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.
Americans are eating more meat than ever, and it’s wreaking havoc on the environment. Vox’s Kenny Torrella explains how lab-grown meat could be the solution — if only manufacturers can overcome technological setbacks and political blowback.
23 min
127
Charlamagne tha God on Biden v. Trump
A recent poll shows almost a quarter of registered Black voters would vote for Donald Trump. We ask Charlamagne tha God, author and radio host of “The Breakfast Club,” about Black voters’ dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party.
23 min
128
Bringing back the SAT
Four years after a pandemic pause, some colleges and universities are again requiring applicants to submit standardized test scores. Inside Higher Ed’s Liam Knox and the University of Delaware’s Dominique Baker explain.
24 min
129
Can Reddit survive going public?
It’s the first major social media IPO since 2017. CNN’s Clare Duffy breaks down what is at stake, and New York magazine’s John Herrman explains why Reddit may not survive it.
23 min
130
Why measles is back
One state (cough, cough Florida) is leading the US in measles cases. The contagious disease was once declared eliminated, but Florida’s surgeon general is taking a hands-off approach to managing the outbreak.
22 min
131
How Israel is upending Democratic races
Super Tuesday is the biggest day of the presidential primary campaign, but the biggest race in the biggest state isn’t about Biden or Trump. Instead, the leading candidates for California’s open Senate seat — three Democrats and a Republican — are finding themselves talking a lot about Israel, Palestine, and the war in Gaza.
23 min
132
Why groceries are still so expensive
When it’s time to Stop & Shop, the American Publix is finding it costs more than ever to fill a Market Basket. Whizy Kim and Elizabeth Pancotti help Target the problem and explain whether a Price Chopper is coming to save us.
23 min
133
It’s Shotime!
Shohei Ohtani made his Dodger debut this week. His record-setting contract solidifies an international era for Major League Baseball, which hasn’t yet overcome a diversity problem at home.
23 min
134
The politics of IVF
A theologian explains why he agrees with Alabama’s Supreme Court ruling that embryos are children. A conservative pollster explains why it's a bad look heading into the 2024 election.
23 min
135
“Make Argentina Great Again!”
US inflation feels bad until you look at Argentina’s, which is breaking 200 percent. Today, Explained’s Sean Rameswaram reports from Buenos Aires, where residents are divided over their new anarcho-capitalist President Javier Milei’s shock therapy.
23 min
136
The protest vote against Biden
Michigan’s primary today will test President Biden’s viability with Muslim voters amid the war in Gaza. One Arab American leader says the community is abandoning Biden and looking for alternatives — Donald Trump might be one of them.
23 min
137
What Ozempic can't fix
Fat women make less money than thin women and get fewer raises and promotions. It’s going to take more than a wonder drug to fix fatphobia in America.
23 min
138
The Ozempic economy
The weight loss drug is so profitable that its parent company, Danish health care giant Novo Nordisk, is propping up Denmark’s entire economy. It’s poised to transform America’s too.
23 min
139
Fight at the Museum
New federal regulations are forcing museums across the United States to take down, cover up, or close their exhibits. ProPublica reporter Mary Hudetz and curator Catherine Roberts Shteynberg explain why.
24 min
140
Florida man owes half a billion
Former President Donald Trump has now lost back-to-back civil trials in New York. Reporter Andrea Bernstein says it’s a big problem for him. Vox’s Abdallah Fayyad says it’s a big problem for everyone.
22 min
141
The Panama Canal is drying up
A drought has dramatically reduced the Panama Canal’s capacity, leading to higher costs and big delays for US-bound goods. Reporter Mie Dahl and economics professor Sharat Ganapati deliver the shipping news.
23 min
142
What dies with Alexei Navalny?
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, 47, has died in an Arctic prison. The Guardian’s Luke Harding explains the life and death (and afterlife) of Vladimir Putin’s bravest adversary.
24 min
143
Rafah, the last “safe” zone
Palestinians are trapped in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, where about 1.5 million people have sought refuge. After bombings this weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is threatening a ground invasion. Palestinian journalist Aseel Mousa takes us inside Rafah, and the Economist’s Anton La Guardia explains why diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting have stalled.
23 min
144
Why America loves faerie smut
Romantasy is the most popular literary genre in America right now. Vulture’s Kathryn VanArendonk and Circana’s Kristen McLean explain why.
23 min
145
Forgetful old men
Joe Biden’s age and mental acuity are center stage after a Justice Department prosecutor described him as an “elderly man with a poor memory.” Vox reporter Christian Paz explains why Democrats are stuck with him.
23 min
146
A Tale of Two Chinatowns
Residents of Philadelphia’s Chinatown have mobilized against plans for a new arena in their backyard. To find out how their concerns might bear out, Today, Explained reporter Miles Bryan heads to DC’s Chinatown, where a similar story played out 30 years ago.
24 min
147
Why Taylor left TikTok
Her label, Universal Media Group, pulled its entire catalog off TikTok. The Verge’s Nilay Patel explains why, and author Cory Doctorow says the app’s “enshittification” is inevitable.
23 min
148
When one (airplane) door opens ...
Missing bolts, door panels flying off in midair — and that’s not even on the planes that crashed. The Washington Post’s Ian Duncan and the Wall Street Journal’s Andrew Tangel explain why Boeing is a problem the FAA still hasn’t fixed.
23 min
149
The border standoff in Eagle Pass
Congress has failed to pass an immigration bill. The House is attempting to impeach Biden’s secretary of homeland security. As Washington flails, a standoff is brewing in Eagle Pass, Texas.
24 min
150
“The world’s coolest dictator”
That’s how El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele describes himself. Silvia Viñas from the news podcast El hilo explains how his victory this weekend is a blueprint for authoritarians looking to get reelected in a democracy.