1A

The Department of Homeland Security has allocated$20 million to pay for pro-Trump ads glorifying the president, which have drawn criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.

The pay-to-play allegations plaguing Maine Sen. Susan Collins haveswing voters in her state re-thinking their support for the five-term GOP incumbent.

And top AI executives descended upon Washington this week for a meeting at the White House. They agreed toself-police their industry following several high-profile mishaps and dire warnings from their colleagues about the dangers of their product.

And, in global news, asthe value of Iran’s currency hits a record low, Qatari mediators are working to find a deal for peace that would be acceptable to leaders in both Washington and Tehran.

The Gaza Health Ministry reports that thePalestinian death toll for the war in Gaza has surpassed 74,000.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an increase to the size of his country’s armyfor the fourth time this year.

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

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

In five weeks, more than 100 million people will vote as part of the 2026 midterm elections.

In New Hampshire and across the country, that means that voters will go to the polls to choose representatives, senators, governors, state legislators, city councilors, school board members, and more.

So, what do we know about the basic nuts and bolts of our elections? Do we know who’s on our ballot and understand the positions we’re being asked to vote on? Do we understand how our election system works — especially since that system is the target of baseless allegations from the president?

What’s the connection between a good civics education and a functioning political system?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Gas. Groceries. Housing. Almost everywhere you look in the U.S. economy right now, prices are up – and people are feeling the squeeze.

As of July, six in ten Americans say Trump’s economic policies have worsened economic conditions in the country, according to a survey from Pew Research. That’s up from roughly 53 percent who said the same last fall.

While the U.S. economy is strong on paper — with relatively low unemployment and shrinking inflation — voter concerns about affordability are expected to factor heavily into the midterm elections.

So, how should you manage your money right now? And what financial decisions are you weighing that you’d like a second opinion on? We put your questions to a panel of experts.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests reached record highs this summer. And the full scope is just coming into focus. Some 43,000 people were arrested in June, more than 49,000 in July, and almost 51,000 in August —an agency record.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives last June passed a $70 billion package tofund ICE and the Border Patrol through the end of President Donald Trump’s second term. As ICE became the best funded law enforcement agency in the country, its tactics changed. Instead of high-profile operations centralized in one location – like the operations in Minnesota, Chicago, and Los Angeles last year – they’re focusing on quieter, everyday arrests throughout the country.

And more details are being released about a record number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests of pregnant women last fall.A September report by The Guardian revealed that ICE placed more pregnant immigrants in detention last fall and winter than at any time over the previous year.

ICE data from February reveals that 86 pregnant women were in ICE custody — more than 10 percent were detained in their third trimester. Nearly 400 women who were pregnant, postpartum, or nursing were deported from January 2025 to February 2026, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

We sit down and get into how pregnant women are being affected by the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

The midterms are just five weeks away. Ballots are already in the mail and in person voting is underway in some states. Meanwhile, the federal government’s role in this election is still being hashed out in the courts.

This month, the Supreme Court blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to give the U.S. Postal Service greater control over mail in ballots. Then on Friday, it revived a federal citizenship-check system that a lower court had found illegal. And three separate lawsuits have been filed in recent weeks to keep armed federal agents away from polling places.

The White House says its push to federalize elections is about protecting the integrity of the vote. But a new NPR, PBS News, and Marist poll found that 75 percent of voters trust their state or local government to run a fair and accurate election.

Amid all the false claims and efforts to confuse, how are elections running for the midterms?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy