Vox
150 stories
Two US cities vote on banning foie gras
Washington, DC and Denver voters will decide whether to ban the sale of force-fed duck liver, reigniting a fierce debate over animal welfare and luxury dining.
Kenny Torrella · 3m
Florida's execution machine
Florida executes 40 percent of America's death row inmates. One person decides who dies and when.
Miles Bryan · 3m
Why US surrogacy is almost entirely unregulated
It's easier to open a surrogacy agency than a nail salon in most US states, leaving the industry vulnerable to abuse and legal chaos.
Ariana Aspuru · 3m
Flu season is arriving early across America
Some US regions are already seeing case levels typical of late fall or early winter, weeks ahead of schedule.
Caitlin Dewey · 2m
Trump blames Ukraine for oil prices ahead of midterms
Trump is throttling Ukraine's Starlink access and threatening to cut intelligence sharing over refinery strikes he says are driving up diesel costs.
Cameron Peters · 1m
Universal childcare as 2028 presidential test
Democrats race to define universal childcare before 2028 presidential election.
Rachel Cohen Booth · 2m
Trump’s transit plan targets families in need
Trump’s new transit funding rules could hurt low-income families relying on public transport.
Sara Herschander · 1m
Trump targets Omar in revenge campaign
Federal agents raided Rep. Ilhan Omar's home as part of a citizenship investigation. She is one of at least 30 Trump critics threatened with criminal cases.
Caitlin Dewey · 2m
Supreme Court case could strip prison healthcare from thousands
A Trump executive order targeting transgender inmates could let the Court gut medical protections for all incarcerated people.
Ian Millhiser · 3m
MAGA princess loses ambassadorship to Greece
Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as US ambassador after a Wall Street Journal investigation revealed she solicited money from Trump donors in exchange for access.
Cameron Peters · 1m
Why the right turned on Indian Americans
Conservative activists are targeting Indian Americans as status threats, drawing on anti-Indian stereotypes and framing their success as un-American.
Miles Bryan · 3m
The man who will likely be the next House speaker
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black speaker of the House if Democrats win the midterms.
Danielle Hewitt · 3m
Liver transplant fix for women falls short
A new algorithm was supposed to make liver allocation fairer for women. Early data shows the gains didn't last.
Anusha Subramanian · 4m
How private equity made your vet bills skyrocket
Mars, the candy company, now owns a third of US vet clinics. Prices have climbed 16 percent higher than independent practices.
Jonquilyn Hill · 3m
Your kid wants to go vegan. Should you let them?
A parent's guide to supporting your child's ethical choices without imposing your own values.
Shayla Love · 3m
Hong stays in the fight for Wisconsin
After losing the Democratic primary for governor, Francesca Hong is campaigning to help Democrats win control of the state legislature and governor's office.
Katie Fossett · 3m
Free speech in America is in peril, says First Amendment lawyer
The Trump administration promised to restore free speech but is instead using government power against media outlets and speech it dislikes.
Dustin DeSoto · 2m
Hurricane Isaias arrives as US luck runs out
The first hurricane of fall is hitting the Gulf Coast after an unusually quiet season, but forecasters warn worse weather is coming.
Dylan Scott · 2m
Trump administration plans livestreamed execution
The Pentagon will execute Nidal Hasan by firing squad on December 3 and broadcast it live, drawing bipartisan condemnation.
Cameron Peters · 1m
The violent Israeli settlers reshaping the West Bank
Young extremists linked to the Hilltop Youth are carrying out escalating attacks on Palestinians, often with impunity from Israeli authorities.
Avishay Artsy · 4m
AI leaders probably mean what they say
Tech CEOs warn of existential AI risk. Critics say it's marketing. The evidence suggests they're genuinely afraid.
Eric Levitz · 3m
Antarctica's penguin colony sends climate distress signal
The world's largest penguin colony has collapsed by two-thirds since 2011, signalling wider ecosystem breakdown driven by ocean warming.
Jonathan Watts · 1m
Can neck surgery cure Alzheimer's?
Researchers in the US and Europe are testing an experimental procedure that connects lymph nodes to veins to drain harmful proteins from the brain.
Dylan Scott · 3m
Data Center Dave haunts the midterms
Voters across America hate data centers. Both parties are weaponising the backlash, but it may not swing many races.
Caitlin Dewey · 2m
The silver lining in your unhappiness
Economist George Loewenstein argues misery is not a bug in human nature but a feature, and understanding that can help us live better.
Marina Bolotnikova · 4m
How DC's schools got less segregated by accident
Washington, DC reduced school segregation without making it a goal, by focusing on education reform and attracting new residents. It offers a rare counterpoint to national trends.
Jordan Weissmann · 5m
When citizens paint their own crosswalks
Frustrated with slow city governments, guerrilla urbanists across America are building benches, painting crosswalks, and installing bike lanes themselves. Cities are starting to notice.
Sara Herschander · 4m
Black Democrats at a crossroads
As the party shifts left, Black elected officials face a choice between a failing establishment and an untested progressive wing.
Astead Herndon · 4m
Gas station opioids: kratom and 7-OH explained
Kratom and 7-OH are highly addictive opioid-like drugs sold openly at gas stations across America, sparking regulatory action and political conflict.
Jolie Myers · 3m
Three years after October 7
The Hamas attack and Israel's response continue to reshape politics, diplomacy and conflict across the world.
