On Friday, President Donald Trump celebrated the passage of his signature tax and spending bill into law.

At nearly 900 pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations. It will also reduce Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over the next decade. That will result in an estimated 11.8 million people losing health insurance coverage. Among those who will be hardest hit? Rural Americans.

We discuss what kind of challenges people living in rural areas could face with the new law and what ripple effects the law could have across rural public health systems.

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

Who are we as a nation? What's important to us? And who do we want to be?

1A recently spent some time at the Aspen Ideas Festival where Gallup Research unveiled data that indicates most Americans can agree broadly on the answers to those queries, but differ on which ones are the most important.

We sit down and get into what values make an American, an American.

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

Unless you're a physicist, you've probably only encountered quantum mechanics on TV.

And even when it was explained, you might've still been a little confused.

The field of quantum mechanics was created a century ago. Today, scientists are using it to create methods of communication that can't be hacked, higher quality digital images, and to develop medications.

But many of us don't even understand what quantum mechanics is — or how it's deepening our understanding of the universe.

For today's installment of our series, "The Scientific Method," we answer your quantum-related questions.

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

Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth, Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, OpenAI Head of Product Kevin Weil, and Thinking Machines Lab advisor Bob McGrew are now lieutenant colonels in the U.S. Army Reserves.

They're part of a military unit called Detachment 201, also known as the the Executive Innovation Corps. Their US Army says their swearing in is the "start of a bigger mission to inspire more tech pros to serve without leaving their careers, showing the next generation how to make a difference in uniform."

We discuss what the Army hoping to innovate and the capacity these tech executives will serve in the armed forces.

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

The so-called 'big, beautiful bill' has squeaked by in the Senate and now moves back to the House.

The massive piece of legislation is the centerpiece of Trump's agenda, filled with tax breaks and spending cuts that would touch just about every American.

We discuss what's on the table now in the GOP mega bill. And how might it affect us if it passes.

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

Last week, Kennedy announced the U.S. would not renew its $1.2 billion commitment to the global vaccine agency Gavi.

The new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also met for the first time last week since Kennedy fired and then replaced its members.

We talk about the outlook for U.S. vaccine policy both at home and abroad.

Then, we switch gears to discuss the link between menopause and an increased risk of cardiovascular illness.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in the U.S. according to the American Heart Association. We discuss the link between heart health and menopause.

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

Last month, President Donald Trump openly questioned the separation of church and state during the establishment of the Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty. He said that he is bringing religion back to the country.

We continue our "If You Can Keep It" series by assessing the boundaries of the separation between religion and the government.

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

Sen. Elissa Slotkin isn't just a congressperson, she's also a former CIA analyst. That means she has special insight into what's be going on abroad. And there's a lot happening these days.

But, as a Democrat, there are plenty of things to focus on at home, too. Namely, what her party is going to do to ensure success in the midterm elections.

We sit down with her to discuss the Trump administration, the Democratic party, and American foreign policy.

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

NATO leaders met this week and promised to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump claimed at that same summit that the U.S. strikes on nuclear sites in Iran had "completely and fully obliterated" the country's nuclear program. American intelligence reports, however, indicate the attack only set Tehran back a few months.

Zohran Mamdani, the New York assembly member representing the state's 36th district, is expected to be the Democratic party's nominee for mayor after former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo conceded this week.

Following a meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president suggested he was open to sending more Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine.

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

80 years ago, Smokey the Bear was mostly talking about campfire safety. Now? Things are a little different.

Forest fires have always been a normal part of our landscape – and a tool used by human civilizations for millennia.

But as climate change makes our landscapes hotter and drier, wildfires are getting bigger and more destructive. Fire consumed 8.9 million acres across the U.S. last year. The LA County fires this January are the costliest so far, with some estimates putting the total close to $250 billion in damages.

We discuss how we can better adapt to living with massive fires and how we should think about fighting – and preventing – them.

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