The Bitchuation Room

How do the police run cover for white supremacists? Portland-based Journalist Robert Evans of the Behind the Bastards Podcast joins Francesca to discuss prospects for any kind of police reform one year after the murder of George Floyd. Plus Republicans don’t want to have to ever think about January 6th and what their colleagues may or may not have done. And they won’t have to if they vote down a c...

Everything Israel/Palestine all in one episode. From Francesca’s story of being politicized about the occupation, to Matt Lieb’s bizarre Birth Right trip, to a liberal zionist puppet (actual puppets not some right-wing term), plus the brilliant activist, attorney and author Noura Erakat, this episode jam packed. Noura discusses the occupation, the plight of Palestinians living within the 1948 bord...

'How’re you going to pay for it?’ It's a refrain progressives hear every time any social program is proposed. Professor Stephanie Kelton and proponent of Modern Monetary Theory has an idea: the government can make it rain, help the people, and f*ck the haters. Deficit spending isn’t actually that big of a problem, she says, so long as inflation is controlled through taxes. Francesca and comedian N...

Francesca is jabbed and jazzed, while Piers Morgan defends Disney royalty, and Ben Shapiro’s only problem on God’s green earth is trans-inclusive language. John Iadarola of The Damage Report joins Francesca to discuss the right’s 'woke mob' outrage mill, and whether or not Joe Biden will ever actually hold Trump and Republicans accountable for their many crimes. Plus, comedian Emily Maya Mills won...

Want to understand power and left political strategy? Alicia Garza of Black Futures Lab is just the thinker and organizer to listen to. She joins Francesca to talk openly about Biden’s surprisingly progressive plans and how social movements need to keep up the pressure specifically on immigration and racial justice. Plus comedian Matt Lieb is here to discuss Elizabeth Warren’s new memoir on her pr...

A suspect voicemail from Matt Gaetz, Biden nears 100 days in office and a Disney World Dad gets mad. Florida state representative Anna Eskamani joins to talk about how she was creeped on by Matt Gaetz and his convicted-of-sex-trafficking tax collector friend, the Democratic machine in Florida and whether Dems are finally speaking to the needs of the people, and the Republican Party’s identity cris...

It’s “game on” for mass shootings which means thoughts and prayers for gun control. And is the country finally catching on to the idea that police "reform" is not nearly enough? As guest Dr. Melina Abdullah explains, police must be re-imagined. We talk about local defund the police victories in Los Angeles, and how politicians and the powers that be are trying to walk even those gains ba...

After so much excitement, sadly the workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama weren't able to form a union. Still the fight isn't over! Labor organizer and comedian Nato Green joins to give his post mortem on the campaign, as well as Professor Robin D.G. Kelley whose written extensively about labor history in Alabama and the South. Plus some extra pieces left on the table from episode 83...

How can a Black Marxist analysis help us stop fascism? Solid easy question for Yahoo Answers. Professor Robin D.G. Kelley joins Francesca and comedian Nato Green to discuss the importance of both an anti-capitalist and an anti-racist analysis. He digs into the roots of the current BLM movement and how the once-fringe discussions around prison abolition are becoming more mainstream. Plus, QAnon is...

Let us bask in the glow of creep Rep. Matt Gaetz's smoldering political career! Comedian Jamie Loftus and investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein join Francesca to dive into all cringey details of a political douchebag's downfall. Plus, Trump donors were duped into donating sometimes SEVEN times as much as much as they wanted, and major corporations go toe-to-toe with Republicans in Georgia over...

When it comes to reparations, think local! That's the advice of film director Symone Baptiste who joins Francesca to talk about her comedy short $16,000, and the worst case and best case scenarios for reparations in America. Plus comedian Jackie Kashian on the Capitol rioter says she can't go to jail because she's blonde, and a very union-scared Amazon getting extra catty on Twitter. And finally,...

It’s up to you, New York! The mayoral race is around the corner and somehow the libertarian entrepreneur who poses as progressive, Andrew Yang, is one of the front runners. NYC-based activist Rafael Shimunov joins Francesca Fiorentini and comedian Matt Lieb for an in-depth look at New York politics in the year 2021: from Andrew Cuomo’s origin story of an a-hole and why he should definitely resign,...

Biden might be missing a crucial window to fix the broken Iran Deal. That’s according to Francesca’s guest for the week, foreign policy analyst Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute. They discuss how the U.S. can FINALLY leave the Middle East without Saudi Arabia, Israel, or its own idiocy pulling it back in. Plus Melbourne comedian Aamer Rahman joins all the way from Istanbul to talk about marijuan...

After Covid-19, let’s inoculate humanity against libertarians! The environmental activist and professor Bill McKibben (350.org) joins Francesca to assess Biden’s plan to combat climate change. Will it be fast enough to take advantage of the few years we have left to prevent massive climate meltdown? Gulp. Plus the wonderful comedian, writer and actor Anthony Atamanuik (The President Show) joins to...

The Senate passes the Covid stimulus package! Lots-o-money for unemployment, vaccines, schools, live venues, $1400 direct payments to parents and kids, child tax credits and not a single Republican voted for it. Fun. Yet some conservative Democrats, after stalling the entire process to score their own brownie points, did eventually vote yes. Emma Vigeland of The Majority Report joins host Francesc...

“Left to their own devices, this will be a one-term administration.” Naomi Klein, author, journalist and proof that you SHOULD meet your heroes, pulls no punches when speaking about the Biden Administration. She joined Francesca and Nato Green for a bonus episode to discuss climate change and capitalism’s failures from Hurricane Katrina, to Puerto Rico and Hurricane Maria, and now to the snowstorm...

When the bias trainings, body cams, and oversight doesn’t work, it’s time to defund the police. Maybe even time think about why we ever needed police in the first place? Gasp! Professor Alex Vitale breaks down why the connection between austerity politics of cities and the policing of the poor, and why the left should focus on Democratic governors and mayors as well as Republican lawmakers. Speaki...

No war but the class war! Journalist Kim Kelly joins to talk about a union drive in an Amazon warehouse in deep red Alabama, led mostly by women and black workers. Also comedian and writer Mike Drucker joins Francesca to talk about capitalist deregulation failing Texans during a deep freeze, and Ted "Cancun" Cruz who keeps digging himself his own political grave in all that snow. Plus Rush Limbaug...

Trump’s second impeachment came and went faster than a Tinder date on Valentines. As predicted, Republican Senators voted to acquit former President Trump, proving that yes, you can unleash MAGA hounds onto elected officials when you lose an election with no little to no consequences. Politico’s Eugene Daniels joins Francesca Fiorentini and comedian Matt Lieb to dissect the ex-president's sloppy d...

"Modi is far worse than Trump," says activist and author Harsha Walia. She joins Francesca and comedian Nato Green to discuss the millions of farmers in India rising up against exploitative agricultural reforms. What’s the history of farmer resistance in India, and how does the rise of Hindu fascism play a part in the ongoing repression? Plus, a MyPillow competitor, a coup in Myanmar, and Marjorie...

Redditors may have won the battle but they’ll never win the war, since entire battlefield is controlled by fat cats on Wall Street. Former finance professional turned advocate for financial reform, Alexis Goldstein stopped by The Bitchuation Room to drop knowledge on what Gamestonks means for regulating Wall St. moving forward. Also what does “shorting stock” mean and what should progressives be d...

Is Medicare For All possible in California first? Not without cajoling these industry-cozy Democrats. Organizer Michael Lighty of Healthy CA joins to discuss the strategy moving forward and the pressure needed to win. Plus comedian Danielle Perez talks about being scolded by her financial planner on Gamestonks, Marjorie Taylor Greene and the hall of mirrors that is the Covid-19 vaccine rollout. Fi...

Just because Facebook did the right thing by booting Trump, doesn’t mean it will stop monetizing hate. Katharine Trendacosta of the Electronic Frontier Foundation joins The Bitchuation Room to talk about breaking up big tech while preserving actual free speech, saving our privacy and why the right has no idea that Orwell was a socialist. Plus Biden’s first week, Bernie’s mittens, and Mitch McConne...

Moving day has arrived for Don. After the failed coup, being impeached (again) and with donors jumping the GOP ship, this is perhaps the most predictable end to a trash presidency. Now comes Biden, with some bad ideas and some good ones, and a lot of work ahead. Miles Gray (The Daily Zeitgeist) joins Francesca to talk impeachment, Rudy, the NRA, and MyPillow guy. Then Alexandra Rojas, Executive Di...

A karen, a proud boy and a confederate walk into the Capitol building trying to overturn an election… stop me if you’ve heard this one. We’re digging into the implications of this chilling attack on lawmakers and democracy with author and organizer Bill Fletcher Jr.. Was the crowd just a forgotten white working class? And where are the openings for real change even under a Biden administration? Pl...