Post Reports

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DOGE’s PR crisis Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

For weeks, Americans have watched as Elon Musk and the U.S. DOGE Service have slashed at the federal bureaucracy, making drastic cuts to agency budgets and the federal workforce.

And while President Donald Trump has made clear that he supports Musk, DOGE’s efforts have sparked concern among many senior Trump advisers, civil servants and everyday Americans. That has left DOGE, which stands for Department of Government Efficiency, hunting for wins.

Today on “Post Reports,” The Post’s DOGE reporter Faiz Siddiqui joins host Colby Itkowitz to discuss how DOGE is responding to external pressure and what Tuesday’s White House press conference-turned-sales pitch for Tesla says about other pressures Musk could face.

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Mike Madden.

Are you a snacker? This week, health columnist Anahad O’Connor published a deep dive into what makes a healthy packaged snack. He analyzed the labels and ingredients on different ultra-processed crackers, jerkies and protein bars and came away with a great guide to the healthiest options. You can find his recommendations at washingtonpost.com/snacks.

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The ICE arrest of student activist Mahmoud Khalil Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil helped organize protests at the university against the Israel-Gaza war last spring. Khalil, who is a legal permanent resident of the United States, according to his lawyers, was detained over the weekend by immigration officers was detained by immigration officers and accused by the Trump administration of sympathizing with Hamas terrorists. So far no evidence of this has been reported.

Immigration reporter Maria Sacchetti speaks with host Colby Itkowitz about Khalil’s arrest and what it could signal about how this administration will treat activists and immigrants.

Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Jenna Johnson.

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Where’s Martine?

Is Trump leading us into a recession? Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

In an interview broadcast on Sunday, President Donald Trump declined to rule out that Americans could see a recession this year as the economy stutters from his efforts to impose tariffs and cut down the size of the federal government.

He told Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo, “I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition, because what we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America. That’s a big thing.”

Today on “Post Reports,” economics correspondent Abha Bhattarai joins host Colby Itkowitz to talk about the economic indicators informing the Trump administration, how businesses and consumers are handling inflation, and whether we’re headed toward a recession.

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sam Bair.

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Where’s Martine?

A message from Martine Mar 08, 2025

Show notes

Our beloved senior host, Martine Powers, is stepping away from the microphone for a bit to cover the White House and then take on a longer-term assignment. Tune in to today’s bonus episode to hear more, and get to know our guest co-host for the next few months, Colby Itkowitz.

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So… are we going to Mars? Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

As Elon Musk leads a project to drastically remake the federal government, one goal might be fueling it all: getting to Mars.

It’s an objective that President Donald Trump seems to share. In his inaugural address on Jan. 20, Trump promised that the U.S. would “pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.”

But what are the obstacles to get to the Red Planet?

Host Martine Powers speaks with space reporter Christian Davenport about the U.S. ambitions to get to Mars — and how the country, along with private space companies, could actually get there.

Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Reena Flores with help from Renita Jablonski and Maggie Penman.

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Trump's chilling effect on medical research Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

The National Institutes of Health is a sprawling and complex institution that supports the work of hundreds of thousands of scientists at universities and labs across the country.

Since Trump’s inauguration that work has been stymied by confusion and uncertainty – potentially delaying or even preventing important medical research.

The Post’s science reporter Carolyn Johnson has been reporting on the turmoil at NIH and talks to Martine about how it could impact a generation of scientists.

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff and Elana Gordon. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sam Bair. Elana Gordon contributed reporting.

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Trump’s defiant speech to Congress Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

Senior political reporter Aaron Blake breaks down the speech with senior White House correspondent Naftali Bendavid and Democracy reporter Colby Itkowitz. They fact-check Trump’s DOGE claims and explain the political consequences Trump could face for his tariffs.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins with help from Rachel Van Dongen and mixed by Sam Bair.

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This episode has been updated to clarify that the Trump administration has said Elon Musk is not the head of DOGE. An earlier version of the episode included a misstatement where the names "Musk" and "Trump" were swapped.

Inside Texas’s growing measles outbreak Mar 04, 2025

Show notes

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. It was eliminated in the United States 25 years ago because of an effective vaccine. While cases periodically pop up, a growing wave of vaccine skepticism is giving this old virus new traction.

Health reporter Fenit Nirappil and “Post Reports” producer Elana Gordon recently traveled to the heart of this growing outbreak, which officials say may take months to get under control.

Today, Martine Powers speaks with Fenit about the state of the Texas outbreak; we hear from a mom whose unvaccinated child recently got measles and from a pediatrician who has cared for hospitalized patients.

Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon, who also contributed to this report. It was edited by Peter Bresnan with help from Reena Flores and Maggie Penman, and mixed by Sam Bair. Thank you to Lenny Bernstein.

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What happened after Trump kicked Zelensky out of the Oval Office Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

On Friday, Zelensky and Trump met for what was expected to be a tense but uneventful meeting before signing a natural resources agreement that was seen as the first step to a peace deal with Russia. Instead, cameras captured a blow-up – Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful and said he was “gambling with the lives of millions of people.”

Since then, European leaders have redoubled support for Ukraine – while the Kremlin proclaimed that the Trump administration is “largely aligned” with Moscow’s vision.

Martine Powers speaks with White House reporter Michael Birnbaum about how the meeting fell apart and where Zelensky might go from here.

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff with help from Bishop Sand. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Sam Bair.

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A Trump-Zelensky blow up, a spending bill, anger at Musk Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

Some House Republicans are getting nervous. They’re worried that passing President Donald Trump’s budget proposal could mean cuts to popular programs like Medicaid. They’ve also gotten an earful from voters angry at Elon Musk who are packing congressional town halls.

Senior politics reporter Aaron Blake unpacks the drama with congressional reporter Marianna Sotomayor and congressional economics correspondent Jacob Bogage.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Ted Muldoon.

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