Today, Explained

Trump's money man

Michael Cohen mentioned one name multiple times during his Congressional testimony: accountant Allen Weisselberg. We peel back the curtain on the keeper of Trump's fiercely guarded secrets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Title X factor

The Trump administration got a lot closer to defunding Planned Parenthood this week — 21 states are fighting back with a sweeping new lawsuit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Uh-oh, Trudeau!

Canada’s prime minister is accused of pressuring his attorney general to go easy on a wealthy corporation, and two cabinet officials resigned in protest. With an election mere months away, can Justin Trudeau survive? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Outbreak

The United States officially eliminated measles in 2000. But the deadly disease is making a comeback, and the anti-vaccine movement is largely to thank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Jackson, allegedly

Two men accuse Michael Jackson of sexually abusing them as children in a new HBO documentary. Sean Rameswaram speaks with the film's director and a lawyer representing the estate of Michael Jackson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Friends without benefits

Facebook moderators watch suicides, decapitations, and drone attacks so you don’t have to—and they’re paid just a fraction of what the average Facebook employee makes. The Verge’s Casey Newton got a rare glimpse inside “the Trauma Floor.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Terrorism, airstrikes, tea

The long-simmering feud between nuclear powers India and Pakistan is boiling over. Ankit Panda from The Diplomat explains why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Cohen LIVE

After weeks of delays and drama, President Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, testified before Congress today. Vox’s Andrew Prokop says his statements amount to much more than blockbuster political theater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your money is under arrest

Police can seize your property without ever charging you with a crime. And you probably won’t get it back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aiding chaos

Venezuela's whole “two presidents” thing has turned lethal. Emiliana Duarte spent the weekend at Venezuela’s border with Colombia where security forces faced off against protesters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jussie Smollett's worst enemy

Jussie Smollett was the victim of a racist, homophobic hate crime last month. Or at least that’s what he’d have you believe. The Advocate’s Zach Stafford tells the Smollett saga from its shocking start to its outrageous end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Train takes a bullet

Californians were promised high-speed rail. Eleven years and billions of dollars later, all they have is a fight with President Trump. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias laments a train in vain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

HQ2-1

Amazon decided on two headquarters: one in New York and the other in Arlington, Virginia. One deal fell apart, the other just might work out perfectly. Today, Explained’s Noam Hassenfeld finds out why. ************** Clarification: We noted that New York offered $3 billion in subsidies to Amazon. We have clarified that this was a mix of both cash grants and tax incentives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A little privacy, please

The Verge's Casey Newton says a California privacy law to protect your online data might finally push federal legislators to come up with one set of rules for the entire country. Recode's Kara Swisher says it's high time big tech gets its act together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2020 vision

Nearly a dozen candidates have announced their run for the presidency and 2019 has only just begun. John Dickerson of Slate’s Political Gabfest explains the endless American tradition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emergency podcast!

President Donald Trump declared a national state of emergency today. It’s the latest installment in his controversial “Build the wall!” series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 400% interest rate

Remember the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? It’s not doing so well. Enforcement is down by 75 percent, employees are leaving in droves, and now regulations are being rolled back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Race runs through it

Virginia: birthplace of American democracy and American slavery, first state to elect a black governor and maybe the first to have a governor with a KKK costume on his yearbook page. Christy Coleman from the American Civil War Museum in Richmond explains the duality of Old Dominion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Killing Sears

Sears was on its way to the graveyard of American icons when its former CEO, a reclusive billionaire named Eddie Lampert, stepped in to buy it. Unfortunately, he’s the same CEO who led the company into bankruptcy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Virginia is for scandals

First it was blackface. And maybe the KKK? Then there was an accusation of sexual assault. Then more blackface. Then another sexual assault. Welcome to Virginia 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alexa, disable camera

Jeff Bezos. Donald Trump. The Washington Post. The National Enquirer. This dick pic is not like the others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inauguration investigation

President Trump’s inaugural committee this week received a sweeping subpoena. Federal prosecutors in New York want to know where a record-breaking amount of money came from and where exactly it went. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pushing opioids over lunch

Let's do lunch! And talk Oxy! A new study suggests a correlation between aggressive marketing and opioid overdoses. The timing isn't great for Purdue Pharma. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The State of the World

President Trump delivers his second State of the Union tonight, but how’s the world doing? Believe it or not, Vox’s Dylan Matthews says things are getting much, much better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Shadow Rulers

Big changes are afoot at the second-biggest federal agency, the Department of Veterans Affairs. ProPublica’s Isaac Arnsdorf explains how a trio of President Trump’s friends has been leading the charge from outside the VA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Written in blood

For 31 years, Joe Bryan has been in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. He was convicted based on bloodstain-pattern analysis, but ProPublica’s Pamela Colloff says it's way less scientific than you might think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They're calling it a revolution

Historic protests threaten to topple Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir. Reporter Reem Abbas speaks to Sean Rameswaram after being tear gassed in Khartoum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All your data for $20

Facebook has been paying 13- to 35-year-olds $20 in exchange for access to their phones and Apple isn't happy about it. The Verge’s Casey Newton explains what happens when your hardware gets mad at your software. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Peace with the Taliban

The US and the Taliban are working out a deal to end America’s longest war. Afghanistan is nervous. Vox’s Jennifer Williams explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grounding the shutdown

Air traffic controllers aren’t allowed to strike, but they may have found another way to end the government shutdown on Friday. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias determines whether the country learned anything from its pointless and painful political exercise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices