Podcast
Unf*cking The Republic
Hosted by UNFTR Media · EN
Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.
72episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Omnibus (6-13-26).
Jun 1301:43:21Tap to summarizeMax and 99 are here for another round of Omnibus. They hit headlines on Jared Kushner’s foreign entanglements, the screwworm outbreak threatening the beef supply, a tribute to revolutionary historian Gordon Wood, and a 77-year-old who lost his life savings to a gold coin scam. Then they tackle listener emails on stopping Musk’s grift and Bernie’s proposed AI wealth fund. They rank their Top 5 people who owe them a personal apology. Enjoy! Chapters Intro 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:29:13 Emails: 01:11:55 Top 5: 01:32:14 Memberships: 01:42:45 Outro: 01:43:09 Resources The Hill: Trump officials play Biden blame game as screwworm spreads Politico: A flesh-eating pest threatens Trump’s beef price hopes Mother Jones: They Went to Jared Business Insider: A 77-year-old lost $390,000 of his retirement savings after picking up a scam call. Now he wants to help others. WSWS: A Tribute to Gordon S. Wood, Historian of the American Revolution New York Times: Scott Pelley on the Bari Weiss Era and His Last Days at ‘60 Minutes’ Business Insider: Bari Weiss was supposed to ‘restore trust’ in CBS News. It’s eroding, says CNN’s Brian Stelter. New York Times: Bernie Sanders: A.I. Is a Public Resource. You Should Own Half of It. Book Love Stephen Kinzer: The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles, and Their Secret World War UNFTR Resources Episode: F*ck Milton Friedman. Video: SpaceX IPO: What They’re Not Telling Retail Investors. Episode: Dear Rebekkkah Mercer. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Demand Destruction and the “Resilience Paradox.”
Jun 1200:25:31Tap to summarizeDonald Trump has already destroyed much of the global economy, but the worst has yet to hit the United States. This “resilience paradox” is the result of early stage demand destruction, something economists fear and policy makers have no defense against. There are multiple factors holding the U.S. economy together in a way that other countries cannot manage. And most of the damage is baked in and irreversible. Thus far, one of the more powerful dynamics has been the market’s hesitation to bet long or short on price movement, because of the fluid and unpredictable nature of Trump’s on-again/off-again announcements regarding the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. We dissect it all and lay out the scenarios ahead and what it means for the American consumer. Resources The Hill: Trump's sharp Iran reversal: Teases deal & cancels strikes after Kharg Island threats RSMUS: American demand destruction: Seven channels that compound to threaten U.S. growth CarEdge: The Auto Loan Crisis Just Hit a 32-Year Record: What It Means for Car Prices McKinsey: An update on US consumer sentiment: Gloomier outlook ahead of sunnier days Bloomberg: Why Oil’s Not at $200 After the Biggest Supply Shock in History Autoweek: U.S. Auto Sales On Track for 2.6 Percent Drop in 2026 as War and Tariffs Cloud Outlook BLS: CPI Data MacroMicro: US - Housing Price Index vs. Rent Inflation BLS: Real Earnings Summary - 2026 M05 Results -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →The SpaceX IPO Fraud: Truly Out of This World.
Jun 1100:20:05Tap to summarizeThis episode of UNFTR is an exclusive deep dive into the SpaceX IPO prospectus. It reveals what might be the biggest fraud and money grab in the public markets ever. The baseless $1.77 trillion dollar valuation at a list price of $135 at auction stands to add hundreds of billions of dollars to Elon Musk’s net worth, and that’s not the most outrageous part about this. The company currently loses billions of dollars every year, admits freely that most of the anticipated revenue streams are either currently illegal, highly unethical or perhaps non-existent. But hey, it’s Elon. What’s the worst that can happen? Believe it or not, there’s a lot more at risk here than just one company tanking after an outrageously overhyped IPO. And the average American investor with a 401(k) or IRA is very much an unwitting participant in the scam. Resources Bloomberg: SpaceX IPO Is Well Oversubscribed With Orders Closing Wednesday New York Times: How Banks Are Using SpaceX to Woo the Superrich SEC: SpaceX Form S-1 CNBC: SpaceX’s market-moving potential: Here’s what to know More Perfect Union: We Uncovered a Hidden Wealth Transfer in the SpaceX IPO. You’re Holding the Bag. UNFTR Resources Video: SpaceX IPO: What They're Not Telling Retail Investors Essay: The SpaceX IPO Fraud. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Omnibus (6-8-26).
Jun 801:06:07Tap to summarizeMax and 99 are back after a week of colds, poison ivy, and Knicks supremacy. They hit headlines on the left’s idea problem, Google’s water pledges and data center backlash, Meta embedding face recognition into its smart glasses app, and Phoebe Bridgers playing MSG. Then they tackle listener emails on Democratic double standards, Israel and the hypocrisy talking point, and keeping Gaza woven into every story. Plus, they rank their Top 5 unhinged things they’d do with billionaire money. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:00:05 Headlines: 00:14:28 Emails: 00:36:22 Top 5: 00:53:33 Memberships: 01:03:21 Outro: 01:05:57 Resources The Verge: AI has a water problem. Google thinks it has a fix Dissent Magazine: The Left Needs Ideas TechCrunch: Erin Brockovich takes aim at data center secrecy The Verge: Republicans want the FBI to probe whether foreign adversaries are stoking US data center backlash. Wired: Meta Silently Added Face-Recognition Code for Its Smart Glasses to Millions of Phones Pitchfork: Phoebe Bridgers to Play Surprise Madison Square Garden Show UNFTR Resources Read: The Donroe Doctrine. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →On The Record (6-02-26).
Jun 200:23:28Tap to summarizeThis week we made the case that AI breaks a fundamental economic law: the bigger it gets, the more expensive it is to run, which is the exact opposite of how transformative technologies are supposed to work. The IPO trio of OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX looks less like the next internet and more like the last big exit for early investors before the whole thing deflates. Then we looked at the manufacturing uptick, which sounds like good news until you realize a lot of it may just be companies stockpiling inventory before prices get even worse. Chapters Intro: 00:00:36 Quick Takes: 00:01:34 Max Notes: 00:09:02 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:18:03 Chart of the Week: 00:19:27 Headlines: 00:21:11 Outro: 00:23:05 Resources CSPAN’s Book TV: Robert Caro Reveals Details of His Final Lyndon Johnson Biography Forbes Breaking News: Bessent Asked If Data Showing Americans Dipping Into Savings To Pay For Gas, Groceries Concerns Him CBS Mornings: Graham Platner’s sexting controversy rocks his campaign New York Times: Platner’s Texts With Women Concerned Campaign as Senate Race Took Off Yahoo! Finance: OpenAI CEO Altman denies company is looking into government bailout More Perfect Union: We Uncovered a Hidden Wealth Transfer in the SpaceX IPO. You’re Holding the Bag. ISM World: ISM® Manufacturing PMI® Report May 2026 Bloomberg: US Manufacturing Activity Expands by Most in Four Years Bloomberg: US Manufacturing Expands Most in Four Years on Stockpiling Rush CNN: Artists are bailing on a Trump-backed concert series for America’s 250th. Now he’s hosting his own ceremony Time: Sam Altman Says AI ‘Jobs Apocalypse’ He Once Predicted Probably Won’t Happen. Bloomberg: Canada Dips Into Technical Recession for First Time Since 2020 UNFTR Resources Watch: On The Record 6/2/26 (When the AI Bubble Will Burst | Ben Shapiro | Graham Platner). Essay: When the AI Bubble Will Pop. Read: The Donroe Doctrine. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Omnibus (5-30-26).
