Post Reports

The FDA wants to propose putting labels on the front of food and drink packages in order to flag whether they are high in added sugar, saturated fat or sodium. The effort aims to help people make healthier choices and to address the nation’s exploding rates of diet-related diseases. The proposal could come as early as next month, but a fight with the food industry is already heating up. At the same time, some nutrition experts and lawmakers worry the FDA options under consideration are confusing and won’t be clear enough to protect Americans’ health.So, what could these labels even look like? Today on “Post Reports,” reporter Lauren Weber joins host Martine Powers to unpack the FDA efforts and how possible labels might compare with the front-of-package food warnings commonly found in other countries like Chile and Mexico. Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon, with help from Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Tracy Jan and Rachel Roubein. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

“Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake chat with national political reporter Michael Scherer about all of this week’s political news. They also dig into how last week’s first – and perhaps only – debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump is shaping voters’ perceptions of the candidates.Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy. Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Thousands of people were injured across Lebanon this week in back-to-back explosions of electronic devices – pagers, mostly – used by the militant group Hezbollah. Host Martine Powers speaks with Post correspondent Susannah George about what it’s like in Lebanon in the aftermath of these explosions and why they may portend an escalation of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon.Also, an update on the controversy over the 2024 Olympic medal stripped from Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled her coach did not initiate the decisive inquiry before the one-minute deadline. An investigation by The Post, which analyzed dozens of videos to examine the disputed inquiry, shows CAS ruled against Chiles based on time markers that don’t precisely match the sport’s protocol for inquiries.Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Emma Talkoff and Bishop Sand. It was mixed by Ted Muldoon and edited by Monica Campbell. Thanks to Jesse Mesner-Hage, Jenn Amur, Suzan Haidamous, Mohamad El Chamaa and Lior Soroka. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

In the past couple weeks, both former president Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (Ohio), have pushed unfounded claims about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating pets in the small city of Springfield, Ohio. The story got its start with a viral Facebook post and quickly made its way from far-right corners of the internet into the Republican mainstream. Since the presidential debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, during which Trump repeated these claims, the town of Springfield has been struggling with the sudden national attention. More than 30 bomb threats have been made in Springfield in the past week, and some members of the Haitian community are fearing for their safety. National correspondent Danielle Paquette traveled to Springfield last week to speak with Haitian immigrants about how their lives have changed since the debate, and today on “Post Reports,” Martine Powers talks with her about what she learned. Then, democracy reporter Sarah Ellison explains exactly how this conspiracy took root online and how it spread so quickly. Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Sean Combs was arrested Monday in New York, and today prosecutors unsealed the criminal indictment. The hip-hop impresario could face years in prison if found guilty. Meanwhile, Combs’s lawyers have called the persecution “unjust.” It all comes less than a year after the first public allegations against Combs emerged.Today on “Post Reports,” Martine Powers speaks with Style reporter Anne Branigin about the indictment against Combs, what he’s accused of and what it could mean for the music mogul.Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson, with help from Emma Talkoff and Lucas Trevor. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Reena Flores, with help from Monica Campbell. Thanks to Avi Selk and Lindsey Underwood. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Today, what we know about a possible second assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump. And, what this latest threat of political violence could mean for his presidential campaign.Read more:Yesterday, Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested on the suspicion of possibly trying to assassinate former president Donald Trump. Today, Routh was charged with two gun-related crimes.Host Martine Powers speaks with national political reporter Isaac Arnsdorf about what happened at Trump’s West Palm Beach, Fla., golf course on Sunday. And we unpack the potential implications for the presidential campaign.Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Bishop Sand. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Affirmations help alleviate stress and can make you emotionally and mentally stronger. Host Cristina Quinn talks to clinical psychologist Natalie Dattilo-Ryan about what kinds of affirmations are most effective. She lays out an exercise to help get you started with identifying the right kinds of statements to shore up your sense of self. Next, we dive into research on affirmations and stress levels with Carnegie Mellon University psychology and neuroscience professor David Creswell. Creswell’s work reveals how affirmations can activate the brain's reward system.For more on how to make affirmations work for you, read this from The Post’s Allyson Chiu.Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.To hear more, check out “Try This” wherever you listen to podcasts.

As students return to school, more states and districts are cracking down on cellphones. But not everyone agrees. On “Post Reports,” we hear how things look on the frontlines of this battle.Read more: A few years ago, Jennifer Rosenzweig’s high school students gave her a strange nickname: the “Bucket Lady.” That’s because Rosenzweig, an English teacher at Scarsdale High School in New York state, saw students increasingly on their cellphones, including in class, and having trouble focusing. Her solution? Have students drop their phones in a bucket before class. Today, Rosenzweig is no longer the sole phone cop at her school, which now has a caddy on every classroom door, with pockets that students drop their phones into as they enter.  New policies like this are spreading at schools throughout the United States, with pressure coming from teachers and parents who see phones as a distraction, an impediment to learning and a burden on students’ mental health.Host Martine Powers speaks with national education reporter Laura Meckler about the growing battle over phones in schools and the different opinions on the correct approach. Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff with help from Ted Muldoon and Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell. Thanks to Karina Elwood and Chastity Pratt. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Post Reports co-host Martine Powers talks with senior political reporter Aaron Blake about what each candidate needed to do in this debate to win over voters in an incredibly tight race. They also talk about whether a new endorsement from Taylor Swift could give Harris an edge.Note: An initial version of this episode had an incorrect reference to Springfield, Illinois rather than Springfield, Ohio. The error has been fixed.Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon and Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy. Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

In preparation for Tuesday’s debate between Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, “Post Reports” fact-checks the former president’s claims about crime and immigration. Read more: Crime is falling rapidly in many U.S. cities for the second year in a row. But the decrease in homicides and assaults has been largely ignored by Republican politicians like Donald Trump, who publicly blames his opponent Kamala Harris and other Democrats for what he claims is a surge in violent crime across the United States.Ahead of the first –– and probably only –– debate between Trump and Harris on Tuesday evening, reporter Devlin Barrett joins host Martine Powers to give some context to what we might hear on the debate stage when it comes to crime, policing and immigration. The teams behind “Post Reports” and “The Campaign Moment” will also be working late to get you an episode first thing tomorrow, breaking down the biggest moments of the debate and fact-checking some of the candidates’ answers. Keep an ear out for that episode.  Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Elana Gordon. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Just 36 hours after his 14-year-old son was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of four people at Georgia’s Apalachee High School, Colin Gray was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and four counts of involuntary manslaughter. Those are the most serious charges ever filed against the parent of an alleged school shooter.Host Martine Powers speaks with enterprise reporter John Woodrow Cox about how the speed and severity of the charges against Colin Gray mark a shift in school shootings in the United States.Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy, Sabby Robinson and Elana Gordon. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here. And here’s a link to our series “Surviving to graduation,” which dives deep into the role schools play in combating gun violence. 

“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with White House reporter and Kamala Harris expert Cleve Wootson about what Harris and Donald Trump need to do at next week’s debate. They also dig into Harris’s record fundraising numbers and how Harris hopes to help down ballot Democrats in key House and Senate races. Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy. Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.Recommended reading: How Democrats made Project 2025 one of their top anti-GOP attacksA louder voice in fighting abortion bans: Men in red statesBiden is suddenly seeing his best polls in years

What Michael B. Moore’s congressional race tells us about gerrymandering, and how a Supreme Court decision affects the future of American democracy.Read more:Businessman Michael B. Moore is running a surprising congressional campaign: He’s trying to win as a Democrat in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, a seat that is considered solidly Republican in this election cycle. While he won his primary race, it’s unlikely he’ll win the general election because of a recent Supreme Court decision on gerrymandering.Host Martine Powers speaks with voting issues reporter Patrick Marley about Moore’s race, and what it can tell us about the impact of a conservative Supreme Court on American democracy.Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been supported by prominent technology executives since the beginning of her political career. She has maintained many of her Big Tech connections while also pushing tighter privacy policies,but she has left her stance on breaking up powerful tech companies largely undefined. This is at odds with the Biden administration’s commitment  to antitrust enforcement, bringing lawsuits against companies like Google and Apple. Host Martine Powers speaks with Cat Zakrzewski, a national technology policy reporter for The Post, about how Harris is navigating her close ties to Silicon Valley, and what her approach to Big Tech may be if she becomes president.Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson, with help from Peter Bresnan. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Monica Campbell and Ariel Plotnick. Thanks to Cristiano Lima-Strong for his reporting. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

At the Pathways to Independence program in Kearny, N.J., disabled workers sort clothing hangers and unload boxes through work contracted with outside companies. One of those workers is 33-year-old Jaime Muniz, who has been there for 11 years and whose paycheck recently averaged about $1.28 per hour. “My payment is not going well,” Muniz told The Post’s disabilities reporter Amanda Morris. “And it's making our lives harder, a lot harder.”Yet paying workers with disabilities far below minimum wage is completely legal. Muniz is one of tens of thousands of workers with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are paid subminimum wages at facilities across the country. The labor program, sanctioned by federal law, is supposed to prepare workers for higher-paying jobs in the community, and while many families support them, Morris and her colleagues Caitlin Gilbert and Jacqueline Alemany found in a months-long investigation that they often lack oversight and accountability. Today, host Martine Powers speaks with Morris about what she heard from workers and their families, the future of this arcane law, and the growing scrutiny surrounding these programs.Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon with help from Sabby Robinson and Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Emily Codik, Caitlin Gilbert, Jacqueline Alemany, Lauren Gurley and Andrea Sachs. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

When Szu Yu Chen, a graphics reporter at The Washington Post, was covering this year’s Grammy Awards, she couldn’t help but notice how many nominated songs came in under three minutes. The more she looked into it – analyzing Billboard charts and interviewing artists – the more she realized this was a real trend. Meanwhile, when “Post Reports” audio engineer Sean Carter was working in a recording studio in Atlanta, he kept observing a similar shift, too.  Today, Carter guest hosts “Post Reports,” in conversation with Chen, exploring what’s driving this change in music, and what’s gained and lost as a result. Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon, edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Rennie Svirnovsky. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Jesse Dufton was born with a condition in which the light-sensing cells of his retina gradually deteriorated. This did not stop him from climbing with his family – bouldering by age 2, securing his own ropes by 5.  When Dufton went to public school and then university, he downplayed his vision problems as he became a better climber. Then he met Molly Thompson, who took note of his long hair that made him look like a mature student. The two grew closer and often climbed together. But even as the couple was falling in love, Dufton was losing all of his sight. Dufton and Thompson had to invent new ways of communicating to continue their love of climbing.  This story was written and read by Kevin Sieff. Audio production and original music composition by Bishop Sand.

“Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with White House reporter Yasmeen Abutaleb about Harris and Walz’s interview on CNN, new polling that shows continued Democratic enthusiasm, and an altercation between the Trump campaign and an employee at Arlington National Cemetery. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Ariel Plotnick. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, there has been a big uptick in the use of the powerful anesthetic ketamine to treat anxiety and depression. But after the death last year of actor Matthew Perry, star of the hit sitcom “Friends,” due in part to the effects of ketamine, doctors and government officials are reconsidering the drug’s widespread availability.On today’s “Post Reports,” Elahe Izadi speaks with reporter Daniel Gilbert, who has been following the ketamine boom for years. They talk about how ketamine became so widely accessible and about the uncertain future of the drug. Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan, with help from Emma Talkoff and Ali Bianco. It was edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

