Post Reports

Latest Episodes:

The outrage over ‘zero covid’ in China Nov 28, 2022

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For the first time in decades, massive protests broke out in cities across China. Today on “Post Reports” — what's behind the protests and what they mean for the future of China’s leadership.

Protests erupted throughout China this weekend over the country’s “zero covid” policy, which has led the government to implement strict lockdown and testing measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The protests were triggered by a botched response to a deadly fire in Urumqi, a city in the northwest of China. Ten people died after emergency responders couldn’t get close enough to the apartment building, and protesters blame lockdown-related measures for interfering with rescue efforts.

But the protests have grown to wider criticisms of the Chinese government, including calls for President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party to step down. The treatment of Uyghurs by the state has also become a rallying cry for demonstrators. Lily Kuo, The Post’s China bureau chief, has been covering the protests. She breaks down why these protests are significant and what they could mean for the future of China’s leadership.

Say goodbye to Black Friday Nov 23, 2022

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The years of one-day deals and long lines the day after Thanksgiving are over. Black Friday is now more than a month long. We break down what’s changed and why.

Retail reporter Jaclyn Peiser discusses how last year’s supply chain issues and delayed inventory are a win for consumers, how people are shopping despite inflation, and she outlines her holiday shopping survival guide.

And as a bonus – we give you a taste of Alexandra Petri’s column, ”The 9 best Thanksgiving songs I definitely didn’t just make up.” Trust us, you’ll want to listen.

The Post is running a Black Friday all-access digital subscription deal. For just $0.99 for four weeks, that will cover you for your first 12 weeks. You’ll get our groundbreaking interactive stories, the most in-depth breaking news, our fantastic Well+Being and Climate coverage and so much more.

Is your kid ready for a phone? Nov 22, 2022

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A guide for when and how to give your kid a smartphone. Heather Kelly polled the experts, and there’s a lot we can all learn from their advice – whether we have kids or not. Plus, we dive into the reported benefits of “brown noise.”

A guide to giving your child their first phone. Children are getting smartphones younger than ever. Make sure you’re all prepared.

Even older adults struggle with screen time. Here's how to help them put down their phones and be more present.

Listening to “brown noise” has become a popular solution for people who have trouble focusing, and in particular for people who have ADHD. Disability reporter Amanda Morris explains what this soothing sound is and why it helps.

The end of the Pelosi era Nov 21, 2022

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Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she would step down from Democratic leadership. Today on the show, we discuss Pelosi’s legacy and the new era of Democrats in line to take her place.

Nancy Pelosi has spent 35 years in Congress. Last week, she stepped down as speaker of the House, ending her historic tenure as the first woman to serve as speaker. “She has been an incredibly powerful figure that has ruled the House of Representatives in this sort of iron-fisted way that is the stuff of legends,” says Paul Kane, The Post’s senior congressional correspondent. On today’s episode, we talk to Kane about Pelosi’s rise to power, the highlights of her career, and what the future holds for the new era of Democrats looking to take over leadership positions.

No beer, plenty of scandal: Qatar’s World Cup Nov 18, 2022

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The 2022 World Cup starts this weekend in Qatar, and it is already marked by controversy. Today on “Post Reports,” the geopolitical stakes of this year’s World Cup, and a preview of the most exciting players and teams to watch in Doha.

World Cup organizers said Friday that they were abandoning plans to sell beer around match stadiums.

Qatar, a conservative Muslim country, strictly limits the sale of alcohol and bans its consumption in public places. It had made exceptions to those rules for the World Cup, but suddenly reversed course on Friday.

Whether or not fans can have a beer at a game may not seem like a big deal - but some worry about what this signals about other laws and cultural norms that had been expected to be suspended for the World Cup, around protests, press freedoms and LGBTQ rights.

“This is a World Cup that is defined by the controversy around it in many ways,” Ishaan Tharoor told our producer Arjun Singh. There were unexplained deaths of thousands of migrant workers during Qatar’s preparation for the tournament, and their families are still looking for answers.

“The World Cup is never just about the World Cup,” Ishaan explained.

To read more from Ishaan, sign up for his newsletter, Today’s WorldView.

Plus, we go to Chuck Culpepper, who is on the ground in Doha reporting on the tournament. He lays out what teams and players to watch in the coming weeks, and why the biggest strength of Team USA might be its biggest weakness.

The urgent situation in Haiti Nov 17, 2022

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Today on Post Reports, we hear from a journalist on the ground in Haiti about the country’s growing humanitarian crisis, and what can be done about it.

Natural disasters and political turmoil have plagued Haiti for decades. But last year, the country reached a tipping point: President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated and the country was hit by another deadly earthquake. Capitalizing on the situation, gangs have overrun many parts of the country, frequently kidnapping and killing people and stopping the flow of critical goods. A lack of access to clean water has caused cholera to make a comeback, sickening thousands of people and killing over 100 so far. Journalist Widlore Mérancourt describes what people there are experiencing and whether international intervention in Haiti would be a plausible solution – given the country’s already fraught history with it.

Trump is back. Back again. Nov 16, 2022

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Tuesday night, Former president Donald Trump announced his fourth bid for the White House in 2024. The announcement comes just a week after voters decidedly rejected the candidates he backed in the midterm elections.

Trump has taken the brunt of the criticism from his fellow Republicans who aren’t sold on having him represent the party again, with potential rivals already planning to challenge Trump for the nomination.

National political reporter Isaac Arnsdorf recaps last night’s announcement and outlines the potential obstacles, both legal and political, on Trump’s 2024 road to the White House.

Subscribe to The Post’s new morning news podcast, “The 7,” on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Inside the covert abortion pill pipeline Nov 15, 2022

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In a post-Roe America, tens of thousands of people without access to legal abortions are turning to a new covert network to get abortion pills. Today on Post Reports, we trace the network’s surprising supply chain and look at the precarious position of those participating in it.

When the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June, abortion bans instantly took effect in large swaths of the United States, prompting people around the country to seek alternatives amid new legal and medical risks. Many are now turning to an emerging covert network of DIY distributors who are supplying free abortion pills from Mexico to people in the United States.

On today’s episode, national political reporter Caroline Kitchener introduces us to these distributors, their source, and what happens when one woman, desperate to terminate her pregnancy, takes this route.

Caroline Kitchener reports on this expanding covert network providing pills for thousands of abortions in U.S.

See where abortion laws have changed in the U.S. and which states now ban the practice.

Abortion rights advocates scored major victories across the U.S. in midterm elections this month.

And subscribe to The Post’s new morning news podcast, “The 7,” on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Ukraine’s triumph in Kherson Nov 14, 2022

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A triumphant President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the liberated Ukrainian city of Kherson Monday morning, declaring “the beginning of the end of the war.” Today on “Post Reports,” we talk about whether that’s true and why this city is so significant.

Kherson residents celebrate liberation and describe the trauma of occupation.

Witnesses recount detentions, torture, disappearances in occupied Kherson.

Fighting-age men in Russia are still hiding in fear of being sent to war.

Follow live updates on the war in Ukraine. And subscribe to The Post’s new morning news podcast, “The 7,” on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Who should pay for climate disasters? Nov 11, 2022

Show notes

There’s a big, contentious question at the heart of this year’s COP27, the U.N. climate change conference: Should richer countries foot the bill when it comes to climate disasters?

Thousands of government officials from all over the world have gathered in Egypt for the 27th annual U.N. climate change conference, which started this week. Amid a backdrop of protests — on climate change and the Egyptian government’s spotty human rights record — the focus is on the commitments each country made at last year's conference to curb their emissions.

But there’s another debate brewing. Developing nations — the most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change — want financial support as they deal with the fallout. And they’re looking to wealthier nations, which have disproportionately emitted carbon into the atmosphere. Climate reporter Sarah Kaplan joins us to discuss how a potential “loss and damages” fund would work, and where we are on a changing global climate.

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