Today, Explained

Hosted by Noel King

Sean Rameswaram

Today, Explained is Vox’s award-winning daily news explainer show. Every weekday, hosts Noel King and Sean Rameswaram take on one essential news story that defines our moment, and bring listeners the context they need to understand it. Through on the ground reporting, discussions with journalists, academics, policymakers, and more, the Today, Explained team helps us understand every story and why it matters.

Today, Explained looks beyond its own newsroom to find the best sources and guests to tell each story. Sometimes that’s a Vox journalist with expertise on the topic, but often it’s a journalist from another news organization, or a local public radio reporter, or a person on the ground living the story themselves.

Today, Explained is the winner of the 2021 Webby Award for Best News & Politics Podcast and the Podcast Academy’s Ambies Award for Best News Podcast. The show has been featured in The Atlantic, Vulture, Reader’s Digest and more.

The man who helped kill DEI

Policy in the second Trump administration is being driven by a small group of thinkers from the online right. We talk to one of them about how he got DEI dismantled. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan with help from Carla Javier, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Further reading: The deeply online origins of MAGA 2.0 by Andrew Prokop. The Origins of Woke by Richard Hanania. Richard Hanania, Rising Right-Wing Star, Wrote For White Supremacist Sites Under Pseudonym. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Photo courtesy of Richard Hanania. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Deporting Mahmoud Khalil

The Trump administration has fallen short of its promise to deport millions. The White House now seems focused on attention-grabbing arrests, including that of a Palestinian activist and leader of the Columbia student protests. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Gabrielle Berbey, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Amanda Lewellyn, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Mahmoud Khalil, who was a student negotiator in the pro-Palestinian protest encampments on the Columbia University campus last year. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Teslump

Protests against Tesla embody the outrage against Elon Musk’s DOGE-e behavior. But Musk doesn't seem to care. And given his position in the federal government, he may not have to. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members A burned Tesla Cybertruck being inspected after four Cybertrucks were set on fire at a storage lot Sunday night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Walz to Remember

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sat down with Sean Rameswaram over the weekend at SXSW in Austin, Texas, to talk about 2024, 2025, and what might help his party in 2028. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh with help from Travis Larchuk, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Amanda Lewellyn, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. The whole SXSW interview with Governor Walz will be up on Vox's Youtube channel later this week. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Sean Rameswaram and MN Governor Tim Walz arrive to the SXSW stage for the Today, Explained interview in Austin this weekend. Photo by Getty Images/Vox Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why does dating suck for guys?

The rules of romance have changed, and many young men feel they can't keep up. We get some tips from a Texas men's relationship coach. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh and Carla Javier, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Melissa Hirsch, mixed by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Shutterstock image by fstop Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Whey too much protein

Added protein really seems to be in all the food lately. Reporter Chris Gayomali says to thank environmental regulations, GLP-1s, and Arnold Schwarzenegger for our modern protein boom. This episode was produced by Gabrielle Berbey, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Matthew Billy, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Protein bars on display at a CVS pharmacy in Queens, New York. Photo by Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Zizian "death cult"

Journalist Max Read explains how a bunch of Silicon Valley computer scientists spun into a cult accused of killings. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn with help from Travis Larchuk, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members A mugshot of Jack 'Ziz' Lasota, leader of the Zizians, after her arrest in connection with the killing of a Border Patrol Officer in Vermont in January. Image courtesy of the Allegany, MD County Sheriff's Office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Serving your country while trans

Sam Rodriguez is on active duty in the US Navy. They are also trans. Now, the Trump administration wants to remove them from the US military. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Photo courtesy of Navy Petty Officer Sam Rodriguez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Breaking up with Ukraine

Why the humiliation of Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a twisted appeal for Trump's core supporters. And what Europe plans to do about it. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Devan Schwartz, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Kim Eggleston, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy preparing for the European leaders' summit on Ukraine in London. Photo by Justin Tallis - WPA Pool/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Gulf of America?

What started as a liberal joke is now a MAGA reality. Just check your map app. But it’s not just Google, Apple, and Microsoft falling in line. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Travis Larchuk, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members President Donald Trump signing a proclamation renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America aboard Air Force One in February. Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices