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.
Leaders of the United Methodist Church, one of the largest Christian denominations in the US, gathered in North Carolina to hash out a disagreement that’s dividing the church. Today, Explained’s Laura Bullard and church historian Ashley Boggan Dreff explain what the Methodist split tells us about America.
25 min
102
The real victims of Baby Reindeer
The Netflix show Baby Reindeer is a hit. It's been viewed 56 million times. The writer claims it's a true story. Others call it slanderous fiction. The Ringer's Meecham Whitson Meriweather and Vox culture editor Meredith Haggerty on what we know for certain.
23 min
103
Biden’s breaking point on Gaza
President Joe Biden says the US won’t supply further weapons if Israel is going to use them in Rafah. Axios reporter Barak Ravid explains what that means for the war.
22 min
104
Kendrick, Drake, and the last great rap beef
The best rapper in the world is beefing with the biggest rapper in the world. The Ringer’s Charles Holmes explains what their feud says about the state of hip-hop.
24 min
105
Israel, Gaza, and Eurovision
The pop music competition is facing boycott calls over Israel’s participation. Switched on Pop’s Charlie Harding and historian Tess Megginson explain why the apolitical event keeps getting political.
23 min
106
Is divesting from Israel possible?
Yes, but it’s hard. Inside Higher Ed’s Josh Moody and UC Merced’s Charlie Eaton explain.
23 min
107
The tourist tax
Venice is drowning in tourists. A new fee for day-trippers is the latest tool aimed at keeping overtourism at bay.
24 min
108
Paramount’s looking for a deal they can’t refuse
Media behemoth Paramount Global is struggling. Stock prices are down. The CEO was just ousted. And the head of this family business is ready to cash out. Puck’s Matthew Belloni explains what comes next.
23 min
109
One Flu Over The Cowcow’s Nest
Avian flu, which recently leapt from chickens to cows, has now been detected in milk. Vox’s Keren Landman and Kenny Torrella explain how worried humans should be about the outbreak.
23 min
110
North America’s biggest city is running out of ...
Officials say “Day Zero” is imminent in Mexico City. A walk through the city reveals the historical roots of the water crisis, its present-day challenges, and the potential solutions.
23 min
111
The failed promise of egg freezing
Egg freezing was once hailed as a reproductive game changer, but as Vox's Anna North reports, it might not live up to the hype.
23 min
112
Honey, We Saved the Bees
Millions of bees died because of colony collapse disorder over the past few decades, but America’s honeybee population has now rocketed to an all-time high. The Washington Post's Andrew Van Dam explains how.
23 min
113
The TikTok “ban” is law
President Joe Biden signed into law a bill that would ban the app unless it’s sold to an American company. Vox’s Christian Paz explains.
22 min
114
Columbia’s free-speech fight
Daily Spectator news editor Sarah Huddleston reports on the protests at her university. AAUP President Irene Mulvey explains the stakes for campus free speech.
23 min
115
Florida man wants immunity
You can beat the heat if you beat the charges too. Vox’s Ian Millhiser previews the Donald Trump immunity case going before the Supreme Court this week, and lawyer Jeffrey Green explains Trump’s role in a related case involving January 6 defendants.
23 min
116
Just in: Trudeau’s plan to fight populism
Canadian-American podcast host Sean Rameswaram goes one-on-one with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to find out how he might win over Gen Zed.
25 min
117
Feeling Bluey
Bluey delights children and reduces their grown-ups to tears. But the latest episode has fans young and old wondering whether the ride is coming to an end. Vulture’s Kathryn VanArendonk speculates.
25 min
118
The great American squatter panic
Politicians and conservative news outlets say there’s an epidemic of people moving into a stranger’s house and refusing to leave. Curbed’s Bridget Read and Semafor’s David Weigel explain what’s actually happening.
23 min
119
How car ownership got so expensive
Drivers are increasingly paying sticker price or more for a new car. Then there are sky-high insurance rates and mortgage-level car payments. Vox’s Marin Cogan explains how we got here.
23 min
120
Florida man’s first criminal trial begins
The first of former President Donald Trump's four criminal trials began this week. Vox's Andrew Prokop explains what's at stake, and Vox's Abdallah Fayyad explains how he might (or might not) pay the mounting legal bills.
23 min
121
Why Iran attacked Israel
The Economist’s Gregg Carlstrom explains. Jerusalem-based journalist Noga Tarnopolsky explores whether the unprecedented attack hurts or helps Benjamin Netanyahu.
23 min
122
America at war, now in theaters
The new movie Civil War delivers a sensational story about political polarization spilling into mass violence. If that seems reckless, it’s what apocalyptic films have done forever. The LA Times’s Mark Olsen and Northeastern University’s Nathan Blake explain.
23 min
123
Speaker Johnson's next test
Congress is back in session and the House speakership is once again on the line. The New Yorker’s David Kirkpatrick explains how Mike Johnson got the gavel and whether he’ll be able to keep it.
23 min
124
Prosecuting parents
The Oxford, Michigan, school shooter's parents will serve up to 15 years in prison. Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first parents held criminally liable for a mass school shooting in the US, but they likely won't be the last.
23 min
125
The man with a pig kidney
A pig’s kidney was just transplanted into a human. But Vox’s Dylan Matthews says we shouldn't need the pigs.