Today, Explained

Last week's unemployment numbers shattered all records. This week, they doubled. Vox's Matthew Yglesias, host of The Weeds podcast, proposes a way out of this mess. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Arthur Longworth calls Sean from Washington State Reformatory to explain what it's like to serve a life sentence at a prison where the coronavirus is spreading. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Part rally, part media-bashing, part critical updates on the coronavirus crisis, President Trump's daily press briefings are muddying the message. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Vox's Reset podcast Ed Yong from The Atlantic explains how a little spiky ball called SARS-CoV2 brought the world to its knees. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's show, more listener questions: Why isn't everyone social distancing? Will I be immune after I get it? When will this end? My anxiety is spiking!(Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Atlantic's James Hamblin explains why America has a critical shortage of medical supplies. New York City ER doctor Calvin Sun says, “It’s like a lottery that we don’t want to play, but we’re forced to play.” (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Congress has settled on an historic stimulus package, but Ezra Klein is worried it might not be enough. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore managed to contain Covid-19, but now things look less promising. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox's Julia Belluz went from covering the global coronavirus pandemic to giving birth in the middle of it. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's show, we answer listener questions: Why is there no TP? Will we run out of food? Can I get the virus from sex? How can I help? (Transcript here.) An earlier version of this episode featured a section that could have been misconstrued as legal advice. It has been removed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox’s Brian Resnick (safely) meets Sean in a Washington, D.C. park to deliver the Five Commandments of social distancing. Start your #SixFeetAwaySong journey at vox.com/today-explained. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean speaks to a Brooklyn family that has Covid-19, and Vox’s Dylan Scott explains how the United States is still trying to get its act together on testing. Subscribe to the Voxcare newsletter here: http://vox.com/voxcare. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After dismissing coronavirus concerns for months, President Donald is pivoting to serious action to slow the crisis in the United States. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The country’s largest school district told a million kids to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s creating chaos for teachers, students, and parents. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Italy has quarantined the whole country in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. Vox’s Julia Belluz explains why the US might look like Italy soon.(Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump has banned most Europeans from traveling to the US. Vox’s Jen Kirby explains why that won’t stop the novel coronavirus from spreading, and Eliza Barclay tells us what we can do to slow the spread. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After last night, Joe Biden is one step closer to the nomination, but no matter who wins, the next president will be over 70. The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson explains why that could be a problem. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The stock market’s going haywire. Major companies are telling their employees to stay home. Austin has canceled SXSW. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias says governments across the world have to act fast to save the global economy. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The veteran political strategist argues that Democrats are well-positioned to win back not only the White House, but the Senate, too. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thus far, the United States hasn't been doing the best job of testing for the novel coronavirus. ProPublica's Caroline Chen explains why. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's a new fight over abortion at the Supreme Court and Chief Justice John Roberts is in the swing position. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox's Andrew Prokop runs through Super Tuesday results, before Laura McGann explains Vice President Biden's "Joementum." (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carl Goldman was on the Diamond Princess cruise ship and now he has Covid-19. He speaks to Sean Rameswaram from a CDC quarantine in Omaha, Nebraska. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox's Andrew Prokop explains what makes this Tuesday so super and performs some basic arithmetic to suggest how Democrats could end up with a contested convention. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

McKay Coppins built a fake Facebook profile to fully experience President Trump's 2020 digital strategy. It didn't take long for him to start doubting reality. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices