1A

What music have you turned to during hard times? That's the question Dessa's latest album hopes to answer. The award-winning rapper, singer, writer, and podcast (and sometimes 1A) host has been in the game for a while. She came up as part of the Minneapolis rap collective, Doomtree. She was featured in 2016's chart-topping "Hamilton Mixtape," and she's collaborated with the Minnesota Orchestra on a number of performances and even a live album. She's also the author of "My Own Devices: True Stories from the Road on Music, Science, and Senseless Love." But like many of us, her last few years weren't easy. And her new music, including "Hurricane Party" and pop-forward "Chopper," is her way of reckoning with — and dancing away — those feelings. We discuss Dessa's new album with her and the influence of pop music. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

Chances are you uses spices everyday. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, spice consumption per capita among Americans has more than tripled since 1966. But spices aren't just about taste. They can also be beneficial to our health. One 2019 study from the Journal of A.O.A.C. International found that certain spices can lower the risk of chronic disease and help fight inflammation. We talk about how can you incorporate spices into your dishes at home with a spice shop owner, a professional chef, and a doctor. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

How much do you think about the Roman Empire? It's a question that men the world over were asked by friends and loved ones who use the video-sharing app TikTok in recent days. A recent viral trend asserts that dudes spend a surprising amount of time ruminating on barbarian invasions, Hadrian's Wall, fights in the Coliseum, and much more. It's a fun silly trend. But it illustrates a broader point about how we think about who thinks about history. (We think about this a lot.) We discuss what how we think about the Roman Empire says about us. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

House Republicans are struggling to agree on a temporary spending bill which would prevent a government shutdown at the end of the month. Democrats have made no offers to help House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The Biden administration announced the creation of the American Climate Corps this week. The organization will train and support young people working to fight climate change, preserve environments, and promote clean energy. Meanwhile in the U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is catching flak this week for scaling back his country's climate goals in a press conference this Wednesday. And Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich appeared in a Moscow court this week to appeal his imprisonment on espionage charges. The appeal was returned to a lower court to deal with procedural violations. 1A Guest Host Todd Zwillich guides us through the biggest headlines of the week for this edition of the News Roundup. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

The United Kingdom has had five prime ministers since it voted to leave the European Union in 2016. Rory Stewart once came close to being one of them. But he decided to quit party politics in 2019. He now enjoys a degree of popularity in the U.K. His high profile has raised talk that 10 Downing Street could still be a future address for this nomadic rising star. Stewart has walked across Asia, taught at Harvard, served as a diplomat in Iraq, and served as a Conservative MP. He is also a Global Ambassador for the charity Give Directly and a co-host of the podcast "The Rest is Politics." His background and trajectory put him on a path to reach high office. But then came Brexit, Boris Johnson, and a level of carelessness that he writes about in his new memoir, called "How Not to Be A Politician." We sit down with Stewart and discuss his memoir and podcast. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

In June 2015, nine people died at Charleston's Emanuel A.M.E. Church, victims of a racist shooter's rampage. Some of the victims' relatives publicly forgave the murderer, including Chris Singleton, whose mother, Sharonda Coleman Singleton, was killed. Philosopher Myisha Cherry was struck by the story and its response. Some, she says, paid more attention to the inspirational story of forgiveness than the racial hatred behind the shooting. In her new book, Professor Cherry seeks to understand what forgiveness means and why we venerate it. Sometimes, she argues, forgiveness can do more harm than good, especially if it lets the perpetrator of wrongdoing off the hook – whether that be a person, system or anything else. We discuss forgiveness – what it means and its effect. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

Last week, an FDA advisory panel unanimously agreed that Phenylephrine, a common ingredient in many over-the-counter decongestant medications, is ineffective. The decision could affect hundreds of products including Sudafed PE, NyQuil Severe Cold and Flu, and Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion. This comes as COVID cases continue to rise and as we head into fall allergy season. Studies also show that human-caused climate change is making allergies more intense and last longer. For this edition of In Good Health, our panel of experts discusses the best alternatives for relief and how you should prepare for the colder months as sicknesses surge. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

It's hard to deny Google's power when it comes to the internet. In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "google" is even a verb. The U.S. Department of Justice wants to do something about that. It's taking on Google in the biggest tech monopoly trial in 25 years. The DOJ is accusing the company of abusing its power to become the dominant search engine. Google controls around 90 percent of the U.S. search engine market and is worth 1.7 trillion dollars. We discuss the trial, how the U.S. is regulating tech, and what implications this case has for tech business around the world. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy directed the House of Representatives to open an impeachment inquiry over the business dealings of President Joe Biden's family this week. And on Thursday Biden's son Hunter was indicted on three gun charges. American auto workers are on strike. Thousands of UAW members followed through on their promise to walk off the job if companies don't reach an agreement by 11:59 p.m. Thursday evening. Meanwhile, in Libya, the death toll is expected to climb as high as 20,000 after floods ripped through the eastern part of the country this week after Tropical Storm Daniel. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed his full support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine when the two met this week. We cover these headlines and more with 1A Guest Host Todd Zwillich during the News Roundup. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

The 1995 film "Showgirls" starring Elizabeth Berkley was one of the largest commercial failures of its time. With a budget of $45 million, (nearly $90 million in 2023 dollars), the film ended up losing more than $8 million and was widely panned by critics. Berkeley said the movie was so bad she became a "pariah" in Hollywood. But nearly 30 years after its release, "Showgirls" maintains a cult following with midnight showings at independent theaters and deep-dive essays exploring its themes by culture critics. Americans love their share of bad movies. From "The Room" to "Troll 2," you can find entire online communities and podcasts dedicated to unpacking these works of... art. We discuss what it is we love the most about bad movies. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

Matt Gutman has spent decades in front of cameras and microphones as a newscaster, reporting on current events across the globe. His calm, cool demeanor belied his internal struggle with a lifetime of panic. Matt is one of many Americans who suffer from panic attacks. He tried pharmaceuticals, psychedelics and therapy. His journey is documented in the new book "No Time To Panic: How I Curbed My Anxiety and Conquered a Lifetime of Panic Attacks." We talk to Matt and psychiatrist Dr. Ellen Vora about why panic attacks happen and how to prevent them. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find more shows and information online.

This summer, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in higher education. That means colleges and universities can no longer consider a student applicant's race when building their student bodies. The decision was a victory for Edward Blum, the legal activist who founded Students for Fair Admissions. The organization won the landmark case it brought against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Now, Blum and other conservative legal firms, have set their sights on diversity efforts in corporate America. We discuss the legal challenges against venture capital funds, law firm fellowships, and federal contracting programs that all aim to uplift Black professionals and businesses. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

Recovery and rebuilding efforts are underway in Hawaii a month after the deadly fires that swept through Maui. Some 115 people were killed and thousands were displaced by the fires which began in the town of Lahaina. Along with the homes and businesses lost to the fires in Maui, cultural institutions are also struggling to rebuild. The land around Lahaina is significant to Hawaii's history and heritage. A network of community leaders has kept Lahaina's cultural history intact. But with the fires came the destruction of that sacred land. We discuss the impact of the cultural loss due to the Maui wildfires, and what rebuilding and recovery mean for Native Hawaiians. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

Another government shutdown is looming as the calendar shifts to the month of September. Congress has until the 30th to settle up on a short-term funding bill that would keep the lights on in Washington. Special Counsel Jack Smith is not making Donald Trump's life any easier. Smith has charged the former president with four counts over his attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 election. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reassure Ukrainian leaders that they could continue to count on American support in their fight against the Russian invasion. And North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to travel to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss their respective conflicts with the U.S. And abortion restrictions grow in the United States, Mexico is moving in the opposite direction. The country's supreme court did away with all federal penalties and decriminalized abortion this week. We cover these headlines and a whole lot more during the News Roundup. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

Some parents who are no longer married are trying a strategy called birdnesting. It's an arrangement where children remain in their family home while the parents cycle in and out of the house. The hope for this approach is that it offers stability to young people during a time of major change. According to the University of Illinois at Chicago's Psychiatry College of Medicine, children of divorce have a greater risk of developing mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. We discuss how much co-parenting arrangements like nesting offset the negative effects of divorce on kids and what you need to know before you try nesting. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

Over the past three years, the number of Americans who reported playing pickleball went from 5 million to 36.5 million according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals. As the sport builds in popularity among amateur players, professional pickleball is also getting an influx of cash from sporting celebrities like Lebron James and Kevin Love. We host a panel conversation about the passion and politics of pickleball. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

Cultivated meat is green-lit in the U.S. That's meat grown in a lab. Two food technology companies — UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat — are letting people try their cultivated meat. But you can't grab any off grocery shelves quite yet. For now, it's available to the public at Bar Crenn in San Francisco and China Chilcano in Washington D.C. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service approved their labels and the Food and Drug Administration left with no questions after they did a pre-market consultation with the companies on their product. We discuss how this meat is grown and its potential impact on the meat industry. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

Whether your mom was a natural cook or a reluctant one. Or if your other parent was the one throwing down in the kitchen, food and the place where it's made live inside of us long after we've eaten. What we inherit from our parents' kitchen and pass along as adults is at the center of a new podcast by award-winning journalist Michele Norris. It's called "Your Mama's Kitchen." Former first lady Michelle Obama joins Michele for the first episode. We speak to Michele about how our experiences in the kitchen shape us outside of it. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell froze when answering questions asked by reporters about whether he would run for re-election. It's the second such incident involving the Kentucky senator. It has sparked discussions about the age at which politicians should step aside. A white shooter in Jacksonville, Florida, killed three Black people this week. The gunman shot at shoppers and employees at a Dollar General store in a predominantly Black area of the city. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime. Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti is urging Americans in the country to leave amid political unrest and rising gang violence. If they are to stay, authorities warn against traveling within the country and engaging with large groups of people. Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's conviction and prison sentence were suspended by a court in Islamabad. He was released on bail. We cover all the biggest news from around the world during this week's News Roundup. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

The pandemic forced many families into homeschooling — and a surprising number of them are sticking with it.In the 2021 and 2022 school year, homeschool enrollment rose by 30 percent. That's according to research from Stanford University and the Urban Institute. The most dramatic shift in homeschool enrollment was among Black families. According to a 2020 Census Household Survey, homeschooling among Black families in the fall of 2020 was five times higher than it was in the spring of 2020. We discuss why more parents are opting to homeschool their kids for good and the kind of regulation that comes with homeschooling. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.