Post Reports

Today on a bonus episode of “Post Reports” in honor of the Super Bowl, we go to one of the communities where tackle football still reigns. Read more:For decades, few things have united America as consistently and completely as football. But when it comes to actually playing tackle football — and risking the physical toll of a sport linked to brain damage — there are wide divisions marked by politics, economics and race, an examination by The Washington Post found. As the sport grapples with the steep overall decline in participation among young people, some of those divisions appear to be getting wider, The Post found, with football’s risks continuing to be borne by boys in places that tend to be poorer and more conservative — a revelation with disturbing implications for the future of the sport.Today on the show, we go to one of the communities where tackle football still reigns with reporter Michael Lee. Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Maggie Penman, Joe Tone, and KC Schaper. It was mixed by Sam Bair.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

11 Feb 202426min

A special counsel report on President Biden concluded that he would not be charged for mishandling sensitive documents. Yet the report painted a scathing picture of the president’s memory, refueling attacks on his mental agility as he faces reelection.Read more:On Thursday evening, President Biden gave an emotional and angry response to a report issued by special counsel Robert K. Hur. While the report found that criminal charges were not merited for Biden’s handling of classified documents, it detailed moments when Biden appeared hazy on specific critical dates and years during his interviews with Hur, a Republican appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland as special counsel.One line from Hur’s report suggested that Biden did not recall the year in which his son Beau had passed away. Beau Biden died of cancer in 2015, when his father was vice president. The president said he remembers his son’s death every day. Biden also highlighted a separate investigation into former president Donald Trump’s own handling of classified documents, and the differences between them. The president, who is 81, has been fighting off voters’ concerns about his age as he prepares to seek reelection – likely against Trump.Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon with help from Arjun Singh. It was edited by Monica Campbell. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

9 Feb 202417min

The Supreme Court seemed prepared to keep Donald Trump on the Colorado ballot Thursday, expressing concern about a single state disqualifying a candidate from seeking national office. Today on the show, we break down what we heard and what it means. Read more:On Thursday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in former president Donald Trump’s appeal of a Colorado ruling to remove him from the state’s 2024 primary ballot because of his role in the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. We break down what we heard with Supreme Court reporter Ann Marimow and politics reporter Amber Phillips. Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, Emma Talkoff and Ted Muldoon, who also mixed the show. It was edited by Maggie Penman. Thank you to Debbi Wilgoren. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

8 Feb 202423min

On Sunday, President Nayib Bukele won reelection in El Salvador in a landslide. Today, The Post’s Mary Beth Sheridan addresses what’s behind Bukele’s striking popularity, his self-proclaimed nickname on social media and his controversial war on gangs.Nayib Bukele first took office in 2019 as an independent, becoming El Salvador’s – and Latin America’s – youngest president. He made a name for himself through his alleged crackdown on gangs and savvy use of social media to market his efforts. While consolidating power and operating in a state of emergency, Bukele oversaw the imprisonment of more than 1 percent of El Salvador’s population. The improvements to safety have been celebrated across El Salvador, and other Latin American leaders are taking note of the approach. But these developments are also raising concerns that they come at a cost to human rights and democracy. Despite voting irregularities and a controversial decision that allowed him to skirt a ban on immediate reelection, Bukele continues to have widespread support. Read More: ‘World’s coolest dictator’ reelected in El Salvador: What to know.How to match Bukele’s success against gangs? First, dismantle democracy.Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon and edited by Monica Campbell. It was mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Carmen Valeria Escobar for additional reporting. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

7 Feb 202430min

Today on “Post Reports,” we’re going deep on Trump v. Anderson, the Supreme Court case that could reshape the course of the 2024 election. Read more:Norma Anderson carries a pocket Constitution in her purse. She has another copy, slightly larger with images of the Founding Fathers on the cover, that she leaves on a table in her sitting room so she can consult it when she watches TV.She’s turned down a page corner in that copy to mark the spot where the 14th Amendment appears. She has reread it several times since joining a lawsuit last year that cites the amendment in seeking to stop Donald Trump from running for president again.Anderson, 91, is the unlikely face of a challenge to Trump’s campaign that will be heard by the Supreme Court on Thursday. She spoke to our colleague Patrick Marley about why she feels so strongly about this fight. Today on the show, we learn more about Anderson and go deep on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment with historian Eric Foner. Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Maggie Penman. Thank you to Peter Bresnan, Whitney Leaming and Griff Witte. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

6 Feb 202433min

After a drone attack killed three U.S. soldiers in Jordan last week, the United States struck more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria on Friday. The U.S. response is the latest escalation in a widening conflict in the Middle East. Read more:Several Iran-allied groups aligned with Hamas have mobilized since the militant organization’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel prompted an ongoing Israeli military offensive. According to Pentagon data, Iranian-backed militias have launched at least 165 attacks on U.S. forces since October – including a drone attack that killed three U.S. service members.Intelligence and national security correspondent Shane Harris explains what led to the U.S. airstrikes on Friday and what the consequences could be.Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Lucy Perkins. Thanks also to Bishop Sand and Maggie Penman.

5 Feb 202428min

One month into the Israel-Gaza war, Ashish Prashar put on a kaffiyeh and took his 18-month-old son to a playground near their home in Brooklyn, where a woman he’d never seen before began yelling at him. As Prashar took out his phone and began filming, the woman continued to yell, threw her phone at him, and then threw a coffee cup holding a hot beverage. It was a chance encounter that led to spiraling repercussions: a police investigation, hate crime charges, an angry mob on the internet, a wrongly identified assailant, and a father left with questions about justice, mercy and what anger in such fraught times can turn into.This story is part of our Deep Reads series, which showcases narrative journalism at The Washington Post. It was written and read by Ruby Cramer. Audio production and original composition by Bishop Sand.

3 Feb 202432min

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is in a standoff with the U.S. government over who controls the Texas border with Mexico. That fight has centered on the border city of Eagle Pass, where Abbott has seized a park and is testing the limits of the Constitution Read more:Eagle Pass, Tex., is a small border city that in recent weeks has been mired in a bitter standoff between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and the federal government. In an effort to deter migrants from crossing the border from Mexico to Eagle Pass, Abbott seized a local park and covered barriers with coils of razor wire. That has put him at odds with President Biden and the Department of Homeland Security, who claim Abbott does not have jurisdiction over the southern border. In January, the Supreme Court ruled that federal agents were allowed to cut through the razor wire installed by Abbott’s administration, but the governor has remained defiant, raising constitutional questions about how much power the Texas governor has to secure the border of the state. Arelis Hernández joins us today to explain the origin of this standoff and provide us with a firsthand look at how both state and federal immigration policies are affecting the residents of Eagle Pass. Our colleagues at The Washington Post are monitoring right-wing protests expected in Eagle Pass over the weekend. Follow our coverage at washingtonpost.com.Today’s show was produced by Arjun Singh. It was mixed by Sean Carter. And edited by Lucy Perkins and Monica Campbell. Thanks also to Christine Armario.

2 Feb 202425min