Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis created an election police unit to crack down on voter fraud. But actual convictions by this unit are rare — and the toll on Florida’s voters is climbing higher.

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In its first nine months, the Office of Election Crimes and Security referred hundreds of alleged illegal voting cases to local law enforcement for possible charges — but few resulted in any arrests. 

Lori Rozsa covers Florida for The Washington Post. She explains why DeSantis wants more money for a department that isn’t bringing in convictions.

“The Little Mermaid” has debuted with Halle Bailey playing the titular character, Ariel. Culture reporter Helena Andrews-Dyer shares why this movie matters to Black girls, especially, and what Disney is doing with its successful intellectual property.

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The Washington Post’s culture reporter Helena Andrews-Dyer happens to be a mom of two Black children. That’s part of the reason she was so excited to see “The Little Mermaid,” which debuted recently.

But in today’s episode of “Post Reports,” there’s more to unpack about the live-action remake than just how it’s creating a moment for Black representation. Andrews-Dyer and host Elahe Izadi discuss why Disney is, once again, reusing a successful intellectual property.

The duo also comes to terms with some of the less-than-progressive statements that the animated version of “The Little Mermaid” has made in the past, and how Disney is trying to right its wrongs.

You can also read Post film critic Ann Hornaday’s three-star review of the movie here.

The author of a new biography about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. unravels the story of how one fabricated quote perpetuated a story that King and fellow civil rights leader Malcolm X were antagonists. 

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When author Jonathan Eig was doing research for his new biography about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., he was digging through archives and libraries, trying to find information about the historic civil rights leader. One day, he was reading the full, unedited transcript of an interview between journalist Alex Haley and King. Eig was familiar with the published version of that interview, which appeared in a 1965 issue of Playboy. But as Eig read the unedited transcript, he was shocked. Haley had taken King’s words out of context and completely fabricated a quote that criticized fellow civil rights leader Malcolm X.

Today, Eig breaks down how this quote fueled the public perception that the two leaders were adversaries and explains the truth behind King and Malcolm X’s relationship. 

As the 2024 campaign season approaches, an early favorite to clinch the Republican nomination for president, Ron DeSantis, is starting to lose his shine, just as he is about to officially enter the race.

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The 44-year-old governor of Florida became a national name by defending former president Donald Trump. But now they are in a power struggle. 

DeSantis plans to announce that he is running for president during a Twitter Spaces discussion with Elon Musk Wednesday evening. But the past few months have been challenging for the soon-to-be candidate. Trump has gone on the offensive, attacking DeSantis’s record, and donors are getting nervous. His support of a six-week abortion ban and a feud with Disney are also raising questions about his electability. 

Reporter Hannah Knowles discusses what we know about Gov. Ron DeSantis, his policies and his political strategy as he enters the race to become president.

Across the life span, the risk of death is higher for men and boys than women and girls. The longevity gap is the greatest it’s been in years. It’s a health crisis that’s largely silent because men are largely silent about their health. 

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The crisis in men’s health goes beyond men not going to the doctor enough. Men are dying, on average, nearly six years sooner than women — and the numbers for men of color are even worse. 

Tara Parker-Pope is the editor of The Post’s “Well+Being” section. She joins guest host Chris Velazco to talk about why men are dying sooner than women, and what we can do about it.

Ever since the 2020 election, Arizona election official Bill Gates has struggled with PTSD. He’s one of many election workers who are still coping with the barrage of death threats and harassment they endured in the wake of former president Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the election. 

As the country braces for another presidential election cycle, in which Trump is the Republican front-runner, Gates is coming forward with his story about the psychological toll disinformation about the last election has taken on him and other elections officials. 

Reporter Yvonne Wingett-Sanchez joins us to explain. 

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• Arizona official targeted by election deniers now struggles with PTSD

Today, a story about the uncharted legal territory of a new abortion law, and the consequences for families and doctors who end up in the middle.

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Nobody expected Baby Milo to live a long time. The unusual complications in his mother’s pregnancy tested the interpretation of Florida’s new abortion law. 

Earlier this year, Washington Post reporter Frances Stead Sellers shared the story of Deborah Dorbert, a woman who was carrying a pregnancy to term after being denied an abortion, despite the fetus having a rare fatal condition. Florida’s abortion ban includes an exception for fatal fetal abnormalities, but her doctors told her they could not act as long as the baby’s heart was beating.

While that story went viral around the world, Debbie continued to do the best she could to prepare for delivering a child that wouldn’t survive even a few hours.

Debbie and her husband Lee named their baby Milo. He lived for 99 minutes. 

A Title 42 border policy has expired. The public health measure allowed the U.S. to turn away many migrants and asylum seekers at the border because of the pandemic. But what does the end of the policy mean for migrants now?

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For many migrants hoping to enter the United States, a Title 42 border policy was a big boundary. It was a Donald Trump-era pandemic policy that made it easier for the administration to turn away migrants at the border. The policy expired May 11.

On today’s “Post Reports,” immigration reporters Arelis Hernández and Nick Miroff talk about people at the border waiting to cross and the promises President Biden made that have soured.

Today on “Post Reports,” what could happen if the United States government fails to raise the debt limit by the deadline.

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Yesterday, President Biden met with congressional leadership to talk about the “X date”; that’s the date after which the Treasury projects the U.S. government would no longer be able to pay its bills. The “X date” is June 1, and if a deal isn’t struck by then, the United States would default on its debt.

If the United States were to default, that could mean a variety of catastrophic economic consequences: millions of federal workers furloughed; Social Security and Medicare payments suspended; a stock market collapse; an economic recession.

White House economics reporter Jeff Stein explains these “doomsday” scenarios and breaks down what could happen to the U.S. economy, and even the global economy, if a deal isn’t reached.

The Discord leaks keep sending shockwaves globally. This week, the slow drip of intelligence has the world’s attention on Ukraine and the Wagner Group. Also, we’ll learn more about Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old allegedly behind the leaks.

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While fighting for Russia in occupied Ukraine, the Wagner Group has taken heavy losses in the devastated city of Bakhmut. According to U.S. intelligence leaked on Discord, the mercenary army’s head, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, appeared to offer Ukrainian intelligence a deal: Withdraw from Bakhmut and we’ll tell you the position of Russian forces. 

National security reporter Shane Harris explains how the leaks have affected the Ukraine war, and he brings us his latest reporting on Jack Teixeira, the accused leaker, and his disturbing behavior, both on and offline.