Post Reports

Since the coronavirus pandemic, the United States economy has been in flux. While high inflation has slowly cooled off in recent years, consumers are still feeling the pressures of a weak job market and rising prices at the grocery store. Now the Federal Reserve looks to be taking matters into its own hands; Fed watchers expect the United States' central bank to cut interest rates tomorrow. A cut could make it easier for consumers and businesses looking to borrow money and purchase goods. President Donald Trump has also been pressuring the Fed to cut rates for months.Washington Post financial writer David J. Lynch joins “Post Reports” to discuss the economic headwinds that the Federal Reserve is attempting to weather by cutting interest rates and how this is connected to Trump's efforts to revitalize American manufacturing. You can find David's new book, “The World's Worst Bet: How the Globalization Gamble Went Wrong (And What Would Make It Right),” here.Today's show was produced by Laura Benshoff with help from Lucas Trevor. It was mixed by Sam Bair. And edited by Ariel Plotnick. Thanks to Jen Liberto.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

President Donald Trump recently celebrated the destruction of a boat that was allegedly carrying illegal narcotics from Venezuela to the United States. The 11 people on board were killed, according to the White House. Trump released a video on social media showing the boat going up in flames, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that more attacks like this could be coming. Members of Congress have yet to gain more details or evidence into the unusual strike, which did not follow typical maritime protocols. The administration has claimed those on board were “narco-terrorists” and members of the criminal group Tren de Aragua, while Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro has called in thousands of reservists over concerns that this could be the opening shot in a broader conflict between the U.S. and Venezuela. These and other developments, including a rebranding of the Department of Defense and a visit by Pete Hegseth to Puerto Rico, have many wondering: Have we entered a new era in the nearly quarter-century war on terror? Today, host Colby Itkowitz speaks with national security reporter Tara Copp about the details of the attack and how Trump is making it a military priority to go after drug cartels. Today's show was produced by Elana Gordon with help from Lucas Trevor. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sean Carter. Special thanks to Andy deGrandpre. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The Eaton Fire tore through the Los Angeles suburb of Altadena, part of a storm that killed 19 people. It became one of the most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history, but the ultimate cost won't be tallied in dollars and cents. That will be calculated on a different ledger: the number of residents who return to this block of West Las Flores Drive and the countless others like it.This story follows these residents. The Washington Post has spent months with three families from this Altadena street, the epicenter of the wildfire's destructive path, following their separate journeys as they asked themselves excruciating questions and struggled to imagine their futures in a place they fear will never again feel like home.Reis Thebault, Nick Kirkpatrick, Melina Mara and Alice Li reported the piece. Thebault wrote and narrated it. Bishop Sand composed music and produced audio.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Charlie Kirk's shooting has left both Republicans and Democrats worried about more political violence. How are prominent leaders in both parties responding to the tragedy?

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday at Utah Valley University. As officials seek details on the identity and motive of the shooter, Americans are beginning to process Kirk's death and what this might mean for a new era of political violence and fear in the United States. In a video posted online on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump blamed the killing, without evidence, on “radical left political violence.” On today's episode, host Colby Itkowitz speaks with democracy reporter Yvonne WIngett Sanchez, who has covered Kirk and his organization, Turning Point USA, for years. They delve into this difficult moment and Kirk's lasting legacy as the fiery leader of a powerful conservative youth movement. Today's show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy and Elana Gordon, with help from Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and Reena Flores, with help from Renita Jablonski and Elahe Izadi. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Special thanks to Noah Bierman. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

In Arlington, Texas, thousands waited in line at a career fair in the hopes of getting hired as an ICE officer. Criminal justice reporter Robert Klemko was there and met a diverse mix of people – a former MMA fighter, a community college student and a former Marine.President Donald Trump has pushed to deport a million people during the first year of his second term. To do this big immigration crackdown, ICE is expanding its recruiting efforts and incentivizing people to join through large signing bonuses and a pitch to “defend the homeland.”Host Elahe Izadi speaks with Robert about what he heard from those who signed up and what the potential risks of ramping up hiring and training efforts.Today's show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Since taking over as health and human services secretary earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired members of a key vaccine panel, signaled shifts to the childhood immunization schedule and changed guidelines about who should receive the coronavirus vaccine. Now there are questions about which pharmacies will offer shots and whether insurance companies will cover the cost.“Post Reports” host Elahe Izadi is joined by Lena Sun, a national health reporter for The Washington Post, to wade through the confusion and answer listener questions about vaccines this fall. They discuss how to find a covid shot, when might be the best time to receive your flu vaccine, and how Kennedy and the Trump administration could continue to reshape vaccine guidance and public health in the United States. Today's episode was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Lucas Trevor. It was mixed by Sam Bair and edited by Elana Gordon with help from Reena Flores. Thanks to Fenit Nirappil.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Montgomery County is a small, rural area in the middle of North Carolina. The county has struggled financially for years, and its school district depends on government grants to survive. This year, the Trump administration cut $600 million in grants to teacher-training programs across the country, and Montgomery County's $21 million grant was included. The Trump administration says the grants were cut because they were used to train teachers and agencies on diversity, equity and inclusion practices.Host Elahe Izadi speaks with national reporter Ben Brasch about his reporting on Montgomery County's schools. He shares why some parents and teachers are frustrated by the Trump administration's seemingly indiscriminate cuts, and why the elimination of the county's grant affects the school district's ability to retain and train quality teachers.Today's show was produced by Thomas Lu. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick with help from Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The songwriter was unconscious, but his voice filled the operating room. Mike Frazier's dirty-blond locks had been partially shaved and his head sanitized. The surgeon standing over him slid his blade in a crescent over Frazier's right ear and tugged his scalp into position. Then he began opening a window into the musician's brain.The task that day was to reach and remove the cause of the grievous pain that had besieged and mystified Frazier for years. After almost a decade as a folk-rock singer with a rollicking vibe and a knack for storytelling, piercing stomach pain had stymied his songwriting and drawn him into a dangerous depression before he turned 30.This story explores Frazier's condition, diagnosis and recovery through the songs he would write about the experience. Michael Laris reported, wrote and narrated the piece. Bishop Sand composed music and produced audio.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Congress has less than a month to figure out how to fund the government. But instead of that pressing business, calls for greater government transparency over allegations against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein dominated Capitol Hill this week. On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee released more than 33,000 documents related to the investigation, most of which are already publicly available.. But other lawmakers say this effort doesn't go far enough. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) and Ro Khanna (D-California) continued to push a competing effort that could force the Justice Department to release more files. Host Colby Itkowitz sits down with Post congressional reporter Marianna Sotomayor and senior national political correspondent Naftali Bendavid to discuss this news as well as the looming government funding deadline and how Democrats are thinking about flipping the House in the 2026 midterms. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The sparks flew in Thursday's Senate Finance Committee hearing. Senators – Republicans and Democrats alike – grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his handling of vaccines and the shakeup at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kennedy, for his part, doubled down on his ouster of CDC director Susan Monarez, claiming she was not “trustworthy.” He insisted that Americans would still be able to access coronavirus vaccines, despite his overhauling of a key vaccine panel. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with health reporter David Ovalle about the fireworks at Kennedy's hearing before the Senate. Plus, they discuss what's happening with diverging school vaccine policies in red and blue states. Today's show was produced by Elana Gordon with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Character.AI became one of the world's most popular artificial intelligence apps by letting tens of millions of users, many in their teens, text and talk to chatbot versions of celebrities and fictional characters. But conversation with these seemingly friendly chatbots can easily veer into topics unsafe for minors.Host Colby Itkowitz talks to tech culture reporter Nitasha Tiku about this new world of AI chatbots, and why parents and advocates are raising concerns. Today's show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

