Today, Explained

Vox's German Lopez explains America's opioid crisis and goes looking for a solution.

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The first trial of the Mueller investigation begins tomorrow. Vox’s Andrew Prokop runs through the many, many charges Paul Manafort is facing.

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Dan Harmon quit Twitter. James Gunn was fired by Disney. Sarah Silverman defended a nine-year-old joke about molestation. Vox’s Aja Romano explains why internet mobs are digging up celebrities’ old social media posts.

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A thrice-married, nightclub-loving cricket star just won Pakistan’s election. Mehreen Zahra-Malik explains why the military backed Imran Khan and Brookings’ Madiha Afzal explains why democracy in Pakistan never seems to last long.

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The Trump administration stirred up a flurry of trade disputes that threatened to put farmers in the red. Then it threw out a lifesaver: $12 billion in emergency relief. A farmer in Minnesota tells us what she really thinks.

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What’s up with the Parkland teens? Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School inspired over a million people to march for gun control a few months ago, but it’s been relatively quiet since. Turns out they’ve been busier than ever. David Hogg speaks to Sean Rameswaram.

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The White House has proposed stripping the Endangered Species Act of key provisions - the same legislation that helped save the grizzly bear, bald eagle and humpback whale. But Congressional Republicans say protecting some critters is hurting farmers and businesses in big ways. Vox’s Umair Irfan explains.

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What a week. President Trump sided with President Putin, then he didn’t, then he did, then he didn’t again. Vox’s Alex Ward tries to keep up. 

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In 1971, a professor locked a bunch of young men in a basement to understand evil. The results were explosive. This summer, it all came crashing down. Vox’s Brian Resnick explains what’s going on with the Stanford Prison Experiment. (Transcript here.)

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One of the most brutal murder cases in American history has been reopened. The Washington Post’s Wesley Lowery explains how Emmett Till’s family might finally find justice.

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Bernie Sanders, Sarah Palin, and Dick Cheney walk into an interview. Sacha Baron Cohen is waiting for them. Vox’s Todd VanDerWerff explains.

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Vladimir Putin flatly denied Russian interference in the United States’s 2016 elections and President Trump refused to call him out. Former ambassador Nicholas Burns says it’s a sad day for America. Then Vox’s Andrew Prokop digs into the fresh indictments.

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Republicans control the White House, Congress and most state legislatures. Pod Save America’s Dan Pfeiffer explains how Democrats can dig themselves out of this hole. ************************************************************* CORRECTION: In this episode, we incorrectly state that the majority of white millennials voted for Donald Trump. Trump won the youngest white demographic (ages 18-29), but he won a plurality (47%) not a majority.

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Breastmilk. Research says it’s the best, so why did the U.S. threaten to shut down a breastfeeding proposal at the World Health Assembly? Vox’s Julia Belluz says it all boils down to baby formula, the $70 billion industry lurking in the shadows. ******************************************* Are you pregnant? Have you ever been? Vox wants to provide more explainers on women's health and would love your help. You can fill out the survey here: http://bit.ly/voxpregnancy

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British Prime Minister Theresa May is losing cabinet members left and right. She can’t figure out how to Brexit. BBC's Rob Watson says the UK's breakup with the European Union is turning into its biggest political crisis since the Second World War.

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Brett Kavanaugh is President Trump’s pick to replace Anthony Kennedy on the United States Supreme Court. The New York Times Magazine’s Emily Bazelon says the nomination was decades in the making.

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Tonight the president announces who might replace Anthony Kennedy on the United States Supreme Court. During his campaign, he promised he would choose pro-life justices to dismantle the abortion case Roe v. Wade. Mary Ziegler, author of "After Roe", explains what the country might look like if the 1973 decision is overturned.

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It’s official: Scott Pruitt will no longer lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Vox’s Umair Irfan explains why it doesn’t really matter who replaces him.

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When the clock strikes twelve tonight, the US government plans to hit Chinese goods with $34 billion in tariffs. China plans to lash back. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias explains who this trade war will hurt the most.

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#AbolishICE has gone from an online murmur to a national movement, but a lot of Americans are confused about what exactly Immigration and Customs Enforcement does. Vox’s Dara Lind explains the short history of the controversial agency and what it might mean to see it dissolved.

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Meet Mexico’s next president: Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Call him AMLO. He’s a leftist, a populist, and wasn’t shy about calling Donald Trump a “neo-fascist”. Professor Carlos Bravo Regidor explains how AMLO went from losing the presidency twice to winning it in a landslide.

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The Supreme Court upheld President Trump’s travel ban this week, making it all but impossible for the citizens of seven countries to enter the United States. One of those countries is Yemen, which the United Nations says is undergoing the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet. International Crisis Group’s Joost Hiltermann explains how things got so bad, and why they could get a lot worse.

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is set to become the youngest woman to ever serve in Congress this November. The 28-year-old Democratic Socialist defeated ten-term Representative Joe Crowley in a massive upset for the Democratic Party. Vox’s Kay Steiger explains whether socialism is the future of the left.

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After 30 years on the Supreme Court, Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement today. Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick explains what the departure of the swing vote means for the Court and the country.

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In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court upheld President Trump’s travel ban. Emily Bazelon from The New York Times Magazine explains the opinion, a fiery dissent, and how the justices used this case to undo one of the Court’s most racist decisions.

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A 32-year-old from Santa Monica, California, helped President Trump conceive of the most divisive immigration policy in decades. The Atlantic’s McKay Coppins explains how Stephen Miller went from high school troll to West Wing advisor.

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Bill and Melinda Gates are messing with nature. But they’re doing it to save the world. This week, their foundation gave away millions to make malaria-carrying mosquitoes extinct before long. On the way, they’ll have to tweak some DNA. Vox’s Joss Fong explains. ****************************************************** Check out the Vox Video on the ethical debate over using genetically modified mosquitoes: https://bit.ly/2kBle83

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President Trump signed an executive order which aims to end his own policy of family separation at the border. Yeah... it's confusing. Martha Mendoza from the Associated Press tries to parse it out, and immigration lawyer Anne Chandler explains the chaos families are still experiencing at the border.

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The United States has been threatening to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council for some time, but President Trump and Ambassador Nikki Haley made it official last night. The announcement comes just one day after the council called the act of separating kids from their parents “unconscionable.” Foreign Policy’s Colum Lynch explains why the withdrawal is bad news for the world.

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It's Juneteenth! What is this holiday that hardly anyone fully understands? UCLA's Brenda Stevenson explains the history, and argues that the celebration of emancipation is more important now than ever.

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That’s how many kids have been separated from their parents at border crossings over a six-week span since the Trump administration’s new zero tolerance policy took effect in April. CBS’s David Begnaud tours a holding facility in Texas. Then Vox’s Dara Lind explains why some conservatives are denouncing Trump’s new policy.

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Tiny blood-sucking Lyme-disease-carrying ticks are out to ruin your summer. Since 1991, Lyme disease has doubled in the United States due to a variety of factors, including global warming and suburbanization. Vox’s Julia Belluz explains how to avoid ticks and, if worse comes to worst, deal with Lyme disease.

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The World Cup kicks off today. Looking for a country to cheer for? Consider Egypt. The team might not be the most storied or stacked, but it’s got Mohamed Salah. The New York Times’ chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith explains how the Muslim player who prays after every goal (and there are many) has the potential to transcend xenophobia, Islamophobia, and run-of-the-mill racism on the road to Russia.

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On Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions made it harder for Central Americans fleeing gang violence or women escaping domestic violence to gain asylum in the United States. This comes after the Trump administration made a practice of separating families who have entered the country illegally. Vox’s Dara Lind explains how U.S. immigration policy is dramatically shifting.

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Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un made history today. Or did they? NPR’s Elise Hu was there. She explains what happened and what didn’t. Plus, The New Yorker’s Robin Wright recounts United States summit history. She says there are two keys to a successful summit, and Singapore's meeting lacked both.

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Good news for poor Americans: Medicaid is expanding in several states. Bad news for poor Americans: Medicaid is expanding in several states with work requirements. How do poor people who can’t find work prove that they’re working to qualify for Medicaid? Vox’s Sarah Kliff explains this is an experiment that’s never been tried before.

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This week, the Saudi government issued driver’s licenses to women for the first time in the country’s history. But London School of Economics professor Madawi al Rasheed says Saudi women are hardly even people under the law. She explains what life is like for women in Saudi Arabia, and Vox’s Jenn Williams tells Sean Rameswaram about the Saudi prince who says he wants reform.

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North America isn't getting along anymore. Canada's Prime Minister is having testy phone calls with President Trump about the War of 1812. Mexico has slapped the United States with a $3 billion dollar tax bill. It all comes down to steel. Today, U.S. senators from both aisles announced new attempts to curb the president's tariffs power. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias explains how steel sparked a trade war.

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Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Scooter Libby. Dinesh D'Souza. So far, none of President Donald Trump’s pardons have had anything to do with his administration, but many believe he is flexing this particular muscle for an audience of one: Robert Mueller. Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains why the president is dropping hints about pardoning himself and how American democracy may soon be tested.

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Nicaragua is spiraling into a state of national catastrophe, as clashes between police and student protesters over the past two months have left more than 100 dead. Reuters' Delphine Schrank explains why much of that anger is aimed towards President Daniel Ortega, who critics say is acting more and more like the dictator he helped kick out.

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Today the Supreme Court issued a decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, or as it’s colloquially known, the “gay cake” case. The 7-2 ruling sided with a Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple. Most experts say the justices failed to make any rulings on same-sex rights versus religious freedoms, and The New York Times Magazine’s Emily Bazelon says that’s just the top layer.

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Congress is rolling back the bank regulations implemented after the 2008 financial crisis. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias explains why, and what it means for the country’s financial future.

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There are three things you need to know about George Soros: 1) You’re pronouncing his name wrong. 2) He’s richer than rich. 3) He’s one of the most hated people in the world. Roseanne tweeted that the Holocaust survivor was a Nazi on Tuesday, and Hungary is currently trying to pass legislation that would ban him. Foreign Policy’s Emily Tamkin explains how the financier-philanthropist came to have so many haters even though he gives away his money to the poor.

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ABC canceled the popular reboot of Roseanne after its star likened President Obama’s former advisor, an African-American woman, to an ape on Twitter. Today, Roseanne Barr blamed her tweets on Ambien. The manufacturer responded that “racism is not a known side effect.” Vox’s Todd VanDerWerff explores why the Trump-era reboot was so well received, and whether TV can bring opposite poles of the American political spectrum together. ******************************************** Big news: A Harvard study says over 4,600 people died in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria - a far cry from the official estimate of 64. Listen to our explainer on how things got so bad in Puerto Rico: https://art19.com/shows/today-explained/episodes/75841e00-a9cd-4031-9d47-43d522b64a2c

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You know those privacy policy emails flooding your inbox lately? Turns out those are thanks to the European Union’s crackdown on websites that collect your personal data. The Verge’s Russell Brandom explains the regulation known as the GDPR and why Europe seems to care about your security more than America. ******************************************* Ireland passed a historic referendum over the weekend, voting to legalize abortion. You can hear about one of the strictest abortion bans in the world in our episode here: https://art19.com/shows/today-explained/episodes/e66e8aca-b398-46a8-8468-8ffb3f823184

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Venezuela has been crippled by poverty, starvation, five-figure inflation, and on Sunday, an election that many countries didn’t recognize as legit. Bloomberg’s Patricia Laya shares reactions to Nicolás Maduro’s new term from her base in Caracas before NYU’s Alejandro Velasco explains how having the most oil in the world got Venezuela into all this trouble.

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President Trump cancelled his historic Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un today. The announcement comes after a North Korean official called Vice President Pence “ignorant and stupid” for likening their country to Libya, which crumbled after it gave up its nuclear program. Vox’s Alex Ward explains what went wrong and why war is back on the table.

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Today the National Football League released a statement saying players will be fined if they kneel during the national anthem. It’s the ultimate response to a protest that began with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016, and became a cause célèbre for President Trump. SB Nation’s Tyler Tynes explains the significance of this moment.

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The Supreme Court may have taken away your ability to file a class action lawsuit against your employer. In a 5-4 decision yesterday, the Court decided that workers who signed contracts with arbitration clauses aren’t allowed to band together and sue their employers. Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern says the ruling is just the latest setback to tens of millions of American workers.

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