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
Breaking the Olympics
Breaking will dance its way into the Olympics this summer. B-boy historian Alien Ness says this is destiny.
23 min
2
Kamala’s meme-mentum
Kamala Harris memes have taken over the internet. Now she needs to figure out how to capitalize on them.
23 min
3
Abercrombie is back
Fast Company’s senior fashion writer Elizabeth Segran explains how the company overcame a problematic history to pull off a renaissance.
23 min
4
Dengue’s biggest year ever
More than 10 million people worldwide have contracted dengue from mosquitos this year. Now experts are worried it might show up at the Olympics.
23 min
5
You did it, Joe
All bets are off as President Biden exits the 2024 race. Vox’s Andrew Prokop and Democratic strategist David Axelrod explain.
23 min
6
Trump-a-mania at the RNC
Hulk Hogan delivered at the final night of the RNC, but did Donald Trump? We hear from two conservative strategists who do not agree on whether Trump's speech worked.
24 min
7
Why banning Juul backfired
The US cracked down on Juul after an uptick in teen vaping and a flurry of health concerns. Podcaster Leon Neyfakh explains how the ban inadvertently created a dangerous new market for unregulated Chinese e-cigarettes.
23 min
8
Trump just avoided 40 felony counts
A federal judge has thrown out Trump's classified documents case. Wall Street Journal Justice Department reporter C. Ryan Barber explains what that might mean for Trump's future.
23 min
9
VP J.D.
Donald Trump’s running mate is Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance. Politico’s Ian Ward describes Vance’s transformation from a self-described hillbilly to the political face of the Republican future.
23 min
10
Is this us?
The assassination attempt on Donald Trump is part of a steady uptick in political — and increasingly partisan — violence in the United States. With a push toward unity from Trump and President Biden, this could be a moment to pull the nation back from the brink.
24 min
11
The song of the summer is DEAD
Long live the song of the summer. But wait! Switched on Pop’s Charlie Harding disagrees. And Rolling Stone’s Brittany Spanos says maybe it never existed at all.
23 min
12
What is Project 2025?
Donald Trump is trying to distance himself from it. Joe Biden wants you to Google it. Semafor’s Shelby Talcott explains what’s going on with the conservative plan for a second Trump presidency.
23 min
13
The Supreme Court’s power grab
The Supreme Court just fundamentally changed how the federal government works. Vox’s Ian Millhiser explains.
23 min
14
Dancing in the Dark Money
Prosecutors ain’t nothing but tired of New Jersey’s political corruption. WNYC’s Nancy Solomon, host of the Dead End podcast, explains the cases against Sen. Robert Menendez and power broker George Norcross.
23 min
15
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
16
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
17
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
18
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
19
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
20
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
21
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
22
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
23
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
24
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
25
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