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 Supreme Court has a long history of taking on cases about porn, including one they decided on Friday. Vox's Ian Millhiser explains how that history of First Amendment rulings once meant the justices had to watch porn in a basement.
23 min
53
Can we ever know our dogs?
So many of us believe we understand what our pets are feeling. Are we fooling ourselves?
27 min
54
Swole Girl Summer
Weightlifting is the fastest growing sport among women. It's challenging how we think about who is allowed to be strong and what fitness really means.
23 min
55
Wars have rules
The legal architecture that would define and prosecute what’s happening in Gaza is failing. Reporter Suzy Hansen explains how 80 years of international humanitarian law is being tested. And professor Omer Bartov thought calling Israel's offensive in Gaza a genocide immediately after the October 7 attacks was inaccurate. He’s changed his mind.
23 min
56
Burrito now, pay later
Americans are turning to "buy now, pay later" apps for purchases as small as a burrito—it’s a symptom of a larger national addiction to debt.
23 min
57
Elon Musk presents: Taxis
Elon Musk and Tesla launched their long-delayed robotaxi service this weekend in Texas. The Verge's Andrew Hawkins explains why so much is riding on its success.
23 min
58
America First (unless Iran...)
Vox's Josh Keating and author Vali Nasr explain what bombing Iran won’t accomplish.
23 min
59
Sleepaway camp's nostalgia economy
Unpacking the American rite of passage that so many children love — but that isn't right for everyone.
27 min
60
Elon’s Boring town
23 min
61
Five boroughs. One mayor. Mad drama.
23 min
62
Iran, Israel, and Trump
23 min
63
America the extreme
22 min
64
Let's fight over bike lanes
A caller asks why it's so hard to make biking safe in LA. We bike around different US cities to get the answer.
27 min
65
The big business of small streamers
23 min
66
Palantir has your info
The Trump administration wants to merge all of our data across government agencies. And it's asked a controversial company to help.
23 min
67
Elon and Trump need space
Vox’s Joshua Keating explains why the US government can’t have a big, beautiful breakup with Elon Musk. And now that he’s left DOGE, Elaine Kamarck from Brookings explains what happens to it.
25 min
68
Trump's other big breakup
President Trump recently blew up his alliance with the conservative legal group that helped him remake the judiciary. But the group’s leader is already moving on.
23 min
69
Fire and ICE in Los Angeles
President Trump sent in the National Guard to quell protests caused by ICE raids. LA Times reporter Rachel Uranga covered the chaos, which Mark Krikorian from the Center for Immigration Studies defends.
23 min
70
The recession indicator game
Press-on nails, new music from Katy Perry, and an uptick in Klarna purchases: signs of an economic downturn or no?
27 min
71
AI Video Killed the Video Star
23 min
72
Baby’s first gene edit
For the first time ever, experimental gene editing technology has been used to treat a baby with a fatal condition. Just don’t mess with the embryos.
23 min
73
Black schools, red states
A supporter of President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis was just appointed to lead the historically Black college Florida A&M University. Students and alumni are not happy. WFSU's Lynn Hatter and Tuskegee University's President Mark Brown explain how Black colleges are currently navigating red states.
23 min
74
Donald Trump's "Golden Dome"
23 min
75
The white gold rush
The US has enormous deposits of critical minerals like lithium right here at home. So why are we looking at mining the ocean floor and asteroids?