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The 2024 Paris Olympics are finally here, with two weeks of jaw-dropping, mind-blowing athleticism by some of the world’s GOATs. NBC’s Rebecca Lowe is covering the Olympics — and talks with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the athletes on Team USA, what they’re up against, and the most exciting storylines of this summer’s Games.

Following the Republican National Convention, the GOP has never been more confident about the chances of Donald Trump winning in November. Atlantic staff writer Tim Alberta, who has spent months talking to Trump insiders, breaks down his campaign’s strategy and why so much could change between now and the election.

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. Apple News In Conversation 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’ brains — and his compassionate advice for navigating smartphone use in your family.

This is an episode from our archives that was originally published in July 2023.

Millions of people in the U.S. are living in areas with dangerous levels of heat — and a growing death toll. In a new book, The Heat Will Kill You First, 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 Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about the changes we need to make today and the reasons he still has hope for the future.

Guest-hosted by Sam Sanders: Reality shows — like Survivor, The Bachelor, and Love Is Blind — are some of the most-watched TV series in the U.S. But how much “reality” is actually being shown? In her new book, Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV, New Yorker 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.

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’s medical school who has studied the connection between social media and cosmetic surgery. Then, Elise Hu, the author of Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture From the K-Beauty Capital, offers tips on how to navigate a world of ever-fleeting beauty trends.