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What you gain, and what you give up, when you let AI agents take control. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Avishay Artsy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Various examples of avatars for Muse, Meta's AI agent, during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California on Sept. 23, 2026. Photo by Minh Connors/Bloomberg via Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email [email protected]. 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

Between the Trump administration’s executive orders, lawsuits, and relentless rhetoric, it feels like voting systems in America are under constant threat. Is it working?  Editor’s note: Earlier in this episode, Sweren-Becker said that 26 courts had decided that the DoJ is not entitled to voter records. Oklahoma settled its suit, and the state agreed to provide its voter data. This show was edited by Kasia Broussalian, fact checked by Esther Gim, mixed by Shannon Mahoney, video edited by Christopher Snyder, and hosted by Astead Herndon. Photo caption: President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally Wasilla, Alaska. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) You can also watch this episode on youtube.com/vox. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. If you enjoy our reporting and want to learn more, sign up for Astead’s weekly newsletter, Midterms, Actually. Just go to www.vox.com/midtermsactually to learn more, and get in-depth analysis about this year’s election right to your inbox.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The HHS secretary has pressured food companies like Mars, which makes M&M's, to stop using artificial dyes. Easier said than done. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Noel King. A close-up image shows a bowl of blue M&M candies. Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first midterms to feature AI slop ads are also on track to be the most expensive ever. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt with help from Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. A person holds a smartphone displaying President Donald Trump's Truth Social post featuring an AI-generated video of him interacting with a tiger, while a laptop screen in the background shows footage circulated on social media of William Chapman being attacked by a tiger at Britain's Yorkshire Wildlife Park, on October 14, 2026 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. Photo illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump's playbook to go after his enemies is evolving. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) at a press conference on efforts to reform the Department of Homeland Security on January 13, 2026. Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They promise you financial freedom with very little work, but these side hustles might just be the new pyramid schemes. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. A young woman struggling with budget planning and financial stress. Photo by Witthaya Prasongsin via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Maine senator has dodged decades of attacks, but President Trump’s low approval ratings could be her political deathblow. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Dustin DeSoto, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) is seen before her debate with Democratic candidate for the Senate Troy Jackson in Bangor, Maine on October 15, 2026. Photo by Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Men and women are trying to maximize their reproductive health due to anxieties around declining fertility trends. But are we taking “embryomaxxing” too far? This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Avishay Artsy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by David Tatasciore, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. A surrogate mother undergoes an ultrasound scan at the Beta Fertility Clinic, where her pregnancy is being monitored, in Tbilisi in Georgia. Photo by Marie Audinet / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email [email protected] 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

Republicans are entering the midterm home stretch with a staggering $1 billion campaign war chest. Will it make a difference?  This show was edited by Kasia Broussalian, fact checked by Esther Gim, mixed by Vasilis Fotopoulos, video edited by Christopher Snyder, and hosted by Astead Herndon. Photo caption: President Donald Trump speaks during an election rally for local Republican candidates in Youngstown, Ohio. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) You can also watch this episode on youtube.com/vox. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. If you enjoy our reporting and want to learn more, sign up for Astead’s weekly newsletter, Midterms, Actually. Just go to www.vox.com/midtermsactually to learn more, and get in-depth analysis about this year’s election right to your inbox.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The internet has a crush on some of the candidates running for office this election season and it’s saying a lot about how Democrats and Republicans wield sexuality. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt with help from Ariana Aspuru, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed at a town hall event on September 3, 2026 in Waterford, Michigan. Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Saudi Arabia's dreams of becoming a global financial hub are running into the reality of regional war. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Flames burn at a facility belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco south of Riyadh on October 3, 2026. Aramco, majority-owned by the Saudi state, has come under attack from the Houthi authorities targeting the kingdom as part of the war in Yemen. Photo by AFP via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Data centers have maybe the worst image in America right now. Enter the public relations professionals. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. The sun rises on Microsoft's Project Ginger West and a nearby farmhouse in West Des Moines, Iowa. Photo by Liz Rymarev, Post-Dispatch via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast⁠.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cornell University’s president is wary of an outright ban, but the school’s sexual assault case has campuses around the country considering the question. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger with help from Ariana Aspuru and Danielle Hewitt, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. The Chi Phi fraternity house at the center of a rape allegation stands on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Photo by Ryan Murphy/Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast⁠.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Support for the death penalty has dropped dramatically in the US, but in some places there's still a "death penalty assembly line" as this episode of The Gray Area explores. This episode was produced by Thor Neureiter and Beth Morrissey, with help from Miranda Kennedy and Amina Al-Sadi, engineered by Shannon Mahoney and David Tatasciore, fact checked by Melissa Hirsch, and hosted by Miles Bryan. Walls Unit in Huntsville prison is where lethal injections are carried out on inmates. Photo by Jerry Cabluck/Sygma via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast⁠.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our emotional relationships with our pets have only grown since the pandemic — and so has the financial price we pay. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Mackenzie Rullo, 4, waits ringside with golden retriever "Envy" at The Rocky Mountain Cluster All Breed Dog Show in Denver in 2016. Photo by Kathryn Scott Osler/The Denver Post via Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email [email protected] 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