Post Reports
The Washington Post
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Top 10 Post Reports Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Post Reports episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Post Reports for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Post Reports episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
The carpet cleaner who speaks 24 languages
Post Reports
04/29/22 • 40 min
Today on “Post Reports,” we meet a carpet cleaner who speaks two dozen languages — and we have an update on what’s happened to him since this story was first published in print.
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In a city where diplomats and embassies abound, where interpreters can command six-figure salaries at the State Department or the International Monetary Fund, where language proficiency is résumé rocket fuel, Vaughn Smith was a savant with a secret.
He speaks 24 languages well enough to carry on lengthy conversations — and has basic understanding of more than a dozen others — and yet he works as a carpet cleaner.
Today on Post Reports, enterprise reporter Jessica Contrera and audio producer Bishop Sand bring us the remarkable story of a hyperpolyglot with a special brain and a history that has kept him a secret for so long. We also have an update about how his life has started to change since Jessica’s story was first published.
Plus, one more thing: Thanks to your support, we won the 2022 People’s Voice Webby for business podcasts! The winning episode is “A tax haven in America’s heartland.”
9 Listeners
1 Comment
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Beyoncé goes country
Post Reports
03/31/24 • 34 min
On Friday, Beyoncé dropped “Cowboy Carter,” her highly anticipated salute to country music. The album sparked new conversations about the forces that define country music and about whether Beyoncé’s turn to country could reshape the industry.
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Beyoncé’s turn to country came from her personal experience of not feeling welcome at the 2016 CMA Awards. Beyoncé’s album, “Cowboy Carter,” has reignited conversations about what country music is, who gets to define the country genre, and if this move for Beyoncé helps to shape and expand the country genre for other Black artists.
In this episode of “Post Reports,” we talk to Black country artist Rissi Palmer about her experience in the country music industry, the forces that define country music and what Beyoncé’s country music moment means for Black country artists.
Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan and Taylor White with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Sean Carter.
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7 Listeners
The YOLO economy paradox
Post Reports
09/09/21 • 21 min
6 Listeners
How a neuroscientist beats winter depression
Post Reports
12/08/23 • 17 min
Each year, millions of people experience seasonal affective disorder or SAD. Today we talk to neuroscientist-turned-journalist Richard Sima about how to get ready for the change in season and beat the winter depression.
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Susceptible people — an estimated 5 percent of Americans — already are feeling the effects of winter SAD: lower moods, lethargy and excessive sleep. Today on “Post Reports,” we talk about strategies that can help you cope.
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6 Listeners
A secret campaign against TikTok
Post Reports
04/05/22 • 25 min
How Facebook’s parent company Meta paid one of the biggest Republican consulting firms in the country to orchestrate a nationwide PR campaign against TikTok. And, where we stand with booster shots and covid antivirals.
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Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is paying the Republican consulting group Targeted Victory to try to turn the American public against TikTok. They’ve done everything from placing op-eds in major regional news outlets to promoting dubious stories about alleged TikTok trends that are harming kids. Drew Harwell reports on why Facebook is targeting TikTok.
And, an update from science reporter Carolyn Johnson on efforts to get another booster to older adults and expand access to covid antiviral medicines.
6 Listeners
Can RFK Jr. make America healthy again?
Post Reports
11/25/24 • 26 min
Today on “Post Reports,” we unpack President-elect Donald Trump’s seemingly contradictory picks for the top positions in public health – in particular, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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Public health experts have been alarmed by the idea that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, could be running the Department of Health and Human Services. But some of his other positions – like getting ultraprocessed foods out of school lunch and leaving abortion decisions up to women and their doctors – sound like liberal talking points.
Today, Martine unpacks his beliefs with accountability reporter Lauren Weber, who covers the forces behind medical misinformation for The Post. They talk about how likely it is that RFK Jr. and Trump’s other health picks could be confirmed, and what power they could have over American public health.
Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Maggie Penman with help from Reena Flores. It was mixed by Justin Gerrish.
Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
And build your ultimate Thanksgiving menu with our holiday meal planner here.
6 Listeners
1 Comment
1
How the 1984 Olympics saved the Games
Post Reports
07/18/24 • 45 min
In the early 1980s, the Olympic Games were on the verge of dying out. After a string of disasters, the Games had become unaffordable, politically fraught, and faced serious security concerns. Then came the spectacular 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles that reinvented the way the Olympics were run.
Guest host Ted Muldoon sits down with Les Carpenter, who covers the Olympics for The Post. They break down what changed in the 1984 Games and explore if 2024 could be another turning point.
Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Renita Jablonski. Thanks to Matt Rennie.
Audio of the 1984 Olympic events courtesy of the ABC Sports Collection, managed by ESPN. Additional audio courtesy of AT&T Archives and History Center, RunnerSpace.com and Rocky Mountain PBS.
Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
6 Listeners
Amazon, can I have my name back?
Post Reports
12/27/21 • 20 min
Amazon's use of Alexa as a wake word for its voice assistant turned the name into a command, impacting daily interactions for people with the name – including The Washington Post’s own Alexa Juliana Ard.
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Nearly 130,000 people in the United States have the name Alexa. It gained popularity after singer Billy Joel and model Christie Brinkley named their daughter Alexa in 1985. In 2015, more than 6,000 baby girls in the United States were named Alexa, according to a Washington Post analysis of Social Security Administration data.
After Amazon chose Alexa as the wake word of its voice service, the name’s popularity plummeted. In 2020, only about 1,300 babies were given the name. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)
Post video editor Alexa Juliana Ard reports on the impact of Amazon’s choice on Alexas - including her.
Watch Alexa’s video about Alexa Jade Morales. She was named after her father, Alexis Morales Jr., who was murdered on Oct. 1, 1992, just three and a half months before she was born. When Amazon made the name Alexa a wake word for its voice service, she experienced people treating her like the bot.
Right now you can get the best deal we’ve ever offered on a subscription to The Washington Post – a year for just $9.99. Go to washingtonpost.com/subscribe.
5 Listeners
1 Comment
1
The Campaign Moment: The Elon Musk effect
Post Reports
10/25/24 • 36 min
Over the past few months, Elon Musk has heavily invested in the Trump campaign. Musk is hosting rallies in swing states, giving out million-dollar checks to registered voters in those states and organizing canvassers. Billionaires donating to presidential campaigns is nothing new, but Musk is putting much more than money into the race.
Elahe Izadi speaks with technology reporter Trisha Thadani and national political reporter Michael Scherer about Musk’s political influence.
Today’s show was produced by Eliza Dennis and Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair.
The Campaign Moment newsletter is here.
Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
5 Listeners
The fall of Alex Jones and his conspiracy empire
Post Reports
06/24/24 • 25 min
Soon after the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, in which 20 children and six adults were murdered, Infowars’ Alex Jones began to push the false idea that the tragedy was a hoax perpetrated by the U.S. government to promote gun restrictions. So a group of parents decided to sue Jones for defamation, and in 2022 they were awarded a $1.5 billion settlement.
This month, a bankruptcy judge ordered Jones to liquidate some of his personal assets to help cover the judgment. Jones was allowed to keep his controlling stake in the Infowars conspiracy site for now, but the site could be shut down within a matter of months.
Elahe Izadi sits down with media reporter Will Sommer to talk about Jones’s fall and what it could mean for the future of the misinformation landscape.
Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter.
Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
5 Listeners
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FAQ
How many episodes does Post Reports have?
Post Reports currently has 1628 episodes available.
What topics does Post Reports cover?
The podcast is about News, Daily News, Podcasts and Politics.
What is the most popular episode on Post Reports?
The episode title 'The carpet cleaner who speaks 24 languages' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Post Reports?
The average episode length on Post Reports is 26 minutes.
How often are episodes of Post Reports released?
Episodes of Post Reports are typically released every day.
When was the first episode of Post Reports?
The first episode of Post Reports was released on Nov 28, 2018.
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@austinboyer25
Jun 12
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