Facts Over Fear

Natalie Bencivenga
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Politics

Let's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts.

  1. 2d ago

    Has John Fetterman Abandoned The Democrats?

    This video was pre-recorded on Sept. 11, 2026 at 5:30 pm EST and is unedited. John Fetterman’s surprising appearance at a Republican midterm convention on Wednesday raised more questions than answers. The Pennsylvania senator appeared by video at this week’s GOP convention, where he praised Republican Sen. Dave McCormick and described himself as a “common-sense Democrat” who rejects “socialism” and political “extremes.” Fetterman also said he would work with President Donald Trump and McCormick on issues affecting Pennsylvania’s steel industry. He has said he remains a Democrat and intends to stay one even if Democrats regain control of the Senate. So what does that moment tell us about the Democratic Party and the voters it is trying to reach? That’s the conversation I’m having today with Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. We’re talking about where Democrats go from here: What should the party be talking about every day between now and November? What are voters telling Democratic leaders that they aren’t hearing? And what does it actually take to rebuild trust with people who may feel disconnected from both political parties? At the same Republican convention where Fetterman appeared, an attendee could be heard repeatedly calling for Democratic Senate candidates to be shot during Sen. Ted Cruz’s speech. Cruz did not address the outburst in the moment, though the clip was later posted to his social media account. And just days earlier, an armed man forced his way through a crowd toward Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton at the Canfield Fair. Acton was unharmed, and authorities said the man was carrying two pistols and a Taser. Those incidents raise a question that goes beyond party politics: What responsibility do political leaders have to draw a clear line when political rhetoric crosses into threats or violence? And then there’s the other major part of today’s conversation. Today marks 25 years since the September 11 attacks. For Pennsylvanians, that anniversary carries a particularly profound connection to the 40 passengers and crew members aboard Flight 93, who fought back against the hijackers before the plane crashed in Shanksville. Twenty-five years later, what does September 11 mean to a generation that remembers it firsthand and to a generation that knows it primarily through history books, photographs and stories? What have we learned since that day? What have we forgotten? And what should the next generation understand about 9/11 beyond the date and the images? Those are some of the questions we’re exploring today with Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta. FOLLOW NATALIE substack: https://substack.com/@factsoverfearnatalieb instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@nataliebencivenga/# tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliebencivenga threads: https://www.threads.com/@nataliebencivenga podcast via spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/47JYsn9LQchErS3cnHP2YF podcast via apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/facts-over-fear/id1855901950 FACTS OVER FEAR Let's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts. ABOUT NATALIE Natalie Bencivenga is a socially-conscious journalist working towards building equity in our communities through storytelling. Her goal is to inspire, educate and activate people to become catalysts for positive change. Join her for transformative conversations that uplift and challenge the ways in which we perceive the world. Let's turn this moment into a movement – together.

  2. 3d ago

    Can Hadley Haas Flip This Pennsylvania Seat From Red To Blue?

    The Democratic challenger is back for a rematch in Pennsylvania’s 44th House District. Pennsylvania voters are heading back to the polls as the cost of living rises, trust in government remains strained and the fight over what Harrisburg can actually accomplish gets louder. In the 44th House District, Hadley Haas is running again against Republican incumbent Valerie Gaydos, after coming within roughly 7.5 percentage points of defeating her in 2024. So why run again? Haas, a parent and community advocate, is campaigning on affordability, higher wages, housing, health care, public education and gun safety. She’s also focused on increasingly urgent questions around data centers, energy infrastructure and how much say local communities should have over major development. But campaign platforms are easy. Governing is harder. What can one state representative actually change? And what did Haas learn from coming up short in 2024 that she believes could make 2026 different? In this episode, we talk about the issues shaping District 44 and push beyond the campaign talking points. I believe voters deserve access to information (not paywalls) when it comes to deciding who represents them. That’s why these candidate interviews will remain free for everyone. But keeping this work going takes your support. If Facts Over Fear helps you cut through the noise, understand what’s actually happening and ask better questions of the people in power, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. You’re not just supporting a newsletter. You’re helping fund independent journalism. FOLLOW NATALIE substack: https://substack.com/@factsoverfearnatalieb instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@nataliebencivenga/# tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliebencivenga threads: https://www.threads.com/@nataliebencivenga podcast via spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/47JYsn9LQchErS3cnHP2YF podcast via apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/facts-over-fear/id1855901950 FACTS OVER FEAR Let's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts. ABOUT NATALIE Natalie Bencivenga is a socially-conscious journalist working towards building equity in our communities through storytelling. Her goal is to inspire, educate and activate people to become catalysts for positive change. Join her for transformative conversations that uplift and challenge the ways in which we perceive the world. Let's turn this moment into a movement – together.

  3. 4d ago

    How Did Prediction Markets Become Trump’s Personal Casino?

    What happens when Washington becomes a casino and the people making the rules are also placing the bets? Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are exploding turning everything from elections and government decisions and the economy into something people can wager on. And we’re already seeing the consequences. Former Rep. George Santos received Kalshi’s first lifetime betting ban after wagering more than $17,000 on whether he would attend the 2026 State of the Union. Laurie Buckhout, a Republican congressional candidate, was suspended for three years and fined $2,600 by the prediction market after placing bets on the outcome of her OWN election. Other candidates have also been caught wagering on their elections. And then there’s the issue of inside information. Former White House teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, was fined more than $172,000 after using nonpublic information about President Donald Trump’s speeches to make more than $100,000 on Kalshi. These aren’t isolated cases. They’re warning signs. This is what happens when people with access to political power, government information and policymaking can also participate in markets built around predicting what that government will do. And let’s not forget about the money. My grandma always used to say “follow the money.” She was right (per usual). Donald Trump Jr. has advised prediction-market companies while his investment fund has invested heavily in Polymarket. Read that again. At the same time, the federal agency responsible for regulating prediction markets is overseeing an industry that the Trump administration has openly embraced. Meanwhile, prediction-market data is moving into corporate America. Research from the Roosevelt Institute found that one-quarter of the top 20 companies in the S&P 500’s Communication Services sector already use prediction-market data to guide content and programming. That’s a lot bigger than betting on who will win an election. This is about building a financial market around uncertainty and then allowing that market to increasingly influence how businesses, media and potentially government understand the future. So where are the guardrails? Who is profiting? Who has access to information ordinary people don’t? How much political influence comes with that money? And what happens to public trust when government begins to look less like public service and more like a trading floor? On today’s episode of Facts Over Fear, I’m joined by political strategist, XM radio host and writer Max Burns to unpack the rise of prediction markets, the Trump administration’s cozy relationship with the industry and what it means when political power and private financial interests become one. Listen to the full conversation and subscribe to Facts Over Fear for the stories hiding beneath the headlines and the facts you need to understand what comes next. Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! And until next time, take care of yourselves and each other. FOLLOW NATALIE substack: https://substack.com/@factsoverfearnatalieb instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@nataliebencivenga/# tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliebencivenga threads: https://www.threads.com/@nataliebencivenga podcast via spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/47JYsn9LQchErS3cnHP2YF podcast via apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/facts-over-fear/id1855901950 FACTS OVER FEAR Let's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts. ABOUT NATALIE Natalie Bencivenga is a socially-conscious journalist working towards building equity in our communities through storytelling. Her goal is to inspire, educate and activate people to become catalysts for positive change. Join her for transformative conversations that uplift and challenge the ways in which we perceive the world. Let's turn this moment into a movement – together.

  4. Sep 10

    Memphis “Safe” Task Force Is Terrorizing Its Own People

    What happens when a multi-agency law enforcement task force operates with little public visibility and even less accountability? That’s the question veteran journalist Nick Valencia has been investigating on the ground in Memphis, TN. The Memphis-Safe Task Force (known as the “Unsafe” Task Force by locals interviewed by Valencia) has flooded the city’s streets since last year, bringing together multiple law enforcement agencies in an operation that has drawn growing scrutiny from residents and advocates. Valencia says the task force has become one of the most unchecked law enforcement operations he has encountered. His reporting has included allegations of people being detained, kidnapped, harassed and intimidated. He has also experienced the operation firsthand. In this episode of Facts Over Fear, Nick joins me to break down what the task force is, why it was created and what he has witnessed during his reporting. We talk about: What the Memphis-Safe Task Force is and why it was created A controversial nightclub raid and what happened How the task force operates alongside ICE What federal and local agencies are authorized to do versus what residents say they are experiencing The use of burner and social media accounts in enforcement operations What Memphis residents and community members have told Valencia about their fears and concerns Why affluent, white community members are in support of the Task Force And the biggest questions his reporting has raised about policing, federal power and accountability At the center of the investigation is a question that extends far beyond Memphis: Who watches the people doing the watching? And when communities are afraid to question law enforcement—or even document what is happening around them—what happens to the public’s ability to know what its government is doing? FOLLOW NATALIE substack: https://substack.com/@factsoverfearnatalieb instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@nataliebencivenga/# tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliebencivenga threads: https://www.threads.com/@nataliebencivenga podcast via spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/47JYsn9LQchErS3cnHP2YF podcast via apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/facts-over-fear/id1855901950 FACTS OVER FEAR Let's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts. ABOUT NATALIE Natalie Bencivenga is a socially-conscious journalist working towards building equity in our communities through storytelling. Her goal is to inspire, educate and activate people to become catalysts for positive change. Join her for transformative conversations that uplift and challenge the ways in which we perceive the world. Let's turn this moment into a movement – together.

  5. Sep 8

    Red Light Cameras Are Taking More Of Your Money

    A traffic ticket can become much more than ‘just’ a ticket. Consider how fines, court costs, administrative fees and late penalties can add up if you can’t afford to pay the original ticket. And if you can’t pay, you can face consequences that make it even harder to get back on your feet, including losing your driver’s license. Now add another layer: automated surveillance. License plate readers and other technologies are increasingly capable of identifying vehicles connected to databases containing information such as suspended licenses or unpaid court debt. While technology didn’t create the underlying debt trap, it can make that trap easier to enforce and more pervasive in our everyday lives. On the latest episode of Facts Over Fear, I’m joined by Priya Sarathy Jones, executive director of the Fines and Fees Justice Center, to talk about how America’s system of fines and fees turns poverty into a legal problem and what happens when surveillance technology gets layered on top of it. We talk about: Why fines and fees disproportionately burden people who can’t afford to pay How unpaid court debt can lead to driver’s license suspensions The connection between poverty, policing and government revenue How automated license plate readers can expand enforcement What states are doing to end debt-based license suspensions And what a justice system that isn’t funded by the people it prosecutes could actually look like Because if you can’t afford to pay the state, should the state have the power to make it harder for you to earn the money you owe? And when technology makes it easier to identify and punish people trapped in that cycle, are we creating safer communities or simply building a more efficient way to collect debt? That’s what we’re unpacking on this episode of Facts Over Fear. Subscribe for the stories hiding beneath the headlines and the facts you need to understand what comes next. And until next time, take care of yourselves and each other. FOLLOW NATALIE substack: https://substack.com/@factsoverfearnatalieb instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@nataliebencivenga/# tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliebencivenga threads: https://www.threads.com/@nataliebencivenga podcast via spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/47JYsn9LQchErS3cnHP2YF podcast via apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/facts-over-fear/id1855901950 FACTS OVER FEAR Let's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts. ABOUT NATALIE Natalie Bencivenga is a socially-conscious journalist working towards building equity in our communities through storytelling. Her goal is to inspire, educate and activate people to become catalysts for positive change. Join her for transformative conversations that uplift and challenge the ways in which we perceive the world. Let's turn this moment into a movement – together.

  6. Sep 6

    How Do We Fight Fascists In Trump’s America?

    How to Fight Project 2025 and Protect Voting Rights Under Trump We are living through a moment when the stakes can feel enormous and the headlines come so fast that it’s easy to become overwhelmed, angry and, ultimately, disengaged. But paralysis is not an option. The Trump administration is moving aggressively to reshape the federal government, while the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 agenda continues to provide a roadmap for many of those changes. The Heritage Foundation says more than half of its recommendations have already been implemented. At the same time, there is a striking disconnect between political spectacle and people’s everyday lives. While enormous attention is devoted to presidential legacy projects, communities including Memphis, TN, and Gary, IN, are dealing with basic infrastructure challenges and the consequences of political decisions that affect their daily lives. And then there’s the ballot box. The Supreme Court recently allowed the Trump administration’s restrictions on mail-in voting to move forward for now, while leaving the underlying constitutional questions unresolved. That raises a fundamental question: Can we continue to treat voting rights as something guaranteed or do we have to start treating them as something we actively defend? So what do we do with all of this? How do we move from outrage to organization? That’s the conversation I’m having with Mally Smith, Partnership and Outreach Director with Try And Stop Us about the forces reshaping our democracy, the urgency of organizing and how ordinary people can actually get involved. We’re talking Project 2025, voting rights and the gap between political spectacle and people’s reality. The next step is figuring out what we’re going to do about it. FOLLOW NATALIE substack: https://substack.com/@factsoverfearnatalieb instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@nataliebencivenga/# tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliebencivenga threads: https://www.threads.com/@nataliebencivenga podcast via spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/47JYsn9LQchErS3cnHP2YF podcast via apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/facts-over-fear/id1855901950 FACTS OVER FEAR Let's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts. ABOUT NATALIE Natalie Bencivenga is a socially-conscious journalist working towards building equity in our communities through storytelling. Her goal is to inspire, educate and activate people to become catalysts for positive change. Join her for transformative conversations that uplift and challenge the ways in which we perceive the world. Let's turn this moment into a movement – together.

