Post Reports

New Hampshire is a make-or-break moment for Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor challenging Trump for the Republican nomination. Plus – on the Democrats’ side – why Biden isn’t on the ballot, and who is. Read more:Nikki Haley has emerged as the only major candidate remaining in the Republican primary against former president Donald Trump. A strong showing in New Hampshire on Tuesday could give her the momentum she needs to forge ahead with her campaign. Campaign reporter Dylan Wells has been following Haley, and she explains why Haley’s message is resonating with many voters in New Hampshire. Then, we turn to the unusual situation playing out for the Democrats. Biden and the Democratic National Committee decided that South Carolina should be the first primary – but New Hampshire decided to continue to hold its long-prized first-in-the-nation primary earlier, in defiance of the new party rules. So Biden opted not to put his name on the ballot. The contest carries no practical weight since the DNC has stripped the state of its delegates to the nominating convention – but that hasn’t stopped Marianne Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips from running. Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, Emma Talkoff, Arjun Singh and Elana Gordon. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Maggie Penman. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

22 Jan 202430min

Ken Fritz spent decades of his life working on his perfect stereo system at his home in Richmond, Va. Weekends and vacations were lost to the project. Fritz’s family were recruited for years of labor. After decades of work, Fritz completed his project with towering speakers that look like alien monoliths. He estimated the custom-built system to be worth more than $1 million. The real price of the stereo on Fritz and his family was even more staggering. –This story is part of our Deep Reads series, which showcases narrative journalism at The Washington Post. It was written and read by Geoff Edgers. Audio production and original composition by Bishop Sand.

20 Jan 202431min

Ultra-processed foods are designed to be tasty and absorb easily — but they’re not good for us. Today on “Post Reports,” a food columnist explains how ultra-processed food is actually made and gives tips for simple, healthier swaps.Read more:Chips, peanut butter, bread — these are just a few of the foods in your kitchen that could be ultra-processed, and they make up over half of the average American’s diet. But because of the way they are manufactured, studies have shown that people who eat more ultra-processed food tend to consume more calories. This can lead to increased risk of diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Anahad O’Connor is a health columnist who writes about food and eating for The Post’s Well + Being section. Recently he’s been looking into how ultra-processed foods are made and easy ways to switch them out for minimally processed alternatives. “This is not a black-and-white issue. You don't have to stop eating all ultra-processed foods. I write about ultra-processed foods and I consume some ultra-processed foods. I just am cognizant about which ones I'm choosing to consume.”Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Lucy Perkins. Take a listen to our previous reporting on how ultra-processed foods ended up on school lunch trays here.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

19 Jan 202423min

As Israel continues to wage its military campaign against Hamas, we break down why it has blocked humanitarian aid — including food — into Gaza. Hunger and disease now threaten hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza. Read more:More than 100 days into the Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian crisis there continues to worsen. As Israel continues to block food and basic supplies from entering Gaza, the World Food Program estimates that 93 percent of people in Gaza are facing crisis levels of hunger. The World Health Organization warns that more Palestinian civilians could die from disease and starvation in the coming months than from Israeli military attacks. Washington Post Cairo bureau chief Claire Parker, who has reported extensively on the Israel-Gaza war, joins “Post Reports” to talk about why it has been so difficult to get supplies into Gaza, whether more aid is forthcoming and how a lack of aid has left Gazans on the brink of famine. Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Peter Bresnan. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Monica Campbell. Thanks to Jesse Mesner-Hage. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

