1A

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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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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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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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.

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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.

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"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.

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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.

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Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz announced Thursday he is withdrawing from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general. And the Senate isn't paving the way for Trump to fill his administration with loyalists.

Reporting indicates New York prosecutors are open to the possibility of pushing Trump's sentencing in his hush money case to 2029 when his second term in the White House will end.

Meanwhile this week marked 1,000 days since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This week the Biden administration made a two major U-turns on Ukraine's military aid policy – allowing missiles to be used in Russia territory and a decision to supply Zelenskyy with landmines. Both decisions that have put pressure on the European Union.

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a new nuclear doctrine that lowered his bar for using nuclear weapons.

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Leaders from nearly 200 countries are in Baku, Azerbaijan, for COP29 to talk about the state of global climate change mitigation efforts.

As many nations flesh out their plans to reduce emissions, they're looking to secure new funding at this summit for their solutions — trillions of dollars' worth.

Noticeably absent from the talks in Azerbaijan are some of the world's most influential voices on the subject — from President Joe Biden to the leaders of China, India, Brazil, Britain, Germany and France.

We discuss the role the world's most powerful countries play in shaping our climate future.

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After President-elect Donald Trump's win on Nov. 5, those in the LGBTQ community have expressed worry and fear.

The Trevor Project's crisis hotline saw a 700 percent spike in calls following the election. And The Rainbow Youth Project surpassed its monthly average of calls in just six days after Trump's win. Couples are also rushing to get married before Trump takes office.

Trump spent millions on anti-trans ads during his campaign. Like his first term, he's promised to continue rolling back protections for LGBTQ people.

We discuss what Trump will actually be able to do and how advocates are preparing.

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