Today, Explained

A George Washington Bridge too far

The Supreme Court is trying to settle the fight over the biggest traffic jam in the history of American politics once and for all. WNYC's Matt Katz, author of "American Governor: Chris Christie's Bridge to Redemption," explains. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Senate trial begins

Vox's Andrew Prokop explains everything you need to know as President Trump's Senate impeachment trial gets underway. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 100 year fight for equal rights

Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment this week. Now, Congress is the only thing standing between the 28th amendment and the Constitution of the United States. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ukraine International Flight 752

Canada now has the unfortunate job of dealing with the collateral damage from the conflict between Iran and the United States. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Booker blames the rules

Senator Cory Booker tells Sean Rameswaram why he never stood a chance and Vox's Ella Nilsen explains why Senators Warren and Sanders are fighting. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elizabeth Warren needs a poster boy

Elizabeth Warren’s best bet to fight the opioid epidemic might be stealing a page from the battle against AIDS. Vox’s Jillian Weinberger explains how for The Impact. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One billion animals dead

Australia is suffering unprecedented damage from months of bush fires, but the country remains divided on the politics of climate change. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Megxit

Meghan Markle and her husband have announced their own personal Brexit. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The (first) trial of Harvey Weinstein

Irin Carmon from New York magazine explains how #MeToo is on trial alongside Harvey Weinstein. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What about Iraq?

Iran fired back. The United States issued a statement. Iraq wishes its allies would fight somewhere else. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The view from Iran

Iran analyst Dina Esfandiary explains why the killing of Qassem Soleimani was “the greatest gift the Trump administration could have given the Iranian government.” And an Iranian-American family disagrees on the meaning of Soleimani’s death. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

War with Iran?

The United States killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq last week. Vox's Alex Ward explains what might happen next. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should we burn our recycling?

The vast majority of our plastic isn’t being recycled. It might be time to consider lighting it on fire. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The other TV president

Before stumbling into the biggest American political scandal in a generation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was best known for playing the president on TV. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump of the Year

On the cusp of a big election year, Vox’s Matthew Yglesias reviews President Trump’s accomplishments thus far. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Song of the Year

“Old Town Road” is unlike anything that’s ever happened in American popular music. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Person of the Year

Time named Greta Thunberg its ‘Person of the Year.’ David Wallace-Wells from New York Magazine explains why. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Queen of Christmas

A quarter-century after its release, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has claimed the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Call it a "Christmas Mariahcle." (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Debate 6: Enter the Wine Cave

The sixth and final Democratic debate of the year was less diverse, more substantive, and also featured a fight about a wine cave. Vox's Emily Stewart explains. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aging in America

By 2035, there will be more elderly people than children in America. The country isn’t ready. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Impeachment Day

The House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump today. Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains what comes next. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump v. Taxes

The Supreme Court will decide whether President Trump has to turn over his tax returns, but WNYC's Andrea Bernstein says the Court is really deciding whether Trump can literally get away with murder. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big Bezos is watching you

In under 20 years, Amazon grew from an online bookstore to the eyes and ears in our homes. OneZero's Will Oremus says we should be concerned about what comes next. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Space Farce

The Democrats gave President Trump his Space Force this week. But what is it? (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India's Muslim ban

The second-largest Muslim nation in the world just got closer to becoming a Hindu state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The cost of PrEP

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Trump administration agree on one thing: the cost of HIV drugs is too high. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Articles of impeachment

House Democrats made history today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rudolph the former mayor

How Rudy Giuliani went from "America's mayor" to the inadvertent architect of Donald Trump's pending impeachment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“This will end when one of us dies”

ProPublica’s Lizzie Presser explains why Americans are being jailed for their medical debt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Giving justice an extension

This week New Jersey joined a growing number of states that are extending statutes of limitations, making it easier to report childhood sexual abuse decades after it occurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices