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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

In the spring, Edward Brandon Becham was caring for his dying wife. He was also among hundreds of thousands of federal workers weighing whether to abandon public service. Donald Trump had taken office vowing to slash the federal bureaucracy, then entrusted the task to billionaire Elon Musk and a newly created cost-cutting team called the Department of Government Efficiency. In a matter of months, Musk and his U.S. DOGE Service wiped out hundreds of thousands of jobs, billions of dollars in spending and the job security that once distinguished government work.

Of America’s 2.4 million federal workers, nearly 4 in 10 registered to vote had, like Becham, cast ballots for Trump, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll. But as the days passed, Becham was becoming convinced that the Trump administration’s treatment of government employees — large-scale firings, emails he saw as harassing and strict return-to-office mandates — was wrongheaded and cruel. If he was unable to resign, Brandon would be required to report to a federal building in Las Vegas more than 70 miles away. Round-trip, it would cost him three hours a day with his three children, for whom he would soon be the only parent and sole provider.

Becham felt as though he was witnessing two painful deaths: his wife’s, of course, but also that of his career. In his darkest moments, Brandon turned to his Bible — and next to it, his leather-bound diary.

This story follows Becham and his family for a week as he navigated his feelings about his wife, family, his career and Trump.

Hannah Natanson reported and narrated the piece. Bishop Sand composed music and produced audio.

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Deep Reads: His wife was dying, his federal job crumbling. It tested his faith — in God and Trump.

In the first year of his second term, President Donald Trump has focused his attention on foreign policy and made numerous trips abroad – with an eye toward the Nobel Peace Prize. But as he discusses peace deals with foreign leaders, his ratings domestically have fallen. Critics say that he isn’t doing enough to ease American’s economic concerns. So, this week, Trump returned his attention stateside and kicked off his affordability tour in Pennsylvania, while simultaneously branding “affordability” as a democratic “hoax.”

Today on the politics roundtable, we discuss why Trump’s tour signals the administration’s concerns about the politics of affordability, and how some Democrats could use this as a way to gain an edge during the 2026 midterms. 

Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Dan Merica, the co-anchor of our politics newsletter, The Early Brief, and White House Bureau Chief Matt Viser. 

Today's episode was produced by Josh Carroll and Thomas Lu. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Reena Flores. Thanks also to our Politics editors. 

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

Trump calls affordability a "hoax"; Democrats take note

The U.S. is in the midst of its biggest overhaul yet to childhood vaccinations, and it is already impacting how families are thinking about immunizing their children. 

President Donald Trump recently directed a review of the longstanding childhood vaccine schedule. And just last week, an influential vaccine panel recommended dropping the universal birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns, even though medical associations said they lacked evidence and data to support the change. 

Today on “Post Reports,” national health reporter Lena Sun breaks down the implications of dropping the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, and how, if the change is approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it could affect children’s health nationwide. Then, host Martine Powers speaks with Dr. Nola Jean Ernest about how a growing skepticism toward vaccines is affecting her practice and how she is managing to make the case to patients in the Wiregrass region of Alabama that vaccines matter.

Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to editor Fenit Nirappil. 

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The biggest shift yet in U.S. vaccine policy

The historic movie and television company now known as Warner Bros. Discovery is in high demand. Last week, Netflix announced it would buy some of the company’s most valuable media portfolio for $83 billion. But Paramount Skydance then launched a hostile bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery mere days later.

Host Martine Powers speaks with media reporter Scott Nover about why these major media companies want Warner Bros., what a deal could mean for how we watch TV and movies, and how President Donald Trump could become involved in the negotiations.

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

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The battle for Warner Bros.

To many Americans, the idea of banning a party that has support from a significant portion of voters might seem undemocratic. But Germany, guided by its determination to avoid a repeat of Nazism, included a provision in its post-World War II constitution to allow banning parties that aim to subvert the constitutional order.

Now, as Germany’s far-right party – Alternative for Germany (AfD) – surges in popularity, the country is in a heated debate over whether to ban it. “Post Reports” producer and reporter Emma Talkoff speaks with host Colby Itkowitz about how Germany is wrestling with the question of how to fight political extremism.

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Aaron Weiner and David Herszenhorn. 

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Should Germany ban its far-right party?

The 2026 World Cup is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Before the tournament selection took place Friday in Washington D.C., FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented President Donald Trump with an inaugural Peace Prize from soccer’s global governing body. Celebrities from the worlds of sports and entertainment were also included in the programming lineup. 

On today’s episode of “Post Reports” host Ava Wallace is joined by Washington Post sports journalists Thomas Floyd and Rick Maese. They break down what happened at last week’s World Cup draw and how it will shape the tournament this coming summer.

Then, why some human rights groups are raising questions about the relationship between President Trump and FIFA.

Today's episode was produced by Lucas Trevor with help from Josh Carroll. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Thomas Lu and Reena Flores. Thanks to Sarah Laramier and Joe Tone.

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Get ready for Trump’s World Cup

What’s really going on inside the brain of an altruist? Why do altruists care so much more for a stranger who needs help? Why are they so willing to give away a kidney?

In this episode from the Washington Post’s “Try This” podcast, host Cristina Quinn explores what it means to be an altruist with Abigail Marsh, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Georgetown University. Together, they break down how altruists view their own actions and how others can become more altruistic too.

Marsh offers insight into what scientists know about altruists and shares surprising findings from her own research. She also tells us how you can build the muscle of giving more in simple steps that fit your lifestyle.

Read more about Marsh’s work on altruism here. 

Also, read Washington Post Brain Matters columnist Richard Sima’s story on how doing good is good for you.

To hear more, check out “Try This” wherever you listen to podcasts.

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How to be an altruist with 'Try This'

In September, the U.S. military began striking boats suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean. Since then, questions about the legality of these strikes have swirled. Last week, The Post reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken order to kill everyone before a Sept. 2 attack, according to officials. The commander of the mission later made the decision to strike two survivors of the attack who had been clinging to the wreckage. Today on the politics roundtable, we’ll discuss the fallout, and why both Republicans and Democrats are increasing their scrutiny of Hegseth’s leadership at the Department of Defense.

And, after brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October, President Trump hoped to do the same for Russia and Ukraine. But his efforts have fallen short.

Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Matthew Choi, the co-anchor of our politics newsletter, The Early Brief, and White House reporter Michael Birnbaum. 

Today's episode was produced by Laura Benshoff, Josh Carroll, and Thomas Lu. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Reena Flores. Thanks also to our politics editors. 

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

Hegseth defends boat strike; Putin rejects Trump peace plan

The note-taking applications on our phones are often where we go to jot down a quick reminder, a draft of a text message or a packing list. These simple text editors are there, on our phones, ready to document our fleeting thoughts.

But what do these notes from yesterday, or last month, or three years ago say about ourselves? 

Post Reports co-host Elahe Izadi recently took on this question and asked strangers if she could look into their notes app. Host Colby Itkowitz chats with Elahe about what she learned from this little social experiment. 

Today’s show was produced by Thomas Lu. It was mixed by Sam Bair and edited by Ariel Plotnick. 

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Strangers showed us their Notes app. Here's what we learned.

Agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection usually police the frontier. But since the summer, the Trump administration has deployed these agents, along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, to Democratic-led cities, often with combustive results. Leading these urban operations is Gregory Bovino, who has become the face of the aggressive crackdown.

Host Elahe Izadi speaks with immigration reporter Marianne LeVine about the deep reporting she and other Post reporters did in Chicago, what they uncovered about who is being arrested, and what Operation Midway Blitz can tell us about this new era of immigration enforcement.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Elana Gordon with help from Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to national correspondent Arelis Hernández and immigration editor Christine Armario. 

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The rise of Border Patrol in US cities

Two days after the shooting of two National Guard members in the nation’s capital by a suspect who is an Afghan national, the Trump administration announced a flurry of policies aimed at making it harder for some foreigners to enter or stay in the country. 

The administration said it was halting all decisions related to asylum claims and paused visa issuances for Afghan nationals, including a special program for U.S. allies who fought alongside U.S. troops there. The move came after the president posted an anti-immigration screed, in which he vowed to “permanently pause” migration from nations he described as “Third World Countries.” 

Today on “Post Reports,” immigration reporter Arelis R. Hernández joins host Colby Itkowitz to run back what The Post has learned about the suspected shooter, the complicated world of asylum, and how this tragedy has upended an already fraught process.

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Elana Gordon and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to David Nakamura.

What happens to asylum after the attack on the National Guard

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