Post Reports
1,419 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★ - 4.7K ratingsPost Reports is the daily podcast from The Washington Post. Unparalleled reporting. Expert insight. Clear analysis. Everything you’ve come to expect from the newsroom of The Post, for your ears. Martine Powers and Elahe Izadi are your hosts, asking the questions you didn’t know you wanted answered. Published weekdays around 5 p.m. Eastern time.
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Episodes
The Campaign Moment: Trump jurors and Biden on Israel
April 19, 2024 19:54Elahe Izadi talks with Aaron Blake and Liz Goodwin about Week 1 of Trump’s first criminal trial, how Israel is dividing Democrats in Congress, and whether GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson’s strategy to approve aid to Ukraine could cost him his job. Read more: In Friday’s episode of “The Campaign Moment,” we look back at the political news of the week and dive into how it could shape the 2024 election. This week, senior political reporter Aaron Blake – who also writes The Post’s newsletter o...
America’s toxic tap water problem
April 18, 2024 21:41Despite being the world’s wealthiest nation, the U.S. has communities that are still exposed to toxic tap water. Today, we hear how a city in New Mexico has struggled with high levels of arsenic in its water — and how its residents are fighting back. Read more: Fifty years after the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act, which is supposed to limit toxins in Americans’ water, many people around the country cannot safely drink from the tap. Drinking water samples tested in Sunland Park, a...
How a narco revolt pushed a peaceful nation to the brink
April 17, 2024 21:03A high-profile prison escape. A TV station takeover. An assault on police. Today on “Post Reports,” how powerful gangs in Ecuador pushed this historically peaceful nation to the brink and led its new president to declare war. Read more: Ecuador has long been an ecotourism hub and a safe haven, mostly immune from the guerilla violence endured for decades in neighboring Colombia and Peru. But the country has experienced a shift in recent years, becoming a center for drug trafficking and org...
Will Israel “take the win”?
April 16, 2024 21:44On Saturday, Iran directly attacked Israel. Now, Israel’s war cabinet is weighing possible responses as the U.S. and others have called for restraint. Read more: Ninety-nine percent of the more than 300 missiles and armed drones Iran launched against Israel were intercepted by Israel and its allies, according to the Israel Defense Forces. But the direct attack has also raised concerns about a broader war between Iran and Israel, and whether Israel would be able to fight two wars at once...
Day 1 of Trump's first criminal trial
April 15, 2024 21:21Today on Post Reports, we’re on the scene at the Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump is facing trial in the first ever criminal prosecution of a former U.S. president. Read more: Jury selection began today in the trial to determine whether Trump broke state law in New York by falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment in 2016 to keep adult film actress Stormy Daniels quiet about their alleged affair. Isaac Arnsdorf and Shayna Jacobs are at the courthouse and tell Ma...
The Campaign Moment: It’s 1864 in Arizona
April 12, 2024 20:22It’s Friday, so it’s time for The Campaign Moment — our weekly roundtable conversation to help you keep track of the biggest developments during the 2024 campaign. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, the author of The Post’s newsletter by the same name, chats with Martine Powers and our Arizona-based democracy reporter, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, about the Arizona abortion ruling threatening to upend the 2024 election. The Arizona Supreme Court this week ruled that a near-total abortion ban ...
How will O.J. Simpson be remembered?
April 11, 2024 21:47O.J. Simpson has died at 76. He became a a football star, but a 1995 murder trial made him infamous. Simpson was eventually acquitted of the murder of his ex-wife and her friend – a verdict that split the public. How will he be remembered? Read more: Simpson grew up in a poor neighborhood in San Francisco, and eventually rose to NFL stardom playing for the Buffalo Bills and later the San Francisco 49ers. He was one of the most well- known and well-liked personalities off the field, too, an...
