Post Reports

For 780 Afghan evacuees stuck at a beachside resort in Albania, the future is unclear. They might never make it to the U.S. All because they took the wrong plane out of Afghanistan.Read more:The Afghans living at the Rafaelo Resort were evacuated from Afghanistan by nonprofits and organizations that expected Albania would be a stopover — a temporary landing pad as evacuees were processed for permanent resettlement in the United States. The Biden administration, which faced intense criticism for the way it ended the U.S. war in Afghanistan and failed to evacuate many of its Afghan allies, says it never promised to provide refuge for everyone.This year-long bureaucratic mess is only now moving toward a resolution — for some. In the meantime, day-to-day life at tThe Rafaelo has become the strangest of limbos, as senior producer Ted Muldoon reports with national security reporter Abigail Hauslohner. Surrounded by tourists on the sun-drenched coast of the Adriatic Sea, they are profoundly grateful but , and also frustrated that they can’t yet start building a new life.“People told us about just the monotony of the same thing over and over again,” said Hauslohner, “and the uncertainty about the future kind of destroys you.”

More than 100,000 railroad workers were ready to strike this week in the name of more sick days. Plus, what happens when a man with a pistol shows up outside the home of a congresswoman. Read more:When 115,000 unionized railroad workers made it clear there would be a strike if freight companies didn’t give them sick days, President Biden made some calls.After hours of negotiations, the strike was likely averted, but the high-stakes freight rail drama could heat up again soon. Labor reporter Lauren Kaori Gurley takes us behind the scenes of the Biden administration’s last-ditch efforts to avoid an economic crisis.Also, during a Saturday night in July, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) called 911 multiple times after an encounter with two men outside her Seattle home.National political enterprise reporter Ruby Cramer discusses how extreme rhetoric targeted toward members of Congress has escalated lately, and the impact of these threats on elected officials.

On today’s show, what you need to know about the updated booster shots and why they matter amid growing pandemic fatigue. Plus, new research on the science of sitting and the pitfalls of being an “active couch potato.” Read more:The new coronavirus vaccine boosters are now widely available in the United States, but the updated shots are rolling out amid widespread pandemic fatigue. Federal health officials say that these updated vaccines could help buffer communities against future surges of the virus. Earlier this month, officials announced plans of turning coronavirus shots into an annual dose, similar to the flu shot.  Today on Post Reports, health reporter Lena H. Sun, who’s followed the coronavirus pandemic from the beginning, answers some of the most pressing questions about the omicron-targeted boosters. Plus, The Washington Post’s newest wellness columnist, Gretchen Reynolds, on why exercising the recommended 30 minutes a day might not be enough if you are an “active couch potato.” 

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol still has some unfinished business. Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) joins us to discuss what’s left. Also, the significance of Sheryl Lee Ralph’s first Emmy. Read more:Over the summer, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol dominated the news cycle by unearthing revelatory evidence that illuminated the connection between allies of former president Donald Trump and the violence that took place. Yet, at the same time primary voters across the country elected nearly 200 candidates who also touted Trump’s baseless claim that he won the 2020 election.Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.), a committee member, joins us today to discuss what to expect from the committee in the fall and whether its work has had an impact on the strength of election denialism among the public. Then, pop culture reporter Sonia Rao joins the show to discuss a moment that stunned the Emmy Awards audience: Sheryl Lee Ralph’s acceptance speech. Rao breaks down why Ralph’s first Emmy is a cultural milestone, and what it meant when she belted out “I am an endangered species” on stage.

Today, what the sudden retreat of Russian forces in key areas of Ukraine means for the future of the war. Plus, how one Ukrainian mayor is holding onto his city in wartime.Read more:Over the weekend, Russian soldiers fled their encampments in Zaliznychne, Ukraine. As Ukrainian soldiers poured into the area, Russians dropped their weapons, leaving rifles behind. The flight of Russians from the village marks a new reality that took the world by surprise; Russian invaders are on the run after invading Ukraine in February. The apparent collapse of Russian forces has caused shock waves in Moscow, while the evidence of Ukrainian gains continues to emerge. Reporter Steve Hendrix on what this means for the future of the war in Ukraine.As the Ukrainians continue to fight back on the ground, one local politician is doing everything he can to keep his community together. Mykola Khanatov is the mayor of Popasna, a city occupied by Russian forces. Reporter Dalton Bennett documents Khanatov’s commitment to his town during wartime. 

In the run up to the midterms, no issue has upended the battle for control over Congress and statehouses as abruptly as abortion. Could it slow down — or stop — the anticipated red wave?    Read more: The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June has shifted the midterm landscape. Many had previously anticipated a Republican wave in November, but that advantage could be eroded by voters concerned over the rollback of abortion protections around the country.  Since this summer, Democrats have overperformed in special elections, and voters showed up in droves to reject a ballot measure aimed at restricting abortion in deeply conservative Kansas. While Democratic candidates are highlighting the antiabortion views of their opponents, Republican candidates are moderating their stances on websites and campaign trails. Campaign reporter Hannah Knowles traveled to Pennsylvania to speak with voters there about how their views on abortion will impact their voting behavior on Election Day. 

