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The Supreme Court granted Trump broad immunity. What now? Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

Today, the Supreme Court announced a ruling that could change the limits on presidential power.

In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that the president is immune from prosecution of any criminal acts committed in an official capacity during his tenure. The ruling, however, sends the case back to the lower court to determine what counts as an official act and what doesn’t.

Martine Powers speaks with reporter Devlin Barrett about the complexities of presidential immunity, what this means for former president Donald Trump and his indictment on charges of election interference, and the potential impact for future presidents.

Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan, with help from Laura Benshoff, Trinity Webster-Bass and Ali Bianco. It was edited by Reena Flores, with help from Lucy Perkins, and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Debbi Wilgoren.

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The Campaign Moment: Dems in panic mode after the debate Jun 28, 2024

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It’s a special early Friday edition of The Campaign Moment. We’re in your feed first thing today after Post Reports co-host Martine Powers and senior political reporter Aaron Blake went into the studio shortly after the debate ended. Aaron says it’s one of the most significant moments of the campaign so far. He and Martine talk through Biden and Trump’s performances, which had Biden noticeably stumbling at times and Trump basing many answers around falsehoods that were left unchallenged by the CNN moderators. Aaron explains the tough questions in front of Democrats now and what this could mean for a buoyed Trump campaign.

Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Renita Jablonski.

Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.

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She's a U.S. citizen, he's undocumented: A love story. Jun 27, 2024

Show notes

Last week, President Biden announced an executive action that could change everything for DACA recipient Javier Quiroz. But it could all be undone in November. Today, we discuss Biden’s and former president Donald Trump’s takes on immigration.

Once again, immigration is a big focus on the presidential campaign trail. President Biden’s recent policies restricting asylum aim to decrease migration at the southern border. He also recently issued an executive action that assists undocumented spouses who want to apply for U.S. residency. Former president Donald Trump proposes employing the military to deport migrants en masse, among other hard-line measures.

Among those watching how this will all play out is Javier Quiroz, an undocumented immigrant who has lived most of his life in the United States. His wife and high school sweetheart, Haleigh, is a U.S. citizen. They found it difficult to plan ahead in their life together –– until last week, when Biden announced the executive action that would change everything for them.

Martine Powers speaks with immigration reporter Maria Sacchetti about Javier and Haleigh Quiroz and their love story. They are among the more than 500,000 couples whose lives could change under Biden’s new policy. But come November, their lives could change back depending on who becomes the next president.

Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Ali Bianco and Trinity Webster-Bass. It was mixed by Sean Carter, and edited by Monica Campbell. Thanks to Dominic Anthony Walsh.

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How bullying shaped the surgeon general's fight against social media Jun 26, 2024

Show notes

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has been at the forefront of a movement to scrutinize the impact of social media and its potential harms. Last week, he called for placing tobacco-style warning labels on social media platforms to alert users that the platforms can harm children’s mental health.

Today, host Martine Powers talks to Murthy about what social media is doing to children and what type of effect warning labels could have on the issue. Plus, we talk about his latest advisory declaring gun violence a public health crisis.

Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter. Thank you to Stephen Smith.

If you liked this episode, check out this week’s episode of “Impromptu”; journalists on the Post’s Opinions desk talk about smartphones, anxiety about teen mental health, and whether warning labels on things like social media could actually work.

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Why Mexico City is worried about Day Zero Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

These days, there’s one thing that Raquel Campos isn’t taking for granted: water. Back in January, the taps went dry in her apartment in Mexico City. At first, she thought it was just her building, until she realized far more of the city was experiencing the same dilemma.

Mexico City is experiencing one of the worst droughts in its history. That, along with other factors such as leaky infrastructure, has left the capital’s critical Cutzamala water system dwindling to record lows. Throughout June, it has hovered at about 26 percent of its capacity. Water scarcity is affecting both lower-income and wealthy neighborhoods.

Today on “Post Reports,” host Elahe Izadi speaks with weather and climate reporter Kasha Patel about Mexico City’s water crisis and how the city – along with other parts of the world – is trying to tackle these challenges.

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Sean Carter.

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The fall of Alex Jones and his conspiracy empire Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

Soon after the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, in which 20 children and six adults were murdered, Infowars’ Alex Jones began to push the false idea that the tragedy was a hoax perpetrated by the U.S. government to promote gun restrictions. So a group of parents decided to sue Jones for defamation, and in 2022 they were awarded a $1.5 billion settlement.

This month, a bankruptcy judge ordered Jones to liquidate some of his personal assets to help cover the judgment. Jones was allowed to keep his controlling stake in the Infowars conspiracy site for now, but the site could be shut down within a matter of months.

Elahe Izadi sits down with media reporter Will Sommer to talk about Jones’s fall and what it could mean for the future of the misinformation landscape.

Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter.

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The Campaign Moment: AI and other election threats Jun 21, 2024

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It’s Friday, so it’s time for The Campaign Moment — our weekly roundtable conversation to help you keep track of the biggest developments of the 2024 campaign.

Host Elahe Izadi chats with reporters Amy Gardner and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, who are on the Democracy team at The Post. They discuss the efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and the ongoing political and legal fallout from those attempts. They also talk about the recent charges filed against fake electors in Arizona, including notable names like Rudy Giuliani and Boris Epshteyn, and why some election officials are making deep fakes of themselves to educate voters.

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

Subscribe to The Campaign Moment newsletter here.

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Why Republicans love to hate electric vehicles Jun 20, 2024

Show notes

Two years ago, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which included the most ambitious climate measures in the U.S. to date. It contains tax credits for electric vehicles, and his administration has taken subsequent action forcing automakers to shift production away from gas-powered vehicles by capping allowable carbon emissions from the auto industry.

But many consumers remain skeptical of the technology, and its adoption is largely concentrated in areas where Democrats are in the majority.

All of this has become fodder for former president Donald Trump. At a recent rally in Las Vegas, he vowed to end the “mandate on electric” and complained that batteries are too heavy to power trucks and boats.

And now, vulnerable Senate Democrats, such as Ohio’s Sherrod Brown and Montana’s Jon Tester, who helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, find themselves under attack for their party’s climate policies. Host Elahe Izadi speaks with Senate reporter Liz Goodwin about how one of Biden’s signature accomplishments turned into a liability for Democrats and could affect which party controls the Senate next year.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Reena Flores and Ted Muldoon and mixed by Sean Carter.

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How grievances splintered American sports Jun 19, 2024

Show notes

American sports have changed from a unifying bond to a platform for division. Is there any going back?

Sports columnist Jerry Brewer has been thinking about the state of sports for decades. In the past few years, it has soured in his mind. In his new series of essays titled “Grievance Games,” Brewer set out to explore why he believes the unifying power of sports has been ruptured through grievance politics. And how many of those grievances are racially charged.

Today on Post Reports, Brewer narrates the first piece in the series, which serves as an introduction to his thinking.

You can find this column, and the next three in the series, here.

This story was written and narrated by Jerry Brewer. It was produced and mixed with original music by Bishop Sand.

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The underdogs of cricket: Team USA Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

The U.S. men’s cricket team’s win against Pakistan shocked the world – not just because they beat a titan of the sport, but also because many of the team’s players play cricket while juggling full-time jobs.

“I’m focusing on my work and completely switched on [to] my work,” said Saurabh Netravalkar, an engineer for Oracle and a star player for Team USA. “And if I'm on the field, I’m completely on the field, so that really helps me – switching on and switching off.”

Netravalkar spoke with The Post’s Pranshu Verma, a tech reporter and a huge cricket fan. He’s been following Team USA and Netravalkar’s historic rise. He discusses the attention that this tournament has brought to the sport in the United States and what it would take for it to become more widely popular in the country.

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell.

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