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The ethics of killing bugs | The Gray Area - October 2, 2026 - Vox

The Gray Area is taking a break today — but we’ve got something special for you.

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We’re dropping an episode from one of our favorite podcasts, Unexplainable from Vox. In it, host Sally Helm considers whether or not it’s ethical to kill lantern flies, an invasive species that has gained a foothold on the East Coast of the US.

In the episode Sally explores what we owe other living creatures, how squishing bugs changes us, and what we should do when there is not a single clear moral path.

00:00 Intro

00:55 Sally’s encounter with a spotted lantern fly

05:28 How the lantern fly arrived in the US

22:06 Weighing moral dilemmas

29:35 Moral residue

We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show.

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The two athletes in every horse race - October 1, 2026 - Vox

Horse racing can be an unusually dangerous profession for both the jockey and the horse: Riding a half-ton animal at nearly 40 miles per hour means your fate depends on the health and performance of both athletes. And the horse can be at risk of catastrophic injury if the jockey doesn’t have the required physical fitness to maintain proper technique and lightning-quick reflexes.

But new wearable technology and advances in sports medicine are enabling everyone involved in the sport of horse racing to identify risks earlier and prevent injuries to horses and jockeys alike.

In order to find out more about both of these athletes, Vox producer Nate Krieger took a trip to Belmont Park, to watch competitive horses train and to speak with Dr. Sara Langsam, an equine veterinarian and chair of the American Association of Equine Practitioners Racing Committee. And to learn about the jockey side of the equation, he talked to Michaela Keener, a jockey health researcher at University of Kentucky, and ReyLu Gutiérrez, a jockey who has started in over 6,000 races.

Read more about horse racing safety and health:

Article about wearable biometric sensors as a horse injury detection system: https://www.avma.org/news/wearable-biometric-sensors-show-promise-horse-injury-detection-system

“Physiological Demands and Muscle Activity of Jockeys in Trial and Race Riding”: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9495223/

New York Racing Authority’s page on equine safety: https://www.nyra.com/inc/safety/

Horseracing Wrongs, a nonprofit committed to ending the horse-racing industry for reasons of animal welfare: https://horseracingwrongs.org/

Information about the new Belmont Park racetrack, including details on its new, technologically advanced surfaces: https://www.drf.com/news/belmont-park-ready-its-next-chapter

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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Democrats could win 2026 and still lose the bigger fight | America, Actually - September 29, 2026 - Vox

Sarah Longwell says Democrats could win back the House in November and still draw the wrong lessons about what voters want. A backlash against Donald Trump, she argues, shouldn’t be mistaken for enthusiasm for Democrats.

In this special episode of America, Actually, recorded live at the Texas Tribune Festival, Vox’s Astead Herndon talks with Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark and host of The Focus Group podcast, about what she’s learned from listening to voters across the country. They discuss why voters don’t fit neatly into ideological boxes, how the changing electorate could shape the next presidential election, and what the Republican Party might look like after Trump.

America, Actually publishes video episodes every Saturday tackling key issues in politics, culture, and the economy. Subscribe to Vox’s YouTube channel to get them. Listen to episodes of America, Actually on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app.

If you enjoy our reporting and want to learn more, sign up for Astead’s weekly newsletter, Midterms, Actually. Just go to www.vox.com/midtermsactually to learn more, and get in-depth analysis about this year’s election right to your inbox.

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The dark side of modern therapy culture | The Gray Area - September 28, 2026 - Vox

We were told that airing our personal trauma in public would set us free. Instead, we got “the trauma script,” celebrity branding, and performative empathy.

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In today's episode, guest host Christine Emba talks with cultural theorist and professor Catherine Liu, author of "Traumatized: The New Politics of Public Suffering." In this scathing book, Catherine argues that our modern obsession with the "trauma script" isn't a radical act of liberation, but rather a distraction from widening economic inequality. They discuss why identity pluralism has eclipsed class struggle, how public therapy speak undermines democratic debate, and why we must move away from commodified self-absorption to focus on collective political and economic change.

00:00 Intro

01:32 Origins of the trauma script

04:22 Class struggle vs individual suffering

12:18 Identity pluralism and the politics of public suffering

16:45 Public confessions and the trauma brand

24:27 From consciousness-raising to the self-help industry

32:50 Reclaiming boundaries

Guest Host Christine Emba, columnist and author

Guest: Catherine Liu, author of Traumatized: The New Politics of Public Suffering

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