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US President Donald Trump gathered a robust coalition of voters in 2024, in part, on the promise of slashing electricity bills. But now, more than a year after his return to the Oval Office, prices are on the rise. The FT’s US energy reporter Martha Muir and US economic correspondent Myles McCormick examine why those costs are ticking up and how that might affect November’s midterm elections. Mentioned in this podcast: The political cost of America’s surging electricity bills Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here Swamp 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: NBC News, NBC 4 Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A 37-year-old demonstrator, Alex Pretti, was killed by border patrol agents in Minnesota last week. His death sparked international outrage. It also prompted the Trump administration to back down from its most strenuous immigration enforcement positions. The FT’s Washington bureau chief James Politi and deputy Washington bureau chief Lauren Fedor look ahead at what the administration’s pivot could mean for deportations and the president’s remaining time in office. Plus, the FT’s US economics editor Claire Jones breaks down Trump’s pick for chair of the Federal Reserve. Mentioned in this podcast: US plans ICE drawdown in Minnesota after outcry over immigration raids How Donald Trump was forced to back off his harshest immigration tactics Donald Trump nominates Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here Swamp 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: The White House, NBC News, Roll Call, Forbes Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 crisis Inside Trump’s America Swamp 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. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before his trip to Davos this week, Donald Trump threatened tariffs, and even hinted at using military force, to take over Greenland. The US president’s fixation ripped open a diplomatic wound that has been growing steadily over the past year. The Council on Foreign Relations' Benn Steil and the FT’s US foreign affairs correspondent Abigail Hauslohner explain how this week may have reshaped the western world permanently.  Mentioned in this podcast: ‘Waiting for the king’: how Trump dominated Davos  Broad mandate of Trump’s Board of Peace sets it up for rivalry with UN Read Benn’s column in The Dispatch Credit: The World Economic Forum, Roll Call Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here Swamp Notes is hosted by Marc Filippino and produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. Help from Lauren Fedor 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. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 shooting Donald Trump threatens to deploy military to Minnesota after ICE shooting Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here Swamp 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 News Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Greenland US says using military is among ‘options’ to acquire Greenland How the US’s audacious operation to capture Nicolás Maduro unfolded Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here Swamp 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 2026 Email Marc with your questions ([email protected]) Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here Swamp 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, CNBC Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, 2025 To listen and subscribe to more episodes, find Political Fix on your favourite platform by clicking here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 costs US healthcare costs set to leap as senators fail to reach deal Email Marc with your questions ([email protected]) Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here Swamp 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 Chicago Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 America Inside Trump’s America Swamp 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 dragnet US criminal immigration cases overtake drug and fraud prosecutions Email Marc with your questions ([email protected]) Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here Swamp 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 News Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Congress passed Trump’s tax and spending bill this year, it included a provision that would create investment accounts for recently born children. Now, at least two billionaires want to chip in to the programme as well. The FT’s Brooke Masters and Alex Rogers detail how this plan works, and why some Republicans are going all in on a government entitlement programme.  Correction: This podcast was updated from its original version. The original podcast mischaracterized Australia's superannuation programme. We said individual participation is mandatory and the government puts money into accounts. In fact, employers are required to participate, and the government organizes it. That portion of the conversation has been removed. Mentioned in this podcast: Check out FT Globetrotter’s Washington D.C. travel guide Michael and Susan Dell pledge $6.25bn to help fund ‘Trump Accounts’ for children Republicans propose $1,000 ‘Trump account’ for American babies Email Marc with your questions ([email protected]) Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. We had help this week from Lauren Fedor. 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 Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine a graph with one line going up over time. Below it, another line does just the opposite. It kind of looks like the letter K. The FT’s Claire Jones and Rob Armstrong break down why people are saying that letter represents the state of the economy and what it means for the White House. Mentioned in this podcast: Does the K-shaped economy theory even make sense? Email Marc with your questions ([email protected]) Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here Swamp 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: Bloomberg, PBS, CNN Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congress moved quickly to pass a bill asking the Department of Justice to release documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It’s a move that the president was opposed to for much of the year. The FT’s Lauren Fedor and Chris Cook break down what’s changed for the White House, and what’s different about these new documents. Mentioned in this podcast: Donald Trump signs bill to release Jeffrey Epstein files Jeffrey Epstein’s network: ‘Life among the lucrative and louche’ Email Marc with your questions ([email protected]) Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here To sign up for free to the new FT Alphaville newsletter on substack, go to ftav.substack.com The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts. Swamp Notes is 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.  CREDIT: FOX News, C-SPAN, NBC News, Newsweek Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Investors are spending billions of dollars on novel ways to extend human life through inventive treatments, therapies, and even manipulating our genes. And increasingly, it seems as though anti-ageing efforts have moved from the super rich to a mass market consumer industry. In this series, we’re covering the past, present and future of the longevity movement. We’ll be looking at where the fixation on longevity is coming from, and trying to understand the practical and ethical issues at the heart of this cutting-edge field of research.  From Silicon Valley fantasies, to Singaporean health spas, to Colombian genetic clinics and beyond, the FT’s Hannah Kuchler and Michael Peel ask whether breakthroughs in science and technology can really help us live longer, and even stop us aging altogether. Free to read:  US ‘wellness’ industry scents opportunity to go mainstream The quest to make young blood into a drug This season of Tech Tonic was produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. The senior producer is Edwin Lane. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Fact checking by Simon Greaves, Lucy Baldwin and Tara Cromie. Original music by Metaphor Music. Manuela Saragosa is the FT’s acting co-head of audio. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.