Caitlin Dewey · 2m
DeSantis and Uthmeier bet against Trump on AI
Florida Republicans are staking out a skeptical position on artificial intelligence, betting that public backlash will grow and reshape the GOP after Trump.
Andrew Prokop · 4m
The far right's new target: Indian Americans
Online nativists are exploiting middle-class economic worries to stir hate against a rapidly assimilating community.
Zaid Jilani · 4m
Russia's plague death exposes a global biosecurity crisis
A researcher's death near a Russian plague lab reveals how the world is building more dangerous pathogen facilities while oversight collapses.
Dylan Scott · 4m
Democrats ready their House agenda
With 28 days to the midterms, House Democrats are poised to take back power but keeping their plans deliberately vague.
Danielle Hewitt · 3m
Five companies now control Hollywood
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merged on Tuesday, concentrating US film and TV production in just five hands.
Caitlin Dewey · 2m
Trump's diesel order probably won't work
Trump signed an executive order on red-dye diesel to lower prices ahead of midterm elections, but experts say it won't fix the underlying crisis.
Cameron Peters · 1m
Supreme Court hunts for a way to kill climate lawsuits
The justices want to shut down state court climate cases but can't find a legal argument strong enough to do it.
Ian Millhiser · 3m
Heat is breaking redwoods' ancient spell
Coast redwoods shut down photosynthesis in extreme heat, threatening the creatures and ecosystems that depend on them.
Neel Dhanesha · 3m
Death at Russia's plague lab raises old fears
A lab technician died in Siberia, but the WHO says there's no real danger. The real worry is older and harder to fix.
Caitlin Dewey · 2m
Trump's $90 Medicare gambit before midterms
Trump is sending cash payments to seniors and promising five thousand dollar checks if Republicans win, betting money can reverse a midterm collapse.
Cameron Peters · 1m
Why nobody agrees what color a tennis ball is
A neuroscientist explains why your brain creates color, not your eyes, and why that makes tennis balls genuinely green and yellow at once.
Noam Hassenfeld · 4m
The deal that could remake America's power grid
A bipartisan Senate bill would speed up energy projects but weaken environmental protections that have safeguarded communities for decades.
Sara Herschander · 3m
What Gen Z really means by socialism
Young voters support socialist policies, but few call themselves socialists and most want concrete solutions, not ideology.
Rachel Janfaza · 3m
When embryo selection becomes eugenics
New genetic testing lets parents choose healthier babies. But the ethics get complicated fast.
Sigal Samuel · 5m
Can thrift shops save us from Shein?
Ultra-fast fashion is everywhere. Thrift shops offer a way out.
Jonquilyn Hill · 2m
Why the Cornell rape case stalled
A former sex crimes prosecutor explains how the district attorney failed to investigate, and what should happen next.
Hady Mawajdeh · 5m
How to use AI without losing your mind
AI makes you productive but can quietly erode your skills. Experts say the fix is being intentional about when you use it.
Adam Clark Estes · 6m
Anthropic vs. the pope
The AI company behind Claude thinks its model might be conscious. Pope Leo XIV strongly disagrees.
Cameron Peters · 1m
Cornell student ignored after reporting gang rape
A sophomore reported being assaulted by Chi Phi fraternity members in 2024. The district attorney filed no charges. Now the case is being reinvestigated.
Ariana Aspuru · 3m
AI friends are making kids lonelier
A new study finds that middle schoolers using AI for emotional support report increasing loneliness over time, raising questions about whether chatbots can ever replace human connection.
Adam Clark Estes · 4m
How to raise boys who aren't lonely men
Experts say rigid gender stereotypes learned in childhood leave men isolated. The fix starts with parents, teachers, and coaches.
Allie Volpe · 4m
Why women's surgery costs less and gets worse care
Gynecologic procedures are reimbursed at lower rates than comparable male surgeries, starving women's health services of resources and training.
Anusha Subramanian · 4m
The independents who could flip the Senate
Democrats are clearing the field for independent candidates in deep red states, betting that fresh faces can beat entrenched Republicans where the Democratic brand cannot.
Andrew Prokop · 4m
Both parties transformed since 2024
Republicans are souring on Trump while Democrats embrace fighting. The 2026 midterms will test these seismic shifts.
Caitlin Dewey · 2m
Trump sells dinner access to crypto coin holders
The president is hosting exclusive events for buyers of $TRUMP memecoin, the latest in his family's crypto profiteering.
Cameron Peters · 1m
The free doctor visit that isn't free
The Affordable Care Act promised Americans one free annual checkup. Millions are being billed anyway.
Dylan Scott · 5m
The Democrats who bet wrong on ICE
A 2025 vote to expand immigration enforcement is now haunting Democrats as Trump's ICE raids escalate.
Astead Herndon · 3m
Disney's underground fix for America's buried mess
Utility tunnels beneath the Magic Kingdom show how cities could save billions by organizing cables and pipes instead of burying them in chaos.
Sara Herschander · 3m
The two athletes in every horse race
New wearable tech and sports medicine are helping protect both jockeys and horses from injury in racing.
Nate Krieger · 1m
What Democrats are still getting wrong about voters
Sarah Longwell explains why Democrats could win 2026 but still lose the bigger fight for American politics.
Cameron Peters · 4m