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.
Don’t call it a blue wave. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore outlines what a winning Democratic playbook actually looks like.
30 min
2
Trump’s Venezuelan oil grift
The US hasn’t delivered democracy, but it is extracting oil and inking shady business deals in Venezuela.
23 min
3
Is MAGA dead?
Trump's chokehold on the Republican Party is over, according to many within the party. Among them: Rod Dreher, a conservative author and friend of JD Vance.
23 min
4
Dems won. Now what?
The blue wave turned into a blunami. Rahm Emanuel was in Congress the last time this happened.
23 min
5
Was populism worth it?
A new era of American populism kicked off with Donald Trump in 2016. Ten years later, Americans don't have much to show for it.
23 min
6
Make groceries cheap again
Is it even possible? Voters going to the polls this week hope so, but solutions will require some out-of-the-box thinking.
23 min
7
When hobbies take over your life
If you've optimized your free time so much that it feels like work, maybe it’s time to rethink how you craft and kayak.
26 min
8
Nevada's Trump slump
Nevada is in many ways “ground zero” for this year’s midterms. The state swung to the right in 2024 and voted for Donald Trump. Now, many voters there are grappling with buyer’s remorse.
28 min
9
Life in the rage economy
The consumer experience is getting worse even as everything is getting more expensive. AI agents could make things better... or much, much worse.
23 min
10
Texas Talarico freakout
Texas hasn't elected a Democrat for Senate since 1988. James Talarico has a shot, but Republicans have launched a full culture war to try to prevent it.
23 min
11
The future of MAGA is... Nixon?
MAGA-aligned conservatives, including Vice President JD Vance, are trying to rehabilitate Richard Nixon's image. That's evidence of where they want to take their party.
25 min
12
Is Trump abandoning Ukraine?
Trump's recent moves seem to pit the US squarely on the side of Russia rather than Ukraine.
23 min
13
Democrats find God
Kansas hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate in over 90 years, but moderate pastor Adam Hamilton might break the losing streak. And his approach to religion could help Democrats around the country.
23 min
14
When AI agents run your life
What you gain, and what you give up, when you let AI agents take control.
27 min
15
Can Trump steal the midterms?
Between the Trump administration’s executive orders, lawsuits, and relentless rhetoric, it feels like voting systems in America are under constant threat. Is it working?
29 min
16
RFK Jr. and the chocolate factory
The HHS secretary has pressured food companies like Mars, which makes M&M's, to stop using artificial dyes. Easier said than done.
23 min
17
The rise of political slopaganda
The first midterms to feature AI slop ads are also on track to be the most expensive ever.
23 min
18
Can Trump deport Ilhan Omar?
President Trump's playbook to go after his enemies is evolving.
23 min
19
The passive income influencers
They promise you financial freedom with very little work, but these side hustles might just be the new pyramid schemes.
24 min
20
Susan Collins, political ninja
The Maine senator has dodged decades of attacks, but President Trump’s low approval ratings could be her political deathblow.
23 min
21
The quest for the perfect baby
Men and women are trying to maximize their reproductive health due to anxieties around declining fertility trends. But are we taking “embryomaxxing” too far?
26 min
22
Can you buy the midterms?
Republicans are entering the midterm home stretch with a staggering $1 billion campaign war chest. Will it make a difference?
33 min
23
Thirst trap politics
The internet has a crush on some of the candidates running for office this election season and it’s saying a lot about how Democrats and Republicans wield sexuality.
24 min
24
The Iran war is spreading
Saudi Arabia's dreams of becoming a global financial hub are running into the reality of regional war.
23 min
25
Data centers fight back
Data centers have maybe the worst image in America right now. Enter the public relations professionals.