Post Reports

They needed 10 Republicans. Today on Post Reports, we take you inside the efforts of a small bipartisan group of senators – and how it gathered enough GOP support to pass same-sex marriage protections in a divided Congress. 

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Back in July, after this year’s first attempts to codify protections for same-sex marriage in Congress, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) had a revelation.

“I remember the day that happened,” Baldwin told Liz Goodwin, congressional reporter for The Post. . She recalled going to a small group of colleagues after the measure passed the House with substantial Republican support.. “I went immediately to Rob Portman, Thom Tillis. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski. 47! 47 [House] Republicans supported this. We could do this.”

On Tuesday, Baldwin’s hopes were realized: In a bipartisan effort, the Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act. The bill codifies federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, protecting couples’ rights if the Supreme Court were to ever reverse key decisions. Every present Senate Democrat and 12 Republicans voted for the bill, a landmark moment that shows how quickly public opinion has changed on the issue. The amended bill now heads to the House, where it’s expected to pass and land on President Biden’s desk. 

On today’s episode, Congress reporter Liz Goodwin details how a bipartisan group of senators slowly but surely gathered support for the Respect for Marriage Act - and what Tuesday’s vote means for the future of LGBTQ rights.

November wasn’t a great month for Donald Trump. The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for a congressional committee to examine the former president’s tax returns, ending a legal battle that has consumed Congress and the courts for years.

Meanwhile, a special counsel appointed by the Justice Department has been tasked with investigating Trump’s role in efforts to undo the results of the 2020 election, as well as possible mishandling of classified documents recovered from his Mar-a-Lago home. There are also ongoing probes against him in New York and a pending criminal investigation in Georgia. 

Devlin Barrett, a reporter covering the FBI and Justice Department, runs through the status of key investigations involving the former president as well as when we could see results in any of these pending cases.  

For the first time in decades, massive protests broke out in cities across China. Today on “Post Reports” — what's behind the protests and what they mean for the future of China’s leadership. 

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Protests erupted throughout China this weekend over the country’s “zero covid” policy, which has led the government to implement strict lockdown and testing measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 

The protests were triggered by a botched response to a deadly fire in Urumqi, a city in the northwest of China. Ten people died after emergency responders couldn’t get close enough to the apartment building, and protesters blame lockdown-related measures for interfering with rescue efforts.

But the protests have grown to wider criticisms of the Chinese government, including calls for President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party to step down. The treatment of Uyghurs by the state has also become a rallying cry for demonstrators. Lily Kuo, The Post’s China bureau chief, has been covering the protests. She breaks down why these protests are significant and what they could mean for the future of China’s leadership. 

The years of one-day deals and long lines the day after Thanksgiving are over. Black Friday is now more than a month long. We break down what’s changed and why. 

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Retail reporter Jaclyn Peiser discusses how last year’s supply chain issues and delayed inventory are a win for consumers, how people are shopping despite inflation, and she outlines her holiday shopping survival guide.  

And as a bonus – we give you a taste of Alexandra Petri’s column, ”The 9 best Thanksgiving songs I definitely didn’t just make up.” Trust us, you’ll want to listen. 

The Post is running a Black Friday all-access digital subscription deal. For just $0.99 for four weeks, that will cover you for your first 12 weeks. You’ll get our groundbreaking interactive stories, the most in-depth breaking news, our fantastic Well+Being and Climate coverage and so much more.

A guide for when and how to give your kid a smartphone. Heather Kelly polled the experts, and there’s a lot we can all learn from their advice – whether we have kids or not. Plus, we dive into the reported benefits of “brown noise.”

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A guide to giving your child their first phone. Children are getting smartphones younger than ever. Make sure you’re all prepared.

Even older adults struggle with screen time. Here's how to help them put down their phones and be more present.

Listening to “brown noise” has become a popular solution for people who have trouble focusing, and in particular for people who have ADHD. Disability reporter Amanda Morris explains what this soothing sound is and why it helps.

The Post is running a Black Friday all-access digital subscription deal. For just $0.99 for four weeks, that will cover you for your first 12 weeks. You’ll get our groundbreaking interactive stories, the most in-depth breaking news, our fantastic Well+Being and Climate coverage and so much more.

Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she would step down from Democratic leadership. Today on the show, we discuss Pelosi’s legacy and the new era of Democrats in line to take her place.

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Nancy Pelosi has spent 35 years in Congress. Last week, she stepped down as speaker of the House, ending her historic tenure as the first woman to serve as speaker. “She has been an incredibly powerful figure that has ruled the House of Representatives in this sort of iron-fisted way that is the stuff of legends,” says Paul Kane, The Post’s senior congressional correspondent. On today’s episode, we talk to Kane about Pelosi’s rise to power, the highlights of her career, and what the future holds for the new era of Democrats looking to take over leadership positions. 

The Post is running a Black Friday all-access digital subscription deal. For just $0.99 for four weeks, that will cover you for your first 12 weeks. You’ll get our groundbreaking interactive stories, the most in-depth breaking news, our fantastic Well + Being and Climate coverage and so much more.

The 2022 World Cup starts this weekend in Qatar, and it is already marked by controversy. Today on “Post Reports,” the geopolitical stakes of this year’s World Cup, and a preview of the most exciting players and teams to watch in Doha. 

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World Cup organizers said Friday that they were abandoning plans to sell beer around match stadiums. 

Qatar, a conservative Muslim country, strictly limits the sale of alcohol and bans its consumption in public places. It had made exceptions to those rules for the World Cup, but suddenly reversed course on Friday.

Whether or not fans can have a beer at a game may not seem like a big deal - but some worry about what this signals about other laws and cultural norms that had been expected to be suspended for the World Cup, around protests, press freedoms and LGBTQ rights. 

“This is a World Cup that is defined by the controversy around it in many ways,” Ishaan Tharoor told our producer Arjun Singh. There were unexplained deaths of thousands of migrant workers during Qatar’s preparation for the tournament, and their families are still looking for answers. 

“The World Cup is never just about the World Cup,” Ishaan explained. 

To read more from Ishaan, sign up for his newsletter, Today’s WorldView.

Plus, we go to Chuck Culpepper, who is on the ground in Doha reporting on the tournament. He lays out what teams and players to watch in the coming weeks, and why the biggest strength of Team USA might be its biggest weakness.

Today on Post Reports, we hear from a journalist on the ground in Haiti about the country’s growing humanitarian crisis, and what can be done about it.

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Natural disasters and political turmoil have plagued Haiti for decades. But last year, the country reached a tipping point: President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated and the country was hit by another deadly earthquake. Capitalizing on the situation, gangs have overrun many parts of the country, frequently kidnapping and killing people and stopping the flow of critical goods. A lack of access to clean water has caused cholera to make a comeback, sickening thousands of people and killing over 100 so far. Journalist Widlore Mérancourt describes what people there are experiencing and whether international intervention in Haiti would be a plausible solution – given the country’s already fraught history with it.

Tuesday night, Former president Donald Trump announced his fourth bid for the White House in 2024. The announcement comes just a week after voters decidedly rejected the candidates he backed in the midterm elections. 

Trump has taken the brunt of the criticism from his fellow Republicans who aren’t sold on having him represent the party again, with potential rivals already planning to challenge Trump for the nomination.

National political reporter Isaac Arnsdorf recaps last night’s announcement and outlines the potential obstacles, both legal and political, on Trump’s 2024 road to the White House.  

Subscribe to The Post’s new morning news podcast, “The 7,” on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. 

In a post-Roe America, tens of thousands of people without access to legal abortions are turning to a new covert network to get abortion pills. Today on Post Reports, we trace the network’s surprising supply chain and look at the precarious position of those participating in it.

When the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June, abortion bans instantly took effect in large swaths of the United States, prompting people around the country to seek alternatives amid new legal and medical risks. Many are now turning to an emerging covert network of DIY distributors who are supplying free abortion pills from Mexico to people in the United States. 

On today’s episode, national political reporter Caroline Kitchener introduces us to these distributors, their source, and what happens when one woman, desperate to terminate her pregnancy, takes this route. 

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Caroline Kitchener reports on this expanding covert network providing pills for thousands of abortions in U.S.

See where abortion laws have changed in the U.S. and which states now ban the practice.

Abortion rights advocates scored major victories across the U.S. in midterm elections this month.

And subscribe to The Post’s new morning news podcast, “The 7,” on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.