Today, Explained

Conspiracy-19

Vox’s science editor, Eliza Barclay, arms you with the facts you need to fight your uncle’s favorite coronavirus conspiracy theories. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This one's for Earth

Cryptic treehunters. Unknown apples. Flowers fighting back. On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Vox’s Umair Irfan and Brian Resnick explain what we learned about the planet in the last year. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One day, three healthcare workers

A nurse, a paramedic, and a physician’s assistant record themselves throughout the course of a day in the fight against Covid-19. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The epicenter of the epicenter

Covid-19's victims, and the people they leave behind. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Long shot

It could be a year or more before the vaccine is ready, but there’s a radical plan to speed up the process. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zeke Emanuel’s exit strategy

President Trump wants to reopen the country yesterday. Bioethicist Zeke Emanuel, who served as a health policy advisor to former President Obama, offers a safe path. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Death Cab for The Postal Service?

The United States Postal Service is on the brink of collapse. Vox's Matthew Yglesias explains how and why the country should save it. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All praise, no pay

Essential workers in the food, transportation, and retail industries are being called American heroes. They want to be paid as such. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elizabeth Warren has a plan for this, too

Friend of the show Ezra Klein speaks to Sen. Elizabeth Warren about several plans she has proposed to combat this pandemic. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The loneliness pandemic

Coronavirus has led to another pandemic: social isolation. Vox’s Ezra Klein says this sickness has a cure. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Six feet away from God

While a few religious leaders flout shelter in place ordinances, Easter, Passover, and Ramadan are inspiring most to get creative with worship. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vote and die

Wisconsinites had to choose between catching Covid-19 and voting on Tuesday. Is the rest of the country next? (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"The Great Equalizer"

Madonna was wrong. Covid-19 isn't an equalizer. It's coming for America's most vulnerable populations. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The immunity test

A vaccine will take a while, but Vox’s Umair Irfan says the global effort to test for immunity and treat Covid-19 is well underway. (An earlier version of this episode misidentified hydroxychloroquine as an active ingredient in aquarium cleaner. That's chloroquine phosphate.) (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mask on? Mask off?

In an about-face, the Centers for Disease Control would now like you to cover your mouth and nose when you go outside. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

6.6 million more unemployed

Last week's unemployment numbers shattered all records. This week, they doubled. Vox's Matthew Yglesias, host of The Weeds podcast, proposes a way out of this mess. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lockdown while locked up

Arthur Longworth calls Sean from Washington State Reformatory to explain what it's like to serve a life sentence at a prison where the coronavirus is spreading. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The trouble with Trump’s daily briefings

Part rally, part media-bashing, part critical updates on the coronavirus crisis, President Trump's daily press briefings are muddying the message. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How Covid-19 attacks your body

In this episode of Vox's Reset podcast Ed Yong from The Atlantic explains how a little spiky ball called SARS-CoV2 brought the world to its knees. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your coronavirus questions, answered (Part II)

On today's show, more listener questions: Why isn't everyone social distancing? Will I be immune after I get it? When will this end? My anxiety is spiking!(Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The emergency room emergency

The Atlantic's James Hamblin explains why America has a critical shortage of medical supplies. New York City ER doctor Calvin Sun says, “It’s like a lottery that we don’t want to play, but we’re forced to play.” (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The two trillion dollar question

Congress has settled on an historic stimulus package, but Ezra Klein is worried it might not be enough. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Asia's second wave

Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore managed to contain Covid-19, but now things look less promising. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Giving birth in a pandemic

Vox's Julia Belluz went from covering the global coronavirus pandemic to giving birth in the middle of it. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your coronavirus questions, answered

On today's show, we answer listener questions: Why is there no TP? Will we run out of food? Can I get the virus from sex? How can I help? (Transcript here.) An earlier version of this episode featured a section that could have been misconstrued as legal advice. It has been removed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Six feet away

Vox’s Brian Resnick (safely) meets Sean in a Washington, D.C. park to deliver the Five Commandments of social distancing. Start your #SixFeetAwaySong journey at vox.com/today-explained. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

TFW your dad gives you Covid-19

Sean speaks to a Brooklyn family that has Covid-19, and Vox’s Dylan Scott explains how the United States is still trying to get its act together on testing. Subscribe to the Voxcare newsletter here: http://vox.com/voxcare. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can President Trump fix this?

After dismissing coronavirus concerns for months, President Donald is pivoting to serious action to slow the crisis in the United States. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

School's out for Covid

The country’s largest school district told a million kids to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s creating chaos for teachers, students, and parents. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Living in lockdown

Italy has quarantined the whole country in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. Vox’s Julia Belluz explains why the US might look like Italy soon.(Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices