Post Reports

This week, President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. At a grand White House dinner, an investment summit at the Kennedy Center and a sit-down in the Oval Office, the leaders appeared to be in lockstep.It was a stark contrast to 2018, when the U.S. intelligence community concluded that Mohammed had approved the killing and dismemberment of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Lawmakers condemned the crown prince and withdrew support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. Today, Elahe Izadi speaks to White House correspondent Michael Birnbaum about how the crown prince was welcomed back into the fold — and why the U.S. refuses to cut ties with Saudi Arabia.  Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Annah Aschbrenner.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Last month the FBI arrested Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier for their involvement in two separate illegal gambling cases. Now star MLB pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been charged for their role in an unrelated case involving allegedly throwing balls to benefit bettors.Today on “Post Reports,” host Elahe Izadi is joined by longtime Washington Post sports reporter Rick Maese to talk about why legal sports gambling in the United States has exploded over the past few years and how the landscape continues to change for leagues, players, coaches and fans. Then Rick dives deep on the two scandals, and why they matter for the present and future of sports betting.Today’s episode was produced by Lucas Trevor. It was mixed by Sam Bair, and edited by Peter Bresnan, with help from Reena Flores and Thomas Lu. Special tanks to Joe Tone.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

When the conservative organization Blexit announced it was going to visit HBCU campuses this fall, it received backlash from students, administrators and alumni. But when it made a stop at Howard University – during the university’s celebratory homecoming weekend – the reception felt mixed.Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Features reporter Samantha Chery about Blexit’s strategy and how people reacted to its visit to Howard. Then, national politics reporter Sabrina Rodriguez speaks with Itkowitz about where the Black vote stands nationally.Today’s show was produced by Zoe Cummings, Sabby Robinson and Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and Laura Benshoff. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Friendship is vital for our health and happiness, but we don’t always prioritize it. The Optimist’s Maggie Penman goes on a journey to make new friends and learn why so many of us are craving connection.Today’s show was produced by Maggie Penman, with help from Ted Muldoon, who also mixed the show. It was edited by Allison Klein. For more stories from The Optimist, subscribe to our newsletter. If you want to hear more stories like this on the weekend, send Maggie an email at maggie.penman@washpost.com. If you want to check out Billy's book, it's called We Need to Hang Out: A Memoir of Making Friends.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The House Oversight Committee released a tranche of emails from the estate of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that give us more information about his relationship to President Donald Trump. Today on the politics roundtable, we’ll unpack what these emails say and how the White House has responded.And, after 43 days, the federal government is back open for business. As the dust settles on the longest shutdown in history, we’ll talk about what lawmakers learned – and whether another shutdown could be right around the corner.Colby speaks with Dan Merica and Matthew Choi, who are co-anchors of our politics newsletter The Early Brief. Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff and Josh Carroll. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here. And watch us on YouTube here.

For months, the relationship between the United States and Latin America has been fraught. President Donald Trump has targeted enemies in the region and propped up MAGA-friendly allies. We’ve now reached an inflection point, and the world is watching for what’s next.Today, two of The Post’s experts on the region, national security correspondent Karen DeYoung and Mexico City bureau chief Samantha Schmidt, join host Colby Itkowitz to unpack the latest developments in Latin America, and the throughline of the Trump administration’s ultimate policy objectives.Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon and Ted Muldoon, who also mixed the show. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick. Special thanks to Ben Pauker.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

It’s an improbable path, from al-Qaeda to the West Wing. The U.S. had once designated Ahmed al-Sharaa a terrorist. He fought U.S. forces in Iraq and was even imprisoned. Sharaa spent years in northwest Syria leading an Islamic militant group that was affiliated with al-Qaeda until he cut those ties. Last year, al-Sharaa led rebel forces that took down Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad, ending decades of repression. As Sharaa looks to gain international favor and trust while rebuilding the country and its security, the 43-year-old met with President Trump on Monday, in the first visit by a Syrian head of state to the White House. Afterward, Sharaa sat down with The Washington Post for an exclusive interview to discuss the historic meeting, the future of Syria and his plans to work with Americans he once fought. Today on “Post Reports,” Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with the Post’s international correspondent Susannah George about Syria, al-Sharaa and their conversation. Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Alan Sipress. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Kathryn Bigelow has been thinking about the threat of nuclear war ever since she was a kid. “I come from the era of duck and cover,” she says, “where when I was very little, we had to hide under the desk in the event of an atomic bomb blast.”Over the last 40 years, she’s been directing tightly-paced thrillers such as “The Hurt Locker” (which won her the Academy Award for best director) and “Zero Dark Thirty.” Her latest film, “A House of Dynamite,” takes on a question that has been on her mind for decades: What would happen if the U.S. were targeted by a nuclear missile? The film, which is out on Netflix, has struck a nerve with audiences, becoming the streamer’s most-watched movie in the world and igniting conversation about the accuracy of its depiction of the U.S. missile defense system. Today on Post Reports, Elahe Izadi speaks with Kathryn Bigelow and with the film’s screenwriter, Noah Oppenheim, about why they chose to make this film in this moment, and about how they responded when they saw news that the U.S. could restart nuclear testing for the first time in decades. Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan and Josh Carroll, with help from Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here. And watch us on YouTube here.

After weeks of holding out, a small group of Senate Democrats voted with Republicans over the weekend to start the process of reopening the government. Since the U.S. government closed its doors on Nov. 1, services like federal food assistance have suffered, and Social Security Administration and Internal Revenue Service help lines have paused as those workers face furloughs. But Democrats had maintained that the pain was worth it, in order to extract more money from Republicans to fund health care subsidies for people who access insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Now, that demand has fallen by the wayside.Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with national political reporter and Senate expert Liz Goodwin about what it will still take to reopen the government, and why this funding compromise has further divided Democrats.Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Laura Benshoff with help from Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Jordie Poncy was about to start a job counseling cancer patients when he learned he had cancer himself. Three years later, his health is stable — and he’s finding meaning by helping others fight.If you want to hear more from The Optimist, follow our newsletter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Kate Barr ran for state Senate in North Carolina’s 37th District as a Democrat last year, expecting to lose. She even branded her campaign with the words “Kate Barr can’t win.” She ran the unconventional campaign to make an argument against gerrymandering — a tactic used in her state and across the country by politicians who have redrawn congressional maps to favor their party. But now she is switching tactics and running for U.S. Congress as a Republican. Host Colby Itkowitz sits down with Barr to talk about her chances this time around and what she thinks of redistricting efforts around the country that are making congressional elections even less competitive.Today’s show was produced by Reena Flores, Josh Carroll and Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here. And watch us on YouTube here.

This year, taxpayers will spend about $193 billion to compensate almost 7 million disabled veterans. Some of the conditions prevent veterans from working or doing everyday tasks – but a Post investigation found that many are receiving money for easily manageable ailments like acne, eczema and sleep apnea. Others are filing fraudulent claims to get money for conditions they either don’t have or from which they’ve already recovered. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with investigative reporter Craig Whitlock about the antiquated rules that have left the system vulnerable to abuse and the failed attempts to enact reform.. Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Ted Muldoon and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

There was little suspense after polls closed yesterday. Democrat Mikie Sherrill won the governor’s office in New Jersey, Abigail Spanberger easily defeated Republican Winsome Earle-Sears for the same office in Virginia, and Californians voted to redraw congressional maps to give Democrats an edge in next year’s midterm elections. In New York City, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani was elected the city’s next mayor after defeating established Democrats like former governor Andrew M. Cuomo in the primary. Host Colby Itkowitz talks to Dan Merica, co-anchor of The Post’s Early Brief politics newsletter, about the lessons learned and major takeaways from each of these contests.Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and Josh Carroll. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy. Subscribe to The Washington Post here. And watch us on YouTube here.

