The Bitchuation Room

The U.S. could really use some Sri Lankan uprising energy. We get into the island nation's "occupy moment” with Artist Yalini, a Sri Lankan artist of Tamil descent. And comedian Nato Green joins to discuss Biden’s no good very bad trip to the Middle East/a Saudi Arabian PR stunt, where he doubled down on Trumpian foreign policy. And backed up GOP congresspeople get some stern lessons from women in...

How is the cost of inflation falling on working Americans? And why is the Federal Reserve adding insult to injury by raising interest rates? We talk economic sh*t in unprecedented times with Professor Richard Wolff. And the White House finally takes small steps to protect abortion rights through executive orders. But what do they say and is it enough? John Iadarola, host of The Damage Report on TY...

As abortion clinics rush close, women are rushing to stock up on Plan C. Luckily the success rate is higher than Trump’s Plan C for remaining in office: doing a coup. Comedian Matt Lieb joins Francesca to discuss the revelations about January 6th and bitch about Viktor Orban and Liberal TERFs. Then abortion activist & executive director of the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund, Laurie Bertram...

A marathon episode on the many facets of the Supreme Court striking down Roe V Wade. From its immediate impact and calling out hypocrites, to the weak sauce Presidential response and why ‘vote harder’ is a terrible scold, Francesca welcomes comedian Kate Willet to take it all in. Then, some good news out of Colombia as the country elects its first leftist president Gustavo Petro. BBC’s Colombia co...

A bunch of chads get busted for attempting to riot at a Pride event, and the January 6th hearings show just how in danger Mike Pence was and how much Trump loved it. Plus, how the recall of Chesa Boudin has blotted out any honest discussion of criminal justice and police reform and the national media has simply run with a tough on crime line. Finally, can you spot the fake Juneteenth corporate-was...

A slice of the bonus episode from June 5th's show with comedian Jaye McBride where she and Francesca talk trans jokes in comedy, Ricky Gervais, Dave Chappelle, and her bizarre experience with Chappelle on stage in New York. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Watch The Bitchuation Room LIVE on Tuesdays 1pm PT/4pmET on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/franifio or Twitch http...

Another day, another millionaire comedian or right-wing politician targets trans people. While one might seem like easy laughs, it’s hard not to look around at the hundreds of anti-trans bills sweeping the country and still muster a chuckle. Republicans are fixated on preventing trans girls participate in sports and trans kids overall from receiving any gender-affirming care. Founder of the Trans...

Good guys with guns are also bad. Every detail that emerges about the Uvalde, Texas shooting at an elementary school is worse than the last. The takeaway remains the same: we need gun control NOW. If there isn’t the political will, the people are gonna have to make it so. Comedian and union organizer Nato Green is back to discuss the details of another somber week in America. Dave Weigel, politica...

Grifts, hacks, phishing and pyramid schemes built on cartoon apes. This is Web3, the world of cryptocurrenicies and NFTs. Molly White, software engineer and founder of Web3 Is Going Great explains why the lofty promises of digital currency have fallen flat. And comedian Atsuko Okatsuka joins to discuss newly-minted Republican Elon Musk’s sexual misconduct that involves a horse, and the pathetic do...

Turns out nothing is safe from rampant corporate greed, including f*cking baby formula. Francesca and guest Brett Payne of Street Fight Radio talk about the layers of corruption currently causing families to ration food for their infants. And, the murder of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh once again shows us exactly who the Israeli government is and how little they care for human rights. Meanwhile, w...

Ah the natural conclusion of the far-right’s takeover of America: obliterating abortion rights! Comedian Erin Lennox joins Francesca to discuss the Samuel Alito’s sniveling leaked opinion arguing for Roe V. Wade to be overturned, the pitiful response from leading Democrats, including campaigning for an anti-choice lawmaker in Texas over a progressive option. Then, socialist Minneapolis city counci...

Who are the union organizers left out of most American history books? This May Day, Francesca talks to labor reporter and author Kim Kelly about her new book Fight Like Hell: The Untold Labor of American History and the people, from sex workers and prisoners, who shaped workers rights. Plus an update on the desperate measures both Starbucks and Amazon are taking to stop union drives among their wo...

Francesca is back and talking pregnancies! Overall the ones forced upon millions of women across the country now that abortion rights are being taken away. And specifically, her own! Thankfully *not* forced. Comedian and founder of Abortion Access Front Lizz Winstead joins to discuss the dozens of abortion bans sweeping the country, the imminent end or partial end of Roe V. Wade, and the two most...

Rivalry, jealousy, betrayal. The China-U.S. relationship is the stuff of geopolitical daytime drama. Writer and progressive strategist Tobita Chow of Justice Is Global joins Francesca to discuss what China’s ambitions, contradictions, and how the U.S. can avoid conflict by working with not against the rising superpower. And podcast host and sports writer Wosny Lambre dissects the bid by Elon Musk...

Both liberals and conservatives have their heads up their asses on homelessness and housing. They let the market run the table no matter the fact that there are half a million unhoused people on any given night in the U.S. Associate professor at the University of Washington Gregg Colburn joins to talk about his new book “Homelessness is a Housing Problem” which re-affirms the real cause of homeles...

A week of double standards: SCOTUS nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on the one hand grilled to shreds by seething Republicans, and the wife of 30-year conservative veteran Clarence Thomas outed as a Stop the Steal rally organizer. You couldn’t have scripted it better. Comedian Gianmarco Soresi joins to talk about the KBJ hearings and the latest revelations about Ginni Thomas. Will Clarence have the d...

Take it from Muslim Americans: America’s counter-terrorism has done little more than criminalize innocent people. And now those same bogus tactics are being used to root out far right extremists, like the news that the plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor was an FBI sting operation. Is this the best way? Leena Al-Arian, director of Coalition for Civil Freedoms joins the podcast to explain. Plus, the...

Gas prices, the Kardashians, and working toward prison abolition from inside City Hall. A special LIVE episode from the Bell House in which Francesca is joined by comedian Matt Lieb and Sam Seder to break down and bitch about the week's shenanigans, including a look at how the right wing is blaming Greta Thunberg for Putin's war on Ukraine, and Kim K on why nobody wants to work! Least of all her....

A third week of Russia's assault and threats of nuclear war make us wonder why any given madman should be able to end the world? (And it's always a man.) Francesca is joined by Nomiki Konst and comedian Chloe Hilliard to break down the latest in Ukraine and the insane new dimensions this war is taking. Including an WNBA player being held hostage?! Does Russia think the U.S. cares about female athl...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Watch The Bitchuation Room LIVE on Tuesdays 1pm PT/4pmET on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/franifio or Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/franifio. Listen to the show on: iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesbitchuation Google Music: http://bit.ly/GoogleBitchuation Spotify: http://bit.ly/spotifybitchuation Follow the show on: BlueSky: https://bsky.app...

Ukrainian President Zelensky might be a former comedian but Putin is the real clown. Unhinged, erratic and currently trying to do regime change Ukraine, things have gotten very scary for everyday Ukranians, many who have fled the country while others take up arms. Francesca, Wajahat Ali and Andy Kindler break down the various aspects of Russia's war on Ukraine, from Zelensky's heroism to the hypoc...

18 NAKED COWBOYS IN THE SHOWER AT RAM RANCH!! Francesca and Karinda dig into how lefty Ottawans turned a gay anthem into a brilliant anti-vaxxer trolling technique. There's only so many niceties Canadians will regale you with before they get MAD. Do not underestimate them. Listen to the whole bonus episode by going to www.patreon.com/bitchuationroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

What does Putin really really really really really wanna zigga zig ah? Anatol Lieven, author of Ukraine and Russia: A Fraternal Rivalry, joins Francesca to discuss the probabilities and the calculations of all sides when it comes to war in Ukraine. Weapons manufacturers are happy, while Putin wants to exert influence and get a better bargaining chip against NATO. And Tucker Carlson’s AOC obsession...

Biden can regain Americans’ approval if he’d only make an enemy out of the one percent. Does he have it in him? Max Moran of The Revolving Door Project joins to discuss a new study about how both Republicans and Democrats want a crackdown on corporate crime. Plus the Canadian Truckers blockades come to an end … for now. Who was behind the faux working-class movement? And the Trump White House toil...

She was a border patrol agent for six years, until one too many incidents of corruption and violence forced her out. Jenn Budd now dedicates herself to speaking about what she calls America's genocidal policies and its broken immigration system. Francesca sat down with her for an in-depth conversation to understand how the border became so militarized over the years, the extremist culture within C...