In 1971, Shirley Wheeler became the first woman to be criminally charged for having an abortion. She was convicted of manslaughter and faced up to 20 years in prison. In the latest season of the podcast Slow Burn, host Susan Matthews explores what happened to Wheeler in the years leading up to the Roe v. Wade decision. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Matthews about Wheeler’s story — and why Wheeler’s case is a warning of what’s to come after the recent overturning of Roe.

At Yale University, psychology professor Laurie Santos saw firsthand how so many college students were anxious or depressed. So she decided to teach a class on the science of happiness — and how to apply it in real life. It became the school’s most popular course ever. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Santos about her podcast, The Happiness Lab, and the evidence-based strategies that can help us improve our lives and outlook.

Though he has yet to officially announce, President Biden has made it clear he’ll seek reelection in 2024. But given his age and approval ratings, a lot of Democrats are asking, “What’s the backup plan?” National correspondent for New York magazine Gabriel Debenedetti spoke with Washington insiders about the lead-up to the next presidential election. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Debenedetti about his reporting.

In April 2021, twelve-year-old Trevor Matthews took his own life. Andrew Solomon, a writer and clinical medical psychology professor, knew Matthews as the friend and former classmate of Solomon’s son, George. For the New Yorker, Solomon writes about the alarmingly high rate of youth suicide, why it's on the rise, and why it’s so difficult to prevent. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Solomon about this issue.

This episode is about suicide — and includes references to sexual abuse. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-talk (8255) or text talk to 741741.

In light of the recent shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, we’re bringing you an episode from our archives. In 1998, a student opened fire at a middle-school dance, killing one teacher and wounding another teacher and two students. Journalist Marin Cogan was a sixth grader there, and she recalls the shock and horror she and her classmates felt. Back then, school shootings were far more rare; kids and educators didn’t have the language or the tools to talk about — much less process — their trauma.

For Apple News In Conversation host Duarte Geraldino about coming of age in a world wholly unprepared to deal with the aftermath of mass school shootings.

In November 2020, a group of Trump allies gathered together to try to prove the election had been stolen. The only problem: there was no evidence to support any of their claims. ProPublica’s Doug Bock Clark reviewed internal documents and interviewed key participants in this effort to reveal how small untruths snowballed into Trump’s Big Lie. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Clark about his findings.

This year’s Platinum Jubilee marks Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year anniversary on the throne. Journalist Tina Brown has been covering the Crown for decades, and in her latest book, The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor — Truth and Turmoil, she chronicles the British royal family’s struggle to reinvent itself after the Diana years. Below are excerpts from Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu’s interview with Brown.

A leaked draft opinion on a Mississippi abortion law suggests that the Supreme Court is ready to overturn Roe v. Wade, a nearly 50-year precedent that protects abortion as a federally guaranteed right. This comes at a time when the Supreme Court is already facing a lot of scrutiny. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu talks with Slate writer and veteran court watcher Dahlia Lithwick about what this leaked opinion means for the future of abortion — and the future of the court itself.

When COVID-19 hit the United States, some saw it as an opportunity to make a fortune. Individuals and companies with no experience in the production of personal protective equipment made wild claims about what they could provide — and were awarded lucrative government contracts. They never delivered on their promises. ProPublica reporter David McSwane dives into this world of fraudsters and opportunists who profited off of COVID-19 in his new book, Pandemic, Inc.

The Supreme Court will soon announce a decision that could substantially weaken or even overturn Roe v. Wade. Jessica Bruder recently wrote for the Atlantic about the many groups of activists helping women get access to abortion, even if they have to work around the law. Bruder spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Duarte Geraldino about how this network first formed and the ways activists are laying the groundwork for a country without Roe.