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.
President Donald Trump pardoned Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht and launched his own memecoin, signaling a new attitude toward cryptocurrency in his second term.
24 min
52
From TikTok to 小红书
TikTok's uncertain future has driven a flood of users to a fully Chinese social media app full of opportunities for genuine cultural exchange. And it's given fresh fodder for proponents of a decentralized social media ecosystem known as the fediverse.
23 min
53
It’s not easy being Greenland
Donald Trump says he wants Greenland for America. Greenlandic government minister Naaja Nathanielsen says the country's not for sale but it's open for business.
23 min
54
Cafeteria wars
RFK Jr. is the latest in a long line of reformers who have tried to clean up school lunch. The history of those attempts illustrates how hard it is to change the American food system.
23 min
55
Back in (executive) action
Trump kicked off his second term with a flurry of executive actions. Vox’s Andrew Prokop and Nicole Narea explain.
23 min
56
47
The New Yorker’s Susan B. Glasser says Donald Trump’s second inauguration is very different from his first. Vox’s Ian Millhiser explains how the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity has changed executive power.
24 min
57
Generation Gentle Parent
Many millennials are pushing back against traditional parenting styles used by their boomer parents. We explore the confusion and chaos in today's parenting with a mom and her mom.
23 min
58
Zuck your feelings
Meta is going MAGA. New York magazine’s John Herrman explains Mark Zuckerberg’s makeover. Writer Ben Wofford introduces Meta’s policy puppet master.
24 min
59
Life after Ozempic
Americans were told “diet and exercise” was the key to better health, but lifestyle changes were never that life changing. Medication is.
23 min
60
The politics of fire
Wildfires overtook Los Angeles, firefighters ran out of water, and the political finger-pointing began.
23 min
61
The Good, the Bad, and the Biden
Biden’s lack of leadership and priorities means he will leave office without any real lasting policy achievements, says Vox's Dylan Matthews.
23 min
62
Beige, don't kill my vibe
Two Amazon influencers are in a legal battle over whether or not one has appropriated the other’s aesthetic. The Verge’s Mia Sato breaks down the claims, and legal intellectual property expert Alexandra Roberts tells us what the lawsuit could mean for the future of content creation.
23 min
63
TikTok on the dock(et)
The TikTok ban lands at the Supreme Court on Friday. Turns out ByteDance is far from the only Chinese company in the US government’s crosshairs.
23 min
64
Seoul searching
South Korean lawmakers impeached not only their martial-law-declaring president but also the guy who stepped up to replace him. The Wall Street Journal's Korea bureau chief Timothy Martin explains the political K-drama.
23 min
65
MAGA meltdown
MAGA is fighting over immigration. Vox’s Andrew Prokop tells us what happened, and the Wall Street Journal’s Tim Higgins explains why it isn’t the first time Elon Musk has split the party — and won’t be the last.
23 min
66
"Happy Sixthmas"
January 6 is always a big day in the DC jail where many alleged insurrectionists are awaiting trial and sentencing. It's even bigger this year, with "Patriot Wing" inmates preparing for a promised pardon from incoming President Trump.
23 min
67
Canadian bakin’
More Americans are now daily weed smokers than daily drinkers. To better understand this public health experiment, we turn to Canada, which has federally legalized marijuana.
23 min
68
Elon's company town
The world's richest man is developing a company town outside Austin, Texas. Like the industrialists who came before him, Elon Musk may learn it’s hard to create (and sustain) a utopia.
23 min
69
When Carter called out America
In 1979, Jimmy Carter delivered his “Crisis of Confidence” speech, a tirade against American individualism and consumerism. Historian Kevin Mattson says the speech helps make sense of Carter the president, Carter the American, and even the state of the US today.
23 min
70
Almost Heaven
The appeal of "Country Roads" extends far beyond West Virginia or even the United States. We're revisiting an episode from this summer that examines the global popularity of the John Denver classic.
27 min
71
Our trillion-dollar credit card bill
Christmas is over and now comes the financial hangover. In an episode from earlier this year, guest host Jonquilyn Hill looks into the root causes of America's record-high credit card debt.
23 min
72
The case against legal sports betting
Sports betting is a costly mistake, says addiction researcher Charles Fain Lehman. He and NBA great Danny Green discuss how it's changed sports for the worse, and whether there's a way to fix it.
23 min
73
One year of Sphere
The Las Vegas Sphere was supposed to be the future of live entertainment. But just over a year into its run, New York Post writer Josh Kosman explains why the math ain’t mathin’.
25 min
74
The price of paying college athletes
Name and likeness rights are fundamentally changing college sports at a rapid pace. SB Nation’s JP Acosta and sports commentator Pablo Torre explain.
22 min
75
Can Trump get a Gaza ceasefire?
He'd love to take credit for a deal, although Israel and Hamas are still deadlocked. But Amir Tibon of Haaretz and Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations say peace may be closer than ever.