In May, legislators in Connecticut passed a resolution to exonerate people accused of being witches in the seventeenth century.

Dozens of people were killed, mostly women, over accused witchcraft in the U.S. in the 1600s and early 1700s. It's estimated that nearly 50,000 people were killed in Europe based purely on superstition.

We talk with our guests about the phenomenon of witch trials, their lasting impact, and what exoneration can mean to us now in 2023.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Find more shows and information online.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal trying to get ahead of a report released by ProPublica detailing unreported trips he took with a billionaire who had business before the court.

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Congress this week.

The search for a submarine carrying tourists to the wreck of the Titanic gripped the attention of people around the world. Hope of finding the five people aboard has now passed.

And at least seven Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. Hundreds more were injured as soldiers fired live ammunition.

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 out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

A year ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, upending abortion law across the country.

With Roe v. Wade overturned, what could replace it? WNYC's Supreme Court podcast "More Perfect" takes up that question in a two-part series. The two episodes focus on the origins of the viability line—that's the line that determines when a fetus is viable outside the womb.

That line was around 24 weeks as defined by Roe v. Wade.

Now it's whenever the state decides.

We discuss the viability line in post-Roe America.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

For carpenter Mark Ellison, a house, a staircase, a doorway are opportunities for beauty.

Ellison has been called many things, including the best carpenter in New York City and the man who builds impossible things.

His specialty is lavish and challenging projects, and his clients have included the late David Bowie and the late Robin Williams.

But in his new book, "Building: A Carpenter's Notes on Life and the Art of Good Work," Ellison is less interested in these extravagant projects and more interested in what they've taught him: how to build a life worth living.

We speak about that life and what he's learned in it.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

Our names are important to us. They tell us who we are and often, who we come from.

So imagine suddenly discovering the last name you've always carried... might not actually be the name you should have.

For Black Americans, genealogy can fill in the blanks left by the legacy of slavery and racism in the U.S. Services like the Freedmen's Bureau and Slave Voyages provide free access to records and documents to help with that search.

We talk about the power of genealogy in fostering knowledge and connection for Black Americans.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

On May 2, 1963, hundreds of school-age kids in Birmingham, Alabama, woke up with a plan. Through coded messages broadcast by local radio DJs, they were given the signal to leave the classroom and meet at the park for a peaceful protest against segregation in the city.

These actions by students brought national attention—and a new momentum—to the civil rights movement, support for which had been waning as more adults were jailed and reluctant to be arrested.

Civil rights leaders, including James Bevel, recruited young people to participate in a peaceful demonstration which became known as the Children's Crusade. Hundreds of kids were arrested by police for parading without a permit. Images of police dogs and firehoses being used on students in the city highlighted the injustices in Birmingham and prompted President John F. Kennedy to express support for federal civil rights legislation.

We discuss the Children's Crusade and it's impact 60 years later.

This conversation was recorded in April as part of our Remaking America collaboration with six public radio stations around the country, including WBHM. Remaking America is funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 counts of mishandling classified documents this week. GOP politicians are split on the matter.

The Supreme Court upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act on Thursday. The law gives priority to Native tribes when children from the community are up for adoption.

Meanwhile, the United Nations is reporting that a record number of people around the world have been displaced by war, climate crises, and human rights abuses.

And the European Union is moving to regulate the usage of artificial intelligence. It's the first governing body in the world to tackle the issue in a major way.

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 out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

Forget the waltz and the tango. For this show, we're headed to a different kind of ball. In these spaces, Houses compete in different walking and dancing competitions.

It's long influenced important parts of American pop culture. Beyoncé's "Renaissance," Madonna's "Vogue", the award-winning show "Pose,"and HBO Max's reality show "Legendary" all highlight or borrow from ballroom culture. Its history has also been recorded in documentaries like "Paris Is Burning" or the more recent "How Do I Look."

We discuss the history of ballroom culture, what it looks like today, and how it can be a place for political organization.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

Experts have repeatedly said that the world has to stop burning fossil fuels if we want to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis.

The latest United Nations climate report reminded us just how soon that needs to happen. The U.S. should cut two-thirds of fossil fuels in the next decade.

When it comes to carbon-free energy, many people think of renewables like solar or wind. But there's also the nuclear option. Nuclear currently accounts for 20 percent of our electricity production, according to the Energy Information Administration.

We discuss where nuclear energy fits into a carbon-free future and how safe the nuclear power we already have is.

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

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

NPR Privacy Policy

The most common store in the U.S.? It's not Target, not Walmart, or Walgreens.

It's Dollar General.

The chain boasts more than 19,000 locations across the country.

According to the American Public Health Association, dollar stores are the fastest-growing food retailers in the country, but they don't usually provide the same amount of fresh produce as conventional grocery stores.

Now, dozens of cities are moving to limit the number of dollar stores opening in their communities.

We discuss the playbook city reps are using to regulate their local market.

This show is part of 1A's "Remaking America" project looking at how our government is – and is not – working for everyone.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

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

NPR Privacy Policy