Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Archive

Archives for December 2014

Science
Why it’s about to get a lot harder to hide the results of medical studiesWhy it’s about to get a lot harder to hide the results of medical studies
Science

Deborah Zarin, director of the biggest database of clinical trials in the world, talks about the push for transparency in medical research.

By Julia Belluz
Culture
The Wicked and the Divine was the best comic book of 2014The Wicked and the Divine was the best comic book of 2014
Culture

This year and its Wednesdays have belonged to The Wicked + The Divine, a jewel of a comic.

By Alex Abad-Santos
Politics
Why Congress is broken: tax extenders editionWhy Congress is broken: tax extenders edition
Politics

The gimmicks are just too good to give up.

By New America Foundation Weekly Wonk
Culture
Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, and Sia nominated for GrammysTaylor Swift, Sam Smith, and Sia nominated for Grammys
Culture

This is an ongoing compilation of who is nominated for every category:

By Kelsey McKinney
archives
Vox Sentences: The best jobs report in almost three yearsVox Sentences: The best jobs report in almost three years
archives

Plus, Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrests a political rival, and Rolling Stone backpedals from a story on rape at the University of Virginia.

By Dylan Matthews
Criminal Justice
Arkansas governor pardons own son for a pot offense. He should pardon a lot more people.Arkansas governor pardons own son for a pot offense. He should pardon a lot more people.
Criminal Justice

Michael Beebe says marijuana laws are “tough on the families.” He could be a lot more aggressive about pardoning those convicted under them.

By Timothy B. Lee
Politics
Show this graphic to anyone who says rape isn’t a real issue in AmericaShow this graphic to anyone who says rape isn’t a real issue in America
Politics

The human toll of rape in America is astonishingly, overwhelmingly large.

By Joss Fong and Sarah Kliff
archives
Rolling Stone didn’t just fail readers — it failed Jackie, tooRolling Stone didn’t just fail readers — it failed Jackie, too
archives

It let the force of a 9,000-word story on a national problem rest entirely on the memories of a traumatized college student.

By Libby Nelson
archives
The lesson of Rolling Stone and UVA: protecting victims means checking their storiesThe lesson of Rolling Stone and UVA: protecting victims means checking their stories
archives

As a lawyer, I learned what Rolling Stone didn’t.

By Amanda Taub
archives
Violence against women in America is pervasive and realViolence against women in America is pervasive and real
Play
archives

Nearly one in five women — 19.3 percent — are raped in their lifetime

By Sarah Kliff
Education
Rolling Stone and the UVA gang rape controversy, explainedRolling Stone and the UVA gang rape controversy, explained
Education

How a horrifying story of a freshman’s experience at a fraternity house put campus sexual assault in the spotlight.

By Libby Nelson
archives
The New Republic and the Beltway media’s race problemThe New Republic and the Beltway media’s race problem
archives

There are two parallel conversations among journalists about this magazine, almost totally separated by race.

By Max Fisher
Police Violence
How America’s racial disparities look to a South African who lived through apartheidHow America’s racial disparities look to a South African who lived through apartheid
Police Violence

Both countries still have a long way to go.

By German Lopez
Culture
The best TV and film DVD gifts of 2014The best TV and film DVD gifts of 2014
Culture

Here are five films and five series worth giving to your friends and family. Or maybe just yourself.

By Emily St. James
archives
One sentence that explains what went wrong in Rolling Stone’s rape storyOne sentence that explains what went wrong in Rolling Stone’s rape story
archives

A story where the main source tried to back out and the other participants were never interviewed is not a solid story. But Rolling Stone ran it anyway.

By Sarah Kliff