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Post Reports is the daily podcast from The Washington Post. Unparalleled reporting. Expert insight. Clear analysis. Everything you’ve come to expect from the newsroom of The Post, for your ears. Martine Powers and Elahe Izadi are your hosts, asking the questions you didn’t know you wanted answered. Published weekdays around 5 p.m. Eastern time.
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Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil helped organize protests at the university against the Israel-Gaza war last spring. Khalil, who is a legal permanent resident of the United States, according to his lawyers, was detained over the weekend by immigration officers was detained by immigration officers and accused by the Trump administration of sympathizing with Hamas terrorists. So far no evidence of this has been reported.
Immigration reporter Maria Sacchetti speaks with host Colby Itkowitz about Khalil’s arrest and what it could signal about how this administration will treat activists and immigrants.
Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Jenna Johnson.
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Our beloved senior host, Martine Powers, is stepping away from the microphone for a bit to cover the White House and then take on a longer-term assignment. Tune in to today’s bonus episode to hear more, and get to know our guest co-host for the next few months, Colby Itkowitz.
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As Elon Musk leads a project to drastically remake the federal government, one goal might be fueling it all: getting to Mars.
It’s an objective that President Donald Trump seems to share. In his inaugural address on Jan. 20, Trump promised that the U.S. would “pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.”
But what are the obstacles to get to the Red Planet?
Host Martine Powers speaks with space reporter Christian Davenport about the U.S. ambitions to get to Mars — and how the country, along with private space companies, could actually get there.
Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Reena Flores with help from Renita Jablonski and Maggie Penman.
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The National Institutes of Health is a sprawling and complex institution that supports the work of hundreds of thousands of scientists at universities and labs across the country.
Since Trump’s inauguration that work has been stymied by confusion and uncertainty – potentially delaying or even preventing important medical research.
The Post’s science reporter Carolyn Johnson has been reporting on the turmoil at NIH and talks to Martine about how it could impact a generation of scientists.
Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff and Elana Gordon. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sam Bair. Elana Gordon contributed reporting.
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Senior political reporter Aaron Blake breaks down the speech with senior White House correspondent Naftali Bendavid and Democracy reporter Colby Itkowitz. They fact-check Trump’s DOGE claims and explain the political consequences Trump could face for his tariffs.
Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins with help from Rachel Van Dongen and mixed by Sam Bair.
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This episode has been updated to clarify that the Trump administration has said Elon Musk is not the head of DOGE. An earlier version of the episode included a misstatement where the names "Musk" and "Trump" were swapped.
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On Friday, Zelensky and Trump met for what was expected to be a tense but uneventful meeting before signing a natural resources agreement that was seen as the first step to a peace deal with Russia. Instead, cameras captured a blow-up – Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful and said he was “gambling with the lives of millions of people.”
Since then, European leaders have redoubled support for Ukraine – while the Kremlin proclaimed that the Trump administration is “largely aligned” with Moscow’s vision.
Martine Powers speaks with White House reporter Michael Birnbaum about how the meeting fell apart and where Zelensky might go from here.
Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff with help from Bishop Sand. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Sam Bair.
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Some House Republicans are getting nervous. They’re worried that passing President Donald Trump’s budget proposal could mean cuts to popular programs like Medicaid. They’ve also gotten an earful from voters angry at Elon Musk who are packing congressional town halls.
Senior politics reporter Aaron Blake unpacks the drama with congressional reporter Marianna Sotomayor and congressional economics correspondent Jacob Bogage.
Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Ted Muldoon.
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This year’s Oscar contenders are all over the place, ranging from the adaptation of the popular musical “Wicked” to the Brazilian historical drama “I’m Still Here.” Film and TV reporter Sonia Rao and arts editor Janice Page sit down with host Martine Powers to share which films are rising to the top and explain why some actors may be favored more by the academy than others.
Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff, with help from Sabby Robinson and Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sam Bair.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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