Lauren Villagran explains what that means for both the border communities and the far-flung cities feeling the brunt ...
05.15.2023 Can power plants go green? The EPA has just announced new rules for power plants to clean up their act. But to get to those lower limits, companies might have to switch to two largely untested technologies in the power sector: hydrogen production and carbon ...
05.12.2023 How Zelda changed gaming It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this podcast. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Michael Raphael, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making ...
05.11.2023 Covid is “over” Or at least the federal government is over spending money on it. Vox’s resident epidemiologist, Keren Landman, explains the end of the public health emergency. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, ...
05.10.2023 Trump loses sexual abuse lawsuit A New York jury awarded $5 million to journalist E. Jean Carroll, whose civil suit against the former president alleged sexual battery and defamation. Vox’s Constance Grady explains. This episode was produced by Siona Peterous and Avishay Artsy, edited by ...
05.09.2023 Ed Sheeran and the “Blurred Lines” effect Ed Sheeran just won a big copyright trial. But he might not have even been in court if not for Robin Thicke and Pharrell’s “Blurred Lines.” Pitchfork’s Jayson Greene explains how the song of the summer from 10 years ago ...
05.08.2023 The killing of Jordan Neely A subway rider choked to death Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man known to New Yorkers for his impersonations of Michael Jackson. WNYC reporters Matt Katz and Samantha Max explain the complexity of the incident. This episode was produced by ...
05.05.2023 Charles in charge King Charles is struggling to get his subjects to care about the historic coronation this weekend. Professor Brooke Newman explains the complicated road to ditching the monarchy. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by ...
05.04.2023 Get used to higher interest rates The Federal Reserve has once again raised interest rates, which means borrowing money for your mortgage or your business is once again more expensive. New York Times economics reporter Talmon Joseph Smith explains why this might keep happening. This episode ...
05.03.2023 Disney vs. DeSantis Once upon a time, a Magic Kingdom took issue with a ruler’s law and, well, everyone ended up suing each other. The Wall Street Journal’s Robbie Whelan explains the feud between the Walt Disney Company and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. ...
05.02.2023 The Supreme Court’s corruption crisis In a hearing today, the Senate Judiciary Committee took on the Supreme Court’s lack of ethics standards. ProPublica’s Joshua Kaplan explains how his reporting on Justice Clarence Thomas’s history of accepting gifts from a conservative megadonor led to increased scrutiny ...
05.01.2023 Why parents are suing social media Congress has yet to pass legislation regulating social media companies, so parents are taking matters into their own hands. A lawyer representing them explains how a new spin on an old legal theory might lead to a big win. This ...
04.28.2023 Fake Drake The Verge’s Nilay Patel explains how a spurious collaboration between Drake and The Weeknd started a copyright fight over generative AI. Holly Herndon introduces her AI alterego, Holly+. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked ...
04.27.2023 Can Title IX protect trans athletes? President Biden hopes so. His administration is preparing to roll out new rules that would counter state and local bans aimed at keeping transgender youth out of sports. ESPN’s Katie Barnes explains. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited ...
04.26.2023 The new war in Sudan Foreign powers are arming and funding opposing military leaders in Sudan, who are now battling for control of the country. It’s just the latest in a line of civil conflicts worldwide that are trending longer and more complex. This episode ...
04.25.2023 He’s running The oldest president in the history of the United States wants a second term. Vox’s Andrew Prokop and Dylan Matthews explain why Joe Biden doesn’t have any competition. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah and Siona Peterous, edited by ...
04.24.2023 The Adderall shortage There is a nationwide shortage of medications to treat ADHD. One culprit: the DEA. Vox’s Dylan Scott explains. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Michael Raphael, ...
04.21.2023 Cocaine hippos (and the case against pets) The descendants of Pablo Escobar’s pet hippopotami are wreaking havoc in Colombia. They can teach us non-druglords a thing or two about pet ownership. This episode was produced by Siona Peterous, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered ...
04.20.2023 Make it rain The Colorado River is disappearing and the government is now spending millions on one wild idea to ease the pain: seeding clouds to make it rain. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura ...
04.19.2023 What does the Fox pay? $787.5 million. (To Dominion Voting Systems, averting a defamation trial that could have been disastrous for the network. The Washington Post’s Erik Wemple explains.) This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn and Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by ...
04.18.2023 Hollywood writers are ready to strike TV and film writers just voted to authorize a strike, which could leave studios without fresh scripts as soon as May 1. Bloomberg business reporter Lucas Shaw explains. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked ...
04.17.2023 The forever chemicals in your blood The Biden administration has new plans to reduce the amount of PFAS or “forever chemicals” in America’s drinking water. Barbara Moran, WBUR’s climate and environmental correspondent, explains why that will only get us so far. This episode was produced by ...
04.14.2023 The Discord leaks Federal officials have charged a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard with posting a trove of classified documents online. Politico’s Erin Banco explains. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Haleema Shah with help from Amina Al-Sadi. ...
04.13.2023 Phantom ghosts Broadway The chandelier crashes for a final time as Broadway’s longest-running musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s extremely ’80s Phantom of the Opera, closes after 35 years and nearly 14,000 performances. Vulture’s Andrea Long Chu assesses its cultural staying power. This episode was ...
04.12.2023 Why stuff isn’t getting cheaper The traditional explanation of inflation is simple: too much money chasing too few goods. But some experts are now wondering if companies’ aggressive pursuit of profit is driving up inflation as well. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited ...
04.11.2023 The new fight over abortion pills A federal judge in Texas invalidated the FDA’s decades-old approval of the abortion drug mifepristone. Vox’s Anna North explains the battle over a drug that’s been legal since 2000. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Hady Mawajdeh, edited ...
04.10.2023 Why Russia arrested an American reporter Evan Gershkovich’s detention is a callback to the last time a US journalist was accused of espionage in Russia — and to a Soviet-era tactic for manipulating the West. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, ...
04.07.2023 Table for 10 billion, please Feeding the world’s growing population is an increasingly difficult challenge, and climate change won’t make it any easier. Vox’s Kenny Torrella visited the Netherlands, a small country with big ideas about the future of food, to find out more about ...
04.06.2023 Uncle Sam really wants you The US military faces its worst recruiting crisis since the draft ended in 1973. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth — aware of the military’s reputation of forever wars, veteran suicide, and sexual assault — is working to convince a ...
04.05.2023 Should you carry Narcan? The drug that brings people overdosing on opioids back from the brink of death in minutes just got approved for over-the-counter use. The Wall Street Journal’s Julie Wernau explains why she carries it with her everywhere she goes. This episode ...
04.04.2023 City Limits: Blame the mayor Chicagoans feel unsafe, and many blame Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The two Democrats on the ballot to replace her have starkly different views on what the city should do next. WBEZ’s Patrick Smith and Mariah Woelfel explain. This episode was produced ...
04.03.2023 City Limits: Crime vibes Americans aren’t going downtown like they used to, and a lot of them say it’s because they don’t feel safe there. Today, Explained got the data to untangle crime facts from crime feelings. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, ...
03.31.2023 Florida man indicted Donald Trump is the first US president to be indicted. Now what? Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah and Amanda Lewellyn with help from Avishay Artsy. It was edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura ...
03.30.2023 The fake nation of Kailasa Newark officials rescinded a sister city agreement with the United States of Kailasa after finding out it wasn’t actually a real place. Reporter Sushmita Pathak explains how a fugitive cult leader from India created a fake nation that conned everyday ...
03.29.2023 How an AI pope pic fooled us An AI-generated image of Cool Pope in immaculate drip went viral over the weekend and most everyone thought it was real. The Verge’s James Vincent explains how we should navigate our new internet reality. This episode was produced by Amanda ...
03.28.2023 The Israeli-Israeli conflict Far-right judicial reforms have inspired what might be the largest protests in the history of Israel. If adopted, the reforms could spell the end of democracy in the world’s only majority-Jewish country. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited ...
03.27.2023 New Mexico low-key fixes child care The US has a child care crisis. But New Mexico just figured out a way to fix it (hint: they’re paying for it). This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by ...
03.24.2023 City Limits: Should public transit be free? Transit agencies nationwide are facing an existential crisis. Washington, DC’s city council has a paradoxical solution: make subways and buses free. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Robert ...

