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Explainers

We live in a world of too much information and too little context. Too much noise and too little insight. That's where Vox's explainers come in.

The Democrats who could replace Biden if he steps aside
Politics

Kamala Harris? Gavin Newsom? Pete Buttigieg?!?

By Nicole Narea
What two years without Roe looks like, in 8 chartsWhat two years without Roe looks like, in 8 charts
Explainers

Americans are confronting a whole new reality of patchwork abortion access after the Dobbs decision.

By Nicole Narea
What to know about Biden’s new plan to legalize US citizens’ undocumented family membersWhat to know about Biden’s new plan to legalize US citizens’ undocumented family members
Politics

Who’s eligible, is it legal, and other key questions, answered.

By Nicole Narea
Biden’s overlooked campaign to protect Americans from Big BusinessBiden’s overlooked campaign to protect Americans from Big Business
Politics

Many Americans are focused on inflation, but from Big Tech to junk fees, Biden is advancing a pro-consumer agenda.

By Nicole Narea

The latest in Explainers

What the Labour Party’s big win in the UK will actually meanWhat the Labour Party’s big win in the UK will actually mean
World Politics

The UK is getting a new government. What is it promising to do?

By Ellen Ioanes
What Kenya’s deadly protests are really aboutWhat Kenya’s deadly protests are really about
World Politics

A proposed tax hike sparked unrest, but Kenya’s real problem is a debt crisis.

By Ellen Ioanes
Is Nvidia stock overvalued? It depends on the future of AI.Is Nvidia stock overvalued? It depends on the future of AI.
Business & Finance

It has been a wild few days for Nvidia stock. But the hype isn't dying down anytime soon.

By Nicole Narea
Julian Assange’s release is still a lose-lose for press freedomJulian Assange’s release is still a lose-lose for press freedom
Media

The Wikileaks founder will plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act for publishing leaks about the Iraq War.

By Ellen Ioanes
Mysterious monoliths are appearing across the world. Here’s what we know.Mysterious monoliths are appearing across the world. Here’s what we know.
Culture

We don’t know where the mysterious monoliths come from. But we do know they’re art.

By Constance Grady
House of the Dragon and the Targaryen family, explained
Culture

HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel reveals a period of turbulence and upheaval for Daenerys’s formidable family.

By Aja Romano
Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis, explainedKate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis, explained
Culture

Three months after she disclosed her illness, the Princess of Wales is making a return to public life.

By Constance Grady
The surprisingly subtle recipe making heat waves worseThe surprisingly subtle recipe making heat waves worse
The Vox guide to extreme heat

The anatomy of a heat wave, from “heat domes” to megadroughts.

By Umair Irfan
America’s misunderstood border crisis, in 8 chartsAmerica’s misunderstood border crisis, in 8 charts
Politics

For all the attention on the border, the root causes of migration and the most promising solutions to the US’s broken immigration system are often overlooked.

By Nicole Narea
Dopamine, explained
Future Perfect

Dopamine detoxing, hacking, and fasting: Is any of it real?

By Celia Ford
How worried should we be about Russia putting a nuke in space?How worried should we be about Russia putting a nuke in space?
World Politics

It's not there yet — but we should be concerned.

By Joshua Keating
The video where Diddy attacks Cassie — and the allegations against him — explainedThe video where Diddy attacks Cassie — and the allegations against him — explained
Culture

The footage confirmed some details of his ex-girlfriend’s lawsuit, as other cases against the rapper continue.

By Anna North
The known unknowns about Ozempic, explainedThe known unknowns about Ozempic, explained
Audio
The Gray Area

Ozempic has become hugely popular. Researchers are racing to learn more about what it does to us.

By Sean Illing
The controversy over Gaza’s death toll, explainedThe controversy over Gaza’s death toll, explained
World Politics

Revised data from the health ministry turned into a debate about the war’s human cost. That death toll remains devastating.

By Ellen Ioanes
Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” the song of summer, explainedSabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” the song of summer, explained
Culture

The “Nonsense” singer’s pop magic comes from being in on the joke.

By Alex Abad-Santos
The controversy over Harrison Butker’s misogynistic commencement speech, explainedThe controversy over Harrison Butker’s misogynistic commencement speech, explained
Politics

Butker’s address was a textbook case of conservative sexism and homophobia.

By Li Zhou
Inside the bombshell scandal that prompted two Miss USAs to step downInside the bombshell scandal that prompted two Miss USAs to step down
Culture

Allegations of a “toxic work environment” have once again tarnished the pageant’s reputation.

By Constance Grady
Biden’s surprise proposal to debate Trump early, explainedBiden’s surprise proposal to debate Trump early, explained
Politics

The political intrigue behind the unusually early June debate date.

By Andrew Prokop
J.K. Rowling’s transphobia: A history
Culture

An exhausting — if not exhaustive — timeline of J.K. Rowling’s transphobia.

By Aja Romano
How a bunch of Redditors made GameStop’s stock soarHow a bunch of Redditors made GameStop’s stock soar
Money

Much to the chagrin of the hedge funds attempting to short it.

By Emily Stewart
Sen. Bob Menendez’s corruption trial, explainedSen. Bob Menendez’s corruption trial, explained
Politics

Was the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair bought by the Egyptian government?

By Andrew Prokop
Bird flu in cows — and now in milk. How worried should we be?Bird flu in cows — and now in milk. How worried should we be?
Health

The detection of bird flu in cows and thecommercial milksupply raises new concerns about the risks to public health.

By Kenny Torrella and Benji Jones
Monkey Man’s imperfect political critique still packs a punchMonkey Man’s imperfect political critique still packs a punch
Culture

Dev Patel’s action-packed directorial debut also takes aim at contemporary Indian politics.

By Li Zhou
We know where the next big earthquakes will happen — but not whenWe know where the next big earthquakes will happen — but not when
Climate

Scientists have drastically improved our understanding of seismic events. Here are eight things to know.

By Umair Irfan
9 questions about Ramadan you were too embarrassed to ask
Explainers

The most basic answers to the most basic questions about the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

By Jennifer Williams
The chaotic, irreplaceable Wendy Williams
Culture

Wendy Williams’s rise, reputation, and absence from her talk show, explained.

By Melinda Fakuade
The Alabama Supreme Court opinion holding that embryos are children, explainedThe Alabama Supreme Court opinion holding that embryos are children, explained
Abortion

Did Alabama’s Supreme Court just ban IVF treatments?

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court will decide whether to let civilians own automatic weaponsThe Supreme Court will decide whether to let civilians own automatic weapons
Supreme Court

Garland v. Cargill asks whether gun makers can evade the ban on machine guns with a device called a bump stock.

By Ian Millhiser
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s death, explainedRussian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s death, explained
Russia

Navalny’s death is the end of an era for Russia — and cements Putin’s grip on power.

By Ellen Ioanes
America’s unique, enduring gun problem, explained
Gun Violence

The factors that lead to tragedies like the Kansas City shooting are deeply ingrained in US politics, culture, and law.

By Li Zhou, Nicole Narea and 1 more
How a shipping error more than a century ago launched the $30 billion chicken industryHow a shipping error more than a century ago launched the $30 billion chicken industry
Future Perfect

The accidental origins of the chicken on your plate, explained.

By Kenny Torrella
Trump’s legal arguments for staying on the ballot are embarrassingly weakTrump’s legal arguments for staying on the ballot are embarrassingly weak
Supreme Court

It’s hard to imagine this Supreme Court removing Trump from the ballot. But his lawyers gave the justices very little to work with.

By Ian Millhiser
The legal fight over whether Texas can seize control of the border, explainedThe legal fight over whether Texas can seize control of the border, explained
Supreme Court

The Constitution gives the Biden administration nearly exclusive authority over matters of immigration. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wants the courts to change that.

By Ian Millhiser
How the internet built a conspiracy theory around a new spy flick, a debut novel, and Taylor SwiftHow the internet built a conspiracy theory around a new spy flick, a debut novel, and Taylor Swift
Culture

The Argylle authorship controversy, explained.

By Constance Grady
The US and UK hit Houthi targets in Yemen. It probably won’t stop Red Sea attacks.The US and UK hit Houthi targets in Yemen. It probably won’t stop Red Sea attacks.
World Politics

It’s an escalation in the region, but we’re not actually headed to outright war with Iran.

By Ellen Ioanes
Congress averted a shutdown. Here’s what’s next.Congress averted a shutdown. Here’s what’s next.
Politics

Congress’s interminable shutdown cycle, explained.

By Li Zhou
How plagiarism became the latest weapon in the culture wars
Culture

The fight over plagiarism is the harbinger of a messy new era.

By Constance Grady
Seriously, what is Aaron Rodgers’s deal?Seriously, what is Aaron Rodgers’s deal?
Sports

Aaron Rodgers, explained for sports fans and non-sports fans alike.

By Emily Stewart
How Iowa accidentally became the start of the presidential rat raceHow Iowa accidentally became the start of the presidential rat race
Politics

The history of the Iowa caucuses (and their downfall?), briefly explained.

By Nicole Narea
The Supreme Court cases asking the justices to put themselves in charge of everything, explainedThe Supreme Court cases asking the justices to put themselves in charge of everything, explained
Supreme Court

The justices are threatening to put themselves in charge of every single federal agency. They should resist that temptation.

By Ian Millhiser