Today, Explained

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.


Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

News
Daily News
Politics
26
The communist comeback
There's a new Red Scare bubbling up in politics. Just how real is the communist threat?
23 min
27
“It must suck to be young”
Young people used to vote reliably blue. But they're burnt out on politics as usual, which means their votes are up for grabs.
23 min
28
Weapons of mass infection
A new book imagines the chaos that could unfold if a biological weapon were released — either accidentally or on purpose.
23 min
29
Going broke on wellness
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
30
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
31
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
32
The culture wars turn deadly
The US is intentionally losing a fight against HIV that could be won.
23 min
33
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
34
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
35
The Trump-Saudi-Israel drama
The US and Saudi Arabia signed a nuclear deal but Israel hates it.
23 min
36
The perimenopause moment
Women’s health and hormones have been misunderstood by the medical establishment for decades. That’s changing.
26 min
37
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
38
America’s best hot dog
Chef José Andrés explains what makes the winning wiener. A DC hot dog vendor respectfully disagrees.
23 min
39
Our tick nightmare
Ticks are exponentially expanding their territory, using us for their next blood meal. We must fight back.
23 min
40
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
41
Defunding Israel
Democrats in Congress voted in shocking numbers to cut aid to Israel.
23 min
42
Trump's 2020 obsession
President Trump has a midterm message that Republicans hate and Democrats love.
23 min
43
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
44
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
45
Parasite (2026)
Cyclospora can cause explosive diarrhea that can last a month. But you don’t need to swear off vegetables.
23 min
46
Vance vs. Rubio 2028
The Republican front-runners for the 2028 presidential nomination represent two competing visions for post-Trump conservatism.
27 min
47
Anarchy in the UK
The UK is about to have its seventh prime minister in 10 years.
23 min
48
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
49
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
50
Tanning is back
Never mind skin cancer. Summer 2026 is all about tanmaxxing.
26 min