On Assignment

Reuters reporters set out to define a heat wave and uncovered something far bigger: "heat storms" that now blanket vast stretches of the planet. On this episode of On Assignment, the journalists behind the investigation, Maurice Tamman and Ben Welsh, explain how extreme heat became a constant feature of modern life, and why they needed new language to describe it.

As President Trump seeks greater influence over how elections are run, election officials across the country are bracing for disputes over voting, ballot counting and the certification of results. Reuters reporters Peter Eisler and Mike Spector join On Assignment to discuss the scenarios officials and legal experts fear could test the boundaries of federal authority before and after the 2026 midterms.

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Reporter Jeff Horwitz is having a surreal week. His investigation into Facebook has been turned into a major Hollywood film starring Jeremy Allen White. On this episode of On Assignment, the Pulitzer prize-winning journalist reflects on the Facebook Files investigation, his relationship with whistleblower Fances Haugen, and the impact the revelations had on the debate over social media's harms. He also shares what it's like to see his own story transformed for the big screen in Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning.

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As the US and China race to dominate artificial intelligence, Reuters correspondents Eduardo Baptista and Laurie Chen say the two countries aren't even playing the same game. On this episode of On Assignment, they take us inside China's AI industry - from Beijing's push to weave AI into every corner of society, to the murky world of chip access, distillation and export controls. Hear what it takes to report on one of the most fast-moving industries on Earth, and why the answer to "who's winning" may depend entirely on how you define the race.

As wars rage across the Middle East, another conflict is unfolding the occupied West Bank. On this episode of On Assignment, Reuters correspondent Pesha Magid travels to the Palestinian village of Qusra, which has become the focal point of a growing struggle over land, security, and political power.

This week On Assignment goes to eastern Congo to witness the unseen work of containing an Ebola outbreak. Reuters correspondent Clément Bonnerot follows a surveillance officer through Bunia as he searches for missed cases, investigates deaths and navigates the practical challenges of outbreak response. His reporting reveals how limited resources, public mistrust and misinformation can hinder efforts to stop the virus, while highlighting the dedication of the health workers trying to stay ahead of it.

Reuters investigative reporters Steve Secklow and Gavin Finch recently sat down with exiled Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah, for a rare and wide-ranging interview. Listen to that interview in this episode of On Assignment and go behind the scenes of how the story and the interview came about.

Read their special report here: Regime change? Inside Reza Pahlavi's faltering bid to lead Iran

Wildfires are blazing across the world. Veteran Reuters photojournalist Michael Blake shares his experience documenting wildfires over the last 40 years. Hear what it is like to travel into the flames when everyone is leaving and how covering the Palisades fires in his own community changed his perspective on capturing these natural disasters.

As AI transforms our lives, companies are racing to build data centers, the physical infrastructure needed to power such a technological revolution. On this week's episode of On Assignment, energy reporter Valerie Volcovici and video journalist Eric Cox travel to Middleton Township, Ohio. There, a new Meta data center and power station have sparked a debate about whether jobs and promises of investment are worth the cost of building this infrastructure. Hear how this small town's fight is being replicated around America and the world.

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As U.S. and Israeli strikes hit targets across Iran, some of the country's most treasured cultural sites found themselves in the blast zone. Reuters reporters gained rare access to historic palaces and the UNESCO-listed heart of Isfahan, documenting shattered windows, damaged mosaics and centuries-old architecture scarred by war. On this episode of On Assignment, Pulitzer-winning investigative journalist Michael Pell explains how Reuters combined eyewitness reporting, satellite imagery and forensic analysis to uncover what happened—and why the loss of cultural heritage matters, even amid a conflict measured in human lives.

Further reading

Shattered tiles, trembling domes: An inside look at how the war has damaged Iran’s historic sites