RFK Jr.'s imprint on covid vaccines and public health

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump invoked a seldom-used wartime powers act to deport suspected gang members without due process. Though a federal judge blocked the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, more than a hundred migrants accused by U.S. officials of being part of the gang Tren de Aragua were flown to a prison in El Salvador on Saturday. It was the first time the Alien Enemies Act had been invoked since World War II, when it was used to incarcerate Japanese, Italian and German nationals and laid the foundation for the imprisonment of more than 110,000 Japanese Americans. Today on “Post Reports,” immigration reporter Marianne LeVine joins host Colby Itkowitz to unpack the strategy behind the administration’s use of this act outside of wartime, the timing and legality of the move, and what El Salvador is getting out of working with Trump. Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy and Ted Muldoon, who also mixed the show. It was edited by Reena Flores, with help from Lucy Perkins. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

17 Maalis 16min

Democrats are bristling at the decision by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to vote for a GOP bill averting a government shutdown. Senior politics reporter Aaron Blake speaks with congressional reporter Marianna Sotomayor to get a behind-the-scenes look at the politics of the shutdown vote. He also breaks down the latest tariff news and Elon Musk drama with David Lynch, a financial writer for The Washington Post, and Trisha Thadani, a Post technology reporter. Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Reena Flores and Rachel Van Dongen. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

14 Maalis 35min

Mehmet Oz is President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a massive agency that oversees health coverage for more than 100 million Americans, including older adults, those with low incomes and children. Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon and former professor at Columbia University who became a household name when he started appearing on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2004 and then hosted his own show, “The Dr. Oz Show,” from 2009 to 2022. On Friday, Oz will face federal lawmakers in a Senate hearing as he seeks confirmation to run CMS, an agency that has a more than trillion-dollar budget and could face spending cuts in the budget year ahead. Today on “Post Reports,” health accountability reporter Lauren Weber explains why he may face questions about his past, his investments and possible conflicts of interest.Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Peter Bresnan with help from Maggie Penman and Lynh Bui. It was mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

13 Maalis 18min

For weeks, Americans have watched as Elon Musk and the U.S. DOGE Service have slashed at the federal bureaucracy, making drastic cuts to agency budgets and the federal workforce. And while President Donald Trump has made clear that he supports Musk, DOGE’s efforts have sparked concern among many senior Trump advisers, civil servants and everyday Americans. That has left DOGE, which stands for Department of Government Efficiency, hunting for wins.Today on “Post Reports,” The Post’s DOGE reporter Faiz Siddiqui joins host Colby Itkowitz to discuss how DOGE is responding to external pressure and what Tuesday’s White House press conference-turned-sales pitch for Tesla says about other pressures Musk could face. Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Mike Madden. Are you a snacker? This week, health columnist Anahad O’Connor published a deep dive into what makes a healthy packaged snack. He analyzed the labels and ingredients on different ultra-processed crackers, jerkies and protein bars and came away with a great guide to the healthiest options. You can find his recommendations at washingtonpost.com/snacks. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

12 Maalis 16min

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.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.Where’s Martine?

11 Maalis 15min

In an interview broadcast on Sunday, President Donald Trump declined to rule out that Americans could see a recession this year as the economy stutters from his efforts to impose tariffs and cut down the size of the federal government. He told Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo, “I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition, because what we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America. That’s a big thing.”Today on “Post Reports,” economics correspondent Abha Bhattarai joins host Colby Itkowitz to talk about the economic indicators informing the Trump administration, how businesses and consumers are handling inflation, and whether we’re headed toward a recession. Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.Where’s Martine?

10 Maalis 20min

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. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

8 Maalis 5min

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. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

7 Maalis 31min