Today, Explained

Private jets aren’t what they used to be. AOC is calling out Hollywood executives for having too many, and European nations are trying to ban them. People are even saying Taylor Swift’s the problem. But wait until you hear who’s really paying for them. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Michael Raphael, and hosted by Se...

Semiconductors are used in just about every piece of technology. The US wants to limit what China can do with them. Alex W. Palmer explains the latest front in the fight for tech dominance. This episode was produced by Jon Ehrens, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Michael Raphael, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Expla...

The latest unprecedented is about January 6, but does the American public still care about January 6? This episode was produced by Siona Peterous with help from Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Amanda Lewellyn and Matt Collette, engineered by Michael Raphael and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Sup...

A much-dreaded recession doesn’t actually seem to be materializing. We called up some experts — economics reporters Tracy Alloway and Greg Ip, plus our boss, Vox CEO Jim Bankoff — to figure out what’s going on. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained S...

Some Muslim parents wanted their kids to opt out of reading schoolbooks with LGBTQ characters and themes. Today, Explained reporter Haleema Shah explains what happened when their fight went national. This episode was reported and produced by Haleema Shah, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Serena Solin, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox....

A lot of our new hit music sounds just like our parents’ old hit music. Pitchfork’s Jayson Greene says you should blame publishing companies. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Serena Solin, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Michael Raphael, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financ...

The Wall Street Journal’s John Jurgensen explains how Sound of Freedom, an action-drama about fighting child sex trafficking, beat Tom Cruise and Indiana Jones at the box office. Writer Meg Conley explains the murky truth behind the movie. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Michael Raphael with help from Patrick Boyd, a...

For decades, a delicate strategy of deterrence kept Russia and the US from nuclear war. With China upping its nuclear ambitions, things are about to get a lot more complicated.  This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Michael Raphael, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by...

We are used to thinking of artificial intelligence as knowledge generated by machines. The Verge’s Josh Dzieza pulls back the curtain on the vast network of human labor that powers AI. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Ex...

The defense bill is the latest piece of legislation to be weaponized by the far-right Freedom Caucus. It’s also the latest test for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Jon Ehrens, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Serena Solin, engineered by Patrick Boyd with help from Michael Raphael, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at...

Is Barbie a toy commercial doubling as the first installment of an inevitable Mattel Cinematic Universe? Or does it have something important to say? Barbie’s multitudes, explained. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Michael Raphael, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained b...

A lot of Americans are still feeling iffy about the economy, but Joe Biden’s so proud of how things are going that he’s stuck his name on it. The Washington Post’s Jeff Stein explains “Bidenomics.” This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Michael Raphael, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Tod...

Republican presidential candidates have a bone to pick with ESG investments. So does James Surowiecki, contributing writer at The Atlantic. This episode was produced by Jon Ehrens, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Michael Raphael with help from Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a...

The actors are officially on strike. Vox senior correspondent and critic Alissa Wilkinson breaks down what SAG-AFTRA is afta, and the New Yorker’s Michael Schulman explains how one of Netflix’s first original shows was an early warning sign. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Tra...

🎵 Now that I’m away, I wish I had stayed. 🎵 Vox’s Allie Volpe explains why travel feels like such a mess right now (and how to make it a bit better). And the New Yorker’s Agnes Callard makes the case against travel altogether. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Vox’s first-ever t...

A group of evangelical Christians raised their children to become influential in the White House, on Capitol Hill, and in the Supreme Court. Now, as adults, the "Joshua generation" are reckoning with their upbringing. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin with help from Siona Peterous, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel...

Vermont just got slammed with flash floods, road closures, and evacuations. Harvard’s Juliette Kayyem says the storm reveals how unprepared the US is for the present moment, when natural disasters are more frequent and more intense than ever before. This episode was produced by Jon Ehrens and Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Amanda Lewellyn, engine...

As Meta launches its Twitter competitor, The Verge’s David Pierce says that we are watching the end of the social internet in real time. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Michael Raphael with help from Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a fin...

President Biden and other world leaders say it’s too dangerous to admit Ukraine into NATO while it’s at war with Russia. But, to the dismay of allies, the US will send cluster bombs to the front. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Amanda Lewellyn and Hady Mawajdeh, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Tr...

Everyone is fighting about “equity.” If only they could define it. Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Haleema Shah, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Lear...

A rancher in the Pacific Northwest scammed two companies out of $244 million. In this episode we first served in February, KUOW’s Anna King — host of the Ghost Herd podcast — explains how Cody Easterday went from ranching royalty to prison. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Robert Mounsey, and hosted by Sean Rames...

Inflation happens for a lot of reasons that can be hard for even economists to fully grasp. But — as we learned this spring in an episode we’re rerunning today — there’s also a more straightforward reason prices keep going up: greedy corporations are using inflation as an excuse to jack up prices. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, eng...

The chemical manufacturer 3M will pay $10 billion to settle claims it contaminated drinking water with “forever chemicals.” Good thing we already spoke with Barbara Moran, WBUR’s climate and environmental correspondent, who explained these non-stick chemicals that stick around forever. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Haleema Sh...

For the second time this month, huge sections of the US are blanketed by wildfire smoke. Vox’s Rebecca Leber and climate journalist Jeff Goodell say we’re gonna have to get used to it. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Miles Bryan, Hady Mawajdeh, and Amanda Lewellyn, engineered by Michael Raphael, and hosted by Noel Ki...

The Supreme Court ruled against race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard and UNC. The ruling is likely to reshape affirmative action in America. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Miles Bryan, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Michael Raphael, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained...