Swamp Notes

An affordability crisis is sweeping through the US. High prices of food, rents and healthcare are forcing Americans to cut back on necessities. This comes as President Donald Trump’s administration is curbing government support. Sonja Hutson visits Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding Lehigh Valley, and learns how residents are trying to make ends meet.Mentioned in this podcast:‘Scraping for crumbs’: Americans squeezed by affordability crisisInside Trump’s AmericaSwamp Notes: The Bethlehem Project is produced by Sonja Hutson and Henry Larson, and edited by Marc Filippino. The show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. Our Executive Producer is Topher Forhecz. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s Global Head of Audio. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.

State governments and many activists are pushing back on the federal government’s mass immigration raids. In response, US President Donald Trump threatened to use the Insurrection Act to quell protests in Minneapolis. The FT’s US national correspondent Guy Chazan and US legal correspondent Stefania Palma describe how this tension is changing the relationship between local leaders and the Trump administration.Mentioned in this podcast:‘Anger, grief and tear gas:’ outrage in Minnesota after ICE shootingDonald Trump threatens to deploy military to Minnesota after ICE shootingSign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter hereSwamp Notes is hosted by Marc Filippino and produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz and the FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.CREDIT: Alpha News, Fox NewsRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

After a military operation to capture Venezuela's leader, the Trump administration is seeking influence over other regions across the western hemisphere. The FT’s national editor Edward Luce and US-Europe foreign affairs correspondent Amy Mackinnon share their insights on how Trump and his cabinet have come to embrace the idea of foreign intervention.Mentioned in this podcast:Trump really wants GreenlandUS says using military is among ‘options’ to acquire GreenlandHow the US’s audacious operation to capture Nicolás Maduro unfoldedSign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter hereSwamp Notes is hosted by Marc Filippino and produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.CREDIT: Roll Call, CNN, Democracy Now!Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

The FT’s Lauren Fedor and Derek Brower look back on the moments that stood out in 2025 and offer their predictions for what’s to come in the new year.Mentioned in this podcast:Forecasting the world in 2026Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter hereSwamp Notes is hosted by Marc Filippino and produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.CREDIT: Zohran Mamdani for NYC, CBS News, ABC News, The joint congressional committee on inaugural ceremonies, CNBCRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

This is an episode of Political Fix, the FT weekly podcast that takes you into the corridors of Westminster to unwrap, analyse and debate British politics with a regular panel of FT correspondents.Can you name all the Labour frontbenchers who resigned or were sacked during the past year? Why was Peter Mandelson delayed from returning to the UK after being sacked as US ambassador? And who will be crowned Political Fix’s Wonk-in-Chief? Find out as host George Parker puts the entire podcast panel - Miranda Green, Stephen Bush, Robert Shrimsley, Jim Pickard and Anna Gross - through their paces in this big, fat, fiendishly difficult end-of-year quiz. The panellists also highlight their most memorable moment of 2025 and unveil their wildest predictions for the year ahead. Plus, discover who scooped all the chocolate coins in the studio to win the annual Political Fix stockpicks portfolio prize.This is a repeat of an episode published on Political Fix, a sister podcast of FT News Briefing, on December 19, 2025To listen and subscribe to more episodes, find Political Fix on your favourite platform by clicking here!

Four Republican members of the US House of Representatives broke ranks and supported Democrats this week to force a vote on healthcare spending. The FT’s US national correspondent Guy Chazan and deputy Washington bureau chief Lauren Fedor explain the ticking clock Congress is facing down on health insurance, and what will happen to Americans if prices increase dramatically.Mentioned in this podcast:‘A full-blown crisis’: Americans brace for a surge in healthcare costsUS healthcare costs set to leap as senators fail to reach dealEmail Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter hereSwamp Notes is hosted by Marc Filippino, and produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Kelly Garry. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.CREDIT: CBS News, NBC News ChicagoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

High school is a time of massive change in any teenager’s life. But students today are going through this transition period at a time when the US is more polarized, there's a lot of economic anxiety and teens are far more plugged into social media than ever before. Host Sonja Hutson and FT data reporter Ian Hodgson went to a high school in Bethlehem to get a sense of what it's like growing up in Donald Trump's America. Mentioned in this podcast:Anxious and disillusioned: being young in Trump’s AmericaInside Trump’s AmericaSwamp Notes: The Bethlehem Project is produced by Sonja Hutson and edited by Marc Filippino. The show was mixed by Breen Turner. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

A new FT investigation maps out the web of data brokers, private companies and government agencies that federal agents are using to help with their mass deportations. The FT’s Peter Andringa and Stefania Palma explain how corporate entities have created a surveillance network that can track immigrants across the country. Mentioned in this podcast:Trump’s immigration data dragnetUS criminal immigration cases overtake drug and fraud prosecutionsEmail Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter hereSwamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Kelly Garry. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.CREDIT: CBS NewsRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com