Today, Explained

Good news for poor Americans: Medicaid is expanding in several states. Bad news for poor Americans: Medicaid is expanding in several states with work requirements. How do poor people who can’t find work prove that they’re working to qualify for Medicaid? Vox’s Sarah Kliff explains this is an experiment that’s never been tried before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, the Saudi government issued driver’s licenses to women for the first time in the country’s history. But London School of Economics professor Madawi al Rasheed says Saudi women are hardly even people under the law. She explains what life is like for women in Saudi Arabia, and Vox’s Jenn Williams tells Sean Rameswaram about the Saudi prince who says he wants reform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

North America isn't getting along anymore. Canada's Prime Minister is having testy phone calls with President Trump about the War of 1812. Mexico has slapped the United States with a $3 billion dollar tax bill. It all comes down to steel. Today, U.S. senators from both aisles announced new attempts to curb the president's tariffs power. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias explains how steel sparked a trade war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Scooter Libby. Dinesh D'Souza. So far, none of President Donald Trump’s pardons have had anything to do with his administration, but many believe he is flexing this particular muscle for an audience of one: Robert Mueller. Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains why the president is dropping hints about pardoning himself and how American democracy may soon be tested. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nicaragua is spiraling into a state of national catastrophe, as clashes between police and student protesters over the past two months have left more than 100 dead. Reuters' Delphine Schrank explains why much of that anger is aimed towards President Daniel Ortega, who critics say is acting more and more like the dictator he helped kick out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today the Supreme Court issued a decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, or as it’s colloquially known, the “gay cake” case. The 7-2 ruling sided with a Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple. Most experts say the justices failed to make any rulings on same-sex rights versus religious freedoms, and The New York Times Magazine’s Emily Bazelon says that’s just the top layer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Congress is rolling back the bank regulations implemented after the 2008 financial crisis. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias explains why, and what it means for the country’s financial future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are three things you need to know about George Soros: 1) You’re pronouncing his name wrong. 2) He’s richer than rich. 3) He’s one of the most hated people in the world. Roseanne tweeted that the Holocaust survivor was a Nazi on Tuesday, and Hungary is currently trying to pass legislation that would ban him. Foreign Policy’s Emily Tamkin explains how the financier-philanthropist came to have so many haters even though he gives away his money to the poor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ABC canceled the popular reboot of Roseanne after its star likened President Obama’s former advisor, an African-American woman, to an ape on Twitter. Today, Roseanne Barr blamed her tweets on Ambien. The manufacturer responded that “racism is not a known side effect.” Vox’s Todd VanDerWerff explores why the Trump-era reboot was so well received, and whether TV can bring opposite poles of the American political spectrum together. ******************************************** Big news: A Harvard study says over 4,600 people died in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria - a far cry from the official estimate of 64. Listen to our explainer on how things got so bad in Puerto Rico: https://art19.com/shows/today-explained/episodes/75841e00-a9cd-4031-9d47-43d522b64a2c Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You know those privacy policy emails flooding your inbox lately? Turns out those are thanks to the European Union’s crackdown on websites that collect your personal data. The Verge’s Russell Brandom explains the regulation known as the GDPR and why Europe seems to care about your security more than America. ******************************************* Ireland passed a historic referendum over the weekend, voting to legalize abortion. You can hear about one of the strictest abortion bans in the world in our episode here: https://art19.com/shows/today-explained/episodes/e66e8aca-b398-46a8-8468-8ffb3f823184 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Venezuela has been crippled by poverty, starvation, five-figure inflation, and on Sunday, an election that many countries didn’t recognize as legit. Bloomberg’s Patricia Laya shares reactions to Nicolás Maduro’s new term from her base in Caracas before NYU’s Alejandro Velasco explains how having the most oil in the world got Venezuela into all this trouble. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump cancelled his historic Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un today. The announcement comes after a North Korean official called Vice President Pence “ignorant and stupid” for likening their country to Libya, which crumbled after it gave up its nuclear program. Vox’s Alex Ward explains what went wrong and why war is back on the table. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today the National Football League released a statement saying players will be fined if they kneel during the national anthem. It’s the ultimate response to a protest that began with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016, and became a cause célèbre for President Trump. SB Nation’s Tyler Tynes explains the significance of this moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Supreme Court may have taken away your ability to file a class action lawsuit against your employer. In a 5-4 decision yesterday, the Court decided that workers who signed contracts with arbitration clauses aren’t allowed to band together and sue their employers. Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern says the ruling is just the latest setback to tens of millions of American workers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This Friday, Ireland holds a historic vote that could overturn one of the strictest abortion policies in the world. The race is razor-tight: Facebook and Google have banned foreign political ads, U2 has weighed in, and there's been a massive uptick in voter registration. Sarah Bardon from The Irish Times explains the history and the magnitude of this moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you might have heard that there’s a royal wedding happening this Saturday. (Even Sean’s mom is tuning in!) England’s Prince Harry is set to wed American actress Meghan Markle with great fanfare, to the ballpark cost of $43 million. Kristen Meinzer, co-host of the When Meghan met Harry podcast, tells Sean why he should care. ************************************************************** For more info on how British royals plan a wedding, check out Vox Video here: https://youtu.be/jNTyQPUoFHs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, the Supreme Court of the United States fundamentally changed... sports. It struck down a 1992 law that prevented states from legalizing sports gambling. Now, New Jersey is at the head of a long line of states looking to allow their citizens to bet it all on the home team. New York Times Magazine writer Emily Bazelon takes us to Court and The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis explains how this might change professional sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Explosions are ramping up on Hawaii’s Big Island this week, as the Kilauea volcano continues to spew lava and blow a 12,000-foot plume of ash into the air. The volcanic gas and lava have already destroyed 25 homes and prompted the evacuation of nearly 2,000 residents. Vox’s Umair Irfan shares the latest news and explains why we choose to live next to exploding mountains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sixty Palestinians were killed at the Israel-Gaza border yesterday, the day the U.S. moved its embassy to Jerusalem. Vox’s Yochi Dreazen breaks down the conflict, the history, and whether there’s a way forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jordan Peterson has gone from being an obscure Canadian academic to a kind of political rock star for the right. Overnight. Vox’s Zack Beauchamp unpacks Peterson’s controversial ideology and explains how the clinical psychologist gained a following of millions. Then, Sean Rameswaram gives Peterson a call and asks him to explain himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices