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The Bitchuation Room’s Francesca Fiorentini returns to UNFTR’s Phone A Friend to break down the midterms, what Democrats need to be focusing on next and how the current leadership isn’t up to the challenges ahead. Progressive politics often finds itself at a crossroads during election cycles. In this conversation, we look at how the establishment handles internal pressure and why the narrative surrounding the midterms remains so contentious. Francesca offers her perspective on the shifting dynamics of the left and what it means for the party base moving forward. Resources The Bitchuation Room (with Francesca Fiorentini) UNFTR Resources Video: Francesca Fiorentini: Dems vs The Future. Transcript: Phone A Friend: Francesca Fiorentini. -- 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/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we connected some dots that should scare everyone—Russell Vought’s think tank’s 7 step playbook for refusing to seat elected members of Congress, a raid on Ilhan Omar’s home, and Trump name-dropping Vought as someone about to make history. Then we looked at France, where the eurozone’s version of our debt problem is playing out without the escape hatch of a sovereign currency (a useful reminder of exactly what we’d be dealing with if the dollar ever loses its privileged position). Chapters Intro: 00:00:38 Quick Takes: 00:01:34 Phone A Friend: 00:04:54 Max Notes: 00:07:19 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:30:53 Chart of the Week: 00:31:51 Outro: 00:33:25 Resources Today: Pete Hegseth Vows to Livestream Execution of Fort Hood Shooter ABC10: Why Trump is reopening his effort to remove Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook PBS NewsHour: Kimberly Guilfoyle’s full speech at the Republican National Convention | 2020 RNC Night 1 NewsNation: Kimberly Guilfoyle accuser speaks out: ’I paid her $300K’ Ziwe: Hasan Piker Is an Iconic Guest The Bitchuation Room (with Francesca Fiorentini) Common Dreams: Israel Has Demolished Majority of Villages in Southern Lebanon—Mostly After the Ceasefire USA Today: Trump hints at ‘big surprises’ to come ahead of midterm election The Hill: Trump teases diesel announcement, big move from Vought The Wall Street Journal: What Might Russ Vought’s ‘Tremendous’ Surprise Actually Be? Bradley Onishi: American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy CRA: Can Congress Seat a Member-Elect Who Vows to Destroy our Constitution? Politico: DHS agents search Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home Vote In Or Out: The Project 2025 Progress Report The Trump Tracker: What’s Been Implemented The Hill: Bill to claw back public media, foreign aid funds clears key Senate hurdle with Vance breaking tie Project 2025 Tracker Ray Williams: Project 2025: The Architects Are Taking a Victory Lap The Heritage Foundation: Project 2025 Publishes Comprehensive Policy Guide, ‘Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise’ Aeroswift Legal: The Orchestration ProPublica: “We Want the Bureaucrats to Be Traumatically Affected” ProPublica: The Shadow President CRA: Who We Are CRA: Policy Brief: Assessing the Marxist-Muslim Alliance Aimed at America’s Heart Library of Congress: Victor Berger: Topics in Chronicling America Britannica: Victor Berger Daniel Greenfield: The Constitutional Case for Keeping DSA Members Out of Office FindLaw: U.S. Code - Unannotated Title 2. The Congress § 26. Roll of Representatives-elect GovInfo: Enrolling Members; Administering the Oath United States House of Representatives: The Honorable Kevin F. McCumber Newsweek: Jeffrey Toobin on How Trump Could Intervene in Midterms Wikipedia: Gregory Bovino MPRnews: 24 hours after Bovino’s departure, ICE activity appears unchanged The Latin Times: Homan Warns Larger ICE Crackdown During Doral Speech: “Wait Until You See What We Do in 2027” The Latin Times: ICE Says It’s Deported 356,000 People This Year While 70% of Detainees Have No Conviction The Latin Times: Homan Says ICE ‘Isn’t Going Anywhere’: What His Threat Means for 5 Immigrant Hubs CBS News: Rep. Ilhan Omar’s D.C. home searched by Homeland Security investigators Reuters: US immigration authorities raid home of Democratic Trump critic Ilhan Omar DailyWire: ICE Investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar, Homan Confirms CNN: Rep. Ilhan Omar responds after federal officers search her home Zeteo: How Many Israelis Were Killed BY ISRAEL on October 7th? Paul Krugman: What’s the Matter With France? UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 10-13-26 (Trump’s Secret October Surprise: What Is He Planning?) Episode: Project 2025. -- 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/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max and 99 are back for another round of Omnibus. They hit headlines on what comes after hyperpolitics and whether the DSA becomes a career vehicle or a disciplining force, and the botched Tennessee execution. Then they tackle listener emails on the historical case that federal spending was never tied to tax revenue, what you’d call a hybrid of social democracy and democratic socialism, and the real estate collapse accelerating the credit crunch. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:00:35 Headlines: 00:05:33 Emails: 00:33:21 Beyond the B******t: 01:01:34 Memberships: 01:19:21 Outro: 01:19:40 Resources The Guardian: Christa Pike is ‘up and walking’ for first time after failed execution, lawyer say Jacobin: What Comes After Hyperpolitics? -- 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 Intro music by Hold Fast. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we diagnosed the economy as a giant zit—good numbers on the surface, all of it concentrated in AI investment and stock market gains for the top 10%, while wages fall below inflation, consumer confidence hits a 12-year low, and the 10-year Treasury just blew past its 2007 peak. Then we looked at what the pop actually looks like: a private credit unwind that drags the banks with it, a Fed that can’t buy its way out this time, and Scott Bessent left holding the bag. The Buffett Indicator is sitting at 235%. Maybe that’s why he retired... Chapters Intro: 00:00:42 Quick Takes: 00:01:24 Max Notes: 00:06:35 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:21:10 Chart of the Week: 00:22:15 Outro: 00:23:16 Resources CBS Sunday Morning: Alan Alda on fighting Parkinson’s with laughter This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: Zohran Mamdani NBC News: U.S. bombers scrambled out of U.K. airbase after threats CNBC TV-18: Pete Hegseth’s ‘Just Warriors’ Speech: ‘No Fatties, No Wimps, No Radicals’ Bloomberg Television: Brazil Real Surges After Bolsonaro Takes Surprising Lead ABC News: US monitoring reported fatal case of pneumonic plague in Russia WSWS.org: With complicity of media and Democrats, Trump prepares major escalation of Iran war ADP: National Employment Report Bureau of Economic Analysis: Personal Income and Outlays, August 2026 The Conference Board: US Consumer Confidence U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Situation Summary Steve Rattner on Substack Schwab: Fed Hikes in 12-0 Vote, Commits to Inflation Fight Bloomberg: Treasury 10-Year Yield Hits Highest Since 2002 on Rate Outlook Squire Patton Boggs: The Private Credit Market: The Data Behind the Headlines Federal Reserve: Monetary Policy Report – July 2026 Federal Reserve Bank of New York: Remarks at 2026 U.S. Treasury Market Conference, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, New York City CNBC: Fed meeting recap: Warsh says inflation is still too high as Fed hikes for the first time since 2023 Yahoo! Finance: Trump slams the Fed rate hike, says he told Warsh ‘you might as well vote with the board’ CNBC: Warsh’s regime change at the Fed pushes ahead – and meets resistance CNBC: Warsh faces Fed independence test as Bessent moves in on central bank’s turf PWC: Private credit’s next phase — growth under pressure International Monetary Fund: Bank Lending to Nonbank Financial Institutions Continued To Increase Rapidly in 2025 Democracy! Now: Lula vs. Bolsonaro (Again): Brazil’s Presidential Race Goes to Runoff as Right Wing Makes Gains MacroMicro: US - Total Market Cap (% of GDP) UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 10-06-26 (Trump’s Economy is a Giant Zit.) Episode: Private Credit: Just Because We’re Not Talking About It Doesn’t Mean It’s Not a Problem. -- 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 Intro music by Hold Fast. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Private credit headlines have calmed down in recent months. It could be because these debt markets are doing just fine...or it could be because we’re too distracted by wars, exploding bond yields, and gas prices. But just because there haven’t been high-profile bankruptcies like last year’s First Brands or Tricolor doesn’t mean there isn’t trouble brewing in the opaque private credit markets. Consternation about these portfolios is growing: redemption requests are outpacing inflows, reports of massive payment-in-kind adjustments keep surfacing, and credit default swaps on private credit-backed loans are popping up. This crisis may not be as concentrated as the 2008 meltdown, but the numbers are bigger. And at the center of it all is a market we can’t see. Resources Federal Reserve: The Rise in Mortgage Defaults Bloomberg: SoftBank’s OpenAI Debt Gets Costlier, Riskier and Even Bigger The Japan Times: Apollo mulls raising SoftBank loan to $9 billion for OpenAI bets IFR: Trading frenzy builds in hyperscaler debt and CDS markets LSEG: Get ahead of the September index roll Yahoo! Finance: Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft Are Hiding $3 Trillion in Debt On the AI Boom’s Hidden Ledger Yahoo! Finance: Blue Owl Capital (OWL) Ties Into Meta’s $50 Billion Hyperion Expansion Reuters: Private credit bosses hit back at ‘misinformation’ over First Brands collapse Reuters: Private credit roundup: Software marks and Blackstone’s backlog of redemptions Bloomberg: Private Credit Defaults Are 1%, 6% or 19%, Depending Who You Ask UNFTR Resources Video: How AI Debt Could Blow Up Private Credit. Essay: Private Credit: Just Because We’re Not Talking About It Doesn’t Mean It’s Not a Problem. -- 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/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max and 99 are back for another round of Omnibus. They hit headlines on the Paramount-Warner merger as a preview of what oligarchs do when anyone tries to govern them, plastic fusing with coral reefs in a new phenomenon researchers are calling “plasticoral,” and rapid third-country deportations getting the Supreme Court’s temporary blessing. Then they tackle listener emails on whether this era is an aberration or just capitalism unmasked, DSA overreach and the pace of the left, and the real arguments against raising corporate taxes. Chapters Intro: 00:01:02 Headlines: 00:24:06 Emails: 00:34:33 Memberships: 00:55:30 Outro: 00:56:19 Resources The New York Times: Supreme Court Allows Rapid Third-Country Deportations, for Now Big by Matt Stoller: Paramount-WB Isn’t Just a Loss, It’s a Prelude Wired: Plastic Is Melting Onto Corals Instagram: Hermit Crab Conservation Project UNFTR Resources Episode: The Montreal Protocol. Video: How AI Debt Could Blow Up Private Credit. -- 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 Intro music by Hold Fast. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite only having between 95,000 and 120,000 members nationwide, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has a hot political hand. To most Americans the DSA remains a mystery, but its impact is being felt in elections throughout the country. Conservatives are keeping one eye open but are largely dismissive. Establishment liberals are furious with the group. This episode puts the DSA in historical context and offers insight into how past challenges and current opposition present future opportunities for the social movement of record in the United States. Chapters Intro: 00:00:44 Max Notes: 00:01:27 Outro: 00:28:47 Resources Commentary: The Democratic Socialist Congregation The Washington Post: Don’t fear a ‘Bolshevik revolution.’ It’s a DSA fairy tale. Americans for Prosperity: On Constitution Day, here are the ways the DSA agenda undermines America’s founding UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 09-29-26 (The Rise Of The DSA: What You Need To Know.) -- 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 Intro music by Hold Fast. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An original episode on how Trump will ultimately represent the final chapter of the American experiment. Empires don’t collapse. They crumble. But they’re reduced to a handful of chapters in history texts that depict them in stages with defined beginnings and ends. Donald Trump has already managed to set the stage for World War Three though it looks far different than prior great wars. He is the culmination of the hubris of empire. Here on my thoughts on how this goes down and what comes after.  Resources Washington Post: How Four U.S. Presidents Unleashed Economic Warfare Across the Globe UNFTR Resources Video: The Final Chapter: Trump and the End of the American Experiment. Essay: It’s Just Trump Against the World. -- 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/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max and 99 are back for another round of Omnibus. They hit headlines on Carney’s airport privatization sellout and the Ebola outbreak in the DRC that’s on pace to be the worst the world has ever seen. Then they tackle listener emails on AI recursive self-improvement hype and the TESCREAL cult behind it, Greenland’s surrender of sovereignty to Trump, and why “regulation” is just a sanitized word for protection. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:00:31 Headlines: 00:13:20 Emails: 00:28:40 Memberships: 01:03:21 Outro: 01:04:45 Resources Subscribe to Current Affairs Magazine. Wired: The World Forgot About Ebola. The Organization Fighting It Has Never Been More Worried Canadian Dimension: Carney’s airport privatization is a looming disaster: ‘Highway 407 of the skies’ UNFTR Resources Video: Why We’re Still Living in Milton Friedman’s Neoliberal World. -- 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 Intro music by Hold Fast. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CLARITY Act (Digital Asset Market Clarity Act) failed to pass cloture and won’t be taken up on the Senate floor. This is very, very good news. Despite attempts until the last minute by New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand—a Democrat who is closely associated with the crypto lobby—not a single one of her colleagues came over to her side. So even she voted “no” to advance the bill. This likely means CLARITY is dead for the foreseeable future. But it doesn’t mean it’s gone. This is a victory for the banking industry and a huge blow to the Trump family who were banking (pun intended) on this bill setting up World Liberty Financial to be one of the wealthiest stablecoin firms in the world. Resources Politico: Gillibrand privately urges Dems to advance crypto bill CNBC: Trump agrees to ethics requirements in crypto Clarity Act as GOP seeks Democratic votes ABA Banking Journal: ABA, banking groups warn revised Clarity Act fails to protect community banks Unchained: Banking Groups Push Senate to Tighten CLARITY Act Stablecoin Rules, Warning of Deposit Flight decrypt: Tether Reports $1.5B Q2 Profit as USDT Supply Grows, Gold Holdings Rise UNFTR Resources Video: The CLARITY Act is DEAD: Why Trump’s Crypto Scheme Failed. Essay: The CLARITY Act is Dead (For Now). 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 Intro music by Hold Fast. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we put a proper endcap on the summer’s debt discussions—the $40 trillion number is real, but the conversation around it is almost entirely dishonest, designed to make cuts to grandma’s Medicare seem inevitable while military spending and corporate tax rates never even make the list. Then we looked at the housing market, where sellers are quietly stuffing concessions into nearly half of all deals to keep headline prices from falling, which is either a buyer’s market emerging or the last gasp before demand destruction, depending on which generation you’re in. Chapters Intro: 00:00:38 Quick Takes: 00:01:41 Max Notes: 00:07:29 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:21:05 Chart of the Week: 00:21:48 Outro: 00:24:03 Resources The New York Times: U.S. and China Balance A.I. Risks and Rivalry The New York Times: Trump Officials Eject 750,000 From Obamacare Markets, Claiming Fraud Senator Chris Murphy: Why did Russia pay for Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding? The New York Times: Photos Spur Speculation About Possible Demolition of Kennedy Center CNN: Trump says proposed triumphal arch will double as military complex with snipers and drones CNBC: AI Models Are Stealing Your Data & The AI Safety Truth The Independent: Scott Bessent cannot say where Venezuelan billions are going Mother Jones: Bo French Sent a Tweet So Racist, His Own Party Finally Took Notice. It’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg. U.S. Department of the Treasury: Debt to the Penny U.S. Department of the Treasury: Major Foreign Holders of Treasury Securities Federal Reserve: Federal Reserve Balance Sheet: Factors Affecting Reserve Balances U.S. Department of the Treasury: Treasury International Capital Data for July U.S. Department of the Treasury: Treasury International Capital Data for July 2026 Federal Reserve: Financial Accounts of the United States Federal Reserve: FEDS Notes Federal Reserve: Estimating Yield Impacts of Treasury Demand and Supply Changes Levy Economics Institute: Can Taxes and Bonds Finance Government Spending? CEPR: Ron Paul’s Surprisingly Lucid Solution to the Debt Ceiling Impasse William Mitchell: Central banks should just write off all their government debt holdings Yahoo! News: House Speaker Mike Johnson denies backing cuts to benefits amid Social Security shortfall warning Congressional Budget Office: Distributional Effects of Public Law 119-21 The Elephant Graveyard: How Comedy Drowned in a