The Bitchuation Room

There isn't a housing crisis if you remember what the housing market does: delivers wealth to landlords. Providing housing is a distant second. Author of "Abolish Rent" Tracy Rosenthal joined Francesca to explain why we need to conceive of the struggle against rent as a class struggle, and organize as tenants. And comedian David Nguyen joins to talk Republican attempts to avoid election certificat...

Real immigration reform has languished under President Biden, and Kamala Harris could offer a new path but will she? Democrats have a pretty awful track record on standing up for immigrants, undocumented or otherwise, while the right has been busy dragged the whole issue to the right. They've built a whole fantastical infrastructure of lies about migrants: Eating cats and dogs, taking over buildin...

A year into a genocide and Israel's dreams are coming true. The U.S. is ratcheting up the rhetoric against Iran and sleepwalking to war, as guest Negar Mortazavi explains. Then Matt Lieb is back to talk Oct 7th anniversary and give Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff some notes on his commemoration. And a monster hurricane is headed for Florida, meteorologists are crying on air, but Republicans are once...

Three major revelations are very worth bitching about related to Hezbollah, weapons and President Biden. Also, Israel SENT WINE to thank U.S. State Department officials for the weapons. The corruption and war criming is out of control. And finally, here's the right way to interview Ta-Nehisi Coates. Frantastic Fridays on The Bitchuation Room are free to watch. To see more bonus content and get acc...

The debate was FINE. Too many pulled punches by Tim Walz and weird backpedaling and slimy triangulating from JD Vance. Plus not enough difference between the two on key issues of war, climate change, and housing. Still Walz knocked it out of the park on abortion and family leave. Francesca goes over all of the highlights and lowlights from the vice presidential debate. *** The Bitchuation Room Pod...

Republicans in battleground states like Georgia are laying the groundwork for a contested election. Journalist Ari Berman explains that through election boards shenanigans, voter purges, and cumbersome last-minute laws, Republicans are hoping that this time around they can delay and spread enough disinformation to swing the election to Trump. Then, comedian Jamie Loftus joins to talk Iran striking...

Iran is trying to assassinate Trump? GET IN LINE! And Eric Adams is indicted with some hilariously details about his buffoonish bribery. Then, Francesca breaks down her latest Piers Morgan appearance featuring telling him to shut up and calling him a hypocrite to his face. Oh it's a fun one. *** The Bitchuation Room Podcast is available everywhere you get your podcasts. It streams LIVE every TUESD...

Israel goes (even more rogue) while serial predator Sean Combs is held without bail. And what is Kamala Harris' plan to combat climate change? Journalist Kate Araonoff joins Francesca to explain the good and the bad of the Biden/Harris climate policy legacy, and comedian Josh Gondelman can't get enough of how much of a walking hyprocrite Lt. Governor Mark Robinson is. Finally a look at high profil...

This episode is ALL ABOUT LOVE. Many bell hooks references and so much critical conversation with the inimitable Laverne Cox: four time Emmy-nominated actress, Emmy winning documentary film producer and a prominent equal rights advocate. Laverne joined to talk all about the backlash to transgender visibility and transgender acceptance, in the form of draconian anti-trans laws around sports, health...

It's all fun and eating cats until 33 bomb threats are called into a single town. Springfield has been reeling since JD Vance and Donald Trump made it the center of their racist anti-immigrant crusade. Author Talia Lavin joins to talk about how what the Haitian migrants have been subjected to is none other than pogram-like tactics: lies then violence. Then, Nation journalist Sarah Lazare joins to...

Polls polls polls! Francesca speaks with Tom Bonier of TargetSmart about the huge surge in voter registration this week following the "Swift Effect" which follows the "Harris Effect" which is follows the "Dobbs Effect". In other words women are registering and voting and fighting for their rights. Follow Tom Bonier on X: www.x.com/tbonier. Frantastic Fridays on The Bitchuation Room are free to wat...

What did we just watch? Vice President Harris pummeled Donald Trump on issue after issue as the old guy could barely keep a thought straight in his own head. He had nothing but wild claims about migrants eating pets, transgender surgeries in prisons, and a whole lot of running from his own record. But hey at least there's the "concepts of a plan" on healthcare. Meanwhile, how did Kamala Harris do?...

How has terrible U.S. policy in Latin America led to waves of predictable migration? Michael Fox, author and host of the podcast Under the Shadow, joins Francesca to discuss how Latin America has been forever caught between neoliberal economic "development" or flat out coups, but never able to truly be sovereign. Plus a look at VERY COOL SMART BUSINESS DUDE Elon Musk's battle with the Brazilian co...

