Today, Explained

Sports betting is a costly mistake, says addiction researcher Charles Fain Lehman. He and NBA great Danny Green discuss how it's changed sports for the worse, and whether there's a way to fix it. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact checked by Laura Bullard with help from Victoria Chamberlin, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Special thanks to Steven Delaney, host of Fantasy or Reality? The Gambling Problem Podcast. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Las Vegas Sphere was supposed to be the future of live entertainment. But just over a year into its run, New York Post writer Josh Kosman explains why the math ain’t mathin’. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members The realistic eyeball that kept watch over Las Vegas was one of Sphere's early breakout hits. Photo by K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Name and likeness rights are fundamentally changing college sports at a rapid pace. SB Nation’s JP Acosta and sports commentator Pablo Torre explain. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Rob Byers, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members The Georgia Bulldogs celebrate their victory in the 2024 SEC Championship game in Atlanta this month. Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He'd love to take credit for a deal, although Israel and Hamas are still deadlocked. But Amir Tibon of Haaretz and Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations say peace may be closer than ever. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Matt Collette with help from Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Rob Byers, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members President-elect Donald Trump after speaking at a "Fighting Anti-Semitism in America" event earlier this year. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A growing number of countries are legalizing assisted suicide, mostly for terminally ill patients. The Washington Post's Karla Adam and Vox's Marin Cogan explain the debate over right-to-die policies. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members A "suicide pod" in the Netherlands. Photo by AP Photo/Ahmad Seir, File. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Trump says he can see Justin Trudeau becoming governor of “the great state of Canada.” It’s part of a pressure campaign to get big concessions on trade and immigration from Canada and Mexico. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Victoria Chamberlin, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Plaster figurines of Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, and Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum for sale at a crossing in Tijuana, Mexico. Photo by GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trad wives are having a moment. A new conservative women’s magazine promising to be the anti-Cosmo is capitalizing on the trend. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Rob Byers, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members The archetype of a 1950s housewife. Photo by Debrocke/Classicstock/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Syrian refugees are celebrating the end of the Assad regime. But for Omar Alshogre and millions like him, going back to Syria is a complicated decision. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Rob Byers, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Syrians arriving at the border crossing between Lebanon and Syria to return home following the collapse of the Baath Party regime. Photo by Murat Sengul/Anadolu via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US saw a significant drop in the number of drug overdose deaths. The Trump administration has a shot at keeping the trend going. STAT News's addiction reporter, Lev Facher, explains. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. An addiction recovery billboard in Minneapolis. Photo by Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gothamist’s Brittany Kriegstein explains who police just arrested. STAT News’s Bob Herman explains the anger resonating against UnitedHealthcare. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Rob Byers, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, in an Altoona Police Department handout photo. Photo by Altoona Police Department via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Target struggles to retain its customers, rivals like Walmart are making gains. The Wall Street Journal’s Sarah Nassauer explains what’s behind this retail shift. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Rob Byers, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Empty shopping carts at a Target store in Chicago. Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kyle Mooney dreams up a New Year’s Eve 1999 apocalypse. Historian Zachary Loeb explains why the real Y2K wasn't one. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Anouck Dussaud, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Rob Byers, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Kyle Mooney in a still from "Y2K," the film he directed and starred in. Photo credit: Nicole Rivelli. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A rebel group changed the course of Syria's long civil war when it seized Aleppo this past weekend. The Syria Report's Jihad Yazigi tells us what motivates the group's canny and mysterious leader. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon Rosen and Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Anouck Dussaud, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Rob Byers, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members A rebel fighter celebrates after they seized control of Aleppo, Syria this past weekend. Photo by Rami Alsayed/NurPhoto via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elon, Vivek and the Department of Government Efficiency want to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. A libertarian says the only way to do it is to eliminate aid programs altogether. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Kim Eggleston, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Rob Byers, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members A photo illustration of Elon Musk's X account and a Dogecoin cryptocurrency. Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Saturday, future President Donald Trump announced Kash Patel would lead the FBI. On Sunday, current President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter. Coincidence? The Washington Post’s Matt Viser and The Atlantic’s Elaina Plott Calabro explain. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Kim Eggleston, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Rob Byers, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members President Joe Biden hugs son Hunter Biden after ending his run for a second term this summer. Photo by Evan Vucci-Pool/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump has named wrestling tycoon Linda McMahon to be his secretary of education. She’ll be tasked with his campaign promise of … closing the department she’ll run. Is it a good idea? This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn and Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, Kim Eggleston, and Anouck Dussaud, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Linda McMahon speaking on the final night of the 2024 Republican National Convention. Photo by Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fast Company’s senior fashion writer Elizabeth Segran explains how the company overcame a problematic history to pull off a renaissance in this rebroadcast of our episode from July. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Matt Collette, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Abercrombie & Fitch models in 2005. Photo by David Pomponio/FilmMagic for Paul Wilmot Communications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many of us think our individual actions can’t combat systemic problems. Vox's Rachel Cohen and Bowling Alone author Robert Putnam explain why volunteer work, no matter how small, can make a difference for you and for us all. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette and Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members A volunteer serving a Thanksgiving meal at the Long Beach Rescue Mission. Photo by Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two American presidents are trying to shape the future of the war in Ukraine at the same time. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh and Haleema Shah, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Photo by MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

US Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez was one of the few Democrats to win a swing district in the 2024 election. She explains what lessons Democrats can learn from her win and what she hopes to accomplish, even as a minority, in the 119th Congress. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin and Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., after her 2022 election. Photo by Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices