The Paris Olympic games officially begin tomorrow. We've been covering the lead up to the summer games with our series "Rings and Things" and today we're wrapping up the series with a look at what's new. Breaking, or breakdancing, will make its Olympic debut in a couple weeks. Four American breakers qualified for the sport's first ever Olympic competition. Its inclusion comes as other youth-led sports return, including skateboarding, climbing, and surfing. Spectators can expect a number of other...
Jul 25, 2024•33 min
We've talked about Paris as the host of the 2024 Summer Olympics. But now, it's time to talk about Paris as a place where many, many people live with a culture all its own. What's left to be said about the city of lights? It's the setting of great works of fiction, both on screen and on the page. It's played a pivotal role throughout Western history, serving as a hub for learning, commerce, diplomacy, and more. It's the ideal vacation destination for millions upon millions of people every year. ...
Jul 24, 2024•30 min
This week, the fashion capital of the world becomes the sporting capital of the world with the Summer Olympics kicking off in Paris, France. The world's best athletes will be outfitted in premiere designs which not only make them look good, but also help them compete at the highest levels possible. Name brand sponsors dress the Games and the players head to toe. Louis Vuitton designed special trunks to carry the medals. Rihanna's Fenty Beauty created a designated makeup look for volunteers. Even...
Jul 23, 2024•33 min
Democrats are rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris as their new frontrunner for the nomination. As her campaign takes shape, attention is turning to who she could choose as her running mate. But with less than a month before the Democratic National Convention, she'll have to make her decision quickly. We discuss who she might choose to join her ticket and how that choice could sway voters in key swing states. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to th...
Jul 23, 2024•23 min
The 2024 Summer Olympics are nearly here. The host city, Paris, will kick off the Games with an opening ceremony on Friday. A flotilla of boats will make its way down the city's river, the Seine. This is the first in a special 1A series we're bringing you this week about the Summer Olympics, called "Rings and Things. "We'll take part of the show over the next four days to bring you the Olympics from a new angle. A different story embedded in this massive, international competition. We examine ho...
Jul 23, 2024•29 min
President Joe Biden is no longer seeking re-election.Yesterday he announced the decision to step down as the Democratic presidential nominee in a letter posted to his social media platforms. President Biden wrote, "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of the term." He also said he would speak about it in greater detail ...
Jul 22, 2024•40 min
The U.S. Secret Service is under scrutiny following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania last weekend. The Republican National Convention wrapped up on Thursday in Milwaukee and featured a mix of calls for unity, doubling down on party lines, border security talk, and a slew of misinformation. Meanwhile, President Biden is both publicly and privately facing pressure from top Democrats to drop out of the race. On Tuesday reporting emerged from CN...
Jul 20, 2024•1 hr 28 min
Sirens echoed this week across several states in the Midwest. According to the National Weather Service, a storm system made up of several thunderstorms – known as a derecho – developed over Iowa and swept through parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. This year has seen almost a thousand tornadoes. The first of which was reported near Galveston, Texas, on January 5. We get into what happened with those twisters and what we know about their uptick in frequency. We discuss what role...
Jul 18, 2024•32 min
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•2 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
