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
76
Still hot and bothered
Earlier this year the FDA approved a game-changing drug to treat hot flashes, a symptom of menopause. But menopause is much more than just hot flashes, as health writer Jancee Dunn explains. We talked to her in May about why a transition that happens to half the world’s population still feels like a mystery.
23 min
77
They paved paradise
In our quest to accommodate parked cars, we’ve paved over downtowns, polluted the planet, and made it damn near impossible to get anywhere without driving. In May we talked to Slate’s Henry Grabar, who explained Big Parking — and how electric cars might offer an opportunity to finally try something new.
23 min
78
How Palestine went global
People with no direct connection to the Middle East have taken to seeing the Palestinian cause as an anti-colonial struggle connected to their own experience. Columbia historian Rashid Khalidi explains why “decolonization” is resonating worldwide.
23 min
79
The Golden Bachelor was actually good
72-year-old Gerry Turner has handed out his final rose on ABC’s The Golden Bachelor. In a season full of gendered tropes about love and marriage (like most of the Bachelor franchise), it also brought the audience a new and earnest appreciation for love after 60.
23 min
80
Kissinger’s long goodbye
Noted American diplomat and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is revered by few, reviled by many, and now he’s dead. Vox’s Jonathan Guyer explains why the world was fixated on him for decades after he left the White House.
23 min
81
The American politics of Israel
The Israel-Hamas war is dividing the previously united Democrats and uniting the recently fractured Republican party. Semafor’s David Weigel explains what that means going into 2024.
23 min
82
Taking Tuesday
Package theft is on the rise, and it affects everyone, from the retailer, to shippers, to consumers. So maybe it’s time to take a cue from Gen Z and go back to the mall.
23 min
83
The hostage deal (brought to you by Qatar)
After 50 days of the Israel-Hamas war, both sides took a breather to save lives. And it couldn’t have happened without Qatar.
23 min
84
Chaos at OpenAI
It’s been a wild few days at OpenAI, whose board fired CEO Sam Altman on Friday only to rehire him late Tuesday. Vox reporter Sigal Samuel explains what happened at the company behind ChatGPT — and what it tells us about the future of AI.
23 min
85
How Cassie sued Diddy
Sean "Diddy" Combs is the latest high-profile figure to be accused of sexual assault under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, a law that expires this week.
22 min
86
Inside the occupied West Bank
With the world focused on Gaza, Israeli settlers and soldiers are increasing attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Writer Nathan Thrall and journalist Dalia Hatuqa explain the decades of tension that shape life in the West Bank.
23 min
87
F1: Gears and Loathing in Las Vegas
Formula 1 spent half a billion dollars to return to Las Vegas. Jalopnik’s Elizabeth Blackstock explains how a lackluster season and this weekend’s nothingburger race threaten F1's American dreams.
23 min
88
Speaker Johnson’s first test
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, infamous election denier, moved to the middle to make a budget deal with Democrats. But he promised the real fight is still to come.
25 min
89
Who can fix 150% inflation?
That’s what voters are trying to figure out as they prepare for this weekend’s runoff election between Peronist insider Sergio Massa and unorthodox economist Javier Milei. The Economist’s Ana Lankes previews Argentina’s unusual presidential contest.
23 min
90
A call from Gaza
People are desperately trying to escape Gaza as the siege on the strip continues. Mohammed Ghalaieny, a Palestinian British man, tells us why he is choosing to stay, even as other foreign nationals escape through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
23 min
91
China’s soft (and fluffy) power
Panda diplomacy couldn’t fix the US and China’s tense relationship. Perhaps a meeting between Presidents Biden and Xi can bring back that fuzzy feeling. Ian Johnson of the Council on Foreign Relations and Panda Nation author E. Elena Songster explain.
23 min
92
A scam cost me $31k and a pool
Writer Devin Friedman has wanted a pool since he was a kid. As an adult, he saved tens of thousands of dollars to install one, but nothing went as planned. He hopes you can learn something from his story.
23 min
93
Adjust the tip
Tipping’s getting even more complicated thanks to a DoorDash change that will prioritize diners who tip over diners who don’t. The Verge’s Andrew Hawkins and Cornell professor Michael Lynn explain tipping’s tipping point.
22 min
94
Ceasefire?
Protesters, politicians, and the pope are calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, but the US and Israeli governments remain opposed. Vox’s Jonathan Guyer and Jon B. Alterman from the Center for Strategic and International Studies explain what happens next.
23 min
95
There’s Something About Romney
On his way out of the United States Senate, Mitt Romney gave one reporter unprecedented access to his emails, texts, and journals. McKay Coppins, author of Romney: A Reckoning, explains why.
26 min
96
Should domestic abusers lose gun rights?
The Supreme Court will decide if Zackey Rahimi, a man accused of domestic violence and involved in at least five shootings, still has a constitutional right to bear arms. KERA reporter Caroline Love and law professor Eric Ruben explain.
23 min
97
Is DEI DOA?
The lawyer behind the Supreme Court case that overturned affirmative action in university admissions has a new target: a small venture capital firm that gives money to Black women founders. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Mirtha Donastorg and TechCrunch’s Dominic-Madori Davis explain how it’s part of a broader backlash to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
23 min
98
The view from Israel
Israelis overwhelmingly disapprove of their government’s handling of the October 7 attacks, but their desire for unity keeps Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in power. Michael Koplow of the Israel Policy Forum explains what Israel’s government should do next, and Professor Noah Efron of Bar-Ilan University describes the mood among Israelis.
24 min
99
The law that broke immigration
Supporters of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act pledged it wouldn’t radically change immigration. David Leonhardt, author of Ours Was the Shining Future, explains how it instead led to what might be the largest wave of immigration in human history.
23 min
100
Pope friction
The Pope, his bishops, and some women walk into the Vatican. The National Catholic Reporter’s Joshua McElwee explains what happens next.
23 min