This is an episode from our archives.For more than a century, Johnson & Johnson has billed itself as one of the most trusted companies in American history. But, in a stunning investigation, journalist Gardiner Harris documents decades of misconduct and malfeasance by the health-care conglomerate. Harris’s book is called No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about why he says the company has “knowingly contributed to the deaths and grievous injuries of millions” through products including baby powder, a fentanyl patch, and a cancer drug. Johnson & Johnson has denied many of these allegations.

When she was 28, Laura Mauldin became a full-time caregiver for her romantic partner with leukemia — an experience that exposed how deeply America’s health-care system depends on the unpaid labor of loved ones. Now a disability scholar, Mauldin explores this hidden reality in her new book, In Sickness and in Health: Love Stories From the Front Lines of America’s Caregiving Crisis. She sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to discuss how gaps in the medical system leave families shouldering the burden of care — and how couples navigate that strain while maintaining their sense of partnership and dignity.

A battle is underway over some of Hollywood’s most valuable properties. Paramount Skydance and Netflix are vying for control of Warner Bros. Discovery — the parent company of CNN, HBO, and a vast library of iconic films and TV shows. New York magazine features writer Reeves Wiedeman recently profiled David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance and son of tech billionaire Larry Ellison. Wiedeman sits down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to explain the motivations behind the tech heir’s business moves, how consolidation is reshaping the entertainment industry, and what it means for viewers’ screens — and wallets.

Bad Bunny is one of the most popular artists in the world. He’s won six Grammys — including Album of the Year for his latest record, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, the first Spanish-language album to take home the award — and this weekend, he’ll headline the Super Bowl halftime show. Suzy Exposito, an editor at De Los, has followed Bad Bunny’s rise for years and interviewed him several times. She joins Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about his upbringing in Puerto Rico, his ascent to global stardom, and how he’s reshaping pop music.

Since President Trump took office just over a year ago, federal immigration enforcement has substantially expanded — nowhere more visibly than in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where federal officers have killed two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Widespread protests, scrutiny of ICE operations, and questions about accountability have intensified in recent weeks. Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer for The Atlantic, sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to discuss what’s happening inside ICE today — and what these latest developments could mean going forward. Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcasts.

New Yorker staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert has been reporting on climate and the environment for more than 25 years. In her work, she captures both the awe-inspiring beauty of the natural world and the unsettling truth about what humans are doing to it. Her latest book, Life on a Little-Known Planet: Dispatches From a Changing World, is a collection of essays from her decades-long career. Kolbert spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the stories that have shaped her reporting — and what they’ve taught her about a rapidly changing planet.

In January 2025, catastrophic wildfires tore through Los Angeles, destroying entire neighborhoods and leaving devastation that continues today. MS NOW senior reporter Jacob Soboroff reported live from the blaze in his hometown of Pacific Palisades — and is now out with a new book, Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster, a deeply reported account of the chaos and enduring fallout. Soboroff sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to share what he witnessed on the ground and what the fires revealed about a city — and a country — unprepared for the disasters ahead.

The recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela has raised many questions about what’s actually driving the Trump administration’s aims in the region. To break down what’s known — and unknown — about this unprecedented action, Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu talked with New Yorker staff writer Jonathan Blitzer, who has been reporting on immigration and foreign policy for years. They discuss how Venezuela became a target of the current administration, and how this tenuous situation could evolve moving forward.

This is an episode from our archives.Martinus Evans did not have an easy start to running. Weighing over 300 pounds, he set out to finish a marathon after a doctor told him to “lose weight or die.” He writes about his running journey in his book, Slow AF Run Club: The Ultimate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Run. In this week’s episode of Apple News In Conversation, Evans talks with host Shumita Basu about the lessons he’s learned from being a “back-of-the-packer.”

This episode from our archives is our most-listened-to interview of the year. It was originally published in June 2025. In his 22-year career in the FBI, undercover agent Scott Payne infiltrated some of the most dangerous criminal and extremist groups in America, from a motorcycle gang called the Outlaws to a white-supremacist group known as the Base. Payne shares his firsthand case accounts of gathering intelligence and stopping illegal activity in his memoir, Code Name: Pale Horse; How I Went Undercover to Expose America’s Nazis. His story is also featured on the latest season of the Slate podcast White Hot Hate. Payne sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about some of his most harrowing moments on the job and the growing threat of extremism in the U.S.

The end of the year is a moment to reflect on the art and culture that stood out. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu sat down with two culture critics — Sam Sanders, the host of The Sam Sanders Show on KCRW, and Anne Helen Petersen, creator of the podcast and newsletter Culture Study — to break down their top releases. They talk about the music, film, and TV they loved most in 2025. Plus, our listeners share their own picks for this year’s can’t-miss shows and albums.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is one of the most influential — and controversial — figures in American public health. And some of the changes he’s pushing, especially around vaccines, have drawn sharp criticism and resistance from many scientific experts. In a recent Atlantic profile, staff writer Michael Scherer examined how Kennedy’s background, including immense privilege and trauma, has shaped the perspective he now brings to his role at HHS. Scherer interviewed and traveled with Kennedy to report his piece. He sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to discuss Kennedy’s worldview and what it could mean for federal public-health policy.

At a time when interest in history is surging, millions of listeners are tuning in to hear historians Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland dive into the past on their hit podcast The Rest Is History. Known for sharp banter, vivid details, and engaging narratives, the show has become the world’s most popular history podcast and was named Apple Podcasts’s Podcast of the Year. Sandbrook and Holland join Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to reflect on their favorite moments in American history — from Abraham Lincoln’s presidency to the upheavals of 1968.

This is an episode from our archives.Even before the divisive presidential election, family estrangement was on the rise. Now, as holiday gatherings approach, many people are grappling with difficult family dynamics. Psychologist Joshua Coleman, the author of Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties & How to Heal the Conflict, talks to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how to navigate strained relationships and what steps you can take to bridge divides.

With the release of her James Beard Award–winning cookbook, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Samin Nosrat catapulted to international fame. But amid big life changes and loss in the years that followed, she struggled to redefine her connection to cooking. With her second book, Good Things, Nosrat is back with a fresh approach to preparing food — one that’s centered on spending precious time with loved ones. She sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about what makes a good recipe, her weekly dinner-party group, and how to alleviate the stress of cooking a high-stakes holiday meal.

Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario has spent the past two decades on the front lines of many of the world’s defining conflicts and humanitarian crises — from Iraq and Afghanistan to the Arab Spring, the Libyan civil war, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A new documentary from National Geographic, Love+War, explores not only her extraordinary career in conflict zones but also her life at home in London with her husband and their two young sons. Addario sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about her high-risk work, motherhood, and what the film reveals about the complexity of both.

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income nations — and, according to the CDC, more than 80% of maternal deaths are preventable. In her new book, Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America, journalist Irin Carmon follows families as they navigate fertility struggles, pregnancy, birth, and loss within a health-care system that too often fails them. Carmon sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about how the history of maternal health care in the U.S. continues to shape the lives of pregnant people today.

Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, has become one of the most influential figures shaping Trump’s second term. He’s the main driver of efforts to weaken federal agencies and push through sweeping government layoffs. In a recent piece copublished by ProPublica and the New Yorker, reporter Andy Kroll reveals how Vought’s ideas about federal bureaucracy are being put into action. Kroll joins Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to explain why some in Washington call Vought the “shadow president.”

Zohran Mamdani is leading New York City’s mayoral race by double digits. But not long ago, the democratic socialist was a relatively unknown state assemblyman. New Yorker staff writer Eric Lach recently profiled Mamdani, tracing his unique biography to his surprise primary win against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Lach joins Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about Mamdani’s sweeping campaign promises, the challenges of governing New York, and why this race matters for the rest of the country. Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcasts.This episode was published on Thursday, Oct. 23, when House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had not yet endorsed Zohran Mamdani. Jeffries did so on Friday, Oct. 24.

Sports betting has exploded in the U.S.: The Supreme Court gave states the power to legalize it in 2018, and, by the end of this year, it will be allowed in 39 states and Washington, D.C. In his book Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling, author Jonathan D. Cohen unpacks how this industry got so big and what its rise says about American culture. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the draw and dangers of sports gambling.

The rise of the Make America Healthy Again movement reflects a larger trend: declining trust in public-health institutions in the U.S. In response, the creators of a new podcast, Why Should I Trust You?, bring MAHA supporters and health experts together in a rare forum to foster understanding and explore solutions. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu sat down with two of the hosts, Brinda Adhikari and Maggie Bartlett, to talk about what they’re learning from these conversations, and the surprising partnerships emerging along the way.

In just a few years, U.S. school districts have gone from blocking AI tools to welcoming them into classrooms. In a recent story for Bloomberg Businessweek, contributing writer Vauhini Vara reports on how these tools are being used — and what they mean for students, teachers, and the future of learning. Vara joins Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to discuss the companies pushing AI into schools, the risks and promises of their products, and what might be lost — or gained — as classrooms adapt.

Earlier this month, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University. The public response has amplified political divisions, leaving many people feeling anxious about the state of the country. Sean Westwood, director of Dartmouth’s Polarization Research Lab, explains that while a few voices are stoking tensions, most Americans reject violence and want calmer politics. Westwood spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about what the data reveals about polarization and political violence in the U.S. — and what it might take to turn the temperature down.

The Constitution has been amended 27 times, but the last meaningful change was over half a century ago. In her new book, We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution, historian Jill Lepore argues that the near impossibility of amendment in recent decades underlies many of today’s political crises, from polarization to battles over the courts. Lepore spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the history of constitutional revision and why the amendment process matters for the future of American democracy.

When Christine was 9, her mother began having delusions that upended their family’s life. Her mother was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia, but treatments had no effect. Nearly two decades later, after she started medication for cancer, her psychosis suddenly vanished. In the New Yorker, staff writer Rachel Aviv tells this remarkable story — and what it reveals about how schizophrenia is diagnosed and treated. The piece was selected as an Apple News Story of the Month. Aviv spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how evolving science is challenging long-held beliefs about schizophrenia and its causes.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans seek help for opioid addiction each year, but too often, they’re met with a rehab system that fails them. Many programs operate with little oversight, prioritizing profit over care, while proven medications remain out of reach. Shoshana Walter, author of Rehab: An American Scandal, spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about what actually works in treating addiction — and why even well-intentioned programs so often fall short.

This is an episode from our archives.Reality shows — like Survivor, The Bachelor, and Love Is Blind — are some of the most-watched TV series in the U.S. But how much “reality” is actually being shown? In her book Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV, New Yorker staff writer Emily Nussbaum reveals how this industry came to be and takes people behind the scenes of some of the top reality series. Nussbaum speaks with guest host Sam Sanders about the most surprising aspects of this divisive genre.

When Sudan’s civil war broke out in 2023, two military factions violently dismantled the country’s infrastructure, causing devastation for civilians. Now millions face famine, sexual violence, and mass displacement as international aid has dwindled after U.S. funding cuts. Atlantic staff writer Anne Applebaum and photojournalist Lynsey Addario traveled to Sudan to report on the crisis. Applebaum sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about what she saw on the ground, and what Sudan’s war reveals about the collapse of the liberal world order.

“No tax on tips” is a provision in President Trump’s new tax-and-spending bill that promises a tax break for tipped workers. But nearly 40% of these workers don’t earn enough to pay federal income tax and won’t directly benefit from the policy. In his latest piece for the New Yorker, contributing writer Eyal Press explains how the “no tax on tips” proposal originally came from the National Restaurant Association — known to some labor advocates as “the other NRA” — a powerful industry lobby that has long fought against raising wages. Press spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how the association has shaped labor laws behind the scenes, and why a policy that looks like a win for workers might actually serve their bosses instead.

The immigration landscape in the U.S. has shifted dramatically since President Trump began his second term. ICE raids and arrests have surged — including among migrants without criminal records — leaving detention facilities overflowing and families in crisis. NPR senior immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd has been reporting from Florida, a state that has taken the lead in advancing Trump’s agenda. She sat down withApple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to share what she’s seeing on the ground — and why Florida offers clues of what’s to come for the rest of country.

Maternity homes are resurging in the post-Roe era. These facilities are meant to provide temporary housing and other services to pregnant people in need. But many are rooted in restrictive Christian ideology — and some former residents say they were coerced into placing their babies for adoption. In the new Wondery podcast Liberty Lost, journalist T.J. Raphael investigates this system through the story of one teenager, Abbi Johnson. Raphael joins Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to share what she uncovered and what Johnson’s experience reveals about adoption and reproductive choice in America.

Public support for the death penalty has been slowly declining in America. But under President Trump, executions have spiked. In her recent piece, “Inside America’s Death Chambers,” Atlantic staff writer Elizabeth Bruenig describes witnessing five executions — including two failed attempts — and what those experiences taught her about justice, mercy, and redemption. Bruenig spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about her reporting and her own experience as the relative of a murder victim.

New York Times critic Amanda Hess has spent years writing about the internet, technology, and culture. But when she became pregnant, and then a new parent, she was surprised by how much tech infiltrated — and tried to optimize — every aspect of her life. In her book Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age, Hess chronicles that experience. She sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about the promises and pitfalls of parenting technology, and the tools that actually helped her family.

Americans have a long history of obsession with the ultrarich, from Carnegie and Rockefeller to Bezos and Musk. And today, the gap between the rich and the poor is bigger than ever as the billionaire class has ascended to new heights. In his new book, The Haves and Have-Yachts, New Yorker staff writer Evan Osnos explores the extravagant lifestyles of the wealthy and their outsize influence on politics. He sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about this unique moment — when billionaires are both resented and envied by the public — and what it means for the rest of us.

This is an episode from our archives. Since we published this episode, the Wall Street Journal released a report that the Pentagon purposely spread disinformation about UFOs, at times to protect secret military operations. Have we been visited by extraterrestrial life? And how much does the government really know when it comes to UFOs? Garrett Graff’s latest book, UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here — and Out There, investigates these questions and more. The national-security reporter recently sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to share his findings.

Private equity has become one of the most powerful — and least understood — forces in the American economy. In recent decades, firms have taken over everything from retail chains to hospitals to housing — often with little risk to themselves and with real consequences for workers and communities. In her new book, Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream, journalist Megan Greenwell breaks down how this industry is quietly reshaping American life. Greenwell sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to share the stories of people pushing back against these entities to protect their jobs, their families, and their homes.

Formula 1 is the highest level of motorsport, with cars hitting speeds of over 200 miles per hour and teams making split-second, high-stakes decisions behind the scenes. Now the drama of this sport is coming to the big screen, with the new Apple Original film F1 The Movie, starring actors Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, in theaters June 27. Director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer wanted to make it the most authentic car-racing movie possible, and they shot real F1 races, incorporating those scenes into the film. They sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about bringing the world of F1 to life.

In his 22-year career in the FBI, undercover agent Scott Payne infiltrated some of the most dangerous criminal and extremist groups in America, from a motorcycle gang called the Outlaws to a white-supremacist group known as the Base. Payne shares his firsthand case accounts of gathering intelligence and stopping illegal activity in his memoir, Code Name: Pale Horse; How I Went Undercover to Expose America’s Nazis. His story is also featured on the latest season of the Slate podcast White Hot Hate. Payne sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about some of his most harrowing moments on the job and the growing threat of extremism in the U.S.

Taylor Swift recently announced that she bought back the master recordings of her first six albums, ending a yearslong ownership battle. In light of this news, we’re bringing you an episode from our archives about Swift’s career, megastardom, and legacy.   Taylor Swift requires no introduction. She recently became the first artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year four times. Her Eras Tour, the highest-grossing music tour ever, ends this month. Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield, who has been covering Swift since the beginning of her career, is out with a new book on the star, Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music. Sheffield talks with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about Swift’s gift for storytelling, her expansive fan base, and how she’s empowered a whole new generation of artists.

When ProPublica health-care reporter David Armstrong was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer, he began taking a lifesaving drug called Revlimid. When he learned that each pill of this medication is sold for nearly $1,000 but costs drug companies only cents to make, he went on a quest to uncover the reasons behind its shocking price tag. Armstrong sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about his investigation into Revlimid’s origins and what it reveals about prescription-drug pricing in America.

Throughout his presidency, Joe Biden faced questions about his age and his health, so much so that he ultimately ended his 2024 reelection campaign. In a new book, Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson reveal the true extent of Biden’s declining cognitive health, and the lengths his inner circle took to conceal it from the public. Tapper and Thompson spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about their reporting and what it means for Biden’s legacy.

Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS, are found in virtually every corner of the world, including in most people’s bodies. These synthetic compounds have been linked to a wide range of health issues — from infertility to cancer to neurological problems — even at low levels of exposure. In a new book, They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals, investigative journalist Mariah Blake lays out how these toxic chemicals became so ubiquitous. Blake spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about a group of unlikely activists fighting back against those responsible and offers practical tips to protect yourself.For some resources recommended by Blake, go to the National Science Foundation’s page on PFAS in drinking water.

This week, the New Yorker was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for its podcast In the Dark, which is featured in this episode from our archives.On Nov. 19, 2005, a group of U.S. Marines killed 24 men, women, and children in Haditha, Iraq. It would become known as the Haditha massacre and set off one of the largest war-crimes investigations in American history. But, ultimately, no one was convicted of these killings. The latest season of the New Yorker’s podcast In the Dark explores what happened in Haditha and how the U.S. military justice system often fails to hold its members to account. Host Madeleine Baran spoke with Apple News In Conversation’s Shumita Basu about this expansive investigative reporting. Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcasts.

In 2020, dozens of young women from a small Long Island, New York, community discovered violent and sexualized manipulated images of themselves on a deepfake-porn site. Local police found themselves ill-equipped to handle the case, but some of the victims did their own sleuthing. Their quest for justice is featured in Bloomberg Businessweek’s podcast Levittown. Reporters Olivia Carville and Margi Murphy sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about the rise of generative AI and how it’s found its way into the darkest places on the web.

Millions of Americans cannot afford housing despite working full-time jobs. They live in cars, shelters, or extended-stay hotels and often don’t qualify for assistance programs. Journalist and anthropologist Brian Goldstone follows five Atlanta families who are stuck in this cycle in his new book, There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America. Goldstone reveals how these parents and children are prevented from securing housing by steep rents, red tape, and predatory schemes. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how this crisis arose and ways to address it. Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcasts. Correction: A previous version of this episode misstated when the federal minimum wage was last raised. We have removed that line from the interview. The last federal minimum-wage raise was in 2009, not the 1990s.

The Trump administration is upending college campuses across the U.S. In recent weeks, the White House has launched investigations into dozens of the nation’s top universities, accusing them of antisemitism and threatening to freeze major federal grants if the schools don’t end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and make other changes to address the administration’s claims. Michael S. Roth, the president of Wesleyan University, sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about how these moves endanger academic freedom and how schools are pushing back against the federal government.

Last month the Trump administration deported, without due process, 238 Venezuelan migrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. The White House says that these people have ties to a Venezuelan gang but has provided little evidence to support this claim. Most of them do not have criminal histories. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu sat down with New Yorker staff writer Jonathan Blitzer, who has covered immigration for more than a decade, to discuss the possible implications of these deportations and the muted resistance to the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.

For more than a century, Johnson & Johnson has billed itself as one of the most trusted companies in American history. But, in a stunning investigation, journalist Gardiner Harris documents decades of misconduct and malfeasance by the health-care conglomerate. Harris’s book, out April 8, is called No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about why he says the company has “knowingly contributed to the deaths and grievous injuries of millions” through products including baby powder, a fentanyl patch, and a cancer drug. Johnson & Johnson has denied many of these allegations.

This year, Elon Musk and the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency have swept through federal agencies — ingesting data, enacting mass firings and cuts, and causing confusion among federal workers. Reporters Leah Feiger and Zoë Schiffer, along with their colleagues at Wired, recently spoke with over 150 sources, including current and former federal employees, about DOGE’s inner workings. Feiger and Schiffer sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to discuss their story, “Inside Elon Musk’s ‘Digital Coup,’” which was selected as Apple News’s March Story of the Month.

Brian Kelly, founder of the Points Guy, has made a career out of helping people travel using credit-card points and frequent-flyer miles. His readers have taken trips across the globe, flown first class, and stayed in five-star hotels — all using rewards. Kelly is out now with a new book, How to Win at Travel, which details travel advice that goes beyond points and miles. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about ways to make your next trip easier and more affordable.

The U.S. military is the most powerful and lethal in the world. But several branches of the armed forces have failed to meet their recruiting goals in recent years. That has some experts concerned about whether the country would be prepared to defend itself in the event of war. In a recent piece for the New Yorker, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Dexter Filkins writes about the state of the military today. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the roots of this recruitment crisis, how the current administration plans to address it, and what it could mean for American security in the future.

Last year, media mogul Rupert Murdoch tried to wrest control of his family trust — and the future of his massive news conglomerate — away from three of his children in favor of his eldest son, Lachlan. The bitter court battle that followed strained the family to the breaking point and prompted his youngest son, James, to share his story, for the first time, with Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins. Coppins’s article was selected as Apple News’s February Story of the Month, and he spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about James’s challenging relationship with his father and the war for the Murdoch media empire.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship and the sport at its center, mixed martial arts, have exploded in popularity in recent years — and President Donald Trump is a fan. Trump and UFC CEO Dana White are also close friends, and have been for decades. For a story in Rolling Stone, Jack Crosbie details how the two have helped each other rise. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Crosbie about the integral link between Trump’s America and the UFC.

One month into his second term, President Trump has made a lot of big moves quickly, from pardoning 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters and attempting to stop all foreign aid to ordering mass firings of federal employees. These actions have triggered a flurry of challenges in the federal courts. Beyond each individual case, a larger picture is forming of the executive office pushing the limits of its power. Ankush Khardori, a former federal prosecutor and senior writer for Politico Magazine, talks to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how Trump could fundamentally alter the balance between our three branches of government — not only for himself but for future presidents.

Saturday Night Live has churned out dozens of unforgettable stars — from Bill Murray and Eddie Murphy to Tina Fey and Kristen Wiig — but the biggest force behind the show is executive producer Lorne Michaels. Ahead of SNL’s 50th anniversary, Susan Morrison, author of Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live, talks to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about Michaels’s unique management style and singular eye for comedy.

In at least 6% of in vitro fertilization (IVF) cases, the eggs come from donors — and that number is growing. The scarcity and value of human eggs have given rise to a flourishing global industry already worth billions of dollars. A new investigation in Bloomberg Businessweek reveals how this sprawling and largely unregulated market is ripe for exploitation. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with senior reporters Susan Berfield and Natalie Obiko Pearson about the stories of the women behind this booming business. And to hear more on this story, listen to the three-part series The Human Egg Trade on Bloomberg’s Big Take.

The social-media grounds are shifting. In recent weeks, there have been major developments at platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Meanwhile, more and more experts are raising alarm bells about the harms of social media on society and our mental health. To understand how we got here and what might come next, Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Nicholas Carr, author of the book Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart, who has been writing about the human consequences of technology for decades.

The militia movement in America has a long, embattled history — and President Trump ushered in a new chapter with his sweeping grant of clemency to the more than 1,500 people charged for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. ProPublica reporter Joshua Kaplan sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about the message these pardons send and the insights of a unique source who secretly infiltrated and climbed the ranks of militia groups in America.

The Apple Original series Severance takes place in a world where people can split their memories in two — and create completely separate selves for inside and outside the workplace. It was a hit when it debuted in 2022, and in the season finale the characters’ “innies” and “outies” collide in a shocking cliff-hanger. In the three years since, fans have been waiting for — and sharing their theories about — what might happen next. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu sat down with executive producer and director Ben Stiller and star and executive producer Adam Scott to talk about the new season, out on Apple TV+ Jan. 17. Check out Apple News’s ‘Severance’-themed crossword.

Forty-five million people in the U.S. — about one in six adults — owe a total of $1.7 trillion in student-loan debt. Canceling some of these federal loans has become a flash point in modern American politics. In a new book, Burdened: Student Debt and the Making of an American Crisis, Ryann Liebenthal traces the origins of the student-loan system and breaks down how it works today. Liebenthal spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about ways to address this trillion-dollar problem.

This is an episode from our archives.Esther Perel is the relationship expert many couples dream of scheduling a session with. Her podcast, Where Should We Begin? With Esther Perel, offers the next best thing. In it, she helps couples work through their issues, often providing insights that are relevant to other relationships. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Perel about how she approaches her work, the challenges of modern love, and how to resolve conflict.

This is an episode from our archives. Elizabeth Keating didn’t realize how little she knew about her mother’s life until after she had died. A trained anthropologist, Keating decided to develop a guide for interviewing and recording loved ones’ histories before it’s too late. Her book The Essential Questions: Interview Your Family to Uncover Stories and Bridge Generations offers a blueprint for these conversations along with thought-provoking questions. On Apple News In Conversation, Keating shares what this process can teach us about ourselves and our families with host Shumita Basu.

After the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban came to power and quickly began stripping women and girls of their rights. With the support of Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and actor Jennifer Lawrence, Afghan filmmaker Sahra Mani gathered footage from women activists fighting against this oppressive regime. The resulting documentary, Bread & Roses, is now available on Apple TV+. Mani and Yousafzai joined Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about the bravery of the women in the face of Taliban rule and the urgent need for the international community to act.

The separation of migrant families by the Trump administration is one of the most controversial policies in modern American history. It began in mid-2017 but was only acknowledged publicly about a year later. In 2020, NBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff came out with a book on the subject called Separated: Inside an American Tragedy. Most recently, Soboroff teamed up with Academy Award–winning filmmaker Errol Morris to make a documentary, also called Separated, based on the book. Morris and Soboroff spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how this policy was carried out and what it might look like under the new Trump administration.

Taylor Swift requires no introduction. She recently became the first artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year four times. Her Eras Tour, the highest-grossing music tour ever, ends this month. Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield, who has been covering Swift since the beginning of her career, is out with a new book on the star, Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music. Sheffield talks with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about Swift’s gift for storytelling, her expansive fan base, and how she’s empowered a whole new generation of artists.

This is an episode from our archives.Holiday spending is expected to reach record levels this year. That makes for a lot of packages — and a lot of returns, donations, and junk. On Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu speaks with The Atlantic’s Amanda Mull, who reveals the strategies retailers use to get you to buy more stuff and what you can do to have a more sustainable holiday season. Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcasts.

Even before the divisive presidential election, family estrangement was on the rise. Now, as holiday gatherings approach, many people are grappling with difficult family dynamics. Psychologist Joshua Coleman, the author of Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties & How to Heal the Conflict, talks to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how to navigate strained relationships and what steps you can take to bridge divides.

Sharon Horgan has spent decades creating hilarious TV and compelling women characters at every stage of life. In the BBC comedy Pulling, she captured the confusion of early adulthood. Young parenthood was the subject of Amazon Prime’s Catastrophe. And HBO’s Divorce, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, focused on the dissolution of a marriage. Her latest project, Bad Sisters, premieres its second season this week on Apple TV+. Horgan sits down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about bringing realistic women onscreen, the delicate balance of writing comedy and drama, and why menopause might be the most challenging life stage of all.

Along with Donald Trump’s win this week, Republicans took control of the Senate and are favored to secure the House. To break down the forces behind this rightward shift, Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Atlantic staff writer George Packer. They discuss what the election results reveal about the country and the change many Americans want to see.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are making their closing pitches to voters ahead of Election Day. In this final week, Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu sat down with New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker and New Yorker staff writer Susan Glasser. The married political reporters are also authors of the book The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017–2021. They reflected on this moment in the campaign, the two contrasting visions for America the candidates are presenting, and what a victory for either Harris or Trump could mean for the country.

Since former President Trump lost the 2020 presidential race, he and his supporters have been spreading the false claim that the election was stolen and that the U.S. is rife with voter fraud. This has been disproven in court many times, but the rhetoric has had a real effect on the country — from the January 6 attack on the Capitol, to election-rule changes, to general distrust around the voting process. Votebeat’s Jessica Huseman is one of the leading reporters on voting in the U.S. She talks with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the lies being spread about our voting system and explains why Americans can feel reassured that this election will be safe and fair.

In the past month, two major hurricanes hit the southeastern United States, causing hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage. Journalist Porter Fox warns that this is only the beginning. Fox, who has been reporting on climate change for more than a decade, has published a new book, Category Five: Superstorms and the Warming Oceans That Feed Them. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how human-induced climate change is fueling increasingly larger and more dangerous storms — and how we can turn the tide.

Democratic candidates for office have historically relied on support from Latino voters. But recent elections and polling show that this crucial voting bloc is starting to move further to the right. In her new book, Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America, journalist Paola Ramos explores the forces behind this shift. She spoke to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about what all of this could signal for the 2024 election.

One year ago, Hamas militants killed nearly 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 people hostage. Since then, Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, including more than 16,000 children. Most recently, the conflict expanded into Lebanon, and Iran fired missiles into Israel. Vox senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp talks to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about where things stand now, the devastating human toll of the war, and how the conflict could evolve.

Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, nearly half of states in the U.S. have banned or heavily restricted abortion, leaving millions of people without access to this procedure. Caroline Kitchener covers abortion for the Washington Post and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting in 2023. Kitchener talks to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the impact of abortion bans on people’s lives and the role this issue is playing in the 2024 election.

On November 19, 2005, a group of U.S. Marines killed 24 men, women, and children in Haditha, Iraq. It would become known as the Haditha massacre and set off one of the largest war-crimes investigations in American history. But, ultimately, no one was convicted of these killings. The latest season of the New Yorker’s podcast In the Dark explores what happened in Haditha and how the U.S. military justice system often fails to hold its members to account. Host Madeleine Baran spoke with Apple News In Conversation’s Shumita Basu about this expansive investigative reporting.

When it comes to QAnon and other conspiracy theories, there’s no one type of person who is most vulnerable. And those who get sucked in can quickly become unrecognizable to their loved ones. Jesselyn Cook, the author of The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family, talks to Apple News In Conversationhost Shumita Basu about how QAnon has shattered lives across the political spectrum and the tools that can work to pull family and friends back out of the rabbit hole.

Every day, 10,000 people turn 65 in America. With unpaid family members bearing the brunt of the work and an already-stressed care workforce, the U.S. faces huge challenges to support the elderly. Labor organizer and author Ai-jen Poo talks to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how America can give everyone a chance to have the aging experience they deserve.

This is an episode from our archives.Growing up, Jennifer Senior thought her mom was an only child. But when she was 12 years old, she learned her mom had a sister, named Adele, who was institutionalized as a baby. Adele had spent almost her entire life separated from her family. Decades later, in 2021, Senior reconnected with her aunt and uncovered the dark history of institutionalizing children with intellectual disabilities. Senior wrote about her aunt’s story in The Atlantic and spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about her experience.

This week, Democrats rallied around their new ticket, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. It was a remarkable sign of unity for a party that settled on their new nominee just four weeks ago and has been riding a wave of voter enthusiasm. But can this energy last? And what will it take to win the White House in November? Apple News editor Gideon Resnick attended the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and talked to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about where the race with Trump stands now and what the Harris campaign sees as its path to victory.

The Darién Gap is one of the most dangerous migrant routes in the world and the only way to get to the U.S. from South America by land. But despite the risks, more and more people — including children — are braving the 70-mile stretch of harsh terrain. Atlantic staff writer Caitlin Dickerson and photographer Lynsey Addario recently made the trek with several families to show just how treacherous it is on the ground. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Dickerson about what she saw — and how U.S. immigration policy has created more risks for people every step of the way.

Nancy Pelosi is one of the most powerful people in U.S. history. She was first elected to Congress in 1987 at the age of 47 and went on to become the first woman speaker of the House in 2007. She is known as a shrewd politician with an outsize influence over the Democratic Party and the country. Her new book, The Art of Power, details some of the biggest moments in her career. Pelosi sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about the 2024 race for the White House, American politics today, and her legacy.

