Episodes

  • ICYMI: Syria Rebel Groups Now Control Most Of Aleppo

    ICYMI: Syria Rebel Groups Now Control Most Of Aleppo
    Dec 3 2024
    It's a huge development in a war that had seemed to be at a standstill.

    In a matter of days, rebel groups in Syria took control of most of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city. It had been in the hands of the autocratic Syrian government since 2016.

    The Syrian regime, led by President Bashar al-Assad, now stands on questionable footing for the first time in years.

    We discuss what's next for the country.

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    11 mins
  • 'If You Can Keep It': The Press And The PRESS Act

    'If You Can Keep It': The Press And The PRESS Act
    Dec 2 2024
    A bill to protect journalists in their work has long had strong bipartisan support.

    The "Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act," or PRESS Act, would shield journalists from government surveillance and from being forced to reveal confidential sources. It was first introduced in June 2021 and was reintroduced in 2023. It's passed the House twice but languished in the Senate.

    President-elect Donald Trump has of course had a tumultuous relationship with journalists. Last month, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, writing that, "REPUBLICANS MUST KILL THIS BILL."

    Now, the PRESS Act is running out of time to pass before the end of the lame duck session. We discuss why press advocates say this legislation is urgent, and what comes next for the bill.

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    34 mins
  • Scientific Method: How Music Can Be Used As Medicine

    Scientific Method: How Music Can Be Used As Medicine
    Nov 29 2024
    Music has the power to evoke a wide range of emotions. It can make us feel melancholy. Or it can fill us with hope.

    Music is often tangled up with memories and experiences, too. There's probably a playlist you associate with every stage of life — from the music that helped you through high school, to the song that reminds you of a lost loved one.

    Music doesn't just sound good. It can also help us be more empathetic. It's even being used to treat medical conditions like dementia, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease.

    For this installment of the Scientific Method, we discuss how music affects the mind, why it can be a powerful tool for treatment, and the ways the songs we love bring us closer together.

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    31 mins
  • The Magic Of Hallmark Holiday Movies

    The Magic Of Hallmark Holiday Movies
    Nov 28 2024
    It's winter. You throw on your coat and favorite scarf and head outside to put up some last-minute decorations. Stepping out onto your porch, you gaze into the sky just as wispy flakes begin to fall. You smile to yourself because there's no such thing as too much snow for Christmas.

    You grab the roll of garland you left propped up on your front porch and begin winding it around the railing. Now, there's one tricky corner of the porch and you need to climb on the outside of the railing to get the garland placed just so. With the garland looped over your shoulder you swing one leg over, then the other.

    But your foot slips and, with a yelp, you tumble into a snowbank in your yard. You lay there with your eyes closed. And then you hear a deep and somewhat familiar voice."Nice to see some things never change. Need a hand? Again?"

    Whatever comes next is probably happy, heartwarming, and romantic with plenty of holiday spirit. We discuss holiday movies and why we like them so much.

    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.

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    32 mins
  • Love Across The Aisle: How Couples With Different Politics Make It Work

    Love Across The Aisle: How Couples With Different Politics Make It Work
    Nov 27 2024
    Imagine you're on a date with someone new. So far, you find them funny, intelligent, and easy to talk to.

    But 20 minutes in, the conversation turns to politics. It becomes clear that you don't share the same views. Do you stay on the date? Or do you leave?

    Nearly 80 percent of Americans would likely make an excuse and find their way home. Only 21 percent of U.S. marriages are between individuals who don't share the same political party, according to the Institute for Family Studies. That's a 10-percentage point decrease from 2016. And of that 21 percent of politically-mixed couples, only 4 percent are relationships between Democrats and Republicans.

    We discuss politically-mixed marriages, and the important role politics plays in our romantic relationships.

    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.

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    35 mins
  • The 1A Movie Club Sees 'Wicked: Part 1'

    The 1A Movie Club Sees 'Wicked: Part 1'
    Nov 26 2024
    "Wicked: Part 1" follows the origin story of Elphaba, known in the original "Wizard of Oz" movie as the Wicked Witch of the West. And it follows her friend, Galinda, who eventually becomes the Good Witch.

    The movie is based on the Broadway musical which debuted in 2003. Last year, it became the fourth-longest running musical in Broadway history. And that musical comes from a 1995 novel of the same name. The new Wicked movie stars singer-actresses Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as the witches Elphaba and Galinda.

    The result this past weekend has been gravity-defying. "Wicked" brought in $114 million in North America and another $50 million internationally. That's the best-ever opening for a film adaptation of a Broadway musical.

    For this meeting of the 1A Movie Club, we discuss the new "Wicked" film.

    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.

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    32 mins
  • 'If You Can Keep It': The Future Of The Federal Workforce

    'If You Can Keep It': The Future Of The Federal Workforce
    Nov 25 2024
    Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and billionaire businessman Elon Musk are heading the president-elect's new Department of Government Efficiency – a non-governmental agency that they say will reduce waste and streamline the U.S. federal agencies.

    But the so–called DOGE is only one tool the president has in mind for slashing the federal workforce. And as more details emerge, the futures of the nation's career civil servants are in the balance.

    We discuss what these plans mean, not just for federal workers, but for the country as a whole.

    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.

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    35 mins