When it’s too hot to work
This month, Earth hit its hottest days recorded in history. But even on the warmest days, millions of workers in the U.S. labor in heat that is increasingly hazardous to their health.This month, the Biden administration proposed a rule that, for the first time, would protect such workers, whether their jobs are indoors or outdoors. The proposal sets out two heat index triggers that would apply nationally and require employers to offer drinking water, among other safeguards.Yet some employers, in areas such as agriculture, construction and tourism, are resisting the changes, arguing that they would make their sectors less competitive.Today on “Post Reports,” Elahe Izadi speaks with climate change reporter Anna Phillips about the federal government’s efforts to protect workers.Today’s show was produced by Trinity Webster-Bass, with support from Elana Gordon. It was edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
29 Jul 202424min
Deep Reads: Did their ‘Synchronicity’ album kill the Police?
In December 1982, the Police flew to the Caribbean island of Montserrat to record their fifth album. The executives at A&M Records were excited. A year earlier, the trio had generated hit singles like “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Spirits in the Material World.” Suddenly, they were filling arenas.But the atmosphere in the recording studio quickly turned sour. Guitarist Andy Summers sniffed at lead singer Sting’s demo of “Every Breath You Take” as cheesy pop. Drummer Stewart Copeland bristled when the singer tried to give him orders. And Sting, who had been contemplating going solo, was tired of pretending this was still a democracy: Why were they arguing about whose songs were best? Wasn’t it obvious? This oral history, including interviews with Sting and the other members of the band, takes listeners inside the making of “Synchronicity,” one of the most popular records of the 20th century – and what eventually tore the band apart.
27 Jul 202430min
The Campaign Moment: The online army helping Harris
Post Reports co-host Martine Powers sits down with senior political reporter Aaron Blake and Maeve Reston, a national political reporter covering the 2024 presidential race. They talk about how Vice President Harris may tackle the Israel-Gaza conflict, new polling on the Harris-Trump matchup, and how Gen Z influencers and memes may engage young voters and buoy Harris’s campaign. Today’s episode was produced by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy. Thanks also to Trinity Webster-Bass and Drew Harwell.Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
26 Jul 202428min
CrowdStrike, Microsoft, and the glitch that rocked the world
On Friday, more than 8.5 million Microsoft computers around the world shut down.The tech outage threw our most essential systems into chaos. Airlines delayed or canceled flights. Hospitals turned away non-emergency patients. Banks, businesses, courts, government offices – all were faced with blank, inactive computer screens that many cal the “blue screen of death.” The culprit? A software update pushed to Windows devices by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.Host Elahe Izadi speaks with technology reporter Joseph Menn about what happened inside CrowdStrike, and what this incident tells us about the state of the cybersecurity industry.Today’s show was produced by Ali Bianco, with help from Sabby Robinson and Trinity Webster-Bass. It was edited by Reena Flores and Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to James Graff.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
25 Jul 202425min
The Sports Moment: Your passport to the Paris Olympics
There are a lot of questions heading into the Summer Olympics: Is Paris prepared to host the Games? Who are the star athletes this year? What exactly is a “horsey passport”? The Washington Post’s Ava Wallace speaks with Post sports columnist Jerry Brewer and sports feature writer Rick Maese about those questions and more in the first episode of The Sports Moment which we're sharing with you this morning. After you listen, look up the show and hit follow to hear more from Ava and the rest of our team in Paris. Subscribe to Ava’s newsletter here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Joe Tone, Allison Michaels and Renita Jablonski.
24 Jul 202424min
The Campaign Moment: The next steps for Democrats
This is a special episode of The Campaign Moment dedicated to answering the questions on everyone’s minds about what happens next now that Harris is the Democrats’ potential nominee.Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post's new Campaign Moment newsletter, and Colby Itkowitz, who covers voting and elections on the democracy team, sit down with Post Reports co-host Elahe Izadi. They talk about how Harris polls against Trump, what it means for her to take over a campaign that was designed for President Biden, and how the GOP is reacting to her campaign.Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy. Thanks also to Trinity Webster-Bass.Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
23 Jul 202429min
Introducing, "The Sports Moment"
Ava Wallace, sports reporter at The Washington Post, is in France to report on the Summer Games — and eat a lot of croissants. Join her starting July 24, continuing through the entire run of the games, for several episodes a week as she captures the highs, the lows and the Paris of it all, along with other Post colleagues.Follow The Sports Moment podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or YouTube.Sign up for The Sports Moment: Olympics Edition newsletter here.
23 Jul 20241min
Kamala Harris, Democrats' heir apparent
Yesterday, President Biden announced that he would no longer be running for reelection; he also endorsed Vice President Harris to replace him as the Democratic nominee for president in November’s election. Over the past 24 hours, endorsements of Harris have been rolling in from top Democrats. Today on Post Reports, host Elahe Izadi speaks with The Washington Post’s White House bureau chief, Toluse Olorunnipa, about Biden’s decision to endorse Harris. Plus, host Martine Powers and White House reporter Cleve Wootson dive deep into Harris’s career and how she’s evolved as a politician over the years.Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff and Trinity Webster-Bass. It was mixed by Sam Bair and edited by Reena Flores, with help from Ariel Plotnick. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
22 Jul 202439min