These days, just about any food you could possibly imagine now has “added” protein. There’s protein popcorn, protein muffins and even protein water. But where did this obsession with protein begin? And how much should we really be eating on a daily basis? Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Washington Post health columnist Anahad O’Connor about this latest nutrition craze and best practices for eating a balanced diet.Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was mixed by Sam Bair, and edited by Ariel Plotnick. Thanks to editor Emily Codik.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

An estimated 42 million Americans use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP – also known as food stamps – to feed themselves and their families. The program ran out of funding over the weekend amid the government shutdown. While the Trump administration agreed to release enough funds to pay for half of November's SNAP benefits, many SNAP users are worried about what the rest of the month – and beyond – might look like.Host Colby Itkowitz speaks to technology reporter Heather Kelly about the current state of SNAP and how people are looking to online content creators for practical advice about how to stretch their food budgets.Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks also to Mariana Alfaro, Jen Liberto and Yun-Hee Kim.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

On this weekend’s edition of The Optimist, reporter and self-proclaimed cynic Kyle Melnick goes on a journey with a dog. We’ll talk about what he learns, and the science of how dogs make us calmer, happier – and maybe even more trusting.If you want more optimistic content on the weekends, let us know at podcasts@washpost.com and maggie.penman@washpost.com – and check out our newsletter.Today’s show was produced and hosted by Maggie Penman and reported by Kyle Melnick. It was edited by Allison Klein and mixed by Ted Muldoon.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

President Donald Trump spent several days this week in Asia, dining with world leaders and hammering out the details of trade agreements. The visit culminated with a face-to-face meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. While both sides agreed to back off of their most aggressive trade positions, the visit was overshadowed by Trump’s directive that the United States would resume nuclear weapons testing.Back at home, the federal government shutdown has created a cliff for SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, which 42 million Americans rely on for food assistance. With that benefit slated to run out at the end of October, how are Democrats and Republicans in Congress reacting?Host Elahe Izadi speaks with White House economic policy correspondent Jacob Bogage and David J. Lynch, who covers trade for The Post. You can purchase David’s latest 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 and Josh Carroll. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here. And watch us on YouTube here.

Since we launched “Post Reports” almost seven years ago, our production team has had an inside joke every time we reach this time of year. We start calling the show “Ghost Reports,” in honor of Halloween. We look for the spookiest and most thematic stories happening around our newsroom. Today, we’re bringing you just such an episode. It’s a personal ghost story from Washington Post reporter Clarence Williams, who went to Foxcroft boarding school in Loudon Country, Virginia. Where, every Halloween, they tell the legend of Mrs. Kyle, a pre-Revolutionary spirit with unfinished business.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Casey Means faces lawmakers on Thursday, as they vet her nomination for the nation’s top medical post: the U.S. surgeon general. Means has been a prominent critic of the medical establishment. She could soon be put in a position to change it.Means, 38, resigned from her final year of medical residency to become a health products entrepreneur, a popular online personality with a best-selling book about “Good Energy,” and a leading figure in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement. Critics say she has a history of saying things in potentially misleading and scientifically inaccurate ways. In a statement, the Department of Health and Human Services called Means a “world-class physician and scientist whose nomination as Surgeon General reflects her deep understanding of modern metabolic health and her fierce commitment to evidence-based care.”  Today, host Elahe Izadi speaks with Lauren Weber, The Post’s health and science accountability reporter, about her and her colleague Rachel Roubein’s exclusive reporting on the rise of Casey Means, her financial interests, and how her collision course with the medical establishment could shake up American medicine. Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Rachel Roubein, Lynh Bui, Juliet Eilperin and Alisa Shodiyev Kaff.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

As consumers are doing more shopping online, and as President Donald Trump’s tariffs have been driving the price of goods up, many toy and mall brands have been struggling. But Build-a-Bear Workshop is thriving – the company’s stock has grown by nearly 1,200% over the past five years, outpacing growth by tech giants like Microsoft and Apple. Host Elahe Izadi speaks with retail reporter Jackie Peiser about how this toy company has managed to thrive in a challenging economic moment.Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sean Carter and Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.