The cost of most necessities is rising right now. And healthcare is no exception.In 2026, the average employer-based family healthcare plan cost a little over $28,000. And employees contributed over $7,400 more to those plans than in 2025. That’s according to analysis from the health research group KFF.And the nearly 20 million Americans who rely on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance are facing a 13 percent premium increase next year.Two days out from the midterm elections, what can Congress do to keep healthcare affordable in the United States?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 polls predicted a “blue wave.” And this time, the voters followed through.Democrats have taken control of the U.S. House and Senate, along with a slew of governorships, in what proved to be a stunning reversal of political power nationwide.In the Senate races, the Dems flipped seven seats, picking up a string of victories in Republican strongholds like Texas, Ohio, and Kansas — the latter last electing a Democrat almost 100 years ago. Control of the House was the first projected to flip on Tuesday, with Democrats picking up 29 seats.In this installment of “If You Can Keep It,” we unpack the 2026 midterm results — what we know, what we are still waiting on, and what it all means for the state of our democracy.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

It’s election day in America.All 435 districts in the House of Representatives and 33 seats in the Senate are up for grabs. And five of the House’s six non-voting members are also in play.Democrats will need to gain a net of four seats to win a majority in the Senate. Meanwhile, Republicans can lose no more than two seats to retain a majority in the chamber.In this installment of “If You Can Keep It,” we check in as millions of Americans cast their ballots in the midterm elections.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 final weekend of campaigning before Election Day has passed. President Donald Trump attended rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday — despite initially announcing those rallies were cancelled. The president said they were back on the schedule on Friday.In more than two dozen campaign stops in October, the president’s influence among Republican voters has been tested — in a midterm election that is a referendum on his presidency so far.And while GOP campaigning continues to hinge on Trump — among Democrats, a fractured party in Michigan is becoming a problem of its own. In Michigan’s Senate Race, former Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens issued a late and shocking endorsement for the Republican candidate, Mike Rogers. Michigan’s Senate seat is a key piece to retaking control of the chamber for Democrats.More than 50 million votes have already been cast. What insight did this weekend’s campaigning give us to the state of 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

President Donald Trump hit the campaign trail in the final stretch of midterm season. And he’s made a number of promises to Republican voters this cycle, looking to shore up support in the communities he’s visiting. This week, in Texas, he promised to undo Biden-era methane regulations and to produce 210 million barrels of oil.The president is swinging big as seats in traditionally red states seem to be up for grabs. One high-quality poll this week,The New York Times/Siena poll. showed the race in South Carolina between appointed Republican Sen. Darline Graham, the late Lindsey Graham’s sister, tied with her Democratic opponent, Dr. Annie Andrews.The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its October meeting. However, two members of the Federal Open Market Committee dissented, and were in favor of raising rates by a quarter of a percent to try to bring down inflation.And, in global news, on Sunday night, 81-year old incumbent Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defied the polls — and historical precedent — by convincing more than 51 percent of Brazil’s electorate to vote for him and deliver an unprecedented fourth term. His opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro, fled the country following his loss amid an ongoing corruption investigation.All the ballots from Tuesday’s Israeli election have been counted, and there’s still no clear winning coalition. On Thursday, Israel’s Central Election Committee said Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while opposition parties have 67.And Vice President J.D. Vance reportedly sent a letter to a senior Iranian official in Tehran aimed at reviving peace talks to end the Iran war. But when Donald Trump was asked if he directed Vance to revive peace talks, he claimed the letter was about medical supplies.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

The Trump administration successfully ended Temporary Protected Status (or TPS) for more than 350,000 Haitians – people who’d had fled violence and upheaval in their home country.The Obama administration first offered TPS to Haitians after a devastating earthquake struck the country in 2010. Then, the Biden administration extended the protections due to gang violence. But Donald Trump had other plans for his second term: mass deportations.What’s the reality on the ground in Haiti? And what’s the impacts are Trump’s deportation operations having on Haitians communities across the U.S.?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

It’s been a massive year for AI — and it just got bigger. Anthropic, the company which makes Claude, filed its long-awaited Initial Public Offering on Monday in what could be the largest IPO ever.It was also a huge day for AI deals in general. SpaceX secured $40 billion in financing to lease chips to power modern AI. And Meta is seeking $95 billion for its AI buildout. Altogether, that’s about $235 billion in one day, almost 1 percent of U.S. GDP.We’re seeing Wall Street fund the AI buildout in real time. But the bubble has already burst in China. Could the U.S. be close behind?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

For weeks, people have been protesting across Europe.In France, high schoolers have staged blockades and organized major demonstrations demanding resources for underfunded schools — and rallied against high living costs in France’s major cities. Protests grew as labor unions, other activists, and also rioters joined in.The French protests have been marked by arrests, injuries, and violence. It’s a similar scene in other parts of Europe — including in Italy, Albania, Spain and Portugal. And, much like in France, young people are mostly leading the way. We take a look at the French protests and the larger youth movement in Europe.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

Early voting for the midterm elections is underway all across America. And Election Day is just over a week away.Now the president, facing likely losses in the House and the Senate, is ramping up his campaign to intervene in midterm voting and vote counting like no other president ever has in history.The Department of Justice is alleging widespread non-citizen voting in California on flimsy evidence. The DOJ is also filing high-profile criminal charges alleging non-citizen voting. Department authorities are also threatening local officials in California, saying they could face legal action if the department disapproves of how they handle ballots.In this edition of “If You Can Keep It,” we look at what these unprecedented moves from the Justice Department mean for the midterms and for our democracy.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

This week, President Donald Trump announced that he’s spent $300 million on ads this midterm season, with plans to spend another $100 million before Election Day. The battle between President Trump and the press continues. CNN is threatening legal action against the White House after its journalists were denied access to Air Force One. And on Thursday, the White House Correspondent from The Independent was removed from the aircraft.With the midterms less than two weeks away, Trump is putting the pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to end the war with Russia.And, in global news, demonstrations in France began last month with students across the country protesting deteriorating school conditions, staff shortages and dilapidated buildings. But over several weeks, they’ve tapped into broader anger over living costs, public services, and economic and social discontent.The European Commission estimates the Iran war has cost Europe more than $112 billion through disrupted ?trade and energy markets.An estimated 1.4 million people – more than two thirds of Gaza’s population – are facing food insecurity.We cover the most important stories from around the globe in the on 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