1A

It's that time of the year: states are releasing their new congressional maps.

The maps drawn during the redistricting process are significant because of what they could reveal about the 2022 midterm elections. Roughly half the country has proposed or finalized new maps, but some think Democrats have already missed their shot.

We unpack what these maps mean and where they might lead us in 2022.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

If you follow Keke Palmer on social media, you're probably familiar with her alter ego, Lady Miss Jacqueline, and her southern belle insults.

Now, the character is being brought to life as a part of a short story collection by Palmer and writer Jasmine Guillory, author of the best-selling romance novels "The Wedding Date" and "The Proposal."

The collection is aptly titled "Southern Belle Insults." The stories are full of fun, shade, and wit, but also cover deeper themes like confidence and self-love.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

Republican Rep. Paul Gosar came under for this week for tweeting an animated video of him killing Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden. Gosar's face is superimposed over a character from the popular anime series "Attack on Titan" as they kill other characters sporting the faces of his Democratic colleagues.

President Biden is continuing to advance his agenda. His administration is touting the infrastructure bill as a win for the former senator. But now the White House must shift its focus to addressing rising consumer prices and funding the government through Dec. 3.

Meanwhile, thousands of migrants are stranded at the border of the European Union in Poland, stuck in camps in freezing weather.

The government of Ethiopia has detained at least 16 U.N. staff members working in the capital city of Addis Ababa, accusing them of "wrongdoing and participation in terror."

We cover all this and more during the News Roundup.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

In late October, Republican Texas state legislator Matt Krause wrote a letter to the Texas Education Agency asking it to look into how 850 books are being used in state schools. According to a breakdown of Krause's list from Book Riot, about two-thirds of the books explore LGBT storylines or feature LGBT characters. Another 15 percent or so could be categorized as sexual education. About 8 percent discuss race and racism.

While the censorship of some books in schools is nothing new, a growing number of challenges are against books about identity.

And pushback on certain books isn't limited to Texas.

We look into which books are being challenged and why. Then we sit down with the authors of three of those books for their perspectives.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

At least eight people have died and 300 hundred were injured due to crowd surges this weekend at a Houston-based music festival called Astroworld. It's estimated that 50,000 people attended. It was the third annual festival run and headlined by rapper Travis Scott.

Scott released a video in response to the tragedy saying he plans to cover the funeral costs of those who died. But lawsuits are still piling up against the artist for "negligence and encouragement of violence."

And it's not the first time the artist, sometimes called hip hop's "King of Rage," has come under fire for fan casualties at his concerts. In 2017, a man named Kyle Green was paralyzed after he jumped off a balcony at a Travis Scott show.

So how will this tragedy affect Scott's image now? And what responsibility does an artist have in crowd control?

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

Climate change is a global problem. That's why most of the world's leaders have been meeting in Scotland for the last week at a United Nations Climate Conference known as COP26.

It's the conference where many of those same countries committed to the lofty emissions goals in the Paris Climate Agreement. To date, progress toward that goal has been less than stellar.

Should we expect anything major to come from COP26? What promises are being made this time around?

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

Last month, California became the first state to outlaw "stealthing" — the slang term for removing a condom during sex without consent.

Advocates say the ban could catalyze a legislative sea change and help people understand that stealthing is a form of sexual violence.

We talk with the assembly member behind the bill and a survivor about the road ahead.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

From Hillary Clinton's time in the White House as the first lady to her most recent presidential run, Huma Abedin has walked briskly behind.

She's been called Hillary's shadow and right-hand woman. She quickly became a trusted aide – although firmly in the background.

But Abedin's life came crashing into the spotlight during her now estranged husband's sexting scandal. Her marriage to former New York Rep. Anthony Weiner was marked by public scrutiny and betrayal. All the while, she was trying to work behind the scenes to elect the first woman president.

Now, she steps out from behind the scenes, this time on her own terms in her new memoir, Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds.

We talk to Abedin about her new memoir.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

It was a big week for elections around the nation. Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the Virginia gubernatorial election. Michelle Wu became the first-ever person of color to be elected mayor of Boston.

The Centers for Disease Control approved the COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5-11.

The trial of Kyle Rittenhouse began this week. Rittenhouse is accused of murdering two protesters in Wisconsin during protests over racial justice.

The government of Ethiopia declared a state of emergency this week as rebels from the Tigray region near the capital of Addis Ababa. Authorities have called on citizens to "arm themselves."

At the COP26 summit, India pledged to work to be carbon-neutral by 2070.

And as Afghanistan's economy continues its freefall, the Taliban have made the decision to ban the use of foreign currency.

We discuss all this and more during the News Roundup.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

President Joe Biden campaigned on the promise to build a fair and humane immigration system. Now, immigration advocates are pressuring him to end two policies from the Trump Administration, including the Migrant Protection Plan (MPP), better known as Remain in Mexico.

MPP was announced in 2018 and requires asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while they wait for a court decision on their case, which can often take months. Immigration advocates called it illegal and inhumane.

Biden announced he would end the controversial policy earlier this year. But in August, the Supreme Court ordered MPP to be reinstated. Now his administration is fighting to terminate the policy in court.

Meanwhile another Trump-era immigration policy is in effect. Title 42 has been enforced since March of last year, making it even harder for migrants to seek asylum. Trump authorized Title 42 due to fears of spreading COVID-19. The policy expels migrants back to Mexico or their home country if they cross the border illegally. Biden has not said anything about when he might end that policy despite criticism from lawmakers, and immigration lawyers.

We discuss the Biden administration's stance on immigration and how these policies affected asylum seekers.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.