In the first year of President Donald Trump’s new term, he issued hundreds of executive actions and his administration implemented sweeping changes to the federal government. Changes to federal grant funding, DEI policies, the federal workforce were all met with fierce resistance and legal challenges, totaling more than 350 lawsuits so far. Judges across the country are also mulling whether Trump’s attempt to change birthright citizenship and his deployment of ICE agents for mass deportations ar...
Jan 08, 2026•33 min
Last night, President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela would start sending the U.S. oil. He’s voiced his desire to exploit the country’s vast reserves since ousting Nicolás Maduro in a midnight raid over the weekend. The Venezuelan government hasn’t yet confirmed the move. And the country’s leaders continue to condemn U.S. actions in their country as they crack down on anti-Maduro sentiment. This begs the question – who is in charge of Venezuela? And what does the relationship between the T...
Jan 07, 2026•11 min
Five years ago today, thousands of rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol. A number of them assaulted police officers with weapons and even looted the building. They called for war, revolution, and political executions. That’s according to thousands of videos presented in court reviewed by NPR. One former federal prosecutor who led the Justice Department’s investigation into Jan. 6 called it the “most televised crime in American history, if not world history.” But the narrative around what happened th...
Jan 06, 2026•38 min
After a year of new leadership, court fights, dramatic change to the federal government, and deep political division, where does American democracy stand as we move into 2026? And what does it mean for you? This is our first “If You Can Keep It” conversation of the new year. We take your calls and hear from you about your wants and concerns for American democracy in the days ahead. Find more of our programs online . Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a . See pcm....
Jan 05, 2026•33 min
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...
Jan 02, 2026•34 min
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 t...
Dec 31, 2025•31 min
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 ...
Dec 30, 2025•30 min
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...
Dec 29, 2025•33 min
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 sail...
Dec 26, 2025•33 min
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+...
Dec 24, 2025•36 min
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 d...
Dec 22, 2025•31 min
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 continue...
Dec 19, 2025•1 hr 24 min
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, o...
Dec 19, 2025•38 min
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 bir ds. 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...
Dec 18, 2025•32 min
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 Penta...
Dec 15, 2025•43 min
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...
Dec 12, 2025•1 hr 24 min
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 40,0...
Dec 12, 2025•32 min
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 ...
Dec 11, 2025•33 min
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 ...
Dec 08, 2025•37 min
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 fir...
Dec 06, 2025•1 hr 27 min
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 . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship a...
Dec 04, 2025•33 min
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. A...
Dec 03, 2025•35 min
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 e...
Dec 02, 2025•35 min
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, espe...
Dec 01, 2025•37 min
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...
Nov 27, 2025•34 min
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...
Nov 26, 2025•31 min
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 a...
Nov 24, 2025•43 min
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, t he agency canceled the Octob...
Nov 21, 2025•1 hr 23 min
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 rallie...
Nov 19, 2025•37 min
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 wh...
Nov 18, 2025•36 min
