Post Reports

Today on Post Reports, a guide to the judges being considered to fill Justice Stephen Breyer’s Supreme Court seat and make history as the first Black woman on the court. Plus, two Washington Post politics experts talk … figure skating. Read more:After Justice Stephen G. Breyer announced his plan to retire at the end of the Supreme Court’s current term, all eyes turned to President Biden, who now has the chance to bolster the court’s liberal minority and deliver on a major campaign promise: to nominate the first Black female justice. On today’s Post Reports, White House reporter Seung Min Kim runs through the professional backgrounds and legal philosophies of three of the judges under consideration – Ketanji Brown Jackson, Leondra Kruger and J. Michelle Childs – and the challenges they could face if nominated. And later in the episode, non-sports-reporters Phil Rucker and Robert Samuels join Maggie Penman to talk about … Olympic figure skating. 

Economics correspondent Abha Bhattarai dives into the skyrocketing rent prices across the U.S., where some areas have seen increases over 30%. She highlights the severe impact on lower-income tenants, forcing many to relocate or face homelessness. The conversation explores the intricate link between rising rents and inflation, alongside personal stories of financial strain. Abha also discusses the growing burden of additional fees post-pandemic and offers strategies for tenants to negotiate rent hikes amid challenging market dynamics.

What a brazen Islamic State prison break reveals about the strength of the terrorist group. Plus, amid uncertainty over the future of Roe v. Wade, Vermont moves to enshrine access to abortion in the state’s constitution. Read more:The world forgot this Syrian prison. The Islamic State did not. Baghdad bureau chief Louisa Loveluck was recently in Syria reporting on the fallout from a brazen ISIS attack, and what it revealed about the enduring strength of the group.Politics reporter Caroline Kitchener reports on abortion for The Post. She explains the latest moves by state legislatures to either protect — or restrict — access to abortion as the Supreme Court considers a decision that could limit or even overturn Roe v. Wade.

Explore the fascinating choice of Eileen Gu, a talented skier who decided to represent China in the Olympics, revealing the complexities of national identity and cultural tensions. Delve into the unique pressures athletes face at such a high-stakes event amid geopolitical controversies. Additionally, gain insight into the working conditions on Capitol Hill through an anonymous Instagram account that sheds light on the struggles faced by congressional staffers, sparking conversations about workplace dynamics and unionization efforts.

As Russia appears to prepare for a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States and NATO allies scramble to find a diplomatic resolution.Read more:Russia is close to completing preparations for what appears to be a large-scale invasion of Ukraine that could lead to 50,000 civilian casualties and a humanitarian crisis with millions of refugees fleeing the chaos, according to U.S. military and intelligence assessments. Intelligence reporter Shane Harris breaks down how the diplomatic efforts to de-escalate on the border are going –– and where the skepticism of all sides in the conflict comes from.

Kevin Sieff, Mexico City bureau chief for The Washington Post, sheds light on the deep scars left by family separation at the U.S.-Mexico border. He shares the heartbreaking story of Maria and her daughter Adelaida, who endured four years apart due to immigration policies. Their reunion is fraught with emotional challenges, as Sieff reveals the ongoing trauma faced by families trying to rebuild their relationships. The discussion highlights the complex interplay of personal suffering and flawed immigration systems, shedding light on a pressing social issue.

Three police officers are on trial in Minnesota for their role in George Floyd’s murder. The case centers on their “duty to intervene” in the actions of Derek Chauvin. But some are asking: How do you teach cops to stand up to other cops? Read more:Former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas K. Lane and Tou Thao are facing trial on federal charges that they deprived George Floyd of his federal civil rights in the fatal May 2020 arrest. Reporter Holly Bailey has been reporting on the courtroom proceedings — a process that’s played out much differently than in Chauvin’s trial. “It feels like we're really going to get deep into what police officers in Minneapolis are trained to do, and how exactly they are trained,” Bailey says.In the aftermath of Floyd’s death and Chauvin’s conviction, police departments around the country have been seeking out training in “bystander intervention” — teaching police officers how to speak up when their colleagues are doing something harmful. “For decades and decades, we've been teaching police officers about intervention, but we've been doing it really badly,” says Jonathan Aronie of the Sheppard Mullin law firm, the co-founder of the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement Project. “All we do is we give them a PowerPoint and we say, ‘Thou shall intervene,’ as though it's easy. And we've never, ever taught the skills of intervention.”

For many parents of young kids, the news that Pfizer and BioNTech are seeking emergency-use authorization for a coronavirus vaccine for children younger than 5 couldn’t have come soon enough. What we know — and don’t know — at this point in the process. Read more:Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that coronavirus vaccines for children younger than 5 could be available far sooner than expected — perhaps by the end of February — under a plan that would lead to the potential authorization of a two-shot regimen in the coming weeks.There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the regulatory strategy here, says science reporter Carolyn Y. Johnson. But for parents of young children, this news may feel like a light at the end of the tunnel.

Today on Post Reports, we talk about corporate responsibility — at the Olympics, and in the C-suite. Plus, Wordle gets bought out. Read more:The U.S. government may be boycotting the Olympics, but American corporate sponsors aren’t. Global business reporter Jeanne Whalen says, “China is the world's second biggest economy, and for many of these companies, it is one of their biggest markets.” We break down what that means for the diplomatic boycott and its impact. A Washington Post review of America's most valuable public companies reveals that Black employees still represent a strikingly small number of top executives — and that the people tapped to boost inclusion often struggle to do so. Business reporter Tracy Jan explains why. Plus, one more thing about Wordle — and why the popular online word game being bought by the New York Times feels like the end of an era. Have federal student loans? Tell us what you’ve done since the payment freeze. The Washington Post is covering the freeze on federal student loan payments, which was first imposed in March 2020 because of the pandemic. We'd like to hear from borrowers on how the freeze has impacted them.

The legacy of “truth in sentencing” politics in Maryland, where the vast majority of people serving life sentences are Black, and how a new law could alter what it means to serve life in prison.Read more:Politics have shaped the parole process in Maryland for decades. In the heat of a tough-on-crime campaign in the 1990s, the state’s governor said that he would reject parole for anyone serving a life sentence, even when parole commissioners had recommended release. This policy, maintained by his successors from both parties, has left hundreds of prisoners with parole-eligible sentences to grow old and die in prison.This changed in December when state legislators voted to push the governor out of the parole process. Rebecca Tan reports on the policy’s impact and what this change could mean for similar efforts across the country.