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
Joe Almighty
President Biden says only the “Lord Almighty” can get him to end his re-election campaign, though more and more Democrats are trying to sway him themselves.
23 min
2
Why “Country Roads” feels like home
John Denver’s ode to West Virginia might be more popular abroad than it is in the United States. This Independence Day, we’re asking why.
27 min
3
Criminalizing homelessness?
The Supreme Court has weighed in on homelessness for the first time in decades. The Economist's Steven Mazie tells us what the decision means, and Vox's Rachel Cohen has some ideas for tackling the problem.
23 min
4
Once again, immunity is back up for grabs
The Supreme Court sent the question of Donald Trump’s presidential immunity back to the lower courts. Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains.
22 min
5
Panic! At The White House
Joe Biden needed to win the debate. He didn’t. Vox’s Christian Paz explains if Democrats can find a better candidate.
23 min
6
How Spotify picks its winners
No, Sabrina Carpenter probably isn’t paying the streamer to play “Espresso” every time you’re listening to music. But the app is making changes to its business model that could impact your listening.
23 min
7
The end of Made in China?
President Biden recently raised Trump-era tariffs, which could lead to even higher prices on Chinese imports. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai explains the Biden administration’s approach to trade with China, and Vox’s Dylan Matthews helps make sense of the changes.
22 min
8
It’s not Islamophobic, it’s anti-Palestinian
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
9
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
10
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
11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
15
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
16
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
17
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
18
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
19
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
20
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
21
Immigration lemonade
When it comes to immigration solutions, the federal government is handing out lemons. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is making lemonade.
23 min
22
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
23
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
24
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
25
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