The White House has issued an ultimatum on the war in Ukraine. Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that the U.S. would walk away from the peace process unless Ukraine and Russia accepted America's terms – terms which heavily favor Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the deal which calls for Ukraine to cede its territory currently occupied by Russia. Thursday morning, Russia launched its deadliest attacks on Kyiv in months.Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this week he's overhauling his agency – saying it will lose 15 percent of its personnel and 132 offices.We discuss what that could mean for Ukraine and the future of American Diplomacy.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A sleeve, a collar, soles, or laces — these elements of your wardrobe vary and define your style. But it takes many steps to get them from a factory into your closet.How does something like a t-shirt become a finished product?About 97 percent of clothing and footwear in the U.S. is imported, according to the American Apparel and Footwear Association. Those imports are mostly from Asian countries including China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and India.We unpack it in this installment of our series, "How Did This Get Here," where we follow the supply chains and costs associated with some of your favorite products.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The first Earth Day was celebrated April 22, 1970. 55 years later, we know a lot more about the harmful effect human civilization has on our natural environment. But the desire to find solutions – big and small – continues. We asked you about your contributions to helping the environment around you. Many of you told us of local solutions to this global challenge. Those types of stories are the focus of The New York Times series "50 States, 50 Fixes." The series highlights environmental solutions with real results in every state.We discuss grassroot projects and the history of Earth Day with the reportes behind the series. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth used a signal chat to communicate military battle plans, again, according to reporting from The New York Times.This second line of communication was opened back in March, around the same time as the infamous first chat, which had accidentally included a journalist. This latest – which Hegseth accessed via his personal phone – included his wife and brother. The Pentagon denies these latest reports.Yesterday, NPR also reported that the White House is looking to replace Hegseth. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied the reporting and said President Trump stands behind him.We discuss the latest and what this says about the state of the Pentagon and its leadership. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration's efforts to deport migrants it says are gang members have hit several legal roadblocks in recent days. Federal judges and the Supreme Court have blocked the government from deporting more migrants under a seldom used, 18th-century wartime law. El Salvador is now key to this deportation policy. Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, has accepted hundreds of people deported from the U.S., including people not from either country. It's holding most of those men at a massive prison meant for terrorists called "CECOT." For this installment of our series, "If You Can Keep It," where we take a closer look at the state of our democracy, we discuss how Bukele runs his country and what he gains from assisting Trump. We also take a closer look at the laws the Trump administration is using to justify its immigration enforcement strategies. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is the big name in the news this week as he remains imprisoned in El Salvador. A U.S. District judge chastised the Department of Justice for not following her order to facilitate his release. Meanwhile, America's top diplomat says time is running out for US-led talks to find a path of peace in Ukraine.Those remarks from Paris follow Russian airstrikes that killed dozens and injured more than 100 people in Sumy, Ukraine, mid-morning on Palm Sunday. It's the deadliest attack in the country's invasion this year.Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said his country's troops will not leave established buffer zones in Gaza after the war ends.And this week, the rebel group fighting the Sudanese army for power announced that it has formed its own government. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The successor to the Nintendo Switch is (almost) here. But it's arrived at an awkward time for both Nintendo and gamers alike. The Switch 2 was initially announced in January, but fans learned much more about it during a Nintendo Direct livestream a few weeks ago. It included information about the system's launch date (June 5), its hardware specs, the games Nintendo fans could expect to play at release, and, perhaps most importantly, prices for both the Switch 2 and its games.That last part has put a damper on some of the enthusiasm for the system's launch. It will retail for $449.99. The price of Nintendo's games is also climbing.Nintendo is citing a rise in the cost of the console's production as well as economic uncertainties like President Donald Trump's tariffs as reasons for the price hikes.We dig into the latest for this installment of our series, "Game Mode."Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Donald Trump promised tariffs on the campaign trail. Those tariffs are here – but how much of them, where, and on who, has changed a few times.Here's where things stand right now: President Trump rolled tariff rates back to a baseline ten percent for most countries, but raised the tariffs on China to 145 percent. Global trading markets plunged due to a series of rapid shifts in trade policy. We discuss how these policies affect small businesses, many of which have to rely on goods that come from other countries. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The last few weeks have had many of us thinking long and hard about the things we buy, the price of those goods, and the potential for those prices to jump. This episode is part of our series, "How Did This Get Here?", where we follow goods as they make their way through the global supply chain, and explore what the president's announced tariffs may mean for your pocketbook. Today, we continue our series with.a product some of you may be sipping on right now. It's coffee. Coffee is everywhere. The average person in the U-S drinks a bit more than 3 cups a day. And Americans spend almost 100 and 10 billion dollars every year on the drink. And that amount is going up. Perhaps you've noticed the price for your favorite brand jumped in recent months? The average price of ground coffee in the supermarket hit an all-time high in March, at 7 dollars 38 cents a pound. That's up 84 percent since just before the pandemic. We discuss what's behind the jump. And what tariffs...and the warming climate...mean for your favorite cup of joe.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Frustration with the Internal Revenue Service is nothing new. A Pew Research survey found it's the least popular federal agency among Americans.But that should come as no surprise. After all, the IRS is responsible for collecting what we owe the government. During fiscal year 2024, the IRS collected more than $5 trillion in tax revenue. But this year, Tax Day arrives amid upheaval at the agency. Just last week, the head of the IRS resigned – the third to do so since President Trump's inauguration. And his administration announced plans to lay off up to a quarter of the agency's workforce. We discuss the latest at the IRS and the impact changes at the agency could have for the 2025 tax season.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy