Unf*cking The Republic UNFTR Media

In today’s episode, we head to the border and below to examine the root causes and circumstances that factor into immigration patterns, from economic opportunity to asylum. Max speaks with Maureen Meyer from The Washington Office on Latin America, known as WOLA, a D.C. based organization that advocates for human rights in the Americas. Meyer serves as WOLA’s Vice President for Programs, working with senior staff to develop policy priorities and strategies to advance human rights and social justice in Latin America. We’re still following the blended episodic and Phone A Friend approach for this series, so Max begins with a brief discussion about the complex nature of immigration policy and the historical relationship between the United States and Latin America.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:36

Episode Section: 00:03:30

Interview: 00:21:20

Resources

WNYC: WNYC's Suds & Civics project brings political dialogue to laundromats across the NY metro area

American Immigration Council: CBP One: An Overview

Pew Research Center: Migrant encounters at U.S.-Mexico border hit record high at end of 2023

Human Rights Watch: Venezuela: Events of 2023

Migration Policy Institute: Shifting Patterns and Policies Reshape Migration to U.S.-Mexico Border in Major Ways in 2023 

The Baffler: Enigmas of Ecuador | Pablo Ospina Peralta 

WhiteHouse.gov: FACT SHEET: The United States and Central America: Honoring Our Commitments

Forbes: 2024: A New Age For Venezuela-U.S. Relations 

Gobierno de Mêxico: México y Venezuela estrechan cooperación en materia migratoria

El País: United States reactivates mass deportations of Venezuelans to relieve pressure on the border with Mexico 

Council on Foreign Relations: Central America’s Turbulent Northern Triangle 

Council on Foreign Relations: Climate Change and Regional Instability in Central America 

Congressional Research Service: Central American Migration: Root Causes and U.S. Policy 

Vice: The Violence Central American Migrants Are Fleeing Was Stoked by the US

Time: Welcome to the Immigration Election 

Pew Research Center: How Americans View the Situation at the U.S.-Mexico Border, Its Causes and Consequences

Brookings: The collapse of bipartisan immigration reform: A guide for the perplexed

The Hill: Manchin: Failed border bill factored into decision not to run for White House

DW News: Ecuador raid on embassy in Mexico

Yahoo Finance:Border crisis might be boon for economy 

WOLA: Migration in the Americas: 'A root causes strategy only for Central America falls far short of addressing the type of migration we are seeing'

Congressional Budget Office: Director’s Statement on the Budget and Economic Outlook for 2024 to 2034 

WOLA

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If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

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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.

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Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the mid

Max and 99 are back today to talk "SPACtacular Bullsh*t" feedback, catch up with the Unf*ckers and get into numerous tangents, of course. Enjoy!

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:20

Emails: 00:07:13

Facebook Shout Outs: 00:52:14

YouTube Shout Outs: 00:59:51

Members + Outro: 01:05:39

Resources

Deep Blue Something: Breakfast At Tiffany's

Project 2025 YouTube Video

Unf*cker Recommendations

McFleshman's Brewing Co: Respecting the Beer Podcast

UNFTR Episode Resources

Immigration Nation: A Crisis Of Our Own Design.

SPACtacular Bullsh*t: Inside Trump’s Multi-Billion Dollar Sham.

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If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com.

Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

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.

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."
Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He did it again. The Donald pulled off yet another miracle by taking his (failing) social media platform public. The deal had been in the works for a while and looked DOA last year. But it was revived recently and when it hit the Nasdaq this week it added billions to Trump's net worth and gave him an immediate cash infusion that will likely prevent him having to sell assets to make the (reduced) bond in his civil fraud case. The wealthy in this country truly operate under different rules. The mechanism Trump used to take a losing company public quickly and with relative ease compared to normal IPOs is called a SPAC, or Special Purpose Acquisition Company. SPACs gained a lot of attention a few years back before basically imploding as regulators frowned upon them and investments fizzled. As quickly as they gained prominence, they flamed out and were basically revealed to be scams. But it didn't stop the biggest SCAM artist in the world from packaging up his SCAM social media platform inside a SCAM financial vehicle. God bless 'Murica.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:38

Chapter One: 00:07:01

Chapter Two: 00:17:57

Chapter Three: 00:26:44

Post Show Musings: 00:26:$4

Resources

New York Times: Why Only One Top Banker Went to Jail for the Financial Crisis

Morningstar: How to Lose Money: Buy Digital World Acquisition Corp.

SPACInsider: Benessere Capital Acquisition Corp. (BENE) to Liquidate Trust

SPAC Insider: Executive Drama at Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC) Provides New Source of Risk 

Financial Review: Meet the Brazilian ‘prince’, Luiz Philippe de Orléans e Braganza, backing Donald Trump’s media venture 

Investment Adviser Public Disclosure: Brian C. Shevland

CBS News: Trump's Truth Social is losing money and has scant sales. Yet it could trade at a $5 billion value.

Mizuho Insights: The SPAC Roller Coaster – Is a Renaissance Coming?

Fast Company: DWAC says Truth Social won't be profitable 'for the foreseeable future' as investors eye risky SPAC merger

Bloomberg Law: SEC Imposes New Rules on Blank-Check Deals as SPACs Fizzle (3)

US News: What Is a SPAC? 6 Best SPACs to Invest In

Yahoo Finance: Chamath Palihapitiya’s Crumbling SPAC Empire: Where His Top 5 Deals Are Today 

Casetext: Shevland v. Orlando, 629 F. Supp. 3d 1252

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If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com.

Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

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.

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."
Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max and 99 are back together in the studio to discuss Project 2025 Feedback, share Over the Borderline updates, and of course, tell a silly story or two. Enjoy!

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:20

Emails: 00:31:51

Instagram Shoutouts: 00:39:19

YouTube Shoutouts: 00:40:05

New Members: 01:02:16

Outro: 01:04:02

Resources

Become a UNFTR Member

UNFTR Series

The Kosh Podcast: Episode 121: Bob Knudsen - County Board Supervisor Candidate District #16

Unf*cker Recommendations 

Rutger Bregman: Humankind: A Hopeful History 

Unf*cking Episode Resources

Don’t sweat the election. We already lost.

"Project 2025."

Over The Borderline.

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If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com.

Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

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.

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."
Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Silly season is in full swing so politicians take center stage. But it's important to remember who really pulls the strings and runs the show. This week is an overdue flashback to our Corporate (Ir)Responsibility episodes that have been combined for the first time by the great Manny Faces for your listening pleasure. It's a good refresh on the bad actors that came together to rig the system. We'll be back next week with more original content as we plug away at the border crisis and other pressing issues. For now, enjoy!

This episode online

Essay + Show Notes

Resources

HBR: Why Are Companies Sitting on So Much Cash?

The Atlantic: When the Top U.S. Tax Rate was 70 Percent—or Higher

Bloomberg Tax: 10 Steps States Should Take to End Corporate Giveaways

Politico: Actually, it was Democrats who killed the 70 percent tax

Foreign Policy: To Pay for the Pandemic, Dry Out the Tax Havens

Tax Policy Center: What is the TCJA repatriation tax and how does it work

Tax Justice Network: Financial Secrecy Index - 2020 Results

OCCRP: Giant Leak of Offshore Financial Records Exposes Global Array of Crime and Corruption

Tax Foundation: How Much Revenue Would a 70% Top Tax Rate Raise? An Initial Analysis

FRED: Unemployment Rate

Trading Economics: Corporate Tax Rate in the United States remained unchanged at 21 percent in 2021 from 21 percent in 2020

BLS: Inheritances and the Distribution of Wealth, Or Whatever Happened to the Great Inheritance Boom?

Tax Foundation: Corporate Tax Rates around the World, 2020

Road & Track: Yes, The Chevrolet Corvair Really Was a Handful to Drive

GoodJobsFirst.Org

Book Love

Matt Taibbi: Griftopia: A Story of Bankers, Politicians, and the Most Audacious Power Grab in American History

Jane Mayer: Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right

Zachary D. Carter: The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes

Pod Love

Useful Idiots: David Sirota on the SALT Tax Cap, Plus: Is Biden Really the new FDR?

Best of The Left: #1414 Go Home and Go Big (Infrastructure Investment, Jobs and Climate Mitigation)

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If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com.

Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

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.

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."
Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are few things in this world as dangerous as Republicans with time on their hands. When Republicans find themselves out of office, they stay busy hatching evil plans in undisclosed lairs somewhere. Actually, they do it in think tanks. What’s impressive is how many plans they concoct during these periods that actually wind up as legislative public policy when they’re re-elected. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 playbook is one of the more devastating handbooks ever written and it’s really important that we take them at their word given prior successes. This week’s episode is a deep dive into the 900+ book they recently published to help guide the next conservative president’s first 180 days in office.

Resources

Project 2025

The Project for the New American Century: Rebuilding America's Defenses

Project 2025: Mandate For Leadership

Global Project Against Hate and Extremism: Project 2025: The Far-Right Playbook for American Authoritarianism 

The New York Times: Trump’s Tariffs Hurt U.S. Jobs but Swayed American Voters, Study Says

Unf*cking Episode Resources

The American Propaganda Machine.

The Carter Series.

F*ck Milton Friedman.

The Clinton Years.

Don’t sweat the election. We already lost.

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If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com.

Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

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.

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."
Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.