Today, Explained

After weeks of delays and drama, President Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, testified before Congress today. Vox’s Andrew Prokop says his statements amount to much more than blockbuster political theater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Police can seize your property without ever charging you with a crime. And you probably won’t get it back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Venezuela's whole “two presidents” thing has turned lethal. Emiliana Duarte spent the weekend at Venezuela’s border with Colombia where security forces faced off against protesters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jussie Smollett was the victim of a racist, homophobic hate crime last month. Or at least that’s what he’d have you believe. The Advocate’s Zach Stafford tells the Smollett saga from its shocking start to its outrageous end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Californians were promised high-speed rail. Eleven years and billions of dollars later, all they have is a fight with President Trump. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias laments a train in vain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amazon decided on two headquarters: one in New York and the other in Arlington, Virginia. One deal fell apart, the other just might work out perfectly. Today, Explained’s Noam Hassenfeld finds out why. ************** Clarification: We noted that New York offered $3 billion in subsidies to Amazon. We have clarified that this was a mix of both cash grants and tax incentives. Learn more about your ad...

The Verge's Casey Newton says a California privacy law to protect your online data might finally push federal legislators to come up with one set of rules for the entire country. Recode's Kara Swisher says it's high time big tech gets its act together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nearly a dozen candidates have announced their run for the presidency and 2019 has only just begun. John Dickerson of Slate’s Political Gabfest explains the endless American tradition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Donald Trump declared a national state of emergency today. It’s the latest installment in his controversial “Build the wall!” series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Remember the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? It’s not doing so well. Enforcement is down by 75 percent, employees are leaving in droves, and now regulations are being rolled back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Virginia: birthplace of American democracy and American slavery, first state to elect a black governor and maybe the first to have a governor with a KKK costume on his yearbook page. Christy Coleman from the American Civil War Museum in Richmond explains the duality of Old Dominion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sears was on its way to the graveyard of American icons when its former CEO, a reclusive billionaire named Eddie Lampert, stepped in to buy it. Unfortunately, he’s the same CEO who led the company into bankruptcy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First it was blackface. And maybe the KKK? Then there was an accusation of sexual assault. Then more blackface. Then another sexual assault. Welcome to Virginia 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeff Bezos. Donald Trump. The Washington Post. The National Enquirer. This dick pic is not like the others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump’s inaugural committee this week received a sweeping subpoena. Federal prosecutors in New York want to know where a record-breaking amount of money came from and where exactly it went. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's do lunch! And talk Oxy! A new study suggests a correlation between aggressive marketing and opioid overdoses. The timing isn't great for Purdue Pharma. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump delivers his second State of the Union tonight, but how’s the world doing? Believe it or not, Vox’s Dylan Matthews says things are getting much, much better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big changes are afoot at the second-biggest federal agency, the Department of Veterans Affairs. ProPublica’s Isaac Arnsdorf explains how a trio of President Trump’s friends has been leading the charge from outside the VA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For 31 years, Joe Bryan has been in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. He was convicted based on bloodstain-pattern analysis, but ProPublica’s Pamela Colloff says it's way less scientific than you might think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historic protests threaten to topple Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir. Reporter Reem Abbas speaks to Sean Rameswaram after being tear gassed in Khartoum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Facebook has been paying 13- to 35-year-olds $20 in exchange for access to their phones and Apple isn't happy about it. The Verge’s Casey Newton explains what happens when your hardware gets mad at your software. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US and the Taliban are working out a deal to end America’s longest war. Afghanistan is nervous. Vox’s Jennifer Williams explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Air traffic controllers aren’t allowed to strike, but they may have found another way to end the government shutdown on Friday. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias determines whether the country learned anything from its pointless and painful political exercise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been quite a day for Roger Stone. Arrested before dawn. Released on $250,000 bond. Called Alex Jones. Gave a circus of a press conference. Vox's Andrew Prokop explains the latest development in the Mueller investigation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In one corner, there’s Nicolás Maduro, the incumbent presiding over a failing economy. In the other, you have Juan Guaidó, a 35-year-old lawmaker who just declared himself president, backed by the United States and most of Latin America. Journalist Mariana Zuniga explains the standoff from Caracas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices