House Republicans are refusing to raise the US debt ceiling without huge concessions. Vox’s Dylan Matthews explains why we have a debt ceiling to begin with (and how President Biden could bypass it).

No, the government isn’t coming for your gas stove. Vox’s Rebecca Leber explains why you might want to switch anyway.

Remember you are dirt and to dirt you shall return. Science journalist Eleanor Cummins and law professor Tanya Marsh explain the rise of human composting, now legal in six states, as an alternative to burial or cremation.

What do a Delaware garage and a Florida palace have in common? We dig into Joe Biden’s classified document mess.

Rain is good for California, but the state was not prepared for what might be a megastorm. KQED’s Dan Brekke assesses the damage from the San Francisco Bay Area and the Pacific Institute’s Peter Gleick explains how we can be better prepared for future storms.

When the Taliban took power, it promised a place for women in its new Afghanistan. Now, hardliners are embracing policies that do the opposite.

Except it was on January 8. The Brazilian Report’s Gustavo Ribeiro explains from São Paulo.

Controversial manfluencer Andrew Tate is in a Romanian prison, accused of rape and human trafficking. Vox’s Rebecca Jennings and sociolinguist Robert Lawson explain why his brand of grotesque misogyny appeals to millions of men.

The 118th Congress has begun with a showdown over who will be elected House speaker. Vox’s Andrew Prokop argues that this is the culmination of a decade-long trend of stonewalling in Congress.

Ray Osheroff was a successful doctor in the DC area until his depression became debilitating. The way he was treated — and not treated — changed psychiatry. Rachel Aviv tells the surprising story of the rise of psychiatric medication.

George Santos is supposed to become a member of Congress this week. We still have no idea who he is.

Happy New Year! Maybe you’re interested in trying new things? Sean and his mom are. In today’s episode, they drive to Alameda, California to try “hybrid meat” — a mixture of lab-grown meat and veggie meat substitute that could deliver a more sustainable (but still meaty) future.

Before Roe v. Wade, Eleanor Oliver was a Jane: a member of a group in Chicago that helped women get safe but illegal abortions. Sean Rameswaram sat down with her on the day Roe was overturned.

A lot of IRL violence starts with online radicalization. We revisit our conversation with writer and parent Joanna Schroeder, who wrote a guide for parents about what to look out for and how to intervene.

Vladimir Putin believes Ukraine belongs to Russia, and he used that a pretense to invade. In an episode originally released in February, historian Timothy Snyder explains why Putin is wrong.

Pickleball is bringing America together. Pickleball is tearing America apart. Sports Illustrated’s John Walters explains.

It’s sooo 2016, but the word still mattered a lot in 2022. Merriam-Webster explains.

The January 6 committee sent the Justice Department four criminal referrals against the former president, who it alleges engaged in an elaborate criminal conspiracy to remain in office after his 2020 defeat. Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains what happens next.

Movie trailers are misleading audiences. Vox’s Alissa Wilkinson says you should stop watching them.

Maybe not, but you’re going to be hearing about them for a while anyway. Republicans are saying they’ll use them to investigate the Biden administration.

Megan Thee Stallion is everywhere, including in court trying to convince the world she was shot by the rapper Tory Lanez. Vox’s Fabiola Cineas and Northwestern University professor Moya Bailey explain why so many are struggling to see Thee Stallion as a victim.

Tensions are simmering in London as climate protesters turn up the heat on their soup-flinging activism. Rishi Sunak’s government is attempting to keep the situation from boiling over.

Between chatbots and image generators, artificial intelligence has gotten scary good lately. The Verge’s James Vincent explains what’s behind the latest wave of AI-powered creations.

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, who wants Big Food to stop misrepresenting its products.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin managed to rally bipartisan support for a marriage equality bill, but she’s the first to admit the legislation is “humble.” An activist wonders if there’s an overemphasis on the institution of marriage.