Unf*cking The Republic UNFTR Media

For months we’ve said that RFK Jr. is the biggest threat to Biden’s re-election. Now that he’s gained ballot access in Michigan, it’s time to go beyond the vaccine headlines to examine Kennedy the nascent politician and what his candidacy means to this election cycle. Just as the pollsters missed several important cues during the 2016 election, we might be underestimating the impact Kennedy has beyond his loyal environmental and anti-vaccine followers the media focuses on.

Resources

FiveThirtyEight: 2016 Election Forecast

Associate Press: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. secures ballot access in battleground state of Michigan

New York Times: The Ex-Bernie Sanders Pollster Raising Alarms About R.F.K. Jr.’s Appeal Among Latinos and Young Voters

Quinnipiac Poll: Is Democracy In The U.S. Working? It's A Toss-Up, But Voters Don't See It Ending In Their Lifetimes

The Conversation: Anti-vaccination beliefs don’t follow the usual political polarization

Wired: RFK Jr.’s Very Online, Conspiracy-Filled Campaign

New York Times: R.F.K. Jr.’s Environmental Colleagues Urge Him to Drop Presidential Bid

CNN: Kennedy family brushes off RFK Jr.’s campaign as they endorse Biden

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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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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.

Distracted Max reached new heights this week so instead of releasing the third installment of the Over the Borderline series, he mashed up two shorter Topical Creams from YouTube into an episode. Both cover familiar ground to keep a focus on what matters politically. The “silly season” is when narratives harden so sometimes it’s important to reassert certain claims. The first segment is about AOC’s recent decision to fund the Democratic Party in the upcoming election for the first time in her brief career. The second is a reminder that the things that people recall fondly from the Trump era were predominantly socialist-style and Keynesian interventions that provided momentary relief and financial security for all those who made it through COVID. 

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:18

The Evolution of AOC: 00:02:16

Behind the Trump Bump: 00:10:36

Post Show Musings: 00:18:33

Outro: 01:16:25

Resources

OpenSecrets: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 

The Moscow Times: Why Is Stalin’s Popularity On the Rise?

The Guardian: Trump suggests 'nuking hurricanes' to stop them hitting America – report

Newsweek: Trump Suggests Not Raking Leaves Is Bigger Cause of California Wildfires Than Climate Change

Brookings: What did the Fed do in response to the COVID-19 crisis?

UNFTR Episode Resources

Hands Off AOC.

AOC & the Lying Men Hydra.

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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.

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

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 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.