May 3001:25:07Tap to summarizeMax and 99 return to close out the month with another Omnibus. They hit headlines on the Jacobin AI debate, U.S. complicity in the flotilla torture, and USDA plans, then tackle listener emails on financial repression, mortgage rates, and a stablecoin question from the crypto heist episode. They rank their Top 5 fictional characters you'd want on your side in a crisis, and close out with some movie talk. Enjoy, Unf*ckers! Chapters Intro: 00:00:08 Headlines: 00:02:36 Emails: 00:42:29 Top 5: 01:02:01 Beyond the Bullshit: 01:12:46 Memberships: 01:24:25 Outro: 01:25:00 Resources Common Dreams: Global Sumud Flotilla Urges Probe of US Complicity in Members’ Abduction and Torture by Israel Jacobin: Democratic Governance of AI Is the Real Solution Jacobin: Stop the AI Build-Out, Start the Fight Bad Faith: Breaking Down Jacobin's MIND BOGGLING Pro AI Article (W/ Levine, Ongweso & Regunberg) Mother Jones: USDA Plan to Jack Up Line Speeds at Meatpacking Plants Seems Like a Terrible Idea UNFTR Resources Episode: A (Mostly) Vegan World: Plantf*ckers Can Save Us All -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →On The Record (5-26-26).
May 2600:23:14Tap to summarizeThis week we looked at the AI capital black hole—three companies with a combined $3 trillion in prospective market cap preparing to go public while public R&D budgets get gutted and the rest of the economy gets starved of investment. Then we checked in on consumer sentiment, which has basically fallen off a cliff, because when gas hits $5 a gallon and inflation keeps eating your paycheck, reality has a way of setting in. Chapters Intro: 00:00:38 Quick Takes: 00:01:33 Max Notes: 00:04:47 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:18:17 Chart of the Week: 00:20:03 Headlines: 00:21:38 Outro: 00:22:57 Resources Remarkably Bright Creatures The Vanguard: Jillian Michaels ROASTED by Her OWN AUDIENCE After Sam Seder SMACKDOWN (Plus She Calls US Out???) CNBC International Live: Jeff Currie on potential U.S.-Iran peace deal: Sell the tweet, buy the molecule National Science Foundation: Trends in U.S. R&D Performance and Funding Goldman Sachs: Tracking Trillions: The Assumptions Shaping the Scale of the AI Build-Out CNBC: Tech AI spending may approach $700 billion this year, but the blow to cash raises red flags McKinsey: The cost of compute: A $7 trillion race to scale data centers IG: SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic: upcoming IPOs to watch in 2026 New York Times: OpenAI Prepares to File to Go Public in Coming Weeks Reuters: OpenAI lays groundwork for juggernaut IPO at up to $1 trillion valuation Bankrate: The 10 Largest American IPOs Of All Time WIPO: Global Innovation Index 2025 - Global Innovation Tracker Nature: US science after a year of Trump: what has been lost and what remains Scroll Deep: Why are they people-shaped? ITIF: How Reducing Federal R&D Reduces GDP Growth University of Michigan: Final Results for May 2026 WSWS: The Ebola epidemic, imperialism and the political economy of social murder Truthout: The Justice Department Just Shut Disabled People Out of Essential Online Services for Another Year The Lever: The Pro-Israel Lobby’s Quiet Cash Shuffle UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 5/26/26 (Will SpaceX and OpenAI Starve the Market?) Essay: The AI Black Hole. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Omnibus (5-23-26).
May 2301:52:18Tap to summarizeMax and 99 are back, again! They hit headlines on Cuba, prediction markets, AI getting booed at graduations, and James Murdoch. Then they tackle listener corrections, emails on data centers and why Americans cling to empire. Plus, they rank their Top 5 things we all pretend are normal but are absolutely ridiculous. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:00:23 Max Is Tweaked: 00:07:54 Headlines: 00:27:57 Emails: 00:54:24 Top 5: 01:26:34 Beyond the Bullshit: 01:45:56 Memberships: 01:51:21 Outro: 01:51:55 Resources Common Dreams: 11,000 Children Among Tens of Thousands ‘Waiting for Surgery’ in Cuba Due to US Blockade npr: Minnesota becomes first state to ban prediction market Bloomberg: Communist Cuba Is Leaning on Capitalists After Oil Runs Out New York Times: James Murdoch, Intent on ‘Thoughtful Journalism,’ Buys Half of Vox Media HuffPo: Speakers At College Commencement Ceremonies Are Being Met With Boos For Bringing Up AI UNFTR Resources Video: Castro Indictment Proves US Plans to Invade Cuba Video: These Trump Scandals Are Unprecedented Video: Trump’s Crypto Bill Just Cleared Committee—Here’s What It Actually Does -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →The Real Story Behind the Castro Indictment.
May 2200:21:14Tap to summarizeThe charges against Raúl Castro are the pretext for another invasion into a neighboring country in Latin America. Our sick paternalistic attitude toward the LAC region is a cancer on the world, and it’s clearly not in our own power to put an end to it. In this episode, Max discusses the charges, speaks to the Castro regime, the history between our nations after the ‘59 revolution and the hypocrisy of the American media. He appends the piece with a three step plan that would outflank the United States and level the playing field. Resources Democracy Now!: Mariela Castro, Daughter of Cuban President, Helps Lead Struggle for LGBTQ Rights in Cuba Common Dreams: 11,000 Children Among Tens of Thousands ‘Waiting for Surgery’ in Cuba Due to US Blockade Mother Jones: Trump Has Been Investing in Companies and Then Pumping Them in His Speeches The Guardian: Trump has created a slush fund of taxpayer money to give to his friends Yahoo! Finance: Eric Trump says family assets invested in ‘broad market indexes’ — Trump’s own disclosure lists 3,642 individual trades Wikipedia: Helms–Burton Act BBC: The deadly plane attack at the centre of Castro’s indictment Bloomberg: Communist Cuba Is Leaning on Capitalists After Oil Runs Out U.S. Department of Justice: U.S. Unseals Superseding Indictment Charging Raul Castro and Five Castro Regime Co-Defendants for 1996 Shoot-Down of Brothers to the Rescue Aircraft Reuters: US plans to indict Cuba’s Raul Castro, US DOJ official says Council on Foreign Relations: Trump’s ‘Maximum Pressure’ Campaign on Cuba, Explained UNFTR Resources Essay: The Real Story Behind the Castro Indictment. Video: Castro Indictment Proves US Plans to Invade Cuba Episode: Cuba (Not So) Libre. Episode: The Crypto Heist Happening Right Under Our Noses. Episode: Little Marco’s Coup D’Etat. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Full Clarity: The Crypto Heist Happening Right Under Our Noses.
May 2100:24:50Tap to summarizeThe Trump family crypto grift moved into high gear by clearing an important legislative hurdle this week. The CLARITY Act officially moved out of committee and now goes to the Agriculture Committee before being paired with the House version and going for a final vote. Despite valiant attempts by Elizabeth Warren to put some guardrails and ethics provisions in place, the GOP shot them all down. Hundreds of millions in lobbying from the crypto industry has been sunk into a bill that has the potential to damage the banking system and enrich the President’s family. This is an update to an ongoing story about the ultimate financial heist happening in real time and right under our noses. Resources CoinDesk: Clarity Act Markup Session Bloomberg: Quiet Token Sales Boosted Trump Crypto Wealth by $660 Million CNBC: Crypto industry scores win as Clarity Act regulation bill clears Senate hurdle Public Citizen: Big Crypto, Big Spending: Crypto Corporations Spend an Unprecedented $119 Million Influencing Elections American Bankers Association: ABA Community Bankers Council Letter Urging Senators to Close the Stablecoin Loophole Circle Stablecoin Reserve Tether Stablecoin Reserve Senate Banking Committee Markup News: Chairman Scott, Senate Banking Committee Advance Clarity Act in Historic Bipartisan Vote UNFTR Resources Episode: Trump Is Looting the Treasury. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →