China’s ambitious youth planned to cash in on their country’s meteoric rise on the world stage. Instead, many of these 20-somethings are disillusioned and “lying flat.” Economist Nancy Qian explains why.

With Lionel Messi, footy may have finally arrived in the United States. The Athletic’s Tom Bogert and Men in Blazers founder Roger Bennett explain how the Argentine superstar is transforming American soccer.

Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, the caterer-turned-warlord who recently attempted to overthrow Russia’s government, has apparently died in a plane crash. Puck's Julia Ioffe explains why it’s reasonable to suspect foul play.

Fox News desperately wants you to watch tonight’s Republican presidential debate. The Washington Post’s Erik Wemple explains why, and Vox’s Christian Paz has a primer.

President Biden can’t stop, won’t stop trying to forgive student debt, even as borrowers are shortly expected to resume payments. The Washington Post’s Danielle Douglas-Gabriel explains.

As Russians begin to experience Putin’s war firsthand, they are not reacting the way Westerners might expect. Journalist Masha Gessen and researcher Jade McGlynn explain why not.

Adelanto, California, was broke. Could legalizing marijuana cultivation offer a fix? Reporter David Weinberg’s podcast Dreamtown details how the path to salvation was marred by scandal, debt, and corruption.

The San Francisco Standard’s Liz Lindqwister reports from San Francisco, where people are flipping her off for hailing rides in robotaxis. The Verge’s Andrew Hawkins explains how long before one pulls up in front of you.

Oft-indicted former President Donald Trump is at it again. Stephen Fowler, host of Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Battleground: Ballot Box podcast, explains the paradox of the Fulton County charges.

Hawaii’s landscape has been rapidly changing for the last 200 years thanks to plantations, tourism, and climate change. A reporter and climatologist explain how those factors fueled one of the worst wildfires in US history.

The FDA’s approval of a new pill that treats postpartum depression could be yet another signal that we are living in a golden age of medicine.

Tostitos chips without real lime. Root beer made with fake vanilla. Instant mac and cheese that isn’t so instant. These products are among the hundreds targeted by lawyer Spencer Sheehan. We talked to him last year about why he wants Big Food to stop misrepresenting its products.

Today a federal judge hears arguments on whether New York City Mayor Eric Adams should be stripped of control of the jails on Rikers Island. Gothamist’s Matt Katz explains.

The Chinese apparel company Shein is a favorite of Gen Z shoppers and the latest frontier in US-China tensions. Vogue Business editor Hilary Milnes explains why Congress, designers, and worker advocates are all determined to take down the global fast fashion juggernaut.

Disney CEO Bob Iger says the company is looking for a “strategic partner” to invest in the massive sports network, which has been struggling in an era of cord-cutting. Peter Kafka explains what it could mean for fans.

When it comes to climate policy, President Biden has accomplished more than any of his predecessors. But activists want more: They want him to declare a climate emergency.

Private jets aren’t what they used to be. AOC is calling out Hollywood executives for having too many, and European nations are trying to ban them. People are even saying Taylor Swift’s the problem. But wait until you hear who’s really paying for them.

Semiconductors are used in just about every piece of technology. The US wants to limit what China can do with them. Alex W. Palmer explains the latest front in the fight for tech dominance.

The latest unprecedented is about January 6, but does the American public still care about January 6?

A much-dreaded recession doesn’t actually seem to be materializing. We called up some experts — economics reporters Tracy Alloway and Greg Ip, plus our boss, Vox CEO Jim Bankoff — to figure out what’s going on.

Some Muslim parents wanted their kids to opt out of reading schoolbooks with LGBTQ characters and themes. Today, Explained reporter Haleema Shah explains what happened when their fight went national.

A lot of our new hit music sounds just like our parents’ old hit music. Pitchfork’s Jayson Greene says you should blame publishing companies.

The Wall Street Journal’s John Jurgensen explains how Sound of Freedom, an action-drama about fighting child sex trafficking, beat Tom Cruise and Indiana Jones at the box office. Writer Meg Conley explains the murky truth behind the movie.

For decades, a delicate strategy of deterrence kept Russia and the US from nuclear war. With China upping its nuclear ambitions, things are about to get a lot more complicated.

We are used to thinking of artificial intelligence as knowledge generated by machines. The Verge’s Josh Dzieza pulls back the curtain on the vast network of human labor that powers AI.