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
1226
Iowhaaaaat?!
Iowa caucuses? More like caucus chaos. Or a raucous caucus. Or an Iowasca trip. Somebody's got some explaining to do.
19 min
1227
Whyowa?
Iowa gets to take the first swing at nominating the Democratic presidential candidate today. But why?
19 min
1228
The invisible border
After nearly four years of acrimony, Britain finally Brexits tonight. But it risks plunging Northern Ireland back into a living nightmare.
26 min
1229
Let’s talk about how to talk about Kobe
Kobe Bryant’s death stunned the world. Then people started arguing.
19 min
1230
From Nobel Peace Prize to denying genocide
The International Court of Justice is ordering Myanmar to protect the Rohingya from genocide, but no one knows if Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi will heed the call.
29 min
1231
The Bolton's back in town
Vox's Andrew Prokop explains why John Bolton’s leaked manuscript has upended the GOP’s hopes to wrap up the impeachment trial quickly without calling witnesses.
25 min
1232
Shaken like a polarized picture
The political polarization of America didn’t start with Donald Trump and it won’t end in 2020 either. Ezra Klein explains "Why We're Polarized."
23 min
1233
The Crown Prince and the Amazon King
Did Mohammed Bin Salman hack Jeff Bezos? Recode’s Peter Kafka returns with an update and Kara Swisher explains Saudi Arabia's impunity in the tech world.
21 min
1234
Coronavirus
A SARS-like virus has killed at least 17 people, quarantined millions in China, and made its way to the United States. Vox’s Julia Belluz explains what's known and what's next.
21 min
1235
A George Washington Bridge too far
The Supreme Court is trying to settle the fight over the biggest traffic jam in the history of American politics once and for all. WNYC's Matt Katz, author of "American Governor: Chris Christie's Bridge to Redemption," explains.
22 min
1236
The Senate trial begins
Vox's Andrew Prokop explains everything you need to know as President Trump's Senate impeachment trial gets underway.
20 min
1237
The 100 year fight for equal rights
Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment this week. Now, Congress is the only thing standing between the 28th amendment and the Constitution of the United States.
19 min
1238
Ukraine International Flight 752
Canada now has the unfortunate job of dealing with the collateral damage from the conflict between Iran and the United States.
23 min
1239
Booker blames the rules
Senator Cory Booker tells Sean Rameswaram why he never stood a chance and Vox's Ella Nilsen explains why Senators Warren and Sanders are fighting.
21 min
1240
Elizabeth Warren needs a poster boy
Elizabeth Warren’s best bet to fight the opioid epidemic might be stealing a page from the battle against AIDS. Vox’s Jillian Weinberger explains how for The Impact.
29 min
1241
One billion animals dead
Australia is suffering unprecedented damage from months of bush fires, but the country remains divided on the politics of climate change.
19 min
1242
Megxit
Meghan Markle and her husband have announced their own personal Brexit.
22 min
1243
The (first) trial of Harvey Weinstein
Irin Carmon from New York magazine explains how #MeToo is on trial alongside Harvey Weinstein.
22 min
1244
What about Iraq?
Iran fired back. The United States issued a statement. Iraq wishes its allies would fight somewhere else.
18 min
1245
The view from Iran
Iran analyst Dina Esfandiary explains why the killing of Qassem Soleimani was “the greatest gift the Trump administration could have given the Iranian government.” And an Iranian-American family disagrees on the meaning of Soleimani’s death.
21 min
1246
War with Iran?
The United States killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq last week. Vox's Alex Ward explains what might happen next.
22 min
1247
Should we burn our recycling?
The vast majority of our plastic isn’t being recycled. It might be time to consider lighting it on fire.
27 min
1248
The other TV president
Before stumbling into the biggest American political scandal in a generation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was best known for playing the president on TV.
21 min
1249
Trump of the Year
On the cusp of a big election year, Vox’s Matthew Yglesias reviews President Trump’s accomplishments thus far.
21 min
1250
Song of the Year
“Old Town Road” is unlike anything that’s ever happened in American popular music.
23 min