1A

In June 2015, nine people died at Charleston's Emanuel A.M.E. Church, victims of a racist shooter's rampage. Some of the victims' relatives publicly forgave the murderer, including Chris Singleton, whose mother, Sharonda Coleman Singleton, was killed. Philosopher Myisha Cherry was struck by the story and its response. Some, she says, paid more attention to the inspirational story of forgiveness than the racial hatred behind the shooting. In her new book, Professor Cherry seeks to understand what forgiveness means and why we venerate it. Sometimes, she argues, forgiveness can do more harm than good, especially if it lets the perpetrator of wrongdoing off the hook – whether that be a person, system or anything else. We discuss forgiveness – what it means and its effect. 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.

Marcus du Sautoy is a mathematician who loves games, travel, and, unsurprisingly, math. His new book is titled "Around the World in 80 Games: A Mathematician Unlocks the Secrets of the Greatest Games." In it, du Sautoy tours the world's games, exploring how they are built around (and can be won using) mathematics. We discuss how math and games are interwoven worldwide, and learn the history of some of our favorite games. 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.

Whether it's high-speed rail or highway reconstruction, infrastructure projects in the U.S. are often associated with high price tags and lengthy timelines. Perhaps no project captures this better than Boston's Central Artery Tunnel project, more commonly known as the Big Dig. It's the nation's most expensive highway project. And it took more than two decades to plan and build. Ian Coss, host of GBH News' "The Big Dig" joins us to discuss the lessons we can take away from projects like Boston's. 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.

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. 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. 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.

The wildly popular webcomic "Strange Planet" has attracted millions of followers by pointing out absurdities in everyday life. Beings on Strange Planet live in a place very similar to Earth and behave very similarly to humans. They just talk about it differently. On Strange Planet, coffee is "jitter liquid," socks are "foot tubes," alcohol is "mild poison," kissing is "mouth pushing," and raccoons are "greyscale finger bandits." The successful webcomic is expanding to books, merchandise, and now a new show on Apple TV+, co-created by "Strange Planet" creator Nathan W. Pyle and "Rick and Morty" co-creator Dan Harmon. We talk to Pyle about the show and his inspiration. 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.

Hip-hop is many things – unapologetic, lyrical, rhythmic, and above all, ubiquitous. Since its nebulous "creation" at a party in the Bronx in 1973, hip-hop has become one of the world's most popular genres and cultural expressions. It's also evolved drastically. It's given way to various subgenres – like gangsta rap and drill – and provided the means for talented emcees to be heard around the world. But hip-hop doesn't exist without its controversy. The genre has been seen by many since its inception as a tool to further misogyny, violence and capitalist exploitation. We celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th birthday by discussing the history of the genre and what its future could look like. 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.

Chances are you uses spices everyday. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, spice consumption per capita among Americans has more than tripled since 1966. But spices aren't just about taste. They can also be beneficial to our health. One 2019 study from the Journal of A.O.A.C. International found that certain spices can lower the risk of chronic disease and help fight inflammation. We talk about how can you incorporate spices into your dishes at home with a spice shop owner, a professional chef, and a doctor. 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.

Complaints against U.S. airlines hit a record high in 2022. And it's not getting any better. Consumer complaints nearly doubled in the first three months of this year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. With only four major airlines in the U.S., there's little choice for consumers in the market. And with air travel expected to reach a record high this holiday season, many will be subjected to the worst of travel: long lines, high prices, and of course, awful airplane food. But why does our time in flight have to be riddled with anguish? And what can be done to make the skies friendly again? For that, we're turning to Ganesh Sitaraman, a professor at Vanderbilt University Law School and director of the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator. He's also out with the new book, "Why Flying is Miserable: And How to Fix 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.

It's been a busy week for the GOP in Congress. Lawmakers managed to avoid another government shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson's grace period in his new role seems to be over. US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for the first time in a year at a summit in San Francisco. The two leaders spent time together as after many months of tensions between the two nations. New polling indicates that there's a significant gap in politician rhetoric and public sentiment on Israel's war on Gaza, with a growing number of Americans believing the IDF has gone too far in its efforts to fight Hamas. Meanwhile, Israeli military strikes on the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City continued this week, as they focus in on what the IDF claim are Hamas operation centers in medical facilities. Palestinians working in Gaza's main hospital are burying their dead in a mass grave. We cover the most important stories this week 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.

William Shakespeare once said that the eyes are the window to the soul. We make eye contact with others to show that we're listening, to connect, or simply as a way of saying, "I see you." Cultures around the world have understood the power of eyes for centuries. If you travel to India, Chad, Japan, Iran, or just around the corner from your house, you'll probably see the same thing around the eyes of the people who live there: eyeliner. In her new book, "Eyeliner: A Cultural History," Lebanese-British journalist Zahra Hankir explores beauty, power, identity, and resistance through the lens of the iconic cosmetic. 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.

It's been over three years since "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" was released. It became one of the best-selling video games of the year — moving over 42 million copies, almost four times as much as the previous edition of the game. It also renewed interest in a video game trend known for finding magic in mundane tasks: cozy gaming. Games like "Stardew Valley," "Harvest Moon," and "Unpacking," where the objective is less about shooting, fighting, or space colonization and more about gentle verbs — tending, farming, and homemaking. And the video game industry is taking notice. We discuss the impact and popularity of cozy gaming. 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.

Guns, and who gets to have access to them, is one of the most hotly debated issues in our country. The Supreme Court will weigh in on gun rights once more in the coming months in the case of a 23-year-old Texas man named Zackey Rahimi. His case challenges a federal law that's been around for nearly two decades that strips gun ownership rights from people under domestic violence protection orders. How should the high court regulate who gets access to guns? And how might the outcome of the case shape gun rights as we know them? 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.

The first photographs of a major military conflict were taken during the Crimean War of the 1850s. Nearly 175 years later, photojournalists are on the ground, on the frontlines of conflicts around the world, documenting history. They do so at great risk to themselves. So far, at least five photojournalists have died during the Israel-Hamas War, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. "You see the spirit of human beings when everything else is stripped away," says photojournalist Lynsey Addario. "That's what drives me to keep going back. At the end of the day, people can be horrible, but they can also be extraordinary and wonderful." We discuss how photojournalists in conflict zones do their work and the impact of witnessing the atrocities of war first-hand. 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.

This was an off-year election week to remember. In Kentucky, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear retained control of his office after making abortion a central issue of his campaign. Five GOP candidates took the debate stage in Miami this week, all doing their best to grab the attention of Republican primary voters. WeWork, the office-sharing giant, filed for bankruptcy this week. In 2019, the company was valued at $47 billion.We cover the most important stories from around the country in the domestic hour of the News Roundup. Meanwhile, the U.S. is signaling its desire for more Palestinian governance over Gaza and the West Bank once the war ends. And worldwide, October is being recorded as the hottest-ever month, meaning 2023 is on track to be the hottest-ever year. We cover all these stories 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.

Five Republican presidential hopefuls faced off in Miami on Wednesday night for the third GOP debate, the last one of 2023. Former President Donald Trump will, once again, not be on the stage. Instead, he'll be at a rally in a suburb of Miami nearby. The debate comes as many states went to the polls – Kentucky re-elected their Democratic governor, Democrats flipped Virginia's state house and Ohio voted to enshrine the right to abortion in its Constitution. Foreign policy is expected to dominate the debate as Israel's war on Gaza enters the fourth week. We recap the night and discuss what the candidates said about issues like abortion, the economy and foreign policy. 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.

By 2030, the Census Bureau estimates that the nation's population will consist of more adults over 65 than children. As the youngest of the baby boomers enter their sixties, and younger adults are having children later in life, many Americans – from Gen Z to Gen X – are finding themselves sandwiched between taking care of elderly parents and young kids at the same time. Today's 65-year-olds have a 70 percent likelihood of needing long-term care in the future, all while the supply of home health aides is dwindling. Nursing homes are also increasingly costly and inaccessible for families of low and moderate incomes. We discuss what it's like to balance caring for young kids and aging adults simultaneously and managing your money or time as a family caregiver. 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.

If you live near a bustling downtown or shopping center, you may have noticed an increase in private security during the last couple of years. Even places like hospitals, jails, or the occasional Walgreens and gas station have turned to hiring their own security. According to The New York Times, most major cities now have at least three times as many security guards as police officers on their streets. In the past couple of weeks, private security guards began patrolling areas in Austin, Texas, and Raleigh, North Carolina. This uptick comes as police departments across the country are struggling to find recruits. As private security replaces its public counterpart, questions about training, regulation, and accountability echo through American communities. Especially considering it's easier for some communities to afford it than it is for others. 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.

War is inherently difficult to cover in real-time. The war between Israel and Hamas is no different. The Committee to Protect Journalists has called the death toll among journalists in the conflict unprecedented with at least 36 journalists killed since the war began last month. What kind of challenges are reporters met with? How do those challenges affect the coverage you're getting as a consumer of news? We discuss what it looks like to cover one of the most complicated conflicts. 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.

House Republicans are set to put forward a bill to send aid to Israel to the tune of $14.3 billion. Idaho made its first "abortion trafficking" arrest this week. A mother and son were arrested and charged with kidnapping for taking an underage girl across state lines for an abortion without her parents' knowledge. Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency is losing its aid workers as Israel continues to bomb Gaza. At least 70 of those workers have died in the attacks. International leaders are looking to begin a peace process as the violence and humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens. The Panama Canal is cutting down on the number of ships allowed to pass through. The El Niño weather pattern is contributing to a drought in the country. We cover the most important stories 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.

Pharmacists say they're overworked and understaffed and have been for years. So they planned a "Pharmageddon" – three days of nationwide walkouts at CVS and Walgreens. The walkouts come after protests from pharmacy workers at Walgreens last month, and multiple walkouts at CVS stores in Kansas City. Although complaints have been ongoing, the scale of the walkouts was difficult to confirm. And change has been hard to come by. Pharmacy worker complaints come as big box retailers face other struggles. Last month, Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy. CVS, RiteAid, and Walgreens locations have been closing stores across the country. We discuss the state of retail pharmacies today, and what these shakeups mean for the communities relying on them. 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.