What The Flock Is Going On?

What The Flock Is Going On?

Are Police Using License Plate Readers to Track Anti-ICE Protesters?Today we’re joined by investigative journalist Ben Camacho, whose reporting uncovered how police agencies accessed Flock’s expansive automated license plate reader system to search for protesters, raising urgent questions about surveillance, First Amendment rights and government accountability.What happens when the technology designed to solve crimes starts tracking people exercising their protected constitutional rights?Newly obtained records reveal that at least 11 California law enforcement agencies searched the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Flock Safety license plate reader network for people connected to anti-ICE protests.Officers reportedly used search terms including “ICE protest” and simply “protest,” fueling concerns that powerful surveillance tools are being used to monitor First Amendment activity rather than investigate crimes.As immigration enforcement expands and protests become increasingly scrutinized, the stakes extend far beyond California. The conversation raises fundamental questions about privacy, free speech and whether public oversight has kept pace with rapidly evolving surveillance technology.We discuss what the records show, how these systems actually work, why accountability appears to lag behind the technology and what it means for anyone who attends a public demonstration.In this episode, we explore:How Flock Safety’s license plate reader network is being used by law enforcement.Why searches tied to anti-ICE protests are raising First Amendment concerns.The accountability gaps that allow agencies to access surveillance data across jurisdictions.Whether mass surveillance is changing how Americans exercise their right to protest.What reforms privacy advocates say are urgently needed before surveillance technology expands even further.If you’ve ever wondered who has access to your location data when you attend a protest, or whether surveillance technology is outpacing democratic oversight, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.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's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts.ABOUT NATALIENatalie 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.

Housing Advocate And Trans Activist Runs For Mayor

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 transgender woman, longtime community advocate and mayoral candidate in Hamilton, Ontario. As executive director of the Sex Workers’ Action Program (SWAP) Hamilton, Scarlett has spent years advocating for marginalized communities.Now, she’s taking that experience into electoral politics with a campaign focused on housing affordability, climate resilience, community safety, transparency and rebuilding public trust.I wanted to talk to Gillespie because no matter where you live, everyone deserves to be seen and feel protected.And here at home, true safety is becoming harder to come by as the powers that be continue to oppress and divide our communities so that the billionaire class can continue to consolidate power while we fight with one another.Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its first major ruling on transgender athletes, deciding 6-3 that states may bar transgender girls and women from competing on girls’ and women’s school sports teams.Supporters say the decision protects fairness in women’s athletics. Critics argue it excludes transgender youth from opportunities to participate and marks another chapter in a growing wave of legislation targeting transgender Americans.And behind every court ruling are real people whose lives are shaped by the decisions made far from home.Our conversation begins with the Supreme Court’s ruling, but it doesn’t end there.We talk about what it feels like to live in a moment when transgender identities have become the focus of political campaigns, court cases and cultural debates.We discuss the difference between being talked about and being heard, what authentic representation looks like, and why Scarlett believes local government can still be a force for meaningful change.At a time when political polarization often reduces people to talking points, this conversation is an invitation to slow down, listen and engage with the person behind the headline.Whether you agree with Scarlett’s politics or not, understanding one another begins with conversation. That’s exactly what this episode, and Facts Over Fear, is all about.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's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts.ABOUT NATALIENatalie 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.

Kylie Jenner Wants You To Buy Meta Glasses

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 improvisational: empty booths, technical failures, and a lot of aesthetic ambition outrunning logistics. Critics say the real question isn’t whether the event is messy. It’s what kind of system produces a national celebration that feels engineered for optics first and execution second. A House Democratic subcommittee report alleges concerns that the event blurred public celebration with political benefit, including sponsorship structures, preferential steering toward affiliated initiatives, and selective historical framing. These remain allegations, not adjudicated findings, but if the Democrats regain control in the Senate and House this fall, all bets are off. So the question isn’t just what this fair is. It’s what (and who) it’s for. STORY TWO: The Presidency, Inc. New financial disclosures reported by The Guardian show Donald Trump and his family’s ventures generated more than $2.2 billion in his first year back in office, including over $1 billion tied to cryptocurrency-related businesses. Supporters call it legal. Critics call it structural failure: the collapse of any meaningful separation between governance and personal wealth. The core issue isn’t just crypto—it’s convergence. Real estate, licensing, merchandise, digital assets, and political power all sitting in the same ecosystem. At what point do we admit Trump never drained the swamp. He just made it bigger. STORY THREE: Surveillance Got Rebranded as Style Surveillance used to feel like a warning label. Now it’s being redesigned as fashion. Companies like Meta are betting that AI-powered smart glasses will normalize constant data capture—especially if they’re worn by influencers and celebrities, like Kylie Jenner, first. That’s surveillance capitalism in its modern form: you don’t just use the product—you become the product stream. Think about it. What’s the best way to kill a movement? If data extraction looks good enough, it stops feeling like extraction. STORY FOUR: Romance, Risk, and the Algorithm of Attention Atop the Empire State Building, a rooftop-climbing couple turned one of the world’s most iconic structures into a stage for a banner, a proposal, and an arrest. No permits. No safety gear. Maximum visibility. What authorities call trespass, internet culture often treats as content architecture: the higher the risk, the higher the reach. The couple’s stunt sits at the intersection of romance, performance art, and viral escalation—where attention is the reward system and escalation is the strategy. What do you think of this week’s headlines? 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.

Did The American Revolution Ever Really End?

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 with Philadelphia historian, educator and author Thomas Richards Jr. to unpack those questions. His new book, The Unfinished Business of 1776: Why the American Revolution Never Ended—now adapted into a high school performance—challenges long-held assumptions about the nation’s founding and explores why the debates that shaped America nearly 250 years ago are still playing out today. We discuss what inspired him to write the book, how he teaches history in an era of deep political polarization, and why he believes understanding our past is essential to strengthening our democracy. Who supported abolitionism, women’s rights and more? We also discuss the modern day issues like abortion, gun rights, ICE and mass surveillance. How would the Founding Fathers react to these issues, and would they support a consolidation of power in the Executive branch? Most importantly, Thomas shares what still gives him hope that America can live up to its founding ideals. If you’ve ever wondered whether we know the real story of America’s founding—or why it still matters—this conversation is for you. 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.

EXCLUSIVE: Sister Speaks Out After Brother Gets 30 Years In Prison For Protest He Never Attended

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 declared “antifa” a domestic terrorist organization. FBI Director Kash Patel said the sentences demonstrate the bureau’s commitment to dismantling antifa and its alleged support networks. In a press release Patel stated: “Today’s sentencings show the FBI remains committed to identifying, locating, and dismantling Antifa and its funding networks across the country.” “Acts of violence against our law enforcement partners will not be tolerated, and we continue our work to protect communities across the country from domestic terrorism.” But the case has sparked intense criticism from First Amendment advocates and legal experts, particularly because one of those sentenced, Daniel “Des” Sanchez-Estrada, never attended the protest. He received a 30-year prison sentence after prosecutors argued he participated in a conspiracy by moving boxes of political literature following a phone call from his wife, Maricela Rueda, who was sentenced to 70 years for charges tied to the protest, including providing material support to terrorism and using fireworks that prosecutors classified as explosives. Civil liberties organizations warn the case raises profound questions about free speech, association, prosecutorial power and whether terrorism statutes are being applied in ways that could have a chilling effect on political activism. In today’s Facts Over Fear, we’re joined by Daniel Sanchez-Estrada’s sister, A.J. Bell, to talk about who Daniel is beyond the headlines, how these extraordinary sentences have affected their family, and what she believes this case means for the future of protest and the First Amendment in the United States. 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.