

Apple News Today
Apple News
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 28, 2022 • 10min
How Russia’s military moves could raise your energy bill
It’s five years since then-president Donald Trump issued a ban on travel from several Muslim-majority countries. A HuffPost investigation finds lives forever changed in America and around the world.
USA Today examines how a decision by Putin to invade Ukraine could affect American fuel and energy prices. The Washington Post explores how Europe’s reliance on Russian energy raises the question of whether the Kremlin might try to use its resources as a weapon against the West.
When an iceberg bigger than Delaware broke off the Antarctic Peninsula in 2017 and drifted toward Argentina, melting as it went, the environmental consequences were devastating. USA Today explains why.
A new generation of circus performers is using TikTok to redefine their field and reach new audiences. Input has the story.

Jan 27, 2022 • 9min
How Biden’s Supreme Court pick could make history
President Biden has promised to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Vox looks at the leading contenders.
Axios breaks down why so many American mayors are getting into cryptocurrency.
People applying to become U.S. citizens are facing long waits, in some cases because key paperwork is locked underground in limestone caves. The Wall Street Journal explains.
Elite-level wheelchair-tennis players tend to play to a surprisingly older age than their nondisabled counterparts. 538 crunches the numbers to work out why.

Jan 26, 2022 • 11min
How inflation wipes out your pay raise
With prices rising faster than wages right now, even many people who’ve gotten raises lately are struggling to pay for basic needs. The Washington Post tells some of their stories.
One of Vladimir Putin’s biggest enemies tells Time that the U.S. and allies are missing important things as they deal with the Russia–Ukraine crisis.
A journalist told the president of Mexico she feared for her life. Then she was killed. The Los Angeles Times explains why covering the news there has become so dangerous.
The Wall Street Journal reports on how Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have been denied entry into baseball’s Hall of Fame. The Ringer calls the decision an awkward stalemate in the attempt to wrestle with the era of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball.
In the Players’ Tribune, Allen Iverson reads his tribute to fellow NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who died two years ago today in a helicopter crash.

Jan 25, 2022 • 9min
Why high meat prices might not just be a pandemic thing
What’s the deal with high meat prices? Is there more to them than just the pandemic supply-chain crunch? Reuters examines the Biden administration’s argument that the meatpacking industry is partly to blame.
Political and legal fights over mask mandates are heating up across the country. The Wall Street Journal looks at the latest developments from New York and Virginia.
Not long ago, earthquakes were unusual in Texas, which now sees hundreds of magnitude-2.5 quakes and above every year. Vox explains why seismologists blame the oil and gas industry.
Calling all skygazers: NASA is calling for volunteers to help it monitor cloud coverage in our changing climate — and all you need is your smartphone. The Washington Post has the details.

Jan 24, 2022 • 10min
Why federal funds for hungry kids aren’t reaching them
A pandemic program to help low-income kids in America get enough to eat is struggling. The Washington Post reports.
NBC News looks at the options Biden is weighing for responding to a Russian invasion of Ukraine, including potentially moving U.S. troops to nearby countries.
As electric cars grow in popularity, Inside Climate News shows how researchers are working to get better at recycling dead batteries.
Input Magazine explores how some influencers who feature animals on their social-media accounts have started cloning the creatures, in part to keep followers engaged.
Filing taxes will be rough this year. The Wall Street Journal explains why, and how to deal with it.

Jan 22, 2022 • 25min
In Conversation: Nikole Hannah-Jones on the 1619 Project and reframing U.S. history
Nikole Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter for The New York Times Magazine and the creator of the 1619 Project. The project reframes American history around an important date that isn’t mentioned in many history books: 1619, the beginning of American slavery. Hannah-Jones has expanded on the idea and turned it into a book called The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. Hannah-Jones spoke with Apple News Today host Shumita Basu about the project.

Jan 21, 2022 • 11min
Why the “Havana syndrome” mystery still isn’t solved
The Washington Post has details of a new CIA report that says it is unlikely that a “worldwide campaign” by a foreign power is behind the condition known as Havana syndrome. The New Yorker has been covering this story for a long time.
An extensive investigation by the Washington Post finds that more than 1,700 U.S. congressmen enslaved Black people.
NPR explains why many low-income nations have COVID-vaccination rates of below 10%, while many wealthy countries have passed 80%.
The hit soundtrack of Disney’s ‘Encanto’ is creating a whole new audience for Colombian music. Billboard speaks to singer Mauro Castillo.

Jan 20, 2022 • 8min
How Biden could respond if Putin invades Ukraine
Reuters reports on Biden saying he thinks Vladimir Putin may “move in” on Ukraine, as well as potential actions the U.S. and allies might take against Russia if that happens.
The Atlantic looks at how Democrats’ failure to pass sweeping new election legislation is a reminder of the limits of the very slim majority the party has in Congress.
California was supposed to clear cannabis convictions. Tens of thousands of people are still languishing. The Los Angeles Times investigated.
Supply-chain issues are making a new type of Girl Scout cookie hard to find. But one determined Washington Post reporter managed to get a taste.

Jan 19, 2022 • 11min
How well has Biden handled the pandemic? Experts weigh in.
NPR speaks to medical experts for a report card on how President Biden has managed the pandemic in the last year.
New York’s attorney general says there’s evidence Donald Trump and his company falsely valued assets. The Wall Street Journal breaks down the latest court filing.
Recode’s Rebecca Heilweil explains the fight between airlines and wireless carriers about the rollout of expanded 5G technology that could speed up smartphone downloads.
America’s fertility rate sank during the pandemic. Meanwhile, many Nordic countries had a baby boom. National Geographic looks into what’s going on.
Vox speaks to researchers who say a child’s baby teeth are a potential gold mine of information about their physical and mental development.

Jan 18, 2022 • 9min
How cryptocurrency became a big political issue
Cryptocurrency is becoming a bona fide issue in American politics, influencing candidates and their campaigns. Politico has the story.
Who betrayed Anne Frank and her family to the Nazis in 1944? Reuters reports on an extensive investigation that has revealed a surprising new suspect.
New surveys detailed in the Washington Post show how COVID made it hard for scientists to do their jobs, particularly women.
The Wall Street Journal explains how “Baby Shark” became the first YouTube video to pass 10 billion views.


