Yes, Apple have changed the way they handle podcast subscriptions. The Podcast app is no longer within iTunes music, but is a separate app, and through it you can subscribe.

I now get a list of podcasts in Popup Chinese, but none of them has a date any longer, unfortunately. But actually, I do see a date on one view. There is a picture of a woman wearing two necklaces and not much else.

I do prefer the Chinesepod system where I can choose one lesson. Here, I can choose one too - I can't tell what level it is till I listen - but I can check that in advance. But if I'm not careful, the next lesson will start, and as soon as I've started listening, I've lost an easy chance to hear the beginning again. Podcasts I have listened to are removed (fair enough, as I can't easily remove them myself). Anyway, it's the same system as before.