Apple News In Conversation

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Why America has more billionaires than ever (From the archives) May 21, 2026

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This episode originally aired on July 10, 2025.
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 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.

How one Supreme Court decision could shift political power for decades May 14, 2026

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At the end of April, the Supreme Court’s ruling on Louisiana v. Callais 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 The Atlantic, joins Apple News In Conversation guest host Sam Sanders to help explain this pivotal moment and the long history of voting rights in America.

Rebroadcast: They work full-time jobs. Why are they homeless? May 07, 2026

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This week, Brian Goldstone was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his book, There Is No Place for Us, which is featured in this episode from our archives.

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.

The real reason American men are struggling Apr 30, 2026

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The headlines say that American men are in crisis. But what does that actually mean — 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, American Men, explores the gap between masculine ideals and the reality of men’s lived experience. Apple News In Conversation guest host Sam Sanders 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.

The unique power of an American pope Apr 23, 2026

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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 — 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’s All Things Considered and coauthor of the upcoming American Pope: Leo XIV’s Road From the South Side of Chicago to Vatican City, joins guest host Sam Sanders to explore what it means to have an American pope who understands U.S. politics — and why his influence may be felt far beyond the Catholic Church.

How to make nostalgia your psychological superpower Apr 16, 2026

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The 1990s are back — especially for Gen Z. CDs, flip phones, and ’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’t experience, Apple News In Conversation guest host Sam Sanders talks with psychologist Clay Routledge. Routledge is the author of Past Forward: How Nostalgia Can Help You Live a More Meaningful Life and executive vice president and COO at the Archbridge Institute. He explains what’s fueling Gen Z’s fascination with the ’90s, when romanticizing the past can be harmful, and how looking back can make your future brighter.

Why so many people are falling in love with AI chatbots Apr 09, 2026

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A medieval-monster slayer. A tiny alien named Roscoe. A talking plate of spaghetti. These are just a few of the customizable companions available through AI-chatbot apps like Kindroid, Tolan, and Character.AI. In her latest piece for the New Yorker, journalist Anna Wiener explores the rapidly expanding world of these products and the people who use them. She joins Apple News In Conversation guest host Sam Sanders to talk about the users she met who are in relationships with AI chatbots, the Silicon Valley creators building them, and the risks of forming emotional bonds with technology.

He said yes to an IT job. He ended up enslaved in a scam compound. Apr 02, 2026

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Last June, journalist Andy Greenberg received an anonymous email from someone claiming to be trapped inside a scam compound in Southeast Asia. The source, using the pseudonym Red Bull, said he had access to a trove of internal materials exposing the inner workings of the criminal operation — and that he was willing to risk his life to share them. Greenberg has now published Red Bull’s story in Wired. He joins Apple News In Conversation guest host Sam Sanders to discuss what he uncovered about the shadowy world of global scam compounds, and what happened when Red Bull tried to escape.

Americans are obsessed with protein. How much do you actually need? Mar 26, 2026

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We are in the middle of a protein boom. Protein food products make up a more than $100 billion industry — and it’s still growing. In a new book, Protein: The Making of a Nutritional Superstar, health scholar Samantha King and sociologist Gavin Weedon reveal how marketing, industry interests, and cultural trends — not nutritional science — have turned protein into the most popular nutrient of the moment. King and Weedon sat down with Apple News In Conversation guest host Sam Sanders to talk about the real reason protein is everywhere, and how to think differently about your intake.

How Elon Musk transformed Twitter — and what it means for online discourse Mar 19, 2026

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Twitter was created 20 years ago. Many saw the platform as an online public square — a place to connect with strangers, spark viral debates, and even launch careers and social movements. When Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, he began reshaping it in his own image, eventually rebranding it as X, and redefining how it operates and what it’s used for. New York Times technology reporters Ryan Mac and Kate Conger, authors of Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, join Apple News In Conversation guest host Sam Sanders to unpack that transformation, and what it reveals about the future of social media.

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