Today, Explained

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.


Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

News
Daily News
Politics
1
Mississippi, hot damn!
Establishment Dems had written off Mississippi. Then the state elected its first Black senator since Reconstruction.
23 min
2
The downfall of Jensen Huang?
Nvidia’s CEO has stepped down after an affair with an alleged Chinese spy, and there could be implications the world over.
24 min
3
Elon takes the L
From blowing half a billion dollars on the midterms to killing the Cybertruck, Elon Musk’s ideas for how we should live and move in the world were just rejected in a big way.
22 min
4
AI also lost the election
Newly elected Democrats are promising to hold big tech accountable, and some AI companies are taking note.
24 min
5
"Impeach Hegseth"
The midterms blame game has begun and Trump's war in Iran is getting a lot of it. And Congress is coming for one of the officials who pushed the war.
22 min
6
Is intelligence overrated?
We all think we’re smart. But are we really that intelligent, and why does it even matter?
26 min
7
A working-class midterm mandate
Don’t call it a blue wave. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore outlines what a winning Democratic playbook actually looks like.
30 min
8
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
9
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
10
Dems won. Now what?
The blue wave turned into a blunami. Rahm Emanuel was in Congress the last time this happened.
23 min
11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
15
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
16
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
17
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
18
Is Trump abandoning Ukraine?
Trump's recent moves seem to pit the US squarely on the side of Russia rather than Ukraine.
23 min
19
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
20
When AI agents run your life
What you gain, and what you give up, when you let AI agents take control.
27 min
21
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
22
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
23
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
24
Can Trump deport Ilhan Omar?
President Trump's playbook to go after his enemies is evolving.
23 min
25
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