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"Wicked: Part 1" follows the origin story of Elphaba, known in the original "Wizard of Oz" movie as the Wicked Witch of the West. And it follows her friend, Galinda, who eventually becomes the Good Witch.The movie is based on the Broadway musical which debuted in 2003. Last year, it became the fourth-longest running musical in Broadway history. And that musical comes from a 1995 novel of the same name. The new Wicked movie stars singer-actresses Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as the witches Elphaba and Galinda.The result this past weekend has been gravity-defying. "Wicked" brought in $114 million in North America and another $50 million internationally. That's the best-ever opening for a film adaptation of a Broadway musical.For this meeting of the 1A Movie Club, we discuss the new "Wicked" film.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

Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and billionaire businessman Elon Musk are heading the president-elect's new Department of Government Efficiency – a non-governmental agency that they say will reduce waste and streamline the U.S. federal agencies.But the so–called DOGE is only one tool the president has in mind for slashing the federal workforce. And as more details emerge, the futures of the nation's career civil servants are in the balance.We discuss what these plans mean, not just for federal workers, but for the country as a whole.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

Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz announced Thursday he is withdrawing from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general. And the Senate isn't paving the way for Trump to fill his administration with loyalists.Reporting indicates New York prosecutors are open to the possibility of pushing Trump's sentencing in his hush money case to 2029 when his second term in the White House will end.Meanwhile this week marked 1,000 days since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This week the Biden administration made a two major U-turns on Ukraine's military aid policy – allowing missiles to be used in Russia territory and a decision to supply Zelenskyy with landmines. Both decisions that have put pressure on the European Union.Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a new nuclear doctrine that lowered his bar for using nuclear weapons. 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