This is not the presidential race that former president Donald Trump prepared for. Today, we unpack the state of the Trump campaign, its struggles to adapt and its strategy to face a new opponent.Read more:This presidential race has taken several unexpected turns, especially for former president Donald Trump.Earlier this summer, the spotlight moved off of Trump as Vice President Kamala Harris jumped into the race. Now, the Republican nominee is crisscrossing the country to battleground states to recapture national attention.Host Martine Powers speaks with national political reporter Isaac Arnsdorf about the state of Trump’s campaign and how it's adapting to an entirely new opponent.Today’s show was produced by Ali Bianco, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Reena Flores and Monica Campbell and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Sean Sullivan and Erin Patrick O’Connor.Subscribe to The Washington Post here. And check out the latest story from health columnist Anahad O’Connor on how the avocado oil sold in some grocery stores may be fake.

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore were supposed to be on the International Space Station for eight days. But as the Boeing Starliner capsule they were in was approaching the space station, the spacecraft’s thrusters started to fail. Since then, Boeing and NASA have struggled to figure out what went wrong. NASA decided last week that the astronauts should stay put for eight months until they could come back in a SpaceX capsule. Host Martine Powers speaks with space industry reporter Chris Davenport about the plan to bring the astronauts home and what the repercussions of this mission will be on Boeing and future space travel. Today’s show was produced by Ted Muldoon, with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores. Ted also mixed the show. Thanks to Chris Rowland. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

When the state of New York became the first in the nation to require public schools to test their drinking water for lead in 2016, students learned that dozens of water fountains across the district were contaminated. Since then, a group of students and parents have banded together to fight for clean water in the schools.Host Martine Powers speaks with investigative reporter Silvia Foster-Frau about her reporting in the East Ramapo Central School District and what people everywhere need to know about keeping kids’ drinking water safe.Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff, with help from Bishop Sand. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell. Thanks to Rosalind Helderman. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Elahe Izadi, co-host of “Post Reports,” and senior political reporter Aaron Blake sit down with White House reporter Cleve Wootson at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to talk about the highlights from Harris’s speech. Harris focused on her middle-class upbringing and how she would protect abortion access and reproductive rights, and she cast herself as a candidate who would bring normalcy and competency to the White House. They also revisit the most memorable speeches of the four-day convention and look ahead to what the next two months might look like for Harris. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

As Ukraine continues to lose ground to Russia in the east of the country, President Volodymyr  Zelensky has quietly moved Ukrainian forces into Russia. Post correspondents have documented the operation and witnessed the Russian soldiers taken captive by Ukrainian forces in this surprise incursion. Additional Post reporting alongside Ukrainian forces revealed the state of Sudzha, a captured Russian town in western Russia. Host Martine Powers speaks with Ukraine bureau chief Isabelle Khurshudyan in Kyiv about why Ukraine advanced into Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s response, and what might happen to the people in this newly occupied area of Russia. Today’s show was produced by Bishop Sand, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy, Ali Bianco and Emma Talkoff. It was mixed by Sean Carter. The show was edited by Monica Campbell, with help from Reena Flores. Thanks to Jenn Amur, Jon Gerberg and Siobáhn O’Grady. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

