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 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
52
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
53
The Trump-Saudi-Israel drama
The US and Saudi Arabia signed a nuclear deal but Israel hates it.
23 min
54
The perimenopause moment
Women’s health and hormones have been misunderstood by the medical establishment for decades. That’s changing.
26 min
55
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
56
America’s best hot dog
Chef José Andrés explains what makes the winning wiener. A DC hot dog vendor respectfully disagrees.
23 min
57
Our tick nightmare
Ticks are exponentially expanding their territory, using us for their next blood meal. We must fight back.
23 min
58
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
59
Defunding Israel
Democrats in Congress voted in shocking numbers to cut aid to Israel.
23 min
60
Trump's 2020 obsession
President Trump has a midterm message that Republicans hate and Democrats love.
23 min
61
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
62
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
63
Parasite (2026)
Cyclospora can cause explosive diarrhea that can last a month. But you don’t need to swear off vegetables.
23 min
64
Vance vs. Rubio 2028
The Republican front-runners for the 2028 presidential nomination represent two competing visions for post-Trump conservatism.
27 min
65
Anarchy in the UK
The UK is about to have its seventh prime minister in 10 years.
23 min
66
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
67
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
68
Tanning is back
Never mind skin cancer. Summer 2026 is all about tanmaxxing.
26 min
69
Kamala, 2028
The former vice president’s loyal base seems ready for another go, but Democratic donors are wary.
26 min
70
Love Island or Lust Island?
Love Island has some lessons to teach us about modern dating.
22 min
71
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.
23 min
72
Smart glasses are officially here
There's a race to get smart glasses on your face. But privacy and security concerns are freaking people out.
23 min
73
A white, male military
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been blocking military promotions — especially if you're a woman, Black, or perceived as disloyal.
23 min
74
Trump’s secret war
America's longest ongoing conflict isn't with Iran. It's in Somalia. But almost no one is talking about it.
23 min
75
The socialists are coming!
The Democratic Socialists of America is seeing a surge of enthusiasm for its candidates around the country.