The mounting allegations against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
April 10, 2024 21:52For decades, hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been a music powerhouse. He’s now subject to lawsuits alleging abuse, sexual violence and sex trafficking. Today, what we know about the allegations and the ripples in the music industry. Read more: Late last month, armored trucks, helicopters and swarms of federal agents descended on two homes owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs in Los Angeles and Miami. The searches were part of an ongoing investigation into Combs by the Department of Homeland ...
Help! I haven’t filed my taxes yet!
April 09, 2024 19:53The tax filing deadline is less than a week away. Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary answers your last-minute tax questions and offers advice on what to do if you need more time to file. Read more: The deadline for most taxpayers to file a federal tax return is Monday, April 15. If you haven’t filed yet or have some lingering questions about the 2024 tax season, don’t panic. Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary is here to put your mind at ease and help make sure you d...
How Trump narrowly escaped a cash crunch
April 08, 2024 21:55Today on “Post Reports,” Jonathan O’Connell breaks down Donald Trump’s complicated finances — and what we know about the California billionaire who covered Trump’s bond in New York. Read more: Former president Donald Trump was in a financial bind last month. He had to post a bond of nearly half a billion dollars to cover a civil fraud judgment in New York, or risk the state seizing his assets. Then Don Hankey stepped in. The California billionaire offered to cover Trump’s bond for a “m...
Rethinking how to clean and style your home
April 06, 2024 16:00Spring can be a great time to clean your space and start fresh – but it’s not always easy to do. Today, we have tips on how to finally get rid of clutter and find ways to make your space feel more like you, even if you’re renting. Read more: A lot of people have that one corner in their house that is constantly messy, no matter what. Sometimes it’s a “laundry chair,” which is perpetually piled with semi-used clothing. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing to have, says reporter Rachel Ku...
The Campaign Moment: The MAGA purge of the GOP
April 05, 2024 16:59It’s Friday, so it’s time for The Campaign Moment — our weekly roundtable conversation to help you keep track of the biggest developments during the 2024 campaign. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, the author of The Post’s newsletter by the same name, chats with Martine Powers and national political reporter Isaac Arnsdorf about the tension between U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon and special counsel Jack Smith. The two have been at odds over the Trump team’s claim that the Pr...
What makes 2024's total solar eclipse so special
April 04, 2024 20:52Today on “Post Reports,” everything you need to know about Monday’s total solar eclipse. Plus, all the science happening during this event – and what we might learn from it. Read more: On April 8, the total solar eclipse will occur over the eastern United States, Mexico and Canada. The 115 mile-wide path of totality will include major cities such as Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Buffalo – and all of the continental United States will experience at least a partial eclipse. Science j...
March Madness, Mulkey, and no men
April 03, 2024 19:19After an exciting run of games during this year's women’s NCAA March Madness tournament, the final four teams are set. Today on Post Reports, two sports reporters discuss this season’s most prominent characters and why women’s basketball is having a moment. Read more: All eyes are on the women’s March Madness this year, with millions tuning in to watch such record-breaking players as Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and USC’s JuJu Watkins. The unparalleled viewership comes just years after a gender e...
The Florida abortion ban that could sway the election
April 02, 2024 21:30What Florida’s six-week abortion ban could mean for abortion access in the South – and whether the ban will motivate Florida voters to protect abortion access at the polls in November. Read more: On Monday, Florida’s Supreme Court issued a decision that will allow one of the country’s strictest and most far-reaching abortion bans to take effect on May 1. However, the court also ruled that an amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution can go on the November ballot, ...
How ultra-Orthodox Jews could imperil Netanyahu’s power
April 01, 2024 20:40Today, how ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel could upend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government. Read more: Last Thursday, the Israeli Supreme Court suspended subsidies for ultra-Orthodox Jews studying in yeshivas instead of serving in the military. This comes at a time of growing frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government. Protests over the weekend were fueled by anti-government sentiment and frustration from those who want to see Israel...
