Vox

Is it bad to want to be rich? | The Gray Area - October 5, 2026 - Vox
Is wanting to be rich selfish? Does making money require exploiting other people? Or can the pursuit of wealth actually benefit society?
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In this episode, guest host Sally Herships speaks with philosopher Jason Brennan about his book, "Why It's OK to Want to Be Rich." Jason makes the case that both wanting money and earning money are signs that we’re creating value for society. In this conversation, they explore why society believes money corrupts relationships, what wealthy individuals owe to society, and the cultural differences around money and wealth.
This episode was produced in partnership with Vox's Future Perfect.
00:00 Intro
03:19 Wanting to be rich is good for society
14:27 Capitalism, winners, and losers
24:43 Wealth, taxes, and banking
34:25 Does capitalism require exploitation?
39:57 What do the rich owe society?
Host: Sally Herships, journalist and director of the audio program at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. (Find Sally’s work here).
Guest: Jason Brennan, professor of philosophy and public affairs at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
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The GOP strategy: Ignore Trump | America, Actually - October 3, 2026 - Vox
The Republican Party is in chaos ahead of the midterms, largely thanks to Donald Trump’s dwindling popularity. So GOP candidates across the country are laying low and staying silent about the president. But will that strategy work?
In this episode of America, Actually, Vox’s Astead Herndon heads to a town hall in Ohio for Vivek Ramaswamy. The former presidential candidate, who recently helped lead Trump's efforts to gut the federal bureaucracy through DOGE, is now running for governor. Are Trump’s loyal voters sticking with the party, or is economic frustration starting to break the base ahead of November?
00:00 GOP midterm meltdown
02:09 On the ground in Ohio
02:49 Voters talk about the Republican message
09:23 Vivek Ramaswamy takes the stage
12:54 Audience questions
17:20 Astead’s takeaways
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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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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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.
And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube. New episodes drop every Monday and Friday.
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How new wearable tech is changing horse racing - 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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