Her vibrant son was driven to suicide by a relentless barrage of social media bullying. Carson Bride was like millions of American kids in the age of social apps: vulnerable to the algorithms that drive profitable engagement regardless of the psychological devastation they may cause. In our final episode of the season, Fernando speaks with Carson’s mom, Kristin Bride. She is on a mission to hold the mighty social media platforms accountable for the harms posed to young people. A member of...

The United States’ success as a country, the consolidation of democracy, its ability to conquer a continent and then project massive power across the world, is due in part to its relationship with Latin America. As the polymath author of the seminal book Guns, Germs and Steel Jared Diamond explained, geography is destiny. And the United States’ southern border, unlike those of France or Germany, for example, that have gone to war time and again, has created an unprecedented multi-century...

Why do most Americans strongly disapprove of Congress? It’s complicated. Addiction to power, fame, and money has always been part of Congress’ ick factor and the brutal politics of our era create all sorts of perverse incentives for members to cosplay TV stars. But is there something deeper going on? Is Congress broken forever? Fernando hunts for an answer with Dr. Kevin Kosar, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute studying the US Congress. He previously worked at the...

The 2017 neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville was a coming out party for the extreme-right movement. From that ugly debut, white nationalist groups are now literally marching across the country. Most recently in East Cobb, Georgia, Jewish worshippers were terrorized at a synagogue by swastika brandishing thugs. With a jump in attacks against ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities, the FBI’s far-right domestic terrorism warning sadly came true. White nationalism is now a clear and present...

Latino voter participation jumped dramatically in the last two elections — yet the Washington DC political class seems pretty clueless about these voters. And if the surprising midterm results are a real trend, the Latino vote is in play for both parties. How effectively Democrats and Republicans persuade — or repel — Latinos could very well determine the winner of the presidency in 2024. To help dispel the big mystery about these voters, Fernando gets into it with Pulitzer Prize-winning...

The Ukraine war took an unexpected turn — into Russia. The spectacular march on Moscow by Vladimir Putin’s rebellious henchman exposed the strongman’s surprising weakness. During these dramatic events, the Russian nuclear superpower teetered on the edge of chaos. And as America ramps up support for Ukraine, an unstable Russia is now an even bigger threat to the global democratic order. Fernando is joined by Admiral Mike Rogers who unravels the web of Ukraine war politics, shedding light on...

A majority of Americans increasingly question the Supreme Court’s authority. Deeply controversial decisions have sparked public outrage, raising concerns about the Court’s legitimacy and its outsized impact on American democracy. Fernando digs into the Court’s growing unpopularity with Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. Waldman is a constitutional lawyer and expert on the presidency and American democracy. His latest book is "The...

There’s no doubt that the latest indictment of Donald Trump has shaken the American political system. The twice impeached, twice arrested former president is the dominant force in today’s Republican Party. In this bizarre situation with no historical precedent, American democracy hangs in the balance. On this week’s episode, Fernando digs into the indictment’s profound consequences for 2024 and the republic with award winning political journalist A.B. Stoddard. Stoddard is associate editor...

As the 2024 election comes into focus, Democrats are gnashing their teeth with worry. Will President Joe Biden have the momentum to win a second term as America’s democracy is threatened? On the Republican aisle, the MAGA and GOP Classic wings of the party fight in Congress while worrying about the viability of both former President Donald Trump and the party’s would-be rescuer, Governor Ron DeSantis. It’s high anxiety time in DC. On this week’s episode, Fernando chats with political...

With the resolution of the debt ceiling crisis in sight, we’re asking the key question – just what did Americans get for all the fire-breathing threats to drive the country into a catastrophic default? Fernando speaks with freshman Congressman Seth Magaziner (D-RI) to find out how this madness looks from inside the tent, through the eyes of someone who only recently joined the circus on Capitol Hill. And on our special X-Ray Vision segment, an exploration of the real person behind the...

The drip-drip of revelations surrounding Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is sabotaging the legitimacy of the nation’s highest court. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in luxury gifts have gone undisclosed. It’s a troubling pattern of shady behavior at an institution that is considered a cornerstone of American democracy. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a longtime critic of the Supreme Court’s approach to policing itself, joins Fernando for an eye-opening conversation about the...

