from WNYC studios. I'm Brian Lerer. This is my daily politics podcast. It's Thursday, February 26th.

For 40 years, Ruth Marcus wrote about the Supreme Court and other things as a reporter, an editor, and an opinion

columnist for The Washington Post. Now she writes for the New Yorker. We'll talk to Ruth Marcus now,

mostly about two of her latest articles. One is on the Supreme Court's blockbuster decision

on tariffs last week and the implications not just for the cost of living, but also for American democracy,

she says. It's just the first big democracy case they'll rule on in this election year, by the way.

And we'll talk about Ruth's article this month about her former employer. It's a piece of fact-based

journalism and a lament at the same time following the recent layoff of around 300

people from the Washington Post Newsroom staff. It's called how Jeff Bezos brought down

the Washington Post. Ruth, it's always good to have you on. Welcome back to WNYC. Thank you so much

for having me. It's always nice to be here. And you know how we sometimes say when

somebody dies, it's good to see you. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances. It's kind of like that

with respect to you and the Washington Post, right? So let's talk about that first. Then we'll get to

the tariffs ruling. Tell us the origin story. When and why did the owner of Amazon buy the Washington Post?

Well, Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon, bought the Washington Post in 2013 from Donald Graham

and the Graham family. And the thinking and expectation at the time and the reason that the Graham sold the

crown jewel of their, not just their professional lives, but really of their family and, you know,

motivation to Bezos was that the thinking was that he was not a, you know, one of these venture

capitalists that was going to strip it for parts, that he had the technological know-how and

the financial wherewithal and the commitment to help turn around this business that was not going to be a going enterprise for the

Grams.

We were, I always say we about the Washington Post because I can't stop myself.

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