Join Shumita Basu every weekday morning as she guides you through some of the most fascinating stories in the news — and how the world’s best journalists are covering them.
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President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Thursday. The Wall Street Journal ’s Michelle Hackman breaks down the factors that went into the decision. Iran’s next leader could be a son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Parisa Hafezi, Iran bureau chief for Reuters , joins to discuss why that might frustrate some Iranians. The Formula 1 season kicks off in Australia this weekend. Apple News Sports editor Shaker Samman explains how new rule changes might change things on the track. Plus,...
Travelers across the Middle East who became stranded when fighting in Iran began are having trouble finding their way home. Bloomberg reports on how many who are stuck are improvising ways out as the war zone expands. The U.S.’s closest ally in the war, Israel, has very big stake in its outcome. Tia Goldenberg of the Associated Press explains why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wagered big on a victory against Tehran. Midterm-elections season kicked off with closely watched primaries in Texas....
A new wave of attacks were carried out against Iran, as the war in the region moves into a fifth day. Reuters reports that retaliatory strikes hit multiple areas including the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia. Oil prices continued to surge as a result of ongoing fighting. Evan Halper of the Washington Post joins to discuss why what happens to a key shipping route could affect global fuel prices. And the BBC reports on how European countries are struggling to hold a united position on the war. Plus, ...
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has drawn in countries across the Middle East. AFP has the latest. The Wall Street Journal ’s Alex Ward joins to discuss President Trump’s messaging about the conflict. Iranians in the country are having different reactions to the war and the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. NPR ’s Jane Arraf describes how some are processing the last few days. Plus, Texas voters head to the polls for a contentious GOP primary , and video of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s depositions i...
The U.S. and Israel carried out a massive military campaign over the weekend against Iran. The Wall Street Journal ’s Jared Malsin breaks down the operation. Lawmakers were briefed on the Iran attacks but the strikes were carried out without congressional approval. NPR reports on how that has put new urgency into an effort to reign in President Trump’s military powers. Los Angeles is the home to the largest population of Iranians outside of Iran. Corinne Purtill of the Los Angeles Times joins to...
From Apple News In Conversation : 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...
Following the Supreme Court decision on tariffs, big companies including FedEx, Dyson, and L’Oréal are suing to recoup money paid. NPR ’s Alina Selyukh explains why getting it back could be tricky. Some progress appears to have been made in the latest round of talks between the U.S. and Iran. Olivia Le Poidevin of Reuters joins to discuss why the two sides are still far apart. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is under intense pressure to confront drug cartels. Emily Green of Reuters dissects ...
President Trump’s nominee to be the next surgeon general appeared before the Senate health committee. NBC News ’s Aria Bendix breaks down the testimony. The Pentagon is at odds with Anthropic, the company that built the only AI model approved for classified military use. Dave Lawler of Axios joins to discuss the ultimatum Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued the company. A whistleblower who recently trained ICE recruits testified to Congress about how the agency is cutting corners on instructio...
President Trump delivered his State of the Union. NBC News’s Sahil Kapur was in the press gallery and gives us his takeaways . Deadly cartel violence in Mexico has raised concerns over security at the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The Athletic ’s Felipe Cardenas explains what officials are saying about the risks and why FIFA is standing behind Mexico. Voters in Switzerland could soon vote to cap the country’s population at 10 million people as a way to restrict immigration. Bastian Benrath-Wright of ...
The Pentagon says an attack on Iran may lead to significant risks for U.S. soldiers, allies, and resources. The Wall Street Journal ’s Alex Ward joins to discuss what one of the military’s top leaders is saying about the situation. Netflix’s bid to buy Warner Bros. just got a little more complicated. Deadline ’s Dominic Patten explains why the DOJ is now involved. GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic have exploded in popularity for their weight-loss effects. Dhruv Khullar of the New Yorker considers how ...
Drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” was killed in a military raid in Mexico over the weekend. Laura Gottesdiener of Reuters explores how the operation went down. President Trump wasted no time imposing a new global tariff after the Supreme Court struck down his previous ones. Courtenay Brown of Axios joins to discuss what comes next for businesses and consumers. The Winter Olympics concluded Sunday night, and it was a pretty good showing for Team USA overall. The Athletic ’s Matt F...
From Apple News In Conversation : 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 gap...
Tensions with Iran are escalating as U.S. forces continue to build up in the region. The Wall Street Journal ’s Alex Ward breaks down a new option that President Trump is weighing against Tehran. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct while in public office. Fiona Hamilton of The Times of London joins to discuss why. A proposed rent-control law in Massachusetts has local Democrats. The Wall Street Journal ’s Jared Mitovich explains why lawmakers in...
Former Prince Andrew is arrested on suspicion of misconduct in office. A deadly avalanche killed 8 people in the Lake Tahoe region in Northern California. KQED ’s Sarah Wright explains what happened and the challenges that come with avalanche rescue. A massive amount of wastewater has been spewing into the Potomac River after a sewage line break in Maryland, near Washington D.C. Dana Hedgpeth of The Washington Post breaks down how the spill has now become a political dispute. Nordic combined is ...
