It is now Day 2 of peace talks in the region, with delegations from Israel and Hamas meeting in Egypt in an attempt to end the conflict. The peace deal – which was originally proposed by President Trump – would look to end fighting, secure the release of all remaining hostages and increase humanitarian aid to Gaza. 

After two years of deadly assault on the Palestinian enclave, the two sides will also look to negotiate Gaza’s security and political future. 

Today on “Post Reports,” host Colby Itkowitz is joined by Washington Post foreign policy reporter Michael Birnbaum. He discusses who will be at the table for both sides, what the future of Gaza could look like and why these talks look to be developing differently than ones in the past.

Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Lucas Trevor and Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. 

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A single Q&A session with a large language model can consume more than a half-liter of fresh water to cool servers. Asking ChatGPT one question reportedly consumes 10 times as much electricity as a conventional Google search. And generating an image is equivalent to charging a smartphone.

Should we be worried about that?

Climate advice columnist Michael J. Coren doesn’t think so – or, at least, we shouldn’t lose sleep over it. 

Today on “Post Reports,” he joins host Colby Itkowitz to dispel myths around AI’s energy consumption, explain how to use AI chatbots responsibly, and break down our other energy-intensive digital habits. 

Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Ted Muldoon and Reena Flores, and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Marisa Bellack. 

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After a two-month trial this summer, Sean “Diddy” Combs was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution – but acquitted on sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges. 

Combs’s defense attorneys argued he should either get a new trial or be released in under two years, while the prosecution pushed for him to serve over a decade in prison. On Friday, the judge decided that he would spend 50 months in prison. 

Host Elahe Izadi speaks with style reporter Anne Branigin about Combs’s appeal to the judge and how he is already starting his rebrand.

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson and Peter Bresnan. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. 

Follow our coverage of the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs on Spotify here.

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In a cold muddy pond in Cape Cod, a group of self-proclaimed “old ladies” dives for garbage — and unexpectedly finds joy.

This is a story from The Optimist, The Washington Post’s section about the best of humanity. If you want more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter. If you love hearing these stories on “Post Reports,” please send us an email at [email protected]. You can reach Maggie Penman directly at [email protected].

Today’s show was produced by Maggie Penman. It was edited and mixed by Ted Muldoon. Thank you to Allison Klein. 

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Democrats are making a gamble that voting against a Republican plan to fund the government will be worth the pain of the current shutdown.

New Jersey’s senior Democratic senator Cory Booker voted against a similar Republican plan to fund the government back in March. And he's been one of the most visible critics of the second Trump administration in the Senate. 

Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Booker about the stakes of the current government shutdown, how long it could go on, and why he says Democrats must “do something” to try to reduce looming hikes in health care costs or risk further alienating their base.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and Josh Carroll, with help from Zoe Cummings. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair.

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The effects of the government shutdown – which started early Wednesday morning – are already being felt. Some national parks are closed, federal job training is suspended, and large swaths of the federal workforce have been furloughed. One major debate led to the shutdown: a fundamental disagreement over health care policy.

Today on Post Reports, national health reporter Paige Winfield Cunningham joins host Elahe Izadi to break down the ins and outs of the health care policy fight that Democrats used to force a government shutdown. 

Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. with help from Lucas Trevor. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks also to Fenit Nirappil.

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During confirmation hearings to become secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warned that “highly chemical-intensive processed foods” are “poisoning the American people.” 

A striking report from the federal government has since found that Americans on average get about half their calories from ultra-processed foods, which have been linked in studies to increased rates of obesity and chronic disease. 

A central part of the Make America Healthy Again movement’s food agenda is going after some common ingredients in packaged foods: seed oils, corn syrup and food dyes. But what kind of dent will these efforts make in America’s health? 

Today, host Elahe Izadi brings in nutrition columnist Anahad O’Connor and national health reporter Rachel Roubein to discuss MAHA’s popular food policies, what the science says about the threat of these ingredients and some simple steps we can all take to improve our diets. 

Read More: 

• Coke confirms cane sugar change. RFK Jr. calls it a MAHA win. Is it?
• What science says about artificial food dyes amid RFK Jr.’s push to ban them
• Which oil do you cook with? The answer can impact your health.
• Why additives are so common in America’s food
• Which breakfast is highest in sugar? Test your knowledge with our quiz.
• We analyzed dozens of ultra-processed foods. Here are the healthiest options.

Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Emily Codik and Fenit Nirappil.

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On Tuesday, the top U.S. generals will meet at Quantico for an audience with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump. 

Hegseth’s order for the gathering comes on the heels of the firing of top military officers. It also lands in the middle of Hegseth’s attempts to purge the military of DEI initiatives and programs that he sees as not aligned with the military’s core mission of “lethality.” 

President Trump is expected to address the group. His speech comes after his recent order to send the National Guard into “war ravaged” Portland, Oregon, over the objection of local officials. 

Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Pentagon reporter Dan Lamothe about how The Post broke the story of the generals’ meeting, the logistics of gathering so many senior military officials in one place, and the optics of the president and defense secretary speeches to the top brass.

Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Cater. 

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David Weiner is washing dishes. It’s the 21st of the month, which means his D.C. rowhouse is full of people. Some are friends he’s known for decades, others are people he’s never met. There’s a jazz band playing standards downstairs, and the music is floating up through the house. Some of the musicians are professionals, others are amateurs who showed up with an instrument and enough courage — liquid or otherwise — to join in.

The price of admission is a $21 suggested donation to cover costs and pay the house band. A bottle of wine or food to share is welcome, too. Weiner always makes salmon and provides a big salad, as well as some snacks. Nearly everything else on the crowded table of food is brought by guests.

The monthly party happens rain or shine, whether the 21st falls on a Monday or a Tuesday or a Friday. There was a hiatus during the pandemic, but otherwise it’s happened almost every month for 15 years, drawing anywhere from 40 to a hundred people of all ages each time.

The question I had for Weiner is: How does he keep this going?

You can read more about Wiener’s jazz party here.

If you’re looking for more surprising, delightful stories about the best of humanity, check out The Optimist from The Washington Post. We also have a newsletter: Subscribe to get stories from The Optimist in your inbox every Sunday morning.

Today’s show was reported and produced by Maggie Penman and Ted Muldoon, who also mixed the show. The Optimist’s editor is Allison Klein. 

If you liked hearing this story on “Post Reports,” send us an email at [email protected]. You can email Maggie directly at [email protected].

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Potential government shutdowns seem to happen every few months. But this time, the stakes feel especially high. Democrats are getting pressure from their base to stand up to President Donald Trump; in exchange for voting with Republicans to keep the federal government funded, Democrats hope to extract money for health care premiums. Meanwhile, White House officials are promising mass firings of federal workers if the government shuts down.

Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with the Post’s White House economic policy correspondent Jacob Bogage and Early Brief newsletter writer Dan Merica about the optics and politics heading into next week’s Oct. 1 government funding deadline.

Today’s show was produced by Josh Carroll and Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sean Carter. 

You can watch this podcast episode on YouTube here.

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