Beyoncé goes country
March 31, 2024 16:00On Friday, Beyoncé dropped “Cowboy Carter,” her highly anticipated salute to country music. The album sparked new conversations about the forces that define country music and about whether Beyoncé’s turn to country could reshape the industry. Read more: Beyoncé’s turn to country came from her personal experience of not feeling welcome at the 2016 CMA Awards. Beyoncé’s album, “Cowboy Carter,” has reignited conversations about what country music is, who gets to define the country genre, and ...
Ronna McDaniel drama, the RFK factor and Trump 'running for his freedom'
March 29, 2024 20:06It’s Friday, so it’s time for The Campaign Moment — our weekly roundtable conversation to help you keep track of the biggest developments during the 2024 campaign. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post’s new newsletter by the same name, and investigative political reporter Josh Dawsey join Martine Powers this week. They talk about how election denial is becoming more central to the Republican National Committee, what to make of this week’s NBC/Ronna McDaniel drama, the l...
The Baltimore bridge collapse reveals who is most vulnerable
March 28, 2024 22:15Today on “Post Reports,” reporter Teo Armus walks us through what we know about the Baltimore bridge collapse — and what it says about the lives — and tragic deaths — of immigrants in tough construction jobs. Read more: Authorities are turning their focus to “salvage” operations to remove wreckage from the Patapsco River after a massive container ship caused Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge to collapse. Meanwhile, investigators have recovered the ship’s black box and are piecing toget...
When police officers are predators: One teen's story
March 27, 2024 19:20Today, the story of a teenager who was sexually abused by a police officer, and her journey to find justice. Read more: Americans have been forced to reckon with sexual misconduct committed by teachers, clergy, coaches and others with access to and authority over children. But there is little awareness of child sex crimes perpetrated by members of another profession that many children are taught to revere and obey: law enforcement. A Washington Post investigation has found that over the p...
Why the Justice Department is taking on Apple’s iPhone
March 26, 2024 21:11Today on “Post Reports:” Why the Justice Department is going after Apple over green text bubbles. And what its lawsuit says about the Biden administration’s stance on Big Tech. Read more: Last week, the Justice Department – along with 16 state and district attorneys general – accused Apple of illegally wielding a monopoly over the smartphone market. The civil complaint alleges that the tech giant stifled competition with restrictive App Store terms and high fees. “Apple has maintained m...
Abortion, guns and the state of a divided Supreme Court
March 25, 2024 20:54Public trust in the Supreme Court is at historic lows, just as justices weigh in on some of the nation’s most important debates, from abortion pills to guns. Today, Ann Marimow on the state of a divided court and its attempts to regain credibility. Read more: The Supreme Court is weighing in on many of the country’s most contentious issues, including the political fate of former president Donald Trump. On Tuesday, justices will hear oral arguments about whether to impose restrictions on th...
Post Opinion: What to expect when you're expecting an abortion pill argument
March 24, 2024 13:00On the first episode of their new podcast "Impromptu," our colleagues at Washington Post Opinions discuss what’s at stake the Supreme Court hears a case on access to mifepristone. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade back in 2022, it indicated that abortion was an issue to be relegated to the states. Instead, it has blown up American politics, firing up voters and leading to conflicting lower court rulings. Post columnists Ruth Marcus, Alexandra Petri and Amanda Ripley discuss how i...
When a viral fairy tale slams against reality
March 23, 2024 14:52Today on “Post Reports,” a viral fundraiser for an unhoused man triggers backlash online. And, how platforms like GoFundMe are increasingly replacing America’s social safety net. Read more: Earlier this year, 21-year-old Sanai Graden – a college student from California – was on her way to a grocery store in D.C. when an unhoused man named Alonzo called out to her asking for tea. “I’m walking to Trader Joe’s,” she said to him. “You want to walk with me? We can stop at Starbucks.” It was...
The Campaign Moment: Democrats' risky primary gamble, 'bloodbath' and more
March 22, 2024 20:09Friday on “Post Reports” now means The Campaign Moment — a weekly roundtable conversation to help you keep track of the biggest developments during the 2024 campaign. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post’s new newsletter by the same name, and Glenn Kessler, editor and chief writer of The Fact Checker, join Elahe Izadi to talk about this week’s Republican Senate primary in Ohio, the debate over Donald Trump’s “bloodbath” comment and where the Republican-led impeachment e...
Chef José Andrés on cooking in war zones
March 21, 2024 20:48In the last week, celebrity chef José Andrés has been at the forefront of efforts to feed people in Gaza on the brink of famine. Today on “Post Reports,” he talks to Martine Powers about how food can meet immediate needs – and be a bridge for healing. Read more: A ship organized by José Andrés’s nonprofit World Central Kitchen delivered hundreds of tons of food and water to the blockaded Gaza Strip, becoming the first to test a new maritime corridor for ramping up aid to a region on the b...
Nex Benedict and the rising threat to LGBTQ kids
March 20, 2024 21:00Nex Benedict was a nonbinary teenager living near Tulsa. Their family said they were bullied at school before their apparent suicide in February. Advocates warn that a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is putting more young people at risk. Read more: Legislatures across the United States have passed a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. In Oklahoma, legislators have proposed more than 50 bills in 2024 alone, more than any other state according to the ACLU, restricting things like restroom acce...
Boeing's crisis continues. So, is it safe to fly?
March 19, 2024 20:39Today on “Post Reports” we dig into the string of bad news for Boeing and whether people should really be concerned about flying on one of Boeing’s planes. Read more: In January, a piece of an Alaska Airlines jet fell off during a flight, opening a hole in the plane and causing a dramatic emergency landing. And ever since that blowout, public confidence in Boeing — the plane’s manufacturer — has been in a tailspin. The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into the inc...
Two Italian men became parents. Soon they could be outlaws.
March 18, 2024 20:25The Italian Parliament is expected to pass a law that makes overseas surrogacy a crime, which would eliminate the last pathway to parenthood for many same-sex couples. It’s part of a wave of efforts around the world trying to reshape what families look like. Read more: The Italian Parliament is expected to pass a law that makes overseas surrogacy a crime, which would eliminate the last pathway to parenthood for many same-sex couples. It’s part of a wave of efforts around the world trying ...
Deep Reads: The Hero
March 16, 2024 21:00 - 77.4 MBWhen Army officer Rich Fierro deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, he thought he was fighting to keep war and terror away from his family on the home front. Afterward, like many combat veterans, he struggled to readjust to civilian life. Gradually, with the help of his wife and daughter, and his therapist, he managed to claw his way to a healthier place. The Fierro family started a business in Colorado Springs — a brewery that honored their Mexican heritage and strove to be welcoming to all kin...
The Campaign Moment: Key X factors in the Biden vs. Trump rematch
March 15, 2024 20:01Friday on “Post Reports” now means The Campaign Moment — a weekly roundtable conversation to help you keep track of the biggest developments during the 2024 campaign. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post’s new newsletter by the same name, and Washington Post polling director Scott Clement join Martine Powers to unpack key X factors that will help decide the election now that both Joe Biden and Donald Trump collected enough delegates this week to secure their party’s nom...
A dangerous power vacuum in Haiti
March 14, 2024 19:22Haiti is in a pivotal moment. The prime minister announced his resignation this week to make way for a transitional presidential council that will attempt to bring stability to the Caribbean nation. Read more: This week, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreed to resign amid a period of increased violence and chaos for the Caribbean nation. As the United States and a coalition of Caribbean countries try to organize a transitional presidential council, violent armed gangs control more tha...
He used to campaign for Biden. Then Gaza happened.
March 13, 2024 21:29This week President Biden and former president Donald Trump clinched the nominations for their respective parties. Where do dissatisfied voters go from here? Today, we travel to Michigan to follow a former Biden organizer who wants Biden to lose. Read more: In 2020, Adam Abusalah wanted to knock Donald Trump out of the White House. These days, he’d take pretty much anyone over Biden. Jesús Rodríguez reports from Michigan. Also in the news today: The House overwhelmingly voted to force Tik...
College athletes are unionizing. Could this change sports?
March 12, 2024 20:04In a historic move, the Dartmouth men’s basketball team has voted to unionize, just ahead of the NCAA’s March Madness tournament. It’s part of a larger movement of student-athletes seeking better pay and conditions, possibly transforming college sports. Read more: The college sports landscape has changed dramatically in the past decade, particularly when it comes to the rights and privileges of student-athletes. In 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court decided unanimously in NCAA v. Alston that stu...
The improbable U.S. plan to revitalize a Palestinian security force
March 11, 2024 21:49Today, the history of the Palestinian Authority, and whether its security forces are up to the challenge of helping to stabilize a post-war Gaza. Read more: The Palestinian Authority security forces, which report to President Mahmoud Abbas, are at a pivotal moment. The group, estimated to be 35,500 members strong, is regarded by the Biden administration as central to its goal to stabilize a post-war Gaza. However, despite two decades of reforms, the Palestinian Authority remains chronical...
The Campaign Moment: State of the Union and what Super Tuesday says
March 08, 2024 21:12Friday on “Post Reports” now means The Campaign Moment — a weekly roundtable conversation to help you keep track of the biggest developments during the 2024 campaign. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post’s new newsletter by the same name, and national politics reporter Colby Itkowitz join Elahe Izadi to analyze President Biden’s State of the Union address and how it sets the stage for the campaign, and what questions came out of the results from Super Tuesday. Subscri...
The Oscars are Sunday. Here’s what to catch up on.
March 07, 2024 20:00Today, we talk about the movies that have been nominated for best picture at the Oscars; what to see, what to skip and what we loved, ahead of the awards Sunday night. Read more: There are 10 films nominated this year for an Academy Award for best picture. From big blockbusters to quiet tales of domesticity, the movies span a wide variety of topics and capture what our movie critics call a diverse year for the types of stories we’re seeing on the big screen. Today, Washington Post movie ...
Biden’s plan to keep the White House
March 06, 2024 22:32The results of Super Tuesday set up a highly likely rematch between President Biden and former president Donald Trump. Today on “Post Reports,” the hurdles that the Biden campaign has to overcome in order to secure a victory in November. Read more: After Super Tuesday nominating contests, GOP candidate Nikki Haley is exiting the presidential race and the stage is set for President Biden and former president Donald Trump to face off again. But Biden’s campaign faces challenges – with voters...
Will the courts hold Trump accountable before November?
March 05, 2024 23:42Many people had hoped that the highest-profile court cases involving Donald Trump would be resolved before the general election in November. That’s looking increasingly unlikely. Read more: At the start of the year, it looked as though Donald Trump might be stymied in the courts long before the November election. The former president faced a pair of federal indictments, 91 criminal charges, and challenges to his ballot eligibility in multiple states. Two months later, says Post national ...
The new covid rules – and a measles comeback. Again.
March 04, 2024 22:41Am I contagious? U.S. health officials have dropped five-day isolation guidelines for people who get covid, prompting a mix of relief and confusion. Today, The Post’s Lena Sun breaks down what’s behind the shift. Plus, the latest on measles in Florida. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that, effective immediately, people who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to stay home for five days. Instead, the agency recommends that you stay home when si...
The Campaign Moment: McConnell, Trump trials and Super Tuesday
March 01, 2024 20:28Fridays on the show now mean “The Campaign Moment” – a new weekly roundtable conversation to help you keep track of the biggest developments during the 2024 campaign. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post’s new newsletter by the same name, and national reporter Amy Gardner sit down with Martine Powers to discuss the announcement by Senate Minority Leader (R-Ky) Mitch McConnell that he’ll step down from his leadership post in November, talk about the latest news around fo...
Why immigration has strengthened the economy
February 29, 2024 22:37 - 22.6 MBA record number of migrants have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, and Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on a solution to address the crisis. But data shows that this surge has strengthened the U.S. economy. Read more: On Thursday, President Biden and former president Donald Trump traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border, underscoring how central immigration is in this year’s presidential campaign. As Biden and Trump clash over how to address immigration at the southern bord...
The fight to keep Black moms and babies alive
February 28, 2024 22:07After traumatic pregnancies, Mimi Bingham needed another way. Then, she discovered a coalition of Black birth workers who forever changed her life. Today, we tell the story of Mimi and the birth workers fighting a nationwide maternal health emergency. Read more: The United States tops a list that no country wants to be on: It’s considered the worst place to give birth among high-income nations. Even more jarring, Black women in particular are much more likely to die from childbirth or suf...
Why students applying for financial aid are in limbo
February 27, 2024 20:58A new version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form promised an easier path for students to access financial aid for college. But the rollout has been far from easy. Read more: For decades, scores of students got tripped up by the daunting Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Then, in December, the Education Department released a new version of the form, promising a streamlined path for students to access aid. But the launch has not gone smoothly. Technical...
The balance of the Ukraine war rests on aid
February 26, 2024 21:58Two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we talk about the state of the war, and the role foreign aid – or lack thereof – could play in Ukraine’s ability to keep holding off Russia. Read more: A little over two years ago, Russia launched a full-scale invasion into neighboring Ukraine. At first, many thought it would be a brief and brutal defeat, but two years later Ukraine is still hanging on after a series of wins that exceeded expectations. Now, low on ammunition and troops, Ukraine...
How to reset your relationship with exercise at any age
February 24, 2024 22:00Exercising can be intimidating. Any New Year’s resolutions you made might feel overly ambitious and hard to keep. But fitness science tells us that exercise is linked to longevity and staying young. Read more: How fit you are is not determined by your age, weight or ability to do any one physical activity. In this bonus episode of Post Reports, we’ll talk about how to stay fit at any age. Health columnist Gretchen Reynolds shares some simple exercises to assess your fitness and explain...
The Campaign Moment: Trump VP chatter, the Biden impeachment inquiry and more
February 23, 2024 21:12It’s Friday, so it’s time for “The Campaign Moment” – a new weekly roundtable conversation to help you keep track of the biggest political news in this campaign year. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post’s new newsletter by the same name, and senior national political correspondent Ashley Parker sit down with Martine Powers to discuss the expectations for this weekend’s South Carolina Republican presidential primary, the chatter on who is on former president Donald Trum...
The fragile future of IVF in Alabama
February 22, 2024 21:46On Friday, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are legally people and that someone can be held liable for destroying them. Today on “Post Reports,” how the first-of-its-kind ruling has complicated women’s health care in the state and its implications across the country. Read more: In Alabama, doctors and patients are scrambling to understand the implications of a recent state supreme court decision that ruled frozen embryos are legally people. A number of in-vitro fertiliz...
Can Tesla’s Full Self-Driving mode be trusted?
February 21, 2024 22:34Today, as automakers race toward a driverless future, The Post’s technology reporter Trisha Thadani breaks down a Post investigation into a 2022 car crash in Colorado and the questions it raises about new self-driving technology on the road now. Read more: In May of 2022, Hans von Ohain and his friend Erik Rossiter went golfing in Evergreen, Colo. Hans showed off his Tesla’s new Full Self-Driving mode. The friends shared drinks and played 21 holes of golf. But Hans never made it home. On...
Navalny’s legacy
February 20, 2024 22:51The death of Vladimir Putin's largest opponent, Alexei Navalny, has rocked hopes of democracy in Russia. We speak with The Post's David M. Herszenhorn, who covered Navalny in Russia, about the impact of his death and Putin's tightening grip on power. Read more: Alexei Navalny had been a charismatic and outspoken critic of the Kremlin for more than a decade, and was the target of an assassination attempt. Last year, Navalny was sentenced to 19 years in prison on charges of “extremism,” but ...