Today, Explained

After 20 years, Speaker Paul Ryan is set to leave the House of Representatives in early January. Ezra Klein says Paul Ryan’s legacy would be a big let down to… Paul Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One man in North Carolina may have swung an election by defrauding voters. But North Carolina is interested in stopping a different type of voter fraud. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump is looking to fill some key positions. One pick is a former attorney general, another comes from "Fox & Friends". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Except it doesn't. Vox's Andrew Prokop explains why the latest pieces of Robert Mueller's puzzle are bad news for President Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Canada arrested a Chinese executive at the request of the United States this week. It may set off a whole new Cold War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There used to be one Trump Tower controversy. Now there are two. Donald Trump Jr. is in the middle of both of them. The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold explains what Don Jr. has been up to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wisconsin Republicans are scrambling to pass last-minute measures that would strip the incoming Democratic governor of a lot of his powers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Verge’s Casey Newton explains the pros and cons of staying on Facebook after the latest scandal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George H. W. Bush went from a record-breaking 89 percent approval rating after the Gulf War to losing his re-election bid to an upstart from Arkansas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Chinese scientist says he has genetically engineered two human babies, with another on the way. Is this the beginning of the end? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nancy Pelosi is now officially the nominee for Speaker of the House. Time's Molly Ball explains who's happy and who's mad about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump and both parties actually agree on something: mandatory minimum sentences are too harsh. Can they fix them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russia rammed one of its ships into a Ukrainian tug boat, further straining an already strung-out relationship. Vox’s Alex Ward takes us on a voyage to the Black Sea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

U.S. Border Patrol tear-gassed asylum seekers who rushed the border yesterday. Maya Averbuch was there reporting for the New York Times. Vox’s Dara Lind explains how the Trump administration might deal with its asylum problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Airlines are getting tough on emotional support animals. Some people think they're a scam. Science isn’t sure. An expert weighs in, as does an emotional support dog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Trump administration is punishing Cuba in response to mysterious attacks on U.S. diplomats in Havana. ProPublica's Sebastian Rotella explains what we know and what we don't. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Camp Fire is the most destructive fire in California history, surpassing a record set just a few months ago. Vox’s Umair Irfan heads to Paradise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Massive news: Scientists in France voted to officially redefine the kilogram today. They’ve been weighing their options for centuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

California has the strictest gun laws in the country, but they didn't prevent last week’s mass shooting in Thousand Oaks. Vox’s German Lopez explains the flaws in California’s laws, and points to a far-away state doing a better job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Trump administration would very much like to know if you’re a citizen come the 2020 census. NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang explains how that might break the census. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

South Carolina used to be one of the most dangerous places in America to have a baby. But now, it’s reducing infant mortality with an unconventional approach: having pregnant women talk to each other. Listen and subscribe to The Impact: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Overcast | Pocket Casts | RadioPublic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Almost a week after the midterm elections, several key races remain undecided and recounts are coming. The president calls shenanigans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder has put the spotlight on an unlikely place: Yemen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is out. His replacement has criticized the Mueller probe. Is the investigation safe? Vox’s Andrew Prokop isn’t so sure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The results are in! Vox’s Libby Nelson provides a rundown. Matthew Yglesias predicts the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices