Skip to main content

Life

Understanding the world isn’t just about explaining the news. Vox’s coverage examining religion, love, family, careers, and how we live.

Donald Trump messed with the wrong pope
Politics

Trump fought with Pope Francis before. He’s finding Pope Leo XIV to be a tougher foil.

By Christian Paz
Donald Trump messed with the wrong pope
Politics

Trump fought with Pope Francis before. He’s finding Pope Leo XIV to be a tougher foil.

By Christian Paz
Advice
8 ways to zone out and relax that don’t involve being on your phone8 ways to zone out and relax that don’t involve being on your phone
Advice

It is possible to shut your brain off without falling into the mindless scrolling trap.

By Julia Ries Wexler
Advice
What trainers actually think about the 12-3-30 workoutWhat trainers actually think about the 12-3-30 workout
Advice

Have we finally unlocked exercise’s biggest secret? Or is this yet another lie perpetrated Big Treadmill?

By Alex Abad-Santos
Politics
Donald Trump’s pivot to blasphemyDonald Trump’s pivot to blasphemy
Politics

Attacking the pope and posing as Jesus — even religious conservatives are mad this time.

By Christian Paz

The latest in Life

Explain It to Me
Hope vs. optimism, explainedHope vs. optimism, explained
Podcast
Explain It to Me

A psychology professor makes the case for hope.

By Jonquilyn Hill
Future Perfect
Am I too poor to have a baby?Am I too poor to have a baby?
Future Perfect

How society convinced us that childbearing is morally wrong without a fat budget.

By Sigal Samuel
Politics
Did the Trump administration threaten the pope?Did the Trump administration threaten the pope?
Politics

Avignon-gate, the scandal blowing up MAGA-Catholic relations, explained.

By Christian Paz
Advice
Are the therapy sessions where I have nothing to say really…doing anything?Are the therapy sessions where I have nothing to say really…doing anything?
Advice

Toughing out that awkward silence can help deeper issues come to the surface.

By Julia Ries Wexler
Life
My partner and I don’t share many interests. Should we break up?My partner and I don’t share many interests. Should we break up?
Life

I like camping. My partner doesn’t. How will we make it work?

By Allie Volpe
Culture
Why Easter never became a big secular holiday like ChristmasWhy Easter never became a big secular holiday like Christmas
Culture

Hint: The Puritans were involved.

By Tara Isabella Burton
Advice
What to say to relatives who love to needle you about politicsWhat to say to relatives who love to needle you about politics
Advice

If you’re about 30 seconds away from completely losing your cool with a family member, read this.

By Julia Ries Wexler
Life
How a capybara took over the Scholastic Book FairHow a capybara took over the Scholastic Book Fair
Life

What this furry favorite can teach us about kids’ reading and writing.

By Anna North
How to make the most of your alone time
The Highlight

Solitude is necessary for a well-balanced social life. Here’s how to make it truly restorative.

By Allie Volpe
Health
Why the new GLP-1 pill is such a big dealWhy the new GLP-1 pill is such a big deal
Health

The FDA just approved Foundayo. Here’s what it can and can’t do.

By Dylan Scott
The fight for paid parental leave is more winnable than you think
The Highlight

The playbook has been hiding in plain sight.

By Rachel Cohen Booth
Politics
Why an 8-1 Supreme Court just ruled in favor of anti-LGBTQ+ “conversion therapy”Why an 8-1 Supreme Court just ruled in favor of anti-LGBTQ+ “conversion therapy”
Politics

Sadly, the Court’s decision in Chiles v. Salazar is correct.

By Ian Millhiser
Explain It to Me
Why some American accents have endured — while others have faded awayWhy some American accents have endured — while others have faded away
Podcast
Explain It to Me

The history of how we talk mirrors the history of the country.

By Jonquilyn Hill
Today, Explained newsletter
The crisis in American air travelThe crisis in American air travel
Today, Explained newsletter

Airports have lately been plagued by staffing shortages, security delays, and a string of worrying incidents.

By Caitlin Dewey
What do we lose when we erase ugliness?
The Highlight

Beyond the beauty binary.

By Constance Grady
Advice
The secret to successful conversations with strangersThe secret to successful conversations with strangers
Advice

How to turn new people into new friends.

By Allie Volpe
How ICE has changed American life
Politics

Immigrant or not, Trump’s mass deportation pledges have fundamentally changed how regular people live.

By Christian Paz
The Highlight
Is it wrong to send your kid to private school?Is it wrong to send your kid to private school?
The Highlight

How to think about what’s best for your child — and for all the other children, too.

By Sigal Samuel
Podcasts
Why people are having such strong reactions to Lindy West’s new memoirWhy people are having such strong reactions to Lindy West’s new memoir
Podcast
Podcasts

The book has left many readers feeling baffled and disappointed.

By Kelli Wessinger and Noel King
Politics
The religious right is breaking up over Israel and IranThe religious right is breaking up over Israel and Iran
Politics

The MAGA civil war over the Iran war is opening up new and old religious and political feuds.

By Christian Paz
The Highlight
The elder care solution that everyone with aging parents should know aboutThe elder care solution that everyone with aging parents should know about
The Highlight

As baby boomers age, caregivers are often squeezed caring for parents and children at the same time. They need help.

By Courtney E. Martin
Advice
3 things all great listeners do3 things all great listeners do
Advice

We can get distracted sometimes. Here’s how to make your loved ones feel truly heard.

By Allie Volpe
Life
When parental sleep deprivation lasts for yearsWhen parental sleep deprivation lasts for years
Life

How to cope when your kid won’t sleep.

By Anna North
The Highlight
The hobby that AI is ruining for its fansThe hobby that AI is ruining for its fans
The Highlight

Every detail matters in puzzles, and details are where AI art often falls short.

By Alex Abad-Santos
Advice
I’m a semi-successful adult with a decent job. Why do financial conversations still make me feel clueless?I’m a semi-successful adult with a decent job. Why do financial conversations still make me feel clueless?
Advice

A lot of people find money stuff overwhelming — but it’s never too late to start educating yourself.

By Julia Sullivan
Explain It to Me
How Mormons went mainstreamHow Mormons went mainstream
Podcast
Explain It to Me

It’s a moment 200 years in the making.

By Jonquilyn Hill
Politics
The ugly history behind Trump’s birthright citizenship case in the Supreme CourtThe ugly history behind Trump’s birthright citizenship case in the Supreme Court
Politics

The peculiar legal argument behind Trump’s attack on citizenship was invented by 19th-century anti-Chinese racists.

By Ian Millhiser
Advice
The ugly emotion pregnant people aren’t supposed to talk aboutThe ugly emotion pregnant people aren’t supposed to talk about
Advice

I feel guilty about how much I hate being pregnant. Experts say I shouldn’t.

By Julia Ries Wexler
Life
What do we do with Cesar Chavez’s memory now?What do we do with Cesar Chavez’s memory now?
Life

A biographer says it’s not enough to reckon with Chavez’s actions. What’s needed is accountability.

By Seth Maxon
Advice
The fine line between healthy confidence and delusionThe fine line between healthy confidence and delusion
Advice

You just have to strike a balance between optimism and realism.

By Allie Volpe
Advice
So you owe the IRS a lot of money? Here’s what to do.So you owe the IRS a lot of money? Here’s what to do.
Advice

This doesn’t mean you did anything wrong — and there are plenty of ways to dig yourself out.

By Julia Sullivan
Policy
The fight over transgender rights in America has entered a new phaseThe fight over transgender rights in America has entered a new phase
Policy

The policy fight is moving well beyond sports and youth medicine. The political response hasn’t caught up.

By Rachel Cohen Booth
Advice
The best financial advice I ever receivedThe best financial advice I ever received
Advice

If you’re afraid to deal with your taxes, hiring an accountant will change your life.

By Julia Ries Wexler
Future Perfect
A guide to finding meaning at work in the age of AIA guide to finding meaning at work in the age of AI
Future Perfect

You don’t have to give up on a profession you love and become a plumber.

By Sigal Samuel
Culture
The 50-year struggle to get Best Casting into the OscarsThe 50-year struggle to get Best Casting into the Oscars
Culture

It’s one of the few female-dominated niches in Hollywood. They finally made it to the Academy Awards.

By Constance Grady
Culture
How Epstein’s biggest financial client shaped millennial teen cultureHow Epstein’s biggest financial client shaped millennial teen culture
Culture

Victoria’s Secret and Abercrombie & Fitch taught a generation of young people what was desirable.

By Constance Grady
When do you actually need life insurance?
Advice

I’m 37 and pregnant with twins. Is it time?

By Julia Ries Wexler
Explain It to Me
How to get rid of all of your extra stuffHow to get rid of all of your extra stuff
Podcast
Explain It to Me

America’s clutter problem, explained.

By Jonquilyn Hill
The mysterious Redditor who’s changing the way we do laundry
Life

How a man who calls himself Kismai built a cult following around lipase and “spa day.”

By Alex Abad-Santos
Advice
How to figure out your finances after a breakupHow to figure out your finances after a breakup
Advice

It’s not just about budgeting, but how you want your money to make you feel in this new phase of life.

By Allie Volpe