Apple News In Conversation

The brutal reality check awaiting Democrats

<p>Democrats pulled off stunning victories in this year&rsquo;s midterms, flipping control of Congress and winning in deep-red strongholds like Texas and Kansas. But as Republicans face a historic reckoning and an uncertain post-Trump future, veteran political journalist <a href="https://www.mollyball.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Molly Ball</a> warns that Democrats shouldn&rsquo;t get comfortable either. Ball, whose forthcoming book explores America&rsquo;s political realignment, joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu to unpack the fractures forming inside the GOP, what fueled this massive blue wave, and the governing challenges facing Democrats next year.</p>

Have chocolate companies quietly changed their recipes?

<p>Earlier this year, Brad Reese &mdash; the grandson of the inventor of Reese&rsquo;s Peanut Butter Cups &mdash; accused Hershey of secretly changing its recipes and making this beloved treat taste worse. <a href="https://apple.news/A48hvUtyRSRiGFhC-Rk4JbQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>New York</em></a> magazine features writer Rachel Handler had also noticed a decline in the quality of mass-market chocolate, and Reese&rsquo;s viral post inspired her to investigate just what has happened to these classic candies in the U.S. Handler joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu to break down how candy companies have changed their formulas, the labeling loopholes letting them cut costs, and how to spot real chocolate on the wrapper.</p>

The strange new politics of the death penalty

<p>In the span of a month, Christa Pike survived a botched lethal-injection execution in Tennessee and the Pentagon announced plans to livestream the firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. President Trump later walked back the livestream, although the execution is still scheduled; it will be the first military firing-squad execution in the country since World War II. Maurice Chammah, a staff writer at the <a href="https://apple.news/A8xxi7SooQ_-xEuE1El47Cg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Marshall Project</a>, joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu to unpack this moment in America, how politicians and the public are responding, and what these two stories reveal about the death penalty&rsquo;s future.</p>

Your biggest midterm questions, answered

<p>With the 2026 midterms just two weeks away, many Americans are paying close attention not only to races and candidates but to the election process itself. <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Cook Political Report</em></a> editor in chief Amy Walter and veteran GOP pollster <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/party-of-the-people/id6443780826" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Patrick Ruffini</a> join <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu to answer questions from our listeners &mdash; including why polling has become so hard to trust, how redistricting fights are reshaping races, and what guardrails are in place after results start coming in.</p>

The Cornell case exposes a dark reality about college culture

<p>A lawsuit filed by a former Cornell student that alleges she was sexually assaulted by seven fraternity members in 2024 has sparked an outpouring of women sharing their own stories of campus assault. While the case reflects dynamics that researchers have tracked since the 1980s, it also reveals something distinctly modern: how fraternity culture and online misogyny now collide in unchecked digital spaces. Sophie Gilbert, a staff writer at <a href="https://apple.news/APa5QE99IRnKqwoyjsQRQSw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Atlantic</em></a>, joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu to talk about why reports of campus assault keep rising, what we know about the role of fraternities, and what meaningful change could look like.</p>

Americans want more kids. Here’s what’s stopping them.&#8232;

<p>Fewer people around the world are having kids &mdash; the global birth rate has been falling steadily since the 1970s &mdash; but, for many, it&rsquo;s not because they don&rsquo;t want to become parents. A deep sense of uncertainty about money, relationships, and the future has made starting a family feel harder than ever. Anna Louie Sussman, author of the new book <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/inconceivable/id6752290877" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Inconceivable: The Impossibility of Family in an Age of Uncertainty</em></a>, joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu to discuss what&rsquo;s really standing in the way&nbsp;and what it would take to close that gap.</p>

The hidden tax Americans pay constantly — and how we can avoid it

<p>Americans spend billions of hours a year navigating government bureaucracy, whether filling out forms, waiting on hold, or standing in endless lines. Researchers call this hidden burden the &ldquo;time tax.&rdquo; In her new book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-time-tax/id6748314661" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Time Tax: How the Government Wastes Our Time &mdash; and How to Fix It</em></a>, Atlantic staff writer Annie Lowrey argues all of this red tape is more than just annoying &mdash; it has real, lasting consequences for the country. Lowrey joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu to talk about who pays a disproportionate share of the time tax, why the system was designed to wear us down, and her ideas for how to fix it.</p>

The AI warnings are getting louder. Here’s what you need to know.

<p>Unsettling headlines about AI are dominating the news. In the past few weeks, an Anthropic researcher quit his job out of fear that the technology could &ldquo;kill us all,&rdquo; OpenAI revealed that its models have demonstrated &ldquo;concerning behavior,&rdquo;&nbsp;and four tech CEOs made an unprecedented call for a slowdown. Nilay Patel, editor in chief of <a href="https://apple.news/TLhSckDOWQjqEVzLdN4FplQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Verge</em></a> and host of the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decoder-with-nilay-patel/id1011668648" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Decoder</em></a> podcast, last joined <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> in 2023, as ChatGPT exploded in popularity. He returns to the show&nbsp;to discuss what&rsquo;s changed, what this technology can and can&rsquo;t do, and why company rivals are asking the government for help.</p>

The dark side of America’s obsession with the Lindsay Clancy trial

<p><em>Warning: This episode includes descriptions of violence against children, adult language, and mentions of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, contact the Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.</em></p> <p>The trial of Lindsay Clancy &mdash; the Massachusetts mother accused of murdering her three young children in 2023 &mdash; ended this month in a mistrial. Her defense didn&rsquo;t dispute the killings but argued that Clancy wasn&rsquo;t criminally responsible because she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and overmedication. The trial was live streamed and picked apart by people across the country. The <a href="https://apple.news/ASRLJlOSvScCSIyaMJsqBBQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>New Yorker</em></a>&rsquo;s Jessica Winter has followed this case since the beginning, and she joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu to unpack why it became a national obsession &mdash; and what the fractured public response reveals about America.</p>

Forever chemicals are hiding everywhere. These five habits can help you avoid them. (From the archives)

<p></p> <p><em>This is an episode from our archives. It originally aired in May 2025.</em></p> <p>Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS, are found in virtually every corner of the world, including in most people&rsquo;s bodies. These synthetic compounds have been linked to a wide range of health issues &mdash; from infertility to cancer to neurological problems &mdash; even at low levels of exposure. In a new book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/they-poisoned-the-world/id6736963203" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals</em></a>, investigative journalist Mariah Blake lays out how these toxic chemicals became so ubiquitous. Blake spoke with <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu about a group of unlikely activists&nbsp;fighting back against those responsible and offers practical tips to protect yourself.</p>

The real reason so many Americans are convinced sunscreen is dangerous

<p>For the past few years, a campaign against sunscreen has been building &mdash; with social-media influencers claiming that sunscreen itself, rather than the sun, is damaging people&rsquo;s skin and harming their health. The misinformation is working: More than 16 million adults have cut back or stopped using sunscreen because of it. Meanwhile, skin-cancer rates continue to rise. Brian Underwood, beauty and grooming director at <em>Men&rsquo;s Health</em> and <em>Women&rsquo;s Health</em>, joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host David Greene to share <a href="https://apple.news/Al_wjzQb4ROWZPjtApoUj4g" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">his reporting</a> on who&rsquo;s driving this movement, the confusing FDA report that helped fuel it, and what it will take to restore trust in sunscreen.</p>

Why men are suddenly so worried about their testosterone levels

<p>Testosterone prescriptions are at an all-time high in the U.S., and according to a survey by <em>Men&rsquo;s Health</em>, 70% of men say their levels of the hormone are important to them. This increased attention to T has even reached the Pentagon, which announced mandatory testosterone screenings for troops over the age of 30. Michael Andor Brodeur, a <a href="https://apple.news/AoMVTT3LQRAeU_PZEHJ6YBQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Men&rsquo;s Health</em></a> contributor and author of the book <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/swole/id6463693621" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Swole</em></a>, joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host David Greene to explain how testosterone transformed from solely a medical treatment into a cultural obsession &mdash; and what that shift reveals about the pressures American men face today.</p>

The uncomfortable reasons human waste keeps turning up in your lettuce

<p>This summer, the U.S. saw its largest cyclospora outbreak on record &mdash; with more than 22,000 suspected cases linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce, alongside a wave of other foodborne illnesses. Timothy D. Lytton, a law professor at Georgia State University and author of <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/outbreak/id6503579166" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Outbreak: Foodborne Illness and the Struggle for Food Safety</em></a>, joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host David Greene to explain how America&rsquo;s food-safety system actually works, how the system evolved, and what recent outbreaks reveal about the changes needed to make us all safer.</p>

This tick can give you a life-threatening allergy. It’s spreading across the U.S.

<p>Peak tick season is here &mdash; and the fastest-growing tick-borne illness in the country is alpha-gal syndrome, a condition that causes an often-severe allergy to red meat and other animal products. It&rsquo;s primarily spread by lone-star ticks, once confined to the Southeast but now found as far north as Maine and Michigan. The syndrome can trigger a range of reactions &mdash; from hives to anaphylaxis &mdash; and at least one death has been attributed to it. <a href="https://apple.news/ArcPD33lUS8uWKdNPeoVENQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>New Yorker</em></a> staff writer Burkhard Bilger, who has reported on the syndrome&rsquo;s rise, joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host David Greene to explain how it was discovered, why it can take years to diagnose, and how it&rsquo;s reshaping the way people eat, work, and spend time outdoors.</p>

How America’s gun obsession really started

<p>This year, the U.S. has seen more than 270 mass shootings &mdash; and firearms remain the leading cause of death for American children and teens.&nbsp;But solutions appear largely out of reach. <em>New York Times</em> reporter Mike McIntire, a gun owner himself, traces how we got here in his new book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/ricochet/id6759808326" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Ricochet: Guns, Greed, and the American Way of Violence</em></a>. McIntire talks to <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host David Greene about the surprising origins of the Second Amendment, how an obscure Democrat helped turn the National Rifle Association into a powerful lobby, and paths to reducing violence.</p>

Inside the revelations from Trump’s $2 billion financial disclosure

<p>President Trump earned more than $2 billion in his first year back in office. According to a mandatory financial disclosure released in June, most of that fortune came from cryptocurrency ventures. David Kirkpatrick, a staff writer at the <a href="https://apple.news/AGukvRsjwQq27EFcfRmaM4w"><em>New Yorker</em></a> who has tracked Trump&rsquo;s earnings for years, sat down with <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host David Greene to unpack what the disclosure reveals about the president and his businesses &mdash; and the potential implications for everyday Americans.</p>

People are running their own experiments with GLP-1s — with stunning results

<p>GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are being taken by millions of Americans. These medications have been approved for treating diabetes, obesity, and a small number of other chronic conditions. But even as experts are still learning how the drugs work, many people have found that they help with other disorders &mdash; from addiction to brain fog to arthritis &mdash; where anecdotal evidence is promising but the formal research hasn&rsquo;t caught up. <a href="https://www.juliabelluz.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Julia Belluz</a>, a contributing writer for the <em>New York Times</em> Opinion section and coauthor of <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/food-intelligence/id6739794014" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Food Intelligence</em></a>, joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host David Greene to explain why what&rsquo;s unfolding right now may be the largest uncontrolled drug experiment in modern history.</p>

The surprising ways the Supreme Court curbed Trump’s power

<p>The Supreme Court just wrapped one of its most consequential terms in recent memory &mdash; issuing major rulings on presidential power, birthright citizenship, and the rights of transgender athletes. But the story playing out in most headlines, legal analyst Sarah Isgur argues, is missing the bigger picture. Isgur is the editor of <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SCOTUSblog</a> and the author of <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/last-branch-standing/id6749607120" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today&rsquo;s Supreme Court</em></a>. She joined <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host David Greene to explain why she considers this the hardest term in the Roberts Court&rsquo;s history, why Trump has lost far more cases than he&rsquo;s won, and why the political framework most people use to understand the court tells only a fraction of the story.</p>

Why the Constitution is making our politics worse (From the archives)

<p><em>This episode originally aired on Sept 18, 2025.&nbsp;</em><br /><br />The Constitution has been amended 27 times, but the last meaningful change was over half a century ago. In historian Jill Lepore&rsquo;s book <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/we-the-people/id6741485295" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution</em></a>, she argues that the near impossibility of amendment in recent decades underlies many of today&rsquo;s political crises, from polarization to battles over the courts. Lepore spoke with <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu about the history of constitutional revision and why the amendment process matters for the future of American democracy.</p>

The little-known forces quietly killing the college degree

<p>When <em>New Yorker</em> staff writer Jay Caspian Kang sat down to do his taxes, one question surfaced: Should he still be saving for his 9-year-old daughter&rsquo;s college fund? What followed was a <a href="https://apple.news/A_6pVPVRhTqKqFHFgki2NHA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deeply reported series</a> about the growing crisis in American higher education and the forces behind it &mdash; from AI to soaring tuition to a collapse in public trust in institutions. Kang speaks with <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host David Greene about what colleges are actually for, whether they&rsquo;re still delivering on their promises, and what the future of higher education might look like.</p>

The U.S. is turning 250. These songs unexpectedly changed American history.

<p>The United States turns 250 years old this summer &mdash; and there&rsquo;s no shortage of ways to mark the moment. One of the most revealing lenses through which to view the country&rsquo;s history may be music. Anna Harwell Celenza, professor at Johns Hopkins University and author of <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/on-the-record/id6749278151" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>On the Record: Music That Changed America</em></a>, joined <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host David Greene to discuss the hidden political history of American music &mdash; from why &ldquo;The Star-Spangled Banner&rdquo; became the national anthem to how &ldquo;Strange Fruit&rdquo; helped pass anti-lynching legislation &mdash; and what music still has to say about democracy now.</p>

TV’s most beloved assistant coach says the World Cup is about to change America. Here’s how.

<p>This year&rsquo;s World Cup will be the largest in history, with 48 teams and 104 matches &mdash; and, for the first time in more than 30 years, the tournament is being played on American soil. Brendan Hunt, co-creator, writer, and star of <em>Ted Lasso</em> and cohost of the Apple News Original podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/after-the-whistle-with-brendan-hunt-and-rebecca-lowe/id1654074926" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>After the Whistle</em></a>, joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host David Greene to talk about how he fell in love with soccer as an adult, the U.S. Men&rsquo;s National Team players he&rsquo;ll be watching, and whether the United States is finally a soccer country.</p>

How the Texas floods forever changed one family

<p>On July 4, 2025, catastrophic flooding tore through Central&nbsp;Texas, killing more than 130 people and destroying communities along the Guadalupe River. Aaron Parsley, a senior editor at <em>Texas Monthly</em>, was there &mdash; and though he survived, his family suffered a devastating loss. His harrowing <a href="https://apple.news/AA27XRFp7QNefcfYM93Y_kw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">account</a> of what happened when floodwaters overwhelmed their house and ripped them apart won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. Now he&rsquo;s out with a <a href="https://apple.news/ANJxz5LELSkiGtwh2eK7EyA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new essay</a> and a <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-the-river-took-us/id1896345297?i=1000766497488" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">podcast</a> about what their recovery has looked like. Parsley joined <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host <a href="https://www.kcrw.com/people/david-greene" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">David Greene</a> to talk about grief, the evolution of his faith, and what survival really means.</p>

How to navigate summer air travel when everything costs more

<p>The summer travel season is upon us &mdash; and this year is more complicated and more expensive than most. The war in Iran has driven up jet-fuel prices globally, and Spirit Airlines, one of the biggest budget carriers in the country, has just shut down. On top of that, a possible super El Ni&ntilde;o could cause widespread disruptions. Zach Wichter, a consumer-travel reporter at <a href="https://apple.news/AdhRW9M8yQwOiKUgKgCl-Kw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>USA Today</em></a>, joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sam-sanders-show/id1771084688" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sam Sanders</a> to explain what it all means for travelers this summer &mdash; and his tips for how to fly smarter.</p>

Why America has more billionaires than ever (From the archives)

<p><em>This episode originally aired on July 10, 2025.&nbsp;</em><br /><br />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&nbsp;is bigger than ever as the billionaire class has ascended to new heights. In his book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-haves-and-have-yachts/id6741071687" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Haves and Have-Yachts</em></a>, <em>New Yorker</em> staff writer Evan Osnos explores the extravagant lifestyles of the wealthy and their outsize influence on politics. He sat down with <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu to talk about this unique moment &mdash;&nbsp;when billionaires are both resented and envied by the public &mdash;&nbsp;and what it means for the rest of us.</p>

How one Supreme Court decision could shift political power for decades

<p>At the end of April, the Supreme Court&rsquo;s ruling on <em>Louisiana </em>v.<em> Callais</em> significantly weakened the Voting Rights Act. The decision made it easier for states to legally draw districts that reduce the voting power of Black voters and other minority groups. In response, several Republican-controlled Southern states have moved to redraw their congressional maps. Adam Serwer, a staff writer at <a href="https://apple.news/ALTNabt1rRAqn3HXIXWSpLQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Atlantic</em></a><em>, </em>joins <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sam-sanders-show/id1771084688" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sam Sanders</a> to help explain this pivotal moment and the long history of voting rights in America.</p>

Rebroadcast: They work full-time jobs. Why are they homeless?

<p></p> <p><em>This week, Brian Goldstone was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his book, </em>There Is No Place for Us<em>, which is featured in this episode from our archives.</em></p> <p>Millions of Americans cannot afford housing despite working full-time jobs. They live in cars, shelters, or extended-stay hotels and often don&rsquo;t qualify for assistance programs. Journalist and anthropologist Brian Goldstone follows five Atlanta families who are stuck in this cycle in his new book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/there-is-no-place-for-us/id6504841282" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America</em></a>. Goldstone reveals how these parents and children are prevented from securing housing by steep rents, red tape, and predatory schemes. He spoke with <em>Apple News In Conversation </em>host Shumita Basu about how this crisis arose and ways to address it.</p>

The real reason American men are struggling

<p>The headlines say that American men are in crisis. But what does that actually mean &mdash; and what does it look like up close? Journalist Jordan Ritter Conn spent five years inside the lives of four different men to find out. His new book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/american-men/id6749525006" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>American Men</em></a>, explores the gap between masculine ideals and the reality of men&rsquo;s lived experience. <em>Apple News In Conversation </em>guest host <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sam-sanders-show/id1771084688" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sam Sanders</a> sat down with Ritter Conn to talk about what those four lives reveal about masculinity, inadequacy, and what the national conversation about men keeps getting wrong.</p>

The unique power of an American pope

<p>Nearly a year ago, Robert Prevost became Pope Leo XIV, the first pope in history from the U.S. His papacy so far has been relatively calm &mdash; until recent weeks, when a sharp public conflict with President Trump over the Iran war thrust him onto the political stage. Scott Detrow, host of NPR&rsquo;s <em>All Things Considered</em> and coauthor of the upcoming <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/american-pope/id6757708297" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>American Pope: Leo XIV&rsquo;s Road From the South Side of Chicago to Vatican City</em></a>, joins guest host Sam Sanders to explore what it means to have an American pope who understands U.S. politics &mdash; and why his influence may be felt far beyond the Catholic Church.

How to make nostalgia your psychological superpower

<p>The 1990s are back &mdash; especially for Gen Z. CDs, flip phones, and &rsquo;90s beauty trends are all having a moment among people in their teens and 20s. To understand why this generation is nostalgic for a past they didn&rsquo;t experience, <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sam-sanders-show/id1771084688" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sam Sanders</a> talks with psychologist Clay Routledge. Routledge is the author of <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/past-forward/id6760680977" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Past Forward: How Nostalgia Can Help You Live a More Meaningful Life</em></a> and executive vice president and COO at the Archbridge Institute. He explains what&rsquo;s fueling Gen Z&rsquo;s fascination with the &rsquo;90s, when romanticizing the past can be harmful, and how looking back can make your future brighter.</p>