The US military has killed more than 60 people in attacks on boats they say are running drugs in Latin America. Its navy has moved its most powerful warship to the Caribbean. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is increasing its rhetoric against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. James Story, the former top US diplomat to Venezuela, and the FT’s Michael Stott, puzzle out what the Pentagon and Maduro may do next.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Venezuela’s creaking military prepares for US strikes

Donald Trump aims to topple Venezuela’s leader with military build-up

Email Marc 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 Samantha Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson and Roxanna Vigil at the Council on Foreign Relations.

CREDIT: NBC News, CBS News

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump and his family have made at least $1bn since he was elected to serve a second term, thanks to their rapidly growing cryptocurrency empire. That’s according to an FT investigation which also found that at least 30 individuals or companies that collectively donated to the president’s causes have received benefits or advantages. The FT’s Joe Miller and Alex Rogers unpack their findings. 

Mentioned in this podcast:

How dozens of Trump’s donors have benefited from his second term

How the Trump companies made $1bn from crypto

Email Marc with your questions ([email protected])

Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here

Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. We had help from Lauren Fedor. 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: KVUE

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Miller has played a central part in shaping White House policy since Donald Trump’s first term as president. But with less opposition this time around from Congress or other figures inside the administration, Miller’s hardline agenda has started to come to life. The FT’s US national correspondent Guy Chazan and US national editor Ed Luce join this week’s Swamp Notes to explore what Trump’s top policy adviser might be planning next.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Stephen Miller: Donald Trump’s ‘prime minister’ executes his plan to reshape America

Stephen Miller, Trump’s implementer-in-chief

Russell Vought: the man on a ‘divine mission’ to traumatise US bureaucrats

Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here

Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson and Ethan Plotkin. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. Our show is mixed by Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. 

CREDIT: CNN, Washington Post, Daystar

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump has long campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize, and he seemed closer to that goal earlier this week when he helped broker a ceasefire in Gaza. But the Nobel Committee had other plans. So what exactly is Trump’s track record on peacemaking and what does it take to actually win the Nobel Peace Prize? Norwegian humanitarian studies professor Kristin Sandvik and the FT’s US-Middle East foreign policy correspondent Abigail Hauslohner explain. 

Mentioned in this podcast:

How Trump cornered Netanyahu into signing up for peace

Donald Trump looms large over Nobel Peace Prize

Email Marc with your questions. ([email protected])

Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here

Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. We had help from Lauren Fedor. 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: NBC News, Forbes Breaking News, C-SPAN, Norwegian Nobel Committee

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time in nearly seven years, the US Congress was unable to come to a spending agreement in time. The government shut down. Democrats want to challenge President Donald Trump and extend healthcare subsidies. Republicans don’t want to budge. The Financial Times’ Washington bureau chief James Politi and deputy chief Lauren Fedor break down how it all went down and the position Democrats now find themselves in. 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Donald Trump threatens permanent spending cuts as US shutdown continues

What happens when the US government shuts down?

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 Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. 

CREDIT: FOX News, Reuters, ABC News, C-SPAN

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show is back on the air.The president of the US isn’t happy about it. He’s threatened to revoke licenses from broadcast networks that air negative programming about him. The former counselor to the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Gigi Sohn, and the FT’s Los Angeles bureau chief Christopher Grimes unpack what’s at stake for America’s television industry.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Inside Disney’s decision to bring back Jimmy Kimmel

Is America entering a new era of McCarthyism?

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 Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. 

CREDIT: Benny Johnson podcast, New York Post, Verdict with Ted Cruz

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, Donald Trump posted on social media that he wanted US public companies to ditch quarterly reporting. It is yet another move by his administration to hand more power to corporate executives and take power away from investors. The FT's Wall Street editor Sujeet Indap and global business columnist Rana Foroohar break down the arguments for and against the president’s efforts, and what it’ll mean for businesses.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Trump’s quarterly reporting move is the wrong idea at the wrong time

Donald Trump tilts balance of power from investors to CEOs

Bonus ep: How the UK is navigating the Trump era

Email Marc with your questions ([email protected])

Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here

Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. Sam Giovinco mixed this week’s episode. Our show is mixed by Kelly Garry. 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.

The US Supreme Court’s next term is just weeks away, and the decisions facing the court’s nine justices could define the future of President Donald Trump’s second administration. The FT’s Brooke Masters and Stefania Palma break down what makes this new era of the Supreme Court so unique and controversial.

Mentioned in this podcast:

US Supreme Court to decide how far Donald Trump’s power really goes

Will the Supreme Court stand up to Trump?

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 Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. 

CREDIT: FOX News, CBS News

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump is coming to the UK next week. What can we expect from his visit? And where do things stand between the US and the UK? 

In this special bonus episode, our two FT political chat shows, Political Fix and Swamp Notes, team up to unpack relations between the two longtime allies. Marc Filippino, host of the Swamp Notes podcast, and US managing editor Brooke Masters are joined by Political Fix’s George Parker and Lucy Fisher to discuss. This episode was recorded on September 6 in front of a live audience at the FT Weekend Festival in London.

Mentioned in this podcast:

-Listen to the Swamp Notes podcast on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts.

-Listen to the Political Fix podcast on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify.

Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. The executive producer for Political Fix is Flo Phillips. This episode was mixed by Breen Turner. The FT’s acting co-heads of audio are Topher Forhecz and Manuela Saragosa.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest round of jobs numbers this week. A former BLS commissioner, Erica Groshen, and the FT’s US economics correspondent Myles McCormick break down what’s inside that report and what it means for a federal agency preparing for a controversial new leader.

Mentioned in this podcast:

US adds just 22,000 jobs in August as labour market sputters

Donald Trump picks Heritage economist to head US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Email Marc with your question ([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 Alex Higgins. 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.