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Is Israel running out of goodwill? Dec 19, 2023

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U.S. support of Israel’s war in Gaza has been unwavering – but as the civilian death toll climbs, international calls for a ceasefire are growing. Today, the mounting concern over Israel’s tactics and how the Biden administration is responding.

Nearly 20,000 Palestinians have been killed and millions displaced since Israel declared war on Hamas in Gaza. Conditions for people in Gaza are incredibly hard. Food is scarce, the health infrastructure is collapsing, and the death toll continues to climb – which some arms experts say is due in part to the Israeli government’s use of “unguided ‘dumb bombs.’”

Today, foreign correspondent Louisa Loveluck talks with host Martine Powers about a shift in U.S. rhetoric and whether it could make an impact on the conflict.

Today’s show was produced by Jordan-Marie Smith and edited by Ted Muldoon. Thanks to Monica Campbell, Rennie Svirnovskiy, Sabby Robinson and Jesse Mesner-Hage.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here. Stay up-to-date with the live update feed on Israel and Gaza here.

Harvard, big-tech money, and the whistleblower Dec 18, 2023

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As social media disinformation grows, academics are studying its harms. But big-tech funding at universities is creating a fraught power dynamic that recently erupted at Harvard, where a researcher claimed Meta forced her ouster amid critical research.

Silicon Valley tech giants, including Google and Facebook parent Meta, are increasingly influential at universities across the United States, with ramped-up charitable giving. The donations can give the companies influence over academics studying critical topics such as artificial intelligence, social media and disinformation.

But as technology reporter Joseph Menn explains, some researchers are raising concerns that increasing dependence on tech companies’ funding can create a troubling power dynamic. Recently, a disinformation researcher, Joan Donovan, filed complaints with state and federal officials against Harvard University. Donovan claims that the personal connections of Meta executives — along with a $500 million grant for research — were behind her ouster this year from the Harvard Kennedy School. Harvard has denied that it was improperly influenced.

Today’s show was produced by Arjun Singh. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Monica Campbell. Thank you to Mark Seibel.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Deep Reads: Their sons’ lives ended in gunfire. In grief, they found a second act. Dec 16, 2023

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After about 10 weeks of coaching this summer, six women turned their experiences of motherhood, loss and empowerment into their biggest display yet: a play called “Turning Pain Into Purpose: Say My Son’s Name.” They had hoped if a broader audience could hear their stories, something in the community might change — no more mothers crying over dying sons.

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This story is part of a collection of new, occasional bonus episodes you’ll be hearing from “Post Reports.” We’re calling these stories “Deep Reads” and they’re part of The Post’s commitment to immersive and narrative journalism.

Today’s story was written and read by Jasmine Hilton.

The last endangered whale in captivity Dec 15, 2023

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After half-a-century in a tank, a beloved orca named Tokitae was about to be freed. Then her life ended, and a moment of reckoning began.

Most of the nearly 50 southern resident orcas taken from the Pacific Northwest during the 1960s and ’70s died within the first years after their capture. One endured. Tokitae spent more than 50 years performing in the Miami Seaquarium’s “whale bowl” – the smallest orca tank in North America.

In March, a plan was announced to move her to a 10-acre netted sanctuary in the San Juan Islands, where she could live out her life in her natal waters. But months before she was due to return home, Tokitae died. What followed was a moment of reckoning.

Today on “Post Reports,” feature writer Caitlin Gibson shares Tokitae’s story and what it reveals about us.

The climate clues buried under Greenland’s ice sheet Dec 14, 2023

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Scientists came to Greenland on an unprecedented mission to drill for rocks that would reveal the fate of the country’s fast-melting ice sheet. A sudden crack in the ice threatened their experiment.

The Greenland Ice Sheet contributes more to sea level rise than any other ice mass. If it disappeared, it would raise global sea levels by 24 feet, devastating coastlines home to about half the world’s population. Computer simulations and modern observations alone can’t precisely predict how Greenland might melt.

Greenland’s bedrock holds clues. It was present the last time the ice sheet melted completely and contains chemical signatures of how that melt unfolded. It could help scientists predict how drastically Greenland might change in the face of today’s rising temperatures.

