Today, Explained

Latest Episodes:

"Send her back" Jul 18, 2019

Show notes

An ugly, racist week in America came to a head last night with a chant at a Trump rally. The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer says this is a defining moment for American democracy.

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How to solve the asylum crisis Jul 17, 2019

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On Tuesday, the Trump administration dramatically changed the rules governing asylum. A scholar who has helped shape US immigration policy since the 1980s explains why the rule change won't solve the crisis.

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The Prince of Blackwater Jul 16, 2019

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Betsy DeVos’s baby brother made a name for himself running one of America's top mercenary companies. The Intercept's Matthew Cole explains how Blackwater founder Erik Prince has reinvented himself since falling out of favor with the US government.

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What raids? Jul 15, 2019

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Immigrant communities across the United States spent the weekend on edge awaiting so-called "ICE raids." Reporter Tal Kopan explains what happened and immigration attorney Claudia Cubas describes the detention process.

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Don't stop, make it pop Jul 12, 2019

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Your favorite young person’s favorite app is TikTok. Vox’s Rebecca Jennings has been spending too much time trying to understand it.

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The government will sleep in your bed Jul 11, 2019

Show notes

This week, 22 UN ambassadors condemned China for detaining at least a million ethnic Uighurs in “reeducation camps.” After Gulchehra Hoja, a Uighur journalist, started reporting on the camps, over twenty of her relatives were imprisoned.

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A preexisting debate Jul 10, 2019

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Obamacare is back in court. Vox’s Li Zhou explains how the healthcare bill might finally meet its maker and Ezra Klein explains why that might be great news for Democrats in 2020.

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The renegade general Jul 09, 2019

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Libya’s ongoing civil war has escalated into one of its bloodiest moments yet—the bombing of a migrant detention center in Tripoli. Analyst Anas El Gomati explains why the likeliest culprit is a rogue Libyan general who worked with the CIA and once launched a coup online.

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Switch to Mitch Jul 08, 2019

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In the first Democratic debates, candidates seemed to be running against a powerful Republican who arrived long before Trump and will likely outlast him. NPR's Kelly McEvers explains the secret to Senator Mitch McConnell's dominance.

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Know your enemy (Part II) Jul 05, 2019

Show notes

When people see Deeyah Khan's documentary about white supremacists they tell her, "The real problem is jihad. You should spend time with jihadists." She says, "I did."

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