Swamp Notes

Netflix and Paramount, two large American media companies, are fighting to purchase Warner Bros Discovery. Now, US President Donald Trump and the Department of Justice are getting involved. The FT’s Los Angeles bureau chief Christopher Grimes and US deals and activism correspondent Oliver Barnes explain the president’s connections to both potential buyers and the legal scrutiny facing those companies.Mentioned in this podcast:Activist investor takes aim at Warner Bros deal with NetflixDonald Trump’s top antitrust enforcer Gail Slater pushed out as turf war deepensSign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter hereSwamp Notes was hosted this week by Sonja Hutson and is produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz and the FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.CREDIT: KARE, FOX Business, CBS NewsRead 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 raidsHow Donald Trump was forced to back off his harshest immigration tacticsDonald Trump nominates Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chairSign 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: The White House, NBC News, Roll Call, ForbesRead 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 UNRead Benn’s column in The DispatchCredit: The World Economic Forum, Roll CallSign 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. 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.

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 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, 2025To 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.

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.

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 (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)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.