Episodes
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The WNBA playoffs are underway, capping a record-breaking season: The league added teams, games saw the highest attendance ever, and television viewership skyrocketed. Many credit rookie player Caitlin Clark for drawing fans to the league after millions tuned in to watch her and rival players compete in this year's college basketball championship.
Host Elahe Izadi speaks with sports reporters Kareem Copeland and Ava Wallace about how the “Clark effect” has transformed the WNBA on and off the court.
Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Mark Selig.
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As Election Day looms, we’re seeing more and more headlines based on poll results. Some declare Trump and Harris neck and neck, while others state one candidate has a small advantage over the other. But how can we make sense of all these polls flooding the news cycle?
Today, Martine Powers speaks with The Post’s deputy polling director, Emily Guskin. Emily explains how a poll comes to be, what to look for when trying to understand whether a poll is trustworthy and breaks down once and for all what “margin of error” really means.
Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick, with help from Bishop Sand. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
Correction: A previous version of this episode gave an example of a margin of error applying to a percentage of a sample that hated apples. In the example, the margin of error actually applied to the percentage of the population that hates apples. The audio has been corrected.
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Missing episodes?
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Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio faced off at what was expected to be the only vice presidential debate on Tuesday night. But it was much less dramatic than the presidential debates.
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“Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi talks with senior political reporter Aaron Blake about Walz’s stumbling performance, Vance’s efforts to soften his image on unpopular issues for the GOP, like abortion, and whether either performance could significantly impact the race.
Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy.
Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.
Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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Across the southeastern United States, Hurricane Helene destroyed houses, swept up cars and overflowed riverbanks. Now millions of people are without power and clean drinking water; more than 100 people are dead.
“It's not really an overstatement to say there are towns that were there and are basically not there anymore,” environment and climate reporter Brady Dennis said. He’s been reporting from North Carolina, where many communities were not prepared for the disaster. On today’s show, Dennis describes the widespread destruction and relief efforts to host Elahe Izadi.
Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon, with help from Sabby Robinson. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Reena Flores, with help from Ariel Plotnick. Thanks to Scott Dance, Paulina Firozi and Katie Zezima.
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For months, tensions between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah have increased, with the two sides exchanging cross-border attacks. Yet in recent weeks, Israel has ratcheted up its attacks in Lebanon, including the assassination of Hasan Nasrallah on Friday. The Shiite cleric oversaw Hezbollah for decades and became one of the most powerful and divisive leaders in the Middle East.
The impact of Israel’s strikes has also been devastating. The death toll has now surpassed 1,000 people, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The agency doesn’t distinguish between combatant and civilian deaths, but it said more than 80 children are among the dead. Hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing for safety.
Now, officials have told reporters at the Post that Israel is planning an imminent, limited ground invasion into Lebanon.
Today, host Elahe Izadi speaks with Shane Harris, who covers intelligence and national security for The Post, about Israel’s strategy in attacking Hezbollah inside of Lebanon. We also hear whether this could pull Iran and the United States into a bigger regional conflict.
Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell, with help from Reena Flores. Thanks to Joe Snell and Ben Pauker.
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Kevin Roche was recently elected to a small governing board in Norfolk, Mass. He had lived in the small town his whole life. Then Roche received the news Haitian migrants were going to be sheltered in Norfolk.
The state had opened new shelters in towns across Massachusetts, but none so big in a town so small.
This is the story of one town’s reckoning with the national immigration crisis — from inside the auto shop that Kevin operates, to the airport terminal where the migrant families were staying.
The story was written and read by Ruby Cramer. Audio production and original music by Bishop Sand.
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“Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with Senate reporter Liz Goodwin about how Senate Democrats are feeling ahead of the November election. They also dig into the politics of New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s indictment and preview what to expect in next week’s first – and likely only – vice presidential debate.
Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sam Bair. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy.
Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.
Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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In 2020, North Carolina was the one that got away for Democrats: Then candidate Joe Biden lost the state by the smallest margin in the presidential election. Now, with the election a little over a month away, Democrats and Republicans are kicking into overdrive, campaigning to win North Carolina, a newly competitive swing state.
Elahe Izadi speaks with political reporter Hannah Knowles about why Democrats now think they can win North Carolina and how the state could tip the balance of the election in November.
Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff, with help from Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Sean Sullivan.
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This week, Israel unleashed a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon, against what it says are Hezbollah targets. At least 569 people have been killed in the attacks this week and more than 1,800 injured, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants but said at least 50 children, 94 women and nine paramedics were among the dead.
Thousands of civilians are now fleeing southern Lebanon in search of safety.
Also, on Wednesday, Hezbollah fired a missile toward the Tel Aviv area as retaliation, which Israeli forces intercepted. This marks the first time the militant group has aimed a missile toward this major Israeli city.
Israel has increasingly turned its attention away from its war against Hamas in Gaza to its conflict with Hezbollah, which has been launching near-daily rockets into northern Israel. Hezbollah says it has been carrying out the attacks in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza and will not stop until there is a cease-fire there. Tens of thousands of Israelis under fire have left their homes in the north of the country, and Israeli officials have vowed to ensure their safe return.
Today, on “Post Reports,” host Elahe Izadi speaks with the Post’s Susannah George about this dramatic escalation and fears of a widening conflict.
Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy and Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Monica Campbell, with help from Reena Flores. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Mohamad El-Chamaa, Suzan Haidamous, Lior Soroka and Jesse Mesner-Hage.
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Last Friday, Georgia’s state election board voted 3-2 to approve a new election rule: before vote totals can be reported, each precinct must confirm the total number of votes cast by three separate hand counts.
The move was spearheaded by a pro-Trump majority who say that it will make elections more transparent. But critics – among them many of Georgia’s election administrators – said hand counts would take too long, cost money and almost certainly produce counting errors, opening the door to doubts about the election results in November. The office of the Republican state attorney general, which is responsible for advising the board, wrote in an opinion that the change was unlawful.
This rule is the latest in a string of new election measures passed by the pro-Trump election board. Democracy advocates have accused the board of intentionally injecting chaos and uncertainty into the presidential contest.
Today on “Post Reports, host Elahe Izadi speaks with Amy Gardner, who covers voting for the Post, about how the rule change could affect the November election.
Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff, with help from Lucas Trevor. It was mixed by Sean Carter. And edited by Monica Campbell, with help from Reena Flores. Thanks to Griff Witte.
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The FDA wants to propose putting labels on the front of food and drink packages in order to flag whether they are high in added sugar, saturated fat or sodium. The effort aims to help people make healthier choices and to address the nation’s exploding rates of diet-related diseases.
The proposal could come as early as next month, but a fight with the food industry is already heating up. At the same time, some nutrition experts and lawmakers worry the FDA options under consideration are confusing and won’t be clear enough to protect Americans’ health.
So, what could these labels even look like?
Today on “Post Reports,” reporter Lauren Weber joins host Martine Powers to unpack the FDA efforts and how possible labels might compare with the front-of-package food warnings commonly found in other countries like Chile and Mexico.
Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon, with help from Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Tracy Jan and Rachel Roubein.
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“Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake chat with national political reporter Michael Scherer about all of this week’s political news. They also dig into how last week’s first – and perhaps only – debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump is shaping voters’ perceptions of the candidates.
Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy.
Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.
Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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Thousands of people were injured across Lebanon this week in back-to-back explosions of electronic devices – pagers, mostly – used by the militant group Hezbollah.
Host Martine Powers speaks with Post correspondent Susannah George about what it’s like in Lebanon in the aftermath of these explosions and why they may portend an escalation of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon.
Also, an update on the controversy over the 2024 Olympic medal stripped from Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled her coach did not initiate the decisive inquiry before the one-minute deadline.
An investigation by The Post, which analyzed dozens of videos to examine the disputed inquiry, shows CAS ruled against Chiles based on time markers that don’t precisely match the sport’s protocol for inquiries.
Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Emma Talkoff and Bishop Sand. It was mixed by Ted Muldoon and edited by Monica Campbell. Thanks to Jesse Mesner-Hage, Jenn Amur, Suzan Haidamous, Mohamad El Chamaa and Lior Soroka.
Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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In the past couple weeks, both former president Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (Ohio), have pushed unfounded claims about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating pets in the small city of Springfield, Ohio. The story got its start with a viral Facebook post and quickly made its way from far-right corners of the internet into the Republican mainstream.
Since the presidential debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, during which Trump repeated these claims, the town of Springfield has been struggling with the sudden national attention. More than 30 bomb threats have been made in Springfield in the past week, and some members of the Haitian community are fearing for their safety.
National correspondent Danielle Paquette traveled to Springfield last week to speak with Haitian immigrants about how their lives have changed since the debate, and today on “Post Reports,” Martine Powers talks with her about what she learned.
Then, democracy reporter Sarah Ellison explains exactly how this conspiracy took root online and how it spread so quickly.
Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter.
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Sean Combs was arrested Monday in New York, and today prosecutors unsealed the criminal indictment. The hip-hop impresario could face years in prison if found guilty. Meanwhile, Combs’s lawyers have called the persecution “unjust.” It all comes less than a year after the first public allegations against Combs emerged.
Today on “Post Reports,” Martine Powers speaks with Style reporter Anne Branigin about the indictment against Combs, what he’s accused of and what it could mean for the music mogul.
Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson, with help from Emma Talkoff and Lucas Trevor. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Reena Flores, with help from Monica Campbell. Thanks to Avi Selk and Lindsey Underwood.
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Today, what we know about a possible second assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump. And, what this latest threat of political violence could mean for his presidential campaign.
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Yesterday, Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested on the suspicion of possibly trying to assassinate former president Donald Trump. Today, Routh was charged with two gun-related crimes.
Host Martine Powers speaks with national political reporter Isaac Arnsdorf about what happened at Trump’s West Palm Beach, Fla., golf course on Sunday. And we unpack the potential implications for the presidential campaign.
Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Bishop Sand. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter.
Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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Affirmations help alleviate stress and can make you emotionally and mentally stronger. Host Cristina Quinn talks to clinical psychologist Natalie Dattilo-Ryan about what kinds of affirmations are most effective. She lays out an exercise to help get you started with identifying the right kinds of statements to shore up your sense of self. Next, we dive into research on affirmations and stress levels with Carnegie Mellon University psychology and neuroscience professor David Creswell. Creswell’s work reveals how affirmations can activate the brain's reward system.
For more on how to make affirmations work for you, read this from The Post’s Allyson Chiu.
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To hear more, check out “Try This” wherever you listen to podcasts.
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As students return to school, more states and districts are cracking down on cellphones. But not everyone agrees. On “Post Reports,” we hear how things look on the frontlines of this battle.
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A few years ago, Jennifer Rosenzweig’s high school students gave her a strange nickname: the “Bucket Lady.” That’s because Rosenzweig, an English teacher at Scarsdale High School in New York state, saw students increasingly on their cellphones, including in class, and having trouble focusing. Her solution? Have students drop their phones in a bucket before class.
Today, Rosenzweig is no longer the sole phone cop at her school, which now has a caddy on every classroom door, with pockets that students drop their phones into as they enter.
New policies like this are spreading at schools throughout the United States, with pressure coming from teachers and parents who see phones as a distraction, an impediment to learning and a burden on students’ mental health.
Host Martine Powers speaks with national education reporter Laura Meckler about the growing battle over phones in schools and the different opinions on the correct approach.
Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff with help from Ted Muldoon and Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell. Thanks to Karina Elwood and Chastity Pratt.
Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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Post Reports co-host Martine Powers talks with senior political reporter Aaron Blake about what each candidate needed to do in this debate to win over voters in an incredibly tight race. They also talk about whether a new endorsement from Taylor Swift could give Harris an edge.
Note: An initial version of this episode had an incorrect reference to Springfield, Illinois rather than Springfield, Ohio. The error has been fixed.
Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon and Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy.
Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.
Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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In preparation for Tuesday’s debate between Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, “Post Reports” fact-checks the former president’s claims about crime and immigration.
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Crime is falling rapidly in many U.S. cities for the second year in a row. But the decrease in homicides and assaults has been largely ignored by Republican politicians like Donald Trump, who publicly blames his opponent Kamala Harris and other Democrats for what he claims is a surge in violent crime across the United States.
Ahead of the first –– and probably only –– debate between Trump and Harris on Tuesday evening, reporter Devlin Barrett joins host Martine Powers to give some context to what we might hear on the debate stage when it comes to crime, policing and immigration.
The teams behind “Post Reports” and “The Campaign Moment” will also be working late to get you an episode first thing tomorrow, breaking down the biggest moments of the debate and fact-checking some of the candidates’ answers. Keep an ear out for that episode.
Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Elana Gordon. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sean Carter.
Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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