China's schools ditch morning reading

When people traded wired headphones for their wireless cousins, the decision was driven by style and convenience. But when it comes to the mind, priorities have shifted. Now, many are rewinding time and plugging back in. / Are China's apples the best apples (13:02)? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

The sound of students reading aloud at dawn has echoed through Chinese schools for generations. Not anymore. Schools are now scrapping those early morning sessions and letting kids sleep in. Supporters call it a win for rest and focus. Critics fear grades could suffer. Does earlier actually mean better? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

For many graduates, dorm life memories are tied to shared rooms, late night talks, and constant noise. But today's students expect more privacy and comfort. A decision, coming from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, to phase out eight-person dorms has caught netizens' attention. The move is not just in infrastructure but in how we view student well-being and the purpose of campus life. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushun

You hear a voice online promoting something, and the tone, the rhythm, and the emotion all feel completely real. But that person never recorded those words and never even knew the message existed. AI can now clone and spread voices at scale. If a machine can perfectly imitate your voice, do you still own it? On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushun

Remember those weekend marriage markets where parents posted résumés on park walls? They've gone digital. Now, anxious parents are swiping for sons- and daughters-in-law from the comfort of their living rooms. An old tradition, reinvented for the app era. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

The biggest climate solution isn't some new invention. It's something we're already throwing away. Millions of tons of food go to waste every year, quietly making the planet warmer, but it doesn't have to be this way. In fact, this is one of the simplest fixes we've got. So why are we still so bad at it? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

Three stories with no obvious connection. That is the easy way out. So instead, we picked three segments from this week that seem unrelated at first glance. Dig deeper, though, and something ties them together. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

Retirement isn't what it used to be. Shanghai has launched a sweeping plan to reintegrate seniors into the workforce, shifting the focus from caring for the elderly to empowering them. So why is retiring at 60 fading fast? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

Welcome to The Why, our new tech-focused segment. We take one story and go beyond the surface. In tech reporting, the spotlight is usually on the numbers, the launches, and the breakthroughs. But in The Why, we reveal the bigger picture of why this story matters to us. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushun

The Boao Forum for Asia, underway in Hainan, brings together governments, companies, and scholars to debate global challenges and test solutions. As the forum marks its 25th anniversary, discussions explore how economic growth, technological innovation, and environmental sustainability can move forward together. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushun