Facts Over Fear

Scarlett Gillespie on Belonging, Politics and Why She's Running for MayorA transgender woman, advocate and mayoral candidate discusses what the Supreme Court's decision means for trans Americans, political leadership and the fight to belong. When the interview starts with compliments on my lipstick, you know it’s going to be good. Today, I sat down with Scarlett Gillespie (she/her), a tran...

News Roundup: Spectacle Economy Edition STORY ONE: The Great American State Fair or Fail? On the National Mall, a 16-day “Great American State Fair” tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary is underway and early reporting paints a familiar gap between branding and reality. Billed as a World’s Fair-style national celebration, Freedom 250 is instead being described as lightly attended, glitchy, and im...

When was the last time you revisited the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution—not as symbols, but as living documents? With Independence Day approaching and America preparing to mark its 250th anniversary, it’s worth asking how much we really know about the country’s founding beyond what we learned in high school. Have we inherited history or mythology? In this episode, I sit down...

Last year, a group of Texas activists participated in a July 4 demonstration outside the Prairieland ICE Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas. This week, eight of those protesters were sentenced to between 50 and 100 years in prison after being convicted on terrorism-related and other charges. The U.S. Department of Justice called the case the first of its kind since President Donald Trump declar...

CORCA is the Anti-Theft Bill Critics Say Could Supercharge ICE's Surveillance Powers (and no one’s talking about it). A bill marketed as a tool to combat organized retail theft is drawing fierce criticism from civil liberties advocates who say it will dramatically expand the federal government’s surveillance powers. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, or CORCA, passed the U.S. House last...

Could Paid Family Leave Finally Become a Reality in Pennsylvania? Last week, a proposal to establish paid family and medical leave for Pennsylvania workers cleared the state Senate Labor & Industry Committee with bipartisan support, moving the legislation one step closer to a full Senate vote. If passed, Pennsylvania would join 14 states and Washington, D.C., in creating a mandatory, state-adm...

Juneteenth is a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and recognizes the generations of people who fought to make freedom a reality rather than a promise on paper. But while Americans are celebrating, honoring, and reflecting on that history, ICE is quietly building a system that critics say raises urgent questions about labor, detention, and constitutional boundaries in mo...

Who Controls Public Records When Local Police Partner With ICE? Across the country, local law enforcement agencies are taking on a larger role in federal immigration enforcement through a program known as 287(g), which allows specially trained officers to perform certain immigration-related duties on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Supporters say the program strengthens cooperation...

NOTE: We were having some tech difficulties, but I still wanted to share our interview. When people hear the words “Planned Parenthood,” chances are they immediately think about abortion. But what often gets lost in the political debate is the broader role these health centers play in communities. For many patients, Planned Parenthood is where they receive cancer screenings, STI testing, contracep...

FOLLOW NATALIEsubstack: https://substack.com/@factsoverfearnataliebinstagram: https://www.instagram.com/@nataliebencivenga/#tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliebencivengathreads: https://www.threads.com/@nataliebencivengapodcast via spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/47JYsn9LQchErS3cnHP2YFpodcast via apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/facts-over-fear/id1855901950FACTS OVER FEARLet...

More than three years after the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine shocked the nation, many Americans assume the crisis is over. And while the cameras may have left and the story has faded from the headlines, the fight ensues. In fact, some of the most consequential battles are happening right now and largely out of public view. From efforts to weaken chemical safety regulations to deba...

Washington, D.C. is heading into a rare moment of political transition. For the first time in 12 years, voters will choose a new mayor after Muriel Bowser announced she will not seek a fourth term. The primary election is set for Tuesday, June 16, and the stakes are clear: affordability, safety, and the future of how the District governs itself. At the center of that conversation is Kenyan McDuffi...

The New Surveillance State: What’s Going on with ICE in California City? Before we dive into today’s conversation, it’s worth noting one of the more uplifting political stories coming out of California. Reality TV star Spencer Pratt is OUT as a potential mayoral candidate for Los Angeles after a third-place finish in the Los Angeles mayoral race after initially competing for a runoff spot. The Tru...

What happens when the people filming police become the people under investigation? My guest, independent journalist Nick Valencia joins me as we start in Memphis, where a federal lawsuit alleges residents were harassed or intimidated for recording law enforcement activity tied to the Memphis Safe Task Force — a sprawling multi-agency operation involving local police, federal agencies and ICE. Are...

Facts Over Fear: From immigration detention and political dissent to affordability, third parties, and the future of democracy, Butch Ware argues the two-party system is failing ordinary Americans. At a moment when trust in institutions is fraying, immigration enforcement is escalating, and more voters say they feel politically homeless, today’s conversation asks a bigger question: What does leade...

What happens when economic survival depends on immigration detention? The coal mines that once built communities across Pennsylvania are mostly gone. But in towns like Philipsburg, the need for stable work never disappeared. When one industry collapsed, another arrived. Today, the Moshannon Valley Processing Center — now the largest ICE detention center in the Northeast — represents jobs, payroll,...

Why does a basic grocery trip suddenly feel like a financial stress test? Even as economists insist inflation is “cooling,” millions of Americans are still walking into grocery stores and leaving shocked at the total. Meat, produce, eggs, coffee, snacks, and household staples continue climbing in price — while wages for many families remain painfully stagnant. According to recent federal data high...

Did Thomas Massie’s defeat have anything to do with his support of the Epstein Files Transparency Act? After becoming one of the few Republicans pressing for more transparency around Jeffrey Epstein while openly defying Donald Trump and influential donor networks, Rep. Thomas Massie was crushed in THE MOST expensive House primary in U.S. history. (Politico) Was this simply a fight over party loyal...

Looksmaxxing may sound like just another internet trend, but its roots go much darker than most people realize. What began in fringe manosphere and incel communities as a hyper-online obsession with hierarchy, attractiveness, and so-called “sexual marketplace value” has now exploded into mainstream culture through TikTok, Instagram, fitness influencers, and self-optimization content. Today, “looks...

A controversial Alabama map once ruled discriminatory is back in play for the 2026 elections, fueling new fears about voting rights, racial representation, and a rapidly escalating national battle over gerrymandering. After a political firestorm erupted over comments made by Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter during a press conference on redistricting, the debate over voting rights in Ameri...

After more than 1,100 days on strike, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette journalists returned to work believing the fight for labor protections and local journalism had entered a new chapter. Instead, many are now out of jobs. Following the paper’s recent ownership transition, roughly 80% of the union journalists who participated in the historic strike have reportedly been laid off, raising serious questions...

Trump’s border czar says “You ain’t seen $hit” when it comes to ICE and mass deportations. Let’s break it down with Nick Valencia. At a border security expo this week, Trump border czar Tom Homan signaled a new phase of mass deportations, saying, “you ain’t seen shit yet,” and promising ICE will “flood the zone.” Independent journalist Nick Valencia joins me to dig into a fast-moving escalation in...

Philadelphia has been sitting on a toxic time bomb for more than 20 years. Now, officials say they’re finally cleaning up the Franklin Slag Pile in Port Richmond, a site loaded with lead, copper, and industrial waste. But there’s a problem. There’s no clear plan for what happens next. This is especially concerning as climate change increases flooding in the area. When—not if—the next flood hits, t...

RFK Jr., Food Costs, and the Healthcare Gaps We’re Ignoring If you’ve been to a grocery store lately, you already know: prices are up, and not everyone has the luxury of “just shopping better.” But, that didn’t stop Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from suggesting exactly that, as food costs continue to squeeze families already struggling with access and affordability. And here’s the bigger issue: food insec...

If this week has you feeling chaotic, you’re not alone. Start with the U.S. Supreme Court, which temporarily restored access to the abortion pill mifepristone after a lower court tried to restrict it. For now, patients can still receive it by mail. But the bigger issue isn’t just access—it’s instability. Because at the center of this case is a much larger question: Can courts override the FDA on d...