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How do you tie together the stories of ancient Egypt, Robin Hood, Freddy Kreuger, and Hamlet – on a single stage? Well, through time travel, of course. But also with the minds and talent of a group of actors at Sing Sing correctional facility in New York. Such a play – titled "Breakin' the Mummy's Code" – was made possible through a program called RTA: Rehabilitation Through the Arts. It was born in 1996 after a group of incarcerated men at Sing Sing put on a few theater productions. They decided they wanted those productions to be something more – an organized group that could bring the power of theater to people inside prisons.The program's story is now on the big screen in the film "Sing Sing." We talk to the people who made the movie possible.Find more of our programs online. 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

It's been a brutal year for wildfires. Nearly 100 are raging right now across the U.S. And the season's peak hasn't even arrived. In California, the Park Fire has gobbled up 400,000 acres since July 24, making it the fourth-largest blaze in state history. Worsening wildfires are a result of climate change, which has created drier, warmer conditions.That's dangerous for those in the path of the flames – but also downwind. Kids' lungs are especially vulnerable to the smoke. Their growing bodies are more at risk from climate change's effects – like worsening air quality and rising temperatures – than adults. We discuss the impact of rising temperatures on children. 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

Airfares have gone up 25 percent in the last year. And the average U.S. driver spent 42 hours, or a full work week, in traffic congestion last year.Enter trains.A record number of people are hitting the tracks. While passenger trains have been a common mode of transportation for centuries, the country has never had a dedicated high-speed rail line.That's expected to change in the next few years with two high-speed rail lines currently under construction in the Southwest and several more in planning phases across the country.We discuss how high-speed rails could change the landscape of transportation in our country.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