Today, Explained

Two right-wing operatives tried to frame Mayor Pete Buttigieg for sexual assault. It didn’t go as planned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump has tried and failed to install two controversial candidates onto the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias argues that while failing the president might also be succeeding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox's Sarah Kliff has been writing about surprise ER bills for a year, but the practices at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital were unlike anything she had seen before. Her reporting changed them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week in Mueller report aftermath: An incendiary letter leaks; the attorney general spars with senators and then cancels a date with the House. Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick reflects on what might be a constitutional crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The track and field world is trying to figure out what it means to be female. South African Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya’s future is caught in the balance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Burger King announced it's going nationwide with a meatless Whopper that tastes like the real thing. Is this the end for Big Meat? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sri Lanka is both returning to normalcy and struggling with last week’s Easter attacks. Roel Raymond provides an update from Colombo and Amarnath Amarasingam explains how nations can battle extremism without violating human rights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Things are so bad at the NRA that President Trump told the organization to get its act together today. Infighting, self-dealing, and lavish spending have led to a state investigation and turmoil at the top. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Post-Mueller, President Trump is navigating a sea of subpoenas. He says he doesn't want his aides to testify, setting the stage for a showdown with the House. Vox's Dylan Scott explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants to cancel your college debt. To pay for it, she wants to tax the ultra-rich and take more than just their income. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the first time, federal prosecutors have brought drug trafficking charges against pharmaceutical executives. It's one way to fight the opioid crisis. Vox's German Lopez went to Vermont in search of another. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ukraine elected a new president on Sunday and his only meaningful preparation for the position was playing the president on TV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Almost 300 people were killed in a string of bombings on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. Roel Raymond reports from Colombo and Amarnath Amarasingam explains how this attack was both familiar and unprecedented. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maybe you've heard about the pig brains that were resuscitated by Yale researchers? But did you hear about the human brain genes that were inserted into monkey embryos in China? Vox's Brian Resnick and Sigal Samuel explain some scary science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Attorney General William Barr released Robert Mueller’s report today. Vox’s Andrew Prokop reads between the redactions and Ezra Klein explains what it all means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Florida millionaire created a system to sexually abuse around 80 young girls. The sitting Secretary of Labor who let him off easy might now be held accountable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The IRS is in a bit of a crisis. ProPublica’s Paul Kiel explains how a profitable government agency succumbed to politics and ended up losing tens of billions in revenue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Earlier this week, President Trump designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. It is the first time the United States has ever given such a designation to a part of another nation’s government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After 30 years in power, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the authoritarian leader of Sudan, has been ousted. Reporter Reem Abbas explains how the Sudanese people reclaimed power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Senator Bernie Sanders rolled out a new Medicare-for-all bill today. Vox’s Sarah Kliff explains how such a huge overhaul of the healthcare system went from fringe to mainstream. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Old Town Road” officially became the most popular song in America today. But it’s also the most controversial. Vox’s Allegra Frank chronicles Lil Nas X’s challenges with the charts and Charlie Harding, co-host of the “Switched on Pop” podcast, attempts to figure out what counts as country. *An earlier version of our episode misstated the origins of “country trap.” Lil Nas X calls Young Thug a pio...

Sex between men will now get you stoned to death in Brunei. It’s a strict reading of Sharia by a sultan who seems to have little regard for it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the hottest resolution since sliced bread. But is it just empty calories? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After months of threats, President Donald Trump has officially taken steps to cut off aid to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Vox's Dara Lind explains what this might mean for the current unprecedented wave of family migration to the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices