Today, Explained

Can Dems flip state legislatures?

Most of the focus in this year’s midterms is naturally on Congress. But the battle to control state legislatures matters just as much, if not more. This show was edited

Football's future is flag

Football is by far the most popular sport in the US, but that isn’t stopping the NFL from investing in one of the least popular sports in the US. This episode was produc

The dark side of surrogacy

The case of a California couple who had more than 20 kids via surrogacy before being charged with child abuse illustrates how a lack of regulation can lead to chaos. Thi

The West Bank’s boiling point

Violent attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank — largely perpetrated by young militant Jewish settlers — have drawn international condemnation, but to little effect. T

Why the right turned on Indians

A surge of hate against Indian immigrants and Indian Americans has broken out of the far-right influencer sphere and into mainstream Republican politics. This episode wa

When Dems take the House

Hakeem Jeffries will almost certainly be the next Democratic speaker of the House. What will he and his party do with all that power? This episode was produced by Daniel

Mass-produced fashion slop

How algorithms and instant fashion killed style — and how to get it back. This episode was produced by Denise Guerra, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hir

The GOP strategy: Ignore Trump

Can a Republican candidate run for governor in a red state without bringing up Donald Trump a single time? We went to Ohio to find out.  This show was edited by Kasia Br

Gas station opioids

Drugs like kratom and 7-OH are widely available at corner stores and smoke shops. They've remained largely unregulated until now. This episode was produced by Kelli Wess

What happened at Cornell

It took "Jane Doe" two years to get an investigation reopened into allegations of sexual assault against seven men at Cornell University. Why does the legal system contin

The limits of free speech

A recent law-school graduate in Texas is facing disciplinary action over her “overexuberant” response to Charlie Kirk’s murder. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSot

The coming oil shock

You might not use diesel to fill up your car, but it fuels the US economy, and President Trump’s solution to lower diesel prices might just make things worse. This episo

Our AI Cold War

The worries in China over AI are not the same as the worries in the US, but both countries agree they want to win the AI race for themselves. This episode was produced b

The end of etiquette

It’s not just about being nice. Manners allow us to peacefully coexist at work, in transit, and out in the wider world. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edite

The AI election

Polling says less than 1 percent of voters consider AI a top concern this election cycle. Michigan congressional candidate Will Lawrence sees things differently. This sh

Everything is gambling now

From live auction sites like Whatnot to games like Monopoly Go!, mobile apps are now designed to addict kids as well as adults. This episode was produced by Danielle Hew

Why we're still arming Israel

A majority of Americans have a negative view of Israel. Trump wants to send a massive shipment of bombs to the country anyway. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan a

Ruining a young woman’s life for sport

It’s called the “burnerverse": an online community of anonymous college sports fans who mostly trash talk other teams, except when things turn very, very dark. This epis

What the AI doom debate misses

Some top AI thinkers warn that the technology could kill us all. But it could also save us. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Jolie Myers, fact

Trump’s temper tantrum

President Trump got so mad about his name not being on the Kennedy Center he threatened to demolish it. We try to understand his obsession. This episode was produced by