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The MAGA stars freaked out by their own movement | The Gray Area - July 24, 2026 - Vox

For years, right-wing influencers and politicians have pushed the conservative movement to have more controversial, anti-establishment views. Why are some of those figures now upset about where the movement has ended up?

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In today’s episode, guest host Bryan Walsh speaks with Vox Senior Correspondent Zack Beauchamp about conservatives who decry the extremist direction that the right is moving but refuse to recognize the role they played in pushing the movement in that direction. The two discuss US Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), pundit Ben Shapiro, podcaster Candace Owens, the drivers of conservative extremism, and what the party might look like after Donald Trump.

Guest Host: Bryan Walsh, Vox Senior Editorial Director

Guest: Zack Beauchamp, Vox Senior Correspondent

Read Zack’s essay: The MAGA stars freaked out by their own movement

00:00 Intro

01:54 Who are the ‘hot dog men?’

03:41 US Rep. Thomas Massie and President Trump

07:26 Ben Shapiro and Candace Owens

16:23 Why scandal doesn’t stick to President Trump

23:04 Why the America Right keeps moving towards more controversial views

30:17 Anti-semitism and American politics

36:48 The future of the conservative movement

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The truth about gut health - July 21, 2026 - Vox

Worried about the spread of the diarrhea-causing illness cyclosporiasis? A healthier gut might better prepare your body to deal with it. With all the noise of wellness experts and coaches, we decided to go directly to doctors and researchers who have been studying gut health and the human microbiome for decades.

Gut health is everywhere right now. The hashtag #GutTok has over 6 billion views on TikTok, the global digestive health product market is worth over $60 billion, and viral trends that promise to “hack your gut” through miracle products, cleanses, and restrictive diets are all the rage. But what does gut health really mean, and what can science tell us about how to make sure our gut is in good shape?

With so many voices chiming in on gut health, pushing everything from probiotic foods and supplements to wellness shots and coffee enemas, it can be hard to tell what information is based on real research and what might just be a marketing gimmick or social media clickbait. Vox producer Benjamin Stephen spoke to doctors and visited Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles to bust some gut health myths for science-backed advice.

Read more about gut health and gut microbiome research:

Vox editor Katherine Courage’s book, Cultured: How Ancient Foods Can Feed Our Microbiome: https://katherinecourage.com/book/

Cedars-Sinai’s Human Microbiome Research Institute: https://www.cedars-sinai.edu/health-sciences-university/research/departments-institutes/medicine/human-microbiome.html

The MAST program at Cedars-Sinai: https://csmast.com/

Trisha Pasricha’s book, You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong: https://www.trishapasricha.com/youvebeenpoopingallwrong

Vox’s explainer video on probiotics in yogurt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYj09lx15ik

Pew Research’s findings on why people look to influencers for health and wellness information: https://www.pewresearch.org/data-labs/2026/05/07/why-do-americans-get-information-from-health-and-wellness-influencers-and-how-do-they-find-them/

The Myths and Scientific Realities About Gut Microbiota: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12525918/

This video is presented by Colgate. Colgate doesn’t have a say in our editorial decisions, but they make videos like this one possible.

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The global baby bust | The Gray Area - July 20, 2026 - Vox

Birth rates are dropping and global population growth is slowing. Why? We’re heard all the different speculation: It’s the economy. It’s housing costs. It’s the feminists. But what if the biggest driver is that thing we all carry in our pockets?

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In today’s episode, guest host Christine Emba speaks with data journalist John Burn-Murdoch about declining fertility rates across vastly different cultures and economies. They discuss the role smartphones might play in this phenomenon, why governments have struggled to reverse the trend, and how dropping birthrates could change our economy and culture.

Guest Host Christine Emba, columnist and author

Guest: John Burn-Murdoch, Chief Data Reporter for The Financial Times

00:00 Intro

01:49 What is the replacement rate?

07:43 Why are birth rates dropping?

12:48 Why governments cannot reserve the trend

25:13 Why are birthrates dropping in developing countries?

33:02 Can birthrates recover?

42:40 How can we change our relationship to our phones?

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Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.

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