18 Jan 202426min

Today, we dissect three recent public health responses to learn about the world’s ability to prevent outbreaks – covid and beyond – in 2024.Viruses are having a moment. Outbreaks around the world are on the rise, thanks to such factors as climate change, war and instability, and increased animal-to-human contact.Covid-19 is still here. Even though fewer people are winding up in the hospital compared with last year, some health facilities are requiring masks again as a new variant appears better at infecting people, even those who are vaccinated. Meanwhile, across the globe, a deadlier strain of mpox is threatening the Democratic Republic of Congo, where lifesaving vaccines are difficult to obtain. In Nebraska, a kitten with rabies triggered an all-hands-on-deck public health response. Post national health reporter Lena Sun has spent a lot of time trying to better understand pathogens and how they spread. She joins “Post Reports” to examine what lessons we have and haven’t learned from these three recent outbreaks, and what that means for preventing future ones.Read more: Another covid wave hits U.S. as JN.1 becomes dominant variantIs this covid surge really the second largest?Mpox surge in Congo raises concerns world will ignore warnings againHow one rabid kitten triggered intensive effort to contain deadly virusToday’s show was produced by Elana Gordon and hosted by Elahe Izadi and guest host Arjun Singh. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Lucy Perkins. Thanks to Tracy Jan and Fenit Nirappil. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

17 Jan 202428min

After the Biden administration launched airstrikes against Houthi fighters in Yemen, the group attacked a U.S. cargo carrier. U.S. officials say that their operations are limited and that they do not want to be drawn into a wider conflict – but is that possible?Read more:In the wake of Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip, Houthi rebels based in Yemen have been carrying out attacks on U.S. and British commercial ships. Last week, President Biden authorized airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. In response, Houthi fighters targeted more ships on Monday. On Tuesday, the United States launched more airstrikes against the Houthis.U.S. officials defended last week’s strikes, calling them self-defense against the ship attacks, but the strikes have also raised questions about whether the fighting will evolve into a broader regional conflict, given the Houthis’ alliance with the Iranian government. National security reporter Missy Ryan joins us today to explain the latest developments in the conflict. Today's show was produced by Peter Bresnan, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy, and guest hosted by Arjun Singh. It was mixed by Sam Bair and edited by Monica Campbell.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

16 Jan 202417min

Despite Donald Trump leading in the polls, victory in the GOP presidential primaries isn’t certain. Ahead of the Iowa caucuses, Trump hopes to extinguish his opponents. But history has shown that not every winner in Iowa goes on to become the nominee. Read more:Donald Trump has consistently led his opponents in polling for the Republican nomination, often by a wide margin. But victory isn’t certain. In Iowa, the first state in the Republican primaries, Trump wants to fully knock out his competitors, but that may be easier said than done. Support for former U.N ambassador Nikki Haley appears to be growing, and even if Haley loses in Iowa, a strong performance could give her campaign enough momentum to win in New Hampshire later this month. Meryl Kornfield, Michael Scherer and Hannah Knowles join us from the campaign trail to explain everything ahead of the caucuses in Iowa on Monday.

12 Jan 202431min

Voters across Taiwan head to the polls Saturday in an election that could reverberate around the world. As pressure tactics increase from Beijing, the island of 23 million faces existential questions about how to preserve its identity and fend off war. With Beijing military planes at times looming, Taiwan’s ruling party’s candidate, Lai Ching-te, contends democracy itself is on the ballot this weekend. Opposition candidate Hou Yu-ih warns that voters face a choice between war and peace. And a new third party candidate, Ko Wen-je, has been drawing a younger, anti-establishment base. Today, “Post Reports” speaks with Christian Shepherd, based in Taipei, about Taiwan’s unusual three-party presidential race, and how it could shape regional and international security in the years to come.Read more: The Taiwan party toughest on China has a strong lead as election nears4 ways China is trying to interfere in Taiwan’s presidential electionThese three men are vying to lead Taiwan — and fend off threats from China2024 brings wave of elections with global democracy on the ballotHow Chinese aggression is increasing the risk of war in the Taiwan StraitToday’s show was produced by Elana Gordon and guest hosted by Arjun Singh. It was mixed by Sam Bair and edited by Monica Campbell, with help from Lucy Perkins. Thanks to Vic Chiang, Pei-Lin Wu and Anna Fifield. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

11 Jan 202429min