Today, Explained

Today, Explained takes the Vox philosophy -- explain things clearly, not just report them -- and turns it into a daily podcast that runs about 25 minutes. Sean Rameswaram and Noel King share hosting duties, and the chemistry works. Rameswaram has a knack for asking the follow-up question you were thinking. King, who came over from NPR, brings a directness that keeps conversations moving. Each episode picks a single story and pulls it apart with reporters, academics, and people on the ground. If tariffs go up on Chinese goods, they won't just read the announcement. They'll bring on an economist to walk through the supply chain effects, then talk to a factory owner in Ohio, then explain why this particular trade mechanism was chosen over alternatives. It's news for people who want to understand the machinery behind headlines, not just scan them. The production has a recognizable Vox polish -- clean editing, thoughtful pacing, occasional sound design that adds texture without being distracting. Episodes drop daily, usually late enough in the afternoon to catch the day's biggest developments, but many listeners save them for the next morning's commute. That next-morning approach actually works well because the explanatory format ages better than a straight headline recap. With around 2,000 episodes since its 2018 launch, the archive alone is a solid education in recent history. Great choice if your reaction to most news is "okay, but why is this happening?"