On Aug. 5, following weeks of student protests and police violence that left hundreds dead, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India. The students have since worked with the country’s military to form an interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus. Soon after Hasina’s resignation, South Asia correspondent Karishma Mehrotra traveled to the capital city of Dhaka to speak to students, members of the new interim government and others. Martine Powers talks with Karishma about what she learned in Dhaka – and what comes next as this new government tries to make meaningful reforms. Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan, with help from Emma Talkoff. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell. Thanks to Anant Gupta and Rashad Ahamad. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Biden received a warm welcome at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday evening when he walked on stage to address his party. Thousands of Democratic delegates packed in the arena chanted “Thank you, Joe!” and pumped signs saying “We love Joe” as he gave his speech. “Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with White House reporter Matt Viser about Biden’s historic address and what the first night of the convention tells us about the current strength of the Democratic Party. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks also to Ariel Plotnick.Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The United States imposes more sanctions than any other country on Earth. Since the 1960s, sanctions have become a core element of U.S. diplomatic strategy, with countries like North Korea, Venezuela, Syria, Russia, China and Iran all being subject to these economic penalties. Today, Elahe Izadi speaks with White House economics reporter Jeff Stein about how the United States fell in love with sanctions, about whether the country’s current strategy is sustainable and about whether sanctions truly work as a diplomatic tool. Plus, Elahe reports from Chicago on the opening scenes of the Democratic National Convention.  Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy and Ariel Plotnick, with help from Trinity Webster-Bass. The show was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Reena Flores, with help from Lucy Perkins. Thanks to Mike Madden. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

On a hot June evening in 1964, Mickey Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman were ambushed by the Ku Klux Klan and killed as they left town.The atrocity became a seminal moment in the civil rights movement. Yet 60 years after the killings, some people in Philadelphia worry that the country is forgetting what was learned along the way. Others wonder what the past is owed — and for how long. They talked with Susan Levine this spring about their community’s painful legacy of racism.This episode was produced and mixed by Bishop Sand. It was edited by Lucy Perkins. Thanks also to Allison Michaels.

Senior political reporter Aaron Blake and congressional reporter Liz Goodwin talk with “Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers about the economic policies that Harris’s campaign unveiled Friday, and whether Democrats could win a trifecta in November and make those proposals reality. They also look ahead to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week, where President Joe Biden will address delegates after withdrawing from the race last month. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy. Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Florida is just one of a number of states where abortion rights will be on the November ballot. In Florida, voters will decide whether to pass Amendment 4, which would reverse Florida’s six-week abortion ban and put abortion protections in the state constitution.Grassroots organizers in Florida have been going door to door trying to get out the vote to pass Amendment 4. Some of these groups have been specifically targeting Latino voters, who organizers believe have been ignored by the Democratic Party. This summer, reporter Molly Hennessy-Fiske visited Florida to spend time with these organizers and see the kinds of conversations they were having with potential voters. Today on “Post Reports,” host Elahe Izadi speaks with Molly about what she learned in Florida about how abortion rights could shape the election. Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan, with support from Ali Bianco and Elana Gordon. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell, with help from Lucy Perkins. Thanks to Susan Levine. Additional reporting by Reshma Kirpalani.

Today on “Post Reports,” how a college track star’s gender transition changed her relationship to the sport she loves. And Post sports columnist Jerry Brewer on the efforts to include – or exclude – trans athletes from the wider world of sports.Read more:During the Paris Olympics, female boxers Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu Ting of Taiwan were falsely accused of being transgender, after the International Boxing Association claimed without evidence that the women had failed gender eligibility tests in a previous competition.The IBA is not recognized by the International Olympic Committee, which defended the women’s participation in the Olympics, and questioned the validity of the IBA’s tests. The outcry over both women’s participation – spread by prominent figures such as J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk – was a prime example of what sports columnist Jerry Brewer has called a “panic” over trans inclusion in sports in his “Grievance Games” series for The Post. “I think we think that sports is a place for everyone,” Jerry said. “But I think there's a myth of inclusion about sports. And I think that we have a long history of exclusion that brave people have had to fight through to make us more inclusive, to make us more diverse.”On today’s “Post Reports,” host Martine Powers speaks with Jerry about how the promise of sports as a national unifier has buckled under the pressure of grievance and division. And we hear from a college athlete – Sadie Schreiner – about what it takes to compete as a trans woman. You can read more stories from Jerry’s “Grievance Games” series, or listen to audio versions of each essay read by Jerry, at the links below: How grievance splintered American sportsThe fight over Jackie RobinsonThe panic over trans sports inclusionThe media’s role in fracturing sportsAlso mentioned in the show is a conversation between Russian writer, journalist and opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza – recently released from a Russian prison in the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War – and Post Opinions Editor David Shipley on Washington Post Live. You can hear them talk about Kara-Murza’s imprisonment, his historic release and press freedom on our opinion podcast, “Impromptu.” Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Peter Bresnan, with help from Lucy Perkins, and mixed by Sean Carter. Special thanks to Dan Steinberg and Donelle Wedderburn. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Bridgeview, Ill., just 30 minutes from downtown Chicago, is home to one of the largest concentrations of Palestinian Americans in the country. The town, nicknamed “Little Palestine,” traditionally votes Democratic. But now, ahead of the presidential election, residents are seriously reconsidering how they vote, because of President Joe Biden’s approach to the war in Gaza.Today, host Martine Powers speaks with White House reporter Yasmeen Abutaleb about Little Palestine, the broader rift in the Democratic Party over Gaza, and whether Vice President Kamala Harris changes the calculation for Muslim and Arab American voters. Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Naftali Bendavid.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

