I’ve been listening on and off since 2018 and I have come to really like host Noel King… Until this uncritical interview with the right-wing evangelical radio host Dave Ramsey? Mostly I’m confused as to why she considers herself a “fan” of Ramsey (especially considering her experience working on NPR’s Planet Money). And if you are going to interview him, why no substantive pushback on his one-size-fits-all advice? Or maybe the class-action fraud case being brought against him?

Original Review: My Favorite Daily Podcast

This is by far my favorite daily news podcast - largely because of the host, Sean. It covers all the biggest national news, plus coverage on other stories/phenomena that I rarely hear on other similar daily shows. If you’re not already listening... start!!

I like listening to this podcast. What I hate though is having a random clip/sound every 30sec during the interview. Any chance you can limit the number? Thanks!

Empty “both sides optics” points from a bigot. What a dumb call. Unsubscribing.

You guys can’t be a serious source of information. Who sponsors this podcast financially ?

The host fan girling over a known bigot is disgusting. Do better.

Today Explained is one of my favorite news podcasts but sometimes they use too much music. An example, is the episode “Conned into the Russian Army,” where they had music playing over one of the men speaking.

Veers further and further into “talking head” Fox News style content

The latest guest on Haiti with the usual obfuscation on the reason of the recent uprising as the rest of the mass media, once again perpetuated the view that certain countries just can’t govern by themselves without the West’s intervention.

Ignoring the paramilitary coup backed by the U.S. and Europe that overthrew democratic election result (with their usual claim of its illegitimacy) that resulted in deadly aftermaths, they repeat the official lines without much examination, let alone investigation, of readily available sources and evidences that get to the root of the issues.

Why the 2004 coup? Why not leave Haitian people make their own decisions? Why the continuing meddling of other countries’ sovereignty well into the 21st century?

The host tentatively questioned a few of the premises of the “arguments”, but quickly dropped back to the “safe” bound that is deemed acceptable to most media outlets. Very disappointing.

When I want to understand what’s going on but don’t want to watch the news, this is perfect. Just enough information for me to engage in a conversation. Thank you!!!

I have been an avid listener of Today, Explained for almost a year now. I found the podcast through my search for a bite-size news podcast that was informative yet playful. I appreciate the variety of perspectives this show provides as well as the diversity of topics and headlines. Also, I thoroughly appreciate the wonderful “today, explained” themes that production that their team creates. It adds a fun and artistic aspect to the show. Overall, it’s one of my favorite podcasts that I would recommend to anyone in my life!

Not one, but three episodes about ozempic with very little mention about ableism towards chronic illness or fatphobia, concepts factually rooted in eugenics produces the societal pressure consumer desire to purchase products to stay thin. No content warning for weight loss, no content warning for eating disorder or body dysmorphia. Incredible lack of care and full ignorance. All that reporting and no checking their own bias. Seems extremely insensitive and disrespectful. Hope you don't cover supremacy because you already kinda enjoy it in your reporting.

I used to enjoy this podcast for a little in depth listening on current and popular events but their bias is too much and hurtful now. Make a change guys.

I have listened to this podcast for a few years now and usually really like the perspectives the guests bring. I thought the FACTUAL information on Novo Nordisk’s expansion and financial power was interesting. However, the 2nd half featured the musings of a Sub Stack writer regarding the possible effect of Ozempic on the US economy that didn’t even rise to the low entry level threshold of anecdata. A lot of “I’m just a guy asking questions” vibe that then was built upon to make a lot of completely unsupported assertions and predictions. Similar to the fact-free analysis in the processed food episode. This is a troubling trend.

I used to love the show until I realize how politically biased they were. Honestly, they are on the same level as Fox News with their one-sided coverage.

I do not take this as news at face value, but as a glimpse into a specifically progressive liberal interpretation of the news. Sometimes I genuinely enjoy it and sometimes I find it nauseating, oozing with born rich/upper class entitlement and superiority.

I loved their episode related to children’s hospitals and medical care in America. 10/10

Their coverage on the Middle East or the US border has felt like borderline propaganda. 1/10

Not credible commentators

Love the show, sending 1 star for the incredibly low information show highlighting the positives of Zyn and apparently NO ONE spending 5 minutes learning about nicotines affect on the dopamine system.

The content is top notch. The only beef is that there are too many "breaks" and ads. Take up 10-15% of the total podcast.

Yes immigrants who come here legally, bring good values and worth ethic are great. Illegal aliens who are kidnapping babies so they can get past the border and dump the babies here in Paso Texas where I see them every day are drug smugglers and sex traffickers. Stop trying to make open borders seem like a good thing. I see firsthand how they’re ruining America.

Used to love Vox’s Today Explained but after listening to the entire episode on the ICJ’s ruling and not mention once the fact that the court also called for the release of hostages and surrender of Hamas, I can no longer support such biased journalism. Why discuss the fact that the court did not call for a ceasefire but not include that? Done. Shame on you, Vox.

“War on Hamas”? Be so for real. Not surprised though.

If you like being told what to think by people with a clear agenda then this podcast is for you. It’s disappointing that a piece was done about Israel using a professor that is clearly biased and represents an anti semitic institution (U Penn) that is funded millions of dollars by many arab countries. The episode was further edited by Arabs. Not one Jewish/israeli person was represented in the making of the episode making the episode extremely one sided. Given how nuanced the subject is it would’ve been proper to have multiple standpoints and perspectives from both sides. Maybe this podcast can do a proper follow up once a republican president is elected this November given that at such time the United States will not tell Israel to stop as would be the case under a Democratic presidency. Israel is doing the world a favor by wiping out a known terrorist organization.

Y’all are talented journalists, please don’t sing at me.

What’s wrong with private companies picking up the pieces after our government has failed us? NASA would be nowhere without space X. Seriously what is wrong with you people?

Enjoying this!

I saw the episode on musicals. Unfortunately it was one of the most frustrating podcasts I have ever listened to. It was terribly provincial and biased. I listen to this podcast many times and expected so much more.

It’s shoddy not to have a serious discussion to the ethics of this act, after all it is deception to falsely advertise a service or a product. This is not a minor omission. It’s lying about the essence of the product or service. It’s like being advertised for a video game console and getting a TV instead. If you watch a trailer that is selling a dialogue base movie and instead the movie is expressed through song, it is a completely different kind of movie. You are deceptively being sold a product you are not buying. I was shocked you didn’t discuss the ethical implications of this deception. For a family, going to the movies, can easily be $100 or more, perhaps to you that doesn’t seem like a lot of money but to many it is.

And finally the assertion that if you are not into musicals you are bigoted. That is just mind boggling. So according to that logic if your favorite color is blue you must be a misogynist. You are claiming that your personal taste in a movie genre is surreptitious hiding a deep seeded homophobia, I’m Dumbfounded.

I enjoyed this show for a while and found it mostly informative.

Unfortunately during some “explanation” of Israel, they leaned into antisemitic tropes and failed to address the pan-Arab colonialism that most recently pushed Jews out of the region and lead to the genocide of Jews in Yemen, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and every other Arab country which helped foment support for the creation of Israel. They also neglected to cover how Israel was founded, with land purchased from the Ottoman Empire and British instead parroting the lie that Jews ransacked the land and forcibly took it. Rather they just chalked it up to “American hegemony”.

It’s sad. I hoped Vox would do better. And I can’t deal with antisemitism being woven into future episodes, so I had to let this one go.

The songs in the musical episode were really entertaining! I loved learning about what’s happening in the movie industry because I’m not a big fan of recent musicals but love the classics. Thanks for putting to much work into this production 🎥🎼

I’ve enjoyed the show, particularly the episodes hosted by Sean. But Noel’s recent episode on Taiwan’s election offended me as a Taiwanese. Labeling ‘DPP’ as ‘democracy’ and KMT as ‘link to China’ is not only wrong (mind you: Taiwan is a democracy, not just what is represented by DPP), but also how simplistic or even lazy her whole approach was. This hostess needs to do her homework!

Sean Rameswaram thinks people who earn a living delivering furniture and clothing are “poor saps.” Really disappointing to hear this take.

Some cool episodes about tech and stuff, but they did a poor job discussing politics, particularly regarding Arabs/Muslims. Pirates of the Red Sea was very cringe due to words used to describe the situation, laughing while discussing such a depressing topic was enough for me unfollow.

I will continue to avoid this podcast, as I’ve done since October 7th. They center Zionist voices and narratives, which ultimately centers whiteness and Western narratives. I used to listen to this podcast as a somewhat progressive voice, but unfortunately during an ongoing genocide that many progressives are crying out against they’d rather report on “punchy” and “quirky” topics that only totally heartless people would listen to at this time.

They cover such interesting subject matter. The productions are very well done and they often interview guests that explain so well. I'm hooked. I like that they do not have costly subscriptions, but instead accept donations, so people can afford to listen. This is a fantastic podcast.

Note on an unrelated matter: I wish there was a way to delete a rating that's given by accidentally touching the stars. There's no way to undo an accidental rating here on Apple Podcasts. This has happened to me twice.

The new music is good but it distracts from the content because it’s too busy and too loud.

Interesting segment on process foods. I totally agree as just looking at us from 60 yrs ago and now is dramatic. Except that Noel King repeatedly mentioned buying a $75 bread machine. There is no reason for that purchase. She makes it sound as if you need to spend lots of money to make bread or that it is time consuming. Making good bread is easy and can be prepped the night before and baked in the morning or after work. Making great bread is an art form I’m still trying to perfect but good healthy no knead bread is something anyone can make.

Listened to the processed food episode, and the entire thing could be summed up as “processed foods bad! Here’s some breathlessly told anecdotes!” Nothing about what ingredients are bad, no skeptical questioning of the “scientist” who sounded more like a motivational coach, just vacuous hype. Try “Science vs” for a much better show.

Thank you for the episode on motherhood. I’ve had so many is these thoughts and this reporting brought me comfort and relief

Sean and Noel take a great tone, the team produces a solid block of audio, and Breakmaster Cylinder provides some music. What more could you ask for? Indispensable!

I’ve told friends that it feels like having a drink with journalists, which is a supreme compliment. Casual and informative.

Hotter take: an alternate title should be “BMC the News”.

Your dec 4 episode was a heavily one sided interview with a historian who teaches that Israel started with British colonization and is nothing but another “white” colony. This whole episode was wrong, irresponsible and bad journalism

Long time listener. I consider myself a left leaning progressive very critical of Israel’s government and policies. And even I can’t believe how many one-sided episodes have only interviewed extreme anti-israel voices (not so subtly saying israel doesn’t have any right to exist) with zero representing of an Israeli perspective. A lot of people listen to you to have things objectively “explained.” Do better.

You guys just stopped covering the situation in Gaza right now? There is an ongoing genocide, but y’all just decided it outlived the news cycle. So just keep burying your heads in the sand while Israel keeps killing more children.

I have been a longtime listener but can no longer stomach the biased reporting and writing from this show. This podcast refuses to present the facts of the Israel-Hamas war stemming from the atrocities committed on October 7. The staff should be ashamed.

The show is interesting, with decent episodes for the most part, but today was an instant unsubscribe. It’s a re-airing of an old episode, peppered with so many ads it becomes unlistenable. I’ve never noticed this problem before today, so perhaps somebody just got trigger-happy with the ad placement on this particular episode but, regardless, the show is not so good, but it’s worth listening to such a high ratio of ads actual high-quality content.

Thank you for not shying away from covering the Middle East conflict.

One of the very few news outlets that still cover this conflict through the lens of Palestinians as well.

I was disappointed how other news sources (looking at you NPR) either shy away from the topic or cover it by lumping Palestinians with Hamas all the while barely providing news of what’s been happening to Palestinians and how Israel has been treating them. It’s like Israel can do no wrong.

Thank you for covering it in a way that does not invite antisemitism or Islamophobia.

A subscription that’s actually worth it. Keep up the good work.

In your nov 4 episode, Rashid Khali talks about Judaism having a link with Palestine, as if it were solely symbolic, but that is not true. They were, and had always been, Jews in Palestine.

Did you simply not know?

You cover the relationship between the black liberation movement and the Palestinian cause, but you do not mention their initial support for the creation of Israel. You do not once mention l that some BLM chapters blamed Israel for the attacks - even before its retaliation had started.

Do you not think that these facts are relevant?

I think your intentions are good, but I am deeply, deeply saddened by your coverage of this issue, and you have lost a lot of moral credibility, to me and many others.

I use to religiously listen to Today Explained because they provided a balance of opinions. but around Jan 2023 the show made a very clear and huge shift. The show is pretty much repeating NYT Daily. Yet again a news source that provides only a Democratic Party side view of things, no middle middle ground, and absolutely no Republican Party views, even slightly.

Having a Palestinian explain the history of Palestine, who starts the “history” lesson in 1917 and goes challenged, blame IDF on hospital explosion in Hamas-Israel war when it was by Hamas and offered no retraction. I’ve been a long time listener but the bias of this program and hosts is too much.

Sean is also a very good host, but I feel his episodes are overproduced and sometimes border on the silly. Too much loud music, often drowning out the conversation (sorry Sean). Noel King has been a wonderful addition, asks excellent questions and has a really soothing voice :)

Hey! You have great guests. It would be great if you can include them in the breakdown. It may be on past episodes but for the most recent I can’t find the guests.

I’ve been noticing lately a lot of one sided political content. From the music to the opinions to the guests. Please I beg you stop it. We don’t care about your opinions about a certain individual or their past. A policy or who you think it affects and how. Just deliver the news or explain the problem. Please ? I listen to this lately and it’s becoming cringe at this point. Read Sapiens by yuval and match unexplainable on the think like a scientist concepts please! Besides that you are doing great girl keep it up 😘

I found your recent coverage of the Israel-Hamas hostage exchange to be biased towards Israel favorably. You do realize that Israel have been keeping CHILDREN as “prisoners”. You even stated “minor offenses such as throwing rocks”… you think a child should go to prison indefinitely for that…? Nice way to carefully glaze over that fact. Give me a break…