1A

If you've been following the news lately — including with 1A — it can be a lot to take in.We've heard from many of you about how the news makes you feel. But what can we do in chaotic moments of history to build a sense of control in our lives? Maybe it's organizing in your community, starting a new hobby, or picking up that TV show from 10 years ago that you promised you'd get around to watching.What can finding agency in the chaos look like? Why should we actively focus on something rather than simply react to what's happening?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Some of the best songs you can hear this spring aren't on the radio.Hundreds of millions of birds make their annual migration back into North America in early March. Despite their return to our neighborhoods and backyards to wake us up bright and early, a new report reveals they're numbering fewer and fewer.The 2025 State of the Birds report is a joint effort spearheaded by a coalition of science and conservation organizations. It found widespread population decline across nearly all habitats and that over one third of species require conservation help.But it's not all bad news. The report also finds that an increased interest in birding has led to more volunteer data that helped shaped the report. What can we learn about our feathered friends and our environment while watching?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Many of us know that being outside feels good.Maybe it's for a short walk to the store. Maybe for a hike at a nearby mountain. Or maybe spending time at the beach with loved ones for a holiday.But did you know that a short walk in nature can improve your attention span by 20 percent? And that even fake plants have been shown to deliver health benefits?There are real benefits to surrounding yourself with the natural world.We sit down with the pioneer of environmental neuroscience, Marc Berman. He's out with a new book all about the science behind the benefits spending time outside called “Nature and the Mind.”Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Last year, Americans spent more than 300 billion minutes on navigation apps, like Waze or Google Maps.The GPS systems in our pockets have come a long way from the first known map, carved into a mammoth tusk 30,000 years ago.But even with satellites tracking us and the ever-changing Earth from the skies – digital maps aren't fact. Errors can show up and are sometimes as old as maps themselves. The phantom island of Sandy Island appeared on Google Maps until 2012, when Australian scientists sailed to its supposed location and found only open ocean.Mistakes on maps were sometimes intentional, sometimes not – but every single one tells a bigger story.How and why did it get there? What does it reveal about the creator of the map and the world around them?We sit down with Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones, better known as the Map Men on YouTube, to talk through these questions and more.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In-home elder care costs are rising more than three times faster than inflation.AARP estimates that caregivers in the U.S. spend an average of $7,242 out of pocket each year.Cuts to federal spending have gutted programs that support them. And amidst the longest government shutdown in history, what little help was left is quickly drying up.Why is the cost of care going up? What can be done to combat those costs?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Abraham Lincoln was the first U.S. president to sport a beard. For the next 50 years, whiskers were commonplace in the White House. But then, they went out of style.Now, Vice President JD Vance is the first executive branch leader in more than a century with a furry face.And others are following suit. From the Senate to the campaign trail, more and more men in politics are letting their facial hair grow free. But what does that tell us about masculinity, power, and how we see each other?Why did our politicians remain bare faced for so long? And what does the reemergence of whiskers in the White House represent?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Donald Trump delivered a national address on Wednesday in an attempt to set the record straight on his economic record.Gun violence dominated the news this week. Two people were killed in a shooting at Brown University. Six teenagers were injured in a shooting outside of a birthday party in Brooklyn. And an MIT professor was shot and killed inside of his home Tuesday.And an appeals court signals it will allow the National Guard to continue in Washington D.C. while litigation continues.And, in global news, two shooters opened fire on a Hanukkah gathering at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia on Sunday. It was the country's deadliest shooting in 30 years.President Donald Trump continues to escalate tensions between Washington and Caracas. This week Trump ordered the blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers.And Russian President Vladimir Putin is warning that his country will extend its gains of Ukrainian territory if peace talks aren't successful.We cover the most important stories from around the globe in the News Roundup.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The modern world is a noisy, chaotic place. News about what's happening in the world is constantly available on a device in your pocket. The internet offers more content than any person could consume in their lifetime, or in 10 lifetimes.Politics can feel unstable, with elected officials changing the norms and rules of our political system. AI is upending our ideas about what work will look like in the next few decades. And social media, designed by technology companies to monetize attention, offers up millions of rabbit holes in which to lose yourself — self improvement hacks, niche interests, impossible beauty standards.Taking all of that in can feel like an insurmountable task most days. So try doing it with a brain and a body that are changing dramatically at the same time.How do young people — adolescents going through puberty — experience the world today? How is the adolescent experience changing? And how can adults make their journey easier? Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's a stressful day at the office. You want to get away from work. The sounds of notifications, meeting alerts, and Zoom calls ring through your ears. You step outside for your lunch break. No matter where you are in the world, you're likely to hear the same thing: the sounds of birds. They're everywhere, after all.Despite their constant presence in our lives and our world, there's still a lot left to understand about our clawed compatriots. What if we could learn more about them with a bit of intentional observation? And in watching birds, maybe learn something about ourselves?We sit down with University of Colorado Boulder professor Scott Taylor to talk about his new podcast, “Okay, But… Birds.”Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants to tightly control the news that comes out of the Pentagon — even as he deals with the fallout over strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.In October, nearly all mainstream media outlets left the Pentagon press pool after refusing to comply with restrictive rules from the Trump administration. The exodus included the Associated Press, NPR, and The New York Times along with conservative outlets like Newsmax and Fox News.Two weeks ago, the Pentagon held its first press conference with a new hand-picked press corps, now mostly made up of right-wing outlets and Trump allies including former Rep. Matt Gaetz and right-wing media influencer Laura Loomer.Now, The New York Times is suing the Pentagon over violating the first amendment rights of journalists.As more questions arise over the Venezuela boat strikes and the contentious relationship between the Trump administration and the press heats up, what does the absence of traditional press at the Pentagon mean for accountability for the U.S. military, press freedom, and our democracy?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Democrats were on the receiving end of some midterm election momentum this week. In Indiana, Republicans lawmakers defied intense pressure from President Donald Trump rejecting his demands for a newly gerrymandered Congressional map.In Miami, residents elected Eileen Higgins as mayor, the first woman to hold the job in the city's history. She's also the first Democrat to hold the office in 28 years. And a Georgia state House seat flipped in a district Trump won by double digits.And Congress is considering limiting the Pentagon's travel budget after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refused to release footage of a “double-tap” strike he ordered on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean.Meanwhile, can the United States legally seize a Venezuelan oil tanker or is it an act of “international piracy.”? What does this latest move by the Trump Administration towards Nicolas Maduro mean for escalating the ongoing pressure campaign? President Donald Trump says the vessel was taken “for a very good reason.”Under the terms of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, 600 trucks per day carrying aid must be allowed into Gaza. This week, an analysis by the Associated Press showed an average of only 459 are crossing into the territory daily. This comes as torrential rain from Storm Byron swept across the Strip flooding overcrowded tents sheltering tens of thousands of families displaced by the war.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is sounding the alarm about the role China is playing in helping Russia beef up its military industry.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What would you sacrifice to push efforts forward on eliminating diseases? What about to make sure our products and medicines are safe, especially for our most vulnerable?These questions lead us to ethical quagmire and, oftentimes, to the use of animals for research, testing, and experimentation. We've long heard the term “lab rat.” Its popularity in conversation belies an understanding that these creatures are popular subjects for experimentation. But they're far from the only ones.Around 40,000 dogs were used as test subjects in labs last year, according to a leading advocacy group. The most common breed used are beagles.Journalist Melanie Kaplan adopted Hammie in 2013, a lab beagle who had been used for research for nearly four years. It led her down a years-long rabbit hole to find out more about her companion's past. It took her to a sanctuary farm for former research animals in Wyoming, a naked mole rat lab at Boston University, and the homes of former researchers.We discuss her book, “Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research.” Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory panel voted to end a recommendation that all newborns be immunized at birth against hepatitis B. That guidance had been in place for more than 30 years. Hepatitis B is a highly infectious virus that can cause severe liver damage, including cirrhosis and cancer.The members of this panel, known as ACIP, were handpicked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Junior. That's after he abruptly fired all the previous 17 members of the panel earlier this year. That which led top officials at the CDC to resign in protest.His new members have publicly stated they want to revisit the entire childhood vaccine schedule. And after the panel's recent meeting, President Donald Trump expressed support for such a review.How will ending the recommended Hepatitis B shot for newborns affect public health? And what's next for childhood vaccinations?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As of Thursday, the Pentagon says it's attacked 23 boats and killed at least 87 people as part of the Trump administration's campaign against drug trafficking in the Caribbean.In the months since the first strike on Sept. 2, one question has emerged that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cannot seem to shake: Are these boat strikes legal?The White House says yes. But several members of Congress, legal experts, and former defense and intelligence officials have their doubts. Questions also remain about whether it's legal for President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard in cities across the country.In this installment of our weekly politics series, “If You Can Keep It,” we convene a panel of experts on military law to help us find answers.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was under the spotlight this week. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are demanding video and audio of a “double-tap” strike he ordered on a boat allegedly carrying drugs into the U.S.The Trump administration has halted immigration applications from 19 countries. This comes after the shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national in Washington D.C.The city of San Francisco filed a lawsuit against food manufacturers over ultra processed products. It's the first of its kind and argues that cities and states have been burdened with treating the diseases the food causes.Meanwhile, graphic depictions of at least two survivors being killed by a second U.S. military strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat sparked outrage on Capitol Hill. This comes as tensions between Caracas and Washington reach a fever pitch.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro confirmed that he did speak with President Donald Trump in a phone call that he described as “cordial.”An American delegation attended talks in Moscow, hoping to end the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin declined to compromise during negotiations.And the Israeli government announces it will reopen the Rafah border crossing, but only to for Palestinians to leave Gaza.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Between 2010 and 2022, pedestrian deaths in the U.S. jumped nearly 80 percent.Since then, the number of walkers struck and killed by cars has remained stubbornly high – with pedestrian deaths in some cities continuing to rise.What's made our streets so dangerous and what can we do about it?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

No matter where you live in the U.S., you've probably heard stories — or have your own — about not being able to afford to live. The couple in their 30s that can't buy a home. The 20-something who can't afford rent without living with several roommates. The family of five who feel pinched every time they visit the grocery store. The retiree struggling to pay their health insurance premium.Whatever the situation, these stories are becoming central to how Americans are experiencing the economy. And this feeling is shaping politics.A CBS poll from October suggests inflation and the economy are now the top concern among Americans. According to the Urban Institute, 52 percent of U.S. families don't have the resources to cover what it costs to live. The average monthly cost of groceries has also risen 32 percent since 2019.What do when we mean when we say something is “affordable?” And how do we achieve that goal when the target keeps moving?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended a little over two weeks ago. Federal workers are back on the job. But one of the biggest fights that helped fuel that shutdown remains unresolved.The enhanced subsidies that help millions of people afford health plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces are set to expire at the end of this year. Meanwhile, open enrollment for 2026 coverage is underway.As part of the shutdown deal, Republican Senate leaders promised Democrats a vote on extending health care tax credits by mid-December. But the politics haven't changed. It remains unlikely that the extension will get through the Senate, clear the House, or get to President Donald Trump's desk.What's in store for the future of the Affordable Care Act's health insurance marketplaces? What kind of policy discussions are currently taking place?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Over 210,000 federal workers left their jobs this year because of the Trump administration.That's according to the Partnership for Public Service Harms Tracker. For many, it's meant walking away from, or being pushed out of, a decades-long commitment to public service.And one trend that's emerging? Fired or laid-off former federal employees and contractors are running for public office.We feature the voices of several former federal workers to hear why they see politics as the next step, especially after being forced out of jobs that were always meant to stay apolitical. What does it mean for the future health of our democracy?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Have you ever fantasized about going back in time to relive a moment — or change it? Maybe you're more interested in traveling to the future where cars fly and the code to immortality has been cracked.If the idea of time travel resonates with you, you're far from alone — particularly during a year of political upheaval. Scientists moved one step closer to understanding time travel, at least hypothetically, this year. Two physicists at the University of Queensland in Australia created a model for studying the phenomenon.We're not there yet. But when it comes to books, movies and TV shows, that's a different story. We've been thinking about hurtling through history for a very, very long time.Why do we return time and time again to stories about time travel? Will it ever become a reality?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Headaches are one of the most common neurological conditions in the world. They're also one of the most debilitating, mysterious, and misunderstood.According to the World Health Organization, 3 billion people worldwide suffer from headache disorders. And one in six Americans suffers from headaches that are so severe they limit their ability to work, sleep, or otherwise function.We discuss headaches as a part of our series “In Good Health,” where we talk about the bodily issues that most affect us. What do we know about headaches and who they affect? What works when it comes to treating headaches?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Democratic party has been plagued by infighting over everything from its aging leadership to the war in Gaza. We talked about those divisions on the program earlier this month.Now, we're turning our attention to the cracks in the GOP, which over the last few weeks, have only grown wider.Shortly after President Donald Trump won the 2024 election, the Republican party appeared to be in lockstep. Nearly a year later, a lot has changed.Internal divisions within the GOP include backlash over antisemitism and the release of the Epstein files. President Trump finally signed the order to release said files last week.In this installment of our weekly politics series, “If You Can Keep It,” we discuss what these divisions in the Republican party mean for the midterm elections and for its future.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Congress voted overwhelmingly to authorize the release of the Epstein files. President Donald Trump welcomed the decision, signing the bill on Wednesday.ICE activity in Charlotte, North Carolina, ramped up this week; authorities reportedly made some 250 arrests.The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the economy added 119,000 jobs in September, while the unemployment rate edged up to 4.4%. It is the only jobs report the BLS will release until December. On Wednesday, the agency canceled the October jobs report for the first time in 77 years.And, in global news, US President Donald Trump said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “knew nothing” about the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in direct contradiction of U.S. intelligence. The president welcomed the kingdom's de facto ruler to the Oval Office where they announced military and investment deals between the two nations.In Gaza this week, some of the deadliest Israeli airstrikes since the U.S. brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10. On Monday, the UN Security Council endorsed Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, including the deployment of an international stabilisation force.And the war of words between Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is heating up. However, both sides have indicated they'd be willing to meet face to face.We cover the most important stories from around the world in the News Roundup.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Groundbreaking. Transformative. A new way to unlock human creativity and productivity.Tech CEOs have promised artificial intelligence will do many things for us. They've used these promises to justify billions of dollars of investment in building the language models and data centers needed to power AI.Four of the world's biggest tech companies – Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google – have promised to collectively spend $380 billion this year in the AI space.That spending has led to huge rallies in these companies' stock prices. There are now hundreds of private AI companies with values – on paper – of over a billion dollars. And in October, the AI boom created the world's first company worth $5 trillion – Nvidia.So, is this spending justified? Do these companies' stock values hint at a financial bubble in AI? Or is this situation different?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The typical American supermarket carries more than 30,000 products. There are nearly as many opinions about what items you should buy to maintain a healthy diet.Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says changing how Americans eat is key to improving our public health — but some of his advice has nutritionists scratching their heads.Throw in the influence of a multi trillion-dollar food industry, and the grocery aisles can become a very confusing place.That's where Marion Nestle comes in. She is one of our country's foremost nutrition experts — not only on what we should eat, but about the invisible forces that shape our options.Her new book is titled “What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters." We discuss her new book. Why do we have so many choices when it comes to groceries? How can we cut through the noise of fad diets and get the nutrition we need each day?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The last two weeks have highlighted fractures within both the Republican and Democratic parties.The fight over releasing the Epstein files has shaken the GOP, causing some of President Donald Trump's staunchest allies – like Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene – to call him out. And recent incidents of antisemitism within the MAGA movement have prompted infighting about how (and whether) to root it out.Despite that, the party in the country's crosshairs is on the left.The longest government shutdown in American history ended last week after 43 days. And it ended with eight senators breaking with the Democratic caucus to pass a spending bill – without securing the health insurance provisions they had demanded.Many Democrats across the country — from Washington strategists to local activists — called the move a surrender. They say the defectors gave up a winning hand right when public opinion was on their side. The loudest criticism came from younger Democrats who called for new party leadership.In this latest installment of “If You Can Keep It,” our weekly series on the state of democracy, we look at the fractures the shutdown exposed on the left and how a new generation of lawmakers thinks the party should govern in the years ahead.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The longest government shutdown in history is now over after a group of Senate Democrats broke with the party to vote for a bill that funds the federal government.Meanwhile, House Democrats facilitated the release of emails from the Epstein files that reference President Donald Trump and suggest that he knew about former financier Jeffrey Epstein's sex crimes.Shots were fired at ICE agents in Chicago this week amid chaotic immigration enforcement operations.And, in global news, in the face of the growing U.S. presence around his country, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is mobilizing his army, ordering the deployment of some 200,000 soldiers.Donald Trump sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog asking him to pardon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over corruption charges the latter is facing in his country.Following explosions in Islamabad and New Delhi, both India and Pakistan and on edge. It remains unclear who is responsible for the attacks.We cover the most important stories from around the world on the News Roundup.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ atplus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The civil war in Sudan has claimed the lives of some 150,000 people.From the outside looking in, the story of the war is one of two competing generals, foreign involvement complicating matters, and mass casualties among the innocent.Now, following a massacre in the city of El Fasher, the rebels have agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire proposed by the Quad — a group of group of four countries including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. But for how long will it hold?We discuss the latest on the conflict in Sudan and the humanitarian crisis. What is the international community doing to help (or hurt) the situation?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In-home elder care costs are rising more than three times faster than inflation. AARP estimates that caregivers in the U.S. spend an average of $7,242 out of pocket each year.Cuts to federal spending have gutted programs that support them. And amidst the longest government shutdown in history, what little help was left is quickly drying up.Why is the cost of care going up? What can be done to combat those costs?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Late Sunday, while most eyes were on the Senate's shutdown negotiations, the Trump administration was busy rewriting the history of the 2020 election.Just before midnight, a Justice Department lawyer posted a list on X of dozens of the president's top allies and former aides who'd received pardons related to their efforts to overturn that election.Among them are Trump's former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani; Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows; and Sidney Powell, a former federal prosecutor who tried to overturn election results in key swing states and spread false claims of widespread voting machine fraud.What do these pardons do? And how is the president using the Justice Department to shield those closest to him from future legal consequences?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In the first general election since the beginning of Donald Trump's second term, Democrats won big. But they might also be set to kill a lot of that momentum.Exit polls have found that in major races across the country — in states like Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and California — the economy and affordability were the biggest issues that drove voters to the polls.An NPB News poll from October suggests that 63 percent of registered voters believe the Trump administration has fallen short when it comes to the economy.As part of our weekly series on the state of democracy, If You Can Keep It, we dive into some of the biggest local races and what they tell us about the issues that matter most to you – and what Democrats and Republicans can take away from this year's results. But first, we dive into a potential deal to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history that has some critics claiming Senate Democrats are caving to President Trump.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ atplus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Democrats swept on election night this week, winning several key gubernatorial races, state legislature positions, and the New York City mayoral election.As the government shutdown continues, airports are struggling to run at maximum capacity. The Federal Aviation Administration is looking to cut 10 percent of flights at high traffic airports as they struggle with delays and staffing shortages.The Supreme Court began hearing arguments over whether or not Donald Trump's tariffs on America's trading partners are legal.Meanwhile, a top Israeli military lawyer was incarcerated this week after she leaked footage of Israeli soldiers allegedly sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner. Now, Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are working to combat what he calls the “most severe public relations attack that the state of Israel has experienced.”U.S. officials are mulling possible regime change in Venezuela. The federal government's operations in and around Caribbean and South American waters have intensified in recent weeks.Donald Trump is also threatening to take action in Nigeria if the country's government doesn't take action to protect Christians within its borders.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's open enrollment season. And for the 20 million Americans who buy their own health insurance, prices are through the roof.Rates are up an average of 30 percent for a typical plan in the 30 states where the federal government manages markets. In states that run their own markets, rates are up an average of 17 percent. That's according to an analysis from the health policy research group KFF.Meanwhile, the longest government shutdown continues in Washington. Lawmakers still can't agree over whether to extend subsidies that would make health insurance more affordable. Without those subsidies, experts estimate that more than 4 million people could lose access to insurance.How did health insurance get so expensive in the first place? And who stands to benefit from higher costs?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Virginia Giuffre's memoir, “Nobody's Girl,” is again shining a light on justice for the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.The Department of Justice says Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Over the summer, she was moved to a minimum security prison in Texas after meeting privately with Trump administration officials.In the book, Giuffre recounts how she was lured into Epstein's world after meeting Maxwell at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago spa at the age of 16. She was then subjected to years of abuse where she was sex trafficked, including to England's former Prince Andrew, whose title was revoked last week in part due to these allegations.Giuffre took her own life earlier this year. Even before her memoir was released posthumously, she was one of Epstein's most outspoken accusers. We sit down with Giuffre's brother and sister-in-law about her story and their call for justice. We also speak with Marijke Chartouni, another Epstein survivor who says she was recruited in 2000 and was sexually assaulted by Epstein.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.  Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Tariffs are getting their day in court.On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases about the legality of President Donald Trump's favorite policy tool.Shortly after he took office, Trump started signing executive orders imposing tariffs on America's trading partners. He declared April 2 “Liberation Day,” and enacted a broad package of import duties from Canada to China and way beyond, upending U.S. economic policy and reshaping global trade.He did it all without input from Congress. And that might, or might not, have violated presidential power under the Constitution.So, are the Trump administration's tariffs legal?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Farmers are being hit hard by President Donald Trump's tariffs. The cost of fertilizer and machinery is up, while the market for certain crops is nearly gone.But last week's trade deal with China could provide relief. And the administration says it's readying a $12 billion farm aid package to pay out post-shutdown.What kind of impact have Trump's economic policies had on the American farmer?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As it's filled election security roles at the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice, the Trump administration has elevated people who are known election deniers — activists who've pushed unproven claims about fraud in the 2020 election or in American election systems more generally.And the administration has asked states to turn over voter roll data that includes private information. It's even sued eight of them for some of that data in an unprecedented push for federal control of voter information.How are the systems and processes behind the 2026 midterm faring in 2025? Especially as the federal government pushes to have more control over what's traditionally been the jurisdiction of state and local officials? We hear one of those officials as well as a panel of experts.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The government shutdown has gone on for longer than one month. Now, Republicans are considering ending the Senate filibuster to reopen the government.The Supreme Court requested more information as it heard arguments about whether President Donald Trump is within his rights to deploy the National Guard to Chicago.Two prosecutors who went after January 6 rioters were put on leave this week for filing a sentencing memo in the case of a man who showed up armed outside of the Obama residence.Amidst a brutal trade dispute, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sat down for a face-to-face meeting in South Korea.Despite recent Israeli strikes killing more than 100 people in Gaza, the Trump Administration says the ceasefire with Hamas is still on.Following a snub by President Trump and a successful nuclear weapons test, intelligence officials say Russian President Vladimir Putin is showing no signs of seeking a compromise to end the war Ukraine.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Bruce Springsteen is an American music legend. Songs like “Born to Run” and “Born in the USA” have echoed through ballparks, dive bars, TV shows, and politics for decades.That's why his new biopic, “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” is unique. Instead of reckoning with The Boss' glittering legacy, it focuses on a darker period of his career starting in 1981.Played by Jeremy Allen White, Springsteen finishes touring his album “The River,” rents a house in New Jersey by himself, and turns his focus inward to grapple with his past and write a new album, “Nebraska.”The 1A Movie Club convenes to talk about the film.What has audience reception been to the movie? And what did "The Boss" have to say?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

More than 400 bills challenging longstanding public health practices, including vaccines and milk safety, are making their way through statehouses across the country.According to an Associated Press investigation that tracked said legislation, these bills would do everything from ban certain types of immunizations to making the sale and consumption of unpasteurized milk more accessible.Anti-vaccine bills are by far the most common. At least 350 of the 420 bills were related to vaccines. Some 11 states have already adopted more than two dozen laws restricting vaccine access.Who are the highly organized groups behind this wave of anti-science legislation? And how do these bills fit into the broader dismantling of the country's public health system?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Hurricane Melissa is on track to make a direct hit on Jamaica today, with rains and winds already lashing the island. Melissa is a category five storm, with winds clocked at up to 175 miles per hour. It's the strongest storm on the planet this year and one of the most devastating on record.Authorities in Jamaica and Cuba have issued evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people. For years, scientists have been telling us that climate change will make hurricanes more dangerous.What does this mean for the people of Jamaica? And what does a climate-change fueled future of hurricanes look like?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A Hitler-praising group chat. A government official with a self-proclaimed “Nazi-streak.” A swastika flag in a sitting U.S. representative's office.Those are a few of the racist, antisemitic forms of speech and expression tied to notable Republicans in recent weeks. Vice President JD Vance downplayed outrage over some of these incidents as “pearl clutching.”Meanwhile, President Donald Trump signed a memo designating groups like “Antifa” and Black Lives Matter as terrorist organizations. It's part of the administration's larger effort to crack down on what it calls a widespread left-wing conspiracy to carry out acts of political violence.In this installment of “If You Can Keep It,” our weekly series on the state of our democracy, we talk about the Trump administration and the fine lines between hate speech, violence, and political dissent.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy