Today, Explained

And the ecological crisis that threatens everything. Today, Explained’s Miles Bryan heads to Salt Lake City. This episode was reported and produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Serena Solin and Laura Bullard, engineered by David Herman, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox!...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is ditching his family’s party. David Freedlander explains how the candidate might have just gone from being a problem for the current president to a problem for the former one. This episode was produced by Jon Ehrens with help from Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by David Herman, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at v...

Across the country, traffic deaths are spiking. Vox’s Marin Cogan tells the tragic story of one grisly crash in Washington, DC, and we ask whether changes to traffic policing could be partly to blame. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Serena Solin and Amanda Lewellyn, engineered by Patrick Boyd and David Herman, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript...

This Israel-Hamas war is unlike the ones that came before it, says Haaretz’s Allison Kaplan Sommer. But it was years in the making, says Vox’s Zack Beauchamp. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah and Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Amanda Lewellyn, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Rob Byers, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.co...

For 27 years there was no arrest in the shooting death of rapper Tupac Shakur. Slate’s Joel Anderson explains how that finally changed. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette with help from Siona Peterous, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by David Herman, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a f...

A bill outlawing caste-based discrimination in California could become the first law of its kind in the US. Reporter Sonia Paul explains the backlash to the bill, and Georgetown University’s Ananya Chakravarti explains how India's ancient social hierarchy became a problem here. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah and Isabel Angell with an assist from Siona Peterous, edited by Miranda Kennedy...

As House speaker, Kevin McCarthy worked with Democrats to keep the government open. Then Matt Gaetz worked with Democrats to get McCarthy fired. Semafor’s Jordan Weissmann returns to explain an unprecedented moment in American politics. This episode was produced by Jon Ehrens and Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Hady Mawajdeh, engineered by Dav...

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial begins today; a guilty verdict could represent the final nail in crypto’s coffin. Bloomberg’s Zeke Faux, who spent two years chronicling SBF’s downfall, explains. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Amina Al-Sadi with help from Matt Collette, fact-checked by Serena Solin with help from Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted b...

The US government is open for business at the cost of Ukraine aid. Semafor’s Jordan Weissmann explains how we got here. And White House communications director Ben LaBolt explains how the Biden administration is justifying the compromise. This episode was produced by Jon Ehrens and Miles Bryan with an assist from Siona Peterous, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Amanda Lewellyn and Laura...

So much of the coverage of hip-hop’s 50th birthday has been congratulatory, in spite of its record of misogyny and anti-LGBTQ sentiment. In this episode of Into It, host Sam Sanders talks to journalist Kiana Fitzgerald about how the women of hip-hop are leading the way today, and he catches up with hip-hop scholar Jason England, who argues hip-hop's midlife crisis has left an empty shell of what t...

Capitalism isn’t natural, was never inevitable, and endless growth is killing Earth. The final episode of “Blame Capitalism” examines the degrowth movement, whose proponents call to end capitalism as we know it. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Haleema Shah and Laura Bullard, engineered by David Herman with original music by Jon Ehrens, and hoste...

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says his government will ban a type of dog called the American Bully XL — a relative of the pit bull. Political editor Tom McTague and writer Bronwen Dickey explain the complex politics and charged history of an iconic dog. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Miles Bryan, engineered by David Herman, and hosted by Noel K...

The Federal Trade Commission has brought a landmark antitrust suit against Amazon. The Verge’s Makena Kelly and former FTC director Bill Baer explain how it’s part of chair Lina Khan’s effort to change the way the US regulates monopolies. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn and Haleema Shah, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Hady Mawajdeh and Jon Ehrens, engineered by David Herman,...

Climate activists have tried marching and lobbying. Now, a growing flank of movement radicals want to take more extreme action. Author Dana Fisher tells us who they are, and sociologist Matthew Wolfe traces the history of radical environmentalism in the US. Today's episode was produced by Avishay Artsy with an assist from Siona Peterous. It was edited by Miranda Kennedy and fact-checked by Jon Ehr...

Canada’s unprecedented decision to publicly accuse India of assassinating a Canadian citizen in Canada is upending the two countries' relationship. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Serena Solin, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution...

Two wildly different political movements — Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party — emerged from the Great Recession. They forever changed the way Americans think about capitalism and democracy. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Serena Solin, engineered by Rob Byers and Patrick Boyd with original music by Jon Ehrens, and hosted by...

It’s climate week. To mark the occasion we’re talking to scientist Michael E. Mann about six D-words that help us understand where the conversation around climate change has been and where it’s going. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Tien Nguyen, engineered by David Herman and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Supp...

New York City wants to be the first in the nation to implement congestion pricing to charge people for driving during peak hours. New Jersey says fuhgeddaboudit. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Tien Nguyen, engineered by Rob Byers with help from Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Ex...

We’re not just talking snowbirds. The Sunshine State is the fastest growing in the nation despite, you know, climate change. Vox’s Marin Cogan and Umair Irfan explain why. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Serena Solin and Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explain...

The United Auto Workers union is on strike at three different factories. We ask the Wall Street Journal's Nora Eckert what the union workers want, and management professor Marick Masters explains why the Detroit Big Three are reluctant to give it to them. This episode was produced by Jon Ehrens and Miles Bryan, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Amanda Lewellyn with help from Hady Mawajdeh...

Economist Milton Friedman published an essay in 1970 arguing that the job of a corporation was solely to make money for its shareholders. General Electric CEO Jack Welch pushed that idea about as far as it would go — and broke capitalism. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd with original music by Jon Ehrens, a...

Kim Jong Un took a bulletproof train to visit Vladimir Putin in Russia this week. Jenny Town at the Stimson Center explains how the two leaders have little to lose and much to gain from each other. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy with help from Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by David Herman, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at...

Seems like everyone’s got Covid again. Vox’s in-house epidemiologist, Dr. Keren Landman, delivers the good news and the bad news about Pirola. This episode was produced by Jon Ehrens and Siona Peterous, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Amanda Lewellyn, engineered by David Herman, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today,...

Google is headed to court over allegations its search engine violates federal antitrust law. The Verge’s Adi Robertson breaks down the case, and David Pierce explains how Google Search came to rule the internet. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplai...

Hunter Biden is set to be indicted this month. The WSJ’s Aruna Viswanatha goes over the evidence with us, and Politico’s Jonathan Lemire looks at what it all means for President Biden’s reelection bid. This show was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Serena Solin, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Toda...