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The alleged Ponzi scheme that preyed on Mormons Mar 06, 2023

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Today on the show, the $500 million alleged Ponzi scheme that preyed on Mormons.

Las Vegas investigative reporter Jeff German was killed outside his home in September; a Clark County official he had investigated is charged in his death. To continue German’s work, The Washington Post teamed up with his newspaper, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, to complete one of the stories he’d planned to pursue before he was killed. A folder on German’s desk contained court documents he’d started to gather about an alleged Ponzi scheme that preyed upon hundreds of people — many of them Mormon — over the course of five years. Post reporter Lizzie Johnson began investigating. Today on Post Reports, we look at how more than 900 people invested an estimated total of $500 million into an alleged Ponzi scheme, and why the men who allegedly ran this operation are still walking free.

What really happens to your donated clothes Mar 03, 2023

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If you’re gearing up to clean out your closet this spring, you might be wondering: Where can I donate all these clothes? And: What actually happens to these clothes when I do donate? The Washington Post’s climate solutions team has some answers.

From Goodwill to disaster-relief efforts to those big metal donation boxes on street corners, there are a lot of options for where to give those clothes you just don’t wear anymore. But whether those old t-shirts ever find new, good homes is a more complicated story.

Allyson Chiu, a climate solutions reporter for The Post, breaks down where donated clothes end up and offers some advice about what to watch out for as you consolidate your closet.

How AP African American studies became so controversial Mar 02, 2023

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Why did the College Board, which oversees Advanced Placement classes, change certain parts of the AP African American studies course framework? Post Reports digs into the latest controversy about the new AP course, still in its pilot stages.

After Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis came out against the new AP African American studies course, it sparked a controversy. The state said it wouldn’t allow students to take the class because it lacked educational value.

Then the College Board changed the course framework just in time for its debut on the first day of Black History Month. Many questioned whether conservative leaders prompted changes to the program. Where the word “systemic” was mentioned in the previous plan for the class, it was completely removed from the new one. The same with other topics, such as Black Lives Matter and reparations, which went from 15 mentions in April 2022 to one in February 2023.

Education reporter Nick Anderson breaks down what happened to AP African American studies and why these changes occurred in the first place.

A new era of extremism in Israel and the West Bank Mar 01, 2023

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Violence has been mounting in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for months, but the situation is already reaching a new level of escalation in 2023.

“Everything is falling apart,” The Post’s Miriam Berger explains to guest host Libby Casey, referring to the fragile dynamics between Palestinians and Israelis in the region.

At least 60 Palestinians and a dozen Israelis have been killed in recent weeks in the occupied territories, a level that is on track to be the bloodiest in two decades. That’s despite rare talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Jordan last weekend.

On Monday, a Palestinian man shot and killed two Israeli brothers in the West Bank town of Huwara. Later that day, dozens of Israeli settlers torched cars and homes in Palestinian communities, killing one man in revenge.

“You have this growing insecurity amongst Palestinians and also the cycle of revenge attacks happening,” says Berger.

The clashes come amidst massive protests in Israel itself, and a major shift to the right in the country’s new government. The empowerment of extremist leaders has further fueled more violent acts, as Palestinian house demolitions and raids are on the rise.

Emboldened by Israel’s far right, Jewish settlers fan the flames of chaos

Israeli settlers rampage through Palestinian towns in revenge for shooting

At least 11 Palestinians killed, 100 wounded in Israeli raid in the West Bank

Jerusalem demolitions gain pace under Netanyahu, enraging Palestinians

Why Israel’s planned overhaul of the judiciary is tearing the country apart

Itamar Ben Gvir: How an extremist settler became a powerful Israeli minister

At least 7 killed in East Jerusalem synagogue shooting

After deadly Israeli raid in Jenin, fears of escalation in West Bank

Revelations from the defamation case against Fox News Feb 28, 2023

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In the wake of the 2020 election, Fox News aired false claims about election fraud promoted by Trump allies. A lawsuit, however, reveals that top executives and hosts privately doubted the legitimacy of those claims. Reporter Jeremy Barr joins us to explain.

The push for the four-day workweek Feb 27, 2023

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Today on Post Reports, we look at how the boundaries between work and life are potentially changing, from the feasibility of a four-day workweek to protections for workers when they're off the clock.

The five-day workweek is the standard in the United States, and in many other countries across the world. But advocacy groups, and employees themselves, have been dreaming about the possibility of a four-day workweek. Recently, dozens of companies in the United Kingdom finished a four-day workweek pilot program; in the U.S., there is also state and federal legislation proposing employees work one day less for the same pay. Corporate culture reporter Taylor Telford explains how the pandemic has shifted our ideas about work, and how feasible a four-day workweek could really be.

Plus, we explore “the right to disconnect,” a movement that advocates for employees to be allowed to disengage from work after working hours. The Post’s Niha Masih explains how certain countries are protecting people from work encroaching on their personal time.

A message from Martine Feb 25, 2023

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Today from "Post Reports," a quick message from Martine about what she’s working on and why she won’t be in your ears as much for the next few months. (We promise, it’s good news!)

The war in Ukraine, one year later Feb 24, 2023

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It’s been one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Post’s Ukraine Bureau Chief reflects on the war, its impacts and what the future might look like for these countries.

Europe’s biggest land war since World War II just entered its second year, with no clear end in sight.

The losses are unimaginable – estimates suggest there have been hundreds of thousands of casualties, as well as mass evacuations and family separations. According to the United Nations, the war has forced one third of Ukrainians out of their homes and nearly 8 million Ukrainian refugees have sought shelter in other European countries. And the fighting continues.

Isabelle Khurshudyan, the Post’s Ukraine Bureau Chief, guides us through the first days of the invasion and describes what we’re seeing now.

They still love Trump. But will they vote for him again? Feb 23, 2023

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Today, we look at how former Donald Trump voters are feeling about his 2024 presidential run, and whether Trump’s grip on the Republican base is slipping.

Over the past several months, a team of reporters at The Washington Post traveled to five swing states to ask former Trump voters about their feelings toward the former president ahead of the 2024 election. After more than 150 interviews, they found tension within the Republican base, and a growing range of Trump supporters who aren’t sure they want him as the party’s next nominee.

Washington Post reporter Isaac Arnsdorf breaks down why Trump might be losing voters, how they feel about the other “Florida guy” who might run for president, and what this could all mean for the future of the Republican Party.

Should we still be worried about a recession? Feb 22, 2023

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For months, economists warned that the U.S. economy may enter a recession. Instead, the economy appears to be growing. Rachel Siegel joins us to explain why economists were worried, and what led this economy to defy predictions.

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