Post Reports

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.

Is President Donald Trump losing control of his MAGA base? Despite his best efforts, congressional Republicans continued to pressure him to release files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on earth. They carry diseases, including malaria, which killed more than half a million people in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. Now, we may have a way to fight back. Scientists have developed gene editing technology that renders female mosquitoes infertile, which could lead to a total collapse of certain malaria-carrying mosquito species. Would a world without these mosquitoes have unintended side effects? And should humans be allowed to kill off an entire species?Climate and wildlife reporter Dino Grandoni explains the exciting science and fraught ethics of being able to eliminate mosquitoes. Today's show was produced by Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval. It was edited by Elana Gordon with help from Ariel Plotnick and Maggie Penman. It was mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Marisa Bellack. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

For years, conservatives have criticized American universities for being too woke, too liberal, and too focused on DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. These critiques were reignited when students on college campuses around the nation began holding pro-Palestinian protests as a response to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. Under both the Biden and Trump administrations, these protests prompted concerns over increased antisemitic sentiments.Now, under the Trump administration, an internal government group, the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, has been created to address these concerns. Supporters of the task force say that it will help protect Jewish students and make campuses safer for them. Opponents say antisemitism is just a pretext used for pushing a more conservative agenda on U.S. universities.Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with education reporter Laura Meckler about The Post's investigation into the Trump administration's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, and how this group could fundamentally change the way universities are run in the United States.Today's show was produced by Sabby Robinson with help from Thomas Lu. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

KYUK is the oldest Native American-owned radio station in the country. It broadcasts morning newscasts in both English and Yup'ik, the local Indigenous language, to 56 remote communities in Southwest Alaska. When there's a weather emergency or even just a local basketball game, these communities turn to KYUK for information. But soon, that could all change. Late last week, Congress passed a rescissions bill that claws back the money set aside for public broadcasting for the next two years. For KYUK, this money represents close to 70 percent of its entire budget. Without it, the station could go dark. Host Elahe Izadi speaks with KYUK's interim general manager, Kristin Hall, about what the loss of public media funding could mean for her community. Later, Elahe speaks with media reporter Scott Nover about how after decades of talking about defunding public media, Republicans finally made it happen. Today's episode was produced by Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sam Bair.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Over the weekend, South Korea announced it would end private adoptions in the country. This comes after an investigation found human rights abuses by international adoption agencies. Some babies had been taken without their birth parents' knowledge or consent. Records were falsified. Identities were swapped. Babies were stolen.Host Elahe Izadi speaks with Seoul-based reporter Kelly Kasulis Cho about how adoption fraud occurred for decades in South Korea. We also hear from a man who is now on a quest to find his biological family. Today's show was produced by Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Sam Bair. Thanks to Bart Schaneman.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

At the height of its influence, American Vogue set the standard for taste and fashion. Now, after nearly 40 years at its helm, Editor in Chief Anna Wintour is stepping down.This announcement coincides with a fast-changing media landscape in which glossy magazines and top editors may no longer be the go-to source for fashion trends and inspiration. Today on “Post Reports” fashion critic Rachel Tashjian chats with Colby Itkowitz about Wintour's influence and whether fashion tastemakers still work at traditional magazines. Today's show was produced by Thomas Lu. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Congress passed a rescissions package early Friday. The package formally withdraws funding for foreign aid, as well as for public television and radio stations. But debate stretched into the night on Thursday, as unrest over the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case continued to roil the GOP.While the bill passed along largely partisan lines, the saga illustrates the heat some Republicans are facing after the recent Justice Department decision to withhold the “Epstein files” from the public. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Post congressional reporters Liz Goodwin and Marianna Sotomayor about the controversy over the rescissions package and why the Epstein scandal remains a sticking point for lawmakers.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.

Since the devastating flooding over the Fourth of July weekend in Texas, Washington Post journalists have been piecing together what went wrong at Camp Mystic. The floods were especially deadly for the camp, and our colleagues found that many of the things that made the Christian girls camp beloved for generations also made it vulnerable. The camp sits at the confluence of the South Fork Guadalupe River and Cypress Creek. Many of its cabins were built in high-risk flood zones. In 2013, the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved appeals from Camp Mystic to exempt several structures from a flood zone designation, according to federal records.Today on “Post Reports,” correspondent Annie Gowen talks us through what we know about what happened at Camp Mystic.Today's show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was mixed by Sam Bair. It was edited by Maggie Penman. Read more about the victims here.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Firing Jerome Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, has long been on President Donald Trump's wish list. Despite nominating Powell to run the country's central bank in his first term, Trump might be gearing up to fire Powell at any moment. Ousting Powell could add to an already precarious economic situation, fueled in part by Trump's large cuts to the federal workforce and threat of tariffs against major trading partners. Today on “Post Reports,” host Colby Itkowitz sits down with reporter Andrew Ackerman, who covers the Federal Reserve, financial regulation and consumer financial protection for The Post. Today's episode was produced by Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval and edited by Reena Flores. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Jen Liberto.

Jeffrey Epstein, a well-connected financier, was found dead in his jail cell in 2019 following his arrest on child sex-trafficking charges. The circumstances around his death, which was ruled a suicide by hanging, and crimes have spurred fringe conspiracy theories, mostly on the far right. Some believe Epstein was actually killed as part of a cover-up; they also believe the “deep state” is hiding information about Epstein's rich and powerful friends, who they say could also be implicated on sex trafficking chargesTrump did nothing to tamp down his base's Epstein fixation during his reelection campaign. He even hinted he might release secret government documents that his supporters hoped would validate their conspiracy theories. But the Department of Justice said recently that there's nothing more to reveal. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with White House reporter Natalie Allison about how Trump's conflicting messages about Epstein are unsettling his base and causing strife within his administration.Today's show was produced by Laura Benshoff and Thomas Lu. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick with help from Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is in a moment of reckoning. In January 2023, after his election loss, thousands of his supporters attacked the presidential palace, the Supreme Court and the Congress as they protested an electoral defeat that Bolsonaro had baselessly attributed to electoral fraud. Now Bolsonaro is awaiting a criminal trial before the country's Supreme Court for allegedly plotting to kill his rivals and stay in power. Bolsonaro is barred from running for office until 2030, and he could very well go to prison for decades. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on Bolsonaro's situation. He called the trial a “WITCH HUNT” on social media and in a letter to Brazilian leaders when announcing a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods.Reporters Terrence McCoy and Marina Dias, who are based in Brazil, got a rare window into Bolsonaro's thinking and his desire for a Trump intervention during a visit to his office this past spring. Today on the podcast, host Elahe Izadi sits down with McCoy and Dias, to learn what their visit revealed about Bolsonaro, about Latin America's largest democracy and about the United States. Today's episode was produced by Elana Gordon with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and Reena Flores. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Jesse Mesner-Hage.

One year ago in Butler, Pennsylvania, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to get onto a nearby roof and take shots at Donald Trump. In the aftermath many wondered — who was this man who shot the presidential candidate, and how was he allowed to get so close to killing him? Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with investigative reporter Carol Leonnig about the mystifying search for a motive and what she and others have concluded about what went wrong that day, one year later. Today's show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Rennie Svirnovsky.If you want to learn more about how the shooting in Butler changed Trump, our colleague Isaac Arnsdorf was on “Post Reports” on Friday to talk about that. His new book is “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America.”Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

President Donald Trump left the White House in 2021 with a historically low approval rating. After the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, his attempt to overthrow the 2020 presidential election, and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Republicans, and much of the nation, appeared ready to move on from his presidency. Three years later, Trump returned to the White House with a decisive victory. But his return wasn't predestined. In “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” Post senior White House reporter Isaac Arnsdorf and former Post reporters Josh Dawsey and Tyler Pager reveal how Trump used his public criminal trials to dominate headlines and amass support. Meanwhile, critical missteps by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's campaigns hampered their ability to counter a Trump comeback. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Arnsdorf about the book and discusses exclusive reporting about the Biden, Harris and Trump campaigns. Today's show was produced by Arjun Singh. It was edited by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Katy Burnell Evans. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Artificial intelligence can help you draft better emails, summarize long documents and now it could even be your online dating coach. Dating app companies say generative AI is a great way for people who might be shy or awkward to present themselves better. But others are worried this could make it harder to know who is on the other side of the screen. Host Elahe Izadi speaks with internet culture reporter Tatum Hunter about the ever-changing dating app landscape and how artificial intelligence could change the way we view romance. Today's show was produced by Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Yun-Hee Kim.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.