Post Reports

Some House Republicans are getting nervous. They’re worried that passing President Donald Trump’s budget proposal could mean cuts to popular programs like Medicaid. They’ve also gotten an earful from voters angry at Elon Musk who are packing congressional town halls. 

Senior politics reporter Aaron Blake unpacks the drama with congressional reporter Marianna Sotomayor and congressional economics correspondent Jacob Bogage. 

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Ted Muldoon. 

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This year’s Oscar contenders are all over the place, ranging from the adaptation of the popular musical “Wicked” to the Brazilian historical drama “I’m Still Here.” Film and TV reporter Sonia Rao and arts editor Janice Page sit down with host Martine Powers to share which films are rising to the top and explain why some actors may be favored more by the academy than others. 

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff, with help from Sabby Robinson and Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sam Bair.

Gregg Bafundo worked as a lead wilderness ranger in Washington state and used his basic firefighting training to help contain fires in the parks he worked in. Erin Williamson traveled to rural communities to help them get financing for essential services as part of her job with the U.S. Agriculture Department. Veteran Jared Blockus worked for a VA hospital in North Carolina ordering critical equipment. All of them were probationary workers fired a couple of weeks ago as part of the Trump administration’s plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce, along with thousands of others. 

Host Martine Powers speaks with reporter Kyle Swenson about these former federal workers and what their job loss means personally and for the public. 

Correction: A previous version of this episode mispronounced a source’s name. The error has been corrected.

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair.

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Host Martine Powers speaks with Supreme Court reporter Justin Jouvenal about Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, which will be heard before the country’s highest court on Wednesday. 

Ames and her attorneys say she was held back at her job because she is straight and White. Her case was rejected by lower courts, in part because reverse discrimination claims require a higher burden of proof than anti-minority discrimination in many parts of the country. But Ames’s attorneys argue that this double standard is unconstitutional. And many legal experts say the Supreme Court is poised to agree. They expect that if the court sides with Ames, it could lead to an increase in the number of discrimination lawsuits filed by straight people, White people and men. The decision may also have a chilling effect on corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sam Bair. 

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Opioid overdoses don’t have to be fatal if the person gets help in time.

In recent years naloxone, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses, has become more widely available in the United States. Narcan, a nasal spray version of naloxone, became available without prescription in pharmacies in 2023. That means more people can help reverse overdoses. Despite showing signs of decline, the number of people dying nationwide from overdoses eclipsed 100,000 annually from 2020 to 2023, according to national health data.

Host Elahe Izadi talks with producer Elana Gordon about the lifesaving effects of the medication. They walk through the steps of how to use Narcan and what it feels like to experience an opioid overdose reversal. 

Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Lucy Perkins with help from Alison MacAdam and mixed by Sam Bair. 

Download The Post’s step-by-step guide for how to administer the naloxone nasal spray here.

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An analysis of news reports by The Washington Post found that at least 477 people — 90 percent of them students — were arrested in the two weeks after the Apalachee High massacre in Georgia. That’s nearly 100 more than in the aftermath of the three previous mass school shootings combined.

In Volusia County, Florida, the elected sheriff, Mike Chitwood, a registered Independent and brash Philadelphia native, decided he’d had enough. In September 2024, he deployed dozens of deputies and spent an extra $21,000 in taxpayer money. On a single night, his office received 54 tips.

Reporters Hannah Natanson and John Woodrow Cox document the real-life effects of Volusia’s aggressive response on children, parents, teachers, administrators and police officers.

This story is part of our Deep Reads series, which showcases narrative journalism at The Washington Post. It was read by John Woodrow Cox. Audio production and original music by Bishop Sand.

Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with Post congressional reporter Liz Goodwin and Dan Lamothe, who covers the Pentagon and the U.S. military, about the week’s political news. They dig into Trump’s sharp turn against Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and toward Russian President Vladimir Putin. They also talk about new polling that shows Trump’s sweeping federal policy decisions are largely unpopular. Plus, why GOP lawmakers are quietly begging Trump to spare their districts from Trump and his ally Elon Musk’s splashy government spending cuts.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins with help from Rachel Van Dongen. It was mixed by Justin Gerrish.

Alex Clark stands out on mic and on camera. The 31-year-old wellness influencer and podcaster has nearly half a million followers on YouTube and ranks among the top 10 wellness podcasts on Apple. 

While wellness has long been associated with liberal hippies, Clark hails from a conservative background. She’s part of the new “Make America Healthy Again” movement questioning modern medicine, backing President Donald Trump and supporting anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has started as health and human services secretary. 

For the last year and a half, reporter Kara Voght has been following Clark’s rise, spending time with her in Arizona. Today, Voght speaks with host Martine Powers about Clark’s rise as a conservative wellness warrior, what’s behind the changing politics of wellness, and what that could mean for the nation’s health.  

Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Steve Kolowich.

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The United States and Russia have begun talks to end the war in Ukraine. But Ukraine wasn’t there.

The United States and Russia just completed their first round of diplomatic talks to end the war in Ukraine since the start of Russian invasion in 2022. The exclusion of Ukraine representatives from the talks signals a new approach and new U.S. interests in the region.

Host Martine Powers talks with White House correspondent Michael Birnbaum about Trump’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and why the United States’ actions over the past week have alarmed its European allies. 

Today’s show was produced by Bishop Sand. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Sam Bair. 

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Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service sparked alarm over the weekend, when a senior DOGE official requested access to the Internal Revenue System’s detailed database featuring financial information about every taxpayer, business and nonprofit in the country.

Host Martine Powers speaks with economics correspondent Jacob Bogage about how this could affect millions of American taxpayers.

Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Mike Madden.

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