Post Reports

Latest Episodes:

The Campaign Moment: State of the Union and what Super Tuesday says Mar 08, 2024

Show notes

Friday on “Post Reports” now means The Campaign Moment — a weekly roundtable conversation to help you keep track of the biggest developments during the 2024 campaign. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post’s new newsletter by the same name, and national politics reporter Colby Itkowitz join Elahe Izadi to analyze President Biden’s State of the Union address and how it sets the stage for the campaign, and what questions came out of the results from Super Tuesday.

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

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

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

The Oscars are Sunday. Here’s what to catch up on. Mar 07, 2024

Show notes

Today, we talk about the movies that have been nominated for best picture at the Oscars; what to see, what to skip and what we loved, ahead of the awards Sunday night.

There are 10 films nominated this year for an Academy Award for best picture. From big blockbusters to quiet tales of domesticity, the movies span a wide variety of topics and capture what our movie critics call a diverse year for the types of stories we’re seeing on the big screen.

Today, Washington Post movie critic Ann Hornaday and movies editor Janice Page come on the show to talk about their favorite films this year, what you should try to watch before the Oscars on Sunday and what this lineup of films could indicate for the years ahead.

And if you’re still hoping to catch up on a few nominations we discuss in this episode before Sunday, The Post has you covered. Take our quiz to get a personalized listening itinerary.

Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick. It was edited and mixed by Ted Muldoon.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Biden’s plan to keep the White House Mar 06, 2024

Show notes

The results of Super Tuesday set up a highly likely rematch between President Biden and former president Donald Trump. Today on “Post Reports,” the hurdles that the Biden campaign has to overcome in order to secure a victory in November.

After Super Tuesday nominating contests, GOP candidate Nikki Haley is exiting the presidential race and the stage is set for President Biden and former president Donald Trump to face off again. But Biden’s campaign faces challenges – with voters in some states protesting his support of Israel’s war in Gaza by voting “uncommitted.”

White House reporter Yasmeen Abutaleb reports on the Biden administration’s strategy to pull voters back in, including having Vice President Harris be more vocal on controversial issues such as abortion and a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff with help from Sabby Robinson. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell.

Will the courts hold Trump accountable before November? Mar 05, 2024

Show notes

Many people had hoped that the highest-profile court cases involving Donald Trump would be resolved before the general election in November. That’s looking increasingly unlikely.

At the start of the year, it looked as though Donald Trump might be stymied in the courts long before the November election. The former president faced a pair of federal indictments, 91 criminal charges, and challenges to his ballot eligibility in multiple states.

Two months later, says Post national enterprise reporter Sarah Ellison, the federal cases have been slowed to the point where verdicts before November are considered unlikely. And yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled decisively that Trump will remain on the ballot – not just in Colorado, where he had previously been deemed ineligible, but in every state.

As millions of voters in 15 states cast ballots on Super Tuesday, Ellison breaks down what has unfolded in the legal battles around Trump, and where that leaves us ahead of the election.

Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon, with help from Emma Talkoff. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Ted Muldoon. Thank you to Griff Witte.

Correction: A previous version of this episode included a clip in the wrong place, mistakenly implying that it was the Colorado secretary of state speaking. It was the secretary of state of Maine. The audio has been corrected.

The new covid rules – and a measles comeback. Again. Mar 04, 2024

Show notes

Am I contagious? U.S. health officials have dropped five-day isolation guidelines for people who get covid, prompting a mix of relief and confusion. Today, The Post’s Lena Sun breaks down what’s behind the shift. Plus, the latest on measles in Florida.

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that, effective immediately, people who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to stay home for five days. Instead, the agency recommends that you stay home when sick, but if symptoms improve and you’re fever-free for at least 24 hours without taking any meds, you no longer have to isolate.

The updated guidelines put covid-19 in line with many other viral respiratory diseases. For many, the change is both practical and overdue. Yet, covid continues to send thousands of people to the hospital each week, causing some 2,000 deaths, further raising alarms among high-risk patients.

Today on “Post Reports,” Lena Sun, who covers infectious diseases and public health, unpacks what’s behind the new guidance, how to stay healthy, and why the response to a completely different infectious disease – measles – is sounding new alarms.

When you have covid, here’s how you know you are no longer contagious.

What to know about the recent measles outbreak, and signs to watch for.

CDC recommends older adults get 2nd updated coronavirus shot.

Dr. Paul Offit also spoke with Lena Sun about his new book, "Tell Me When It's Over,” for this episode and for The Health 202 newsletter.

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff, with help from Elana Gordon. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Maggie Penman. Thanks to Fenit Nirrapil.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The Campaign Moment: McConnell, Trump trials and Super Tuesday Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

Fridays on the show now mean “The Campaign Moment” – a new weekly roundtable conversation to help you keep track of the biggest developments during the 2024 campaign. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post’s new newsletter by the same name, and national reporter Amy Gardner sit down with Martine Powers to discuss the announcement by Senate Minority Leader (R-Ky) Mitch McConnell that he’ll step down from his leadership post in November, talk about the latest news around former president Donald Trump’s trials and preview Super Tuesday, when 15 states will hold primary elections.

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

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

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

Why immigration has strengthened the economy Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

A record number of migrants have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, and Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on a solution to address the crisis. But data shows that this surge has strengthened the U.S. economy.

On Thursday, President Biden and former president Donald Trump traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border, underscoring how central immigration is in this year’s presidential campaign.

As Biden and Trump clash over how to address immigration at the southern border — and as Congress stalls on a border deal — data shows that this immigration has actually propelled the U.S. job market further than expected, helping cement the country’s economic rebound as the most robust in the world.

“Immigration, it turns out, has played an absolutely crucial role in that growth,” says economics reporter Rachel Siegel. “There is absolutely no way — economists told me — that we could have seen the kind of booming labor market — especially over the past year — without a really strong surge in immigration in 2023.”

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Lucy Perkins. Thanks also to Lauren Kaori Gurley and Meryl Kornfield.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The fight to keep Black moms and babies alive Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

After traumatic pregnancies, Mimi Bingham needed another way. Then, she discovered a coalition of Black birth workers who forever changed her life. Today, we tell the story of Mimi and the birth workers fighting a nationwide maternal health emergency.

The United States tops a list that no country wants to be on: It’s considered the worst place to give birth among high-income nations. Even more jarring,Black women in particular are much more likely to die from childbirth or suffer life-threatening complications.In Texas alone, which is responsible for 1 in 10 of the nation’s births, a report released in 2022 found that Black women there are twice as likely to die as their White peers. The report also found that aspiring Black parents are at even greater risk of experiencing serious complications during childbirth, shouldering a disproportionate burden of close calls.

And yet, the report found that 90 percent of those deaths are preventable.

Today on “Post Reports,” reporter Akilah Johnson introduces us to Mimi Bingham, Alyse Hamlin and a movement of Black birth workers in Houston who are taking life into their own hands – and how they’re fighting back and finding workarounds, one birth at a time.

She knows the ache of losing a baby. Her calling is to help other Black moms.

For some Black women, the fear of death shadows the joy of birth

Taking life into their own hands: The story of Black birth workers and moms

Today’s episode was produced by Elana Gordon and Taylor White. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell with help from Reena Flores and Stephen Smith. Thanks to Elahe Izadi and Dominic Walsh.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Why students applying for financial aid are in limbo Feb 27, 2024

Show notes

A new version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form promised an easier path for students to access financial aid for college. But the rollout has been far from easy.

For decades, scores of students got tripped up by the daunting Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Then, in December, the Education Department released a new version of the form, promising a streamlined path for students to access aid. But the launch has not gone smoothly.

Technical glitches have locked some families out of the online system to complete the form, while many who have completed the FAFSA probably have incorrect estimates of aid because the agency failed initially to update a crucial income formula. Colleges won’t get most data until March, meaning students will have to wait longer for financial aid awards and have less time to weigh offers and make a key life choice.

Today on “Post Reports,” higher education reporter Danielle Douglas-Gabriel explains why students, families and colleges are in limbo.

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

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The balance of the Ukraine war rests on aid Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

Two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we talk about the state of the war, and the role foreign aid – or lack thereof – could play in Ukraine’s ability to keep holding off Russia.

A little over two years ago, Russia launched a full-scale invasion into neighboring Ukraine. At first, many thought it would be a brief and brutal defeat, but two years later Ukraine is still hanging on after a series of wins that exceeded expectations. Now, low on ammunition and troops, Ukraine is facing a pivotal moment, as Russia amps up weapon manufacturing.

Today, national security reporter Missy Ryan explains why military aid to Ukraine matters so much, and what’s at stake if Russia wins.

Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick, with help from Sabby Robinson. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Maggie Penman. Thank you to Ben Pauker.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

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