The death of Queen Elizabeth II, and how her reign over Britain shaped the world for 70 years. Read more: Queen Elizabeth II is dead. She passed away peacefully on Thursday afternoon at the age of 96, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace. She was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and held the throne for 70 years. The world had been bracing for her passing for some time. “Operation London Bridge” even maps out what happens next, the when and the how. Her son now takes over as King Charles III. Despite the preparations, Brits are still in shock. For many, Queen Elizabeth was all they knew, a constant amid big cultural shifts and geopolitical changes, nationally and globally. She became queen at a time when British colonial rule was imploding. She ushered in a new era of the Commonwealth. Tabloids and television zeroed in on her marriage and family life, but she still somehow remained private.Adrian Higgins reported for The Washington Post for years, covering the royal family. He joins “Post Reports” to look back on the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, and how her death calls into question the future of a monarchy that dates back to the 10th century.

How the water crisis in Jackson, Miss., reached its tipping point. Plus, one Peruvian farmer’s fight for climate justice.Read more:The capital city of Jackson, Miss., has been without drinkable tap water since late July. But this isn’t the first time there’s been a water crisis in the majority-Black town. “I think what's really been lost is that there was a crisis in Jackson long before,” reporter Emmanuel Felton says, “And what had been going on for years was really almost constant boil water notifications.”Residents say sewage is spilling into backyards and people are getting rashes and lumps from the water. “It’s horrible, it’s horrible, everything is horrible,” resident Tammie Williams says. “And it’s it’s a disaster, really, you know? Disaster.”Today on Post Reports, Felton explains how the water crisis in Jackson got so dire, and whether there’s any end in sight.Plus, we bring you to the mountains of Peru, where one farmer is trying to save his city from drowning by suing one of the biggest carbon emitters in the world. The case could set a precedent for holding polluters accountable for harming the planet. Reporter Sarah Kaplan has more.

The latest in the Justice Department’s investigation into Donald Trump. And the students who survived the mass shooting in Uvalde, Tex., return to school for the first time. Read more: On Monday, a federal district judge pumped the brakes on the Justice Department’s investigation into the material seized from former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property. The judge granted Trump’s request to appoint a special master to review the documents. Rosalind Helderman, a political enterprise reporter for The Post, walks us through what this news means for the Justice Department and what we can expect next in this investigation.  After much delay and postponement, students at Robb Elementary School are finally returning to school in Uvalde, Tex., this week. In May, a gunman entered the school and killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers. Questions over safety, security and adequate student support have divided this small community and broken trust with the school district and law enforcement. Today, Arelis Hernández brings us the story of families struggling with these difficult back-to-school decisions as they try to recover from the unimaginable.

In the fourth episode of the “Broken Doors” podcast, we explore the minutes between approval for a no-knock warrant and a deadly raid. Read more:All this week on “Post Reports,” we’re airing episodes of the “Broken Doors” podcast, an investigative series about how no-knock warrants are deployed in the American justice system — and the consequences for communities when accountability is flawed at every level. Hosted by Jenn Abelson and Nicole Dungca.The fourth episode of this series is called “The blink of an eye.” In this episode, we head to Port Allen, La.On July 25, 2019, a Black man was killed during a no-knock raid on a motel room in Louisiana. His fiancee was also inside. An investigation into what led up to the fatal shooting reveals the speed with which it happened — and raises questions about electronic warrants, a relatively new technology being adopted by law enforcement agencies across the country.For any updates to the series since the podcast aired earlier this year, check out Monday’s Post Reports episode, “No-knock warrants, revisited.”

In the third episode of the “Broken Doors” podcast, we come face to face with a sheriff and a judge.Read more:All this week on “Post Reports,” we’re airing episodes of the “Broken Doors” podcast, an investigative series about how no-knock warrants are deployed in the American justice system — and the consequences for communities when accountability is flawed at every level. Hosted by Jenn Abelson and Nicole Dungca.The third episode of this series is called “‘You’re interrogating me.’” In this episode, we return to a rural county in Mississippi.After hearing from survivors of no-knock raids and learning about the deadly consequences, we put our questions directly to the sheriff and the judge who had allowed these raids in Monroe County. People in the community still live in fear as Ricky Keeton’s family continues their battle for justice.For any updates to the series since the podcast aired earlier this year, check out Monday’s Post Reports episode, “No-knock warrants, revisited.”

In the second episode of the “Broken Doors” podcast, a family confronts a sheriff after a deadly no-knock raid.Read more:All this week on “Post Reports,” we’re airing episodes of the “Broken Doors” podcast, an investigative series about how no-knock warrants are deployed in the American justice system — and the consequences for communities when accountability is flawed at every level. Hosted by Jenn Abelson and Nicole Dungca.The second episode of this series is called “‘Why y’all had to go in that way?’” In Episode 2, we return to a rural county in Mississippi.Around 1 a.m. on Oct. 28, 2015, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office hurled a battering ram into the home of Ricky Keeton to carry out a no-knock search warrant. After the raid turned deadly, Ricky’s family confronted the sheriff — and began secretly recording. For any updates to the series since the podcast aired earlier this year, check out Monday’s Post Reports episode, “No-knock warrants, revisited.”

