Following direct talks between the U.S. and Hamas officials, Edan Alexander was freed Monday after more than 19 months in captivity in Gaza. He is the last living U.S. hostage in Gaza.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has already exacted a devastating toll. More than 52,000 people in Gaza have died, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Fifty-eight people who were seized by Hamas remain in Gaza, 23 of whom are believed to be alive. Gazans are facing a critical famine risk as Israel blocks aid. Now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government says it plans to expand the war if Hamas does not meet Israel's demands.

Today on “Post Reports,” Elahe Izadi speaks with Middle East reporter Miriam Berger about Israel’s plans to escalate the war in Gaza.

Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan with help from Elana Gordon. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Ariel Plotnick with help from Reena Flores. Thanks to Alan Sipress, Erin Cunningham and Heidi Levine.

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Dozens of people showed up for jury duty this week at the Southern District of New York’s courthouse in Lower Manhattan. There, they would find out if they would serve as one of the handful of people who would determine whether Sean “Diddy” Combs was guilty or not. The federal government is accusing him of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.

Reporter Anne Branigin and audio producer Sabby Robinson reported from New York City to see the dynamics in the courtroom and how the jury pool was narrowed down. On today's episode, Anne describes Combs’s demeanor and who the other important players are – and what we can gather about each team’s strategy from the jury selection process.

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Carla Spartos and Shayna Jacobs.

Follow our coverage of the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs on Spotify here.

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Why President Donald Trump’s messaging has shifted from economic prosperity to austerity.

Will voters tolerate economic pain from Trump’s tariffs?

Senior politics reporter Aaron Blake talks with The Post’s senior political correspondent Naftali Bendavid and White House correspondent Michael Birnbaum about Trump’s inconsistent messaging on the economy and foreign policy this week. Beyond tariffs, they discuss how foreign leaders are responding to Trump on Ukraine and immigration.

Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Sean Sullivan and mixed by Sam Bair.

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Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas is a place that many people describe as one of the most beautiful areas in South Asia: Kashmir. It has also been the site of a struggle between two major powers: India and Pakistan.

The Indian military said Wednesday that it had launched strikes against Pakistan in retaliation for last month’s militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left at least 26 dead. These latest strikes killed at least 31 civilians, according to Pakistani officials. The escalation marks a turn in a decades-long conflict.

Today, co-host Elahe Izadi talks to South Asia correspondent Karishma Mehrotra about how the region got to this point and whether South Asia could be on the brink of war.

Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy and mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Maggie Penman and Ariel Plotnick. Thanks to Jesse Messner-Hage and Elana Gordon.

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Cardinals will gather on Wednesday for the highly secretive process of choosing a new pope, following the death of Pope Francis in late April.

In the film “Conclave,” Ralph Fiennes plays a Catholic cardinal presiding over the election of a new pope. In real life, that task falls to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, a possible front-runner among papal candidates at this week’s conclave at the Vatican.

But how accurately does the Oscar-nominated “Conclave” match an actual conclave — the process of electing a pope that will begin May 7?

Today on “Post Reports,” style reporter Shane O’Neill joins host Colby Itkowitz to parse fact from fiction.

Today’s episode was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Ariel Plotnick and Peter Bresnan. It was mixed by Sam Bair and edited by Lucy Perkins. Thanks to Carla Spartos.

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Since February, thousands have attended political rallies helmed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), deemed the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. Political events with crowds like this don’t have much precedent outside of a presidential campaign. But Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are hoping to harness anger over the policies of the second Trump administration to push the Democratic Party to support their progressive policies.

Host Colby Itkowitz travels to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to speak with rallygoers and to sit down with Sanders for an interview.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff with help from Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter.

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In early 2023, Sean Combs — otherwise known as Diddy, Puff Daddy, Love — seemed to be on top of the world. He had a long career as a successful music producer and businessman, and he received multiple honors for his work — even getting a key to the city of New York from its mayor. But that fall, everything changed when his ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura filed a lawsuit against him alleging that he’d sexually abused and sex trafficked her throughout their decade-long relationship.

This opened the floodgates. Dozens of other alleged victims came forward, and soon Combs found himself at the center of a federal investigation into his businesses. After arresting him in September 2024, federal prosecutors alleged in an indictment that Combs used his business to carry out criminal activity, including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson and bribery. He’s now awaiting trial in a Brooklyn jail.

For the next month on “Post Reports,” we’re going to be following Combs’s trial, which starts Monday. You’ll hear regularly from reporter Anne Branigin, who’s been closely following this story since Cassie filed her lawsuit, as well as other Washington Post journalists from the Style and Audio teams. On today’s episode, Branigin describes how the Combs rose to fame and power, and what he is now being accused of.

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and Carla Spartos and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks also to Maggie Penman, Lucas Trevor, Amanda Finnegan and Renita Jablonski. The episode also features Janay Kingsberry and Helena Andrews-Dyer, reporters for the Style section of The Post. Geoff Edgers contributed to this report.

Follow our coverage of the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs on Spotify here.

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President Donald Trump’s second term started with a record-breaking pace of executive actions. Today, senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with White House reporter Natalie Allison and national reporter Maeve Reston about Trump’s 100-day record and how the American public feels about some of his signature actions so far. They also discuss Trump’s decision to switch out national security adviser Michael Waltz, and some early and very different recent maneuvers from some ambitious Democrats who could lead the party into the 2028 election – including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Laura Benshoff.

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