Post Reports

Just 36 hours after his 14-year-old son was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of four people at Georgia’s Apalachee High School, Colin Gray was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and four counts of involuntary manslaughter. Those are the most serious charges ever filed against the parent of an alleged school shooter.Host Martine Powers speaks with enterprise reporter John Woodrow Cox about how the speed and severity of the charges against Colin Gray mark a shift in school shootings in the United States.Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy, Sabby Robinson and Elana Gordon. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here. And here’s a link to our series “Surviving to graduation,” which dives deep into the role schools play in combating gun violence. 

“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with White House reporter and Kamala Harris expert Cleve Wootson about what Harris and Donald Trump need to do at next week’s debate. They also dig into Harris’s record fundraising numbers and how Harris hopes to help down ballot Democrats in key House and Senate races. Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy. Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.Recommended reading: How Democrats made Project 2025 one of their top anti-GOP attacksA louder voice in fighting abortion bans: Men in red statesBiden is suddenly seeing his best polls in years

What Michael B. Moore’s congressional race tells us about gerrymandering, and how a Supreme Court decision affects the future of American democracy.Read more:Businessman Michael B. Moore is running a surprising congressional campaign: He’s trying to win as a Democrat in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, a seat that is considered solidly Republican in this election cycle. While he won his primary race, it’s unlikely he’ll win the general election because of a recent Supreme Court decision on gerrymandering.Host Martine Powers speaks with voting issues reporter Patrick Marley about Moore’s race, and what it can tell us about the impact of a conservative Supreme Court on American democracy.Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been supported by prominent technology executives since the beginning of her political career. She has maintained many of her Big Tech connections while also pushing tighter privacy policies,but she has left her stance on breaking up powerful tech companies largely undefined. This is at odds with the Biden administration’s commitment  to antitrust enforcement, bringing lawsuits against companies like Google and Apple. Host Martine Powers speaks with Cat Zakrzewski, a national technology policy reporter for The Post, about how Harris is navigating her close ties to Silicon Valley, and what her approach to Big Tech may be if she becomes president.Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson, with help from Peter Bresnan. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Monica Campbell and Ariel Plotnick. Thanks to Cristiano Lima-Strong for his reporting. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

At the Pathways to Independence program in Kearny, N.J., disabled workers sort clothing hangers and unload boxes through work contracted with outside companies. One of those workers is 33-year-old Jaime Muniz, who has been there for 11 years and whose paycheck recently averaged about $1.28 per hour. “My payment is not going well,” Muniz told The Post’s disabilities reporter Amanda Morris. “And it's making our lives harder, a lot harder.”Yet paying workers with disabilities far below minimum wage is completely legal. Muniz is one of tens of thousands of workers with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are paid subminimum wages at facilities across the country. The labor program, sanctioned by federal law, is supposed to prepare workers for higher-paying jobs in the community, and while many families support them, Morris and her colleagues Caitlin Gilbert and Jacqueline Alemany found in a months-long investigation that they often lack oversight and accountability. Today, host Martine Powers speaks with Morris about what she heard from workers and their families, the future of this arcane law, and the growing scrutiny surrounding these programs.Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon with help from Sabby Robinson and Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Emily Codik, Caitlin Gilbert, Jacqueline Alemany, Lauren Gurley and Andrea Sachs. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

When Szu Yu Chen, a graphics reporter at The Washington Post, was covering this year’s Grammy Awards, she couldn’t help but notice how many nominated songs came in under three minutes. The more she looked into it – analyzing Billboard charts and interviewing artists – the more she realized this was a real trend. Meanwhile, when “Post Reports” audio engineer Sean Carter was working in a recording studio in Atlanta, he kept observing a similar shift, too.  Today, Carter guest hosts “Post Reports,” in conversation with Chen, exploring what’s driving this change in music, and what’s gained and lost as a result. Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon, edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Rennie Svirnovsky. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Jesse Dufton was born with a condition in which the light-sensing cells of his retina gradually deteriorated. This did not stop him from climbing with his family – bouldering by age 2, securing his own ropes by 5. When Dufton went to public school and then university, he downplayed his vision problems as he became a better climber. Then he met Molly Thompson, who took note of his long hair that made him look like a mature student. The two grew closer and often climbed together. But even as the couple was falling in love, Dufton was losing all of his sight. Dufton and Thompson had to invent new ways of communicating to continue their love of climbing.  This story was written and read by Kevin Sieff. Audio production and original music composition by Bishop Sand.

“Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with White House reporter Yasmeen Abutaleb about Harris and Walz’s interview on CNN, new polling that shows continued Democratic enthusiasm, and an altercation between the Trump campaign and an employee at Arlington National Cemetery. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Ariel Plotnick. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, there has been a big uptick in the use of the powerful anesthetic ketamine to treat anxiety and depression. But after the death last year of actor Matthew Perry, star of the hit sitcom “Friends,” due in part to the effects of ketamine, doctors and government officials are reconsidering the drug’s widespread availability.On today’s “Post Reports,” Elahe Izadi speaks with reporter Daniel Gilbert, who has been following the ketamine boom for years. They talk about how ketamine became so widely accessible and about the uncertain future of the drug. Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan, with help from Emma Talkoff and Ali Bianco. It was edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

This is not the presidential race that former president Donald Trump prepared for. Today, we unpack the state of the Trump campaign, its struggles to adapt and its strategy to face a new opponent.Read more:This presidential race has taken several unexpected turns, especially for former president Donald Trump.Earlier this summer, the spotlight moved off of Trump as Vice President Kamala Harris jumped into the race. Now, the Republican nominee is crisscrossing the country to battleground states to recapture national attention.Host Martine Powers speaks with national political reporter Isaac Arnsdorf about the state of Trump’s campaign and how it's adapting to an entirely new opponent.Today’s show was produced by Ali Bianco, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Reena Flores and Monica Campbell and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Sean Sullivan and Erin Patrick O’Connor.Subscribe to The Washington Post here. And check out the latest story from health columnist Anahad O’Connor on how the avocado oil sold in some grocery stores may be fake.

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore were supposed to be on the International Space Station for eight days. But as the Boeing Starliner capsule they were in was approaching the space station, the spacecraft’s thrusters started to fail. Since then, Boeing and NASA have struggled to figure out what went wrong. NASA decided last week that the astronauts should stay put for eight months until they could come back in a SpaceX capsule. Host Martine Powers speaks with space industry reporter Chris Davenport about the plan to bring the astronauts home and what the repercussions of this mission will be on Boeing and future space travel. Today’s show was produced by Ted Muldoon, with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores. Ted also mixed the show. Thanks to Chris Rowland. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

When the state of New York became the first in the nation to require public schools to test their drinking water for lead in 2016, students learned that dozens of water fountains across the district were contaminated. Since then, a group of students and parents have banded together to fight for clean water in the schools.Host Martine Powers speaks with investigative reporter Silvia Foster-Frau about her reporting in the East Ramapo Central School District and what people everywhere need to know about keeping kids’ drinking water safe.Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff, with help from Bishop Sand. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell. Thanks to Rosalind Helderman. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Elahe Izadi, co-host of “Post Reports,” and senior political reporter Aaron Blake sit down with White House reporter Cleve Wootson at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to talk about the highlights from Harris’s speech. Harris focused on her middle-class upbringing and how she would protect abortion access and reproductive rights, and she cast herself as a candidate who would bring normalcy and competency to the White House. They also revisit the most memorable speeches of the four-day convention and look ahead to what the next two months might look like for Harris. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

As Ukraine continues to lose ground to Russia in the east of the country, President Volodymyr  Zelensky has quietly moved Ukrainian forces into Russia. Post correspondents have documented the operation and witnessed the Russian soldiers taken captive by Ukrainian forces in this surprise incursion. Additional Post reporting alongside Ukrainian forces revealed the state of Sudzha, a captured Russian town in western Russia. Host Martine Powers speaks with Ukraine bureau chief Isabelle Khurshudyan in Kyiv about why Ukraine advanced into Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s response, and what might happen to the people in this newly occupied area of Russia. Today’s show was produced by Bishop Sand, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy, Ali Bianco and Emma Talkoff. It was mixed by Sean Carter. The show was edited by Monica Campbell, with help from Reena Flores. Thanks to Jenn Amur, Jon Gerberg and Siobáhn O’Grady. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

On Aug. 5, following weeks of student protests and police violence that left hundreds dead, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India. The students have since worked with the country’s military to form an interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus. Soon after Hasina’s resignation, South Asia correspondent Karishma Mehrotra traveled to the capital city of Dhaka to speak to students, members of the new interim government and others. Martine Powers talks with Karishma about what she learned in Dhaka – and what comes next as this new government tries to make meaningful reforms. Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan, with help from Emma Talkoff. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell. Thanks to Anant Gupta and Rashad Ahamad. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Biden received a warm welcome at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday evening when he walked on stage to address his party. Thousands of Democratic delegates packed in the arena chanted “Thank you, Joe!” and pumped signs saying “We love Joe” as he gave his speech. “Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with White House reporter Matt Viser about Biden’s historic address and what the first night of the convention tells us about the current strength of the Democratic Party. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks also to Ariel Plotnick.Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The United States imposes more sanctions than any other country on Earth. Since the 1960s, sanctions have become a core element of U.S. diplomatic strategy, with countries like North Korea, Venezuela, Syria, Russia, China and Iran all being subject to these economic penalties. Today, Elahe Izadi speaks with White House economics reporter Jeff Stein about how the United States fell in love with sanctions, about whether the country’s current strategy is sustainable and about whether sanctions truly work as a diplomatic tool. Plus, Elahe reports from Chicago on the opening scenes of the Democratic National Convention.  Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy and Ariel Plotnick, with help from Trinity Webster-Bass. The show was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Reena Flores, with help from Lucy Perkins. Thanks to Mike Madden. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

On a hot June evening in 1964, Mickey Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman were ambushed by the Ku Klux Klan and killed as they left town.The atrocity became a seminal moment in the civil rights movement. Yet 60 years after the killings, some people in Philadelphia worry that the country is forgetting what was learned along the way. Others wonder what the past is owed — and for how long. They talked with Susan Levine this spring about their community’s painful legacy of racism.This episode was produced and mixed by Bishop Sand. It was edited by Lucy Perkins. Thanks also to Allison Michaels.

Senior political reporter Aaron Blake and congressional reporter Liz Goodwin talk with “Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers about the economic policies that Harris’s campaign unveiled Friday, and whether Democrats could win a trifecta in November and make those proposals reality. They also look ahead to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week, where President Joe Biden will address delegates after withdrawing from the race last month. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy. Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Florida is just one of a number of states where abortion rights will be on the November ballot. In Florida, voters will decide whether to pass Amendment 4, which would reverse Florida’s six-week abortion ban and put abortion protections in the state constitution.Grassroots organizers in Florida have been going door to door trying to get out the vote to pass Amendment 4. Some of these groups have been specifically targeting Latino voters, who organizers believe have been ignored by the Democratic Party. This summer, reporter Molly Hennessy-Fiske visited Florida to spend time with these organizers and see the kinds of conversations they were having with potential voters. Today on “Post Reports,” host Elahe Izadi speaks with Molly about what she learned in Florida about how abortion rights could shape the election. Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan, with support from Ali Bianco and Elana Gordon. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell, with help from Lucy Perkins. Thanks to Susan Levine. Additional reporting by Reshma Kirpalani.