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.
Americans spend billions on healthcare products, from green powders and cold plunges to costly gym memberships. Last summer we asked: what good do they do?
27 min
27
Fantasy draft: 2028 presidential race
Journalists Astead Herndon, Don Lemon, and Kara Swisher hold a fantasy draft to find out who has the best shot at becoming president in 2028.
40 min
28
Dad, where’s my inheritance?
When boomers die, they’ll leave trillions to their adult children. Some of those kids say they should get that money now.
23 min
29
The culture wars turn deadly
The US is intentionally losing a fight against HIV that could be won.
23 min
30
The scandal undoing the ICC
The International Criminal Court has a lot on its hands. The chief prosecutor was ousted over abuse allegations, the Trump administration is on the warpath, and Netanyahu and Mamdani are fighting over an arrest warrant.
25 min
31
AI just went rogue
OpenAI recently briefly lost control of an AI agent during a contained security test. After years of warnings, AI is now outsmarting its masters.
23 min
32
The Trump-Saudi-Israel drama
The US and Saudi Arabia signed a nuclear deal but Israel hates it.
23 min
33
The perimenopause moment
Women’s health and hormones have been misunderstood by the medical establishment for decades. That’s changing.
26 min
34
The Boomer politicians who won't retire
Democratic Congressman James Clyburn turned 86 years old this week. He has no plans to retire.
33 min
35
America’s best hot dog
Chef José Andrés explains what makes the winning wiener. A DC hot dog vendor respectfully disagrees.
23 min
36
Our tick nightmare
Ticks are exponentially expanding their territory, using us for their next blood meal. We must fight back.
23 min
37
The truth about Iran
The on-again, off-again war is on again. But we still don't know the point of it all or how it will end.
23 min
38
Defunding Israel
Democrats in Congress voted in shocking numbers to cut aid to Israel.
23 min
39
Trump's 2020 obsession
President Trump has a midterm message that Republicans hate and Democrats love.
23 min
40
What's in a name?
Jalen and Olivia and Liam and Ailany. We look at what makes a name top the popularity charts.
26 min
41
Progressives take on the Rust Belt
First there was New York, then Colorado. But can a progressive candidate win in the Rust Belt?
29 min
42
Parasite (2026)
Cyclospora can cause explosive diarrhea that can last a month. But you don’t need to swear off vegetables.
23 min
43
Vance vs. Rubio 2028
The Republican front-runners for the 2028 presidential nomination represent two competing visions for post-Trump conservatism.
27 min
44
Anarchy in the UK
The UK is about to have its seventh prime minister in 10 years.
23 min
45
The Mitch McConnell mystery
You'd probably get fired for not showing up to work for a month — unless you're a member of Congress.
23 min
46
ICE kills again
The new guy overseeing ICE was supposed to dial back the shock and awe. But in Houston, another person was just shot and killed by an ICE agent.
23 min
47
Tanning is back
Never mind skin cancer. Summer 2026 is all about tanmaxxing.
26 min
48
Kamala, 2028
The former vice president’s loyal base seems ready for another go, but Democratic donors are wary.
26 min
49
Love Island or Lust Island?
Love Island has some lessons to teach us about modern dating.
22 min
50
Pope Leo excommunicates
The recent excommunication of a conservative Catholic group and a sharp stance on AI means that Pope Leo XIV is dealing with the same problems as the rest of us.