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Apple News In Conversation

Apple News

Apple News In Conversation with Shumita Basu brings you interviews with some of the world’s best journalists and experts about the stories that impact our lives. Join us every week as we go behind the headlines.

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Why we don’t take postpartum mental health seriously enough — and what that means for new parents
6 apr 202332 min
This episode includes descriptions of violence and mentions suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, please contact the <a href="https://988lifeline.org/current-events/the-lifeline-and-988/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Suicide & Crisis Lifeline</a> 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. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/apple-news-in-conversation/id1577591053" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/Ad6SOUSExQIaGUCghYPoMnA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Yorker</a> editor Jessica Winter about the mental-health challenges many new birthing parents face — and the lack of support provided to them.
Why there’s so much poverty in America — and what you can do about it
30 mrt 202332 min
More than 38 million people live in poverty in the United States, one of the world’s richest countries. In a new book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/poverty-by-america/id6443011500" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Poverty, by America</a>, sociologist and writer Matthew Desmond sets out to figure out why. In an interview with <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/apple-news-in-conversation/id1577591053" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> 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.
What A.I. will make better — and much, much worse
23 mrt 202336 min
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? <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/apple-news-in-conversation/id1577591053" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu spoke with editor in chief of the <a href="https://apple.news/AYk8sXnmXSKyfb3HGmUwDfQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Verge</a>, Nilay Patel, about this rapidly evolving technology and how it could shape our future.
Havana syndrome looks very real on brain scans. Why is it still a mystery to the U.S. government?
16 mrt 202328 min
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 <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/havana-syndrome/id1661362245" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vice World News</a>, 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 <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/apple-news-in-conversation/id1577591053" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a>, Entous and Anderson discuss their reporting with host Shumita Basu.
Inside the most shocking moments in Oscar history
11 mrt 202333 min
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 <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/oscar-wars/id6442861392" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears</a>. It’s a deep dive into key moments in the Oscars’ history that signaled shifts in the culture and industry. Schulman spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about this evolution — and what to watch for at this year’s awards.
After a reporter’s killing, journalists came together to finish his last investigation
4 mrt 202321 min
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 <a href="https://apple.news/A2cmOx5v0RDWweqqYikyHhQ">Post</a> ultimately took on was assigned to reporter Lizzie Johnson. Johnson spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about completing German’s unfinished work — and honoring his legacy.
How new weight-loss drugs are changing conversations about obesity
25 feb 202323 min
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 <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a>, health reporter <a href="https://www.juliabelluz.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Julia Belluz</a> breaks down how these drugs work, who they’re for, and how they are impacting conversations about obesity, weight loss, and stigma.
Why the economy is so weird right now
18 feb 202326 min
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 <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw">Apple News In Conversation</a>, <a href="https://apple.news/AW9--KyxmQKWXl65xHQ-ezg">Vox</a> 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.
Money ruins marriages. It doesn’t have to.
11 feb 202337 min
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 <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a>, host Shumita Basu speaks with <a href="https://apple.news/AWvshOnz5SXOJo__s5UitHA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wall Street Journal</a> reporter Julia Carpenter about the challenges couples face when managing their finances — and what experts say about how to more successfully build wealth together.
The deadliest wave of the fentanyl crisis is here. Why aren’t we doing more to stop it?
4 feb 202326 min
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 <a href="https://apple.news/AIDnHrOWESGadInl3hBjV9w">Washington Post</a> that investigated the crisis — and the government failures that led us here. Higham spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about the Post’s investigation.
The real problem with elite-college admissions
28 jan 202324 min
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, <a href="https://apple.news/ANT7zMyUpTxiGvKjQoSf4Kw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us</a>, Mandery explains how top schools disproportionately favor wealthy white students — and why that’s dangerous. Mandery spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about the problem with elite colleges today and how to make them better.
They thought their crimes were untraceable. Then their dark-web empire collapsed.
21 jan 202325 min
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. <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu spoke with journalist Andy Greenberg about his new book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/tracers-in-the-dark/id1610256728" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency</a>. Greenberg lays out how U.S. authorities used cryptocurrency tracing to take down some of the most prolific criminals on the dark web.
Inside one of the NFL’s most stunning failures
14 jan 202326 min
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. <a href="https://apple.news/AfJn3fzbVTGCStkBGANZ3Kw">Washington Post</a> reporter Michael Lee talks to <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about this persistent problem — and how the NFL needs to change, fast.
The signs that you’re ready to retire
7 jan 202330 min
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 <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/independence-day/id1599215168" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Independence Day: What I Learned About Retirement From Some Who’ve Done It and Some Who Never Will</a>. He spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about how to emotionally and mentally prepare for retirement.
Rebroadcast: The health and wellness myths almost everyone falls for
31 dec 202229 min
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, <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw?subscribe=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu talks with Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes, hosts of the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/maintenance-phase/id1535408667" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Maintenance Phase</a> 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.
Rebroadcast: She teaches Yale’s famous class about the science of happiness. Here’s what she’s learned.
24 dec 202229 min
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. <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu spoke with Santos about her podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/id1474245040" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Happiness Lab</a>, and the evidence-based strategies that can help us improve our lives and outlook. Below are excerpts from the interview.
Microplastics are everywhere. Here’s what that means for your health.
17 dec 202222 min
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 href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-poison-like-no-other/id6444221373" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A Poison Like No Other</a>, 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 <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu.
Nobel Peace Prize–winning journalist Maria Ressa on how to stand up to a dictator
10 dec 202228 min
Nobel Peace Prize–winning journalist Maria Ressa has a warning for the world. In her new book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/how-to-stand-up-to-a-dictator/id1607828539" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How to Stand Up to a Dictator</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about the urgent actions needed to safeguard democracy today.
A growing scientific field saves lives. It’s also rife with controversy.
3 dec 202220 min
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, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-song-of-the-cell/id1609265177" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human</a>, 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 <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu.
Traveling for the holidays? Here’s what to know before your next flight
22 nov 202227 min
This is an episode from our archives. Scott McCartney has been covering the airline industry for more than two decades. He spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about why air travel is such a mess — and what can we do about it.
Introducing ‘After the Whistle,’ a podcast all about the World Cup
19 nov 202229 min
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. <a href="https://apple.co/afterthewhistle">https://apple.co/afterthewhistle</a>
What the lottery reveals about the American dream
12 nov 202227 min
This week, the Powerball topped $2 billion, making it the biggest jackpot ever. Historian Jonathan D. Cohen is the author of the book <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/for-a-dollar-and-a-dream/id6443192743">For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America</a>. He spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about our enduring obsession with the lottery — and the industry’s most troubling problems.
Which party will control Congress? Three experts weigh in.
5 nov 202230 min
This episode is part of a special series from <a href="https://apple.news/TteGvEYvpSiyvqUON1PSdHg?subscribe=1">Apple News Today</a> 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.
Something is deeply broken in American news. Can it be fixed?
29 okt 202227 min
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, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/newsroom-confidential/id1608915488" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and Worries) From an Ink-Stained Life</a>. Below are excerpts from her interview with <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu.
What happened to Mahsa Amini: Inside Iran’s extraordinary uprising
22 okt 202233 min
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 <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu, she provides context for these demonstrations and the possible changes they could bring. Below are excerpts from the episode.
What will happen if Trump returns to the White House? This book offers clues.
15 okt 202233 min
Many books have been written about Donald Trump’s presidency. But one stands out from the rest. It’s called <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-divider/id1601350040">The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017–2021</a>, 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 <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about their reporting.
Does the TSA actually keep anyone safe?
8 okt 202228 min
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 <a href="https://apple.news/Ay41pxH6-TDyDfwJPG3_Xzw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Verge</a> about the agency’s history. He spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about the state of airport security today and what a better system could look like.
Inside Nina Totenberg’s Supreme Court career — and powerful friendship with RBG
1 okt 202229 min
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 <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw'">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about how she maintained journalistic integrity while cultivating those relationships, what she thinks about the court today, and her new book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/dinners-with-ruth/id1609976626">Dinners With Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships</a>.
How the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders transformed sports
24 sep 202232 min
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, <a href="https://apple.news/Acp1O0Z1FQ-ilYuX4TLXlaw">“Sex, Scandal, and Sisterhood: Fifty Years of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,”</a> and in the podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-girls/id1597678826">America’s Girls</a>. Hepola spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw?subscribe=1">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about how the squad’s choreography, costumes, and controversial codes of conduct have changed with American society.
How America bungled COVID school closures — and failed to put children first
17 sep 202224 min
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, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-stolen-year/id1598860475" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children’s Lives, and Where We Go Now</a>. Kamenetz spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/T9rjlxm95TtTn3RWUl4SFiw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple News In Conversation</a> host Shumita Basu about the consequences of our failure to prioritize kids.