• The antisemitism task force carrying out Trump’s anti-DEI agenda
    Jul 23 2025

    For years, conservatives have criticized American universities for being too woke, too liberal, and too focused on DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. These critiques were reignited when students on college campuses around the nation began holding pro-Palestinian protests as a response to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. Under both the Biden and Trump administrations, these protests prompted concerns over increased antisemitic sentiments.

    Now, under the Trump administration, an internal government group, the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, has been created to address these concerns. Supporters of the task force say that it will help protect Jewish students and make campuses safer for them. Opponents say antisemitism is just a pretext used for pushing a more conservative agenda on U.S. universities.

    Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with education reporter Laura Meckler about The Post’s investigation into the Trump administration’s Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, and how this group could fundamentally change the way universities are run in the United States.

    Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson with help from Thomas Lu. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter.

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    25 mins
  • Congress cut public media funding. Now what?
    Jul 22 2025

    KYUK is the oldest Native American-owned radio station in the country. It broadcasts morning newscasts in both English and Yup'ik, the local Indigenous language, to 56 remote communities in Southwest Alaska. When there’s a weather emergency or even just a local basketball game, these communities turn to KYUK for information. But soon, that could all change.

    Late last week, Congress passed a rescissions bill that claws back the money set aside for public broadcasting for the next two years. For KYUK, this money represents close to 70 percent of its entire budget. Without it, the station could go dark.

    Host Elahe Izadi speaks with KYUK’s interim general manager, Kristin Hall, about what the loss of public media funding could mean for her community. Later, Elahe speaks with media reporter Scott Nover about how after decades of talking about defunding public media, Republicans finally made it happen.

    Today’s episode was produced by Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sam Bair.


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    25 mins
  • Was he given up for adoption? Or was he taken?
    Jul 21 2025

    Over the weekend, South Korea announced it would end private adoptions in the country. This comes after an investigation found human rights abuses by international adoption agencies. Some babies had been taken without their birth parents’ knowledge or consent. Records were falsified. Identities were swapped. Babies were stolen.





    Host Elahe Izadi speaks with Seoul-based reporter Kelly Kasulis Cho about how adoption fraud occurred for decades in South Korea. We also hear from a man who is now on a quest to find his biological family.


    Today’s show was produced by Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Sam Bair. Thanks to Bart Schaneman.


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    25 mins
  • Does Vogue still matter?
    Jul 19 2025

    At the height of its influence, American Vogue set the standard for taste and fashion. Now, after nearly 40 years at its helm, Editor in Chief Anna Wintour is stepping down.


    This announcement coincides with a fast-changing media landscape in which glossy magazines and top editors may no longer be the go-to source for fashion trends and inspiration.


    Today on “Post Reports” fashion critic Rachel Tashjian chats with Colby Itkowitz about Wintour’s influence and whether fashion tastemakers still work at traditional magazines.


    Today’s show was produced by Thomas Lu. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Sean Carter.


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    21 mins
  • How Trump’s Epstein woes nearly derailed his spending cuts
    Jul 18 2025

    Congress passed a rescissions package early Friday. The package formally withdraws funding for foreign aid, as well as for public television and radio stations. But debate stretched into the night on Thursday, as unrest over the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case continued to roil the GOP.

    While the bill passed along largely partisan lines, the saga illustrates the heat some Republicans are facing after the recent Justice Department decision to withhold the “Epstein files” from the public. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Post congressional reporters Liz Goodwin and Marianna Sotomayor about the controversy over the rescissions package and why the Epstein scandal remains a sticking point for lawmakers.

    Today’s show was produced by Arjun Singh. It was edited by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sean Carter.

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    23 mins
  • What happened at Camp Mystic
    Jul 17 2025

    Since the devastating flooding over the Fourth of July weekend in Texas, Washington Post journalists have been piecing together what went wrong at Camp Mystic.

    The floods were especially deadly for the camp, and our colleagues found that many of the things that made the Christian girls camp beloved for generations also made it vulnerable.

    The camp sits at the confluence of the South Fork Guadalupe River and Cypress Creek. Many of its cabins were built in high-risk flood zones. In 2013, the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved appeals from Camp Mystic to exempt several structures from a flood zone designation, according to federal records.

    Today on “Post Reports,” correspondent Annie Gowen talks us through what we know about what happened at Camp Mystic.

    Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was mixed by Sam Bair. It was edited by Maggie Penman.

    Read more about the victims here.

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    21 mins
  • Trump's grudge against the Fed's Jerome Powell
    Jul 16 2025

    Firing Jerome Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, has long been on President Donald Trump’s wish list. Despite nominating Powell to run the country’s central bank in his first term, Trump might be gearing up to fire Powell at any moment.


    Ousting Powell could add to an already precarious economic situation, fueled in part by Trump’s large cuts to the federal workforce and threat of tariffs against major trading partners.


    Today on “Post Reports,” host Colby Itkowitz sits down with reporter Andrew Ackerman, who covers the Federal Reserve, financial regulation and consumer financial protection for The Post.


    Today’s episode was produced by Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval and edited by Reena Flores. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Jen Liberto.


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    22 mins
  • Trump’s “Epstein files” problem
    Jul 15 2025

    Jeffrey Epstein, a well-connected financier, was found dead in his jail cell in 2019 following his arrest on child sex-trafficking charges.

    The circumstances around his death, which was ruled a suicide by hanging, and crimes have spurred fringe conspiracy theories, mostly on the far right. Some believe Epstein was actually killed as part of a cover-up; they also believe the “deep state” is hiding information about Epstein’s rich and powerful friends, who they say could also be implicated on sex trafficking charges

    Trump did nothing to tamp down his base’s Epstein fixation during his reelection campaign. He even hinted he might release secret government documents that his supporters hoped would validate their conspiracy theories. But the Department of Justice said recently that there’s nothing more to reveal.

    Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with White House reporter Natalie Allison about how Trump’s conflicting messages about Epstein are unsettling his base and causing strife within his administration.

    Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and Thomas Lu. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick with help from Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair.

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    26 mins