  7. Sep 5

    Are We Prepared for the Next Train Derailment Disaster?

    What if the people who told you that you were safe were wrong and what if they had information you never got to see? Three years after the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, residents are still learning what happened to their community. New research detected evidence of vinyl chloride exposure in 74% of urine samples collected from people living within a mile of the derailment. Researchers found the chemical’s metabolites in 14 of 19 participants months after the disaster. At the same time, newly revealed government documents are raising questions about what officials knew about the chemical plume and what residents were told. An analysis requested by the EPA reportedly found that shifting winds pushed the plume back over East Palestine and atmospheric conditions kept the chemicals closer to the ground, potentially increasing local exposure. The analysis was not publicly released at the time. My guest today on Facts Over Fear, Jessica Conard, founder of Rail Watch, lived through the derailment and has spent the years since pushing for stronger rail safety protections, including taking her advocacy to Capitol Hill. And while a regulator can say conditions are within acceptable limits, residents are left wondering whether their homes, water and health are actually safe. And when the industry self-regulates, who are they actually accountable to? Who gets to define “safe” and who bears the burden of proof? Should communities have to prove they’re being harmed before action is taken? Or should companies transporting hazardous materials have to prove they’re operating safely before putting communities at risk? No doubt that rail is essential to the U.S. economy. But when that system fails, who pays the real price? Conard points out that once again this is privatized profits and socialized risk. Because “legal,” “compliant” and “safe” are not the same thing. And our communities shouldn’t have to be poisoned before we decide that’s unacceptable. Listen to the conversation and subscribe to Facts Over Fear for the stories hiding beneath the headlines and the facts you need to understand what comes next. FOLLOW NATALIE substack: https://substack.com/@factsoverfearnatalieb instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@nataliebencivenga/# tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliebencivenga threads: https://www.threads.com/@nataliebencivenga podcast via spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/47JYsn9LQchErS3cnHP2YF podcast via apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/facts-over-fear/id1855901950 FACTS OVER FEAR Let's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts. ABOUT NATALIE Natalie Bencivenga is a socially-conscious journalist working towards building equity in our communities through storytelling. Her goal is to inspire, educate and activate people to become catalysts for positive change. Join her for transformative conversations that uplift and challenge the ways in which we perceive the world. Let's turn this moment into a movement – together.

  8. Sep 2

    Can We Buy Our Way Out Of Capitalism?

    Can we buy our way out of a system built to extract from us? For generations, Black Americans have been told that economic liberation means getting a bigger piece of the pie: own the business, buy the house, build generational wealth, become the CEO, become the billionaire. But what happens when the problem isn’t simply who gets to a piece of the pie, but who controls the bakery? (Can you tell it’s dinner time). On this episode of Facts Over Fear, I sit down with Chenjerai Kumanyika, assistant professor of journalism at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and an award-winning narrative audio creator whose work sits at the intersection of journalism, history and media studies. We dig into the roots and mythology of Black capitalism, the relationship between race and class, and the uncomfortable limits of representation within an economic system built around private ownership and accumulation. Because here’s the question we don’t ask often enough: Can we diversify the winners without changing the rules of the game? We talk about why individual success can be mistaken for collective progress, how policing fits into broader systems of economic power, the political legacy of Black Lives Matter and the Democratic Socialists of America, and what socialism offers as an alternative framework and orientation for thinking about ownership, worker power and human dignity. The bigger question isn’t simply whether Black people can succeed under capitalism. It’s whether success inside the system is enough or whether liberation requires us to imagine something fundamentally different and more equitable.

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Let's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts.

Information

  • Creator
    Natalie Bencivenga
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    136
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Natalie Bencivenga
  • Show Website
    Facts Over Fear