Swamp Notes

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 ([email protected])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 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 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 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 dragnetUS criminal immigration cases overtake drug and fraud prosecutionsEmail Marc with your questions ([email protected])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 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 guideMichael and Susan Dell pledge $6.25bn to help fund ‘Trump Accounts’ for childrenRepublicans propose $1,000 ‘Trump account’ for American babiesEmail Marc with your questions ([email protected])Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletterSwamp 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 CallRead 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 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: Bloomberg, PBS, CNNRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.