Post Reports

A new version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form promised an easier path for students to access financial aid for college. But the rollout has been far from easy. 

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For decades, scores of students got tripped up by the daunting Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Then, in December, the Education Department released a new version of the form, promising a streamlined path for students to access aid. But the launch has not gone smoothly.

Technical glitches have locked some families out of the online system to complete the form, while many who have completed the FAFSA probably have incorrect estimates of aid because the agency failed initially to update a crucial income formula. Colleges won’t get most data until March, meaning students will have to wait longer for financial aid awards and have less time to weigh offers and make a key life choice.

Today on “Post Reports,” higher education reporter Danielle Douglas-Gabriel explains why students, families and colleges are in limbo.  

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson and mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Monica Campbell. Thanks to April Bethea. 

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Two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we talk about the state of the war, and the role foreign aid – or lack thereof – could play in Ukraine’s ability to keep holding off Russia.

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A little over two years ago, Russia launched a full-scale invasion into neighboring Ukraine. At first, many thought it would be a brief and brutal defeat, but two years later Ukraine is still hanging on after a series of wins that exceeded expectations. Now, low on ammunition and troops, Ukraine is facing a pivotal moment, as Russia amps up weapon manufacturing. 

Today, national security reporter Missy Ryan explains why military aid to Ukraine matters so much, and what’s at stake if Russia wins.

Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick, with help from Sabby Robinson. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Maggie Penman. Thank you to Ben Pauker. 

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Exercising can be intimidating. Any New Year’s resolutions you made might feel overly ambitious and hard to keep. But fitness science tells us that exercise is linked to longevity and staying young. 

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How fit you are is not determined by your age, weight or ability to do any one physical activity. 

In this bonus episode of Post Reports, we’ll talk about how to stay fit at any age. Health columnist Gretchen Reynolds shares some simple exercises to assess your fitness and explains how overall fitness influences how long and how well we live. This is part of our occasional series about how we can all rethink and reset our daily habits in 2024. 

You can find the online fitness age calculator here.

This episode was produced by Taylor White and Bishop Sand. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Lucy Perkins. 

It’s Friday, so it’s time for “The Campaign Moment” – a new weekly roundtable conversation to help you keep track of the biggest political news in this campaign year. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post’s new newsletter by the same name, and senior national political correspondent Ashley Parker sit down with Martine Powers to discuss the expectations for this weekend’s South Carolina Republican presidential primary, the chatter on who is on former president Donald Trump’s list of potential running mates and the latest in the Republican House-led impeachment inquiry of President Biden. 

Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. 

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Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Renita Jablonski. 

On Friday, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are legally people and that someone can be held liable for destroying them. Today on “Post Reports,” how the first-of-its-kind ruling has complicated women’s health care in the state and its implications across the country. 

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In Alabama, doctors and patients are scrambling to understand the implications of a recent state supreme court decision that ruled frozen embryos are legally people. A number of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics in the state have paused their services in light of the court’s decision. The ruling has the potential to impact hundreds of thousands of people across the state who depend on IVF treatments. 

The White House decried the ruling, and legal experts have warned that it could empower the “personhood movement,” which asserts unborn children should be granted legal rights starting at conception. National health reporter Sabrina Malhi joins “Post Reports” to break down the ruling, what the immediate effect has been, and what precedent this ruling sets in the ongoing battle over women’s reproductive rights. 

In other news: We’re six weeks away from the total solar eclipse traversing North America on April 8. Check out The Post’s guide to find the best place for cloud-free eclipse viewing.  

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson with help from Peter Bresnan. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Lucy Perkins. 

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Today, as automakers race toward a driverless future, The Post’s technology reporter Trisha Thadani breaks down a Post investigation into a 2022 car crash in Colorado and the questions it raises about new self-driving technology on the road now. 

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In May of 2022, Hans von Ohain and his friend Erik Rossiter went golfing in Evergreen, Colo. Hans showed off his Tesla’s new Full Self-Driving mode. The friends shared drinks and played 21 holes of golf.

But Hans never made it home. On the drive back along a curvy mountain road, Hans and his Tesla swerved into a tree and burst into flames. Erik survived. Hans died in the fire. 

When Post technology reporter Trisha Thadani learned of the accident, it surprised her. First, if Full Self-Driving mode was engaged when the car crashed, it would be the first confirmed fatality connected to the technology. Then she discovered that Hans was a Tesla employee.

Today on “Post Reports,” Trisha breaks down what she and a team of reporters learned about the moments leading up to the fatal crash and the bigger conversation about safety regulations on autonomous driving technology.

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Maggie Penman. The reporters who Trisha Thadani worked with on the Tesla investigation include Faiz Siddiqui, Rachel Lerman, Julia Wall and Whitney Shefte.  

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The death of Vladimir Putin's largest opponent, Alexei Navalny, has rocked hopes of democracy in Russia. We speak with The Post's David M. Herszenhorn, who covered Navalny in Russia, about the impact of his death and Putin's tightening grip on power.

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Alexei Navalny had been a charismatic and outspoken critic of the Kremlin for more than a decade, and was the target of an assassination attempt. Last year, Navalny was sentenced to 19 years in prison on charges of “extremism,” but was seen alive and seemingly healthy just a few days before his death. President Biden condemned Navalny’s death as “proof of Putin’s brutality.” 

The Post’s David M. Herszenhorn has written extensively about Navalny’s career and activism. Herszenhorn joins Post Reports to talk about Navalny’s legacy, and what the Russian political landscape might look like without him. 

Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon with help from Peter Bresnan. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Lucy Perkins.

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The isolated river village of São Miguel had for years been shielded from a wave of religious conversions remaking the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. While many across the traditionally Catholic country were becoming evangelical Protestants, São Miguel had remained steadfast in its Catholic faith. Then one day, a pastor rumored to have mystical powers arrived and opened the community’s first evangelical church. Since then, the village has fractured in a bitter battle over its religious soul. Now the village must decide. For the first time in a year, an itinerant Catholic priest was journeying downriver on a small boat to celebrate the village's annual Mass. How many villagers would go? Which faith would São Miguel choose?

This story is part of our Deep Reads series, which showcases narrative journalism at The Washington Post. It was written and read by Terrence McCoy. Audio production and original composition by Bishop Sand.

It’s hard to keep track of all the biggest political news and what it could mean in this campaign year. That’s why Post Reports is launching a weekly episode on Fridays called “The Campaign Moment.” You’ll hear senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post’s new newsletter by the same name, and other colleagues from our Politics team break down the stories that matter. 

In this inaugural episode, reporter Leigh Ann Caldwell also joins Martine Powers to discuss Thursday’s hearings in the Trump trials, the former president’s comments about NATO and what the GOP’s reaction to them could mean, the results of New York’s special election this week and whether a Taylor Swift endorsement in the presidential campaign would matter. 

Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Renita Jablonski. 

Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.

And you can sign up for The Early 202, which Leigh Ann co-authors, here. 

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AI-generated content seems to be getting more realistic every day. Today on “Post Reports,” we talk about how it’s already been a factor in the 2024 presidential campaign, and in elections around the world. 

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On Tuesday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that fake audio of him making inflammatory comments before last year’s Armistice Day almost caused “serious disorder.” 

Today on Post Reports, tech reporter Pranshu Verma breaks down how AI-generated content has been influencing the 2024 presidential election and elections around the world. In addition to the threat of deepfakes, politicians have also been blaming AI for real gaffes caught on video or audio. 

Can you tell which of these break-up texts are AI-generated? Take our quiz and find out.

Today’s show was produced by Bishop Sand and mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Maggie Penman. 

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