Post Reports

There are just over two weeks until Nov. 3. Election-related lawsuits are flooding the courts, but the army of lawyers filing cases shows little sign of stopping. And a conversation with a pro-Trump Muslim voter. Read more:People are voting early across the country, but courts are facing an unprecedented number of election cases. Martine Powers and Post Reports producer Reena Flores explore the variouselection cases before the court, the lawyering-up by both parties, and how that can play a role in the election and people’s ability to vote. Mike Hacham is a 27-year-old businessman in Detroit. Hacham, who is Muslim, says he plans to cast his vote for Trump for a second time despite the president’s anti-Muslim rhetoric. “Anything that hurts my people, I'm totally against,” he tells “Post Reports” producer Linah Mohammad. “But also, we cannot just judge a person on that aspect.” Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

“He's everywhere — but he's not here. He's on somebody's wall. He's on somebody's billboard. … He's in a newspaper, but he's not here. He's here in spirit. But he's not here.”George Floyd has become a symbol, and a rallying cry. But what’s missing in our understanding is the man himself: a figure who was complicated, full of ambition, shaped by his family and his community and a century of forces around him.On this episode of “Post Reports,” we explore the life and experiences of the man who sparked a movement, as 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 eight minutes Floyd spent suffocating under the knee of a White police officer became the catalyst for nationwide protests against racial inequality. But it was not the first time that Floyd faced oppression — as a Black man, Floyd spent his 46-year life battling injustices that derailed, diminished and ultimately killed him. “One of the reasons George Floyd has become a rallying cry across the country for racial justice protest is not because his experience was so unique,” says reporter Tolu Olorunnipa, “but in part because his experience and the experience of his family are so common.”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/offerCredits 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.

How genetic science can help expose, track and contain coronavirus outbreaks. And your voting questions answered. Read more:In a pandemic rife with confusion, where essential data and clear guidance have been difficult to find, clues to controlling coronavirus outbreaks can be found in the virus’s own genetic code. Sarah Kaplan reports on an undisclosed outbreak in Postville, Iowa — and the genetic evidence it left behind.Your voting questions, answered. One listener asks, how do campaigns get involved in challenging votes? Election law attorney Ben Ginsberg explains. If you have a question about voting, check out The Washington Post’s guide on how to vote in your state. You can also ask Post Reports on Twitter or Facebook — or write us an email at PostReports@washpost.com. Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

Why we still don’t have a second pandemic relief bill. What the funding holdup means for schools. And how rushing this year’s census could shape our democracy for years to come.  Read more:Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has announced that the Senate will take up a narrow economic relief bill when it returns to session next week — one that Democrats will probably block. White House economics reporter Jeff Stein reports on the content of the stimulus bill.As talks sour over the economic recovery package, public schools are once again bracing to lose out on tens of billions of dollars of federal aid — money they say they desperately need to reopen as they face mounting costs and shrinking budgets. “We saw a ton of rhetoric, particularly from the Trump administration, about how important it was to reopen schools in order to restart the economy,” says education reporter Moriah Balingit. “There has not been money that has followed that rhetoric.”On Tuesday, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end the 2020 Census count early, putting an end to the contentious legal battle over the once-in-a-decade household count. Courts reporter Robert Barnes explains the vast implications of an undercount.As the general election draws nearer, millions of people are figuring out how to vote for the first time or vote by mail for the first time. And the rules are changing fast, as states figure out how to adjust to the pandemic. The Post is partnering with ProPublica this fall to report on the problems voters are running into as they cast their ballots ahead of Nov. 3. And if you’re having trouble voting this year, we want to hear from you — about anything from long lines or harassment at the polls, to voter ID confusion and inaccurate ballots. These concerns are really important to voice.To share your experience, message our tip line by texting VOTE to 81380, or fill out this form by ProPublica. Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

How Amy Coney Barrett would view her role on the court. How anti-vaxxers are using covid-19 to further their agenda. And when mail ballots get counted.Read more:During the first day of questioning in Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing, she told the Senate Judiciary Committee that she has made “no commitment” to the White House or senators on how she would rule on major cases on the Affordable Care Act, abortion and election disputes. Amber Phillips breaks down how Barrett says she would view her role on the court. The pandemic is amplifying the U.S. anti-vaccine movement — and globalizing it. Foreign affairs reporter Emily Rauhala explains how the movement has weaponized legitimate fears that the vaccine might be rushed, and has leveraged those to further an anti-science agenda.We’ve been taking your questions about voting this year, and how it will be different because of the pandemic. If you have more questions check out The Washington Post’s guide: How to vote in your state in 2020. And if you want to know exactly when mail-in ballots are processed in your state, here’s a comprehensive guide to that.More than a week after we learned the president was sick with covid-19, we still don’t know much more than that. Washington Post podcast Can He Do That? looked at why that matters.Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