An unusual warrant. A pattern of questionable no-knock raids. A reporting thread that just kept going. “Broken Doors” is an investigative podcast series from The Washington Post, hosted by Jenn Abelson and Nicole Dungca.Read more: No-knock warrants allow police to force their way into people’s homes without warning. What happens when this aggressive police tactic becomes the rule, rather than the exception? All this week on “Post Reports,” we’re airing episodes of the “Broken Doors” podcast, a six-part investigative series about how no-knock warrants are deployed in the American justice system — and the consequences for communities when accountability is flawed at every level. Hosted by Jenn Abelson and Nicole Dungca.Today, we have the first episode of this series, called “‘That’s what you get.’” In Monroe County, Miss., sheriff’s deputies burst through the front door of a man’s home as he slept. He said they pointed a gun at his head and ransacked his home in search of drugs and cash. The no-knock search warrant they used was threadbare. But that wasn’t the worst of it.For any updates to the series since the podcast aired earlier this year, check out Monday’s Post Reports episode, “No-knock warrants, revisited.”

Today on “Post Reports,” we revisit the use of one of the most intrusive and dangerous tools in policing: no-knock warrants. Read more: Two years after the death of Breonna Taylor, the Justice Department announced federal charges against four officers involved in her death. At the time, officers had a no-knock warrant for the young Black woman’s apartment. For Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, the Justice Department investigation represented a step toward justice for her daughter — but it was also a reminder of how much further police accountability has to go.Since this spring, and the release of the “Broken Doors” podcast, activists, local government leaders and national law enforcement officials have continued to scrutinize the use of no-knock warrants by police. Today on “Post Reports,” investigative reporters and “Broken Doors” hosts Nicole Dungca and Jenn Abelson bring us updates from across the country, revisiting fatal no-knock cases and weighing in on what’s happened in Kentucky since Taylor’s death. 

Today on “Post Reports,” Helena Andrews-Dyer on her new book, “The Mamas” and what it takes to be an authentic Black mother in a mostly White mom group.Read more:Washington Post culture writer Helena Andrews-Dyer talks about her latest book “The Mamas: What I Learned About Kids, Class and Race from Moms Not Like Me.”The book is a memoir of Andrews-Dyer’s personal experience of what it was like to be the only Black woman in her neighborhood’s mom group. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to join at first. “I think for me as a Black mother, immediately just instantly the image that comes up in your head is White women,” Andrews-Dyer said. “It's like strollers taking over the local cafe, going to baby yoga, baby music class in their yoga pants. It's just like all of these images and stereotypes pop into your head and you immediately think, as a Black woman and woman of color, ‘Oh, that's not for me.’”But in some ways, Andrews-Dyer writes, “I needed this space as much as they did.” Andrews-Dyer is a middle-class, Black professional woman living in a rapidly gentrified neighborhood in Washington, D.C., with two little girls and a husband. But she “had not seen a story about motherhood that looked like me. … And so I had to tell it.”“The Mamas” was released by Crown Publishing this week.

President Biden’s new plan to cancel some student loan debt will impact millions of Americans. On today’s “Post Reports,” we learn how this program works, what it means for the economy and why some people are unhappy with this approach. Read more:Millions of Americans rely on the federal government to cover the cost of college. Soaring tuition costs, higher enrollment and changes to the federal lending system have all contributed to the $1.6 trillion in outstanding federal student debt. This week, President Biden announced a plan to cancel up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for many borrowers, and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients.National higher education reporter Danielle Douglas-Gabriel provides a walkthrough of who qualifies for the plan and the arguments for and against this massive debt forgiveness.  

In the last days of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, a suicide bomber set off a blast at Kabul airport. It killed an estimated 170 Afghans and more than a dozen U.S. troops. Today, one year after the withdrawal, Pentagon reporter Dan Lamothe takes a closer look at the days leading up to that devastating blast and what happened in its aftermath. From a Marine in a scout-sniper team, to the top military commander who planned and directed the operation, today’s episode shares the stories of the U.S. service members who lived through the violent evacuation process. Some of these never-before-heard accounts offer a different and more nuanced picture than the story the U.S. government tells. 

On today’s “Post Reports,” how a car bombing in Moscow has become a flash point in the war in Ukraine, and what it could signal is coming next. Read more:On Saturday, Daria Dugina, the daughter of a far-right Russian nationalist, died in a car bombing in a Moscow suburb. Russia’s domestic security agency, the FSB, accused Ukraine of organizing the attack, which many think was intended for Dugina’s father, Alexander Dugin.  Ukraine denied any involvement. The killing has already created a new flash point, as Putin’s ally calls for “more than revenge” for his daughter’s killing and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns of a possible escalation in Russian attacks ahead of Ukraine’s independence day. Reporter Mary Ilyushina explains what this bombing could mean for the future of the war in Ukraine.

Today on Post Reports, how government officials in Iran cut corners to expedite a yet-unproven vaccine developed by a company close to the supreme leader. Read more:Last year, as Iranian regulators considered endorsing a locally developed coronavirus vaccine, a top health official issued a warning, saying the test results were insufficient, and the vaccine’s approval could undermine efforts to contain the deadly spread of covid throughout Iran.But the vaccine had influential backers – it was the highly touted project of a company called Barkat, part of a corporate empire close to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Business reporter Yeganeh Torbati reports that government officials cut corners to expedite the yet-unproven vaccine, even as the supreme leader barred the import of some Western-made vaccines, and imports of other vaccines encountered delays.

Today on “Post Reports,” the changing relationship between former president Donald Trump and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and what it could mean for the future of American politics. Read more:Rupert Murdoch has swayed global politics through his media empire for decades. His relationship with former president Donald Trump was regarded as one of his strongest alliances, with Trump dominating the conservative media outlets Murdoch owns. But as media reporter Sarah Ellison explains, Trump and the Murdochs were aligned for mutual benefit – and that dynamic could be changing. Correction: A previous version of this podcast mistakenly referred to 21st Century Fox instead of Fox Corporation. The Murdochs sold most of 21st Century Fox to Disney, and rebranded the assets they retained as Fox Corporation.

Today on Post Reports, how early mistakes by the Biden administration left gay and bisexual men facing the threat of an agonizing illness and the potential for broader circulation of monkeypox. Plus, an unintended consequence of overturning Roe.Read more:For two months, the Biden administration has been chased by headlines about its failure to order enough vaccine doses, speed treatments and make tests available to head off an outbreak that has grown from one case in Massachusetts on May 17 to more than 13,500 this week, overwhelmingly among gay and bisexual men. And 100 days after the outbreak was first detected in Europe, no country has more cases than the United States — with public health experts warning the virus is on the verge of becoming permanently entrenched here, Dan Diamond reports.Plus, later in the show: Abortion bans and restrictions are complicating access to drugs that treat rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and even cancer. Reporter Katie Shepherd says it’s because these drugs could be used to induce abortions. For patients, doctors, and pharmacies, that’s meant confusion, fear and painful choices.

Congresswoman Liz Cheney’s crushing defeat in Wyoming’s Republican primary on Tuesday. Plus, Alaska experiments with a new way to vote. Read more:Rep. Liz Cheney’s loss on Tuesday night wasn’t really a surprise — not even to her. As vice chair of the congressional committee investigating Jan. 6, she’s carved a new reputation as a voice of anti-Trumpism within the Republican party. But her constituents have rejected it. Politics reporter Amber Phillips explains what Cheney’s future could look like from here. And two years ago, Alaska adopted a new way of voting that seems to be gaining steam in other places across the country: ranking candidates. Experts say ranked-choice voting boosts the chances for candidates with a wider appeal. Phillips breaks down what this experimentation with a new voting system could mean. 

Today on “Post Reports,” why school districts across the country are facing a critical teacher shortage this fall. Plus, we meet some of the covid “super-dodgers.”Read more:As back-to-school season gets into full swing, many schools across the United States are still scrambling to hire teachers.Education reporter Hannah Natanson has been speaking with educators and administrators about why we’ve run out of people who are willing to teach and what this will mean for students.Then, meet the “super-dodgers” – the people who have never gotten covid-19. After an overwhelming response when she looked for sources, reporter Ellen McCarthy spoke to several people who have impressively avoided the coronavirus – or so they thought.

One year ago today, Kabul fell to the Taliban, ending two decades of war and U.S. occupation. Today on Post Reports, we take you to Afghanistan’s Helmand province, where a year of peace hasn’t healed old wounds or brought new opportunities.Read more:When the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan last summer and U.S. forces began a chaotic exit, the world watched in horror as people flooded the airport in Kabul, desperate to escape Taliban rule. But far from the capital city, in Helmand province, the news of Taliban victory was met with joy and relief. Helmand was home to some of the most gruesome fighting during the war, and people were ready for peace. Kabul bureau chief Susannah George reports on what life is like there now. At schools, markets, courts and health clinics, a degree of normalcy has returned to daily life – but the year has exposed the depths of Afghanistan’s trauma and laid bare the shortcomings of the Taliban government.

The newly unsealed search warrant for Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home lists potential crimes, including violating the Espionage Act. The Washington Post reported Thursday that the FBI was also looking for classified documents about nuclear weapons. Read more:On Friday afternoon, a judge unsealed the search warrant for the FBI’s search on former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. The warrant revealed the FBI went there looking for evidence of crimes, including mishandling defense information and the destruction of records. The receipt of what the agents seized includes four sets of top-secret documents, and seven other sets of classified information. But the day before, The Washington Post learned that classified documents related to nuclear weapons were among the items the FBI sought in the raid. Intelligence and national security reporter Shane Harris explains what type of information could be in these documents and why experts and the Justice Department are so concerned about it falling into the wrong hands. 

Billionaire Peter Thiel was one of Facebook’s first investors. Now, more than a decade later, Thiel is investing in a slate of right-wing candidates in the midterms. Reporter Elizabeth Dwoskin explains Thiel’s rise. Read More:Elizabeth Dwoskin reports on how Peter Thiel went from Facebook investor to an architect of the new American right. 

This week, Democrats had a surprise victory in the Senate, passing a $700 billion bill to fight climate change and lower health-care costs. This legislation is a big deal - but it’s not exactly what many Democrats were hoping for. Read more:The Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act on Sunday, and it’s expected to pass the House and become law. The landmark legislation contains climate measures, major changes to health care, tax hikes on corporations and dozens of other provisions. White House economics reporter Jeff Stein says that when the process started, “Democrats were hoping the bill would signal a New Deal-style era, where fundamental parts of the country’s economy and social fabric would change.” Those aspirations may not have been fulfilled, after compromises Democrats made to get the bill passed. But, Stein says, “it’s pretty much bigger than almost any other legislative efforts we’ve seen.” Stein breaks down what’s in the Inflation Reduction Act and how it could affect you as a consumer.The legislation has a provision that would offer rebates to subsidize the installation of a little-known, energy-efficient solution for cooling homes: heat pumps. The two-way air conditioners keep spaces cool in hot months and warm in cold months – and they’re much better for the environment than using traditional energy sources.Innovations reporter Pranshu Verma fills us in on why heat pumps are worth our attention.

Today on Post Reports, why the FBI searched former president Donald Trump’s Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, and what they’re looking for.Read more:On Monday, former president Donald Trump announced that his Palm Beach, Fla., home had been searched by the FBI. No former president has ever faced a search by federal investigators like this.This is the next step in an investigation of whether Trump took classified documents with him when he left the White House. The National Archives retrieved 15 boxes of documents from Mar-a-Lago earlier this year.Matt Zapotosky, an editor at The Post who formerly covered the Justice Department, explains what federal agents were looking for and the complex calculations behind the FBI’s search.

What we know about the often clandestine operation of how countries trade prisoners, and what that means for WNBA star Brittney Griner. And Jason Rezaian weighs the U.S. response to hostage-taking by hostile governments. Read more:With the sentencing of Brittney Griner last week, the clock started ticking on potential U.S. negotiations with Russia to secure the release of the WNBA star and another American, security consultant Paul Whelan. But how do prisoner swaps actually work? What are the considerations both countries have to weigh before agreeing? And what happens after a deal is made? Senior national security correspondent Karen DeYoung breaks down the ins and outs of prisoner swaps. Also, Post Opinions writer Jason Rezaian – who was released as part of a prisoner swap after spending 544 days in an Iranian prison – talks about the growing problem of Americans being taken hostage by hostile governments and what to expect in the Griner case. “I'm asked often if I'm for or against these kinds of exchanges,” he said. “My answer is, that's not the right question. The right question is … ‘What are we doing to deter hostage-taking in the first place?’”

On today’s “Post Reports,” a conversation with author Angela Garbes about her new book, “Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change.” Read more:In 2020, author Angela Garbes found herself at home taking care of her two daughters, clinically depressed and unable to write. It was a time when people were told to stay home, unless you were an essential worker. “But I remember sitting there being like, ‘What about me?’ ” Garbes told “Post Reports” editor Lexie Diao. “What about parents? What about mothers? Like, what we are doing is nothing less than essential. … The pandemic has exposed that without care, we’re lost.”Garbes’s new book is called “Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change.” The book examines the history of caregiving in America through the lens of the author’s own Filipinx identity, and makes the case that caregiving is an undervalued and overlooked labor that disproportionately relies on women of color.

What’s to blame for a summer of flight disruptions. And the legacy of pioneering “Star Trek” actress Nichelle Nichols.Read more:This summer has been filled with air travel issues: canceled flights, lost baggage, long lines. There’s been a lot of finger-pointing from airlines, at weather issues and short-staffed air traffic controllers, but federal data suggests the airlines themselves are to blame for many of the disruptions. Transportation correspondent Lori Aratani explains why airlines are still struggling to handle the demand for travel, and how to plan ahead when traveling. Nichelle Nichols, the actress best known for her role as Lt. Uhura in “Star Trek,” died last weekend at 89. David Betancourt discusses the road she paved for Black women in entertainment and the impact she had on the entire science fiction genre.

Today on “Post Reports,” we take you to a conservative-leaning steel town in Illinois grappling with its new role as home to the closest abortion clinics for many patients in the South and Midwest post-Roe.Read more:Granite City is a conservative-leaning community in Southern Illinois that’s seen layoffs at the local steel mill and had dozens of businesses close in recent years. But the city is now becoming known for something else: abortion. It’s home to the closest abortion clinics for many out-of-state patients across the South and Midwest who can no longer access the procedure where they live because of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe. v Wade. Granite City’s geography – it sits at the bottom of a blue state, surrounded by a sea of red states with abortion bans – means as many as 14,000 people are expected to come here for an abortion in the next year.That influx of abortion patients could infuse much-needed cash into the city. But some in Granite City are not comfortable hitching their economic fortunes to abortion.Abortion reporter Caroline Kitchener and audio producer Ariel Plotnick went to Granite City just days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. They talked to people in the community about what this post-Roe era could mean for their city. 

An abortion access victory in Kansas. Trump-backed candidates on the rise. What the results of Tuesday’s elections could mean for the midterms in the fall. Read more:Kansas voters delivered the first election win to protect abortion access since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Campaign reporter Hannah Knowles unpacks this surprising outcome — supporters of abortion rights overwhelmingly won — and what lessons it carries for the politics of abortion.At the same time, many candidates backed by former president Donald Trump and those who denied he lost the 2020 election prevailed in their primary races Tuesday. Hannah says the fall midterms are expected to be a red wave even as Democrats “hope that in the end, voters will just see these candidates as too extreme and especially see their kind of campaigns against democracy itself as too extreme.”

The killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the world’s most wanted terrorist, leaves al-Qaeda in a leadership crisis. But the drone strike ordered by President Biden also highlights new tensions with the Taliban one year after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.Read more:Ayman al-Zawahiri’s safe house in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, was targeted by a drone strike Saturday after months of planning, officials said Monday. And Zawahiri had been a U.S. target for more than two decades: He oversaw the 9/11 attacks alongside al-Qaeda’s founder, Osama bin Laden.“This is a victory for the president, no doubt,” national security reporter Shane Harris says on today’s episode of Post Reports. “But beneath that victory is the fact that the world's most wanted terrorist moved right into the capital city of the country that [Biden] ordered troops to leave last year.”

Rep. Peter Meijer was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, but back in his district a right-wing base on the rise hopes to punish him for his vote.Read More:Less than two weeks after arriving in Congress, one of Republican Rep. Peter Meijer’s first votes was to impeach former president Donald Trump after the events of January 6, 2021. Now, Meijer is fighting for his seat back home in his western Michigan district where supporters of the former president have mobilized in staunch opposition to the congressman. And despite bucking his party to stand with Democrats in impeaching Trump, Democrats trying to flip his seat blue have interfered in the primary to boost his opponent in the hopes of facing an easier opponent in the fall. Today on Post Reports, politics producer Arjun Singh takes us to western Michigan to understand the stakes of this Republican primary and explore just how strong Meijer’s opposition really is. Help us learn a little more about our listeners and take The Washington Post’s podcast survey here.

Today on “Post Reports,” we talk to tech columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler about how apps are spying on our kids — and what we can do to stop it. Read more:Geoff has been looking at tech from a consumer perspective in his series We the Users, and he says apps are spying on our kids at a scale that should shock you. More than two-thirds of the 1,000 most popular iPhone apps likely to be used by children collect and send their personal information out to the advertising industry, according to a major new study shared with Geoff by fraud and compliance software company Pixalate. On Android, 79 percent of popular kids apps do the same. On today’s show, Geoff tells us who the biggest offenders are, and what parents can do to protect their kids’ privacy online.

The story of a 10-year-old who crossed state lines for an abortion after Roe v. Wade fell sparked loud skepticism from media and politicians. Today, how local journalists uncovered the truth — and why the public rarely hears such abortion stories at all.Read more:When the Indianapolis Star published a story July 1 about a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio who was forced to travel to Indiana for an abortion because of new restrictions in her home state, it sparked a national frenzy. An indignant President Biden cited the story a week later as an example of extreme abortion laws, and his political opponents pounced. They suggested it was a lie or a hoax. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board concluded it was “too good to confirm,” and the Post’s Fact Checker cautioned it was “a very difficult story to check.” Ohio’s attorney general went further, calling it a “fabrication.”Meanwhile, local journalists went digging. Using shoe-leather tactics, reporters in Ohio and Indiana proved that the horrific story no one wanted to believe was indeed true. Today, media reporter (and frequent guest host) Elahe Izadi tells the story of how local journalists got the first big scoop of the post-Roe era, why the public rarely hears such abortion stories and the role local journalists play in documenting the consquencesof Roe’s fall.

Today on Post Reports, how the Justice Department is investigating former president Donald Trump’s actions surrounding the 2020 election. Plus, how same-sex marriage has become a bipartisan issue.Read more:This week, a Washington Post investigation revealed that the Justice Department is investigating former president Donald Trump’s conduct surrounding efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Devlin Barrett reports on what the investigation looks like and whether any criminal charges could result.In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Congress is considering a bill to protect same-sex and interracial marriage — two long-standing rights that some fear could be revoked by the court in the future. While the Senate still needs to vote on the bill, almost 50 House Republicans joined Democrats to approve it. Congressional reporter Marianna Sotomayor explains why some Republicans' views of marriage have changed, and the political calculations others could be making with their vote.

The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global health emergency over the weekend — leading to debate within the White House over whether the United States should do the same as case numbers continue to climb.Read more:The Biden administration is weighing whether to declare the nation’s monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency. As health policy reporter Dan Diamond explains, officials are hoping to make a decision this week – but the deliberations are complicated by politics. Monkeypox is the latest global health emergency. Here's what to know. As the United States confronts its largest-ever monkeypox outbreak, public health authorities navigate a delicate but familiar balancing act: how to warn gay men about their risk without fueling hate. This story was published last month during Pride.If you value the reporting you hear on the podcast, please subscribe to The Washington Post. That’s the best way to support the work we do. Go to washingtonpost.com/subscribe.

While the U.S. government is scrambling to lower inflation for Americans, there’s a growing concern about what rising interest rates means for the rest of the world, especially poorer countries. Read more:It has been said that when America sneezes, the world catches a cold, and White House economic reporter Jeff Stein says in this case, it could be much worse than a cold.“We're on the precipice of a tsunami of debt slamming into dozens, if not hundreds, of countries with rising interest rates in the U.S.,” Jeff said. “That could have tremendous consequences, tremendous humanitarian impacts, tremendous impacts for hunger across the globe.”As the Federal Reserve prepares to raise interest rates again this week, Jeff explains how poorer nations could suffer from the U.S. efforts to slow inflation. Can economic policymakers prevent a crisis?If you value the journalism you hear on this podcast, consider a subscription to The Washington Post. Go to washingtonpost.com/subscribe.

The House committee investigating Jan. 6 has wrapped up its first series of hearings. Today on “Post Reports,” a debrief on what we’ve learned about what happened behind-the-scenes that day, and what’s next for the committee.Read more:For over a month now, members of Congress have been calling witnesses and making the case that former president Donald Trump played a critical role in the attack on the Capitol. On Thursday night, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol held its last scheduled hearing this summer. But the committee is still interviewing potential new witnesses — and it’s not over till it’s over.Marianna Sotomayor, a congressional reporter for The Post, hosts today’s show and guides us through a conversation with political investigations reporter Rosalind Helderman. They discuss the big reveals from Thursday night’s hearing, as well as the big questions on Americans’ minds: What should we take away from all this? And how will these hearings shape our understanding of the insurrection and Trump’s role on Jan. 6?Also, take our quiz to test your knowledge on the Jan. 6 hearings.

Today on “Post Reports,” we talk about the end of a grand experiment: universal free school lunch. The program started to address childhood hunger early in the pandemic, but it's set to expire at the end of the summer.  Read more:For many school administrators, providing universal free meals has been a no-brainer. “The reason we like this program is that it takes all the shame out of all the kids that eat free lunch,” said Donna Martin, a school nutrition director in a rural county in Georgia where kids have had universal free lunch for years under a provision that allows districts with high concentrations of poverty to feed every child for free. “You try not to identify them, but everybody knows who eats free lunch. So, in my community, everybody eats lunch and there's no shame.”Education reporter Moriah Balingit explains what this program did, and why it’s going away now, despite how popular it is among schools. “The pandemic became sort-of this policy laboratory to try out things that a lot of progressives have wanted for a long time, like the Child Tax Credit and universal free lunches. And I think there was some hope, some optimism that these programs would continue. But, of course, as we saw with the Child Tax Credit and now we're seeing with the free lunches, they are being allowed to expire because there's not the political will to continue them.”

Today on “Post Reports,” how the rising cost of living is pushing many Americans into homelessness, even if they have good jobs. Read more:The sheriffs arrived at 6 a.m. in early June to tell Josanne English what she already knew: She was being evicted.She’d lost her job as a project manager near Sacramento in April, then fell behind on rent as $6-a-gallon gas and higher costs for food and utilities depleted her monthly budget. By the time she lost her home two months later, she owed $9,160 in rent and late fees, and her bank account was nearing zero.English never thought she would be in this situation. She made nearly $100,000 last year. But, economics correspondent Abha Bhattarai says, she’s not alone. “What's been striking this time around, just in conversations with families and also with homeless shelters and service providers, is that the people who are losing their homes now often have jobs. Sometimes they're even really good-paying jobs. But, you know, maybe their lease comes up for renewal. It's going up by 20 percent or 30 percent and they just can't afford that.”

Today on Post Reports, the 104-degree day that came years too soon in Britain. Plus, why President Biden is contemplating declaring a climate emergency in the U.S.  Read more:London correspondent Karla Adam takes us to a non-air-conditioned housing bloc in London on the hottest day ever recorded in Britain. One tenant tells her he’s unplugged the fridge because he’s scared it’ll catch fire. Plus, London bureau chief William Booth explains why Britain's heat wave is just the beginning of dangerously high temperatures.In the United States, President Biden has a goal to halve emissions by 2030. But since talks with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) stalled, Biden is considering taking executive action to bypass Congress. Tony Romm covers congressional economic policy, and he takes us through the rocky road ahead for the White House’s environmental agenda.

Today on “Post Reports,” the most comprehensive report to date on the Uvalde school shooting blames multiple “systemic failures” of law enforcement on the scene.Read more:On Sunday, a special committee from the Texas House of Representatives released the most exhaustive report yet on the May 24 mass shooting inside a Uvalde, Tex., elementary school. The mass shooting left 19 children and two teachers dead. The report spread blame on every law enforcement agency responding to the attack, faulting local police for mistakes and more experienced agencies for failing to take charge. Surveillance video was also released along with the report that showed the gunman entering the school. The video also shows law enforcement outside of the hallway where the shooter is; they appear to be waiting in the hallway for more than an hour. Texas correspondent Arelis Hernandez has been following the story and explains how the report found “systemic failures and egregious poor decision making” by the nearly 400 members of law enforcement on the scene and why agencies across the board are to blame.

Today, we join an elite police squad in Mexico trying to solve an immigration problem we don’t often hear about: American fugitives fleeing south across the border. Read more:The Mexican police squad is officially called the International Liaison Unit. But to locals, they’re known as “the Gringo Hunters.” This spring, Mexico City Bureau Chief Kevin Sieff rode along with this team as they worked to apprehend fugitives who fled American soil for the freer terrain of Baja California. What happens when “the Gringo Hunters” come face-to-face with a murder suspect? 

In a political party that has been criticized for its lukewarm response to the Dobbs decision, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan appears to stand out. We take you inside her fight — and her family’s — to protect abortion access in her home state.Read more:A year before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was already thinking about how to protect abortion rights in her home state. In particular, she was working to overturn a 1931 abortion ban that would go back into effect were Roe v. Wade ever ruled unconstitutional. Many in the party labeled her an alarmist for her messaging well before the Dobbs decision. But now, she’s considered ahead of the curve in the fight to protect abortion rights.As Whitmer prepares for her reelection campaign this November, her push for abortion rights will be one of the issues Michiganders will be judging her on in the polls. Ruby Cramer, a political enterprise reporter for The Post, spent time with Whitmer shortly after the Dobbs decision to better understand her unique presence — and her family’s — in politics.

A billionaire, a social media company and a lawsuit — the “epic” saga between Twitter and Elon Musk’s acquisition deal. Plus, NASA’s James Webb telescope captures galaxies light-years away.Read more:Twitter is officially suing Elon Musk, after the billionaire said he wanted to back out of a deal to buy the social media company. Silicon Valley correspondent Elizabeth Dwoskin has for months been following Musk’s threats to cancel the purchase, and she explains what this moment means for Twitter.The James Webb Space Telescope captured new images of galaxies that are light-years away. Producer Natalie Bettendorf spoke with Garth Illingworth, an astronomer at the University of California at Santa Cruz who helped create the telescope, about what Webb revealed — and the discoveries yet to come.

As the White House confronts multiple crises, some Democrats are openly questioning whether the president is capable of leading their party through a contentious midterm election.President Biden has been mired in low approval ratings for months. Despite coming into office with a bold vision to combat climate change, rising wealth inequality and political partisanship, Biden’s agenda has consistently faced obstruction from Republicans and even members of his own party. Meanwhile, a spate of mass shootings and the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe vs. Wade have left many Democrats feeling anxious that Biden lacks the political will to meet the moment and rally voters in time for victory in the 2022 midterm elections. White House reporters Yasmeen Abutaleb and Cleve Wootson join us today to share their insights on why voters and Democrats are feeling dissatisfied with Biden. Read more:Biden heads to Saudi Arabia this week after promising to make the country a “pariah.” But he is sending mixed signals about the trip, leaving the results uncertain.Biden sends every signal he’s running in 2024, even as skepticism grows among Democrats.As some Democrats grow impatient with Biden, alternative voices emergeRead Yasmeen’s article about how the Biden administration formed its response to the overturning of Roe v Wade.

Today on Post Reports, we dig into the findings of an explosive new report about Uber, and reveal the human cost of Uber’s quest for rapid growth.Read more:The Uber Files is an international investigation into the ride-hailing company’s aggressive entrance into cities around the world — while frequently challenging the reach of existing laws and regulations. Documents illuminate how Uber used stealth technology to thwart regulators and law enforcement and how the company courted prominent political leaders, Russian oligarchs and media conglomerates as it sought footholds outside the United States.The project is based on more than 124,000 emails, text messages, memos and other records that a former top lobbyist for Uber, Mark MacGann, provided to the Guardian. It shared the material with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which helped lead the project, and dozens of other news organizations, including The Washington Post. Journalists from 29 countries joined the effort to analyze the records over four months. Today, reporter Doug MacMillan tells the behind-the-scenes story of the tactics Uber used as the company expanded rapidly, and the human cost for drivers.