Today, Explained

Elon Musk and Tesla launched their long-delayed robotaxi service this weekend in Texas. The Verge's Andrew Hawkins explains why so much is riding on its success. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Denise Guerra, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. The Tesla Robotaxi two-passenger battery-electric self-driving car on display. Photo by Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox's Josh Keating and author Vali Nasr explain what bombing Iran won’t accomplish. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Laura Bullard and Denise Guerra, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Further reading: Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History by Vali Nasr. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Iranians protesting US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran. Photo by Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unpacking the American rite of passage that so many children love — but that isn't right for everyone. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Sarah Schweppe, engineered by Matthew Billy and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo by Maskot/Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a note here. Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're revisiting an episode from earlier this year about the world's richest man and the company town he's developing outside of Austin, Texas. Like the industrialists who came before him, Elon Musk may learn it’s hard to create (and sustain) a utopia. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Noel King. Photo of Elon Musk's Snailbrook town in Bastrop, Texas by Brandon Bell/Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New York Public Radio icon Brian Lehrer breaks down the New York City mayor's race and New York magazine's David Freedlander explains what Democrats nationally can learn from the two leading candidates. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and Denise Guerra, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Democratic mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo shaking hands with Zohran Mamdani. Photo by Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The conflict between Israel and Iran is revealing a deep divide within the MAGA universe over whether to get more involved or stay on the sidelines. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Further reading: There’s a bitter clash on the right. It could determine whether Trump takes us to war. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Photo of Tucker Carlson and President Trump by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This weekend saw a shocking act of political violence, a military parade in DC, and political protests across the US. What's going on? This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Miranda Kennedy with help from Jolie Myers, fact checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Matthew Billy, and hosted by Noel King. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Protestors forming the words "No King" gathered in San Francisco. Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A caller asks why it's so hard to make biking safe in LA. We bike around different US cities to get the answer. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Colleen Barrett, engineered by Matthew Billy, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo of a cyclist in a bike lane intersection in Washington, DC by Kevin Carter/Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a note here. Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dropout is a smaller streaming platform where improv comedy is king. It might be the blueprint for the future of streaming. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jolie Myers, fact checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Further reading: It feels like 2009 on Dropout. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Sam Reich, CEO of Dropout. Photo by Mireya Acierto/FilmMagic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Trump administration wants to merge all of our data across government agencies. And it's asked a controversial company to help. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vox’s Joshua Keating explains why the US government can’t have a big, beautiful breakup with Elon Musk. And now that he’s left DOGE, Elaine Kamarck from Brookings explains what happens to it. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy with help from Denise Guerra, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Further reading: Why Trump probably can’t cut Musk loose Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaking alongside President Trump in the Oval Office. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump recently blew up his alliance with the conservative legal group that helped him remake the judiciary. But the group’s leader is already moving on. This episode was produced by Gabrielle Berbey and Miles Bryan, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Victoria Chamberlin, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Leonard Leo, co-chairman of the Federalist Society board of directors. Photo by Nordin Catic/Getty Images for The Cambridge Union. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump sent in the National Guard to quell protests caused by ICE raids. LA Times reporter Rachel Uranga covered the chaos, which Mark Krikorian from the Center for Immigration Studies defends. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz and Denise Guerra with help from Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi with help from Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Victoria Chamberlin and Avishay Artsy, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. National Guard troops in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. Photo by Denise Guerra/Vox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Press-on nails, new music from Katy Perry, and an uptick in Klarna purchases: signs of an economic downturn or no? This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Matthew Billy, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo of Katy Perry performing in Sydney, Australia by Nina Franova/Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a note here. Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Help us plan for the future of Today, Explained by filling out a brief survey: ⁠voxmedia.com/survey⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Google’s new AI video tool Veo 3 looks freakishly real, but it might take Hollywood to fully harness its power. This episode was produced by Gabrielle Berbey and Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Avishay Artsy, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Help us plan for the future of Today, Explained by filling out a brief survey: ⁠voxmedia.com/survey⁠. Thank you! Image of Wall Street Journal columnist Jonna Stern and her robot from an AI-generated video. Credit WSJ. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the first time ever, experimental gene editing technology has been used to treat a baby with a fatal condition. Just don’t mess with the embryos. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Avishay Artsy, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Baby KJ as he prepares to leave the hospital. Photo courtesy of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Help us plan for the future of Today, Explained by filling out a brief survey: ⁠voxmedia.com/survey⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A supporter of President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis was just appointed to lead the historically Black college Florida A&M University. Students and alumni are not happy. WFSU's Lynn Hatter and Tuskegee University's President Mark Brown explain how Black colleges are currently navigating red states. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Victoria Chamberlin, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Graduates during the Florida A&M University Commencement Ceremony in Tallahassee, Florida. Photo by Glenn Beil/Florida A&M University via Getty Images. Help us plan for the future of Today, Explained by filling out a brief survey: ⁠voxmedia.com/survey⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump wants to build a "Golden Dome" to protect the US from the threat of nuclear weapons. It’s a sign we’re in a new nuclear era. This episode was produced by Denise Guerra and Devan Schwartz, edited by Jollie Myers, fact-checked by Miles Bryan, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Further reading: The return of the nucleat threat. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. President Trump announcing plans for the national defense system, the "Golden Dome," in the Oval Office. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. Help us plan for the future of Today, Explained by filling out a brief survey: ⁠voxmedia.com/survey⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US has enormous deposits of critical minerals like lithium right here at home. So why are we looking at mining the ocean floor and asteroids? This episode was made in partnership with Vox’s Future Perfect team. It was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. A lithium recovery demonstration plant at the Salton Sea. Photo by Darco Productions. Help us plan for the future of Today, Explained by filling out a brief survey: ⁠⁠voxmedia.com/survey⁠⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the first time in decades, American Christianity is not in decline. What are young people looking for–and finding–at church? Further reading: The surprising chasm splitting Americans along religious lines by Christian Paz. Pew report: Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off. This episode was produced by Gabrielle Berbey, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Matthew Billy, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo of a parishioner praying at Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral by Scott Olson/Getty Images.If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545. Or send us a note ⁠here⁠. Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Help us plan for the future of Explain It to Me by filling out a brief survey: ⁠voxmedia.com/survey⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices