The Bitchuation Room

A $1.7 billion “retribution” fund for Jan 6ers is set up while SNAP benefits get cut while Trump critics lose their elections — the cult is real and total loyalty is required. Plus: a California judge has permanently banned Kars4Kids from the airwaves…for being a pro-Israel op the whole time?! I coulda told you that. Then, he co-founded Justice Democrats, helped elect the Squad, and served as AOC's chief of staff — now Saikat Chakrabarti is running for Congress in San Francisco's 11th district. We talk about being a class traitor, public ownership of AI, fighting fascism from inside Congress, and why crypto billionaires are already cutting ads against him. Featuring: Saikat Chakrabarti (52:32), co-founder of Justice Democrats and former Chief of Staff to AOC, candidate for Congress in California's 11th district https://www.saikat.us/enhttps://www.instagram.com/saikatforcongress/ *** Rock the pod on your bod. Get a brand new “Abolish ICE” t-shirt and a brand new mug at: www.bitchuationroom.com. *** Thanks to Paige Oamek, Andy Vasoyan & Brent Godin *** Minneapolis August 20th: The Bitchuation Room will be LIVE! at The Parkway Theater. Get tickets here: https://theparkwaytheater.com/all-events/bitchuation-room *** Follow The Bitchuation Room on Twitter @BitchuationPod BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bitchuationroom.bsky.social IG: https://www.instagram.com/bitchuationroom/ Check Out The Bitchuation Room Podcast on: iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesbitchuation Google Music: http://bit.ly/GoogleBitchuation Stitcher: http://bit.ly/stitcherbitchuation Spotify: http://bit.ly/spotifybitchuation Find Francesca On: Substack: franifio.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/franifio YouTube: The Bitchuation Room’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/franifio Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/franifio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Franifio IG: https://www.instagram.com/franifio/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump and a bunch of billionaires go to China to cut deals for themselves, while Chuck Schumer fumes about not being more belligerent towards Xi. Meanwhile Xi himself sneak-disses the fall of the American Empire with a reference to the Thucydides Trap. Okay, Athenian scholar! Emma Vigeland of The Majority Report joins to talk about whether it's punching down to make fun of medically stupid MAGA supporters, and Nicholas Kristoff's latest piece for the NYTimes on systematic sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners. Finally, a little look down the Kasparian-hole in her latest interview with Myriam François on how she wants to stop talking about race. Excuse us Ana, we were never sure you started? Featuring: Emma Vigeland https://x.com/EmmaVigeland @TheMajorityReport *** Rock the pod on your bod. Get a brand new “Abolish ICE” t-shirt and a brand new mug at: www.bitchuationroom.com. *** Support the show becoming a patron https://www.patreon.com/bitchuationroom and get NEW exclusive perks. You can also be a member on YouTube, Twitch, or a paid subscriber on substack: franifio.substack.com. *** May 21st, 8pm - Pasadena! Francesca and Matt Lieb will be LIVE for New World Disorder at The Ice House. Tickets $16 here: https://events.leapevents.com/event/new-world-disorder-05-21-26-8-pm *** Thanks to Paige Oamek, Andy Vasoyan & Brent Godin *** Follow The Bitchuation Room on Twitter @BitchuationPod BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bitchuationroom.bsky.social Check Out The Bitchuation Room Podcast on: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/iTunesbitchuation Google Music: http://bit.ly/GoogleBitchuation Stitcher: http://bit.ly/stitcherbitchuation Spotify: http://bit.ly/spotifybitchuation Find Francesca On: Substack: franifio.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/franifio YouTube: The Bitchuation Room’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/franifio Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/franifio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Franifio Insta: https://www.instagram.com/franifio/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*This is a sneak peak from our new patron-exclusive interview series: HOT BUTTON. To listen to the full interview where we dig into homelessness, the Olympics, and whether Kenneth can do your taxes, become a patron for as little as $5 a month at www.patreon.com/bitchuationroom.* How can a city both be one of the most expensive in the world and broke AF? Something’s clearly not right. Los Angeles is home to 3.8 million people and 1 million taquerias. And every issue the country faces, from housing shortages to busted social services, Los Angeles has it in spades. So what’s going on and where’s all the taxpayer money going? Francesca sat down with the person who oversees Los Angeles’ money: Kenneth Mejia. He’s a long-time housing rights activist and certified public accountant, and since 2022 when he became Los Angeles’ controller, has been putting LA’s finances on blast. Through social media, dashboards on homelessness and strategic billboards, Kenneth is showing Angelenos just where their money is going. Spoiler: it’s mostly to the cops. They discuss everything from the exorbitant police budget that includes half a billion dollars in liability claims, to why homelessness services are not being delivered to the some 40,000 unhoused Angelenos, and the very flawed approach to “affordable housing”. Finally, how much is the Olympics going to cost Los Angeles and will it make that money back? ** SUPPORT KENNETH’S RE-ELECTION AND GET SOME CORGI SWAG GO TO: https://www.mejiaforcontroller.com/ ** Join the Patreon for as little as $5 a month, the only price not surging from the Iran war. Head to https://www.patreon.com/bitchuationroom to sign up for the most member-only perks. Or you can become a member on YouTube by hitting the JOIN button, OR become a paid member on Substack franifio.substack.com. Or why not all three? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don’t call it a war! It’s an excursion, a vision quest, an unwoke walkabout. Gas prices are rising along with the death toll, and Trump officials say there could be boots on the ground. We spoke about the propaganda and absurdity of the first two weeks of this war on Iran with expert Negar Mortazavi (13:52). Then, while missiles fly overhead in Israel, settlers are attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank at a terrifying rate. Including American citizens. Journalist Jasper Nathaniel talks about the collaboration between settlers and the Israeli military, how he himself was chased by settlers during an olive harvest last fall, and what we should be demanding of our Democratic leaders (47:20). The Bitchuation Room LIVE in Los Angeles with Emma Vigeland is SOLD OUT for Sunday March 22nd at Dynasty Typewriter. But become a patron or a member on YouTube and get exclusive access to the video version of it. *** Support the show becoming a patron https://www.patreon.com/bitchuationroom and get exclusive perks. You can also be a member on YouTube, Twitch, or a paid subscriber on substack: franifio.substack.com. *** Get your union-made podcast merch: www.bitchuationroom.com *** Thanks to Paige Oamek, Andy Vasoyan & Brent Godin *** Follow The Bitchuation Room on Twitter @BitchuationPod BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bitchuationroom.bsky.social Check Out The Bitchuation Room Podcast on: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/iTunesbitchuation Google Music: http://bit.ly/GoogleBitchuation Stitcher: http://bit.ly/stitcherbitchuation Spotify: http://bit.ly/spotifybitchuation Find Francesca On: Substack: franifio.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/franifio YouTube: The Bitchuation Room’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/franifio Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/franifio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Franifio Insta: https://www.instagram.com/franifio/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who is really calling the shots in the US military operations in Iran? Marco Rubio and Mike Johnson are very open to admitting that Israel is the one who is dragging the US into war. Meanwhile Hegseth says his Department of War is different because it’s not woke. Francesca breaks down the latest on Iran plus the news about Kristi Noem's luxury Big Beautiful (Booty Call) Jet. Then, we'll talk with labor historian, author, and professor Eric Blanc (53:55) about what a real general strike would look like, the lessons about organizing from Minneapolis, and why blanket boycotts might be bullshit. The Bitchuation Room will be LIVE in Los Angeles with Emma Vigeland on Sunday March 22nd at Dynasty Typewriter. Tickets here: https://bit.ly/TBR322 *** Support the show becoming a patron https://www.patreon.com/bitchuationroom and get exclusive perks. You can also be a member on YouTube, Twitch, or a paid subscriber on substack: franifio.substack.com. *** Get your union-made podcast merch: www.bitchuationroom.com *** Thanks to Paige Oamek, Andy Vasoyan & Brent Godin *** Follow The Bitchuation Room on Twitter @BitchuationPod BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bitchuationroom.bsky.social Check Out The Bitchuation Room Podcast on: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/iTunesbitchuation Google Music: http://bit.ly/GoogleBitchuation Stitcher: http://bit.ly/stitcherbitchuation Spotify: http://bit.ly/spotifybitchuation Find Francesca On: Substack: franifio.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/franifio YouTube: The Bitchuation Room’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/franifio Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/franifio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Franifio Insta: https://www.instagram.com/franifio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She’s a badass housing attorney who’s written tenant protection policies and is now running for city council at a time when LA is more expensive than ever. And she’s looking to unseat the most conservative city councilmember here, Traci Park. She is Faizah Malik looking to represent real people in one of the wealthiest districts in the city on a message of affordability and true safety. As LA city council emerges from years of corruption and scandal, Faizah could join a growing number of council members who come from the grassroots and who reject corporate donations. She talks about ICE attacks on the city, the Palisades rebuilding, Olympics 2028, and why sitting councilmember Traci Park is funded by and supports big real estate, big oil and the far right. It’s time to defeat the MAGA of LA. Go to www.faizahforla.com to get involved. The Bitchuation Room will be LIVE in Los Angeles with Emma Vigeland on Sunday March 22nd at Dynasty Typewriter. Tickets here: https://bit.ly/TBR322 *** Support the show becoming a patron https://www.patreon.com/bitchuationroom and get exclusive perks. You can also be a member on YouTube, Twitch, or a paid subscriber on substack: franifio.substack.com. *** Get your union-made podcast merch: www.bitchuationroom.com *** Thanks to Paige Oamek, Andy Vasoyan & Brent Godin *** Follow The Bitchuation Room on Twitter @BitchuationPod BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bitchuationroom.bsky.social Check Out The Bitchuation Room Podcast on: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/iTunesbitchuation Google Music: http://bit.ly/GoogleBitchuation Stitcher: http://bit.ly/stitcherbitchuation Spotify: http://bit.ly/spotifybitchuation Find Francesca On: Substack: franifio.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/franifio YouTube: The Bitchuation Room’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/franifio Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/franifio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Franifio Insta: https://www.instagram.com/franifio/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices