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How Taylor Swift became her own economy Oct 27, 2023

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Taylor Swift’s 2023 Eras Tour is projected to rake in billions of dollars, becoming the highest grossing concert tour in history. But her economic impact doesn’t stop there. Today, we break down the economy (Taylor’s version).

Pop powerhouse Taylor Swift has been in the music business for nearly two decades. But 2023 is turning out to be her most remarkable – and highest-earning – year. Swift is on pace to earn billions of dollars from her Eras Tour, more than any other touring artist in history. That includes the Beatles, Elton John and pop legend Michael Jackson. According to a new analysis from Bloomberg News, Swift herself is a billionaire.

What’s even more surprising is that Swift’s Eras Tour has also generated millions for the U.S. economy. That includes the tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars cities from Cincinnati to Los Angeles have projected they’ll earn from these shows, and jobs for some dedicated Swifties.

Today on “Post Reports,” class is in session for Swiftonomics 101. Guest host and economics correspondent Abha Bhatterai and entertainment reporter Emily Yahr discuss how the pop icon became such a business behemoth.

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A family taken by Hamas Oct 26, 2023

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More than 200 people were taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, according to Israeli authorities. On today’s “Post Reports,” we hear about one family’s ordeal, and what the hostage crisis means for Israel’s possible ground invasion of Gaza.

More than 200 people were taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, according to Israeli authorities. Moshe Leimberg’s wife, Gabriela, and 17-year-old daughter, Mia, are among them. On today’s “Post Reports,” we hear about Leimberg’s family before war broke out and the devastating moment he discovered they were kidnapped.

Then Washington Post Jerusalem bureau chief Steve Hendrix explains the strategy behind Hamas’s taking of so many hostages, what has been learned from the few who have been released, and the dilemma the Israeli government faces as it prepares for a ground invasion of Gaza, where the hostages are presumed to be held.

“We are preparing for a ground incursion,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address to the nation Wednesday. It was his strongest public indication yet that he would order an invasion of Gaza. “I won’t specify when, how, how many. … I also won’t detail the range of considerations, most of which the public is not aware of.”

The new House speaker is Mike Johnson. Who? Oct 25, 2023

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Correction: A previous version of this episode incorrectly stated where Rep. Tom Emmer is from. The audio has been updated to remove the error.

After three long, chaotic weeks, the nation finally has a new House speaker – U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson from Louisiana. So who is he? And how did Congress get here?

On Wednesday, 220 Republicans finally chose their new House leader: a congressman from Louisiana named Mike Johnson.

But the man who’s second in line for the presidency is a relative unknown, even to political insiders. Philip Bump breaks down what is known about Rep. Johnson and how House Republicans finally came together to vote for the conservative congressman.

Subscribe to The Washington Post via Apple podcasts here.

The Trump allies pleading guilty Oct 24, 2023

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What to know about the many guilty pleas rolling into the Georgia case charging former president Donald Trump and his allies with election interference.

The Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta has become the epicenter of one of the most-watched criminal cases in the country right now, charging former President Donald Trump and his allies with interfering with Georgia’s 2020 election results. This week, reporters and politicians alike have been shocked by a windfall of guilty pleas.

Recognizable faces including former Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis, and lesser-known political figures such as Kenneth Chesebro and Scott Hall all pleaded guilty in the sweeping criminal racketeering case.

Today, national correspondent Holly Bailey explains what happened in the courtroom this past week and whether Trump’s list of allies might suddenly be turning against him.

Mexico’s migration challenge Oct 23, 2023

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A fast-rising number of people, including families, are approaching the U.S.-Mexico border. Many seek asylum. Now, President Biden wants Mexico to crack down on migrants, but Mexico is reaching its limits to do so.

When President Barack Obama faced a steep rise in people migrating toward the southern U.S. border in 2014, he pressured Mexico to curb migration at its southern border with Guatemala. President Donald Trump did the same years later.

Now, Mexico is once again facing pressure, this time from the Biden administration, to stop the number of people migrating north. But Mexico is reaching its limits as thousands of people cross into the country from throughout Latin America and other parts of the world.

The Post’s Mary Beth Sheridan traveled to a migrant shelter in the central Mexican city of San Luis Potosí, where mattresses line a basketball court as the facility exceeds capacity.

Deep Reads: A trans woman’s journey to acceptance Oct 21, 2023

Show notes

After seeking community and sisterhood in a sorority, Artemis Langford faced death threats and an attempt to kick her out because of her identity. This Deep Reads episode is part of a collection of occasional weekend stories from “Post Reports.”

How Lunchables ended up on school lunch trays Oct 20, 2023

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Today, “Post Reports” goes back to school, to the cafeteria, where something has changed. Reporters Lenny Bernstein and Lauren Weber bring us the backstory of how ultra-processed foods ended up on lunch trays, amid growing concerns about child nutrition.

When students in Robeson County, N.C., returned to school this fall, a new choice appeared on the lunch line: Lunchables. Kraft Heinz reformulated the grocery-store favorite so it would meet school nutrition requirements — and now, school districts across the country are deciding whether to buy in.

For many health experts, the availability of Lunchables and other processed foods in schools runs counter to the effort started over a decade ago by former first lady Michelle Obama, to overhaul school lunch diets amid sharp rises in childhood obesity and other chronic health problems.

So what happened?

Today on “Post Reports,” we venture into a cafeteria, a food trade show and dig behind the scenes — into the history of Lunchables itself — to find answers.

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How Lunchables ended up on school lunch trays.

Many of today’s unhealthy foods were brought to you by Big Tobacco.

Why many ultra-processed foods are unhealthy.

USDA announces rigorous new school nutrition standards.

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A previous version of this podcast included a slogan for Otis Spunkmeyer and misattributed it to C.H. Guenther & Son. The audio has been corrected.

Will there ever be a new House speaker? Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

Why the House can’t elect a speaker to lead it. And the temporary solution some Republicans are proposing in the meantime.

For two weeks, the House of Representatives has had no speaker. After the ouster of Kevin McCarthy, Republicans tried to push a replacement through. First, there was Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and then a second choice emerged: firebrand Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). But after two votes,

Republicans failed to get behind Jordan, a conservative best known as a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus.

Marianna Sotomayor breaks down why Republicans didn’t coalesce behind Jordan and what the party is thinking now about how to legislate without a permanent speaker.

Subscribe to The Washington Post via Apple Podcasts at this link.

Searching for safety in Gaza Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

The Post’s Gulf bureau chief Susannah George walks us through the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the uncertainty for people on the ground there.

It’s been nearly two weeks since Hamas militants attacked dozens of border communities in Israel, killing at least 1,400 people and taking 199 people back to Gaza as hostages, Israeli officials said.

In Gaza, roughly 3,000 people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, according to Palestinian officials. Finding safety is increasingly tough. Residents in northern Gaza are attempting to evacuate to southern Gaza after Israeli commanders warned of intensifying attacks.

Hospitals are also being struck. Tuesday night, a blast at al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City killed 471 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. U.S. officials said that Israel was “not responsible” for the blast, while Palestinian authorities blamed Israel.

Wednesday in Tel Aviv, President Biden announced plans for an “unprecedented” aid package to Israel, as well as humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank.

Gulf bureau chief Susannah George reports from Jerusalem, documenting the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Subscribe to The Washington Post via Apple Podcasts at this link.

The threat of saltwater in the Mississippi River Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

For months, saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico has crept up the Mississippi River, contaminating the area’s water supply and putting residents of Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish on the front lines of a slowly unfolding environmental disaster.

For months now, saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico has crept as far as 70 miles up the Mississippi River, contaminating the area’s freshwater supply. Millions of Americans draw their drinking water from the Mississippi River, including around 1 million people living in and around New Orleans. In late September, President Biden declared an emergency for the region, as officials at every level of government worked to prepare for the possibility that the saltwater could reach this major American city.

Meanwhile, residents of southern Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish have been without reliable drinking water since at least June. The parish is located where the river empties into the gulf, putting residents on the front lines of this slowly unfolding environmental disaster.

Climate reporter Brady Dennis traveled to Plaquemines Parish this month to see how residents have been coping. He finds that many of them feel forgotten, even as help is now on the way.

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