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.
The pro-natalism movement argues that people need to have more babies. Some want to prevent economic implosion, others want to protect traditional family values. And some of the loudest voices in the movement are now in the White House.
22 min
28
The 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 actually gang members at all.
23 min
29
Silencing 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.
23 min
30
An 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.
22 min
31
Did 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?
27 min
32
What 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 fighting back against mindless consumption by doing...nothing.
23 min
33
The 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 dismantled.
26 min
34
Deporting 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 a Palestinian activist and leader of the Columbia student protests.
22 min
35
Teslump
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, he may not have to.
23 min
36
A 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 2028.
25 min
37
Why 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.
26 min
38
Whey 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 our modern protein boom.
24 min
39
The Zizian "death cult"
Journalist Max Read explains how a bunch of Silicon Valley computer scientists spun into a cult accused of killings.
25 min
40
Serving 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.
23 min
41
Breaking 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.
23 min
42
The 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.
23 min
43
The 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.
23 min
44
Is flying still safe?
Recent airplane crashes and near misses have everyone freaked out, just as DOGE is laying off workers at the agency charged with keeping people safe in the air.
23 min
45
Eggs aren't expensive enough
At least if we want to stop the next pandemic. Vox's Kenny Torrella explains.
24 min
46
Quid pro bros
First, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and President Donald Trump struck up an unlikely friendship. Then, the Trump administration ordered prosecutors to sidestep DOJ norms and drop corruption charges against Adams so that he could focus on cracking down on immigration.
23 min
47
Germany's rightward march
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party won its best ever results this weekend. We hear why an anti-immigrant, fascist-curious party is surging in the land that gave birth to Nazism.
23 min
48
Sugar daddies and mommies
Boomers are the wealthiest generation ever. And they're funneling trillions to their adult children for down payments, school tuition, even monthly allowances. The Great Wealth Transfer is upon us.
24 min
49
Vatever you vant, Vladimir
Kremlin defender Tulsi Gabbard is the US’s new spy chief, while the US and Russia are holding peace talks without European and Ukrainian officials at the table. The vibe has officially shifted.
23 min
50
Breaking the internet
The Trump administration’s effort to purge government websites is accelerating digital decay. It’s a trend that imperils our record of ourselves.