Older episodes

Today, Explained

What's Today, Explained about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Today, Explained episodes:

Hannah Gadsby and “Pablo-matic" Picasso

Ukraine’s counteroffensive

Target-ing Pride

The Kia Boyz are coming for your car

Hot and bothered

He's Ronning

A cancer vaccine?

How wellness killed Jenny Craig

The rehabilitation of Bashar al-Assad

Parking is a lot

Kevin McCarthy wants you to get a job

The most important election of 2023

The new border crisis

Can power plants go green?

How Zelda changed gaming

Covid is “over”

Trump loses sexual abuse lawsuit

Ed Sheeran and the “Blurred Lines” effect

The killing of Jordan Neely

Charles in charge

Get used to higher interest rates

Disney vs. DeSantis

The Supreme Court’s corruption crisis

Why parents are suing social media

Fake Drake

Can Title IX protect trans athletes?

The new war in Sudan

He’s running

The Adderall shortage

Cocaine hippos (and the case against pets)

Make it rain

What does the Fox pay?

Hollywood writers are ready to strike

The forever chemicals in your blood

The Discord leaks

Phantom ghosts Broadway

Why stuff isn’t getting cheaper

The new fight over abortion pills

Why Russia arrested an American reporter

Table for 10 billion, please

Uncle Sam really wants you

Should you carry Narcan?

City Limits: Blame the mayor

City Limits: Crime vibes

Florida man indicted

The fake nation of Kailasa

How an AI pope pic fooled us

The Israeli-Israeli conflict

New Mexico low-key fixes child care

City Limits: Should public transit be free?

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