App Store

Google Play

is Device Banner Block 894x1036

Stígðu inn í heim af óteljandi sögum

Hlustaðu og lestu

Listening to the news can feel like a journey. But 1A guides you beyond the headlines – and cuts through the noise. Let's get to the heart of the story, together – on 1A.

Support NPR and get your news sponsor-free with 1A+. Learn more at plus.npr.org/the1a

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined some stark changes to the U.S. military’s policies and norms at last week’s gathering of its top brass.

From new standards that question the fitness of women in combat roles, to deploying the military to U.S. cities, the White House is outlining a new vision for the armed forces. It’s also looking to eliminate existing channels to report abuse and harassment within the ranks and implement random polygraph tests.

We talk through all these changes, how they affect our troops, and what they mean for civilians.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ atplus.npr.org/the1a.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

'If You Can Keep It': Trump’s New Vision For The Military

After Congress failed to reach an agreement to keep the doors in Washington open, the government has shut down. 

This comes as tens of thousands of federal workers are set to exit the federal payroll due to firings and deferred buyout agreements.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called all military generals to Quantico, Virginia, to listen to an address about his vision for the armed forces.

President Donald Trump said he plans on sending troops to Portland, Oregon, to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents working there.

Meanwhile, overseas, President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a 20-point plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza.

Following multiple Russian incursions into NATO airspace, the alliance has stepped up its drone defense, with Ukraine sharing its expertise with Denmark.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is ready to declare a state of emergency, as the U.S. military builds up presence in the Caribbean.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The News Roundup For October 3, 2025

How does hatred towards women relate to violence?

We’ve seen more than a few incidents of political extremism and mass violence in the U.S. over the last few years.

In the days, weeks, and months after acts like these, we seek motives. We try to understand why violence is perpetrated in hopes of preventing it in the future.

One expert argues that in that search for answers – we’re missing something crucial. Something that keeps us from addressing this violence and extremism head on. That blind spot is misogyny.

We sit down with Cynthia Miller-Idriss. She is a sociologist and founding director of the Polarization and Extremism Research & Innovation Lab, or PERIL at American University. She’s also the author of “Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism.” She joins us to talk about her book and latest research.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The Link Between Misogyny And Violent Extremism

The White House is continuing its mission to hollow out the federal workforce. 

The Trump administration has signaled that it will use the government shutdown to prompt and encourage mass resignations and layoffs.

More than 150,000 federal employees plan to leave the U.S. government payroll this week. It’s the largest single-year exodus of federal workers since World War II.

For workers who opted into the deferred exit program, those resignations began on Tuesday. Workers who didn’t take the buyouts were recently threatened with dismissal.

We check in on the state of the federal workforce. 

What happens now that tens of thousands of these employees are leaving? And what’s life like for those who remain?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Checking In On The Federal Workforce As The Government Shuts Down

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. He’s out with a new book all about the science behind the benefits spending time outside called “Nature and the Mind.”

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

How Spending Time In Nature Helps Our Health

NATO’s airspace is busy these days. And not in a good way. That’s especially true for member nations on the alliance’s eastern flank.

It’s not supposed to be that way. In recent weeks, states like Poland, Estonia, Romania, and Denmark have seen drones or other aircraft violate their airspace. In some cases, these airborne craft clearly identify they’re Russian in origin.

Multiple countries have called on NATO to consult about what to do next. So, what’s going on? What is Russia up to?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Why Are Russian Aircraft Violating NATO Airspace?

President Donald Trump has, according to many legal experts, crossed the Rubicon.

After years of railing against his perceived enemies and publicly threatening to use the government for revenge, he’s pressured the Justice Department to bring charges against someone he hates despite warnings from top prosecutors.

Late last week, a grand jury narrowly indicted former FBI Director James Comey on allegations that he lied to Congress in 2020. The 5-year statute of limitations was set to expire on Tuesday.

So, how independent is the DOJ? And how much independence should it have? We talk about how the Justice Department is treating Trump’s enemies and also how it’s treated his friends.

Find more of our programs online.
Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ atplus.npr.org/the1a.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

'If You Can Keep It': James Comey And The Justice Department

More than 50 years ago, President Richard Nixon declared war on cancer when he signed the National Cancer Act in 1971. 

Since then, the United States has emerged as a juggernaut in cancer research, funded largely by the government.

But since President Donald Trump took office in January, the administration’s sweeping cuts to the federal workforce and government funding are upending the country’s research system.

So, how are these funding and staffing cuts affecting cancer research and treatment? And how could they impact our progress towards scientific breakthroughs?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The Future Of Cancer Research In The US

A record number of people are being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

And the conditions they’re reporting have been described as cruel and inhumane.Last month, 60,000 people were detained by ICE, breaking a record set by the previous Trump administration. 

A Los Angeles Times analysis of public data found that more than a third of detainees have spent time in a dedicated facility that is over capacity.

And now, county jails and ICE field offices are being transformed to fill those gaps. 

Jails held an average of about 10 percent of all detainees (7,100 people) each day in July, according to the Prison Policy Initiative.

So, what fallout is the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown having on ICE detention centers? What are the conditions in these centers like? And what legal options do detainees have?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The Conditions In ICE Detention Centers

It happens every year — sometimes even more frequently than that.

A fight is brewing over funding the government before a deadline at the end of September. On Friday, Republicans in the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, passed a stop-gap measure to fund the government through Nov. 21.

This is all happening against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s summer of immigration raids, the deployment of the National Guard to Washington D.C., and the claw back of approved federal funding.

In this installment of 1A‘s weekly politics series, we talk about how this month’s government funding fight could turn into a shutdown, and what Democrats could demand in exchange for keeping the government open.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

'If You Can Keep It': The Fight Over Funding The Government

On Sunday, Syrian rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) made its final march on the Syrian capital of Damascus. The rebels had already claimed the major cities of Aleppo, Hama and Homs. 

In a matter of hours and with little violence, Syrian government forces abandoned their posts and HTS claimed victory. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled the country and has been granted asylum in Russia.

After more than five decades, Syria is no longer under the rule of the Assad dynasty. And the region is transformed forever. 

But as people rejoice across Syria – what's left is immense uncertainty about the future of the country's government and its place in the region.

We get to the latest and look to the future for both Syria and the Middle East.

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.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

ICYMI: After More Than Five Decades, Syria No Longer Under Authoritarian Rule

Hlustaðu og lestu

Other podcasts you might like ...