Accessibility statementSkip to main content
Search Input
The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness
Advertisement
Facebook
Twitter
MailSolid
Home
Print
ChevronLeftAll Post podcasts
The Post's premier daily podcast, featuring unparalleled reporting, expert insight and clear analysis, every weekday afternoon.
How small-dollar donors could choose our next president

Anu Narayanswamy crunches the numbers on small-dollar donations. Niha Masih and Joanna Slater explain the changes and turmoil in Kashmir. And Travis DeShong on what it takes to become the voice inside someone’s head.

Thursday, August 15, 2019
Loading...
The rush for small-money donors
In the first six months of 2019, more than 2.3 million people donated $200 or less to Democratic presidential candidates. These small-dollar contributions totaled nearly $110 million. 

That’s all according to data recently released by the online donation platform ActBlue, which reporter Anu Narayanswamy says offers a look at how small-dollar, grass-roots donors are shaping the Democratic primary — in part, by limiting who can perform in debates. 

“Small money has become an important metric to see how a candidate is faring,” Narayanswamy says. “One of the key things that the Democratic party is looking at is not just how much money they’re getting from small dollars, but also saying that you should be getting small dollars from every state, or at least so many states.”

More on this topic:
  • How small-dollar donors are reshaping the Democratic primary
  • Few candidates have loyal small-dollar donor bases
  • Fueled by wealthy donors, pro-Trump groups collected nearly $18 million in the first half of the year

Undoing ‘7 decades of history in Kashmir’
India is revoking a constitutional provision granting certain autonomous powers to the state of Kashmir, setting the stage for new clashes between India and Pakistan in the disputed region.

Life in the territories — which are set to lose statehood — has since been paralyzed. Indian authorities have put prominent politicians under house arrest, cut off mobile and Internet services to the region, and have asked residents to stay indoors. 

Reporter Niha Masih was able to visit the disputed area, and says people are still in shock over the announcement. “They’re still coming to terms with what happened.”

Joanna Slater also covers India for the Post, and says that stripping Kashmir of its semi-autonomy has been a longtime goal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hindu nationalists.

More on this topic:
  • India revokes special status of Kashmir, putting tense region on edge
  • Locked up and shut down: Hot India has silenced opposition to its crackdown in Kashmir
  • ‘A dormant volcano’: Kashmir’s streets are quiet, but residents seethe with resentment

Training to become the voice inside your head
If reading audiobooks sounds easy, a few hours in a professional booth can be humbling. At least, that’s what reporter Travis DeShong learned when he sat in on a narration session in New York.

He says that the pay isn’t great when you’re just starting out, and it’s actually tough to always sound like you know what you’re talking about. “It’s creating an illusion, in a lot of ways, which is why the craft is such a difficult one. But it can be a really mesmerizing one when you’re really good at it.” 

More on this topic:
  • In the age of earbuds and audiobooks, they want to be the voices in your head
  • Don’t let a bad reader ruin your audiobook experience. Here are recordings to savor — and to avoid
Add to a podcast app
Listen to new episodes on your smartphone or other device.
Apple PodcastApple Podcasts
SpotifySpotify
Google PodcastsGoogle Podcasts
Amazon MusicAmazon Music
StitcherStitcher
RSSRSS
Get episode via email
Receive each new episode in your inbox.
Play on a smart speakerChevronDown
Amazon Echo

Enable the Flash Briefing in the Amazon Skill store or search for "The Washington Post" in the Skill section of your Alexa app. Then ask, "Alexa, what's my Flash Briefing?" or "Alexa, what's the news?"

Google Home

Send Post Reports to your Google Assistant device or say, "Okay Google, play the news from Post Reports."

How small-dollar donors could choose our next president

Anu Narayanswamy crunches the numbers on small-dollar donations. Niha Masih and Joanna Slater explain the changes and turmoil in Kashmir. And Travis DeShong on what it takes to become the voice inside someone’s head.

Thursday, August 15, 2019
Loading...
The rush for small-money donors
In the first six months of 2019, more than 2.3 million people donated $200 or less to Democratic presidential candidates. These small-dollar contributions totaled nearly $110 million. 

That’s all according to data recently released by the online donation platform ActBlue, which reporter Anu Narayanswamy says offers a look at how small-dollar, grass-roots donors are shaping the Democratic primary — in part, by limiting who can perform in debates. 

“Small money has become an important metric to see how a candidate is faring,” Narayanswamy says. “One of the key things that the Democratic party is looking at is not just how much money they’re getting from small dollars, but also saying that you should be getting small dollars from every state, or at least so many states.”

More on this topic:
  • How small-dollar donors are reshaping the Democratic primary
  • Few candidates have loyal small-dollar donor bases
  • Fueled by wealthy donors, pro-Trump groups collected nearly $18 million in the first half of the year

Undoing ‘7 decades of history in Kashmir’
India is revoking a constitutional provision granting certain autonomous powers to the state of Kashmir, setting the stage for new clashes between India and Pakistan in the disputed region.

Life in the territories — which are set to lose statehood — has since been paralyzed. Indian authorities have put prominent politicians under house arrest, cut off mobile and Internet services to the region, and have asked residents to stay indoors. 

Reporter Niha Masih was able to visit the disputed area, and says people are still in shock over the announcement. “They’re still coming to terms with what happened.”

Joanna Slater also covers India for the Post, and says that stripping Kashmir of its semi-autonomy has been a longtime goal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hindu nationalists.

More on this topic:
  • India revokes special status of Kashmir, putting tense region on edge
  • Locked up and shut down: Hot India has silenced opposition to its crackdown in Kashmir
  • ‘A dormant volcano’: Kashmir’s streets are quiet, but residents seethe with resentment

Training to become the voice inside your head
If reading audiobooks sounds easy, a few hours in a professional booth can be humbling. At least, that’s what reporter Travis DeShong learned when he sat in on a narration session in New York.

He says that the pay isn’t great when you’re just starting out, and it’s actually tough to always sound like you know what you’re talking about. “It’s creating an illusion, in a lot of ways, which is why the craft is such a difficult one. But it can be a really mesmerizing one when you’re really good at it.” 

More on this topic:
  • In the age of earbuds and audiobooks, they want to be the voices in your head
  • Don’t let a bad reader ruin your audiobook experience. Here are recordings to savor — and to avoid
Previous Episode

He witnessed Michael Brown’s killing. Now Dorian Johnson is trying to get his life back on track.

Wesley Lowery takes us back to the night Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson. Damian Paletta warns of a possible recession. And Rebecca Tan on the community a simple piano can create.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Next Episode

Non-binary, pregnant and taking on the most gendered role of all: motherhood

Samantha Schmidt on the sacrifices one person has made to become a mother. And Geoff Edgers remembers Aretha Franklin, one year after her death.

Friday, August 16, 2019
Press Enter to skip to end of carousel
More podcasts
A seven-part investigative series telling the stories of two women, separated by decades and united by a shared refusal to stay silent.
“Can He Do That?” is The Post’s politics podcast, exploring the powers and limitations of American government in an era of deep division.
Special episodes of "Presidential" highlight moments in American and presidential history that are worth revisiting today.
Columnist James Hohmann talks every Friday with the author of a thought-provoking op-ed in The Washington Post.
El pódcast en español de The Washington Post.
An investigation into no-knock warrants in the American justice system — and what happens when accountability is flawed at every level.
End of carousel
Company
  • About The Post
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement
Get The Post
  • Gift Subscriptions
  • Mobile & Apps
  • Newsletters & Alerts
  • Washington Post Live
  • Reprints & Permissions
  • Post Store
  • Books & E-Books
  • Newspaper in Education
  • Print Archives (Subscribers Only)
  • e-Replica
  • Today’s Paper
Contact Us
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Contact the Opinions team
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability
Terms of Use
  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Print Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices
washingtonpost.com © 1996-2022 The Washington Post
  • washingtonpost.com
  • © 1996-2022 The Washington Post
  • About The Post
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Request a Correction
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability
  • Download the Washington Post App
  • Policies & Standards
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Print Products Terms of Sale
  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices