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 pandemic hasn’t stopped Americans from dating, hooking up, or tying the knot. In fact, lockdown has been helping people get down.
21 min
1052
What was Putin the tea?
A chief political rival of Vladimir Putin has been poisoned in what Foreign Policy’s Amy MacKinnon says is a watershed moment for Russia.
18 min
1053
The truth about herd immunity
Some people think it’s the only way out of the pandemic. Those people are very wrong.
17 min
1054
A Fake News Survival Guide
As the election draws near, of fake news you must steer clear. For you (and your uncle), this episode is here.
20 min
1055
The movies are back*
*But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should go see one.
25 min
1056
Is the stock market bull?
Vox’s Emily Stewart clears up the mystery of the market, and Ella Nilsen offers an update on the stimulus that has collapsed into stalemate.
18 min
1057
Let’s talk about ventilation
Ventilation is key to reopening office buildings safely. But The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson says many workers aren’t going back, even when it’s safer.
22 min
1058
Is Facebook ready for the election?
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the company made an “operational mistake” in its handling of Kenosha militia groups. The Verge’s Casey Newton explains whether that has implications for November’s election.
21 min
1059
Wakanda forever
The actor Chadwick Boseman died of cancer on Friday, but because of Black Panther he’ll live forever.
17 min
1060
The Island of Explained: A Summer of Protest
All summer long, we have been explaining complex news stories to kids. In our final summer camp journey to the Island of Explained, we tackle the fight for racial justice in the United States.
24 min
1061
Unconventional (Part II)
The GOP proved that laws were made to be broken at its 2020 convention.
24 min
1062
Kenosha
Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times by police and the protests escalated all the way to the NBA. Gina Barton, investigative reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, explains.
19 min
1063
Optimism in 2020
Being an optimist can seem ridiculous right now, but in the inaugural episode of The Cut podcast, host Avery Trufelman is searching for some well-grounded positivity. She finds it in conversation with Cheer’s La’Darius Marshall.
29 min
1064
Plasmania
Covid’s hottest new treatment is plasma. Vox’s Umair Irfan explains why, and where the world stands on a vaccine.
19 min
1065
What is QAnon?
As the Republican National Convention gets underway, a bonkers (and dangerous) conspiracy theory is gaining a foothold inside the GOP. President Trump appears to be okay with it.
19 min
1066
Unconventional
The Democrats proved a virtual convention doesn't have to be a downer. Especially when Rhode Island brings calamari.
21 min
1067
Who polices the police?
ProPublica's Eric Umansky explains how the New York Police Department's Civilian Complaint Review Board has struggled for decades to hold the NYPD to account.
26 min
1068
Class is in quarantine
Schools in the US are reopening even though kids play a key role in community transmission of Covid-19. Georgia Public Broadcasting reporter Ellen Eldridge explains how going back to school in her state became a national controversy.
23 min
1069
A woman’s place is at the polls
The 19th Amendment’s centenary is today, but the fight for universal suffrage in the United States continues.
22 min
1070
The mail, man
The House of Representatives is cutting its vacation short to block changes at the United States Postal Service that could affect the integrity and outcome of the election. Rep. Gerry Connolly explains why he's going a step further and calling for the postmaster general to resign.
20 min
1071
The Island of Explained: Escape from Boredom
After hearing from kids around the world who are grappling with serious boredom, Noam Hassenfeld and Byrd Pinkerton venture deep into the belly of a whale to learn how to have fun in quarantine.
20 min
1072
Well, this is awkward
The coronavirus is complicating our relationships with family, friends, and strangers. But it’s also making us better at life??
20 min
1073
2020 makes no census
The 2020 census is fighting a losing battle against the coronavirus and President Trump. NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang explains how a decade of money and power are at stake.
21 min
1074
Kamala
Biden picked Harris. Vox’s Fabiola Cineas explains the role race is already playing in the election, and Ezra Klein argues Donald Trump is making things easy for his opponents.
18 min
1075
The dictator vs. the homemaker
The longtime leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, is facing nationwide protests and accusations that he stole Sunday’s election. His opponent, a 37-year-old homemaker who entered the race in place of her imprisoned husband, has fled the country.