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.
Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents are on the rise. Author Moustafa Bayoumi and Vox’s Abdallah Fayyad tell us about another kind of invisible discrimination: anti-Palestinian racism.
22 min
127
Why investors look past Elon’s musk
Elon Musk has had inappropriate relationships with SpaceX employees. Tesla shareholders knew that, and chose to reward him with a massive payday anyway. The Wall Street Journal’s Joe Palazzolo and The Verge’s Andrew Hawkins explain.
23 min
128
How UFC explains USA
The Ultimate Fighting Championship went from niche bloodsport to multibillion-dollar league. Donald Trump might be its biggest fan. Journalists Luke Thomas and Sam Eagan explain the culture and politics of the UFC.
22 min
129
It’s not easy being a green conservative
Fighting climate change is not a very common Republican position. Climate activist Benji Backer argues it should be, and Climate Capitalism author Akshat Rathi explains how the free market could play a role.
22 min
130
France's far-right youth
President Macron has called snap elections in France that could lead to him sharing power with the far right. Le Monde's Gilles Paris explains how the anti-immigrant party of Marine Le Pen is becoming more popular among young voters.
23 min
131
Save Darfur, again
A bloody civil war is spreading famine and fear through Sudan. It’s a near-repeat of a crisis from two decades ago, but this time Sudan is not commanding the world’s attention the way the “Save Darfur” movement did.
23 min
132
Party in the USA?
How do you talk about colonialism and slavery at a birthday party? New York City is trying to tackle that question this year as it turns 400, and the US will soon have to do the same for its 250th.
23 min
133
Will LGBTQ voters come out for Biden?
The LGBTQ+ voting bloc has traditionally favored Democrats, but as Vox's Christian Paz explains, this year their support may be slipping. California Rep. Robert Garcia says the Biden campaign is on it.
23 min
134
We’re drowning in credit card debt
Americans owe more than $1 trillion to credit card companies, a record sum that’s likely to keep growing as rising interest rates prevent cardholders from paying down their debt. CNET’s Nick Wolny explains.
23 min
135
Was that antisemitic?
Since October 7 there has been a lot of debate over what is and isn’t antisemitic. Rabbi Jill Jacobs and Harvard law professor Noah Feldman explain why the definition is so important.
23 min
136
Tiktalk therapy
Some therapists are turning to TikTok as a way to make more money and avoid burnout, but is a nightly scroll through therapy content enough to help solve our mental health crisis?
23 min
137
The last good day on the internet
Remember when the only thing anybody could talk about was white and gold versus blue and black? NatGeo’s Brian Resnick does. And the Atlantic’s Charlie Warzel explains why there might never be another The Dress.
23 min
138
A win for democracy in India
India's prime minister suffered a humiliating win this week. Vox's Zack Beauchamp explains a shocking election.
23 min
139
Immigration lemonade
When it comes to immigration solutions, the federal government is handing out lemons. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is making lemonade.
23 min
140
Our immigration identity crisis
Americans hold contradictory views on immigration: They’re more supportive of it than ever before, while also calling it the nation’s most divisive political issue. A pollster, a policy researcher, and a pundit help make sense of our stalled immigration debate.
23 min
141
The backlash to America’s racial reckoning
The murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed looked like a turning point in the fight against systemic racism. Except, as Vox’s Fabiola Cineas explains, it wasn’t.
23 min
142
Florida man convicted
Former President Donald Trump is now also convicted felon Donald Trump. It didn’t have to be this way. New York magazine’s Andrew Rice explains.
23 min
143
Can Mexico’s first woman president fix Mexico?
The AP’s Megan Janetsky and Falko Ernst of the International Crisis Group explain how Mexico’s first woman president will inherit and address the cartel problem that plagued her predecessors.
22 min
144
Chasing the storm
Aaron Rigsby has built a career out of documenting tornadoes, hurricanes, and other extreme weather up close. So he’s seen just how much more extreme those storms are becoming.
24 min
145
The Hamas org chart
Seven months in, Israel has not “eliminated” Hamas leadership. Newsweek’s Tom O’Connor introduces them, and Mairav Zonszein from International Crisis Group explains what it means for the war.
23 min
146
America’s shellfish behavior
Americans consume more shrimp than salmon and tuna combined. But where’s it all coming from? Listen to this episode of Gastropod before you throw another shrimp on the barbie this Memorial Day.
23 min
147
How to steal a team
The billionaire owner of the Oakland A’s is trying to move his team to Vegas, and he wants public money to do it. Writer Dan Moore explains how A’s fans are fighting back.
23 min
148
Red Lobster’s bankrupt-sea
The seafood chain found itself deep in the red after a disastrous unlimited shrimp promotion. Wall Street Journal restaurant reporter Heather Haddon explains what sunk Red Lobster — and the troubled waters facing other casual dining chains.
23 min
149
The AI hype machine
Big Tech companies have rolled out a new batch of AI-powered products, improving upon what came before. But as Wired's Will Knight and investigative journalist Julia Angwin explain, they’re not even close to living up to the world-changing technology the Big Tech CEOs promised.
22 min
150
Weed did it, Joe
The federal government has moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous controlled substance. Politico cannabis policy reporter Natalie Fertig explains why it is and isn’t a big deal.