Opening statements in the Supreme Court confirmation hearing of nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett. How Barrett was involved in litigating the 2000 presidential election. And the political battle that led Oregon to vote by mail.Read more:White House reporter Seung Min Kim unpacks opening statements in the Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, and what we can expect over the following days.Investigative reporter Beth Reinhard discusses Barrett’s role in the contested presidential election of 2000, and exactly how absentee ballots were involved.Though Oregon’s mail-in voting system is now widely beloved by the state’s voters, it wasn’t always that way. Political journalist Jeff Mapes and former Oregon secretary of state Phil Keisling share their memories of the heated political battle over vote-by-mail in the 1990s — and reflect on why those debates are reemerging on a national stage today.Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

The White men without college degrees who love the president more than ever. How evangelical Latinos could swing the vote for Trump in Florida. And, a bakery in Beirut reopens two months after an explosion. Read more:Polls show Biden with a significant lead over the president, but national political reporter Jenna Johnson says there is still one demographic group that can’t be swayed: White men without college degrees. Johnson talked to some of Trump’s most loyal fans. In the battleground state of Florida, an oft overlooked group of swing voters may have the power to sway the election: evangelical Latinos. National features reporter Jose Del Real reports. In Beirut, a beloved Manousheh bakery returns after the Aug. 4 explosion that devastated the city. Foreign affairs reporter Siobhan O’Grady and Beirut-based reporter Nader Durgham with a baker’s tale of struggle and survival. Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

What grand jury recordings can tell us about why there was no indictment in Breonna Taylor's death. How the pandemic is scrambling college students’ voting plans. And, how Boris Johnson was affected by contracting covid-19. Read more:During last night’s vice-presidential debate, Vice President Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) were asked about justice, and the grand jury decision not to charge several officers for fatally shooting Breonna Taylor. From reporter Marisa Iati, the questions left unanswered by newly released recordings of the grand jury. It’s a weird time to be a college student. And on top of navigating remote learning and housing during a pandemic, students are now being asked to figure out how and where to vote – many for the first time. Political enterprise and accountability reporter Michelle Ye Hee Lee shares advice from campus organizers trying to make the process easier to understand.London correspondent Karla Adam reports that for Boris Johnson, catching covid-19 was a sobering experience. But so far, that is less so for Trump. “Trump is in the middle of the presidential election. So, whereas Boris Johnson disappeared from public view for about a month. That's clearly not happening with President Trump.” Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

How Biden’s presidential campaign is pivoting. The most uneven recession. And, why service industry workers are seeing less in tips.Read more:National political reporter Annie Linskey on how Joe Biden’s campaign for president this year is evolving. From revealing coronavirus testing results to mobilizing Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), the way the Democratic nominee approaches the field is changing.On Tuesday, President Trump announced on Twitter that he was stopping negotiations on another relief package until after the election. He’s since pivoted again. But economics correspondent Heather Long tells us, in the meantime times are tough for many Americans -- and this is the most uneven recession in recent U.S. history.Tips, commissions and bonuses are down across the country, and service industry workers are feeling the loss. As they told retail reporter Abha Bhattarai, while lawmakers are struggling to come up with packages to help the unemployed and others in need, they feel like a last priority.Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

How the White House residence staff is responding to the hot spot in their workplace. The owner of a Kansas diner weighs whether to reopen or keep feeding people in need. And the NBA’s push to get out the vote. Read more:National features reporter Jada Yuan reports that as the number of people testing positive for coronavirus at the White House increases, there is growing concern that residential workers are being put at risk. The Ladybird Diner in Lawrence, Kan., has been feeding hungry people since it had to close its doors in March. Now, reporter Annie Gowen explains, the owner is facing a choice: She can reopen, but what will happen to the hungry people if she does?In 2016, only 22 percent of eligible players in the NBA voted in the election. Sports reporter Candace Buckner reports on how the push across the league to get people to the polls this November started with the players themselves. Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer