Post Reports

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How to be a financially savvy holiday shopper Nov 22, 2023

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Today on “Post Reports,” personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary gives advice on how to avoid overspending on gifts this holiday season.

Last year, retail sales during the November to December holiday season were $936.3 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. Americans are predicted to spend even more this year. Adobe Analytics projects the best discounts will land on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But a flashy red sale sign doesn’t always mean you’re getting a bargain.

Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary says we can avoid overspending on gifts by cutting down on our list, shopping earlier, and sticking to a budget. She also shares ideas for meaningful gifts from the heart that won’t break the bank. You can also sign up for her free SMS course, “How to be a financially savvy holiday shopper.” Michelle will send you a short text message every day for five days to make sure you’re spending with purpose this holiday season. You can sign up by following this link.

And subscribe to The Washington Post via Apple podcasts here.

Sam Altman and the chaos at OpenAI Nov 21, 2023

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When the board of the world’s leading artificial intelligence company abruptly ousted its popular CEO, it threw the entire tech industry into flux. Today, the rise and removal of Sam Altman and what OpenAI’s shake-up means for the future of AI technology.

Just weeks ago, Sam Altman was on top of the world, the star of the artificial intelligence community and the leader of the company behind the popular chatbot ChatGPT. Then, without notice last week, the board of OpenAI voted him out.

The hasty decision triggered mounting uncertainty at the company and beyond. Was it fraud? Workplace misconduct? Washington Post technology reporter Gerrit De Vynck reports on what we know — or don’t — about the industry upheaval and its ripple effects on the future of AI.

Subscribe to The Washington Post via Apple podcasts here.

Trapped in Gaza Nov 20, 2023

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An American family who visited Gaza for a reunion found themselves trapped in the territory for nearly a month as Israeli rockets rained down. How they got out - and the desperate situation for the vast majority of civilians who cannot escape Gaza.

In September, a Boston-area couple traveled to Gaza, hoping to introduce their 1-year-old son to his grandparents. War shattered their plans: For almost a month, the family was trapped in Gaza as Israel ratcheted up its air and ground assault. Now back in Massachusetts, Abood Okal shares the story of escaping through Egypt with his wife and child – and his worries about the family they left behind.

Okal’s family is just one of many trying to survive a brutal war. More than 11,000 Palestinians – at least 4,600 of them children – have been killed in Gaza since the Israel-Gaza war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Louisa Loveluck, who covers global crises for The Post, reports on rising civilian casualties in Gaza and whether there could be a cease-fire.

Deep Reads: The librarian who couldn’t take it anymore Nov 18, 2023

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Tania Galiñanes had planned to spend the rest of her career in the Osceola County School District. She was 51. She could have stayed for years at Tohopekaliga, a school she loved that had only just opened in 2018.

That was before the school board meeting on April 5, 2022, when Tania watched parents read aloud from books they described as a danger to kids. It was before she received a phone call from the district, the day after that, instructing her to remove four books from her shelves. It was before a member of the conservative group Moms for Liberty told her on Facebook, a few days later, that she shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near students. It had been 18 months since then.

Tania still showed up every weekday at 7 a.m. and tried to focus on the job she had signed up for, which was, she thought, to help students discover a book to love. But she could feel something shifting.

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This story is part of a new collection of 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 national political enterprise reporter Ruby Cramer.

Surviving to graduation, Part 3 Nov 17, 2023

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In Part 3 of our series on schools and gun violence, audio producer Sabby Robinson chronicles the tragic outcome of Huguenot High School’s graduation – which was supposed to mark a moment of cathartic celebration for the school but ended in gunfire.

Graduation was supposed to be a sweet moment of celebration after a difficult year. Instead, gunfire broke out just after the ceremony, killing a graduate and his stepfather and wounding five others. A former Richmond public school student was charged in the death of the graduate, Shawn Jackson.

The shooting forced the school, its staff and its students, to heal and adapt yet again. Some educators reassessed how they try to keep kids safe. For others, it was too much: They had to walk away. Today on “Post Reports,” audio producer Sabby Robinson examines what happened at graduation and how it left a mark on everyone involved.

Subscribe to The Washington Post via Apple podcasts here.

Surviving to graduation, Part 2 Nov 16, 2023

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In Part 2 of our series on how schools address gun violence, reporter Moriah Balingit dives into the life and death of Huguenot student Jaden Carter and how school officials in Richmond try to save students like him.

It took months to find out more about what happened the night Jaden Carter was fatally shot behind Huguenot High School’s baseball fields. In that time, The Post learned how and why school officials, from his teacher to a Huguenot police officer, tried to intervene and set Jaden on a better path.

It’s part of a district-wide program in Richmond Public Schools: an ambitious bid to build a safer community. But sometimes students stray into danger anyway. Today on “Post Reports,” education reporter Moriah Balingit explores what’s working – and what’s not.

Surviving to graduation, Part 1 Nov 15, 2023

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Gun violence is reshaping U.S. education. The Washington Post spent a year inside a Richmond high school facing a surge in shootings and deaths to learn what schools are doing to stop students from dying – and whether their efforts are working.

Youth gun violence is soaring nationwide, and schools are on the front lines dealing with the fallout. Three Washington Post reporters were embedded inside Richmond's Huguenot High School for one year to find out what that looks like.

During The Post's first visit to Huguenot, a student, Jaden Carter, was shot and killed behind the baseball fields. The Post was inside the school the next day as administrators grappled with the death – and spent the following months tracing how the tragedy affected Jaden's school, friends and family.

Today on “Post Reports,” education reporter Hannah Natanson explains what happened.

Subscribe to The Washington Post via Apple podcasts here.

Why it took so long to get a postpartum depression pill Nov 14, 2023

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How the first-ever postpartum depression pill could change the landscape of maternal health.

In August, the Food and Drug Administration approved Zurzuvae, the first pill to treat postpartum depression. This is a huge milestone for the serious and potentially life-threatening condition, which can afflict about 1 in 7 women following childbirth.

Unlike other commonly recommended treatments such as talk therapy and antidepressants, the drug is meant to act quickly, working to ease symptoms including mood swings, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of worthlessness, and severe anxiety. Health reporter Sabrina Malhi explains how this new drug works, and why it took so long to develop this medication in the first place.

Subscribe to The Washington Post via Apple podcasts here.

Netanyahu: The man leading Israel's war against Hamas Nov 13, 2023

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Benjamin Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister – and one of its most scrutinized. Now, with Israel at war with Hamas, The Washington Post’s Griff Witte breaks down Netanyahu’s political history and his fragile future.

It’s been over a month since Hamas militants attacked Israel, leaving at least 1,200 people dead and 239 people kidnapped. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared war on Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip. An estimated 11,000 people in the territory have been killed since. Most of the dead are women and children.

Though the Israeli government has agreed to military pauses to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, Netanyahu has rejected calls for a total cease-fire – a stance that is testing his support worldwide. Netanyahu’s leadership was already scrutinized before the war, rooted in corruption charges and his government’s judicial overhaul that sparked historic protests across Israel.

Today on “Post Reports,” Griff Witte, a former Jerusalem bureau chief for The Post, unpacks Netanyahu’s rise and his chances of political survival.

The soft power of China’s pandas Nov 10, 2023

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Today, why the United States is saying goodbye to its pandas. And how the bears became a powerful diplomatic symbol of U.S.-China relations.

For decades, China has deployed its giant pandas as a diplomatic tool to shore up alliances and woo new partners, including the United States. In 1972, China first gifted the United Statestwo pandas. Since then, it has leased pandas to zoos across the country. Now, after American zoogoers have come to adore the bears, China is taking all of its pandas back.

This week, under police escort and accompanied by their longtime keepers, Washington’s three giant pandas boarded a FedEx cargo jet at Dulles International Airport headed for Chengdu, China. The only remaining pandas in the nation will be in Atlanta, and they are scheduled to depart for China next year.

The pandas’ exit comes at a moment of strained U.S.-China relations. Enterprise reporter William Wan explains the hidden diplomatic power of China’s pandas, and how these black-and-white bears are beloved by Americans across the country.

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