The Bitchuation Room

Another variant sweeping the nation is somehow still not as upsetting as Democrats letting Senator Joe Manchin tank Build Back Better Bill. Writer Molly Jong-Fast joins Francesca to discuss Democrats squandering any leverage they once had over the Maserati coal baron, and what it will take for them to actually LEAD damnit. Plus comedian Anthony Atamanuik on Fox News hosts' secret frantic text mess...

Santas are in short supply and high demand. After all why would an elderly overweight man allow small un-vaccinated children on his lap for minimum wage? Gareth and Francesca hear from Santas about their plight, and Gareth recalls when he used to dress up as good ole Saint Nick. To listen to the full bonus bish and every bonus bish, become a patron at www.patreon.com/bitchuationroom .   See acast....

Turns out Nancy Reagan sucked a lot more than we all imagined. Or never wanted to imagine. Comedian Gareth Reynolds joins Francesca to discuss the right's slut shaming gone wrong and Amazon corporation's crass reaction to their own workers killed by a tornado while on the job. Plus, progressive candidates for LA city council Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martinez discuss taking on status quo co...

Ten months after the vaccine rollout and just 11 percent of Africans are fully vaccinated as compared with 72% of North Americans. Why? Big Pharma’s intellectual property rights (ie) money is running the show. And no wealthy nation, certainly none in the EU nor the one led by Joe Biden, is willing to stand up to the pharmaceutical industry’s power. Journalist Sarah Lazare joins to discuss the need...

Trump proved presidents have way too much power. It's easy to flaunt anti-corruption laws in the highest office because, well, they hardly exist. We mostly have cute little "norms" and guidelines. So when should those "norms" be made into laws, and how can we stop the ever-expanding power of the executive branch? Walter Shaub, former director of the Office of Government Ethics, had a front row sea...

What does a trans man think about Senator Josh Hawley's cry that "Democrats are destroying masculinity"? Comedian RB Butcher weighs in. To get this PATREON ONLY content, become a patron at www.patreon.com/bitchuationroom and get an extra 15 minutes of content each week right to your feed. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why can't fascists get original? Banning books is so 1933. And yet here we are with parents raging in school board meetings about "gay themes" in stories. Comedian RB Butcher helps break it down along with understanding why Steve Bannon is so afraid to testify about January 6th. He's not scared, you're scared! Plus IfNotNow director Morriah Kaplan on how American Jews against the occupation are pu...

The pressure is on for democrats to deliver. Biden, Pelosi, Schumer as the horsemen of the infrastructure-pocalypse need to show the nation that they can pass a pared down Build Back Better Act or risk voters losing all faith in them. And were recent elections all bad for team blue? John Nichols of The Nation says not if you’re actually paying attention and care less about drama. Plus, comedian Ma...

Facebook came to life when QAnon believers gathered on the grassy knoll to wait for JFK Jr. Or senior. Comedian and former pastor Steve Hernandez explains to Francesca the overlap between evangelicals and QAnon supporters. Listen to full episode 111 with bonus bish by becoming a patron today for as little as $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/posts/death-by-with-ep-58240239 See acast.com/privacy...

Faith in Biden is slipping. Faith in even progressive representatives is slipping. Whether it’s ending climate change, passing an infrastructure bill or rooting out white supremacy, Democrats too often end up going home when they could go big. On the eve of a bad night for many Democrats (with some silver linings in local elections), Adam Johnson of Citations Needed joins to talk about the failure...

The tables are turning in America's one-sided class war that working people tend to lose. Strikes are cropping up nationwide, and workers are no longer settling for underpaid jobs, and everyone is sharing HBOMax passwords! #Solidarity. Stimulus checks have meant there’s a bit more more ‘fuck you money’ as economist Doug Henwood observes, leading to what some are calling The Great Resignation. Henw...

We now know that AT&T nearly fully funded OANN because they "needed another right-wing news channel." And it just so happens a multi-millionaire who ran a channel called WealthTV (!) was able to set one up in no time. Covid conspiracies, the Big Lie and all kinds of insanity then ensued. A taste of the *Patreon Only* bonus bish. Listen now on an exclusive RSS feed by becoming a patron at just $2 a...

America can’t afford universal childcare! and other red flags. Founder of Moms in Office Simona Grace joins the podcast to discuss why the only way to combat women dropping out of the workforce is by supporting families. Paid leave, childcare, and child tax credits and so much more. Plus soon-to-be-mom Erin Ryan of Hysteria Podcast talks anti-vax job sites, an anti-stealthing law and why people wh...

The MAGA head of an NYPD police union resigns after an FBI raid? What's going on? A snippet from 10/10's bonus bish with comedian Sammy Obeid See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The pod’s first Congressperson! Squad member Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York—who unseated a 16-year Democratic incumbent in 2020— talks border policy, defense spending, and the progressive strategy to deliver on the Build Back Better Act. Plus just how far the anti-vax conspiracy has indoctrinated some, and facebook’s terrible week …continuing to turn a giant profit. The hilarious Sammy Obeid joins...

The most ridiculous revelations from the latest former Trump staffer, including lots of dirty words, CATS and colonoscopies. Listen to the full bonus by becoming a Patron today: https://bit.ly/FullEpBonus107 . Here's how to get the Patreon only RSS feed right to your phone: https://bit.ly /PatreonRSS  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There’s a reason to elect more progressives to Congress: they’re finally organizing within it. David Dayen of The American Prospect joins to talk about the behind the scenes wheelings and dealings of the  infrastructure and transformative Build Back Better bills and the key role that progressives are playing to deliver for the American people. And comedian Zack Bornstein on why 'Salt Bae' is too h...

Occupy vs. Obama, police repression, and whether or not there should have been demands made by organizers. A continued conversation with social justice educator and musician Sonny Singh and comedian Nato Green. Become a Patron to listen to the whole discussion at www.patreon.com/bitchuationroom .  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It was anti-capitalist mass direct action. How did it even happen? Looking back at ten years since Occupy Wall Street, the lasting legacy of a “leaderless” movement with no central demands was actually far greater than anyone could have imagined. It was a moment of resistance, of saying enough is enough. Social justice educator Sonny Singh and comedian Nato Green join Francesca to discuss the less...

There isn't a labor shortage, there's a WAGE shortage. Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage joins Francesca to discuss the openings for real change in the restaurant industry. And comedian Jena Friedman on Texas’ abortion ban is tested by randos and Customs and Border Patrol forgets what year it is and whether black migrants are human. PLUS in a Patreon-only bonus discussion, Jena and France...

How can we lure loved ones away from the conspiracy theory dark side? Dr. Danna Young joins the podcast to discuss how to put away the quick quips and jokes and actually listen to those who we disagree with. Plus, comedian Jesse Fernandez on 20 years since 9-11 and George W. Bush somehow is speaking not from a prison cell, dogs that can smell Covid, and the "Tax the Rich" dress. What do we make of...

From neo-Nazis to composting, what happens in America first happened in Portland. Francesca and comedian Matt Lieb had the pleasure of sitting down in person with BLM activist and journalist Mac Smiff, civil rights strategist Eric K. Ward of Western States Center along with more than 130 fired up audience members to talk about how to uproot white supremacy from the police to the Capitol rioters. P...

Can Peru's new leftist president deliver economic justice for poor and indigenous Peruvians? Professor José Ragas joins to discuss. Meanwhile in the "first world" while Delta cases rage, Americans reject the Covid vaccine and choose livestock de-wormer instead. And guy who definitely has a maid, Bill Maher, comes in hot with the coldest take on Afghanistan. And the only Capitol police officer who...

Everyone thinks they could've done Afghanistan war better! And Biden isn't backing down from his decision to withdraw. Author and activist Max Elbaum joins Francesca to weigh in on the 20-year war and whether this will be a new chapter of American de-militarization (or whether the President will just pivot to military aggression against China.) Plus, comedian Matt Lieb on Covid taking out conspira...

Well that war de-escalated quickly. On the 100th episode of The Bitchuation Room (!) Francesca welcomes Nando Vila of Jacobin Weekends and comedian Jennifer Jajeh to discuss the Afghan government falling once again to the Taliban. You'd think the Americans would've had a bit more of a plan than this? Or was it just to funnel money to weapons manufacturers? Plus, census data scares the right, anti-...