In March, as part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, the United States sent more than 250 migrants, the majority being Venezuelan nationals, to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center, a megaprison often referred to by its Spanish acronym, CECOT. In July, four months later, the men from Venezuela were released to Venezuela as part of an international prisoner swap. U.S. officials acknowledged in court that many of those sent to CECOT had no criminal record. The Washington Post interviewed 16 of the men, providing the fullest account yet of the treatment and conditions inside CECOT. That includes Roger Molina, a food delivery driver and aspiring soccer player who had been conditionally accepted into a State Department resettlement program for refugees.Today, Samantha Schmidt, The Post's Bogotá bureau chief, shares Molina's story and what she and her colleagues learned about the difficult conditions inside CECOT, a secretive prison where inmates are denied access to lawyers and almost all contact with the outside world. Today's show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Helena Carpio, Christine Armario, Maria Paul and Teo Armus. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Labubus — small plush toys that look like mischievous monsters — have taken the world by storm. Chinese toymaker and retailer Pop Mart has sold millions of dollars' worth of Labubus. There's even a booming resale market, on top of a thriving operation of counterfeits called Lafufus.Host Elahe Izadi speaks with reporter Kelly Kasulis Cho about how Labubus became the latest trend, and why these little toys have become a symbol of China's developing economic strategy.Today's show was produced by Thomas Lu. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Susan Monarez says she refused to restrict access to vaccines as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It wasn't long until Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. decided she needed to go. Monarez's firing led to the resignations of some of the CDC's top scientists. It comes on the heels of President Donald Trump's attempted firing of Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve governor. Now, Trump's efforts to clamp down on traditionally independent agency officials could have major consequences for the nation's economy and public health.Today on the weekly “Post Reports” politics roundtable, Colby Itkowitz sits down with White House reporter Dan Diamond and political reporter Dan Merica to discuss how the Trump administration's recent moves will be felt by most Americans. Today's show was produced by Arjun Singh and mixed by Rennie Svirnovsky. It was edited by Laura Benshoff. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Taylor Swift and NFL player Travis Kelce announced their engagement Tuesday. Fans mobilized, groups chats lit up, and social media posts of Swifties celebrating went viral. “Post Reports” host Elahe Izadi speaks with pop culture reporter Emily Yahr about this announcement, why it was an unusual move for Swift, and what it could mean for Swift's music career and business. Plus, we hear from personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary on whether a pre-nup is worth it. Today's show was produced by Thomas Lu. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

On Wednesday morning, students from Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis were in church for an all-school Mass when a shooter opened fire through the church windows. An 8-year-old and a 10-year-old from the private K-8 school were killed, and the shooter died after shooting himself. More than a dozen people were injured, and several remain in critical condition. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) addressed reporters in a moving news conference about the shooting: “Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church. These are kids that should be learning with their friends. They should be playing on the playground. They should be able to go to school or church in peace, without the fear or risk of violence. And their parents should have the same kind of assurance.”Reporter Kim Bellware joins host Elahe Izadi to walk through what The Post has learned about the suspect and about how the tragic event fits into the nation's history of gun violence. Today's show was produced by Laura Benshoff, Rennie Svirnovskiy and Thomas Lu. It was mixed by Sam Bair and edited by Reena Flores and Ariel Plotnick. Thanks to Reis Thebault,. Hannah Knowles, Colby Itkowitz, Elliot Smilowitz and Gina Harkins. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Late last week, President Donald Trump announced the federal government will now own 10 percent of the chipmaker Intel. The move is just one in a pattern of unprecedented deals the Trump administration has struck with tech companies, reshaping the relationship between the federal government and big business. Host Elahe Izadi talks with technology reporter Gerrit De Vynck about how the Intel deal happened, how it compares with past government bailouts and why some free-market conservatives are concerned that the deal signifies government overreach.Today's show was produced by Arjun Singh with help from Lucas Trevor. It was mixed by Sam Bair. And edited by Ariel Plotnick. Thanks to Tom Simonite.Subscribe to The Washington Post here and take advantage of our Labor Day sale for a limited time.

