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.
Donald Trump arrived at the White House in 2017 without a lot of plans to actually govern. The conservative Heritage Foundation wants to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
23 min
177
The fight for control of Disney’s kingdom
CEO Bob Iger is fighting off activist investor Nelson Peltz, who argues the company spends too much on message-based “woke” programming and is campaigning for seats on the Disney board.
22 min
178
Making taxes less taxing
The IRS finally has a brand-new, totally free tax-filing software for you. But not everyone’s excited about it.
23 min
179
The kids are all home
Living with your parents is so hot right now, with more adults doing it now than at any other time in the modern era. First, we hang out with a member of Gen Z who’s moved back in with the folks. Then, a closer look at the trend with Donna Butts of Generations United.
23 min
180
Buy a house? In this economy?
Home affordability hasn’t been this bad in decades. Wall Street Journal housing reporter Nicole Friedman explains the economic forces shaping the market. And Dave Ramsey, the popular, controversial finance guy, says this time isn’t that different.
24 min
181
The Baltimore bridge collapse
The Key Bridge disaster is yet another reminder of the vulnerability of global shipping.
23 min
182
Why ISIS attacked Moscow
The Moscow terror attack could mark the beginning of an even more brutal phase in Russia’s war in Ukraine — even if Ukraine had nothing to do with it. It's also a sign that ISIS-K is making a global comeback.
23 min
183
Spoiler alert: RFK’s VP
Robert Kennedy Jr. is set to announce his running mate this week. To mark the occasion, Semafor’s Dave Weigel explains whether third-party options can move the needle.
23 min
184
Beyoncé country
Beyoncé has a new country album. The first single has already broken records and drawn criticism from those who think of country music as a “white” genre. Except it’s not. Author and songwriter Alice Randall tells the story of country music’s very Black roots.
24 min
185
Can Caitlin Clark fix college sports?
The biggest star of this year’s March Madness basketball tournament isn’t one of the male players, explains SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell. The Wall Street Journal’s Laine Higgins says that’s great, but women are still somehow fighting for equality in college sports.
23 min
186
Can Congress ban TikTok?
Probably not. Punchbowl’s Andrew Desiderio and Kate Ruane from the Center for Democracy and Technology explain.
23 min
187
How gangs took over Haiti
Haiti’s latest crisis is being driven by something new: The country’s gangs have united, and they are demanding political power. Financial Times journalist Joe Daniels and peace activist Louis-Henri Mars explain.
22 min
188
Conned into the Russian army
Desperately low on troops for its protracted war with Ukraine, the Russian military is relying on men from countries like India to fill its ranks. Journalist Shalu Yadav tells the story of a man who was tricked into joining the army and managed to escape.
23 min
189
Live from SXSW: Noel King interviews Charlamagn...
In this no-holds-barred interview from the SXSW stage, Vox's Noel King asks comedian and radio host Charlamagne tha God and political commentator Angela Rye whether Black voters are turning away from Joe Biden and toward Donald Trump.
67 min
190
Hollywood’s still not back
Covid and last year’s strikes delivered a one-two punch that the entertainment industry still hasn’t recovered from. Entertainment journalists Mark Harris and Diane Haithman explain why this is bad news for the people who make movies and the people who watch them.
23 min
191
Lip gloss, gum, and the Pill
Soon you can buy them all at your local drugstore. The FDA approved an over-the-counter birth control pill that will be available later this month. Journalist Lux Alptraum and Megan Kavanaugh of the Guttmacher Institute explain why available doesn’t necessarily mean more accessible.
23 min
192
Where's Kate?!?
Two grainy paparazzi shots and an edited Mother’s Day photo are the only “sightings” of the Princess of Wales the public has had since Christmas. The Palace says she is recovering from abdominal surgery, but the internet … has some other theories.
23 min
193
The real fight over fake meat
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
194
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
195
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
196
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
197
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
198
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
199
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
200
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.