Post Reports

How civilian oversight is undermined by politicians and police. And how economic inequality has worsened the pandemic in Venezuela.Read more:Civilian oversight agencies are touted as ways that ordinary citizens can hold police accountable. But an investigation into these agencies by reporter Nicole Dungca shows that they often fail at doing so — in part because they are undermined by law enforcement itself.Severe economic equality is worsening the coronavirus outbreak in South American countries. Anthony Faiola reports on the pandemic in Venezuela, where only the wealthy can afford care for sick loved ones.

Facebook’s Oversight Board bars Donald Trump from rejoining the site –– at least for now. How far-right extremists are recruiting new members in chat rooms and on gaming platforms. And, a farewell to empty middle seats on Delta flights.Read more:Facebook’s 20-member Oversight Board has upheld the decision to ban Donald Trump from the social media platform. Silicon Valley correspondent Elizabeth Dwoskin discusses what that means for other political leaders online.Far-right groups that blossomed during Trump’s presidency have created enduring communities online by soft-pedaling their political goals and entertaining potential recruits with the tools of pop culture. Marc Fisher reports.For a year, empty middle seats were a silver lining of pandemic air travel — but no more.Vote for Post Reports in the Webby Awards. Our episode "The Life of George Floyd" was nominated in the News & Politics podcast category.

The Justice Department is investigating police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville for misconduct. If they are in violation, what can the feds really do? And two new airlines hope to get Americans flying again.Read more:Justice Department probes will investigate police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville. Georgetown Law professor Christy Lopez has firsthand knowledge of what that kind of investigation can really accomplish.It’s been 14 years since a new airline has launched in the United States, and many have failed since then. Lee Powell reports on two entrepreneurs trying to beat the odds.Vote for Post Reports in the Webby Awards. Our episode "The Life of George Floyd" was nominated in the News & Politics podcast category.

India continues to set world records as it faces the worst surge in cases since the start of the pandemic. And, how two decades of war have reshaped Kabul.Read more:Coronavirus cases are surging across India, leading to mass cremations and a scramble for vaccines. Joanna Slater reports on the crisis.As U.S. troops formally withdraw from Afghanistan, Philip Kennicott and photographer Lorenzo Tugnoli look at how two decades of conflict have reshaped Kabul.If you value the journalism you hear in this podcast, please subscribe to The Washington Post. We have a deal for our listeners — one year of unlimited access to everything The Post publishes for just $29. To sign up, go to postreports.com/offer.

The key role children played in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, and why it matters today. Read more:Janice Wesley Kelsey was 16 when she faced White police officers in the Children’s Crusade of 1963 in Birmingham, Ala. The Black youths ages 7 to 17, marching peacefully in the name of civil rights, were met with billy clubs, German shepherds and fire hoses. News crews flocked to the place nicknamed “Bombingham,” and the footage helped prompt President John F. Kennedy to urge Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.On the 58th anniversary of the Children’s Crusade, Post Reports producer Jordan-Marie Smith reports on the impact of the march and how its tactics are reflected in the modern civil rights movement.You can find more resources on the Children’s Crusade at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, at the National Civil Rights Museum and in the archives at Alabama Public Radio.

Today, we’re re-airing this special episode of “Post Reports,” where we tell the story of George Floyd’s life, his upbringing and how racism hobbled his ambition. Plus, an update from Floyd’s family members after the trial of Derek Chauvin.Read more:Last fall, the Post Reports staff and a team of reporters at The Post worked on an exhaustive telling of George Floyd’s life, about this one man and his family and the forces of systemic racism that shaped their experiences over the course of more than a century. This week, in the aftermath of the Chauvin trial verdict, we are re-airing this story about George Floyd, to remind people about the real three-dimensional person whose life and death were at the center of the trial. We also went back to some of the people interviewed in the original episode to find out what they think about the verdict, and how they have been processing their grief almost a year after his death. This story is part of The Washington Post’s series “George Floyd’s America.” The reporting explores the institutional and societal roadblocks Floyd encountered as a Black man from his birth in 1973 until his death, and the role systemic racism played throughout his life.  The series is based on a review of thousands of documents and more than 150 interviews with Floyd’s friends, colleagues, public officials and scholars. The picture that emerges is one that underscores how systemic racism has calcified within many of America’s institutions, creating sharply disparate outcomes in housing, education, the economy, law enforcement and health care. Read more in this Special Report from The Washington Post: George Floyd’s America.Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer Credits  Reporting for this episode from Ted Muldoon. “George Floyd’s America” was reported by Arelis Hernández, Tracy Jan, Laura Meckler, Tolu Olorunnipa, Robert Samuels, Griff Witte and Cleve Wootson. This “Post Reports” episode was produced by Ted Muldoon and Linah Mohammad and edited by Maggie Penman and Martine Powers. If you value the journalism you hear in this podcast, please subscribe to The Washington Post. We have a deal for our listeners — one year of unlimited access to everything The Post publishes for just $29. To sign up, go to postreports.com/offer. 

What the CDC’s updated mask guidance means for you. And, what to expect at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Read more:The CDC says fully vaccinated Americans can go without masks outdoors, except in crowded settings. Lena H. Sun reports on how these new guidelines may change the social norms of mask-wearing.The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo are on — for now. Correspondent Rick Maese reports on how they’re being organized and how they’ll look different because of the pandemic. 

What President Biden did — and didn't do — in his first hundred days in office. And, the United States takes cautious steps toward rejoining the Iran nuclear deal.Read more:As President Biden nears 100 days in office, he can say he made good on his promise to speed up the country’s vaccination efforts. But White House reporter Cleve Wootson explains that other issues, such as immigration, haven’t been so easy for him to address.This week, Iran and the United States engage in another round of indirect negotiations to get the United States back in the Iran nuclear deal. Both countries say they want in, so what’s the holdup? National security reporter Karen DeYoung explains.If you value the journalism you hear in this podcast, please subscribe to The Washington Post. We have a deal for our listeners: one year of unlimited access to everything The Post publishes for just $29. To sign up, go to postreports.com/offer.

What the initial results of the 2020 Census might mean for the political future of the country. And, how “canceled” went from a Black-culture punchline to a watchword of White grievance.  Read more:The first batch of 2020 Census results were released Monday. Tara Bahrampour explains the biggest changes, and what that will mean for the country’s politics. The theme of this year’s meeting of the Conservative Political Action Committee was “America Uncanceled.” Clyde McGrady explores the strange journey of the word canceled — from Black culture to a White grievance watchword.If you value the journalism you hear in this podcast, please subscribe to The Washington Post. We have a deal for our listeners: one year of unlimited access to everything The Post publishes for just $29. To sign up, go to postreports.com/offer. 

How India is driving the surge in global coronavirus cases. Plus, how countries are reacting to the United States’ abundance of vaccine. Read more:A devastating second wave of coronavirus is sweeping India. The country is setting daily records for case numbers, and, as Joanna Slater reports, the health-care system is buckling under the immense demand. While the few countries with high vaccination rates are seeing coronavirus numbers decrease, globally, cases are rising. Emily Rauhala reports on how nations with lower supplies are calling for policy changes to prevent wealthy countries from hoarding vaccine.Vote for Post Reports in the Webby Awards. Our episode "The Life of George Floyd" was nominated in the News & Politics podcast category.