Post Reports

Host Martine Powers speaks with Supreme Court reporter Justin Jouvenal about Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, which will be heard before the country’s highest court on Wednesday. Ames and her attorneys say she was held back at her job because she is straight and White. Her case was rejected by lower courts, in part because reverse discrimination claims require a higher burden of proof than anti-minority discrimination in many parts of the country. But Ames’s attorneys argue that this double standard is unconstitutional. And many legal experts say the Supreme Court is poised to agree. And they expect that if the court sides with Ames, it could lead to an increase in the number of discrimination lawsuits filed by straight people, White people and men. The decision may also have a chilling effect on corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Opioid overdoses don’t have to be fatal if the person gets help in time. In recent years naloxone, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses, has become more widely available in the United States. Narcan, a nasal spray version of naloxone, became available without prescription in pharmacies in 2023. That means more people can help reverse overdoses. Despite showing signs of decline, the number of people dying nationwide from overdoses eclipsed 100,000 annually from 2020 to 2023, according to national health data. Host Elahe Izadi talks with producer Elana Gordon about the lifesaving effects of the medication. They walk through the steps of how to use Narcan and what it feels like to experience an opioid overdose reversal. Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Lucy Perkins with help from Alison MacAdam and mixed by Sam Bair. Download The Post’s step-by-step guide for how to administer the naloxone nasal spray here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

An analysis of news reports by The Washington Post found that at least 477 people — 90 percent of them students — were arrested in the two weeks after the Apalachee High massacre in Georgia. That’s nearly 100 more than in the aftermath of the three previous mass school shootings combined. In Volusia County, Florida, the elected sheriff, Mike Chitwood, a registered Independent and brash Philadelphia native, decided he’d had enough. In September 2024, he deployed dozens of deputies and spent an extra $21,000 in taxpayer money. On a single night, his office received 54 tips. Reporters Hannah Natanson and John Woodrow Cox document the real-life effects of Volusia’s aggressive response on children, parents, teachers, administrators and police officers. This story is part of our Deep Reads series, which showcases narrative journalism at The Washington Post. It was read by John Woodrow Cox. Audio production and original music by Bishop Sand.

Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with Post congressional reporter Liz Goodwin and Dan Lamothe, who covers the Pentagon and the U.S. military, about the week’s political news. They dig into Trump’s sharp turn against Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and toward Russian President Vladimir Putin. They also talk about new polling that shows Trump’s sweeping federal policy decisions are largely unpopular. Plus, why GOP lawmakers are quietly begging Trump to spare their districts from Trump and his ally Elon Musk’s splashy government spending cuts. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins with help from Rachel Van Dongen. It was mixed by Justin Gerrish.

Alex Clark stands out on mic and on camera. The 31-year-old wellness influencer and podcaster has nearly half a million followers on YouTube and ranks among the top 10 wellness podcasts on Apple. While wellness has long been associated with liberal hippies, Clark hails from a conservative background. She’s part of the new “Make America Healthy Again” movement questioning modern medicine, backing President Donald Trump and supporting anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has started as health and human services secretary. For the last year and a half, reporter Kara Voght has been following Clark’s rise, spending time with her in Arizona. Today, Voght speaks with host Martine Powers about Clark’s rise as a conservative wellness warrior, what’s behind the changing politics of wellness, and what that could mean for the nation’s health. Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Steve Kolowich. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The United States and Russia have begun talks to end the war in Ukraine. But Ukraine wasn’t there. The United States and Russia just completed their first round of diplomatic talks to end the war in Ukraine since the start of Russian invasion in 2022. The exclusion of Ukraine representatives from the talks signals a new approach and new U.S. interests in the region. Host Martine Powers talks with White House correspondent Michael Birnbaum about Trump’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and why the United States’ actions over the past week have alarmed its European allies. Today’s show was produced by Bishop Sand. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service sparked alarm over the weekend, when a senior DOGE official requested access to the Internal Revenue System’s detailed database featuring financial information about every taxpayer, business and nonprofit in the country. Host Martine Powers speaks with economics correspondent Jacob Bogage about how this could affect millions of American taxpayers. Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Mike Madden. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Fartlek is a Swedish term for “speed play.” This informal version of interval training is simple, effective and dare we say … enjoyable? And not just because "fartlek" is fun to say. Exercise columnist Gretchen Reynolds is here to vouch for this often-overlooked, decades-old practice. Reynolds, who helped popularize the 7-minute workout, has found that a growing body of research points to the benefits of this approach, even in small doses. According to exercise scientists, it can improve strength, endurance and longevity, and may even lower the risk of dementia. Read more: Don’t like to exercise? Try this simple, science-backed trick. Being in shape is better for longevity than being thin, new study shows Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon and mixed by Sam Bair. It was edited by Maggie Penman. Thanks to Anjuman Ali. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Belinda is one of the few decent people on “The White Lotus,” the sharp satire populated with miserable rich people on vacation. Belinda is back for Season 3, and host Martine Powers knew she wanted to talk to the actress who plays her. Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sam Bair.

Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with Supreme Court reporter Justin Jouvenal and Democracy reporter Colby Itkowitz about how President Donald Trump is testing the power of the courts — and trying to expand his own authority in the process. They break down the cases facing the executive branch right now, what Trump and his allies are saying about them, and why some experts say Trump’s actions run afoul of the constitution. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Reena Flores and Rachel Van Dongen and mixed by Ted Muldoon. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Ronny Chieng’s approach to comedy, along with his expanding TV and film portfolio, have put him on The Washington Post’s first-ever “Post Next 50” list – 50 people shaping our society this year. In this conversation with Elahe Izadi, he reflects on why he works to write jokes for his stand-up in a way that anyone can appreciate, even if they’re coming from a different perspective, and why the work of “The Daily Show” is crucial. By the way, Martine Powers interviewed another name on the “Post Next 50” list. You can catch her conversation with Congresswoman Sarah McBride here. Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson, with help from Ted Muldoon, who also mixed the show. It was edited by Renita Jablonski. Special thanks to Evan Bretos, Hope Corrigan, Bronwen Latimer, Daniela Santamarina and Maggie Penman. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Today on “Post Reports,” how USAID entered President Donald Trump’s crosshairs. And, how his freeze on foreign aid has affected vulnerable people around the world. Read more: On the first day of his second term in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing foreign aid for 90 days. The suspension was part of the president’s effort to slash public spending, remake the federal government and align foreign policy more closely with his “America First” agenda. And it had near-immediate consequences. Today on “Post Reports,” The Post’s West Africa bureau chief Rachel Chason relays the fears of a refugee camp coordinator in Mauritania, where more than 115,000 residents rely on American aid. And, host Martine Powers speaks with national security reporter Missy Ryan about why the Trump administration has focused its sights on the U.S. Agency for International Development, the legal roadblocks they may face, and how an aid freeze could impact the United States' standing around the world. Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Peter Bresnan, with help from Lucy Perkins, and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Katharine Houreld, Amy Fiscus and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Sarah McBride was elected to the House of Representatives in 2024, representing Delaware's lone congressional district — and becoming the first openly transgender member of Congress. She’s become a target for her conservative colleagues — but she’s also determined to work with Republicans. She joins Martine Powers to talk about how she makes that work and what she thinks Democrats can do now. Rep. Sarah McBride is part of “Post Next 50,” The Post’s project profiling 50 people shaping our society in 2025. The full list can be found here. Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sam Bair. Thank you to Lucas Trevor. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Host Martine Powers talks with health reporter Lena Sun about the connection between bird flu and egg prices. She also explains what consumers should know about how bird flu spreads and whether the cost of eggs will drop any time soon. Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Lynh Bui. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Over the last five years Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs have dominated the NFL and the national sports spotlight. They are looking for a historic third straight Super Bowl win this weekend in New Orleans. On the other side of the ball is the Philadelphia Eagles. Led by star running back Saquon Barkley, they are seeking their first championship since 2018. Today on the show, host Ava Wallace is joined by national sports reporter Adam Kilgore and sports columnist Candace Buckner. They discuss Kansas City’s quest for history, Philadelphia’s chance for redemption, and the players who could make the difference. Today’s episode was produced by Lucas Trevor and Ted Muldoon, who also mixed the show. It was edited by Maggie Penman and Dan Steinberg. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with senior national political correspondent Naftali Bendavid and national politics reporter Hannah Knowles about President Donald Trump's proposal to “take over” Gaza, displace Palestinians and remake it as the “riviera” of the Middle East. They also dig into Trump's use of tariffs as bargaining chips and the lack of resistance to Trump policies from both parties. Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Rachel Van Dongen and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

As the Trump administration ramps up immigration arrests, it’s promoting a simple story: They are getting the dangerous criminals out. But to get to the massive numbers of deportations that President Donald Trump has promised, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is also arresting people without violent or criminal offenses on their records. Those arrests have spread fear among undocumented immigrants and their family members. Today, a look inside two recent ICE arrests. First, host Martine Powers speaks with immigration reporter Nick Miroff about his recent ride along with ICE in New York City. Then, a visit to Newark, New Jersey, where investigative immigration reporter Silvia Foster-Frau reported on ICE’s arrest of three men working at a seafood distributor. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Reena Flores with help from Maggie Penman. It was mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Jenna Johnson. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency – a team of 20 or so engineers – now has influence in a number of departments, working to deplete the civil service. But is this legal? Read more: Elon Musk and other unelected officials are working to remake the U.S. government. Faiz Siddiqui has been covering the world’s richest man for years, and he says Musk’s playbook at DOGE is similar to what he did at X, formerly known as Twitter: Cut first, ask questions later. There are still questions about whether that worked for X and whether it’s legal for the U.S. government. Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Over the weekend President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would be putting an import tax on goods coming from Mexico, Canada and China. He said he wanted to stop people from bringing fentanyl into the country and prevent migrants from crossing the borders. The leaders of the other countries are working to find alternative solutions with Trump, and on Monday the tariffs against Mexico and Canada were delayed for a month after he had conversations with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. But if they take effect later, the steep taxes could push the price of many items up for Americans, like cars and cell phones. Martine Powers speaks with Mexico City correspondent Mary Beth Sheridan about how these tariffs would work and what the impact of them could be on Americans and the globe. Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy and Sabby Robinson. It was mixed by Sam Bair. And edited by Reena Flores. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Franke spoke out during the spring student protests on the Columbia University campus. She had watched as mostly Republican lawmakers grilled the presidents of MIT, the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard on live television. Soon after, the latter two women resigned — followed months later by Columbia’s Minouche Shafik. Franke read about professors at colleges in other states, from Arizona to California to Pennsylvania, who said they were fired or punished for speaking out about the Gaza war. Months later, she didn’t know whether she’d be next. Nor had she decided how to respond to Columbia’s verdict of its probe into her actions, whenever it came: She could accept what the university determined. She could draw on her legal expertise to fight any punishment in court. Or she could give up and retire early, because sometimes she was no longer sure she wanted to stay. Could she still teach at Columbia, if she could no longer recognize it? This is the story of what unfolded in Franke’s life after the student protests. The piece was reported, written and read by Hannah Natanson. Audio production and original music by Bishop Sand.