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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.

Post Reports

Shane Harris first tasted “Vangie’s bacon” 11 years ago, and he hasn’t stopped thinking about it since. Today on the show, Shane goes on a quest to unlock the bacon mystery – and a time in Washington when Republicans, Democrats, spies, diplomats and journalists used to set their differences aside and gather around a dinner table.

Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Maggie Penman and Renita Jablonski. Special thanks to Ariel Plotnick and Ariella Markowitz. Tape of David K.E. Bruce courtesy of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Bacon: The best-kept secret in Washington

Children are attached to their screens. But research has suggested that social media and excessive screen use can lead to physical and mental health problems. So what happens when parents start to limit screen time?

Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with reporter Caitlin Gibson about why some parents are limiting their children’s access to screens and devices. And Caitlin shares tips parents can use to help set boundaries when it comes to the technology their kids have access to. 

Today’s show was produced by Thomas Lu and Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Emma Talkoff and Lucas Trevor. It was mixed by Sam Bair, and edited by Peter Bresnan. 

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Parents want to cut kids' screen time. Can it work?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and, if you’re not careful, it could be the most expensive. The day after Thanksgiving has historically been the official start of the holiday shopping season, but we’ve been seeing Black Friday deals advertised earlier each year.

Moreover, Americans are increasingly concerned about the rising costs of food, housing and health care. Throw in the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and recession-level layoffs in the private sector and money might be tight for many households this holiday season.

Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary joins host Colby Itkowitz and explains how you can avoid overspending on gifts and holiday celebrations. Singletary gives us permission to scale back for the holidays and prioritize togetherness over consumerism.

Today’s show was produced by Charla Freeland. It was edited by Reena Flores and Ted Muldoon and mixed by Sean Carter. 

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

You can avoid overspending on the holidays. Here’s how.

A group in D.C. ditched their smartphones for a month. Washington Post reporter Brittany Shammas joined them. Here’s what she learned.

If you want to learn more about Brittany’s story, you can read it here. 

To subscribe to The Optimist’s newsletter, click here.

Today’s show was produced by Maggie Penman and Ted Muldoon, who also mixed the show. 

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Could you give up your smartphone for a month?

After months of buildup, Congress voted to release the Epstein files on Tuesday. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law. But language in that legislation leaves wiggle room for the Justice Department to hold back some of the files, and questions remain about how much transparency the measure secures.

Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Justice Department reporter Jeremy Roebuck and Dan Merica, co-anchor of The Washington Post’s flagship politics newsletter, The Early Brief. They talk about this latest step in the Epstein saga and also unpack some recent setbacks facing the second Trump administration. And they answer a question from an Early Brief reader about gerrymandering in Texas.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and Josh Carroll. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Alec Dent and David Lauter.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here. Watch this episode on YouTube here.

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

The last five pennies were minted in Philadelphia last week. Over the 232 years of its existence, the penny became culturally significant through music, fashion and movies. But recently, many have argued for it to be discontinued because of how much the coin costs to produce.

Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with White House economic policy correspondent Jacob Bogage about how prices could be affected by this change and what this could mean for other forms of U.S. currency.

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and Peter Bresnan, and mixed by Sam Bair. 

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The death of the penny

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.

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

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.

Is the gambling explosion ruining sports?

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.

The conservative group courting young Black voters

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 Baker's book, it's called We Need to Hang Out: A Memoir of Making Friends.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

How to make – and keep – friends

Douglas MacMillan explains how colleges track potential students before they even apply. Alex Andrejev follows a video-game designer’s path from refugee to CEO. And Louisa Loveluck on the young people who feel locked out of Iraq’s political system.

Some colleges are tracking students before they even apply

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