Post Reports

The Washington Post

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.

Listen in podnod RSS feed

1,939 episodes
Updated February 6

Episodes1939

Newest first

Nov 22, 2025 · 23 min
Could you give up your smartphone for a month?
A group in D.C. ditched their smartphones for a month. Washington Post reporter Brittany Shammas joined them. Here’s what she learned.
Nov 21, 2025 · 27 min
Trump’s pivot on the Epstein files and his polling plunge
Congress voted overwhelmingly to release the Epstein files this week. But does that mean the public will see them any time soon?
Nov 20, 2025 · 17 min
The death of the penny
Why the U.S. government halted production of the penny, and what it could mean for how much things cost.
Nov 19, 2025 · 27 min
Why the U.S. won't quit Saudi Arabia
This week, President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House for the first time since Mohammed was condemned for approving the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Nov 18, 2025 · 26 min
Is the gambling explosion ruining sports?
With twin scandals in the NBA and MLB rocking the sports betting world, where do leagues and gambling companies go from here?
Nov 18, 2025 · 20 min
The conservative group courting young Black voters
A conservative group tied to Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA showed up for homecoming this year at Howard University, a historically Black institution in Washington, D.C. How that visit went and what it says about national politics.
Nov 15, 2025 · 24 min
How to make – and keep – friends
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.
Nov 14, 2025 · 30 min
Trump's renewed Epstein problems, plus takeaways from the shutdown
Newly released emails provide more insight into the relationship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. And what was the point of the longest government shutdown in history?
Nov 13, 2025 · 25 min
What's behind Trump's moves in Latin America?
From Argentina to Colombia to Venezuela, the Trump administration is attempting to reshape the political landscape of Latin America. Now, people are wondering: What’s next for the region?
Nov 12, 2025 · 27 min
From al-Qaeda to the White House
Ahmed al-Sharaa was once an insurgent imprisoned by U.S. forces. Now he’s Syria’s president, and the first Syrian head of state to visit the White House. After his meeting with President Donald Trump this week, Sharaa sat down with The Post for an exclusive interview.
Nov 11, 2025 · 24 min
Kathryn Bigelow on ‘A House of Dynamite’ and the nuclear ‘elephant in the room’
“A House of Dynamite” imagines what might happen if the U.S. were targeted by a nuclear missile. Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow explains why she decided to make this film at this moment.
Nov 10, 2025 · 18 min
Why some Democrats defected to end the shutdown
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is finally expected to come to an end. But the compromise some Democrats have struck is dividing their party.
Nov 8, 2025 · 16 min
How far can a sense of purpose take us?
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.
Nov 7, 2025 · 18 min
She couldn't win as a Democrat. Will running as a Republican work?
In 2024, Kate Barr ran an intentionally unsuccessful campaign for state Senate in North Carolina to draw attention to gerrymandering. The North Carolina Democrat announced today that she is switching parties and running for Congress as a Republican.
Nov 6, 2025 · 29 min
How some veterans exploit the VA disability system
An investigation by The Post found that some veterans are taking advantage of the Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation program. Today, how the system is being gamed and the attention The Post’s reporting has already received from Congress.
Nov 5, 2025 · 26 min
How Democrats swept Tuesday’s key elections
From Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s mayoral race to a ballot initiative on redistricting in California, Democrats handily won all of Tuesday’s biggest races.
Nov 4, 2025 · 21 min
How to get enough protein — without going overboard
Research shows many people benefit from a protein-rich diet. But experts caution that many Americans are going overboard. So how much should you eat?
Nov 3, 2025 · 19 min
Stretching a food budget, when SNAP's uncertain
SNAP benefits ran out over the weekend. Now, hungry Americans are looking for support both in their communities and online.
Nov 1, 2025 · 14 min
How much do dogs reduce our stress?
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.
Oct 31, 2025 · 28 min
Trump's tariff truce, nuclear test orders, SNAP pain
President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping deescalate their trade war – for now. And the politics of losing food assistance because of the government shutdown.

Post Reports

Could you give up your smartphone for a month?

Trump’s pivot on the Epstein files and his polling plunge

The death of the penny

Why the U.S. won't quit Saudi Arabia

Is the gambling explosion ruining sports?

The conservative group courting young Black voters

How to make – and keep – friends

Trump's renewed Epstein problems, plus takeaways from the shutdown

What's behind Trump's moves in Latin America?

From al-Qaeda to the White House

Kathryn Bigelow on ‘A House of Dynamite’ and the nuclear ‘elephant in the room’

Why some Democrats defected to end the shutdown

How far can a sense of purpose take us?

She couldn't win as a Democrat. Will running as a Republican work?

How some veterans exploit the VA disability system

How Democrats swept Tuesday’s key elections

How to get enough protein — without going overboard

Stretching a food budget, when SNAP's uncertain

How much do dogs reduce our stress?

Trump's tariff truce, nuclear test orders, SNAP pain