In Trump’s second term, ICE has ramped up use of a program that deputizes local police forces to participate in immigration enforcement. NPR ’s Jaclyn Diaz discusses the expansion of the program, known as 287(g). Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is calling for the resignation of the chair of the 2028 Olympics after his name showed up in the Epstein files. Dakota Smith of the Los Angeles Times explains the fallout. Civil-rights leader Jesse Jackson died on Tuesday. Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil St...
The U.S. government undertook a covert mission to keep Iranian protesters connected to the internet with Starlink equipment. Alex Ward of the Wall Street Journal explains the risks of using Starlink inside Iran. Several letters written by detained children describe what life is like inside ICE’s Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas. ProPublica ’s Mica Rosenberg has the details. This week marked two years since Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny died in custody. The Associated Pres...
Global leaders and influential power brokers gathered at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend. Reuters reports on how Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech struck a tone of unity. Early voting is underway in the race to win the House seat previously held by Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene. Politico ’s Alec Hernandez joins to discuss the crowded field. Under an executive order from President Trump, federal agencies are deploying AI as a way to operate more efficiently. Ian Duncan o...
From Apple News In Conversation : 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 expl...
Another partial shutdown appears to be certain after lawmakers failed to pass a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. ABC News reports on how Democrats blocked a potential deal after their demands weren’t met. President Trump revoked a landmark scientific finding regarding greenhouse-gas emissions. Marianne Lavelle of Inside Climate News breaks down what to expect next. Allegations of bias were lodged at Olympic ice-dance judges after a team from France edged out an American duo. NBC...
Airspace over El Paso, Texas, was closed abruptly late Tuesday night. The Washington Post ’s Dan Lamothe talks through what we know about the sudden disruption. President Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Wednesday. Sam Metz of the Associated Press joins to discuss the meeting and how Israel is taking steps to exert more control over the West Bank. More people than ever are in ICE detention under Trump’s immigration crackdown. The Associated Press ’s Gisel...
A surge of measles cases has health experts around the country worried. Erika Edwards of NBC News breaks down the numbers and explains how current outbreaks got so bad. The acting director of ICE defended the agency’s actions on Capitol Hill Tuesday. The Washington Post reports on the contentious hearing. A community in Montana that overwhelmingly supported Trump is grappling with the detainment of a popular local auto mechanic by U.S. Border Patrol. Nora Mabie of Montana Free Press discusses th...
Cuba is on the brink of economic disaster following U.S. actions in Venezuela. The Wall Street Journal ’s José de Córdoba breaks down how the island nation got to this point. The January jobs report is scheduled to come out tomorrow, and one White House adviser says it’s not going to be pretty. Justin Lahart of the Wall Street Journal joins to discuss the factors making life hard for job-seekers. U.S. Olympic figure skater Maxim Naumov lost his parents in the air crash over Reagan National Airpo...
The Epstein documents are causing political crises abroad, with the British prime minister fighting for his political life. Politico unpacks why. The sheer number of court cases tied to President Trump’s immigration crackdown is putting a heavy strain on lawyers representing the government. The Wall Street Journal ’s Sadie Gurman explains the immense pressure U.S. attorney’s offices are under. So-called forever chemicals, or PFAS, are increasingly contaminating private-drinking-water wells. Mich...
From Apple News In Conversation : 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 upbr...
Mass layoffs at the Washington Post have shocked the media industry. Semafor ’s Max Tani discusses the cuts and explains why the paper has struggled financially. Major U.S. trade partners are increasingly turning elsewhere as a result of unpredictable relations with President Trump. The Wall Street Journal ’s Kim Mackrael joins to discuss how China benefits from the uncertainty. Plus, the Super Bowl is on Sunday, and it’s a rematch of what many consider one of the best Super Bowls in recent hist...
Democrats have laid out their demands as lawmakers in Washington negotiate a deal on ICE accountability. Sahil Kapur of NBC News explains the breadth of those demands and the tight timeline Congress is on. A recent drone attack by Russia left more than 1,000 apartment buildings in Kyiv without power. Politico ’s Veronika Melkozerova joins to discuss how Ukrainians are surviving winter after continued attacks on their electricity grid. A warming climate is putting future Winter Olympic sites at r...
The podcast examines the heightened US-Iran tensions following a drone incident, just ahead of crucial diplomatic talks, questioning US objectives. It also delves into the significant increase in child detentions by ICE, highlighted by a controversial case, and discusses the various ways children are affected by immigration policies. Additionally, the episode explores Venezuela's complex political landscape, focusing on its interim leader's strategy to navigate US relations and potential oil market openings, while concluding with updates on the government shutdown and an Olympic figure skater's music copyright win.
ICE is using biometric tracers, cellphone-hacking tools, and other surveillance methods to track protesters and suspects. The Washington Post ’s Eva Dou explains what the technologies do and how they affect the broader population in more ways than expected. The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened in a limited capacity this week after two years. Sam Metz of the Associated Press joins to discuss logistical questions over who and what can cross the border. The latest Epstein files r...
The partial government shutdown isn’t likely to end until at least Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal ’s Natalie Andrews breaks down the sticking points lawmakers are negotiating. A new batch of documents from the Epstein files were released. The Associated Press reports on how the Department of Justice isn’t expected to file any new charges as a result. Some Olympic athletes don’t make enough money to afford basic living expenses. Fortune reports on how that could change starting this year after ...
From Apple News In Conversation : 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 ...
