An FBI agent went undercover in America’s extremist groups. Here’s what he learned.
In his 22-year career in the FBI, undercover agent Scott Payne infiltrated some of the most dangerous criminal and extremist groups in America, from a motorcycle gang called the Outlaws to a white-supremacist group known as the Base. Payne shares his firsthand case accounts of gathering intelligence and stopping illegal activity in his memoir, Code Name: Pale Horse; How I Went Undercover to Expose America’s Nazis. His story is also featured on the latest season of the Slate podcast White Hot Hate. Payne sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about some of his most harrowing moments on the job and the growing threat of extremism in the U.S.
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Rebroadcast: How Taylor Swift changed the music industry forever
Taylor Swift recently announced that she bought back the master recordings of her first six albums, ending a yearslong ownership battle. In light of this news, we’re bringing you an episode from our archives about Swift’s career, megastardom, and legacy.
Taylor Swift requires no introduction. She recently became the first artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year four times. Her Eras Tour, the highest-grossing music tour ever, ends this month. Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield, who has been covering Swift since the beginning of her career, is out with a new book on the star, Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music. Sheffield talks with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about Swift’s gift for storytelling, her expansive fan base, and how she’s empowered a whole new generation of artists.
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Why a 25-cent pill is being sold to cancer patients for nearly $1,000
When ProPublica health-care reporter David Armstrong was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer, he began taking a lifesaving drug called Revlimid. When he learned that each pill of this medication is sold for nearly $1,000 but costs drug companies only cents to make, he went on a quest to uncover the reasons behind its shocking price tag. Armstrong sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about his investigation into Revlimid’s origins and what it reveals about prescription-drug pricing in America.
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How Joe Biden’s inner circle hid his cognitive decline
Throughout his presidency, Joe Biden faced questions about his age and his health, so much so that he ultimately ended his 2024 reelection campaign. In a new book, Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson reveal the true extent of Biden’s declining cognitive health, and the lengths his inner circle took to conceal it from the public. Tapper and Thompson spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about their reporting and what it means for Biden’s legacy.
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How toxic chemicals quietly took over our lives
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.For some resources recommended by Blake, go to the National Science Foundation’s page on PFAS in drinking water.
Apple News In Conversation with Shumita Basu brings you interviews with some of the world’s best journalists and experts about the stories that impact our lives. Join us every week as we go behind the headlines.
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