In a historic decision, a federal judge has ruled that Google is a monopoly and that the tech giant has been using its market power illegally to quash competition. The ruling marks one of the biggest wins for the Department of Justice over Big Tech in at least 20 years.Host Martine Powers speaks with tech policy reporter Eva Dou about the details of the case and how it could change Google. Also, what the decision could mean for other tech giants like Apple and Microsoft, as well as startups.Today’s show was produced by Ali Bianco, with help from Elana Gordon. It was edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Trinity Webster-Bass and James Graff.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Post Reports co-host Martine Powers sits down with senior political reporter Aaron Blake and Marianna Sotomayor, a congressional reporter covering the House of Representatives, to talk about House Democrats’ enthusiasm for Vice President Kamala Harris’s VP pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz – a former member of Congress himself. They also discuss takeaways from the primary loss of Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Walz’s military and governance record, and former president Donald Trump’s campaign event slowdown. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Allison Michaels, Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy. Thanks also to Trinity Webster-Bass.Subscribe to The Campaign Moment Newsletter here.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

For the first time, breaking – or breakdancing – will be an Olympic event. Since it originated in Black and Latino neighborhoods in the Bronx during the 1970s, it has spread worldwide, with competitions held in places like Brazil, Germany and Korea. Host Elahe Izadi speaks with Ronnie Abaldonado, a veteran breaker who’s been in some of the most famous breaking crews and judged international competitions for years. He explains how Olympic judges will score the breakers and whom he’s looking forward to watching. Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Monica Campbell and Ted Muldoon and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Jason Murray. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

TikTok, which says it has 170 million U.S. users, made it too easy for children to create accounts and then collected data on those who did — a major violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, known as COPPA, the Justice Department alleged in a lawsuit on Friday. But tech companies collecting and selling data from users goes far beyond TikTok — and affects everyone.Post Reports co-host Martine Powers speaks with technology reporter Drew Harwell about why the Justice Department is suing TikTok for storing the data of millions of children. And she talks with NOTUS investigative reporter Byron Tau, who shares all of the ways that apps gather information on us — and sell that information to law enforcement and governments.Plus, learn how sea lions are mapping the ocean floor with cameras attached to their backs. Check out the video here.Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff and Trinity Webster-Bass. It was edited by Reena Flores, with help from Arie Plotnick, and mixed by Sean Carter and Rennie Svirnovskiy.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers sits down with senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post's Campaign Moment newsletter. They talk about why Vice President Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, his strengths and weaknesses, and how he compares with the GOP’s vice president pick, JD Vance.Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks also to Trinity Webster-Bass. Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The U.S. women’s basketball team is a dynasty – and it didn’t need Caitlin Clark. Host Ava Wallace talks with columnists Candace Buckner and Jerry Brewer about that and drama on the track. Plus: How NBC brings the sounds of the Games to your living room.Subscribe to Ava’s newsletter here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Joe Tone.

It has been one week since Venezuela’s presidential election. Both sides have claimed victory – but a review of the tallies collected by the opposition paints a different picture.In the hours and days after the election, independent observers and world leaders called on President Nicolás Maduro to publish the voting records and corroborate his claims of winning. Meanwhile, the opposition, led by Edmundo González and María Corina Machado, has collected thousands of receipts – printed voting tallies – that point to what could be the largest electoral fraud Venezuela has ever seen.Host Martine Powers speaks with Bogotá bureau chief Samantha Schmidt about the fallout of the election and how The Post analyzed these voting tallies to determine what happened in the election. Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson and Ali Bianco. It was edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Steven Rich, Ana Vanessa Herrero, Maria Lusia Paul, Matt Brown and Abha Bhattarai. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

For much of his childhood, Mike Lindgren said, he parroted his mother’s right-wing opinions without question. But after Mike failed several classes as a freshman in public high school, his mother, Jennifer Lindgren, sent him to a private boarding school that promised a hands-on, “inclusive” approach to learning. There, surrounded by teachers and classmates he described as liberal, Mike said he grew more curious about his peers’ worldviews — and correspondingly less sure of his own.Jennifer fought more with Mike after he went away to Ithaca College, and they spoke less. Then, after not seeing Mike for months, Jennifer traveled to Ithaca College for her son’s graduation. Could they accept each other, even if they didn’t understand each other anymore?This story is part of our Deep Reads series, which showcases narrative journalism at The Washington Post. It was written and read by Hannah Natanson. Audio narration comes from our partners at Noa, an app offering curated audio articles.

In an interview with panelists at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago, former president Donald Trump questioned Vice President Harris’s racial identity, saying she only recently started calling herself Black. Also, the leader of Project 2025, the controversial right-wing policy group, is stepping down. And the Harris campaign has hit some major fundraising goals and is expected to announce her running mate any day now.Plus, read The Post’s exclusive investigation into a secret probe into whether Trump took money from Egypt here.Co-host Martine Powers talks with reporters Issac Arnsdorf, who covers Trump, and Tyler Pager, who covers the White House, about what to make of it all.Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy. Thanks also to Ali Bianco.Subscribe to The Campaign Moment Newsletter here.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Today, we hear about the secret negotiations that led to an extraordinary prisoner swap on Thursday. Among the freed: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, other Americans, Russian dissidents – and a convicted assassin. Read more:On Thursday, the biggest exchange of prisoners since the height of the Cold War took place.The quiet negotiations took months between the U.S., Russia and several European nations. Among the at least two dozen people freed was Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, detained in Russia on charges of espionage in 2023. Also, Paul Whelan, a former Marine who had been imprisoned in Russia for more than five years. Russian dissidents, along with a convicted Russian assassin, were also among those freed.  Host Martine Powers speaks with national security reporter Shane Harris about the buildup to this landmark prisoner swap, how it unfolded in these final hours and what the U.S. gave up to make it happen.Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Sabby Robinson and Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Monica Campbell, with support from Reena Flores. It was mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Jennifer Amur and David Herszenhorn.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

On Wednesday, Hamas’s No. 1 political leader outside of Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Iran. As the impact of his death ripples around the world, the assassination risks making the already deadly conflicts in the Middle East a lot worse.Host Martine Powers speaks with Steve Hendrix, The Post’s Jerusalem bureau chief, to understand how this apparent assassination has compounded fears of a larger war in the Middle East – and what could prevent it.Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff, with help from Sabby Robinson and Ali Bianco. It was edited by Reena Flores, with help from Monica Campbell, and it was mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Jenn Amur and Erin Cunningham. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

For years, the United States and Australia have duked it out for dominance in the Olympic swimming pool. Now, with U.S. legend Michael Phelps retired and Katie Ledecky slipping in some races, it might be Australia’s turn at the top of the podium.The Washington Post’s Ava Wallace speaks with Post reporters Dave Sheinin and Rick Maese about the newest stars in the pool this year and which races not to miss.Subscribe to Ava’s newsletter here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Joe Tone. 

This month, Earth hit its hottest days recorded in history. But even on the warmest days, millions of workers in the U.S. labor in heat that is increasingly hazardous to their health.This month, the Biden administration proposed a rule that, for the first time, would protect such workers, whether their jobs are indoors or outdoors. The proposal sets out two heat index triggers that would apply nationally and require employers to offer drinking water, among other safeguards.Yet some employers, in areas such as agriculture, construction and tourism, are resisting the changes, arguing that they would make their sectors less competitive.Today on “Post Reports,” Elahe Izadi speaks with climate change reporter Anna Phillips about the federal government’s efforts to protect workers.Today’s show was produced by Trinity Webster-Bass, with support from Elana Gordon. It was edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

In December 1982, the Police flew to the Caribbean island of Montserrat to record their fifth album. The executives at A&M Records were excited. A year earlier, the trio had generated hit singles like “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Spirits in the Material World.” Suddenly, they were filling arenas.But the atmosphere in the recording studio quickly turned sour. Guitarist Andy Summers sniffed at lead singer Sting’s demo of “Every Breath You Take” as cheesy pop. Drummer Stewart Copeland bristled when the singer tried to give him orders. And Sting, who had been contemplating going solo, was tired of pretending this was still a democracy: Why were they arguing about whose songs were best? Wasn’t it obvious? This oral history, including interviews with Sting and the other members of the band, takes listeners inside the making of “Synchronicity,” one of the most popular records of the 20th century – and what eventually tore the band apart.

Post Reports co-host Martine Powers sits down with senior political reporter Aaron Blake and Maeve Reston, a national political reporter covering the 2024 presidential race. They talk about how Vice President Harris may tackle the Israel-Gaza conflict, new polling on the Harris-Trump matchup, and how Gen Z influencers and memes may engage young voters and buoy Harris’s campaign. Today’s episode was produced by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy. Thanks also to Trinity Webster-Bass and Drew Harwell.Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

On Friday, more than 8.5 million Microsoft computers around the world shut down.The tech outage threw our most essential systems into chaos. Airlines delayed or canceled flights. Hospitals turned away non-emergency patients. Banks, businesses, courts, government offices – all were faced with blank, inactive computer screens that many cal the “blue screen of death.” The culprit? A software update pushed to Windows devices by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.Host Elahe Izadi speaks with technology reporter Joseph Menn about what happened inside CrowdStrike, and what this incident tells us about the state of the cybersecurity industry.Today’s show was produced by Ali Bianco, with help from Sabby Robinson and Trinity Webster-Bass. It was edited by Reena Flores and Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to James Graff.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

There are a lot of questions heading into the Summer Olympics: Is Paris prepared to host the Games? Who are the star athletes this year? What exactly is a “horsey passport”? The Washington Post’s Ava Wallace speaks with Post sports columnist Jerry Brewer and sports feature writer Rick Maese about those questions and more in the first episode of The Sports Moment which we're sharing with you this morning. After you listen, look up the show and hit follow to hear more from Ava and the rest of our team in Paris. Subscribe to Ava’s newsletter here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Joe Tone, Allison Michaels and Renita Jablonski.

This is a special episode of The Campaign Moment dedicated to answering the questions on everyone’s minds about what happens next now that Harris is the Democrats’ potential nominee.Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post's new Campaign Moment newsletter, and Colby Itkowitz, who covers voting and elections on the democracy team, sit down with Post Reports co-host Elahe Izadi. They talk about how Harris polls against Trump, what it means for her to take over a campaign that was designed for President Biden, and how the GOP is reacting to her campaign.Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy. Thanks also to Trinity Webster-Bass.Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.