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 messiest Oscars category

The Seed of the Sacred Fig was (secretly) shot in Iran with Iranian actors and an Iranian director. But it’s Germany’s submission for Best International Film. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, 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 An Oscars ad at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood with a portrait of Oscar host Conan O'Brien. Photo by Barbara Munker/picture alliance via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Is flying still safe?

Recent airplane crashes and near misses have everyone freaked out, just as DOGE is laying off workers at the agency charged with keeping people safe in the air. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin and Gabrielle Berbey, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, 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 The Delta Air Lines plane that crashed and landed upside down at Toronto International Airport earlier this month. Photo by Katherine KY Cheng/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Eggs aren't expensive enough

At least if we want to stop the next pandemic. Vox's Kenny Torrella explains. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, 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 Empty shelves of eggs in a New York City supermarket. Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Quid pro bros

First, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and President Donald Trump struck up an unlikely friendship. Then, the Trump administration ordered prosecutors to sidestep DOJ norms and drop corruption charges against Adams so that he could focus on cracking down on immigration. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn and Devan Schwartz, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by 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 New York City Mayor Eric Adams as he arrived for a court hearing earlier this month. Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Germany's rightward march

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party won its best ever results this weekend. We hear why an anti-immigrant, fascist-curious party is surging in the land that gave birth to Nazism. This episode was produced by Travis Larchuk with help from Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Victoria Chamberlin, 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 A poster of Alice Weidel, who co-leads the Alternative for Germany (AfD), behind a "Make Duisburg great again" cap. Photo by LOUIS VAN BOXEL-WOOLF/AFP via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sugar daddies and mommies

Boomers are the wealthiest generation ever. And they're funneling trillions to their adult children for down payments, school tuition, even monthly allowances. The Great Wealth Transfer is upon us. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin and Devan Schwartz, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by 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 Image of candy hearts by Erica Thostesen/Shutterstock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Vatever you vant, Vladimir

Kremlin defender Tulsi Gabbard is the US’s new spy chief, while the US and Russia are holding peace talks without European and Ukrainian officials at the table. The vibe has officially shifted. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, 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 Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at the G20 Summit in Osaka in 2019. Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Breaking the internet

The Trump administration’s effort to purge government websites is accelerating digital decay. It’s a trend that imperils our record of ourselves. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, 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 A photo illustration of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) website. Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mr. Project 2025

Russell Vought is the architect and legal scholar behind the Trump administration’s attempt to reshape the federal government. Simon Rabinovitch, US economics editor for the Economist, explains how he got all that power. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by 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 President Trump's Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, at his Senate confirmation hearing last month. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Is science in danger?

Funding cuts and research censorship have shaken the foundations of America’s health and science agencies, leaving researchers shocked, confused, and afraid. In this episode of Unexplainable, we ask, what does this mean for the future of science? This episode was hosted and produced by Noam Hassenfeld with help from Byrd Pinkerton, Thomas Lu, and Amanda Llewelyn, edited by Jorge Just and Meradith Hoddinott, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, and engineeered by Cristian Ayala. Broken lab beakers. Image by robuart for Shutterstock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices