Post Reports

Greg Miller, an investigative reporter for The Washington Post, unveils the hidden financial life of King Abdullah II of Jordan. They discuss how the monarch spent millions on lavish U.S. properties while Jordan struggled economically. Miller highlights the startling contrast between the king's wealth and the country's plight, revealing insights from the Pandora Papers. The podcast also explores the implications of foreign aid dependency and the complexities of royal wealth, as well as the tensions within the Jordanian royal family.

Debbie Cenziper, an investigative reporter known for her work on the Pandora Papers, joins producer Ted Muldoon to expose how South Dakota has transformed into a tax haven. They reveal the dark side of the American trust industry, where secrecy allows wealthy individuals to evade accountability while obscuring their assets. The conversation highlights human rights abuses faced by laborers in the Dominican Republic and challenges the ethics of U.S. financial practices that benefit a few at the expense of many. Tune in for a compelling look at economic disparity and corporate responsibility.

Ashley Fetters Maloy, a dedicated reporter for The Washington Post, shines a light on the troubling role of wellness influencers in spreading anti-vaccine misinformation. She exposes how these influencers blend serene imagery with alarming vaccine safety claims, fueling skepticism and prolonging the pandemic. The discussion covers the historical ties between vaccine hesitancy and holistic health, as well as the struggles social media faces in moderating misleading content. The podcast highlights the urgent need for effective strategies to challenge entrenched beliefs in this complex conversation.

This week, the Fish and Wildlife Service proposed taking 23 animals and plants off the endangered-species list — because none can be found in the wild. What this tells us about climate change, and things to come.Read more:The ivory-billed woodpecker is officially extinct, along with 22 other species of plants and animals. “Just having to write those words was quite difficult,” Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Amy Trahan told climate reporter Dino Grandoni, choking up. “It took me a while.”The woodpecker was known as the “Lord God Bird” because it was supposedly so beautiful that anyone who saw it would blurt out the Lord’s name. Grandoni said that some scientists think the Endangered Species Act came too late to save a lot of animals. But maybe not all hope is lost. “My inbox today, after publishing the story online, is full of photos from amateur photographers in their backyards of woodpeckers, asking me if this is the bird that people are saying has gone extinct,” Grandoni said. “This might spur some interest in people going on and understanding the birds and other animals that are still with us.”

Alex Horton, a military reporter for The Washington Post, dives into the turbulent fallout of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He discusses the intense scrutiny military leaders are facing as Congress seeks accountability for their decisions. Horton highlights the flawed intelligence behind a tragic drone strike and explores the contradictions in governmental strategies. He also reflects on the disconnect between military objectives and the stark realities on the ground, underscoring the urgent need for leadership reform.

For years, allegations that R. Kelly was abusing young women and girls swirled. This week, the singer was found guilty of sex trafficking in federal court. But not all child sex-trafficking victims get justice — instead, many of them are arrested.Read more:Jessica Contrera has done a lot of reporting on child sex trafficking in the United States. When she saw the R. Kelly verdict this week, the cases of hundreds of other sex-trafficked children came to mind. “People were finally praising and recognizing these Black girls who came forward again and again and went through the grueling process of what it takes to testify in a case like this, and thanking them for coming forward and for their bravery,” Contrera says. “But it’s important to remember the context that Black girls who are sex-trafficking victims are also the most likely to be treated as criminals for being sold for sex.”Every year, Contrera says, dozens of teenagers are locked up despite being victims of a crime. In Las Vegas, Contrera went on a ride-along with a vice unit as it arrested child sex-trafficking victims, and she reports on what it was like for these youths to be sent to detention centers rather than given help.

Shane Harris, an Intelligence reporter for The Washington Post known for his expertise on Havana Syndrome, delves into this enigmatic illness impacting U.S. officials globally. He discusses alarming symptoms like headaches and memory loss, which emerged in 2016 among embassy staff. Harris explores theories of foreign attacks possibly involving sonic or microwave weapons and the national security implications. He also highlights the ongoing struggle for accountability and the risks posed to civilians in relation to these mysterious energy attacks.

Connie Walker, an investigative reporter and host of the true crime podcast "Stolen: The Search for Jermaine," dives into the media frenzy surrounding Gabby Petito's case. She highlights how social media platforms magnified this coverage and contrasts it with the alarming neglect of missing Indigenous women. Walker tackles the systemic racism in media narratives and calls for better representation of marginalized victims. The discussion sheds light on the dire need for inclusive storytelling, elevating voices often left in the shadows.

Tony Romm, Congressional economic policy reporter for The Washington Post, dives into the looming financial crisis facing the U.S. government. He explains the critical nature of the debt ceiling and what happens if Congress fails to act. The discussion covers the intense political standoff between Democrats and Republicans, the potential fallout of a government shutdown, and the impact on federal workers and essential services. With a ticking clock, Tony reveals the stakes of these high-stakes negotiations on ordinary Americans.

Thousands of mostly Haitian migrants are crossing into the U.S. from the southwest border of Texas. When they arrive, they face rough territory: hostile law enforcement, mass airlifts for deportations, and a squalid, overcrowded migrant camp in the U.S.Read more:Crossing the Rio Grande into Texas as a Haitian migrant is a treacherous journey. That became apparent after images came out of U.S. Border Patrol agents using whips and horses to police the border.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also made it clear that there will be law and order conditions where agents are seeing an influx of travelers. This also comes at a time when the Biden administration has begun deporting Haitian nationals in droves.Arelis R. Hernández covers the southern U.S. border for The Post. She reports from the Rio Grande, giving a glimpse into what life is like on the border and explaining the Trump-era policy under which mass expulsions are taking place.To learn more about Title 42, the public health order that President Biden has kept in place to expel migrants out of the United States, listen to “Marooned in Matamoros,” a two-part documentary series from Hernández and Post Reports editor Ted Muldoon. It’s about a woman’s treacherous journey from El Salvador to the Matamoros encampment in Mexico.