Nearly 67 million people use some form of the federal government's health insurance program, which is for those over 65 and younger people with some disabilities. But untangling the multiple different parts can be a headache.And then there's Medicare Advantage.Unlike traditional Medicare, which is through the government, Medicare Advantage is a privatized insurance plan. With the help of some star-studded commercials, it's become increasingly popular.But it's also become controversial. According to a 2023 study from the Brown University School of Public Health, nearly half of those who signed up for Medicare Advantage left their plans by the end of five years.We try to untangle Medicare, Medicare Advantage and answer your questions about health care as a senior.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Taylor Swift dropped her latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," at midnight on Friday. Like she did with her previous album, "Midnights", she posted a surprise for fans a few hours later: 15 extra tracks on the album. That brings the total track listing to 31 songs.She's released four albums since 2020, plus four re-recorded albums. Her Eras Tour sold out stadiums across the U.S. last year, and it continues through 2024. The hold Taylor Swift has on much of our popular consciousness defies comparison with other current artists.We discuss Swift's new music and where it fits in her catalogue. 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

Here in the U.S., we can't have a people, a country, and a democracy – without, well: the Earth.Yes, the very large globe that we're sitting on right now. Many of you may be celebrating that today for Earth Day. Throughout this election season, we've asked you what's sending you to the ballot box. So far, your responses suggest that climate- is your third most dominant concern after "Trump" and "Democracy." For this installment of our weekly politics series, 'If You Can Keep It', we look at how each presumptive nominee for the 2024 presidential election is talking about climate and energy policy. 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

As Donald Trump's trials continue over the course of the spring, Joe Biden is taking advantage of his rival's absence from the campaign trail. A Boeing whistleblower made headlines this week, telling the Senate that the aircraft manufacturer is "putting out defective airplanes."Meanwhile, Israel, with the help of the U.S., more or less successfully defended itself from a missile and drone attack launched by Iran after the former killed Iranian officials in an attack on an embassy in Syria.As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, The BBC has now confirmed that more than 50,000 Russian troops have died in the conflict.We cover the week's biggest headlines. 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

According to the Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, at least 70 percent of firearms found in crime scenes in Mexico can be traced back to the neighbors to the north.Some 250,000 people crossed the southern border into the U.S. in December of last year. The majority of those were people from Mexico.And survey data pulled by Reuters from the Kino Border Initiative, a large migrant shelter in Nogales, Mexico, shows that violence, not economic factors, is forcing many families to leave Mexico.We discuss what work is being done to stop the flow of guns into Mexico. 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

Imagine you're at a dinner party and the conversation turns to the latest news. Everyone has a different opinion. People begin raising their voices.You notice the person beside you isn't talking, they're just watching. They turn to you and make a joke and you immediately relax. You hadn't even realized how tense you were. They then ask what you think about the news. When you respond, they're attentive. When they look at you, you feel seen. They ask you another question and another. Before you know it, an hour has passed, and the arguing has died down around you.Your dinner party partner is what journalist Charles Duhigg calls a supercommunicator. In his new book, "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection," by the same name, he explores what makes conversations work and how we can all be better at them.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

We've never been here before. A former president is being tried in criminal court while he's running for reelection.Donald Trump faces four separate indictments. And only one of them will go to trial before November. That's a case that got underway yesterday in a Manhattan courtroom with jury selection. Trump is charged with falsifying business documents ahead of the 2016 election to cover up payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.We discuss what the treatment of a former president reveal about our legal system more broadly, and what sets the case in New York apart.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

Almost two years ago, The Supreme Court ruled in the Dobbs case, overturning Roe v. Wade and declaring that access to abortion is not protected in the United States Constitution.A lot has happened in the time since then. Nationwide, citizens are arguing in the courts, legislatures, and ballot boxes over whether abortion should be banned, and if so, under what circumstances.For this week's installment of our weekly politics series, "If You Can Keep It," we take a closer look at abortion and politics. 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 Arizona Supreme Court handed down a landmark abortion ruling this week, invoking an 1864 law that forbids abortions except to save a mother's life, and punishes providers with prison time should they choose to facilitate the procedure.In other judicial news, an appeals court judge has rejected former President Donald Trump's effort to delay his hush money trial as he appeals a gag order.Also from the courts, the parents of a Michigan school shooter were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter.In global news, Joe Biden has spoken out about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's actions in his campaign against Hamas in Gaza.Biden also spent time this week with Japanese officials, promising a new era of strategic coordination this week alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.And after eight years of deadlock, the European Union passed a new asylum and migration pact.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

What do you remember about being in your twenties? Maybe it was the best time of your life. Maybe it brought challenges that you had to learn to overcome as you entered adulthood.And if you're in your twenties now, life probably looks a lot different for you than it did for your parents. Meg Jay is a psychologist and author. In her new book, "The Twentysomething Treatment: A Revolutionary Remedy for an Uncertain Age," she explores the way our twenties set up the rest of our lives, and how the uncertainties that come with entering adulthood affect our brain.We sit down with her to talk about growing up, becoming an adult, and how our twenties stay with us all our lives.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

We're hitting the open road.There are an estimated 3.5 million freight drivers in the U.S., according to the American Trucking Association.But some of those big rigs could soon be going driverless. Automated 18-wheelers are already hauling freight in Dallas. What's being done to keep those of us sharing the road with these road-bots safe?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

Millions of people watched the NCAA women's basketball tournament over the past few weeks. The last three rounds of the tournament sold out and set viewership records, especially games involving the Iowa Hawkeyes and their star point guard, Caitlin Clark.On Sunday, Iowa faced off against the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks in the most-watched basketball game on ESPN since 2019. South Carolina pulled ahead in the second half to win it all, 87-75.We talk about how the women's March Madness tournament got so big this year and the role Clark and other star players, like Angel Reese of LSU, played in turning out an unprecedented audience. What's next for women's basketball at the collegiate and professional levels after this year's burst of enthusiasm and viewership?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