What do the top podcast charts say about what people are really thinking, fearing, following, and obsessing over right now?

In this episode, sponsored by PodcastCharts.net, we take a wide-angle look at the latest Apple Podcasts top charts and unpack the biggest podcast episodes dominating the conversation. From true crime and daily news to sports, politics, public health, and human survival stories, this deep-dive explores why millions of listeners are drawn to certain stories at the same time.

The episode begins with the powerful grip of true crime, including Crime Junkie’s coverage of the missing persons case of Brittany Wallace Shank and Dateline NBC’s “Secrets Unmasked,” a long-running cold case involving Regina Hicks. ...