Two drones explode over the Kremlin. Giant fuel depots blow up in occupied Crimea. Mysterious detonations hit several cities deep in Russia. Are these the first attacks in Ukraine’s much anticipated spring counteroffensive? Will this campaign finally start liberating Ukraine from Vladimir Putin’s bloody invasion? And why should Americans care about yet another war in a faraway nation? Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta joins Fernando for a reality check – is Ukraine and its allies...

Here we go again. Congress is facing a June 1 deadline to avoid a totally preventable “debt ceiling” crisis. If no one flinches in this dangerous game of chicken, the U.S. economy will be dragged into a cataclysm, destroying America’s global reputation and unleashing unfathomable pain for every American family. An artifact from World War I, the debt ceiling comes back every few years to provide existential drama — the battlefield of partisan politics. It all sounds a bit insane, but it’s...

Andrew Yang is at it again. Starting with his debut on the national stage in the 2020 presidential election, the entrepreneur without government experience jumped into the political arena with a fresh message and camera-ready charisma. And though he lost his quest for the presidency, he gained a national following and reputation for deep thoughts. Now, Yang is taking another big leap — creating a new political party that wants to inject more democracy and accountability into our sometimes...

The wait is over – President Joe Biden has announced his reelection campaign. Dispelling any lingering doubts that he would step back from the arena, Biden is again on a collision course with former President Donald Trump. Is this a rematch of 2020 or are we going to see a new dynamic framed by the spiraling culture war, the other war in Ukraine, and Trump’s escalating legal problems? And what happens now to Ron DeSantis and the other GOP hopefuls that aspire to move into the White House?...

Like a party guest that won’t leave, Donald Trump is the rare losing presidential candidate that is making another run at the White House. Twice impeached and now indicted, Trump is nevertheless the favorite candidate to win the Republican nomination, according to recent polls. But what does his candidacy mean for the overall political system? And what’s the impact on a Republican Party divided between Trump loyalists and people hoping to move on? Former Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI) joins Fernando...

Since Donald Trump entered the presidential race in 2015, his MAGA movement has grown exponentially, attracting millions of fervent followers and directly influencing political leaders across the country. In this episode of The X-Ray, Fernando and Greg Sargent, an opinion columnist at The Washington Post who covers national politics, have a wide-ranging conversation about Trump’s movement, analyzing what Greg calls "the Fortress MAGA phenomenon." They also dig deep into recent political...

When Donald Trump is arrested and formally charged this Tuesday for alleged crimes in New York, it will be a historic spectacle. As we all know, no U.S. president or former president has ever been charged with a crime. This unprecedented event puts the nation in uncharted, and some say, dangerous territory. To understand what this all really means, and what we can expect after Donald Trump’s historic day in court, Fernando speaks with Norm Eisen, one of Washington’s most respected legal...

No one has done more to expose social media‘s threat to democracy than Frances Haugen, globally famous as the Facebook Whistleblower. Frances exposed how Facebook’s secret algorithms generated engagement by stoking hate, division, conspiracy theories and sometimes even violence. Fernando and Frances discuss the risks social media poses to our democracy, the unique power of algorithms that shape human perception, and the ongoing risk these platforms present to a successful, democratic 2024...

Is the rise of authoritarianism in America real? Is democracy at risk? Just a few years ago, this would have been ridiculous. But after the rise of Donald Trump and the January 6 insurrection, fascism is no longer an old idea from history, some experts say it is a clear and present danger. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of the bestseller “Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present,” joins Fernando for a fascinating exploration of authoritarianism in the U.S. – its rising menace and what we can do about...

In a deep dive into the beginning stages of the 2024 election, Fernando talks with Sarah Longwell about the candidates and their prospects, and what voters are thinking. They discuss the increasingly aggressive battle between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, and the lack of voter excitement for other candidates. They also examine Democratic prospects, identifying some big challenges ahead for the president’s re-election campaign. Join us for a fun, wide-ranging conversation about the emerging...

Introducing The X-Ray with Fernando Espuelas — a new podcast with a fresh take on political power: Who wants it? Who wields it? And why? Through compelling conversations with newsmakers, power players, and experts, The X-Ray answers these questions, providing listeners with insightful analysis of the biggest issues facing our democracy at home and abroad.

After two years and nearly 50 episodes, Swamp Stories host Weston Wamp started a new chapter in his life. So we’re launching an awesome new show — The X-Ray, which will feature fresh conversations with some of the biggest newsmakers about challenges facing democracy — at home and abroad. We hope you'll join us every week on The X-Ray. Look for our first episodes dropping soon!