Post Reports

In a momentous ruling that may shape U.S. political history, the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that former president Donald Trump engaged in insurrection and is therefore disqualified from the presidency.Read more:The decision by Colorado’s highest court, the first of its kind involving Trump, would keep him off the 2024 primary ballot in the state over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.A state district court previously ruled that Trump had engaged in insurrection but that the relevant section of the 14th Amendment did not apply to presidents. The state Supreme Court upheld the former finding and reversed the latter, in a 4-3 decision.The Post’s Patrick Marley, who reports on voting rights and democracy, explains the historical roots of the ruling and how it may have a broader political impact for Trump.

20 Des 202316min

U.S. support of Israel’s war in Gaza has been unwavering – but as the civilian death toll climbs, international calls for a ceasefire are growing. Today, the mounting concern over Israel’s tactics and how the Biden administration is responding.Read more:Nearly 20,000 Palestinians have been killed and millions displaced since Israel declared war on Hamas in Gaza. Conditions for people in Gaza are incredibly hard. Food is scarce, the health infrastructure is collapsing, and the death toll continues to climb – which some arms experts say is due in part to the Israeli government’s use of “unguided ‘dumb bombs.’”Today, foreign correspondent Louisa Loveluck talks with host Martine Powers about a shift in U.S. rhetoric and whether it could make an impact on the conflict. Today’s show was produced by Jordan-Marie Smith and edited by Ted Muldoon. Thanks to Monica Campbell, Rennie Svirnovskiy, Sabby Robinson and Jesse Mesner-Hage.Subscribe to The Washington Post here. Stay up-to-date with the live update feed on Israel and Gaza here.

19 Des 202326min

As social media disinformation grows, academics are studying its harms. But big-tech funding at universities is creating a fraught power dynamic that recently erupted at Harvard, where a researcher claimed Meta forced her ouster amid critical research.Read more:Silicon Valley tech giants, including Google and Facebook parent Meta, are increasingly influential at universities across the United States, with ramped-up charitable giving. The donations can give the companies influence over academics studying critical topics such as artificial intelligence, social media and disinformation.But as technology reporter Joseph Menn explains, some researchers are raising concerns that increasing dependence on tech companies’ funding can create a troubling power dynamic. Recently, a disinformation researcher, Joan Donovan, filed complaints with state and federal officials against Harvard University. Donovan claims that the personal connections of Meta executives — along with a $500 million grant for research — were behind her ouster this year from the Harvard Kennedy School. Harvard has denied that it was improperly influenced. Today’s show was produced by Arjun Singh. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Monica Campbell. Thank you to Mark Seibel. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

18 Des 202325min

After about 10 weeks of coaching this summer, six women turned their experiences of motherhood, loss and empowerment into their biggest display yet: a play called “Turning Pain Into Purpose: Say My Son’s Name.” They had hoped if a broader audience could hear their stories, something in the community might change — no more mothers crying over dying sons.–This story is part of a collection of new, occasional bonus episodes you’ll be hearing from “Post Reports.” We’re calling these stories “Deep Reads” and they’re part of The Post’s commitment to immersive and narrative journalism.Today’s story was written and read by Jasmine Hilton.

16 Des 202319min

After half-a-century in a tank, a beloved orca named Tokitae was about to be freed. Then her life ended, and a moment of reckoning began.Read more:Most of the nearly 50 southern resident orcas taken from the Pacific Northwest during the 1960s and ’70s died within the first years after their capture. One endured. Tokitae spent more than 50 years performing in the Miami Seaquarium’s “whale bowl” – the smallest orca tank in North America. In March, a plan was announced to move her to a 10-acre netted sanctuary in the San Juan Islands, where she could live out her life in her natal waters. But months before she was due to return home, Tokitae died. What followed was a moment of reckoning.Today on “Post Reports,” feature writer Caitlin Gibson shares Tokitae’s story and what it reveals about us.

15 Des 202342min

Scientists came to Greenland on an unprecedented mission to drill for rocks that would reveal the fate of the country’s fast-melting ice sheet. A sudden crack in the ice threatened their experiment. Read more:The Greenland Ice Sheet contributes more to sea level rise than any other ice mass. If it disappeared, it would raise global sea levels by 24 feet, devastating coastlines home to about half the world’s population. Computer simulations and modern observations alone can’t precisely predict how Greenland might melt. Greenland’s bedrock holds clues. It was present the last time the ice sheet melted completely and contains chemical signatures of how that melt unfolded. It could help scientists predict how drastically Greenland might change in the face of today’s rising temperatures. But scientists have less material from under the ice sheet than they do from the surface of the moon. So this spring, a team from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory made an unprecedented effort to drill through more than 1,600 feet of ice and uncover the bedrock below.Climate reporter Sarah Kaplan was there too. She arrived just after a thin crack appeared in the ice around the drill, threatening the project and its ability to unearth the future.

14 Des 202321min

Kate Cox caught the attention of the nation last week when she asked a Texas judge for permission to end her pregnancy. Today on “Post Reports,” we talk to Caroline Kitchener about the new legal battles over abortion access. Read more:Kate Cox caught the attention of the nation last week when she asked a Texas judge for permission to end her pregnancy.Three days later, a pregnant woman filed suit anonymously in Kentucky, arguing that the state’s near-total abortion ban violates her constitutional right to privacy and self-determination.And across Texas, Tennessee and Idaho, several dozen women who had previously experienced pregnancy complications are awaiting decisions in a string of cases that could expand the health exceptions in their state abortion bans.Today, Caroline Kitchener unpacks the legal battles of testing state abortion bans, and what Cox’s story can tell us about the future of abortion care in America.Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Maggie Penman. Thank you to Reena Flores and Ariel Plotnick. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

13 Des 202320min

Nikki Haley is up, Ron DeSantis is down and Trump is still trouncing both of them. Today, we’re debriefing on the Republican presidential primary and how Trump’s legal battles are shaping the race.Read more:Politics reporters Dylan Wells, Isaac Arnsdorf and Ashley Parker sit down for a roundtable about the current state of the Republican primary race. Right now, it’s a competition for second place, with all the candidates trailing behind former president Donald Trump in polls. But is there actually a path to victory for them? And what happens if Trump gets convicted before November of next year?Subscribe to The Washington Post here. And if you want to see what kind of Washington Post reader you are, check out your Newsprint at washingtonpost.com/newsprint.

12 Des 202326min