Just over seven years ago, we launched this daily news podcast from The Washington Post.

Our goal was to bring you inside our newsroom, sharing our reporting with listeners to help make sense of what was happening in the world. We’ve published hundreds of episodes. We’ve covered elections, wars, a pandemic, tech revolutions, pop culture phenomena, scientific discoveries and more. 

As of this week, The Post has decided to suspend "Post Reports."

It was a privilege to know that we got to spend time in your ears, as part of your day. To everybody who’s listened to this podcast and made it a part of your lives: We want to extend our deepest gratitude for the trust you’ve put in us.

In his second term, President Donald Trump has gone on a mission to reinvent the Kennedy Center, the beloved performing arts venue in Washington, D.C. Trump promised to overhaul the center’s programming. He installed loyalists on the board who made him chairman. In December,...

In late January of last year, an American Eagle flight and a U.S. Army helicopter collided above the Potomac River, killing everyone aboard both aircraft. It was the deadliest flight disaster in the U.S. in decades.

A year later, families and first responders are reflecting on their enduring sorrow.

Local public safety reporter Emma Uber reads her story that recounts how loved ones left behind are processing the anniversary and finding solace in the keepsakes first-responders were able to recover after the crash.

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter.

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Ten years ago this month, Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian was freed from Iran’s Evin prison. He and his wife, Yeganeh, had been arrested at their home in Tehran and falsely accused of espionage. 

Since then, Rezaian has dedicated himself to advocating for press freedom, and now he’s the director of The Post’s press freedom initiatives. 

On Thursday, before a live audience at The Post, host Elahe Izadi sat down with Rezaian and his wife to talk about their reflections 10 years after their wrongful imprisonment. They were joined by ambassador Brett McGurk. As a presidential envoy, McGurk was integral to Rezaian’s release. They also spoke about what’s happening in Iran today, the widespread protests, what the United States could do and what this could all mean for the future of Iran.

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Since the killing of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minnesota, President Donald Trump and his administration are feeling the pressure — not only from Democrats, but also from members of their own party. Some congressional Republicans have been critical of th...

In early 2024, executives at artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic ramped up an ambitious project they sought to keep quiet. It was code-named Project Panama, and internal documents filed in court described it as an “effort to destructively scan all the books in the wor...

Houses in the United States keep getting bigger, but the people in bigger houses aren’t necessarily happier. Bigger homes often come with higher costs and more maintenance and can pull people further away from the places and relationships that matter. For some, choosing a smaller home can actually make life feel easier, more connected and more satisfying.

Elahe Izadi speaks with climate coach Michael Coren about the joys that come with living in a smaller house and what to prioritize when deciding where to live. 

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Dennis Funk with help from Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter. 

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After both Renée Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed by Department of Homeland Security officers in Minneapolis this month, the story from the agency’s secretary, Kristi L. Noem, was that these individuals’ intentions represented acts of domestic terrorism.  Confi...

The killing of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday morning marks a dramatic escalation of what was already a very tense moment for Minneapolis.  Just a day before, thousands of residents marched in a citywide strike organized by faith leaders and labor unions....

Today on the show, we explore the science behind why going outside is so good for us, even when it’s freezing.

If you’re interested in learning more about nature therapy, check out the Center for Nature Informed Therapy.

A psychologist says this exercise can make you more hopeful in 14 days: the Noticing Nature Intervention is straightforward, but its results might surprise you.

If you want more Optimistic stories in your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter. And if you’d like to hear more hopeful stories on the weekend on “Post Reports,” please send us an email: podcasts@washpost.com. 

Today’s show was produced by Maggie Penman with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy who also mixed the show. It was edited by Allison Klein and Ariel Plotnick. Thank you to Sean Carter. 

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President Donald Trump made headlines with two speeches this week. First came his sprawling, stream-of-consciousness address in the White House briefing room on Tuesday. Then, his barbed remarks about fellow world leaders at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in ...

Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been making social cinema since the 1990s. His work follows everyday Iranians and their struggles against societal forces. In 2010 the director received a ban on filmmaking from the Iranian government, and in 2022 he was imprisoned after he ...

When U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the death of a detainee at a Texas detention camp this month, the agency initially gave no cause of death. A fellow detainee said he witnessed Geraldo Lunas Campos being choked to death by guards; ICE said “staff observ...

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump sent an unusual text to the prime minister of Norway.  The two leaders had been messaging about Greenland – specifically, Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on European countries opposed to the United States taking over the autono...

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 “Post Reports,” send Maggie an email at maggie.penman@washpost.com. 

If you want to check out Billy Baker's book, it's called “We Need to Hang Out: A Memoir of Making Friends.”

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At a time of year when many of us are reflecting on our lives and setting goals, we look at the research into what makes for a good life – and share some advice on how to get there. Here’s what science considers a path to a good life. Plus, some tips and advice on how to ge...

This week, the FBI raided the home of a Washington Post journalist, sparking First Amendment fears. At the same time, the Justice Department has opened an investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell, drawing concerns from bigwigs on Wall Street and questions as to how the administration treats its perceived political enemies.  

Colby speaks with Dan Merica, co-anchor of our politics newsletter The Early Brief, and Matt Viser, White House bureau chief, about President Donald Trump’s playbook for intimidating his critics, the chilling effects of his administration’s probes and why his coarse response to a heckling auto worker has drawn both criticism and praise.

Today’s show was produced by Thomas Lu and Josh Carroll. It was edited by Martine Powers and mixed by Sean Carter. 

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Early Wednesday, FBI agents raided the home of a Washington Post reporter as part of an investigation of a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government materials.  The reporter – Hannah Natanson – was at her home in Virginia at the time of ...

For years, President Donald Trump has complained about Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome H. Powell. He’s called him names, said he should be fired and has tried to pressure the Fed leader into lowering interest rates.

Trump’s feud against Powell escalated over the weekend, when Powell revealed that the Justice Department launched a criminal inquiry against him, alleging that Powell lied about the cost of renovations to the Federal Reserve buildings.

Host Elahe Izadi speaks to banking reporter Andrew Ackerman about what this probe could mean for Powell, the Fed and whether Trump’s consistent pressure on Powell could undermine America’s central bank forever.

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter. 

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Conflicting narratives of Renée Good’s killing in Minneapolis have quickly emerged – federal officials claim the ICE officer who shot her was acting in self-defense, while others believe her death was easily avoidable and that ICE’s tactics are overly aggressive. 

Host Martine Powers speaks with immigration reporter Maria Sacchetti about how law enforcement officials are scrutinizing the shooting and what accountability in this case could look like.

The turmoil started in late December, when some Tehran merchants closed up shop to protest the free fall of Iran’s currency.  That initial outcry sparked a wave of protests across the country. Demonstrators demanded not just economic reform, but a total overhaul of Iran...

Decades after a brazen art theft drove Merry White’s father to despair, federal agents closed in on the missing work. For White, the search is personal.

Read more:

Merry White is the daughter of a Harvard professor who was close friends with painter Jackson Pollock. White’s parents came to own several of the painter’s artworks, and one hung over White’s bed when she was a child. It was stolen in 1973, along with two other paintings by Pollock. The theft destroyed White’s father's peace of mind, and left White with complicated feelings.

On this weekend episode of “Post Reports,” art critic Sebastian Smee reconstructs the provenance and theft of these precious works of art. Audio production and original music by Bishop Sand, with help from Sean Carter.

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This week, the shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis has drawn new scrutiny of President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement push, and reactions have become something of a political Rorschach te...

Go to sleep earlier. Read more books. Eat better. Exercise. 

Changing our behavior is hard, but what if some simple – and dare we say fun – tricks could help us keep our resolutions for the new year?

From temptation bundling to buddying up, Optimist reporter Maggie Penman shares the science on how to make your New Year’s resolutions, whatever they are, stick in 2026. Plus, on the eve of national “Quitters Day,” we explore why making resolutions can actually be beneficial – even if you don’t stick to them perfectly. 

Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Dennis Funk and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Allison Klein and Theresa Tamkins.

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Just hours before U.S. aircraft surged into Caracas as part of an operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, an anonymous person placed a final online bet that the Venezuelan president would soon be ousted.  The mystery gambler netted more than $400,000 on that long-shot bet ...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held many titles during Donald Trump’s presidency. He may have just acquired his most challenging one yet: viceroy of Venezuela. The national security adviser, acting archivist and administrator of the now-defunct U.S. Agency for Internatio...

After U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, President Donald Trump declared: “American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again.” The world is still digesting the consequences of the intervention, which the Trump admi...

Today we share one of our favorite episodes, from Optimist reporter Maggie Penman about the new science of aging, and a hopeful research finding that getting stronger and healthier in old age is possible for many of us – even after a health setback. 

If you want to hear more stories like this, please let us know. You can reach the whole team at podcasts@washpost.com or email Maggie at maggie.penman@washpost.com.

Today’s episode was reported and produced by Maggie Penman. It was edited by Allison Klein and Ted Muldoon who also mixed the show.

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Today, we revisit one of our favorite episodes from this past year, about super agers: people who continue to thrive into their 80s and 90s. One of them lives just down my block. Ednajane Truax, who is known to friends and neighbors as “E.J.,” can often be found on her hands...

Once a month for 15 years, David Weiner has hosted a jazz party, inviting everyone he knows and many people he’s never met over to his D.C. rowhouse. Today, we revisit one of our favorite episodes of the year and go inside the wildly welcoming ritual to understand how he’s b...