The United States’ food system is fundamentally broken. We produce food that is optimized for profits, not quality. A lot of it is also detrimental to our health. And the way we produce it does huge harm to the planet. Best-selling author Mark Bittman has been a leading voice in food and policy for decades. He talks to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the serious problems with how our food is made and sold — and offers solutions to improve the system.

The 2024 Paris Olympics are finally here, with two weeks of jaw-dropping, mind-blowing athleticism by some of the world’s GOATs. NBC’s Rebecca Lowe is covering the Olympics — and talks with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the athletes on Team USA, what they’re up against, and the most exciting storylines of this summer’s Games.

Following the Republican National Convention, the GOP has never been more confident about the chances of Donald Trump winning in November. Atlantic staff writer Tim Alberta, who has spent months talking to Trump insiders, breaks down his campaign’s strategy and why so much could change between now and the election.

The U.S. surgeon general recently recommended that all social-media platforms come with a warning label alerting parents and young people of their risks. Meanwhile, some schools are moving to ban phones altogether. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu talks to psychologist Mitch Prinstein, an expert in adolescent development, about what we actually know about the effects of social media on kids’ brains — and his compassionate advice for navigating smartphone use in your family.

This is an episode from our archives that was originally published in July 2023.Millions of people in the U.S. are living in areas with dangerous levels of heat — and a growing death toll. In a new book, The Heat Will Kill You First, reporter Jeff Goodell warns that heat is pushing us into a new climate era, with dire implications for individuals, society, and our planet. Goodell spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the changes we need to make today and the reasons he still has hope for the future.

Guest-hosted by Sam Sanders: Reality shows — like Survivor, The Bachelor, and Love Is Blind — are some of the most-watched TV series in the U.S. But how much “reality” is actually being shown? In her new book, Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV, New Yorker staff writer Emily Nussbaum reveals how this industry came to be and takes people behind the scenes of some of the top reality series. Nussbaum speaks with guest host Sam Sanders about the most surprising aspects of this divisive genre.

Guest-hosted by Sam Sanders: Social media, constantly seeing ourselves on Zoom, and other modern technologies are inspiring people to change their faces and bodies at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, we have more access than ever before to medical procedures to modify our appearances. That combination is resulting in a plastic-surgery frenzy. To understand the science behind how our brains process beauty, guest host Sam Sanders talks to Neelam Vashi, an associate professor of dermatology at Boston University’s medical school who has studied the connection between social media and cosmetic surgery. Then, Elise Hu, the author of Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture From the K-Beauty Capital, offers tips on how to navigate a world of ever-fleeting beauty trends.

A year after two historic Hollywood strikes, America’s entertainment industry is in crisis. Box-office numbers are way down, there are roughly 20% fewer jobs than before the pandemic, and just a handful of companies now control virtually everything we watch. Franklin Leonard, the founder of the Black List, is a Hollywood insider and an industry disrupter. He talks to guest host Sam Sanders about how TV and filmmaking need to change.

An explosive lawsuit against hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, filed by his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, has prompted an avalanche of accusations and eyewitness accounts of his violent behavior. A new, deeply reported feature from Rolling Stone is one of the most extensive accounts yet of allegations against Combs — detailing decades of alleged physical and sexual abuse from his days in college to the heyday of his label, Bad Boy Records, and beyond. Guest host Sam Sanders talks with reporters Cheyenne Roundtree and Nancy Dillon about what they learned from witnesses — and how Combs’s accusers are seeking justice.

Guest-hosted by Sam Sanders: The new Apple TV+ series Dark Matter tells the story of Jason Dessen, a man who is abducted into an alternative version of his own life. The show is based on a book by best-selling science-fiction writer Blake Crouch. Apple News In Conversation guest host Sam Sanders spoke to Crouch and two stars of the show, Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly, about regret, the existence of the multiverse, and how the internet has all of us leading multiple lives.

This is an episode from our archives.Anderson Cooper is now the only living member of the family he grew up with. When he was 10 years old, his father died of a heart attack. His brother died by suicide about a decade later. And in 2019, his mother died at the age of 95. It’s only recently that Cooper has been able to talk about and process these deaths. For Apple News In Conversation’s Think Again series, he spoke with host Shumita Basu about what he’s learned by talking to people about death and grief on his podcast, All There Is — and the advice he has for those who are struggling with loss.

Guest-hosted by Julia Carpenter: Whether you’re 30 or 50 years old, it can be difficult to know what your life in retirement is going to look like and how to best prepare for it. Wall Street Journal reporters Anne Tergesen and Veronica Dagher spoke to people with a wide variety of retirement experiences — from those retiring on almost nothing but Social Security to those with $5 million — about how they are each making it work regardless of the number in their bank accounts.

Guest-hosted by Julia Carpenter: More and more people are becoming self-employed in the U.S. And when it comes to being your own boss, everything from your finances to your attitude can shape whether your business is a success. Paco de Leon is a personal-finance expert and host of the podcast Weird Finance. She sits down with Apple News In Conversationguest host Julia Carpenter to share some of the best advice she’s learned from her own experience, and from guiding clients to create their own businesses.

This is an episode from our archives.Around 2013, author and cardiologist Sandeep Jauhar started noticing some worrying changes in his father. He would forget the code to their safe; he couldn’t remember what he did the day before and would get lost driving home. Eventually, his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. In his new book, My Father’s Brain: Life in the Shadow of Alzheimer’s, Jauhar chronicles the challenges of caring for a sick parent and explains where medicine is today when it comes to treatment for this incurable illness.

Guest-hosted by Julia Carpenter: The United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. But when it comes to support for parents and families, we lag behind many of our peers. We have relatively high infant- and maternal-mortality rates and no national parental-leave policy. We spend far less on early-childhood care than other wealthy countries do. Economist and parenting expert Emily Oster argues that it doesn’t have to be this way. She sat down with Apple News In Conversation guest host Julia Carpenter to talk about some concrete ways we could make this country a better place to start a family.

Guest-hosted by Julia Carpenter: Losing your job. Being evicted. Hearing your parents fight about money. These can all be forms of financial trauma. Megan McCoy, a marriage and family psychologist specializing in financial therapy, explains how these traumas can have a long-standing effect on your relationship with money and how to break the cycle.

Guest-hosted by Julia Carpenter: Charlotte Cowles never thought she’d fall for a scam. She’s savvy about money and even writes a financial-advice column for The Cut. But last fall, scammers persuaded her to put $50,000 in cash in a shoebox and hand it over, wiping out her life savings. Cowles tells her story to Apple News In Conversation guest host Julia Carpenter and offers tips on how to prevent this from happening to you.

This is an episode from our archives.Tom Hanks has learned a thing or two about moviemaking during his decades-long career. Ultimately, he says, it’s not about one person’s vision or direction; it’s about the countless people behind the camera — and a few in front of it — who make a movie possible. That’s the foundational idea behind his debut novel, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece. Hanks spoke to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu before SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents actors, decided to strike. But his book and their conversation are a reminder of all that goes into creating the entertainment many of us take for granted.

Guest-hosted by Brian Stelter: The United States is one of the greatest democracies in the world. But, for a lot of people in this country, it doesn’t feel that way. A recent Pew Research survey found that about 7 in 10 Americans feel that our political system is not working well. Ezra Klein is one of the top thinkers and writers on U.S. politics. He’s also an opinion columnist for the New York Times and host of the podcast The Ezra Klein Show. Klein sat down with Apple News In Conversation guest host Brian Stelter to talk about some concrete ways we could make our system better.

Guest-hosted by Brian Stelter: Many Americans say the economy is their top issue this election year, with roughly two-thirds of voters saying they don’t feel it’s working for them. That’s despite a variety of indicators that show the economy is healthy and thriving. Guest host Brian Stelter talked with Megan Leonhardt, a senior writer for Barron’s, and Betsey Stevenson, a labor economist and professor at the University of Michigan, about the disconnect between the data and voter sentiment, as well as Joe Biden’s and Donald Trump’s first-term track records.

Guest-hosted by Brian Stelter: Between the upcoming presidential election, rapidly improving artificial intelligence, and weakened social-media safeguards, disinformation is becoming an increasingly urgent issue in the U.S. In her new book, Attack From Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America, legal analyst and former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade argues that American democracy will suffer if we don’t distinguish truth from lies. McQuade spoke with Apple News In Conversation guest host Brian Stelter about America’s disinformation problem and how to address it.

Guest-hosted by Brian Stelter: Donald Trump is the first president — current or former — to face criminal charges. The first of his four criminal trials is set to begin at the end of March, with at least one other expected to take place before the presidential election. Guest host Brian Stelter spoke with Scott Detrow, host of NPR’s Trump’s Trials podcast, and Karen Tumulty, political columnist for the Washington Post, about the charges against Trump and how he’ll split his time between the courtroom and campaign trail.

Guest-hosted by Brian Stelter: This year’s presidential election is unprecedented for many reasons. Republican front-runner and former president Donald Trump is facing 91 criminal charges in four separate trials. President Joe Biden, the presumed Democratic nominee, is facing serious criticisms over his age. Guest host Brian Stelter sat down with New Yorker staff writers Susan B. Glasser, Jane Mayer, and Evan Osnos, who also cohost The Political Scene podcast. He asks whether backup plans exist for either candidate, what the rules are around electing someone convicted of a crime, and why this campaign cycle is sure to be unlike any other.

Guest-hosted by David Greene: Sheryl Swoopes, often called the “female Michael Jordan,” was the first player signed to the WNBA. Her story is featured in the new documentary Shattered Glass: A WNBPA Story, which takes a look at how far the league has come since Swoopes’s early days — and what today’s pro athletes say they still need from the league. Guest host David Greene spoke with Swoopes and the film’s director, Andrea Buccilla.

Guest-hosted by David Greene: Maggie Nichols was the first athlete on the national team to report former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse to the organization in June 2015. A year later, she was not selected for the U.S. Olympic team. She spoke with guest host David Greene about her new memoir, Unstoppable! Warning: This episode includes descriptions of sexual violence and restrictive eating.

Guest-hosted by David Greene: The NFL accounted for 93 of the top 100 U.S. broadcasts in 2023, according to Nielsen ratings. But not that long ago, the league was reeling from controversies around head injuries, allegations of racism in its hiring practices, and players protesting police brutality. To better understand the NFL’s staying power, Apple News In Conversation guest host David Greene spoke with sports journalist Pablo Torre, host of the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out. They dig into the league’s ups and downs, America’s obsession with football, and the Taylor Swift effect.

Guest-hosted by David Greene: College football and basketball are multibillion-dollar industries. But while some Division 1 coaches and athletic directors make millions of dollars each year, the players themselves are not paid by the schools they compete for. That may soon change. The NCAA is facing a slew of lawsuits that could lead to student athletes being treated and compensated as university employees. ESPN panelist and Washington Post columnist Kevin Blackistone spoke with Apple News In Conversation guest host David Greene about the case against the NCAA — and the role that race plays in this debate.

Roz Chast started at the New Yorker in 1978, when there was only one other woman cartoonist at the magazine. Decades later, she is a celebrated figure in the cartoon world and has become well-known for her distinctive style and humor. Her latest book, I Must Be Dreaming, is an illustrated guide to Chast’s dreams and the inner workings of her mind. Chast spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about following her artistic intuition, the popularity of New Yorker cartoons, and her collection of canned goods.

Have we been visited by extraterrestrial life? And how much does the government really know when it comes to UFOs? Garrett Graff’s latest book, UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here — and Out There, investigates these questions and more. The national-security reporter recently sat down with Apple News In Conversationhost Shumita Basu to share his findings.

Journalist Tim Alberta was raised in the evangelical church and is a practicing Christian. But he’s grown increasingly concerned about how entrenched politics has become in the evangelical movement. In his latest book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, Alberta lays out the state of the evangelical church today and its shift toward the cultural and political fringes. Below are excerpts from Alberta’s interview with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu.

Esther Perel is the relationship expert many couples dream of scheduling a session with. Her podcast, Where Should We Begin? With Esther Perel, offers the next best thing. In it, she helps real couples work through their issues, often providing insights that are relevant to other relationships. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Perel about how she approaches her work, the challenges of modern love, and how to resolve conflict.

This is an episode from our archives. Transitions can feel intimidating and destabilizing. But these moments can also be opportunities for growth, reflection, and self-discovery — especially when you have the right tools. In this episode of Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu talks to Hidden Brain’s Shankar Vedantam about why pivot points can feel so challenging and how to embrace them as opportunities, rather than obstacles.

This is an episode from our archives. Rainn Wilson understands why so many people are rejecting religion today. But he argues that the core aspects of faith still have something important to offer us. Spirituality has brought him community, purpose, and joy — even as he’s struggled with depression, anxiety, and addiction. The actor explores these themes and shares what he’s learned in his book Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution and docuseries, Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss.

Elizabeth Keating didn’t realize how little she knew about her mother’s life until after she had died. A trained anthropologist, Keating decided to develop a guide for interviewing and recording loved ones’ histories before it’s too late. Her book, The Essential Questions: Interview Your Family to Uncover Stories and Bridge Generations, offers a blueprint for these conversations along with thought-provoking questions. On Apple News In Conversation, Keating shares what this process can teach us about ourselves and our families with host Shumita Basu.

Holiday spending is expected to reach record levels this year. That makes for a lot of packages — and a lot of returns, donations, and junk. On Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu speaks with The Atlantic’s Amanda Mull, who reveals the strategies retailers use to get you to buy more stuff, and what you can do to have a more sustainable holiday.

Rachel Maddow is best known for her show on MSNBC. But she’s also a serious history buff. In her latest book, Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism, Maddow lays out the rise of a dangerous antidemocratic movement in the United States in the 1930s and ’40s and how Americans stopped that campaign from flourishing. Maddow spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about this forgotten piece of history and what it can teach us about responding to threats to democracy today.

In this episode from our archives, Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu talks with Kate Mangino, a gender expert and the author of the book Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home. Mangino points to research that shows women still take on the majority of household responsibilities in different-sex relationships — and she argues there’s a better way for partners to balance the mental and physical labor of running a home.

What if the United States had lost the space race — and the Soviet Union had been the first to land a man on the moon? These are the driving questions behind the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind. The show explores the ripple effects of what coming in second could have meant for American culture, the feminist movement, geopolitics, and technology over several decades. And while fiction, it offers warnings about the future of space travel. On this week’s episode of Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu talks to the show’s technical adviser and former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman about how he helps ground the series in science.

David Remnick has reported on Israel and the Palestinian territories for many years. But his most recent trip to Israel was like nothing he’d seen before. In an article for the New Yorker, Remnick writes about visiting with survivors of the Hamas massacre, Israel’s assaults on Gaza, and what comes next. Below are excerpts from his interview with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu.

Big tech companies first started working on artificial facial recognition more than a decade ago. But they chose not to release it, worried about who might use it and how. Then, in 2017, the small startup Clearview AI debuted its facial-recognition app and began marketing its tool to law-enforcement agencies. This week on Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu talks to Kashmir Hill, a New York Times tech reporter and author of the new book Your Face Belongs to Us, about what this technology is capable of, what guardrails exist, and what the future of privacy might look like.

After striking oil on their reservation, members of the Osage Nation became some of the richest people in the world in the 1920s. Then white Oklahomans began killing them for their wealth in a sinister and elaborate plot. These events are detailed by David Grann in his book Killers of the Flower Moon, which has recently adapted into a Martin Scorsese–directed movie for Apple TV+. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Grann and Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear, a consultant on the film, about bringing this history to the big screen.

Warning: This episode describes graphic content, including the death of children.The following interview is about the experiences of Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and mostly focuses on events that took place before the latest escalation of violence in Israel and Gaza. It looks at one particular perspective and does not aim to capture all of the complexities of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.If you’d like to hear more of our coverage on the Israel-Hamas war, check out our daily news podcast, Apple News Today, and last week’s episode of Apple News In Conversation.A winding drive along the tall separation wall. An agonizing wait at the checkpoint. An identification card that only allows access to some hospitals. These are the obstacles that kept Abed Salama from reaching his 5-year-old son after a bus accident in 2012. On this week’s episode of Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu talks to Nathan Thrall, author of A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy, about what life is like for Palestinians in the West Bank. Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcasts.

The news coming out of Israel and Gaza this week has been fast-moving and devastating. It’s always hard, during a rapidly-changing news event, to know where to find accurate, contextualized information. It’s especially challenging in this particular war, where the history of conflict is so long, complicated, and emotionally-charged. For this week’s episode of Apple News In Conversation, we’ve compiled some of the best reads and listens to help you follow what’s happening today. An Israeli journalist speaks with Radio Atlantic about how his family survived when Hamas attacked their community. Fox News reporter Trey Yingst takes cover from a Hamas rocket attack during a live report. On Channel 4 News, a filmmaker shows life inside Gaza: “It feels like the world is collapsing.” Journalist Maram Humaid documents the bombardment and the sleepless nights in Gaza with a daily diary on Al Jazeera. The Washington Post shares a timeline of the big turning points and lesser-known moments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Historian Rashid Khalidi talks about the origins of this conflict on Throughline. Vox offers an explainer on the militant group Hamas. The Hamas attack was launched from the Gaza Strip. NBC breaks down what you need to know about this area between Israel and Egypt. Wall Street Journal correspondent Dov Lieber talks about how Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shaped this conflict on the What’s News podcast. The New Yorker’s David Remnick writes about the grief and rage felt by people on both sides of the Israel-Gaza border. The Washington Post explores why our brains believe lies. Poynter explains how to avoid false information on social media about the war.

In the United States, AR-15s grace bumper stickers, mugs, and politicians’ Christmas cards. They’re also the weapon used in some of the deadliest mass shootings in modern American history. Wall Street Journal reporters Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinson trace the rifle’s rise in their new book, American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15. They spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how this weapon became a symbol of both gun rights and horrific tragedies.

Martinus Evans did not have an easy start to running. Weighing over 300 pounds, he set out to finish a marathon after a doctor told him to “lose weight or die.” He writes about his running journey in his new book, Slow AF Run Club: The Ultimate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Run. In this week’s episode of Apple News In Conversation, Evans talks with host Shumita Basu about the lessons he’s learned from being a “back-of-the-packer.”

Walter Isaacson, author of the new biography Elon Musk, spent two years following the world’s richest man in an effort to understand what drives him. Isaacson joins Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to explain what he learned about Musk’s reach and power, how his childhood shaped him, and why he has weekly meetings about colonizing Mars.

America has long struggled with how best to teach kids to read. But a new approach, called the science of reading, is gaining steam — and it’s proving successful. At the same time, many classrooms haven’t caught up to it, and some students are being left behind. In the latest episode of Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu talks to Karen D’Souza, a reporter for EdSource, about how our understanding of literacy has evolved over time, and what educators, parents, and lawmakers are doing to better prepare young readers.

Growing up, Jennifer Senior thought her mom was an only child. But when she was 12 years old, she learned her mom had a sister, named Adele, who was institutionalized as a baby. Adele had spent almost her entire life separated from her family. Decades later, in 2021, Senior reconnected with her aunt and uncovered the dark history of institutionalizing children with intellectual disabilities. Senior wrote about her aunt’s story in the Atlantic and spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about her experience.

When longtime LA Times columnist Steve Lopez reached his mid-60s, he started to think about retiring. But he wasn’t sure how to go about it — or if he should do it all. He gave himself one year to decide and spoke with many different people — Norman Lear and Mel Brooks, among others — about their thoughts on retirement. He wrote a book about his journey, called Independence Day: What I Learned About Retirement From Some Who’ve Done It and Some Who Never Will. Lopez’s conversation from earlier this year with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu wraps up this summer’s Think Again series.

Anderson Cooper is now the only living member of the family he grew up with. When he was 10 years old, his father died of a heart attack. His brother died by suicide about a decade later. And in 2019, his mother died at the age of 95. It’s only recently that Cooper has been able to talk about and process these deaths. For Apple News In Conversation’s Think Again series, he spoke with host Shumita Basu about what he’s learned by talking to people about death and grief on his podcast, All There Is — and the advice he has for those who are struggling with loss.

You’ve prepped the nursery, read all the books, and are eagerly waiting to meet the new member of your family. But are you also ready to meet the new version of yourself? For Apple News In Conversation’s Think Again series, host Shumita Basu talks to Jessica Grose, author of Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood, about the ways parenthood can change you, the lack of societal support for this seismic life shift, and how reconnecting with your sense of self can help you navigate it.

Early adulthood can be a particularly confusing and unsettling phase of life. You’re figuring out how to get a job, pay rent, and plan meals. At the same time, you’re also determining your values and the kind of person you want to be. It can feel like being pulled down two completely opposite life paths. In the latest episode of Apple News In Conversation’s Think Again series, host Shumita Basu talks to psychotherapist Satya Doyle Byock about how to balance the tugs of purpose and survival during the period she calls “quarterlife.” She’s even written a book on it, called, Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood.

Transitions can feel intimidating and destabilizing. But these moments can also be opportunities for growth, reflection, and self-discovery — especially when you have the right tools. In the first episode of Apple News In Conversation’s monthlong ‘Think Again’ series, host Shumita Basu talks to Hidden Brain's Shankar Vedantam about why pivot points can feel so challenging and how to embrace them as opportunities, rather than obstacles.

Apple News In Conversation is coming out with our monthlong ‘Think Again’ series, where we rethink deeply held notions and common experiences. This year, we’re diving into some of life’s big pivot points — from early adulthood to parenthood to retirement — to explore ways to move into these new chapters with greater ease and clarity. This is a series preview. Check back for the first episode later this week.

July is on track to be the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. Millions of people in the U.S. are living in areas with dangerous levels of heat — and a growing death toll. In a new book, The Heat Will Kill You First, reporter Jeff Goodell warns that heat is pushing us into a new climate era, with dire implications for individuals, society, and our planet. Goodell spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the changes we need to make today and the reasons he still has hope for the future.

The Women’s World Cup is underway. With 32 nations fielding teams, it’s the biggest tournament yet. Rebecca Lowe, host of Apple News’s unofficial World Cup podcast, After the Whistle, and NBC Sports’ Premier League coverage, offers her predictions and reflects on the success and incredible growth of women’s soccer over her lifetime. Plus, she gives her take on Lionel Messi’s move to Major League Soccer.

Tom Hanks has learned a thing or two about moviemaking during his decades-long career. Ultimately, he says, it’s not about one person’s vision or direction; it’s about the countless people behind the camera — and a few in front of it — who make a movie possible. That’s the foundational idea behind his debut novel, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece. Hanks spoke to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu before SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents actors, decided to strike. But his book and their conversation are a reminder of all that goes into creating the entertainment many of us take for granted.

Rainn Wilson understands why so many people are rejecting religion today. But he argues that the core aspects of faith still have something important to offer us. Spirituality has brought him community, purpose, and levity — even as he’s struggled with depression, anxiety, and addiction. The actor explores these themes in his new book, Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution, and TV show, Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss. Wilson shared what he's learned with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu.

This is an episode from our archives. This week the Supreme Court put an end to affirmative action in college admissions, meaning universities can no longer consider race as a factor when accepting a new class of students. The ruling is expected to have pretty big repercussions for schools and students. But Evan Mandery, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, says we’re talking about the wrong issue. In his book Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us, Mandery explains how top schools disproportionately favor wealthy white students — and why that’s dangerous.

At their worst, graduation speeches are boring, trite, and pedantic. But at their best, they’re touching meditations on what it means to live a purposeful, fulfilling life. On this week’s episode of Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu speaks with commencement-speech connoisseur Cristina Negrut, who has read hundreds of speeches and cataloged many on the website Best Graduation Speeches.

Samantha Irby is many things: blogger; essayist; and writer for shows like Shrill, And Just Like That …, and Work in Progress. Above all, she is a master of transforming seemingly mundane moments of everyday life into high comedy. Irby sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about her new book, Quietly Hostile, her writing process, turning herself into a TV character, and why frivolous things matter.

Around 2013, author and cardiologist Sandeep Jauhar started noticing some worrying changes in his father. He would forget the code to their safe; he couldn’t remember what he did the day before and would get lost driving home. Eventually, his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. In his new book, My Father’s Brain: Life in the Shadow of Alzheimer’s, Jauhar chronicles the challenges of caring for a sick parent and explains where medicine is today when it comes to treatment for this incurable illness.

Electric vehicles may be better for the planet in a lot of ways, but there are huge, often-unseen environmental and human costs associated with harvesting the minerals needed to make EV batteries. On the latest episode of Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu spoke with Washington Post reporters Rebecca Tan and Evan Halper about the paper’s series “Clean Cars, Hidden Tolls.”

This is an interview from our archives. It’s part of a series called Think Again, a guide to reimagining work, home, relationships, and more. In this episode, Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu talks with best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell about how to be more open-minded and rethink old ideas.

Recent allegations of ethical violations have reignited a debate about establishing an enforceable code of conduct for Supreme Court justices. University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck argues the latest revelations concerning several justices speak to a much larger breakdown in the way the court operates today. He writes about this in his new book, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic. Vladeck spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the absence of accountability on the court — and how reforming it could lead to a stronger, more trusted institution.

Documents marked “top secret” have been turning up in a lot of unexpected places recently. But America has another problem with classified documents: There’s too many of them. By some estimates, it would take 250 years for these documents to be reviewed and released to the public. On the latest episode of Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu spoke with Matthew Connelly, author of The Declassification Engine: What History Reveals About America’s Top Secrets, about the government’s culture of secrecy.

Nearly 30 years ago, James Bernard Belcher was sentenced to death for raping, strangling, and drowning 29-year-old Jennifer Embry. Recently, he was given a second chance: a resentencing, this time with new evidence unearthed by a mitigation specialist. These life-history investigators seek to contextualize a defendant’s violent crimes, often by surfacing childhood traumas. On the latest episode of Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu spoke with Maurice Chammah, a reporter for the Marshall Project, about shadowing one specialist as she excavates Belcher’s past in a bid to spare his life.

The Showtime documentary series Couples Therapy allows viewers to watch real-life therapy sessions. Couples hash out their conflicts and challenges with Dr. Orna Guralnik as their guide. Guralnik is a psychoanalyst who prompts people to examine their instincts, listen to their partners, and do some deep self-discovery. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Guralnik about her approach to therapy — and her relationship advice.

What would a future look like where climate change has become a truly unavoidable part of all of our daily lives? This is one of the questions the new Apple TV+ show Extrapolations tries to answer. Series creator Scott Z. Burns was a producer of the 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth and the writer behind the eerily prescient 2011 film Contagion, about a global pandemic. Burns, along with one of the stars of the series, Sienna Miller, spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the making of Extrapolations — and how dystopian portrayals of the future can mobilize and motivate people to take serious action.

The Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation case against Fox News is set to begin on April 17. At the core of Dominion’s case are pages of internal messages showing that many people at Fox didn’t believe the election lies they were promoting on the air. On the latest episode of Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu spoke with Brian Stelter, the former chief media correspondent at CNN who spent years talking to people at Fox, mostly as anonymous sources, about the inner workings of the organization. He’ll also be covering the trial for Vanity Fair. Stelter breaks down the case, what’s at stake, and the potential consequences.

This episode includes descriptions of violence and mentions suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.Earlier this year, a woman named Lindsay Clancy was charged with the murder of her three children — who were 5 years, 3 years, and 7 months old. Though Clancy never formally received a PMAD diagnosis, her story has ignited conversations about postpartum care in the United States. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with New Yorker editor Jessica Winter about the mental-health challenges many new birthing parents face — and the lack of support provided to them.

More than 38 million people live in poverty in the United States, one of the world’s richest countries. In a new book, Poverty, by America, sociologist and writer Matthew Desmond sets out to figure out why. In an interview with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu, Desmond lays out the ways that so many of us benefit from a system that keeps people poor, and he offers concrete actions we can all take to dismantle the status quo.

Ever since the introduction of the artificial-intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, people can’t stop talking about what the latest wave of A.I. is able to do — from acing standardized tests to composing detailed essays to writing code. But it also has people asking: What does a world look like where A.I. plays a larger role in our lives? Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with editor in chief of the Verge, Nilay Patel, about this rapidly evolving technology and how it could shape our future.

In 2016, U.S. government officials began reporting a mysterious set of symptoms. They first appeared in Havana, but then showed up in other countries around the world. In a podcast for Vice World News, reporters Adam Entous and Jon Lee Anderson explain everything they’ve learned about what’s now commonly called Havana syndrome, and why the U.S. still can’t explain what causes it. On this week’s episode of Apple News In Conversation, Entous and Anderson discuss their reporting with host Shumita Basu.

New Yorker staff writer Michael Schulman has been an Oscar enthusiast for decades. He’s even memorized every acceptance speech ever given by Meryl Streep. Now he’s out with a new book called Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears. It’s a deep dive into key moments in the Oscars’ history that signaled shifts in the culture and industry. Schulman spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about this evolution — and what to watch for at this year’s awards.

Jeff German was a legendary reporter in Las Vegas known for holding power to account. He was killed last September, and a local official has been charged with his murder. After German’s death, the Washington Post reached out to the Las Vegas Review-Journal — where he had worked since 2010 — offering reporting resources to help finish the work still sitting on his desk. The story the Post ultimately took on was assigned to reporter Lizzie Johnson. Johnson spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about completing German’s unfinished work — and honoring his legacy.

There’s no such thing as a “miracle pill” for weight loss. But for many people who’ve struggled with their weight, drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro come pretty close. These medications — some of which were originally developed to treat diabetes — have been flying off the shelves, but a number of experts are concerned they could be misused. On Apple News In Conversation, health reporter Julia Belluz breaks down how these drugs work, who they’re for, and how they are impacting conversations about obesity, weight loss, and stigma.

Recent economic indicators point to a relatively healthy U.S. economy. That’s despite an economic slowdown caused by the pandemic, inflation, a wacky housing market, and fears of a recession. On Apple News In Conversation, Vox senior correspondent Emily Stewart breaks down how we got here and what government officials need to do now to keep the economy trending in the right direction.

When it comes to love and money, the old adage is true: Opposites do attract. But with that can come a lot of disagreements over how to spend and save. In the latest episode of Apple News In Conversation, host Shumita Basu speaks with Wall Street Journal reporter Julia Carpenter about the challenges couples face when managing their finances — and what experts say about how to more successfully build wealth together.

Every day, nearly 200 Americans die from a fentanyl overdose. This synthetic drug represents the latest phase of the decades-long opioid epidemic that began with prescription pain pills. Scott Higham is part of a team of reporters at the Washington Post that investigated the crisis — and the government failures that led us here. Higham spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the Post’s investigation.

The Supreme Court is expected to soon hand down a ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, a case that could end affirmative action in college admissions. But professor Evan Mandery says we’re talking about the wrong issue. In his new book, Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us, Mandery explains how top schools disproportionately favor wealthy white students — and why that’s dangerous. Mandery spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the problem with elite colleges today and how to make them better.

When Bitcoin was first created, it was believed to be an untraceable form of currency. This promise attracted tons of bad actors — and it turned out to be untrue. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with journalist Andy Greenberg about his new book, Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency. Greenberg lays out how U.S. authorities used cryptocurrency tracing to take down some of the most prolific criminals on the dark web.

The majority of NFL players are Black. So how is it possible that the league has only had 20 Black head coaches since 1990 — compared to 154 white coaches? The glaring disparity is at the center of an ongoing lawsuit against the NFL brought by former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores. Washington Post reporter Michael Lee talks to Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about this persistent problem — and how the NFL needs to change, fast.

When longtime LA Times columnist Steve Lopez reached his mid-60s, he started to think about retiring. But he wasn’t sure how to go about it — or if he should do it all. He gave himself one year to decide and spoke with many different people — Norman Lear and Mel Brooks, among others — about their thoughts on retirement. He wrote a book about his journey, called Independence Day: What I Learned About Retirement From Some Who’ve Done It and Some Who Never Will. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how to emotionally and mentally prepare for retirement.

This is an interview from our archives. It was part of a series called Think Again — a guide to reimagining work, home, relationships, and more. In this episode, Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu talks with Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes, hosts of the Maintenance Phase podcast, about how to outsmart the wellness industry, spot junk health science, and find information that will actually help you live healthier. Below are excerpts from the interview.

This is an episode from our archives.At Yale University, psychology professor Laurie Santos saw firsthand how so many college students were anxious or depressed. So she decided to teach a class on the science of happiness — and how to apply it in real life. It became the school’s most popular course ever. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Santos about her podcast, The Happiness Lab, and the evidence-based strategies that can help us improve our lives and outlook. Below are excerpts from the interview.

Microplastics cover every inch of our world, from the rain forest to Mount Everest — they’re even in our lungs. Much remains unknown about their impact on our health, but so far the research paints a bleak picture. In his new book, A Poison Like No Other, science journalist Matt Simon breaks down some big and small changes we can all make to mitigate our exposure to microplastics and reduce their spread. Below are excerpts from his interview with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu.

Nobel Peace Prize–winning journalist Maria Ressa has a warning for the world. In her new book, How to Stand Up to a Dictator, Ressa lays out how social media has been weaponized to support the rise of authoritarianism in the Philippines — and why the rest of the world needs to pay attention. She spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the urgent actions needed to safeguard democracy today.

Cellular biology has already transformed medicine. It’s the science behind treatments like blood transfusions, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and chemotherapy. But as the field continues to develop, it keeps pushing up against one question: What’s a disease — and what’s a desire? In his new book, The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human, Pulitzer Prize–winning author and cancer researcher Siddhartha Mukherjee takes a deep dive into the perils and potential of advancing cellular science. Below are excerpts from his interview with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu.

This is an episode from our archives. Scott McCartney has been covering the airline industry for more than two decades. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about why air travel is such a mess — and what can we do about it.

We’ve got something special for you this weekend. Apple News is launching a new World Cup podcast — hosted by Brendan Hunt (who plays Coach Beard on ‘Ted Lasso’) and Rebecca Lowe (who covers the English Premier League for NBC Sports). We’re bringing you the podcast’s first episode. In this inaugural episode, Brendan Hunt and Rebecca Lowe gear up for the World Cup. Hear them battle out their national allegiances to the U.S. and England, reflect on the human-rights abuses taking place in Qatar, and share the story of how ‘Ted Lasso’ brought them together eight years ago.  ‘After the Whistle with Brendan Hunt and Rebecca Lowe’ is an Apple News Original podcast produced by Meadowlark Media. For around-the-clock World Cup news, plus live scores and standings, follow along on the Apple News app in My Sports, where available. https://apple.co/afterthewhistle

This week, the Powerball topped $2 billion, making it the biggest jackpot ever. Historian Jonathan D. Cohen is the author of the book For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about our enduring obsession with the lottery — and the industry’s most troubling problems.

This episode is part of a special series from Apple News Today exploring the lead-up to the 2022 midterm elections. Which party will control Congress? What are the most crucial races to watch? What do voters say they want? Apple News editor Gideon Resnick put these questions and more to a panel of election watchers: Amy Walter, the editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, Errin Haines, the editor-at-large for the 19th, and Mike Madrid, a GOP consultant and co-host of the Latino Vote podcast.

A recent study by the Reuters Institute found that only 29% of Americans say they trust the news most of the time. Where has the press gone wrong — and how can it change to better serve the public? Longtime media critic Margaret Sullivan explores these questions in her new book, Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and Worries) From an Ink-Stained Life. Below are excerpts from her interview with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu.

In September, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was visiting Tehran when she was arrested by the country’s morality police for improperly wearing her hijab. She died while in custody. Since then, anti-government demonstrators — many of them women — have taken to the streets in cities across the country and around the world to demand more freedom and civil liberties in Iran. Pardis Mahdavi is a scholar of feminist movements in the country. In her interview with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu, she provides context for these demonstrations and the possible changes they could bring. Below are excerpts from the episode.

Many books have been written about Donald Trump’s presidency. But one stands out from the rest. It’s called The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017–2021, and it’s by New York Times journalist Peter Baker and New Yorker writer Susan Glasser. The husband-and-wife coauthors exhaustively cataloged Trump’s four years in office and interviewed more than 300 people, including Trump, for the book. They spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about their reporting.

After 9/11, the U.S. spent billions of dollars establishing the Transportation Security Administration. After more than 20 years of pat-downs, barefoot X-rays, and so-called random screenings, evidence shows that the TSA has played almost no role in foiling terrorist plots. Journalist Darryl Campbell recently wrote for The Verge about the agency’s history. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the state of airport security today and what a better system could look like.

During her long career covering the Supreme Court, journalist Nina Totenberg cultivated friendships with many justices, including Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Antonin Scalia. Totenberg spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how she maintained journalistic integrity while cultivating those relationships, what she thinks about the court today, and her new book, Dinners With Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships.

The Dallas Cowboys may be “America’s Team,” but the hundreds of women behind the Cowboys Cheerleaders deserve a lot of credit for its success. Journalist Sarah Hepola tells their story in an article for Texas Monthly, “Sex, Scandal, and Sisterhood: Fifty Years of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” and in the podcast America’s Girls. Hepola spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how the squad’s choreography, costumes, and controversial codes of conduct have changed with American society.

Schools across the U.S. closed their doors for 58 weeks during the pandemic. Journalist Anya Kamenetz writes about the ripple effects of school closures in her new book, The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children’s Lives, and Where We Go Now. Kamenetz spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the consequences of our failure to prioritize kids.

This interview is part of a new series from Apple News In Conversation called Think Again — a guide to reimagining work, home, relationships, and more.  In this episode, In Conversation host Shumita Basu talks with Jenny Odell, an artist and the author of the book How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy. Odell provides strategies for training our attention away from devices and toward the world.

This is an episode from our archives. It’s re-airing as part of our new series, Think Again, a guide to reimagining work, home, relationships, and more.How’s your relationship to your job? For a lot of people, work-life balance has felt far from perfect for a while. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu speaks with Anne Helen Petersen about her book Out of Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working From Home, coauthored with Charlie Warzel. It’s all about how we can adjust the role our jobs play in our lives and focus more time and energy on the things we care about the most. Below are excerpts from the interview.

This interview is part of a new series from Apple News In Conversation called Think Again — a guide to reimagining work, home, relationships, and more. In this episode, In Conversation host Shumita Basu talks with Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes, hosts of the Maintenance Phase podcast, about how to outsmart the wellness industry, spot junk health science, and find information that will actually help you live healthier. Below are excerpts from the interview.

This interview is part of a new series from Apple News In Conversation called Think Again — a guide to reimagining work, home, relationships, and more.  In this episode, In Conversation host Shumita Basu talks with Kate Mangino, a gender expert and the author of the book Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home. Mangino points to research that shows women still take on the majority of household responsibilities in different-sex relationships — and she argues there’s a better way for partners to balance the mental and physical labor of running a home. Mangino offers strategies to bring more equity and fairness into our partnerships. Below are excerpts from the interview.

Think Again is a new series from Apple News In Conversation. It’s a guide to reimagining work, home, relationships, and more. In the first episode, In Conversation host Shumita Basu talks with Malcolm Gladwell about how to be more open-minded and rethink old ideas.

For decades, R. Kelly’s career flourished despite disturbing rumors of sexual assault. Now the singer is finally being held accountable. He was sentenced in June to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking and racketeering, and a second federal trial starts August 15. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with journalist Jim DeRogatis, who broke the allegations against R. Kelly in 2000.

There’s a common thread between the suspects behind the killing of 23 people at a Walmart in El Paso in 2019, the mass shooting in Buffalo in May, and the attack on a crowd in Highland Park on Independence Day: They were all radicalized online and left behind a trail of digital activity. NBC News reporter Ben Collins spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how online spaces are leading to extremism and producing a generation of mass shooters. Below are excerpts from the interview.

This was supposed to be the summer of revenge travel. Instead, air travelers have faced long lines, lost bags, and canceled flights. Scott McCartney has been covering the airline industry for more than two decades. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how things got so bad — and what can we do about it. Below are excerpts from the interview.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. are removed from their homes and placed in foster care by child-protective services. But is this the best way to protect our kids? Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Dorothy Roberts, author of the book ‘Torn Apart,’ who argues that America’s child-welfare system does more harm than good — and needs to be abolished.

Katy Tur’s parents were trailblazers in the journalism world. In the ’80s and ’90s, they revolutionized the breaking-news model, literally flying over the competition in their own chopper to capture Los Angeles’s biggest stories — from Madonna and Sean Penn’s wedding to the 1992 L.A. riots. Katy Tur grew up to be a journalist herself — she’s now an anchor on MSNBC — and she writes about her life in her new memoir, Rough Draft. In an interview with Apple New In Conversation host Shumita Basu, Tur discusses her unusual childhood and the direct line from the model of journalism her parents created to the rise of Donald Trump.

This is an episode from our archives. Nikole Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter for the New York Times Magazine and the creator of the 1619 Project. The initiative reframes America’s past around an important date that isn’t mentioned in many history books: 1619, the beginning of slavery in the U.S. Hannah-Jones has expanded on the idea and turned it into a book called The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. Below are excerpts from Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu’s interview with Hannah-Jones about the project.

In 1971, Shirley Wheeler became the first woman to be criminally charged for having an abortion. She was convicted of manslaughter and faced up to 20 years in prison. In the latest season of the podcast Slow Burn, host Susan Matthews explores what happened to Wheeler in the years leading up to the Roe v. Wade decision. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Matthews about Wheeler’s story — and why Wheeler’s case is a warning of what’s to come after the recent overturning of Roe.

At Yale University, psychology professor Laurie Santos saw firsthand how so many college students were anxious or depressed. So she decided to teach a class on the science of happiness — and how to apply it in real life. It became the school’s most popular course ever. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Santos about her podcast, The Happiness Lab, and the evidence-based strategies that can help us improve our lives and outlook.

Though he has yet to officially announce, President Biden has made it clear he’ll seek reelection in 2024. But given his age and approval ratings, a lot of Democrats are asking, “What’s the backup plan?” National correspondent for New York magazine Gabriel Debenedetti spoke with Washington insiders about the lead-up to the next presidential election. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Debenedetti about his reporting.

In April 2021, twelve-year-old Trevor Matthews took his own life. Andrew Solomon, a writer and clinical medical psychology professor, knew Matthews as the friend and former classmate of Solomon’s son, George. For the New Yorker, Solomon writes about the alarmingly high rate of youth suicide, why it's on the rise, and why it’s so difficult to prevent. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Solomon about this issue.   This episode is about suicide — and includes references to sexual abuse. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-talk (8255) or text talk to 741741.

In light of the recent shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, we’re bringing you an episode from our archives. In 1998, a student opened fire at a middle-school dance, killing one teacher and wounding another teacher and two students. Journalist Marin Cogan was a sixth grader there, and she recalls the shock and horror she and her classmates felt. Back then, school shootings were far more rare; kids and educators didn’t have the language or the tools to talk about — much less process — their trauma. For Vox, Cogan connected with survivors of other school shootings that took place in the 1990s. She spoke with former Apple News In Conversation host Duarte Geraldino about coming of age in a world wholly unprepared to deal with the aftermath of mass school shootings.

In November 2020, a group of Trump allies gathered together to try to prove the election had been stolen. The only problem: there was no evidence to support any of their claims. ProPublica’s Doug Bock Clark reviewed internal documents and interviewed key participants in this effort to reveal how small untruths snowballed into Trump’s Big Lie. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Clark about his findings.

This year’s Platinum Jubilee marks Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year anniversary on the throne. Journalist Tina Brown has been covering the Crown for decades, and in her latest book, The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor — Truth and Turmoil, she chronicles the British royal family’s struggle to reinvent itself after the Diana years. Below are excerpts from Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu’s interview with Brown.

A leaked draft opinion on a Mississippi abortion law suggests that the Supreme Court is ready to overturn Roe v. Wade, a nearly 50-year precedent that protects abortion as a federally guaranteed right. This comes at a time when the Supreme Court is already facing a lot of scrutiny. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu talks with Slate writer and veteran court watcher Dahlia Lithwick about what this leaked opinion means for the future of abortion — and the future of the court itself.

When COVID-19 hit the United States, some saw it as an opportunity to make a fortune. Individuals and companies with no experience in the production of personal protective equipment made wild claims about what they could provide — and were awarded lucrative government contracts. They never delivered on their promises. ProPublica reporter David McSwane dives into this world of fraudsters and opportunists who profited off of COVID-19 in his new book, Pandemic, Inc.

The Supreme Court will soon announce a decision that could substantially weaken or even overturn Roe v. Wade. Jessica Bruder recently wrote for the Atlantic about the many groups of activists helping women get access to abortion, even if they have to work around the law. Bruder spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Duarte Geraldino about how this network first formed and the ways activists are laying the groundwork for a country without Roe.

When Amber van Moessner was growing up, she never questioned whether the man who raised her was her biological father. But when she was in her late 20s, she took a 23andMe genetic test and discovered that she was conceived via a sperm donor. Van Moessner’s story kicks off the podcast series BioHacked: Family Secrets, hosted by T.J. Raphael. Hear Shumita Basu’s interview with Raphael and van Moessner about the donor-conception industry.

University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas is the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA swimming championship, and the honor has put her at the center of the discussion about trans competitors. Sports writer Louisa Thomas (no relation) tells the swimmer’s story in the New Yorker. She spoke with Shumita Basu for the latest episode of Apple News In Conversation about the difficulty of creating fairness in sports when no two athletes’ bodies will ever be perfectly matched.

When it came to light that the blood-testing technology behind the biotech startup Theranos didn’t work, the enigmatic founder, Elizabeth Holmes, became the subject of intense scrutiny. While Holmes has been in the spotlight, there’s another person at the center of this story: Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani. Balwani and Holmes dated in secret for more than a decade, and he eventually became COO of Theranos. Balwani’s trial is now underway. Apple News In Conversation’s Shumita Basu spoke with Rebecca Jarvis, host of ABC Audio’s podcast on Theranos, The Dropout, about what to expect in this latest court case.

Joshua Barbeau lost his fiancée, Jessica, nearly a decade ago. For Joshua, getting over her death felt impossible. He was still grieving when he came across a website that allowed him to feel like he was communicating with Jessica again — by creating a customized, A.I.-powered chatbot. San Francisco Chronicle journalist Jason Fagone spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how the Jessica bot helped Joshua process his grief.

What’s the problem with America today? A lot of things, according to Jon Stewart. From the media to the way politics function to the fragility of democracy, Stewart is on a mission to look for solutions. That’s the premise of his show on Apple TV+, ‘The Problem With Jon Stewart.’ Stewart spoke with Shumita Basu for the latest episode of Apple News In Conversation.

Shumita Basu sits down with some of the most influential journalists, celebrities, and thought leaders about the stories shaping our culture, politics, and lives.

During the trans-Atlantic slave trade, an estimated 12.5 million people who were enslaved traveled from Africa to the Americas, on 36,000 voyages. Roughly a thousand of these vessels sank, but only a few have ever been found. National Geographic explorer and diver Tara Roberts spoke with “Apple News Today” host Duarte Geraldino about her experience identifying and documenting the remains of slave-ship wrecks — and how she’s hoping to honor the lives of these people who have been all but forgotten by history.

NATO member states have been clear they will not directly intervene in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But many Ukrainians are calling on the West to do more. Apple News Today host Duarte Geraldino talks with Ukrainian activist Daria Kaleniuk, who is urging NATO allies to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine. In response, cohost Shumita Basu speaks with Vox senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp, who says any type of military intervention by the West would be catastrophic and could trigger a nuclear attack from Russia.

This week, Russia launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine — beginning what could be the largest war in Europe in decades. Apple News Today host Shumita Basu spoke with New Yorker editor David Remnick, a longtime expert on Russia, about how we got here and what this war means for the U.S. and the rest of the world.

When 52-year-old Larry Driskill was questioned by Texas Ranger James Holland in 2015, he thought he was helping police solve a cold case. But within 24 hours, Driskill confessed to a murder he says he didn’t commit. He’s now in prison. Maurice Chammah spent a year looking into this case and others like it for the Marshall Project. He spoke to Apple News Today host Duarte Geraldino about the techniques used by law enforcement that can result in false confessions.

When host Alex Trebek died in 2020, Jeopardy’s future was unclear. Could the game show continue to be successful without him? So far, the answer is yes. Claire McNear, a reporter at The Ringer and the author of Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider’s Guide to Jeopardy!, spoke with Apple News Today host Shumita Basu about all things Jeopardy — from superfan online message boards to game strategy to Trebek’s legacy.

In 1998, a student opened fire at a middle-school dance, killing one teacher and wounding another teacher and two students. Journalist Marin Cogan was a sixth grader at the time, and she recalls the shock and horror she and her classmates felt. Back then, school shootings were far more rare; kids and educators didn’t have the language or the tools to talk about — much less process — their trauma. For Vox, Cogan recently connected with survivors of other school shootings that took place in the 1990s. She spoke with Apple News Today host Shumita Basu about coming of age in a world wholly unprepared to deal with the aftermath of mass school shootings.

Nikole Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter for The New York Times Magazine and the creator of the 1619 Project. The project reframes American history around an important date that isn’t mentioned in many history books: 1619, the beginning of American slavery. Hannah-Jones has expanded on the idea and turned it into a book called The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. Hannah-Jones spoke with Apple News Today host Shumita Basu about the project.

If you’re suffering from a terminal illness and have only a few months to live, should you be allowed to choose how and when to end your life? Ten states in the country allow patients to do just that — a practice referred to as medical aid in dying — under highly regulated laws. In April 2020, Bloomberg journalist Esmé Deprez’s father became the second person to end his life under the Maine Death with Dignity Act. Deprez speaks with Apple News Today host Duarte Geraldino about that experience and a California case making its way through the courts now that could expand the scope of the law.

How’s your relationship to your job? Does it feel healthy? Sustainable? For a lot of people, it got worse during the pandemic. One survey in 2021 found that more than a third of the men and nearly half of the women feel burned out. So what’s going wrong here? Apple News Today host Shumita Basu speaks with Anne Helen Petersen about her new book, Out of Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working From Home, coauthored with Charlie Warzel. It’s all about how we can adjust the role our jobs play in our lives and focus more time and energy on the things we care about the most.

For the New Yorker, journalist Ian Urbina traveled to Libya to report on an EU-funded shadow immigration system that holds migrants in brutal detention centers. While reporting this story, Urbina was kidnapped, beaten, and detained himself. Now safely back home, he spoke with Apple News Today host Shumita Basu about how this shadow system works and the horrific conditions inside the detention centers.

The New Yorker’s Jelani Cobb says conservatives weaponizing critical race theory aren’t acting in good faith. He speaks with Apple News Today host Shumita Basu about his recent piece for the New Yorker about the founder of the concept, Derrick Bell. Cobb says that Bell could have predicted today’s backlash and that real critical race theory can help us understand today’s debate over false depictions of this term.

Nashville Public Radio’s Meribah Knight speaks with Shumita Basu about her reporting for ProPublica on the juvenile-justice system in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Knight reveals a disturbing pattern in which hundreds of kids — some as young as 7 years old — were being locked up every year. In many of these cases, the adults responsible acted illegally and faced no consequences.

Data shows high-level execs often get unusually good returns trading their own companies’ stocks. But regulators say insider trading is hard to prove under current law. For Bloomberg Businessweek, Liam Vaughan explains why insider trading is more widespread than you might think — and why some experts argue the system is fundamentally unfair.

What was it like inside the White House when Donald Trump lost — then denied losing — the election? Journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, authors of the new book Peril, sat down with Apple News Today host Shumita Basu to discuss the chaotic period, which they consider one of the most dangerous in American history. Peril is available now on Apple Books.

Many people may not know that the woman at the center of Roe v. Wade — whose real name is Norma McCorvey — never got the abortion to which she won the right. Journalist and author Joshua Prager set out to find the daughter whom McCorvey ultimately gave up for adoption. In his new book, The Family Roe: An American Story, Prager details the lives of these women and explores how the issue of abortion became so divisive in the U.S.

Anthony Veasna So was a burgeoning literary star when he died of a drug overdose at 28 last year. For New York Magazine, Jung spoke with So’s friends, family, and partner about who he was. They all have different ideas.

Kelis is a pop star most widely known for her 2003 hit single, “Milkshake.” She’s still performing, but her talents and interests extend beyond the music world. A few years ago, she and her husband bought a farm outside L.A. and started living off the land.   Best-selling author Roxane Gay wrote about Kelis’s experience running the farm for Harper’s Bazaar. In her article, Gay explores why Kelis started farming and the freedom it has brought her. Gay also looks at the barriers that often stand between Black people and homegrown food. Gay’s article, called “How Kelis Remixed Her Life,” is available to read (and listen to) in Apple News+.

A’Ziah King, also known as Zola, went viral on Twitter back in 2015. Her series of 148 tweets detailed a mostly true story about a trip down to Florida for an exotic-dancing gig that went awry. A film, titled ‘Zola’ and directed by Janicza Bravo, has now been made based on that viral Twitter thread.    Allison P. Davis, a features writer at New York Magazine, recently profiled Zola. Davis details how many different interests tried to take control of Zola’s story during the filmmaking process — and how Zola feels the final product centers her voice. Davis’s article, called “The Real Zola,” is available to read (and listen to) in Apple News+.