Advertise on podcast: Apple News Today

Democrats secured sweeping victories in the midterms on Tuesday as key voter groups shifted away from Republicans. Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report explains how President Trump’s coalition fell apart. Democrats had a big night across Texas, flipping the statehouse and winning major statewide offices. Eleanor Klibanoff of the Texas Tribune discusses what drove the party’s historic gains. Vice President Vance pointed to the war with Iran as a driving factor in GOP losses. Jon Gambrell of the Wall Street Journal reports on where the conflict stands right now. Plus, Israel’s president began coalition talks after an inconclusive election, close Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska remain uncalled, and voters in Washington, D.C., and Denver approved bans on foie gras. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

Democrats won control of both the House and Senate in a historic election night. We’ll catch you up on how it unfolded and look at the key races. Plus, NBC News’s Sahil Kapur explains what it all means for Democrats, Republicans, and the White House. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

Voters head to the polls today to decide all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, and dozens of governor’s races. Anna Johnson of the Associated Press explains how the results will be tallied and the races called. President Trump made his final pitch to voters at the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The Washington Post’s Katherine Doyle discusses what could be his last rallies. The Supreme Court hears arguments today in a challenge by two Catholic preschools to the antidiscrimination requirements of Colorado’s state-funded pre-K program. Chalkbeat’s Ann Schimke breaks down the case. Plus, the Supreme Court denied a Trump administration request to set aside more than 20,000 California ballots, the U.S. struck Iran again, and one man’s 28-year walk around the world came to an end. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

Michigan’s Democratic Party is in turmoil after moderate Rep. Haley Stevens crossed party lines to endorse Republican Mike Rogers in the Senate race over progressive Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Bipartisan consensus on national security is breaking down in Congress as lawmakers face a $1.5 trillion defense-budget request. The Washington Post’s Noah Robertson explains why relations between Capitol Hill and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have soured. The Wall Street Journal’s Paul Kiernan takes us inside the Los Angeles mayoral race, where Democratic socialist Nithya Raman is in a close race with incumbent Karen Bass as frustration grows over quality of life, wildfire recovery, and more. Plus, a federal judge tosses a Trump administration lawsuit over Alaska’s Senate election, a fatal business-jet crash in South Florida, and how a first-time marathoner won New York City’s big race. Today’s episode was hosted by Cecilia Lei.

From Apple News In Converation: Earlier this year, Brad Reese — the grandson of the inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups — accused Hershey of secretly changing its recipes and making this beloved treat taste worse. New York magazine features writer Rachel Handler had also noticed a decline in the quality of mass-market chocolate, and Reese’s viral post inspired her to investigate just what has happened to these classic candies in the U.S. Handler joins Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to break down how candy companies have changed their formulas, the labeling loopholes letting them cut costs, and how to spot real chocolate on the wrapper.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has ordered an investigation into Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola following a New York Times report alleging her campaign secretly stacked the ballot with the goal of peeling votes from her Republican opponent. Alaska Public Media’s Liz Ruskin explains how the allegations are shaking a key race. With nearly all votes tallied, Israel’s first national election since the Oct. 7 attacks is at a stalemate. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot’s center-right bloc both fell short of a 61-seat majority to secure control of parliament. Reuters Jerusalem correspondent Emily Rose explains what could happen next. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado called for new elections in her first week back in the country after spending a year in exile. The Wall Street Journal’s Vera Bergengruen reports on Machado’s homecoming and how she’s trying to navigate her relationship with the White House. Plus, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth escalated his crackdown on suspected leaks of classified information, the WNBA Finals are heading to a historic Game 7, and remembering Patrick Stewart. Today’s episode was hosted by Yasmeen Khan.

With less than a week until Election Day, the battle for control of Congress is entering the final stretch. In Alaska, a key battleground state, the New York Times reports that Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit spoiler candidates in an effort to boost her odds of winning, which her campaign denies. And RealClearPolitics senior elections analyst Sean Trende breaks down other critical races to watch. The Federal Reserve held benchmark interest rates steady in its final meeting before Election Day. Politico economics correspondent Victoria Guida explains why inflation has been so stubborn and what this decision means for your wallet. Former Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami following his election defeat, defying a court-ordered travel ban as he faces investigations in Brazil. Bloomberg politics reporter Augusta Saraiva examines how his arrival in the U.S. could strain relations between Washington and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Plus, what to know about a deadly train collision in Spain, a luxury cruise that ran out of money in the middle of its trip and kicked passengers off, and the most dangerous high-five in baseball. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

Ahead of next week’s midterms, voters rank government corruption as a top concern alongside the economy. The Washington Post’s Liz Goodwin explains how Democrat James Talarico is using the issue against Republican Ken Paxton in a close Texas Senate race. Then, the Wall Street Journal’s Ian Lovett breaks down how Melania Trump and Pope Leo helped broker a narrow humanitarian ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Megan Zahneis reports on how Cornell faculty are holding a no-confidence vote over leadership’s handling of sexual misconduct. Plus, record voter turnout in Israel, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro has reportedly left Brazil after his election loss, and the unusual timing behind Game 6 of the WNBA Finals. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

Anthropic filed for what could be the largest IPO in history, even as its filing warns that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity. Axios’s Dan Primack breaks down the numbers. Then, Anat Peled at the Wall Street Journal reports from Tel Aviv as Israeli voters head to the polls in a pivotal election that may serve as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. NPR’s Carrie Kahn discusses Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s dramatic election comeback. Plus, new federal charges were brought against James Comey, France offered student protesters concessions, and a record-shattering 3,000-pound pumpkin. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

President Trump and former President Barack Obama campaigned in Michigan this weekend, where Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed are in a close Senate race. Reuters’s Bo Erickson breaks down the contest. Ukraine has regained full access to Elon Musk’s Starlink and Starshield satellite systems after a slowdown. Alex Ward of the Wall Street Journal discusses the dispute over who ordered it. Anthropic and OpenAI are drawing up plans to give away part of the wealth expected from their public offerings. James Pollard of the Associated Press explains the questions over who will decide where the money goes. Plus, Brazilian voters reelected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in a rebuke to Latin America’s rightward shift, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned home after nearly a year in exile, and the Department of Justice defended its lawsuit seeking to stop Alaska from automatically certifying midterm results. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.

From Apple News In Conversation: In the span of a month, Christa Pike survived a botched lethal-injection execution in Tennessee and the Pentagon announced plans to livestream the firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. President Trump later walked back the livestream, although the execution is still scheduled; it will be the first military firing-squad execution in the country since World War II. Maurice Chammah, a staff writer at the Marshall Project, joins Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to unpack this moment in America, how politicians and the public are responding, and what these two stories reveal about the death penalty’s future.

The Guardian’s Robert Booth takes us inside the global scramble to fix a code vulnerability threatening 70% of websites. Minnesota hasn’t elected a Republican statewide in decades, but an open Senate seat there is looking surprisingly competitive. Minnesota Public Radio’s Dana Ferguson breaks down the forces reshaping the race. Wall Street Journal baseball writer Jared Diamond previews the World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays — and explains why a gold-ticket offer has left some Brewers fans stewing. Plus, the U.S. and Israel are preparing possible strikes on Iran after the midterms, a federal judge is threatening to throw out President Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC, and how Airbnb is telling hosts to clean up.   Today’s episode was hosted by Cecilia Lei.

More than $10 billion is expected to be spent on advertising in this midterm cycle. New York Times reporter Teddy Schleifer joins to explain where the money comes from, how a recent Supreme Court ruling has shifted power back toward party committees, and what voters should watch for in the final two weeks. Russia freed a retired American schoolteacher, and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff called Putin a “humanitarian” — drawing swift bipartisan criticism. Francesca Ebel, Ukraine correspondent for the Washington Post, explains what the prisoner release and a fresh promise of peace talks actually signal about where negotiations stand, and why Ukraine is heading into a difficult winter. Nearly a decade after Apu quietly disappeared from ‘The Simpsons’ amid controversy, the character is back — this time voiced by an Indian American actor. The AP’s Terry Tang looks at what the recast means at a moment of growing South Asian political visibility. Plus, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration must continue providing gender-affirming care to transgender federal inmates, a New Mexico court made a substantial financial ruling against Meta, and America just got its first new national park in six years. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

The Guardian’s Ashifa Kassam takes us inside Europe’s “autumn of discontent.” The Justice Department has charged 28 people in California with election crimes and is seeking to block roughly 20,000 ballots from being counted in the midterm elections despite experts saying noncitizen voting is extremely rare. NPR’s Miles Parks discusses the implications of the move. Federal judges in Washington are being asked to weigh in on details of President Trump’s attempt to make over the capital, and they’re getting increasingly frustrated. Associated Press reporter Gary Fields explains why. Plus, Trump’s $8 billion bailout for farmers, the NASCAR driver diagnosed with CTE, and how a novel piece of infrastructure is saving wildlife in the West. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

President Trump says he is open to a trilateral summit with Russia’s Putin and China’s Xi to discuss Ukraine without Zelenskyy present. The Wall Street Journal’s Lingling Wei explains what the talks signal to smaller nations. French cities imposed curfews after violent rioting over school conditions and living costs, the BBC reports. President Emmanuel Macron is facing disapproval across the political spectrum. The NBA season tips off today as the champion New York Knicks face LeBron James and the 76ers. The Athletic’s Fred Katz previews the title race. Plus, Mahmoud Khalil is taking his deportation fight to the Supreme Court, Christiane Amanpour is leaving CNN, and Japan launched a mission to one of Mars’s moons. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.