On this very Frantastic Friday, Francesca plucks a few choice moments from Kamala Harris and Tim Walz's interview with CNN to dissect. Specifically her thoughts on immigration, Gaza, and whether she is flip flopping now that she is running in a general election. Short answer: yes. The overall takeaway is, who is Kamala Harris really? What kind of administration will she run? We simply do not know...

The DNC is over and the good vibes campaign can only last so long even though it's better than Trump's creeptastic candidacy. Alex Shepard of The New Republic Magazine joins Francesca to assess whether the DNC reflects the Democrats are becomig more progressive, and the pivot of the Harris campaign toward positive messaging, despite their clear fumbling of the Palestinian speaker. Comedian Karinda...

Francesca is back from Chicago and ready to dive in to all the DNC post mortem. Why wasn't a Palestinian asked to speak? Was Kamala Harris inspiring? Why wasn't Francesca allowed in as a creator?! *** The Bitchuation Room Podcast is available everywhere you get your podcasts. It streams LIVE every TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY and FRIDAY at 1/4pmEST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/franifio and Twitch: ht...

Forget the DNC, TBR was the only show in town! Francesca and Matt Lieb make it to Chicago for a live podcast to talk real progressive power in the windy city with some amazing guests: Alderman Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, editor of In These Times Miles Kampf-Lassin and comedian Walter Masterson. Together they tackled Kamala's economic plan and the right's freakout over it, and local Israeli Hasbaris...

How will Mexico's new president Claudia Sheinbaum tackle the spiral of cartel violence and political corruption? We know that the U.S. keeps outsourcing drug violence and guns to its Latin American neighbors, a fact that destabilizes the region and leads to more migration. Author and journalist Ioan Grillo is back on the podcast to talk about the balance between cracking down on gangs while not co...

It takes honesty and humility to de-program from Israel's propaganda. Co-founder of IfNotNow Simone Zimmerman explains her journey, the pressure on Kamala Harris, and the sickening bedfellows between high-powered Zionists and white nationalists. And comedian Eliza Skinner joins Francesca to talk about Olympic boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yun-Ting both winning gold, and Trump's dentured lisp in his...

All the white nationalists walk like this...away from Donald Trump's campaign? Oh no! Plus, Francesca reminds us all of Rep. Cori Bush's roots on this 10th anniversary of Mike Brown's murder. And Kamala's terrible response to anti-genocide protesters needs a whole lot of work. Then, Israel puts a criminal on television to explain away sexual assault of Palestinian prisoners. COOL! *** Francesca an...

Could it be that we have a reason to celebrate? Kamala Harris chooses Governor Tim Walz, a guy who's enacted a progressive wishlist in the state of Minnesota, signaling she's listening to the base. And the other side has... crypto-fascist billionaires bankrolling their couch-loving veep, JD Vance. Comedian Laurie Kilmartin joins Francesca to take stock of what Walz adds to the ticket and author Pa...

Israel assassinates both a Hamas' political leader in Tehran (the guy who was working on a ceasefire deal) and a Hezbollah leader inside of Beirut, begging for a regional war with Iran and Lebanon. What will the United States do? Trita Parsi of The Quincy Institute joins Francesca to discuss the implications of this week and whether World War Three will be staved off or encouraged by Joe Biden. Fr...

We're talking Democrats and UK's Labour Party in an episode all about the push and pull between status quo and progressive change. Senator Nina Turner joins to talk Veep Kamala Harris now at the top of the ticket and the need to beat Trump while never taking off the pressure on Democrats. And Sonya Massey, another Black woman is killed in her home by a police officer who feels more like the standa...

Kamala meets with Netanyahu and things are icy, especially after delivering the strongest public remarks against the assault on Gaza we have heard from any American official. Francesca gives her take on how we must divide the elites over Palestine, starting with Harris. Then JD Vance's "childless cat ladies" remarks ricochet around the country, souring voters from every stripe. Maybe his couch-f*c...

Biden's out and Kamala is in. Francesca and comedian Nato Green dig into the Vice President's record in California, whether she'll prove to be better on Gaza, and if she is or is not, brat. Then James Zogby, political analyst and founder of the Arab American Institute joins to talk about how Harris should play a meeting with Bibi (if she must meet with him at all) and how Biden being surrounded by...