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 Epstein files are giving new life to the Pizzagate conspiracy theory. American political culture has long been built on conspiracy theorizing.
23 min
27
A toymaker who got tariffed
And then sued the president, and won.
24 min
28
The authoritarian hangover
Beating an authoritarian regime at the ballot box is hard, but rolling back its changes is harder. Just look at Poland.
23 min
29
One Battle for Democracy After Another
For nearly 10 years, Poland's authoritarian government chipped away at the country's freedoms. Here's how Poles mobilized to get their democracy back before it was too late.
23 min
30
Make credit cards work for you
America runs on credit. Those plastic cards we carry around can get us into big trouble — or score us free vacations.
26 min
31
How Epstein fooled America
Jeffrey Epstein remained a thriving member of the elite for decades, even when everyone seemed to know what he was doing.
24 min
32
A concert? In this economy?
A thousand bucks to see Harry Styles. Who’s to blame for high concert ticket prices, and why some artists are ditching the tour bus altogether.
23 min
33
Sex, lies, and Kristi Noem
The DHS secretary and her work husband who have been tormenting America.
24 min
34
The darkness behind looksmaxxing
When streamer Clavicular bashes his face with a hammer or does meth to stay skinny, it's not just himself he's hurting.
23 min
35
How Trump-style authoritarians lose
Lessons from the defeat of the "Trump of the Tropics."
23 min
36
Packing in protein
Protein in your soda. Protein in your cereal. Protein in your bread. In this rerun from last year, we explain how protein got added into so much of what we eat and drink.
23 min
37
No one will save us but ourselves
When crises hit, neighbors turn to mutual aid.
26 min
38
The billionaire governor taking on Trump
JB Pritzker of Illinois has a playbook for fighting back against the Trump administration — and he says it's working.
22 min
39
Skinny and sad on GLP-1s
GLP-1 drugs are easier than ever to get. But losing weight might also mean losing your personality.
23 min
40
How deportation broke the courts
The number of immigration cases has risen sharply since President Donald Trump took office, and DOJ lawyers are crashing out.
23 min
41
When Border Patrol comes to town
Donald Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportations helped him win. But the reality of enforcement is hitting people hard. Even in red states.
23 min
42
AI is gossiping about you
On Moltbook, AI agents yap about their creators, trade coding tips, and wonder about the meaning of life and memory. Should we be concerned?
23 min
43
The Art of the Steal
President Trump has a track record of election interference. And now he's threatening to nationalize or even cancel the midterm elections.
23 min
44
Living in a winter bummerland
The days are shorter and colder, and can leave us feeling listless and drained of energy. When do the winter blues tip over into seasonal affective disorder, and how do we make the most of the season?
27 min
45
Jasmine Crockett isn’t backing down
Rep. Jasmine Crockett wants you to know she comes by her controversies and clap-backs honestly.
25 min
46
Bad Bunny keeps winning
23 min
47
The Epstein fallout
Millions of new documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation have been released, and it doesn't look good for the world's rich and powerful.
23 min
48
Trouble at TikTok
TikTok has new owners in the US. With claims of censorship, widespread outages, and possible algorithm changes on the way, the reboot has been rocky so far.
23 min
49
What Melania reveals
As a first lady, Melania Trump has kept a low profile. Until now.
23 min
50
The healthiest president of all time
President Donald Trump will be 80 this year. He says worries about his age and health are unfounded. But the evidence is mixed, and Americans are suspicious after President Joe Biden said the same thing.