As the price of four-year colleges balloon and the job market becomes increasingly unstable, a new batch of workers are going another route: technical school. Students enrolled in vocational-focused community colleges increased 16 percent from 2022 to 2023, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. A technical college in Florida says almost all their programs are close to capacity. And in Maine, enrollment in career and technical schools passed 10,000 students statewide fo...
Jul 17, 2024•31 min
On this edition of Game Mode, we take a look at the games that are giving us a thrill so far in 2024. And we look at some games that have disappointed. What can the success or failure of this year's games tell us about the video game industry? The industry spans from tech companies like Microsoft, all the way down to solo developers. It's expected to be worth $189 billion this year. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect...
Jul 16, 2024•32 min
Details are still emerging after the shooting at a Pennsylvania rally held by Donald Trump. The shooting is being investigated as an assassination attempt. The former president says he was injured shot in his right ear. One person was killed, and two other rally attendees were critically injured. We break down what we know about the shooting and the security failures that led to this weekend's events. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have...
Jul 15, 2024•39 min
Gary Janetti has built a solid following on Instagram, entertaining his one million followers with stories of travel, observations on life and...his ability to critique blueberries and annoying children like no other. His new book "We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay" is a collection of essays, reflecting on travel, adventure (misadventure) and love. Interspersed with recollections of his trips are personal meditations on dining alone, journeys to diverse destinations and the importance of kindne...
Jul 14, 2024•33 min
Question marks continue to plague the candidacy of President Joe Biden. The GOP is reworking its platform ahead of the Republican National Convention, softening some of the more intense portions that have received media attention. Boeing is set to plead guilty to criminal fraud charges related to the crashes of two 737 Max jetliners that killed 346 people. NATO leaders gathered in Washington this week to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the organization's founding. An Israeli Defense Force st...
Jul 13, 2024•1 hr 27 min
One legal document has quietly reigned supreme in American board rooms, film sets, and sometimes even homes: non-disclosure agreements. But NDAs aren't just for employees anymore. More and more people around the country are using and signing these documents to protect personal, sensitive information. A new feature from New York Magazine explores how NDAs have become "the defining legal document of our time." We speak to the writer of that piece. What discuss what's fueling the move and its impac...
Jul 11, 2024•36 min
Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest has been hosted every summer on Coney Island since 1972. Competitors eat as many dogs as they can in 10 minutes, hoping to claim the "Mustard Belt" and a grand prize $10,000. According to Nathan's, nearly 40,000 spectators flocked to Coney Island to watch this year's contest. Nielsen reports its annual television viewership at nearly a million people. Competitive eaters train hard to be able to take part in these kinds of events. We discuss th...
Jul 10, 2024•31 min
Romantasy is a popular literary genre that blends elements of fantasy and romance. It's also one of the fastest growing. Between 2022 and 2023, romantasy novel sales increased by 42 percent. What's driving this surge in fantastical romances? And what can they teach us about dreaming big, loving deeply, and not giving up hope even when the odds are stacked against us? Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen...
Jul 09, 2024•34 min
We're processing the landmark ruling the Supreme Court handed down on Monday, July 1, in Trump v. United States. The justices decided that presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for acts they carry out in their official capacity as leaders. So what does that ruling mean for the power of the Oval Office, our democracy, and the former president? We also spend some time talking about the math behind Joe Biden's decision making regarding his candidacy following a poor debate performance. Wa...
Jul 08, 2024•44 min
The Library of Congress is famous for its collection of American cultural treasures. Each year, the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress chooses just 25 pieces of audio to showcase the rich heritage of America's recorded sound. Every year, in partnership with the Library of Congress, 1A profiles some of the newest inductees into the National Recording Registry. Think of it as the country's audio "hall of fame." We profile some of this year's entries from notable artists, includ...
Jul 05, 2024•1 hr 30 min
They have the ear of the most powerful person in the country. They pillow talk with the president. They are... the first ladies. As Americans celebrate with fireworks and talks of the Founding Fathers, it's the women behind these presidents that leave an often overlooked mark. Abigail Adams wrote a letter to future president John Adams to "remember the ladies" while drafting the Declaration of Independence. The country's first ladies play a significant and unique role – and it's always evolving....
Jul 04, 2024•35 min
Being healthy in America these days looks a little different than it did in years gone by. We sit down with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to talk about how he's tackling the job this time around. He also served as surgeon general under the Obama administration. Murthy has set a few priorities for this term, including addressing loneliness, youth mental health, and health disinformation. And last week he announced gun violence as a public health crisis. We discuss what we can expect from him ...
Jul 03, 2024•33 min
School's out and summer is in session. But for some, this season is anything but relaxing. That's because many colleges have shut their doors, for good. Since the onset of the pandemic, colleges have been shutting down rapidly, now at a rate of one every week. We discuss what happens to students and faculty when their college closes, and why so many of them finding it difficult to stay open. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions...
Jul 02, 2024•34 min
Going into the beginning of July, we take stock of the Supreme Court's recent term, including a rush of a dozen cases it released in the last week. The Supreme Court considered controversial topics this summer, including Donald Trump and presidential immunity, charges against Jan. 6 rioters, emergency abortion care, gun rights for people with a history of domestic violence, interactions between the government and social media companies, and the discretion that federal agencies can have in implem...
Jul 01, 2024•40 min
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump meet in Atlanta, Georgia for a memorable debate. The Supreme Court temporarily blocks the Environmental Protection Agency's "Good Neighbor Plan" and blocks the multibillion Purdue opioid settlement, finding it inappropriately protected the Sackler family. And the Court sides with the Biden Administration in a challenge to Idaho's strict abortion ban. Meanwhile, Bolivia foils a military coup attempt. Army General Juan José Zúñiga is arrested h...
Jun 28, 2024•1 hr 27 min
Since the dawn of mankind, humans have been have been taking food to fire. After thousands of years — and probably tons of really awful woolly mammoth meat — we've learned to make grilling taste good. With summer here and summer holidays just around the corner, it's almost impossible to head outside and not catch a whiff of a grill somewhere. But the world of grilling has gone through a lot of innovation since our ancestors first held ingredients to the sacred fire. We're here to help you make s...
Jun 28, 2024•35 min
What do bison, beaver, wolves and sea otters all have in common? They're keystone species. That means they have an outsized impact on their ecosystem. It took humans driving some of these to near extinction to realize just how important they are. Now animals like the American Bison and North American Beaver are some of the Endangered Species Act's most notable success stories. As part of our series marking the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, we're taking a closer look at the effo...
Jun 26, 2024•37 min
What are the consequences of America's unresolved history? That's the question raised by a new book by journalist and historian Nick Bryant, "The Forever War: America's Unending Conflict with Itself." The book maps a path from the founding of the United States to the current political state of the country, and argues that the political divisiveness we see today is a natural part of the country's story. Nick Bryant joins us to talk about the lessons we can learn from America's history, and what t...
Jun 25, 2024•34 min
Voter surveys show Americans list immigration and the southern border as a top concern in this election year. At the Southern border, encounters between law enforcement and people seeking entry reached their highest numbers on record last December. Trump has seized on the issue in the campaign and President Biden recently changed asylum rules for people arriving at the border. We discuss how U.S. immigration policy could change in the next four years when it comes to protected status, deportatio...
Jun 24, 2024•33 min
America's top doctor weighs in and says social media should come with a health warning like a pack of cigarettes. In Maryland, Governor Wes Moore is pardoning more than 175,000 convictions for marijuana. And baseball pays tribute to the "Say Hey Kid" the late, great Willie Mays. Meanwhile, Russia's President Putin and North Korea deepen, what western leaders have dubbed 'a dangerous bromance.' Israel raises the prospect of 'all-out war' with Hezbollah. The U.S. sends new military aid to Israel. ...
Jun 21, 2024•1 hr 25 min
It's not often that we sit and think about feelings : what they are, where they come from, and why they're happening. We just feel them. Almost ten years ago, one movie gave voice to what may be an indescribable experience: discovering your feelings. That movie was Inside Out. This weekend, Inside Out 2 premiered in theaters. It follows 13-year-old Riley as a few new feelings are added to the mix as she enters her teen years: Envy, Ennui, Embarrassment, and Anxiety. We talk to screenwriter Dave ...
Jun 20, 2024•33 min
Scientists predict that more than 1 million species could go extinct in the coming decades. It's been 50 years since Congress passed the Endangered Species Act in 1973 to protect plants and animals in the U.S. from extinction. Over 99 percent of the more than 1,600 species listed as endangered or threatened have survived. But the work to protect our nation's biodiversity is far from over. Just last month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it was delisting 21 species from the act ...
Jun 19, 2024•36 min
Death is the greatest paradox of our lives. It's something we all experience, yet it's one of the hardest things to accept. This tension is at the heart of the new movie "Tuesday," from A24, which we're talking about for this month's movie club. In the film, Death is a literal bird who visits those about to pass away. The film was released in theaters earlier this month. It stars actor and comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lola Petticrew, and Arinze Kene. We hear from Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and the fi...
Jun 18, 2024•34 min
Project 2025 has been critiqued as a radically socially conservative and Christian nationalist proposal with the power to greatly disrupt the government. But what exactly does it aim to do? And what is the likelihood that it could go into effect? Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices....
Jun 17, 2024•31 min
On Thursday, the Supreme Court declined to limit access to mifepristone – a medication commonly used in abortions and miscarriage care. The unanimous decision was on procedural grounds – not on the substance of the case. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on his eighth visit to the Middle East since the start of the war in October. The U.S.-proposed ceasefire has gained global support but has not been fully embraced by either Israel or Hamas. Massive protests erupted on the streets of Bue...
Jun 15, 2024•1 hr 26 min
Ever since a 2018 Supreme Court decision legalized sports betting, the industry has exploded. Now, 38 states plus the District of Columbia allow sports gambling – and Americans are taking advantage. Over $20 billion worth of bets were placed during the Super Bowl this year. In 2023, Americans ponied up a record $113 billion. Apps like DraftKings and FanDuel make placing your bets in seconds easier than ever. But as these apps grow in popularity, so do concerns. The National Council on Problem Ga...
Jun 13, 2024•41 min
Everything's bigger in America. The portions, the cars, and now, our water bottles. Does it seem like everyone is carrying around a 30-ounce tumbler? The reusable water bottle industry is a multi-billion dollar business. But don't forget about plastics. The sales of single-use bottled water also continue to rise. We discuss how much of the hype around water is marketing versus science for the latest installment of In Good Health. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station an d s...
Jun 12, 2024•33 min
A migraine is the third most common illness in the world, affecting over 1 billion people. Women are especially susceptible to migraine attacks. Three times as many women experience migraine compared to men. Why do migraines affect women more? And what has this meant for how the condition is understood and treated by the medical community and beyond? Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-fr...
Jun 11, 2024•35 min
Wisconsin follows Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada in bringing charges against so-called fake electors. What do we know about the case in Wisconsin and how it compares to these other states? Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 10, 2024•35 min
This week, President Biden issued an executive order on Tuesday that significantly restricts asylum at the U.S.- Mexico border. On Tuesday, Trump's lawyers asked the judge who oversaw the criminal trial in New York to lift the gag order placed on him. The order prevents Trump from attacking witnesses, the jury, and others involved in the case. Meanwhile in Gaza, an Israeli strike killed at least forty people when it hit a school-turned-shelter run by the United Nations agency for Palestinian ref...
Jun 07, 2024•1 hr 26 min
