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.
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
177
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
178
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
179
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
180
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
181
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
182
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
183
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
184
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
185
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.
23 min
186
Is Russia winning now?
It sure seems like it. The Wall Street Journal’s Matthew Luxmoore reports from Ukraine on why $60 billion of your tax money isn’t making much of a difference.
23 min
187
Amazon’s garbage book factory
Vox senior correspondent Constance Grady went inside the seedy underbelly of online self-publishing and lived to tell the tale.
23 min
188
Cicada time
The last time these exact cicada broods emerged from the ground at the same time, Thomas Jefferson was president. The red-eyed bugs come out looking for love and change forest ecosystems forever. Vox’s Benji Jones thinks it’s magical.
23 min
189
Florida man’s unhushed money
The hush money trial has exposed the ecosystem that once protected former president Donald Trump. Journalist Andrea Bernstein tells us what its like inside the courtroom, and Washington Post reporter Derek Hawkins helps us understand Trump's mindset from his Truth Social account.
22 min
190
What fixes medical debt
It's gotten so bad in America, people are crowdfunding their doctor bills. Vox's Dylan Scott and associate professor Nora Kenworthy explain an imperfect solution and offer a better one.
23 min
191
Separation of church and church
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
192
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
193
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
194
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
195
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
196
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
197
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
198
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
199
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
200
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.