Post Reports

What the battle between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney World says about what Republicans are willing to do to win the culture wars. And, how the end of the federal public transit mask mandate will affect vulnerable people who use buses and trains.  

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has been publicly feuding with Disney over a controversial law that limits what teachers can say to kids about gender and sexual orientation. Reporter Hannah Sampson explains how the state’s Republican-led legislature has responded and why the fight is another example of the GOP trying to use the culture war to its political advantage. 

When a Florida judge ended the federal transit mask mandate last week, there was a lot of focus on how it would affect air travel. But the end of the mandate also affects public transit such as subways and buses, leaving many people who have no transportation alternatives with a puzzle. Katie Shepherd reports on what ending the mask requirement on public transit means for the medically vulnerable. 

“Broken Doors” is a new investigative podcast series about how no-knock warrants are deployed in the U.S. justice system — and the consequences for communities when accountability is flawed at every level. Hosted by Jenn Abelson and Nicole Dungca.

In the third episode of this series, we return to a rural county in Mississippi.

After hearing from survivors of no-knock raids and learning about the deadly consequences, we put our questions directly to the sheriff and the judge who had allowed these raids in Monroe County. People in the community still live in fear as Ricky Keeton’s family continues their battle for justice.

The next episode is out now wherever you get your podcasts. You can email the “Broken Doors” team with any tips or feedback at [email protected]

Today on “Post Reports,” the Biden administration announces a plan to welcome Ukrainian refugees. Plus, just in time for Earth Day, our corporate accountability reporter helps you decipher what it means when a company claims to be “green.”

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The Biden administration announced plans Thursday to expedite the arrival of Ukrainian refugees, creating a new system that will allow citizens and organizations such as churches to sponsor them and warning that Ukrainians attempting to cross via Mexico will be denied entry starting next week. Maria Sacchetti reports.

Plus, it’s almost Earth Day, and corporations are eager to tout their environmental progress. Our corporate accountability reporter, Doug MacMillan, has some tips for how to decipher these promises, which sound good but could be “greenwashed.”

In the past two years, a number of major American cities have experienced spikes in homicides and other violent crimes. Mayors and police chiefs have been under pressure to respond, and some are turning to a new policing strategy called “place network investigations.” 

As its name suggests, the strategy focuses on how criminal networks form and thrive in certain geographical places, and it looks at what can be done to try to break up these patterns of crime. Pioneered by academics and now being adopted by cities across the country, it’s the latest in a long line of American policing philosophies that have used data to target crime concentrated in small areas known as hot spots. 

Washington Post investigative reporter Amy Brittain started looking into this policing strategy after learning That Louisville police had been using the strategy at the time of Breonna Taylor’s death in March 2020. They have since abandoned it, but Amy was surprised to discover that at least nine other cities are now using the strategy.

In today’s episode of “Post Reports,” Amy looks at why so many police departments are focusing on geography to fight crime, whether that approach works, and if it does, at what cost.

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Read more of Amy Brittain’s investigation into the policing strategy known as place network investigations. 

Vote for us in the Webby Awards! Here’s the link to vote for Post Reports for best individual news and politics episode:

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And best individual business episode: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2022/podcasts/individual-episodes/business

What the end of the transportation mask mandates means for you. And, the key to tracking coronavirus surges across the country could be in your poop. 

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Yesterday a federal judge in Florida struck down a national mask mandate on airplanes and mass transit. The Transportation Security Administration stopped enforcing the mandate, as did major airlines, with some of them informing passengers of the news midflight. The relaxation of the pandemic precaution has raised public health concerns: The decision comes as coronavirus cases are again climbing in the Northeast. Transportation reporter Michael Laris on what the end of the transportation mask mandate means for you.

As official case counts become less reliable, public health officials are looking at poop to predict infection rates. Wastewater surveillance – testing the poop in public sewage systems – can capture the presence of coronavirus infection rates earlier than other testing options. National health reporter Lena Sun on why wastewater surveillance can keep the coronavirus under control.

Vote for us in the Webby Awards! Here’s the link to vote for Post Reports for best individual news and politics episode:

https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2022/podcasts/individual-episodes/news-politics

And best individual business episode: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2022/podcasts/individual-episodes/business

Today on Post Reports, tech reporter Nitasha Tiku breaks down what’s happening with Elon Musk’s bid to take over Twitter, what his vision of the platform would look like, and why Twitter is putting up a fight.

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Elon Musk is already facing pushback on multiple fronts on his plan to buy social media company Twitter. The billionaire launched his takeover bid last week after back-and-forth wrangling with Twitter since he became a major shareholder. First, he was invited to join the board. Then, he decided not to join the board.

Now, he wants to buy the whole company and take it private. But Twitter’s board and Musk’s own resources might make his takeover attempt a tough task to complete, and Twitter employees have concerns about his leadership. 

Elon Musk’s vision for Twitter builds on the company's role as a public town square, but Musk wants to remove restrictions Twitter has developed to keep hate speech, harassment and toxicity off the platform in order to promote Musk's idea of free speech.

Vote for us in the Webby Awards! Here’s the link to vote for Post Reports for best individual business episode:

https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2022/podcasts/individual-episodes/business

And best individual news and politics episode: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2022/podcasts/individual-episodes/news-politics

On today’s bonus episode of Post Reports, we bring you a collaboration with NPR’s “Life Kit” about how to deal with mental health issues while on the job.

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Being on the clock while experiencing depression, anxiety or another mental health issue can be distracting, difficult and isolating. But you’re not alone. Post Reports producer Jordan-Marie Smith worked with NPR’s how-to podcast “Life Kit” on how to deal with mental health while at work. It doesn’t matter whether you are a barista or a CEO, this episode is a guide for how to get the help you need inside and outside of the workplace.

Check out NPR’s “Life Kit” podcast on your favorite podcast app.

A family confronts a sheriff after a deadly no-knock raid.

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“Broken Doors” is a new investigative podcast series about how no-knock warrants are deployed in the U.S. justice system — and the consequences for communities when accountability is flawed at every level. Hosted by Jenn Abelson and Nicole Dungca.

In the second episode of this series, we return to a rural county in Mississippi.

Around 1 a.m. on Oct. 28, 2015, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office hurled a battering ram into the home of Ricky Keeton to carry out a no-knock search warrant. After the raid turned deadly, Ricky’s family confronted the sheriff — and began secretly recording. 

The next episode is out now wherever you get your podcasts. You can email the “Broken Doors” team with any tips or feedback at [email protected] 

Today on “Post Reports,” how forever chemicals upended the lives of farmers in Maine — and just how widespread the contamination might be.

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Adam Nordell and Johanna Davis bought their farm seven years ago. In late 2021, they discovered that their land and water were contaminated with incredibly high levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals” or PFAS. 

After finding out about the contamination, they shut down all of their farm operations.

More than 2,800 sites nationwide are contaminated by forever chemicals, according to the nonprofit Environmental Working Group. “And that’s only what’s documented,” journalist Keith O’Brien wrote for The Washington Post. “The real total is unknown, and possibly much higher.”

Keith O’Brien’s new book is Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe.

If you haven’t voted for Post Reports in the Webby Awards yet - now is the time! We are nominated for best news and politics episode and best business episode. Please support us by voting, and thank you.

Today on “Post Reports,” the battle over misinformation on Facebook in Ukraine. Plus, how TikTok has created an alternative universe, just for Russia. 

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In Ukraine, Facebook fact-checkers are fighting a war on two fronts: racing to debunk propaganda about the war while also trying to survive it. Naomi Nix reports. 

With Russia cracking down on social media, the Chinese-owned company TikTok has managed to stay online there by banning all new content, even as loopholes let Russian propaganda through. Will Oremus says this basically means there’s a special, censored TikTok just for users in Russia.

“Post Reports” is nominated for two Webby Awards! Please help us win by voting for us for best news episode and best business episode. 

If you missed these episodes when they were published and want to check out the work that’s nominated, go back and listen to “Four hours of insurrection” and “A tax haven in America’s heartland.”