Today, Explained

But the images from the Webb Space Telescope still provide our best look yet at the formation of the universe. NASA astrophysicist Amber Straughn and science journalist Josh Sokol unpack humanity’s newest glimpse at the cosmos. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcr...

Surging cases, Paxlovid rebounds, and apathy everywhere. Vox’s Dr. Keren Landman explains how to navigate the do-it-yourself era of the pandemic. This episode was produced by Victoria Dominguez and Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained   Support Today, Explained by making...

A congressional committee set out to offer the definitive story of the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Things got dramatic. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained   Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly...

Luz the firefly is missing, and producers Izii and Sara want to know why. They take a trip to the Island of Explained, where they learn why whole species are losing their habitats and what humans can do about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some conservative parents are trying to get books about race and sexuality banned from libraries and schools. Author Clint Smith says it’s dangerous to ban books to eliminate discomfort. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Victoria Dominguez with help from Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Robert Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.c...

The assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe may have given his agenda to militarize Japan new life. Abe biographer Tobias Harris explains. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Victoria Dominguez, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explain...

Art crime is booming and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s paintings (or at least some very realistic forgeries) are the loot du jour. Reporter Brett Sokol and a guy who used to forge Basquiats explain. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, fact-checked by Matt Collette, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram, who also edited. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Expla...

Candidate Biden said he would make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” on the world stage. Now President Biden is traveling there, asking for the kingdom’s help on gas prices. This episode was produced by Jon Ehrens and Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Victoria Dominguez and Amina Al-Sadi, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained  ...

No, President Biden didn’t cause the tampon shortage — or any of the recent shortages. But that won’t stop him from taking the blame.  This episode was produced by Victoria Dominguez and Haleema Shah, edited by Amina Al-Sadi and Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Victoria Dominguez, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained   Support To...

Congress just had its first hearings on UFOs in over 50 years. We revisit a 2021 episode where the New Yorker’s Gideon Lewis-Kraus explained why the US government started taking sightings seriously. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Efim Shapiro and Cristian Ayala, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/tod...

A groundbreaking new study claims to have found a way for a fully paralyzed person to communicate entirely via thought. But as we learned in an episode earlier this year, the scientists behind it have a checkered past. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, engineered by Efim Shapiro, fact-checked by Tori Dominguez and Laura Bullard, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Trans...

The US hoped sanctions would end Russia’s war in Ukraine quickly. We revisit our conversation with historian Nicholas Mulder who explains the surprising history of economic penalties as a weapon of war. This episode was produced by Amina Al-Sadi, edited by Matt Collette and Sean Rameswaram, engineered by Efim Shapiro, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/tod...

Before Roe v. Wade, Eleanor Oliver was a Jane: a member of a group in Chicago that helped women get safe but illegal abortions. Sean Rameswaram sat down with her on the day Roe was overturned. This episode was edited and fact-checked by Matt Collette, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and produced by Victoria Chamberlin and host Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explai...

The past week/month/year/pandemic has taken a toll on a lot of people’s mental health. And the US has proven woefully incapable of dealing with mental health for years. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Tori Dominguez, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a fina...

A rabbi, a priest, and an imam walk into the abortion debate. The priest wins. This episode was produced by Victoria Dominguez and Haleema Shah, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your...

It’s safe and easy to end a pregnancy during the first trimester using a pair of FDA-approved pills. Accessing them is the latest abortion battleground. Vox's Rachel Cohen explains. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained...

The Supreme Court’s decision was most immediately felt in states that pegged abortion bans to the fall of Roe v. Wade. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with Matt Collette and Amina Al-Sadi, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram, who also edited. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financial con...

The Supreme Court overturned a 49-year-old precedent that secured the right to an abortion. Irin Carmon from New York magazine breaks down the case and Vox’s Ian Millhiser argues the Supreme Court is undermining democracy. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah and Amina Al-Sadi, edited by Matt Collette, fact checked by Victoria Chamberlin and Victoria Dominguez, engineered by Paul Mounsey, re-...

The US is spending billions to arm Ukraine against Russian invaders. But without the proper training or supplies, Javelin missiles can only do so much. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh and Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Amina Al-Sadi, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained   Support Today, Explained by maki...

Venture capitalists spent years subsidizing the price of things like Uber rides and food delivery. The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson explains why they’ve stopped. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained   Support Today, Explained by making a financial cont...

Oligarchs from Russia and beyond stash their cash in British banks, which play a central role in the global offshore economy. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Victoria Dominguez, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained   Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/give...

John Temple was the editor of Rocky Mountain News in April 1999, when two students committed mass murder at Columbine High School. The photos he published that day would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize and enrage Daniel Rohrbough’s mom. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Robert Mounsey, and edited and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript...

America’s gun violence epidemic is a public health crisis. After 24 years of blocked funding, Congress is finally starting to treat it like one. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financial contri...

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says tougher gun laws wouldn’t have stopped the Uvalde shooter. He’s wrong. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Victoria Dominguez, engineered by Paul Mounsey and Efim Shapiro, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vo...

It wasn’t until 2008 that the US Supreme Court established what a confusing sentence in the Constitution really meant for gun ownership. Sean Rameswaram reported on District of Columbia v. Heller for Radiolab’s More Perfect. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho...