Apple News In Conversation

They killed 24 people, including children. Why was no one held responsible?

<p>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<em> New Yorker</em>&rsquo;s podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-dark/id1148175292" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>In the Dark</em></a> 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 <em>Apple News In Conversation</em>&rsquo;s Shumita Basu about this expansive investigative reporting.</p>

Why our loved ones believe political conspiracy theories — and ways to repair the damage

<p>When it comes to QAnon and other conspiracy theories, there&rsquo;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 <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-quiet-damage/id6452501843" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family</em></a>, talks to <em>Apple News</em> <em>In Conversation</em>host 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.</p>

Living longer should be a gift. Why doesn’t it feel that way?

<p>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 <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-age-of-dignity/id1473548057" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">author</a> Ai-jen Poo talks to <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu about&nbsp;how America can give everyone a chance to have the aging experience they deserve.</p>

Rebroadcast: Her family had always kept one relative a secret. She set out to uncover the truth.

<p><em>This is an episode from our archives.</em><br /><br />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&rsquo;s story in <a href="https://apple.news/AOhyVHf7YT46EVdIY63FbPw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Atlantic</em></a> and spoke with <em>Apple News In Conversation </em>host Shumita Basu about her experience.</p>

Inside the strategy to get Kamala Harris to the White House

<p>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 <em>In Conversation</em> host Shumita Basu about where the race with Trump stands now and what the Harris campaign sees as its path to victory.</p>

The scariest 70 miles

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.

What Nancy Pelosi wants for America — and what she’s done to get it

<p>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, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-art-of-power/id6484320103" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Art of Power</em></a>, details some of the biggest moments in her career. Pelosi sat down with <em>Apple News In Conversation </em>host Shumita Basu to talk about the 2024 race for the White House, American politics today, and her legacy.</p>

How America’s food is making us sick

<p>The United States&rsquo; 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 <a href="https://bittmanproject.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mark Bittman</a> has been a leading voice in food and policy for decades. He talks to <em>Apple News In Conversation </em>host Shumita Basu about the serious problems with how our food is made and sold &mdash; and offers solutions to improve the system.</p>

The GOATs to watch at the Paris Olympics

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/TKLrmq8dkSgOQOchItCi2FA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>2024 Paris Olympics</strong></a> are finally here, with two weeks of jaw-dropping, mind-blowing athleticism by some of the world&rsquo;s GOATs. NBC&rsquo;s Rebecca Lowe is covering the Olympics &mdash; and talks with <em>Apple News In Conversation </em>host Shumita Basu about the athletes on Team USA, what they&rsquo;re up against, and the most exciting storylines of this summer&rsquo;s Games.</p>

How Trump became the GOP’s savior in chief — and the strategy to bring him back to the White House

<p>Following the Republican National Convention, the GOP has never been more confident about the chances of Donald Trump winning in November. <a href="https://apple.news/AJUSjT5ckTlWi9FP1dqV2bQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Atlantic</em></a> staff writer Tim Alberta, who has spent months talking to Trump insiders, breaks down his campaign&rsquo;s strategy and why so much could change between now and the election.</p>

Kids feel anxious. Parents feel hopeless. Why it’s so hard to limit social-media use.

<p>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.<em> Apple News In Conversation</em> 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&rsquo; brains &mdash; and his compassionate advice for navigating smartphone use in your family.</p>

How to survive this summer’s unbearable heat

<p><em>This is an episode from our archives that was originally published in July 2023.</em><br /><br />Millions of people in the U.S. are living in areas with dangerous levels of heat &mdash; and a growing death toll. In a new book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-heat-will-kill-you-first/id6444250725" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Heat Will Kill You First</em></a>, 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 <em>Apple News In Conversation </em>host Shumita Basu about the changes we need to make today and the reasons he still has hope for the future.</p>

Inside the making of reality TV

<p>Guest-hosted by Sam Sanders: Reality shows &mdash; like <em>Survivor</em>, <em>The Bachelor</em>, and <em>Love Is Blind</em> &mdash; are some of the most-watched TV series in the U.S. But how much &ldquo;reality&rdquo; is actually being shown? In her new book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/cue-the-sun/id6473575370" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV</em></a>, <em>New Yorker </em>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.</p>

The real reason so many people are getting cosmetic surgery

<p>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&rsquo;s medical school who has <a href="https://www.bu.edu/articles/2024/study-shows-correlation-between-social-media-use-and-cosmetic-procedures/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">studied</a> the connection between social media and cosmetic surgery. Then, Elise Hu, the author of <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/flawless/id6443314811" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture From the K-Beauty Capital</em></a>, offers tips on how to navigate a world of ever-fleeting beauty trends.</p>

Why TV and movies are getting worse

<p>A year after two historic Hollywood strikes, America&rsquo;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 <a href="https://blcklst.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Black List</a>, is a Hollywood insider and an industry disrupter. He talks to guest host Sam Sanders about how TV and filmmaking need to change.</p>

What we know about the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs

<p>An explosive lawsuit against hip-hop mogul Sean &ldquo;Diddy&rdquo; 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 <a href="https://apple.news/AXEQIOZrfSciGeuR0WyNJ9g" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Rolling Stone</em></a> is one of the most extensive accounts yet of allegations against Combs &mdash; 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 &mdash; and how Combs&rsquo;s accusers are seeking justice.</p>

If you could choose another version of your life, would you?

<p>Guest-hosted by Sam Sanders:&nbsp;The new Apple TV+ series<em> Dark Matter</em> 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. <em>Apple News In Conversation </em>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.</p>

Rebroadcast: What losing family taught Anderson Cooper about grief and gratitude

<p><em>This is an episode from our archives.</em><br /><br />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&rsquo;s only recently that Cooper has been able to talk about and process these deaths. For<em> Apple News In Conversation</em>&rsquo;s <em>Think Again </em>series, he spoke with host Shumita Basu about what he&rsquo;s learned by talking to people about death and grief on his podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-there-is-with-anderson-cooper/id1643163707" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>All There Is</em></a> &mdash; and the advice he has for those who are struggling with loss.</p>

Retirement is daunting. Here’s how Americans are making it work.

<p>Guest-hosted by Julia Carpenter: Whether you&rsquo;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.&nbsp;<em>Wall Street Journal</em> reporters Anne Tergesen and Veronica Dagher spoke to people with a wide variety of retirement experiences &mdash; from those retiring on almost nothing but <a href="https://apple.news/AsD-TRCE-SBm6ZCPC4PNyWQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Social Security</a> to those with <a href="https://apple.news/AkgP0Js9QQni0ZUrd4CJFtA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$5 million</a> &mdash;&nbsp;about how they are each making it work regardless of the number in their bank accounts.</p>

How to become your own boss

<p>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 <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weird-finance/id1670986446" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Weird Finance</em></a>. She sits down with <em>Apple News In Conversation</em>guest host Julia Carpenter to share some of the best advice she&rsquo;s learned from her own experience, and from guiding clients to create their own businesses.</p>

Rebroadcast: His father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He went looking for answers.

<p><em>This is an episode from our archives.</em><br /><br />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&rsquo;t remember what he did the day before and would get lost driving home. Eventually, his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease. In his new book, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/my-fathers-brain/id1623194942" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>My Father&rsquo;s Brain: Life in the Shadow of Alzheimer&rsquo;s</em></a>, 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.</p>

How to make America a better place to raise kids

<p>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 <a href=“https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parentdata-with-emily-oster/id1633515294”>Emily Oster</a> argues that it doesn&rsquo;t have to be this way. She sat down with <em>Apple News In Conversation</em> guest host Julia Carpenter to talk about some concrete ways we could make this country a better place to start a family.</p>

How money affects your mental health

<p>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.</p>

How a financial-advice columnist got scammed out of $50,000

<p>Guest-hosted by Julia Carpenter:&nbsp;Charlotte Cowles never thought she&rsquo;d fall for a scam. She&rsquo;s savvy about money and even writes a financial-advice column for <a href="https://apple.news/AEXkv-9S2ROa70KqmZhNaZw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Cut</em></a>. 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 <em>Apple News In Conversation </em>guest host Julia Carpenter and offers tips on how to prevent this from happening to you.</p>

Rebroadcast: Tom Hanks on what it takes to make a movie

<p><em>This is an episode from our archives.</em><br /><br />Tom Hanks has learned a thing or two about moviemaking during his decades-long career. Ultimately, he says, it&rsquo;s not about one person&rsquo;s vision or direction; it&rsquo;s about the countless people behind the camera &mdash; and a few in front of it &mdash; who make a movie possible. That&rsquo;s the foundational idea behind his debut novel,&nbsp;<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-making-of-another-major-motion-picture-masterpiece/id6443397015" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece</em></a>. Hanks spoke to&nbsp;<em>Apple News In Conversation&nbsp;</em>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.</p>

The U.S. political system is broken. Here are five ideas to fix it.

<p>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&rsquo;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&rsquo;s also an opinion columnist for the <em>New York Times </em>and host of the podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ezra-klein-show/id1548604447" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Ezra Klein Show</em></a>. Klein sat down with <em>Apple News In Conversation </em>guest host Brian Stelter to talk about some concrete ways we could make our system better.</p>

Who’s better for the economy — Biden or Trump?

<p>Guest-hosted by Brian Stelter: Many Americans say the economy is their top issue this election year, with roughly two-thirds of voters saying&nbsp;they don&rsquo;t feel it&rsquo;s working for them. That&rsquo;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 <a href="https://apple.news/AFp1h4TqnREu5kYBAzdwrmw">Barron&rsquo;s</a>, 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&rsquo;s and Donald Trump&rsquo;s first-term track records.</p>

Not sure what’s real or fake online? Here are some tips.

<p>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, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/attack-from-within/id6448880114" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Attack From Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America</em></a>, legal analyst and former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade argues that American democracy will suffer if we don&rsquo;t distinguish truth from lies. McQuade spoke with <em>Apple News In Conversation </em>guest host Brian Stelter about America&rsquo;s disinformation problem and how to address it.</p>

Everything you need to know about Trump’s four criminal trials

<p>Guest-hosted by Brian Stelter:&nbsp;Donald Trump is the first president &mdash; current or former &mdash; 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&rsquo;s <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trumps-trials/id1715894000" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Trump&rsquo;s Trials</strong></em></a> podcast, and Karen Tumulty, political columnist for the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/karen-tumulty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Washington Post</strong></em></a>, about the charges against Trump and how he&rsquo;ll split his time between the courtroom and campaign trail.</p>

Could Biden drop out of the race? Can Trump run if he’s convicted? Your 2024 election questions, answered.

<p>Guest-hosted by Brian Stelter: This year&rsquo;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<em> New Yorker </em>staff writers Susan B. Glasser, Jane Mayer, and Evan Osnos, who also cohost <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-political-scene-the-new-yorker/id268213039" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Political Scene</em></a> 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.</p>