But scientists have less material from under the ice sheet than they do from the surface of the moon. So this spring, a team from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory made an unprecedented effort to drill through more than 1,600 feet of ice and uncover the bedrock below.

Climate reporter Sarah Kaplan was there too. She arrived just after a thin crack appeared in the ice around the drill, threatening the project and its ability to unearth the future.

The woman who took on the Texas abortion ban Dec 13, 2023

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Kate Cox caught the attention of the nation last week when she asked a Texas judge for permission to end her pregnancy. Today on “Post Reports,” we talk to Caroline Kitchener about the new legal battles over abortion access.

Kate Cox caught the attention of the nation last week when she asked a Texas judge for permission to end her pregnancy.

Three days later, a pregnant woman filed suit anonymously in Kentucky, arguing that the state’s near-total abortion ban violates her constitutional right to privacy and self-determination.

And across Texas, Tennessee and Idaho, several dozen women who had previously experienced pregnancy complications are awaiting decisions in a string of cases that could expand the health exceptions in their state abortion bans.

Today, Caroline Kitchener unpacks the legal battles of testing state abortion bans, and what Cox’s story can tell us about the future of abortion care in America.

Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Maggie Penman. Thank you to Reena Flores and Ariel Plotnick.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Does the GOP race for second even matter? Dec 12, 2023

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Nikki Haley is up, Ron DeSantis is down and Trump is still trouncing both of them. Today, we’re debriefing on the Republican presidential primary and how Trump’s legal battles are shaping the race.

Politics reporters Dylan Wells, Isaac Arnsdorf and Ashley Parker sit down for a roundtable about the current state of the Republican primary race. Right now, it’s a competition for second place, with all the candidates trailing behind former president Donald Trump in polls. But is there actually a path to victory for them? And what happens if Trump gets convicted before November of next year?

Subscribe to The Washington Post here. And if you want to see what kind of Washington Post reader you are, check out your Newsprint at washingtonpost.com/newsprint.

Free speech, antisemitism, and the university fallout Dec 11, 2023

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College campuses across the United States are embroiled in conflict over free speech amid the Israel-Gaza war. The stakes are so high that the University of Pennsylvania’s president resigned after a congressional hearing on antisemitism.

Last week, a Republican-led House committee summoned the leaders of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and MIT to Capitol Hill for a scalding critique of their efforts to address antisemitism on their campuses since the eruption of the Israel-Gaza war.

During the hearing, Penn’s president Liz Magill – and the other university presidents – declined to state plainly that a call for genocide against Jews would violate the university’s code of conduct.

Magill told Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) it would violate the school’s code of conduct “if the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment. Yes.” When pressed by Stefanik, Magill said: “It is a context-dependent decision, congresswoman.”

Then, over the weekend, Magill resigned.

Education reporter Hannah Natanson joins “Post Reports” to discuss what the questions raised in the committee hearing and the push for Magill’s removal mean for campuses across the nation, and why the stakes are so high.

How a neuroscientist beats winter depression Dec 08, 2023

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Each year, millions of people experience seasonal affective disorder or SAD. Today we talk to neuroscientist-turned-journalist Richard Sima about how to get ready for the change in season and beat the winter depression.

Susceptible people — an estimated 5 percent of Americans — already are feeling the effects of winter SAD: lower moods, lethargy and excessive sleep. Today on “Post Reports,” we talk about strategies that can help you cope.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

How to keep junk mail out of your mailbox Dec 07, 2023

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Americans are inundated with junk mail in their physical mailboxes. Climate coach Michael Coren tried to manage the flood – and his techniques actually worked.

The typical American gets about 41 pounds of junk mail every year delivered to their door. And for some, it’s even worse during the holiday season, as catalogs and coupon booklets come flooding in.

The Post’s climate coach Michael Coren looked at this junk mail as a challenge and started asking: How do I get it all to stop? Today, Coren explains the origins of the snail mail you never wanted – and he shares tips on how he succeeded in stopping it in its tracks.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

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