Labubus: China's plushy, soft power tool

The Eaton Fire tore through the Los Angeles suburb of Altadena, part of a storm that killed 19 people. It became one of the most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history, but the ultimate cost won’t be tallied in dollars and cents. That will be calculated on a different ledger: the number of residents who return to this block of West Las Flores Drive and the countless others like it.This story follows these residents. The Washington Post has spent months with three families from this Altadena street, the epicenter of the wildfire’s destructive path, following their separate journeys as they asked themselves excruciating questions and struggled to imagine their futures in a place they fear will never again feel like home.Reis Thebault, Nick Kirkpatrick, Melina Mara and Alice Li reported the piece. Thebault wrote and narrated it. Bishop Sand composed music and produced audio.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Charlie Kirk’s shooting has left both Republicans and Democrats worried about more political violence. How are prominent leaders in both parties responding to the tragedy?

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday at Utah Valley University. As officials seek details on the identity and motive of the shooter, Americans are beginning to process Kirk’s death and what this might mean for a new era of political violence and fear in the United States. In a video posted online on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump blamed the killing, without evidence, on “radical left political violence.” On today’s episode, host Colby Itkowitz speaks with democracy reporter Yvonne WIngett Sanchez, who has covered Kirk and his organization, Turning Point USA, for years. They delve into this difficult moment and Kirk’s lasting legacy as the fiery leader of a powerful conservative youth movement.  Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy and Elana Gordon, with help from Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and Reena Flores, with help from Renita Jablonski and Elahe Izadi. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Special thanks to Noah Bierman. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

In Arlington, Texas, thousands waited in line at a career fair in the hopes of getting hired as an ICE officer. Criminal justice reporter Robert Klemko was there and met a diverse mix of people – a former MMA fighter, a community college student and a former Marine.President Donald Trump has pushed to deport a million people during the first year of his second term. To do this big immigration crackdown, ICE is expanding its recruiting efforts and incentivizing people to join through large signing bonuses and a pitch to “defend the homeland.”Host Elahe Izadi speaks with Robert about what he heard from those who signed up and what the potential risks of ramping up hiring and training efforts.Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Since taking over as health and human services secretary earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired members of a key vaccine panel, signaled shifts to the childhood immunization schedule and changed guidelines about who should receive the coronavirus vaccine.  Now there are questions about which pharmacies will offer shots and whether insurance companies will cover the cost.“Post Reports” host Elahe Izadi is joined by Lena Sun, a national health reporter for The Washington Post, to wade through the confusion and answer listener questions about vaccines this fall. They discuss how to find a covid shot, when might be the best time to receive your flu vaccine, and how Kennedy and the Trump administration could continue to reshape vaccine guidance and public health in the United States. Today’s episode was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Lucas Trevor. It was mixed by Sam Bair and edited by Elana Gordon with help from Reena Flores. Thanks to Fenit Nirappil.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Montgomery County is a small, rural area in the middle of North Carolina. The county has struggled financially for years, and its school district depends on government grants to survive. This year, the Trump administration cut $600 million in grants to teacher-training programs across the country, and Montgomery County’s $21 million grant was included. The Trump administration says the grants were cut because they were used to train teachers and agencies on diversity, equity and inclusion practices.Host Elahe Izadi speaks with national reporter Ben Brasch about his reporting on Montgomery County’s schools. He shares why some parents and teachers are frustrated by the Trump administration’s seemingly indiscriminate cuts, and why the elimination of the county’s grant affects the school district’s ability to retain and train quality teachers.Today’s show was produced by Thomas Lu. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick with help from Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The songwriter was unconscious, but his voice filled the operating room. Mike Frazier’s dirty-blond locks had been partially shaved and his head sanitized. The surgeon standing over him slid his blade in a crescent over Frazier’s right ear and tugged his scalp into position. Then he began opening a window into the musician’s brain.The task that day was to reach and remove the cause of the grievous pain that had besieged and mystified Frazier for years. After almost a decade as a folk-rock singer with a rollicking vibe and a knack for storytelling, piercing stomach pain had stymied his songwriting and drawn him into a dangerous depression before he turned 30.This story explores Frazier’s condition, diagnosis and recovery through the songs he would write about the experience. Michael Laris reported, wrote and narrated the piece. Bishop Sand composed music and produced audio.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Congress has less than a month to figure out how to fund the government. But instead of that pressing business, calls for greater government transparency over allegations against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein dominated Capitol Hill this week. On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee released more than 33,000 documents related to the investigation, most of which are already publicly available.. But other lawmakers say this effort doesn’t go far enough. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) and Ro Khanna (D-California) continued to push a competing effort that could force the Justice Department to release more files. Host Colby Itkowitz sits down with Post congressional reporter Marianna Sotomayor and senior national political correspondent Naftali Bendavid to discuss this news as well as the looming government funding deadline and how Democrats are thinking about flipping the House in the 2026 midterms. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The sparks flew in Thursday’s Senate Finance Committee hearing. Senators – Republicans and Democrats alike – grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his handling of vaccines and the shakeup at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kennedy, for his part, doubled down on his ouster of CDC director Susan Monarez, claiming she was not “trustworthy.” He insisted that Americans would still be able to access coronavirus vaccines, despite his overhauling of a key vaccine panel. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with health reporter David Ovalle about the fireworks at Kennedy’s hearing before the Senate. Plus, they discuss what’s happening with diverging school vaccine policies in red and blue states. Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Character.AI became one of the world’s most popular artificial intelligence apps by letting tens of millions of users, many in their teens, text and talk to chatbot versions of celebrities and fictional characters. But conversation with these seemingly friendly chatbots can easily veer into topics unsafe for minors.Host Colby Itkowitz talks to tech culture reporter Nitasha Tiku about this new world of AI chatbots, and why parents and advocates are raising concerns. Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.