The graduating class of 2025 is the largest the country has ever seen — around 3.9 million students. That's according to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. And it'll likely be the largest group for a while. That's because starting next school year, the number of high school seniors is expected to drop sharply. That's partly due to low birth rates connected to the 2008 recession. We discuss how colleges and universities are grappling with declining enrollment. Want to support...
Feb 04, 2025•36 min
On the 2024 campaign trail, Donald Trump vowed to end a regulatory crackdown on the cryptocurrency industry. Crypto was part of the deluge of first-week executive orders from the new administration. Trump established a working group on digital asset markets that is chaired by his new crypto AI Czar David Sacks. Trump meanwhile made crypto moves for himself that could potentially put billions in his pocket. For this week's installment of our series "If You Can Keep It," we take a closer look at o...
Feb 03, 2025•31 min
An American Airlines plane collided with a helicopter on Wednesday in Washington D.C., sending both crashing into the Potomac River. There are no survivors. Donald Trump ordered a freeze of all federal grants, disrupting vital national processes. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Palestinians are making their way back into the northern parts of Gaza. Israel's ban on working with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency goes into effect this week. A new Chinese AI app, called DeepSeek, has upende...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 27 min
Fluoride in American tap water is nothing new. We've been safely adding it to our drinking water for decades and staved off tooth decay in our population. But new skepticism has some Americans wondering about the benefits of the practice. This is in large part thanks to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump's pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services. We discuss why fluoride is added to our water supply, the risks and benefits. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio stat...
Jan 30, 2025•35 min
It was instrumental in coordinating global action during the pandemic. However, that meant became a target for the president of then and now. The World Health Organization helps to protect and maintain the health of the world's population. It receives about 10 percent of its budget from the United States. President Donald Trump, however, doesn't see a lot of value in its work, signing an executive order Monday to withdraw America from the membership of the agency. He called the organization "cor...
Jan 29, 2025•36 min
Social media bans for minors have been making the rounds internationally. Now, Congress is looking to follow that lead. In November, Australia imposed a sweeping ban on social media for users under 16 years old. The ban holds social media companies responsible for enforcing age restrictions on their sites and prohibits minors under that age limit from using those platforms or creating new accounts. The law doesn't name specific apps or websites, but companies could face fines of up to $32 millio...
Jan 29, 2025•11 min
Humans love to connect. We're social like that. Whether we're sending telegrams, calling each other on the telephone, or DM'ing each other on the social media platform of our choosing, we're interacting. Whether or not that constant connection is a good thing is another matter entirely. Writer and author Nicholas Carr spends a lot of time thinking about that very question (and others like it). His new book, "Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart," tells a story of the parallel...
Jan 28, 2025•32 min
It's a moment that's run through President Donald Trump's first week in office — a bishop in Washington imploring the incoming commander in chief to show mercy to the less powerful during a national prayer service. This simple claim meant a lot to million worrying for the future of their country. It also offended many more who think it's on the right track. But that hasn't caused Bishop Marian Budde to waver in her convictions. She joins us to discuss her faith, what that moment meant to her, an...
Jan 28, 2025•18 min
The first week of President Trump's new term ended with a late-night purge of around 17 federal inspectors general on Friday. The exact total is still unclear. Trump said the move was a, quote, "very standard thing to do." But federal law requires a 30-day notification to Congress before inspectors general can be removed from their posts. Also, in the first week of his second term – four Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit to stop President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship...
Jan 27, 2025•33 min
Donald Trump's first week back in office has been frenetic. The 47th president issued a slew of executive orders and actions on subjects ranging from immigration to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. And a Bishop made a heartfelt plea directly to the president and Vice President JD Vance, asking them to show mercy towards immigrants and LGBTQ youth. Friday marks five days since the beginning of the first stage of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. And this week the Israeli Defense F...
Jan 24, 2025•1 hr 23 min
Tesla's Elon Musk, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos were all in attendance Monday as President Donald Trump was sworn into office. In fact, they had better seats than most. Tech Industry Titans have spent months cozying up to the 47th president of the United States. Musk made campaign appearances with Trump. Zuckerberg has switched up his cultural rhetoric to fall in line with the new administration. And Bezos's companies are investing in the first family. Then there's TikTok than...
Jan 23, 2025•43 min
In his first moments as president, Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive actions targeting immigration. These include declaring a national emergency at the southern border and ending birthright citizenship. The Trump administration also unveiled a plan to deploy as many as 200 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to conduct raids targeting undocumented migrants in cities across the country this week. And a memo from the Department of Homeland Security gives immigration enforcement offi...
Jan 22, 2025•34 min
President Donald Trump issued a sweeping pardon of January 6 rioters within hours of taking office. The move came among dozens of other executive actions concerning things like remote work and immigration. Trump took time to talk about those orders in his inauguration remarks, saying, "With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense." The president is making good on repeated promises for what aides called "shock and awe" on his first day. ...
Jan 21, 2025•39 min
A lot has changed in the United States since the last presidential inauguration in January of 2021. Four years ago, the world was managing a global pandemic, the U.S. was coming to terms with an insurrection on our democracy, and Donald Trump was on his way out of the White House. In just a few hours, he'll be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on the steps of the Capitol building. We discuss the first items on his agenda and hear your thoughts on his upcoming presidency. Want t...
Jan 20, 2025•38 min
Republican officials are hinting that they may withhold aid from California in the wake of devastating fires unless "conditions are met." President Joe Biden bid farewell to the nation in his final address, warning Americans against the dangers of populism. Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal that will begin a path for the war in Gaza to end. And Ukraine arrested has North Korean troops fighting for Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr said Ukraine is ready to send th...
Jan 17, 2025•1 hr 27 min
For the this installment of our (dot) GOV series, we're taking a closer look at two departments with big responsibilities. The Department of the Interior is tasked with protecting and managing the nation's "natural resources and cultural heritage." It's often referred to as "The Department of Everything Else." It's made up of about 70-thousand workers. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy sounds a bit more straightforward – but even then, what exactly does "energy" entail – especially in an agenc...
Jan 16, 2025•34 min
Negotiators have reached a ceasefire deal, with a path to ending Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza. It is set to begin on Jan. 19. The war in Gaza began after Hamas' attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. In response, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza. Gaza's health ministry says more than 46,500 people have been killed during the war. A new, peer-reviewed study in The Lancet suggests that the death toll could be 40 percent hi...
Jan 16, 2025•11 min
It's safe to say most Americans hear the most about the U.S. Department of Agriculture when things go wrong — namely when something has to be recalled. But the department is responsible for so much more than just delivering bad news. It consists of 29 agencies that employ some 100,000 employees across 4,500 locations both domestic and abroad. Another agency whose name shows up when things go wrong is the Environmental Protection Agency. As its name implies, it's tasked with creating and upholdin...
Jan 15, 2025•36 min
It's the country's least favorite federal agency. Especially around this time of year. The Internal Revenue Service is responsible for collecting America's taxes and administering tax laws. Which means it draws a lot of ire from our nation's citizens. But the work it does is vital to funding federal agencies, services, programs, and much more. In the same vein, the Department of the Treasury is responsible for managing federal finances. The public probably best knows it for its influence on inte...
Jan 14, 2025•35 min
You've probably heard President-elect Donald Trump say he plans to close the Department of Education. It's the smallest of the cabinet-level federal agencies, with just over 4,000 employees. Its 2024 budget was $275 billion. That's 4 percent of all federal funding. Trump's plans to completely shutter the department are unlikely to happen. He may, however, make big changes to it, shifting many of its responsibility to other agencies. But what are those responsibilities exactly? And who carries th...
Jan 13, 2025•36 min
Firefighters battle to control several of major fires in the Los Angeles area that have killed at least five people, razed communities and forced thousands from their homes. A New York court declines incoming President Trump's request to halt criminal sentencing in his felony sex scandal cover up case. Meanwhile, the Danish king changed the royal coat of arms to more prominently feature the territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. That comes after President-elect Donald Trump seems to sug...
Jan 10, 2025•1 hr 27 min
Firefighters battle to control several of major fires in the Los Angeles area that have killed at least five people, razed communities and forced thousands from their homes. A New York court declines incoming President Trump's request to halt criminal sentencing in his felony sex scandal cover up case. Meanwhile, the Danish king changed the royal coat of arms to more prominently feature the territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. That comes after President-elect Donald Trump seems to sug...
Jan 10, 2025•1 hr 27 min
Donald Trump and the Department of Justice have a tumultuous relationship to say the least. It's become a focal point of the president-elect's campaign against the federal government. He's threatened to fire many of its employees and frequently brought up issues with the DOJ during his 2024 campaign speeches. This week, the Justice Department announced its intention to release part of its report on Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. But officials plan to keep the part of the report d...
Jan 09, 2025•39 min
Jimmy Carter, the longest-living president of the United States, died in late December at the age of 100. Carter served as the 39th president from 1977 to 1981. In October, 1A marked Carter's centenary birthday, looking back at his political career and post-presidential work. We heard from many of you wishing him a happy birthday and sharing stories about meeting Jimmy Carter in person. Carter was also guest on 1A in 2018 to talk about his book, "Faith: A Journey for All." A devout evangelical C...
Jan 09, 2025•23 min
The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for protecting the health of all Americans. It administers insurance programs like Medicare and Medicaid, approves food and drug products through the FDA, and oversees vaccines to prevent the spread of infectious diseases through the CDC. As the largest civilian agency in the government, HHS employs more than 80,000 federal workers. But it's also an agency that could face significant changes under the incoming Trump administration. Rober...
Jan 08, 2025•35 min
Few Americans familiar with the federal government are unaware of the Department of Defense. The DOD is one of our largest agencies with a budget of $2 trillion dollars. That's roughly 16 percent of the entire federal budget. And few veterans are unaware of the Department of Veterans Affairs, also called the VA. It facilitates programs that benefit those who've served in the armed forces and their families. But who's watching over that trillion-dollar defense budget? And who's making sure those ...
Jan 07, 2025•36 min
Four years ago on Jan. 6, journalist Kate Woodsome was at the U.S. Capitol. She was calm as a small group surrounded her, shouting. What happened next reverberated around the country for years to come. The storming of the Capitol was a historic moment for the United States. But it was also a crucial turning point in the life of that Washington Post reporter at the center of the vitriol. In the four years since, she's made major changes in her professional and personal life. She's also shifted he...
Jan 06, 2025•12 min
President-elect Donald Trump says federal workers' jobs are on the chopping block under his incoming administration, citing waste and promising to "dismantle government bureaucracy." The more than 2 million government workers across the country – at least 80 percent of whom are located outside DC – do critical work that keeps all facets of U.S. life running. While the president-elect's rhetoric is concerning for them, problems with the upkeep and setup of our federal agencies do persist. We laun...
Jan 06, 2025•35 min
President Jimmy Carter died this week at 100, the first president to reach his centenary birthday. A truck plowed into crowds in the early hours of New Years Day in New Orleans, killing 15 and injuring dozens more. The driver was killed following an exchange of fire with police. Overseas, a South Korean court approved an arrest warrant for impeached and President Yoon Suk Yeol over his ill-fated attempt to impose martial law on the country in late 2024. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sa...
Jan 03, 2025•1 hr 25 min
They are best friends who are with us through all of life's ups and downs. They love us unconditionally, even when we aren't our best selves. Many people consider their pets to be part of their family. That's why when our pet companions pass away, it can be devastating. Some research suggests that losing a pet can be even more difficult to cope with than the death of a family member. Today, more people are seeking out pet loss support. There's also a movement to push for more policies at work li...
Jan 02, 2025•32 min
