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Dispatches from the final days of the campaigns Oct 31, 2024

Show notes

In the final days of a presidential election that polls show as extremely close, we wanted to know how supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump are feeling.

Our host Martine Powers and producer Emma Talkoff went to Harris’s rally on the Ellipse in D.C. while producer Elana Gordon went to a Trump rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Today, we bring you dispatches from these two rallies that happened on the same day a week before the election.

Also, we’re highlighting a Halloween story. The Post has reported on eco-friendly ways to get rid of a pumpkin. Tips include composting it or even smashing it.

Today’s show was reported and produced by Martine Powers, Emma Talkoff, Elana Gordon and Ted Muldoon, who also mixed the show. It was edited by Renita Jablonski and Maggie Penman. Thank you to Monica Campbell, Bishop Sand, Sabrina Rodriguez and Ariel Plotnick.

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The border city where Trump is gaining Latino voters Oct 30, 2024

Show notes

San Luis, Arizona, has a population of around 40,000 people. Most still vote for Democrats, if they vote. But in the 2020 presidential election, Democrats saw their advantage drop by 36 percentage points here since 2016.

This swing is one indicator of the inroads Republicans have made in recent years in traditional Democratic strongholds, gains that former president Donald Trump hopes will propel him back into the White House. That strategy relies on winning over young, non-college-educated men.

We meet a family in San Luis, where debates over whom to vote for dominate the dinner conversation, and we travel to other key swing states where Latino men are aligning with the GOP to better understand this emerging political trend.

Host Martine Powers speaks with voting reporter Sabrina Rodriguez about her reporting on Latino communities in battleground states, and they also break down the fallout from racist and sexist remarks at a recent Trump rally in New York City.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff, with help from Sabby Robinson. It was mixed by Sam Bair. It was edited by Monica Campbell, with help from Maggie Penman and Reena Flores. Thanks to Nick Baumann.

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She said she miscarried. Then she was arrested. Oct 29, 2024

Show notes

Patience Frazier said she had a miscarriage in April 2018. A month later, police were at her door, asking about a Facebook post and a cross in her backyard. Today, the story of Frazier, and what happens when someone is prosecuted under an abortion law.

Patience Frazier was charged with manslaughter under an abortion law from 1911. It was a rare instance of a woman who sought an abortion facing prosecution.

Host Martine Powers is joined by reporter Caroline Kitchener to talk about Frazier’s story, the aftermath of her arrest, and the sheriff’s deputy who pushed for her prosecution.

Today’s episode was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, and edited by Reena Flores. It was mixed by Ted Muldoon.

Thanks to Peter Wallsten, Bishop Sand and Lucas Trevor.

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What Harris and Trump plan to do about housing costs Oct 28, 2024

Show notes

Former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have made vastly different proposals to address the housing shortage. Harris says that her administration will provide incentives to get millions of homes built while helping first-time homebuyers with their down payments. Trump says that deporting large numbers of undocumented immigrants will free up more housing for Americans, an idea that has been widely debunked by economists.

Host Elahe Izadi speaks with housing reporter Rachel Siegel about why housing has become such a hot topic this election season, and whether either candidate's plans are feasible.

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson, with help from Bishop Sand. It was mixed by Sam Bair and edited by Peter Bresnan, with help from Lucy Perkins. Thanks to Sam Fortier and Mike Madden.

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Presidential: The presidents who’ve tried to win back the White House Oct 26, 2024

Show notes

In the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, host Lillian Cunningham created the “Presidential” podcast, with one episode dedicated to each of the (at the time) 44 U.S. presidents. Now, in the thick of the 2024 election, Lillian is back. This is the second of two special “Presidential” podcast episodes released in advance of the presidential election on Nov. 5. The episodes examine how the candidates, former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, could make history if they win. This episode focuses on the history and precedent surrounding Trump’s run, as a former president hoping to retake the office.

Library of Congress archivist – and “Presidential” fan favorite – Michelle Krowl talks with host Lillian Cunningham about the long history of American presidents seeking reelection after their tenure has ended, unspooling the stories of the six previous men to try it. Only former president Grover Cleveland was successful, but all of their efforts offer parallels and lessons for today.

Want to brush up on more presidential history? Listen to the full “Presidential” podcast. Host and creator Lillian Cunningham takes listeners on an epic historical journey through the personality and legacy of each American president. The podcast features interviews with the country’s greatest experts on the presidency, including Pulitzer Prize-winning biographers Doris Kearns Goodwin, David McCullough, Jon Meacham and Bob Woodward.

Archival audio in this episode is courtesy of the Library of Congress and the G. Robert Vincent Voice Library at Michigan State University.

The Campaign Moment: The Elon Musk effect Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

Over the past few months, Elon Musk has heavily invested in the Trump campaign. Musk is hosting rallies in swing states, giving out million-dollar checks to registered voters in those states and organizing canvassers. Billionaires donating to presidential campaigns is nothing new, but Musk is putting much more than money into the race.

Elahe Izadi speaks with technology reporter Trisha Thadani and national political reporter Michael Scherer about Musk’s political influence.

Today’s show was produced by Eliza Dennis and Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair.

The Campaign Moment newsletter is here.

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How Trump would fight a 2024 election loss Oct 24, 2024

Show notes

The morning after the 2020 election, then-president Donald Trump prematurely declared victory and claimed that a “fraud” was being perpetrated on the American public. He would go on to wage a campaign against the 2020 results, which culminated in rioters storming the U.S. Capitol.

Now, with Trump back on the ballot, experts are concerned that Trump and his allies may use the same playbook they did in 2020 to challenge the 2024 results. Trump has already suggested that the 2024 election would be stolen from him and has continued to press baseless claims about election fraud.

Today on “Post Reports,” Martine Powers speaks with reporter Patrick Marley about how Trump tried to contest the 2020 results, what has changed in the past four years, and what may play out in 2024.

Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan, with help from Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Monica Campbell, with help from Ariel Plotnick. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Jenna Johnson.

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The union workers who could determine the election Oct 23, 2024

Show notes

This year, several large unions withheld their endorsements for a presidential candidate – a move that upset Democrats, because the majority of unions have always endorsed Democratic candidates. This was reflective of a shift that’s been happening since the 2016 election, with more and more union members moving to the right.

This division was on display when labor reporter Lauren Kaori Gurley visited the Ford auto plant in Wayne, Michigan, a factory in a critical swing state. Workers told her that they listen to MSNBC and Joe Rogan while they work and wear shirts in support of former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Some said they were still undecided.

Host Martine Powers spoke with Lauren about why this shift to the right has happened and what workers at the auto plant told her about how they’re deciding whom to vote for.

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson, with help from Emma Talkoff. It was mixed by Sean Carter. And edited by Reena Flores, with help from Monica Campbell. Thanks to Mike Madden.

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This podcast was made by humans Oct 22, 2024

Show notes

In recent months, rapid advances in AI audio technology have made it possible to clone any voice, chat with artificial versions of celebrities like Judi Dench, and make a podcast on any topic in minutes.

Those developments have raised ethical questions, opening the door for election disinformation and scams. And they’ve also raised philosophical questions about what complex constellation of qualities allows us to relate to a voice.

Martine Powers speaks with technology columnist Geoffrey Fowler about how Silicon Valley is attempting to re-create the human voice – and where they’re falling short.

Also mentioned in today’s show: How to spot AI-generated “deepfakes” of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff with help from Elana Gordon. It was edited by Peter Bresnan with help from Monica Campbell and mixed by Sean Carter.

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Hamas's top leader is dead. What happens now? Oct 21, 2024

Show notes

Hamas’s leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces last week. The Israeli government had been searching for Sinwar ever since he helped orchestrate the deadly Oct. 7 terror attacks last year. While some celebrated Sinwar’s death – and see this moment as a potential catalyst for a ceasefire – Sinwar’s supporters see him as a martyr,

Today, host Martine Powers speaks with The Post’s Jerusalem bureau chief, Steve Hendrix, about who Sinwar was, the fallout from his death, and whether it changes the likelihood of an end to the war in Gaza.

It was produced by Sabby Robinson with help from Emma Talkoff and Bishop Sand. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick, with help from Reena Flores. Thanks to Jesse Mesner-Hage, Ahemed Shehata and Lisa Jacobson.

Listen to the latest update in the “Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop” series here.

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