Today, Explained

Paul Shari, Executive VP at the Center for a New American Security and author, discusses AI’s growing role in military operations. He covers using large language models in classified networks, AI-driven target processing from satellite imagery, autonomy on drones, and the debates over safety guardrails and Pentagon contracts. Short, sharp conversations on tech, policy, and the risk of machines making life-or-death choices.

Lisa Held, Civil Eats reporter covering Maha Moms and pesticide policy. Jessica Winter, New Yorker writer on health politics and Dr. Casey Means. They discuss the rise of Maha influencers, Casey Means’s pivot to functional medicine, the movement’s mistrust of institutions, and the fury over a glyphosate-friendly executive order.

Nahal Tusi, a senior foreign affairs correspondent at Politico who covers Iranian politics, explains who is running Iran now and the unclear power dynamics. She discusses Iran’s unprecedented strikes across the Gulf and why targeting civilians fits its strategy. She outlines limits of decapitation strikes, the disorganized opposition, and the IRGC’s role as the likely power broker.

Molly Schmerling, a licensed clinical psychologist who discovered her ADHD in adulthood, shares lived experience. Dr. Julia Schechter, a Duke psychologist focused on girls and women with ADHD, discusses how symptoms can look different in females. Dr. Laura Knauss, a researcher and clinician, covers diagnostic criteria, prevalence, treatment options, and the role of social and hormonal factors.

Ro Khanna, U.S. Representative from California and tech policy advocate, pushes for transparency in the Epstein files and accountability for powerful elites. He discusses withheld documents, bipartisan pressure tactics, and defining the “Epstein class.” He also outlines AI policy ideas, targeted Section 230 reform, and a one-time billionaire tax to address inequality.

Dame Brian Moylan, a TV and culture writer who traces reality TV history, and Saachi Cole, a culture critic who examines nostalgia and ANTM’s impact. They dig into the show’s format, production practices, and troubling consent and body-pressure stories. They also chart reality TV’s evolution and speculate on where the genre heads next.

Jesse Walker, author and cultural historian who studies American conspiracy culture. He discusses how the Epstein files revived Pizzagate talk. He explains why mundane explanations often fit alleged codes. He critiques media amplification and traces how conspiratorial thinking has shaped U.S. politics and social divides.

Ben Harris, economist and former Treasury official now at Brookings, and Stephen Woldenberg, SVP at family-run Learning Resources, talk through a blockbuster Supreme Court fight over tariffs. They discuss the company’s $10M hit, legal strategy under emergency trade powers, how tariffs affected pricing and reshoring, and what the ruling means for future trade policy.

A look at how a party turned public media into a partisan tool and how hard it is to unwind those changes. A discussion of political tradeoffs when trying to reverse authoritarian moves without alienating voters. A look at stalled social reforms, presidential defeat, and how frustrated voters drift toward far-right alternatives.

Dominika Lasota, a youth activist who led mass protests; Michal Rachoń, a conservative TV anchor influential in state media; Jarosław Kurski, a veteran journalist and former dissident. They discuss how media was captured and polarized. They revisit pivotal moments like the 2010 crash and the mayor's murder. They follow youth mobilization and the coalition that reclaimed democratic momentum.