1A

Between 1950 and 1975, an estimated 1.5 million women were sent to homes for unwed mothers across the United States. There, most were hidden away from their families and communities until they gave birth and placed their babies for adoption. Some of those adoptions were involuntary.

That type of experience is hard to forget. For one family, a past that had been buried for decades finally came to light after a DNA test connected two long-lost sisters. We hear from both of them, as part of the new book, “My Mother’s Daughter: Finding Myself in My Family’s Fractured Past.”

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Following a Supreme Court decision that cleared the way, a federal judge lifted a nationwide block on President Donald Trump’s executive order that limited mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections.

A historic drought in the northwestern United States is supercharging what’s on track to already be a historic wildfire season.

And reporting from The Wall Street Journal indicated that Trump intervened at the Department of Justice as the agency was preparing to sue Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter.

And, in global news, this week, President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Canadian imports, prompting Ottawa to retaliate with tariffs of its own.  Canada and the U.S. exchanged about 872 billion dollars in goods and services in 2025.

Friday marks six months since the start of the U.S. war with Iran. This week Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a warning to foreign governments and companies saying they could lose access to the U.S. financial system if they continue doing business with Tehran. President Trump said he’s not in a hurry to return to the negotiating table.

And a catastrophic flood at the border between Nepal and China killed at least 400 people, with thousands more still missing.

We cover the most important stories from around the world in the News Roundup.

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Four years after the fall of Roe v. Wade upended federal protections for abortion access, abortion opponents have set their sights on a new target in the world of fertility: surrogacy.

A gestational surrogate is a woman who carries an embryo that was formed using the egg of another woman. Before the pregnancy, the surrogate also agrees to return the baby to its intended parents once born.

At its core, surrogacy is a contractual agreement. But because there’s no federal law regulating surrogacy agreements, it’s left up to state to decide how they can be enforced. That’s the issue at the heart of a high-profile legal dispute between an Alaska surrogate and a California couple.

Why are some abortion opponents looking to ban surrogacy? And could they succeed? And how does the patchwork of regulations that govern surrogacy agreements complicate the process?

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On Tuesday, August 25th, American country musician, philanthropist, and icon Dolly Parton died at the age of 80 in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Years before her death, she asked her nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, to make a video announcing her passing. In the video posted to social media yesterday, he shared this exchange with his aunt:
 

“Dolly called me and said she wants to rest on a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable, and have some rest.”
 

In 2023, we celebrated the queen of rhinestone’s achievements and music here on 1A. Please enjoy this replay of that show in honor of Dolly Parton’s legacy. Here's what we wrote about that conversation at the time.

– 

Dolly Parton’s resume is as big as her hair. And at age 77 she’s adding another title to it: “Rockstar.”

Her new album was released on Nov. 17. It’s a mix of covers of classic rock songs, featuring collaborations with a whopping list of who’s who in Rock-n-Roll. And there are almost 30 tracks – give or take a few – depending on the version of the album that you buy. With 9 new singles, “Rockstar” is Dolly’s most significant foray into Rock and Roll music.

While Dolly has fully embraced a new “Rockstar” persona – down to the black studded outfits – glimmers of rockstar have existed in Dolly’s previous eras. And over the past fifty years, Dolly has won plenty of awards and accolades for her songwriting, becoming one of music’s most prolific songwriters.

Sit back and grab yourself a cup of ambition. For this edition of the 1A Record Club – Dolly Parton’s new album “Rockstar” and what her latest musical evolution represents.

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Throughout history, people have been fascinated by automation, technological progress, and how it can change our lives.

In 1956, General Motors made a film about the distant future of 1976, when cars would drive themselves with the help of traffic-control towers. In 1993, AT&T envisioned what sounds a lot like today’s smart home and smart watch technology.

Much of what the companies behind these advertisements promised has come true. The idea, running through all of it, was that technology will set you free. It will connect you. It will give you power over your own life. It will make things better.

We sit down to talk with historian Jill Lepore about whether or not that’s true.

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The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the deadliest in the country’s history.

With over 2,500 deaths and more than 5,000 confirmed cases, it’s now the second largest ever worldwide. And it’s spreading at record speed. It’s even outpacing the West Africa outbreak that killed more than 11,000 people between 2014 and 2016.

What do we know about why this outbreak is moving so quickly?

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Imagine that the U.S. isn’t a democracy. Instead, it;s run like a corporation. The nation’s leader acts as a CEO and always has the final say.

This would be a world of unchecked capitalism. It’s a world where countries are replaced with privately-owned startups, and technology renders democracy obsolete. It sounds like a setup to a dystopian sci-fi movie.

But it’s a world that some of the biggest leaders in the tech industry are trying to make a reality.

In this installment of “If You Can Keep It,” we dig into the motivations of America’s real-life tech billionaires, what they really want with our system of governance, and what it all means for us.

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The United States’ national debt has now surpassed $40 trillion, a milestone that forecasters thought the country wouldn’t reach for months.

President Donald Trump drew the ire of many military families, lawmakers, and the public when he was asked if the deployment of the USS Lincoln to the Middle East had gone on too long. He responded by saying, “No no no no…not nearly long enough.”

Florida State Rep. Angie Nixon pulled off one of the biggest upsets of this year’s primary season. The Democratic Socialist beat former Army intelligence officer Alexander Vindman by more than 12 points in the state’s Democratic Senate primary.

And, in global news, President Donald Trump started this week by threatening Canada with drastic new tariffs, some as high as 50 percent, if negotiators from both countries didn’t reach a new trade deal.

Reporting from The New York Times indicates that the U.S. Navy is helping tankers sneak through the Strait of Hormuz by turning their ship transponders off. American Officials say around 10 million barrels of oil are now making their way to global markets.

And Trump is also pushing for another meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, potentially as soon as this fall. The two last met in 2019 during the president’s first term.

We cover the most important stories from around the world in the News Roundup.

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On the night of Sept. 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene dropped a historic wall of rain on the southern Appalachian mountains.

Some 31 inches of water fell in three days. The Swannanoa River rose 27 feet. Roads, bridges, and entire communities – very little was left in the storm’s aftermath.  

More than 250 people died across the Southeast. More than a hundred of them in North Carolina alone. It was the deadliest hurricane to hit the continental United States since Katrina.

We check in on how much western North Carolina has rebuilt in the nearly two years since the storm. And how far it still has to go. 

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If you have a favorite wellness podcaster or influencer, you’ve probably heard about peptides. These injectable compounds are comprised of a string of amino acids and promise effects like weight loss, better sleep, muscle growth and more.

Given the potential benefits, it comes as no surprise that interest has exploded. The market is ready to provide. It’s already valued around $140 billion and by 2033 is projected to reach over $290 billion in value.

Last month, an FDA advisory panel voted to make six peptides more accessible to the public. But scientists warned against this decision, saying there’s not enough data concerning their safety and effectiveness.

Many people are already getting their hands on peptides through what’s been called the gray market. What does the FDA’s decision mean for access? And how safe are they really? 

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