The Defense Department is outlining plans to send troops to Chicago as soon as September. These plans have been in the works for weeks – long before Trump's declaration Friday that “it won't even be tough” to send troops to the third-largest city in the U.S. Pentagon reporter Dan Lamothe uncovered the details of these military plans, which are part of Trump's broader crackdown on American cities. Dan speaks with host Colby Itkowitz about what a troop deployment in Chicago could look like, what legal arguments the administration is making and what we can learn from the military's presence in Los Angeles and D.C. Today's show was produced by Laura Benshoff, with help from Thomas Lu. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Reena Flores. Thanks to National Security Editor Andy deGrandpre.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Christopher Kinnison, 46, worked at his own one-man law firm in the central Louisiana city of Alexandria, putting him within a two-hour drive of the state's nine ICE facilities, the highest number of any state other than Texas. Most of his clients were detainees, and his business cards promised “Fervent Representation for Uncertain Times,” because he knew how quickly immigration policy could change with every new administration. But nothing had prepared him for the change that began when President Donald Trump took office in January.Arrests were up in every part of the country compared with the year before. There were reports of people being detained by ICE at courthouses, farms, car washes, a meat production plant in Nebraska, an Italian restaurant in San Diego and outside a church in Oregon, sending the number of people in immigration detention to more than 56,000, well over the budgeted capacity of 41,500.One in every 8 of those detainees ended up in rural Louisiana, becoming some of the most hidden-away people in America. Every week, more calls came into the law office in Alexandria, and now it was half a year into Trump's presidency, and Kinnison hadn't been able to slow down long enough to process what his days at work were becoming.This story follows Kinnison in Louisiana as he counseled clients and triaged their immigration cases in this new reality. Ruby Cramer reported, wrote and narrated the piece. Bishop Sand composed music and produced audio.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

This week, President Donald Trump claimed he's ended six — or maybe even seven — wars. But his efforts to bring about peace in Ukraine, three years after Russia's invasion, appear stalled.Guest host Cleve Wootson speaks with White House reporter Cat Zakrzewski and White House correspondent Michael Birnbaum about the latest in the negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, and they fact-check Trump's peacemaking record. Plus, how Trump talks about the success of his federal takeover of the D.C. police force, and why the FBI is searching properties related to the former Trump national security adviser John Bolton.Today's show was produced by Arjun Singh. It was edited by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

With a vote of 88 ayes and 52 nays, the Texas House passed a controversial new election map on Wednesday night. If approved in the state Senate, the redrawn lines would create five new congressional districts that lean heavily red.The Texas House vote comes a few weeks after Texas Democratic lawmakers fled the state in an attempt to stall the GOP effort. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) threatened the lawmakers with lawsuits and arrests.So, they returned with a plan. Guest host Ava Wallace talks with politics reporter Maeve Reston about how Texas Republicans were able to gain this advantage – and how blue states are responding with redistricting plans of their own. Today's show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Thomas Lu, Molly Hennessy-Fiske, and Noah Bierman. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

At the end of July, President Donald Trump signed an executive order reinstating the presidential fitness test. The test was administered in public schools around the country from 1950 to 2012, when it was ended by President Barack Obama.After health columnist Gretchen Reynolds heard the news, she put out a call to Post readers asking about their memories of the presidential fitness test. Hundreds responded, many of them sharing vivid memories of humiliation and shame associated with the test. Elahe Izadi speaks with Gretchen about the origins of the test, what this new iteration of the test might look like, and what experts say about whether the test actually combats things like obesity and inactivity in young people. Today's show was produced by Peter Bresnan. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Ariel Plotnick. Thanks to Emily Codik and Teresa Tamkins.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

A team of “Post Reports” producers join Post reporter Olivia George for a Friday night out on U Street NW, a major hub for nightlight in the nation's capital and an area that has experienced one of the highest number of crimes reported this year. They speak with businesses, partygoers and workers to hear their experience during the first weekend since President Donald Trump's takeover of D.C.'s law enforcement. The changes in the nation's capital are palpable. Trump announced the police takeover last week. He also sent in 800 National Guard troops with at least six Republican-led states agreeing to send hundreds of additional Guard troops. As more federal law enforcement and immigration officers take to the streets, setting up check points, arresting and detaining people, tensions have been growing in the city. Trump has described his federal intervention in D.C. as a crusade against crime. In its first week, the main targets have increasingly been immigrants and those experiencing homelessness. Videos of local detainments have reverberated through group chats and social media.Today's show was produced by Elana Gordon, Reena Flores, Sabby Robinson, Sean Carter and Thomas Lu with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Reena Flores and Renita Jablonski and mixed by Sean Carter. Special thanks to Craig Hudson, John Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dolan, Katie Mettler and Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

President Donald Trump stunned the international community when he invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska for a high-stakes summit on the war in Ukraine. Just hours after Trump greeted Putin on his first visit to the U.S. in a decade, he watched him leave with no ceasefire deal in hand, however. Now, Trump is turning to Ukrainian leader Volodomyr Zelensky and NATO leaders to help strike a negotiated settlement to the war. But Trump's rush for a deal is coming up against stark geopolitical realities, with Ukraine and Russia seeking different concessions in exchange for ending the war. Today on Post Reports, Elahe Izadi speaks with White House correspondent Michael Birnbaum about the latest developments from Trump's meetings. Today's show was produced by Arjun Singh with help from Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick, with help from Reena Flores. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to David Lauter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

President Donald Trump began his second term with a playbook in hand for how he might take control of aspects of D.C.'s government, according to Post reporting. Trump's takeover of the city's police department this week was just one possible outcome.Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with White House reporter Cleve Wootson and The Post's White House bureau chief, Matt Viser, about how Trump set the stage for deploying the National Guard in D.C. and taking control of the city's police force. They also unpack exclusive Post reporting on a plan to create a federal “reaction force” to deploy in cities across the country, and the stakes for Trump's meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday.Today's show was produced by Arjun Singh. It was edited by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has long been an important cultural landmark in D.C., bringing a variety of arts programming to the region while also serving as “the Nation's Cultural Center.” Since it opened in 1971, the Kennedy Center has also been largely apolitical. It receives some federal dollars, but sitting presidents have allowed the Kennedy Center's board of directors to operate and curate programming without any influence from the executive branch.That changed earlier this year, when President Donald Trump made himself the chair of the Kennedy Center board. And just this week, he inserted himself into the center's annual marquee event by announcing this year's recipients of a lifetime achievement award, the Kenney Center Honors. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with style reporter Travis Andrews about Trump's move to shake up the Kennedy Center, as well as his broader goals of reshaping arts and culture institutions in the United States.Today's show was produced by Thomas Lu. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Gen Z is having a rough go at finding a job. AI tools are making it easier for companies to downsize. In an effort to cut costs, many workplaces are laying off people en masse. And all of that talent is flooding a job market where entry-level positions often require multiple years of experience. That's leaving Gen Z workers at the bottom of the hiring pool.Audio intern Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval interviews business reporter Taylor Telford about what the job landscape looks like for his generation. What does it take to stand out in a crowded labor market? And will Gen Z be able to find work?Today's episode was produced by Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter.Our newsroom has been covering the federal takeover of D.C. police and the deployment of the National Guard in the city from every angle. You can stay up-to-date on this fast-moving story with a one-week pass for just $7. Learn more at washingtonpost.com/weekpass. Or subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Israel has announced a plan that could eventually allow it to take military control of the entire Gaza Strip. But the announcement has been met with widespread criticism inside and outside Israel. Foreign leaders and protesters say this approach lacks clarity and will prolong the suffering of Palestinian civilians and endanger hostages still held by Hamas.Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Tel Aviv- based correspondent Shira Rubin about the consequences of this tactical shift and why Netanyahu has seemed unswayed by international pressure. Today's show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sam Bair. Thank you to Lior Siroka and Alan Sipress.Subscribe to The Washington Post here, or check out our new one-week pass at washingtonpost.com/weekpass.

On Monday morning, President Donald Trump announced that he is putting Washington, D.C., under federal control and deploying the National Guard to fight crime. While police data shows a drop in violent crime in D.C. in recent years, Trump said this historic action would “rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse.” He suggested he could deploy the National Guard in other cities as well, referencing the deployment of Guard troops in Los Angeles earlier this year. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with local reporter Olivia George about this unprecedented move to militarize Washington, D.C.; how some of the city's residents are already protesting; and what this deployment could mean for cities across America.Today's show was produced by Sabby Robinson, with help from Laura Benshoff and Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

In the past week, President Donald Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries – and made moves to suppress signs of a weakening economy. Today on the politics roundtable, host Colby Itkowitz speaks with White House reporter Emily Davies and senior national political correspondent Naftali Bendavid about how Trump's recent economic moves are playing politically. They also cover his recent threats to take federal control of D.C., and the latest on how the Justice Department is pursuing investigations into Trump's perceived political enemies.Today's show was produced by Arjun Singh. It was edited by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

David Lynch covers trade for The Post, and he joins us to explain how the tariffs will affect consumer prices and the broader economy. David is the author of the forthcoming book “The World's Worst Bet: How the Globalization Gamble Went Wrong (And What Would Make It Right).”Today's show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Maggie Penman with help from Reena Flores. It was mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can interfere with the complex system that produces and interacts with our hormones. Research suggests they can affect the reproductive system, our kidneys, and even increase our risk of cancer. There are over 1,000 types of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, according to some estimates, and we are exposed to them daily through things like kitchen utensils and makeup. So how worried should we be about inevitable exposure?Host Elahe Izadi speaks with oncologist Dr. Mikkael Sekeres about the connection between endocrine disruptors and cancer. Dr. Sekeres also shares his advice on steps he takes to avoid these chemicals–and how he puts the risks into perspective.Today's show was produced by Thomas Lu, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy, who also mixed the episode. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

After Texas Republicans tried to redraw the state's congressional districts to give their party an advantage, dozens of Democratic lawmakers fled the state to protest the move. Now, Texas' governor wants to arrest them.

This spring, the Trump administration and Elon Musk's U.S. DOGE Service drastically reduced the federal workforce, all in the name of cost-cutting. This included making a “deferred resignation” offer to government workers, offering to pay them through at least the end of September if they resigned their positions. Post reporter Meryl Kornfield and colleagues have been trying for months to find out exactly how many federal employees took these buyouts. Last week, they reported for the first time that the government is now paying more than 154,000 people not to work. Colby Itkowitz speaks with Meryl about how she and her colleagues uncovered this number, how the Trump administration defends its claims of cost-cutting, and how former federal workers are feeling as they continue to earn a paycheck for work they are not doing. Today's show was produced by Peter Bresnan. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The Vitals had settled in Springfield from Haiti during President Donald Trump's first term and saved money through the Biden administration. Business leaders in their reliably red county praised immigrants for reviving the local economy. Americans struggled to pass drug tests, one factory boss told a TV news crew. Not Haitians.Fernande Vital earned $21 an hour at a Japanese automotive plant, monitoring robots forging car parts, while her husband, Rocher, led a strip-mall church. Even as the GOP and some of their neighbors called for mass deportations, the Vitals were sure nobody meant them, immigrants here legally.So inJuly of last year, they made a down payment of $8,000, their entire nest egg. In August, they moved in, installed lace curtains and hung a family portrait in the dining room. One month later came the cracks.This story follows the Vitals after they dealt with the structural woes in their home and their feeling of belonging in this country.Danielle Paquette reported, wrote and narrated the piece. Bishop Sand composed music and produced audio.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

After months of threats, the Trump administration announced this week a slew of heavy tariffs, taxes on imported goods, for major trading partners such as India and Canada. The news came on the heels of the recent announcement of a new trade agreement with the European Union that was widely seen as a lopsided deal in favor of the United States. Despite angst over President Donald Trump's tariffs and aggressive approach to trade policy, major trading partners do appear to be ceding some ground to Trump. But how will these policies risk damaging alliances that are already frayed? And how could Trump's latest trade moves affect U.S. consumers?Today on “Post Reports's” weekly politics roundtable, host Colby Itkowitz is joined by Washington Post White House reporter Cat Zakrewski and global economics correspondent David Lynch to discuss the consequences of Trump's tariffs.

Last week, clothing brand American Eagle released a series of short clips and images featuring “Euphoria” and “White Lotus” star Sydney Sweeney. They're part of a new jeans marketing campaign – where proceeds from the sale of “The Sydney Jeans” are donated to a domestic abuse crisis hotline. But the provocative nature of the campaign and the messaging of the ads have come under scrutiny. Some critics call Sweeney's collaboration with clothing retailer American Eagle an anti-feminist, pro-eugenics campaign, while others celebrate a seeming shift from DEI-focused marketing. Colby Itkowitz speaks with The Washington Post's fashion critic, Rachel Tashjian, and Style Memo newsletter writer Shane O'Neill about the controversy, the long history of selling fashion through provocative imagery, and why we can't stop talking about Sydney Sweeney's jeans.Today's show was produced by Thomas Lu. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

ICE is expanding a controversial surveillance program. Today, our reporter shares how he learned about it, and what The Post uncovered about the company that stands to profit.Read more:Last month, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement directed personnel to sharply increase the number of immigrants they shackle with GPS-enabled ankle monitors. ICE is targeting about 183,000 people with the expansion of the policy, all enrolled in the agency's Alternatives to Detention program. The move marks a significant expansion of a 20-year-old surveillance practice steeped in controversy. While tracking devices are cheaper and arguably more humane than detention, immigrants and their advocates have long criticized the government's use of the bulky black ankle bands, which they say are physically uncomfortable and impose a social stigma for the people wearing them, many of whom have no criminal record or history of missed court appointments.Today on “Post Reports,” corporate accountability reporter Douglas MacMillan joins Elahe Izadi to discuss why the agency is expanding this program and who stands to benefit.Today's show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Silvia Foster-Frau, Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval, Sabby Robinson and Christine Armario.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been trying to solve the air traffic controller shortage for years, and recently, they've made a variety of changes to get more people trained and employed.But hundreds of trainees are dropping out before they get certified. While some say the program weeds out people who can't “hack it,” others say a culture of hazing and disrespect is pushing promising controllers out of the FAA.Post Reports producer Emma Talkoff speaks with transportation reporters Lori Aratani and Ian Duncan about why so many air traffic controllers are “washing out” of FAA training. Today's show was produced by Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Christopher Rowland.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

As hunger reaches new levels in Gaza, society is on the brink of collapse. Even doctors are struggling to find the energy to treat patients without enough food themselves. At least 147 people have died of malnutrition, including 88 children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Medics have said that is probably an undercount. In recent months, more than 1,000 Palestinians have also been killed while waiting for aid distributed in Israeli-controlled combat zones.Israel has tightened its control of humanitarian aid going into Gaza in recent months to pressure Hamas. Israel has blamed Hamas for the crisis and its refusal to release the remaining hostages. The latest round of ceasefire talks involving the United States broke down last week. International pressure is mounting on Israel to lift its near total blockade on Gaza. President Donald Trump recently voiced concerns about the situation. Israel has started allowing more aid trucks in, and it resumed power to a critical water treatment plant. Critics worry about whether enough is being done. Today, host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Louisa Loveluck, a foreign correspondent for The Washington Post who has been reporting for months about the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and what the future holds. Today's show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Elana Gordon. It was edited by Maggie Penman and Erin Cunningham. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post.

In October 2023, Junior turned 49. That's the same age his dad was in 2001, when, before the last turn on the last lap of the Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s car bumped into Sterling Marlin's, sending the iconic No. 3 careening into the wall at 160 mph.Reporter Kent Babb was studying journalism in college in 2002 when his grandmother called. “They think he's gone,” she said, referring to Babb's father. His father's heart had become enlarged, and while he was painting a house one day, it just stopped. His dad was 51. Babb is 43 now, and since the day his dad died, there has been something unsettling to him about the idea of turning 51. This is common among people who've lost a parent young, or what is called an “off-time” death. Psychologists suggest these feelings of anxiety and fear, alongside a gradually intensifying urge to learn about your bloodline, are like a final stage of grief. And it's one that most people, and in particular men, rarely talk about or explore.Babb wanted to talk about it, preferably with someone who understood. And though he never took to NASCAR, Babb knew he and Junior belonged to the same unfortunate club. Babb wondered if he thought about it, if he dreaded turning 49, how he was coping as he approached the age his daddy was.So, before his birthday in 2023, Babb asked if Earnhardt Jr. would be open to talking. He said yes.This story traces Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s relationship with his father and who he has become after his father's death.Kent Babb reported, wrote and narrated the piece. Bishop Sand composed music and produced audio for the piece.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.