Apple News In Conversation

Fewer people around the world are having kids — the global birth rate has been falling steadily since the 1970s — but, for many, it’s not because they don’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 Inconceivable: The Impossibility of Family in an Age of Uncertainty, joins Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to discuss what’s really standing in the way and what it would take to close that gap.

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 “time tax.” In her new book, The Time Tax: How the Government Wastes Our Time — and How to Fix It, Atlantic staff writer Annie Lowrey argues all of this red tape is more than just annoying — it has real, lasting consequences for the country. Lowrey joins Apple News In Conversation 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.

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 “kill us all,” OpenAI revealed that its models have demonstrated “concerning behavior,” and four tech CEOs made an unprecedented call for a slowdown. Nilay Patel, editor in chief of The Verge and host of the Decoder podcast, last joined Apple News In Conversation in 2023, as ChatGPT exploded in popularity. He returns to the show to discuss what’s changed, what this technology can and can’t do, and why company rivals are asking the government for help.

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 & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.

The trial of Lindsay Clancy — the Massachusetts mother accused of murdering her three young children in 2023 — ended this month in a mistrial. Her defense didn’t dispute the killings but argued that Clancy wasn’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 New Yorker’s Jessica Winter has followed this case since the beginning, and she joins Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to unpack why it became a national obsession — and what the fractured public response reveals about America.

This is an episode from our archives. It originally aired in May 2025.

Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS, are found in virtually every corner of the world, including in most people’s bodies. These synthetic compounds have been linked to a wide range of health issues — from infertility to cancer to neurological problems — even at low levels of exposure. In a new book, They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals, investigative journalist Mariah Blake lays out how these toxic chemicals became so ubiquitous. Blake spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about a group of unlikely activists fighting back against those responsible and offers practical tips to protect yourself.