Radioactive Cesspool of Corruption and Depravity Redfin News: Nearly Half of Homebuyers Get Concessions From Sellers as Most Markets Tip in Buyers’ Favor UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 9-22-26 (The Truth About the $40 Trillion Debt—And Why They Want You Scared.) -- 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/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Producer Price Index (PPI) dropped and it was worse than expected. PPI is the measure of inflation building in the system and economists use it to forecast what consumer inflation will look like three to four months down the road. If these figures are any indication, inflation is about to hit the global economy like a tsunami and no amount of hand wringing and interest rate tweaking at the Federal Reserve is going to slow this train. In this episode, Max explains how this was all predictable based on Trump’s economic plan and the design of Project 2025. He talks about what comes next in best and worst case scenarios before addressing why in the world someone like Russell Vought would engineer such a catastrophic outcome. Because it was so clear from the start that this is where we were headed. Hint: Keep your eye on JD Vance. Resources U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Producer Price Indexes Marketplace: The Fed’s preferred measure of inflation is changing Council on Foreign Relations: Hunger Warfare and a Fertilizer Crisis Are Straining Global Food Supplies The New York Times: Behind the Scenes, Vance Gathered Unvarnished Views of the Iran War Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity, Quoted on an Investment Basis Investopedia: Cost-Push vs. Demand-Pull Inflation: Key Differences Explained Bloomberg Television: US Producer Price Index Rises Most in Three Months on Energy Costs ProPublica: “We Want the Bureaucrats to Be Traumatically Affected” UNFTR Resources Video: Terrible Inflation Report Warns of Economic Tsunami. Episode: The End of the American Experiment. Essay: InDeFLATION. -- 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/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max and 99 are back for another episode of Omnibus. They cover headlines on Israel killing a family of 12 in Lebanon including six children, and a new Elon Musk documentary alongside a fall movie season tackling Big Tech and its leaders. Then they tackle listener emails on childcare costs and the dependent care tax cap, Pete Buttigieg criticism, expanding Medicare versus a VA-style system, and whether Trump’s BLS numbers are even worth analyzing. Chapters Intro: 00:00:37 Headlines: 00:17:09 Emails: 00:35:13 Memberships: 01:23:44 Outro: 01:24:03 Resources The Decemberists: Everything Is Awful Subscribe to Current Affairs Magazine. Vanity Fair: X Marks the Spot: To Musk Filmmaker Alex Gibney, Elon Musk and Elizabeth Holmes Are Two Sides of the Same Coin The Hollywood Reporter: Hollywood Puts Four Tech Moguls on Trial in October Movie Pileup Drop Site: Israeli Strike in Lebanon Kills 12 People From a Single Family, Including 6 Children UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 9-8-26 (JD Vance Latest Stunt is DISGUSTING | Nathan Robinson Interview.) Episode: Merchants of Death. Episode: Labor Daze. Episode: Scott Bessent Can’t Stop Failing. Video: Terrible Inflation Report Warns of Economic Tsunami. -- 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/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Bessent can’t do anything right. He just announced a paltry bond buyback that fell flat with the market responding by pushing rates higher. Bessent also proclaimed that he is “the house” and that people shouldn’t bet against him because he has inside information about what the Bank of Japan is going to do. Interesting. The guy doesn’t know what our central bank is going to do but he has the inside track on the BOJ? The market there is also telling him to get lost. And after he said he would cripple the Iranian regime in a matter of weeks or months with sanctions, the Iranians have been striking back and have now declared that they’re going to cripple our economy. Bessent is going to go down in history as the worst Treasury Secretary we’ve ever had. Resources Bloomberg Television: Bessent Tells Yen Traders ‘I Am the House Now’ CNBC International Live: ‘I am the house’: Scott Bessent’s challenge to traders Bloomberg Television: Commodities Bull Market Is Underpriced: 3-Minutes MLIV ABC News: Oil Prices Climb Over $100 per Barrel as War in Iran Continues Bloomberg Television: US Treasury to Buy Up to $6 Billion in Long-Dated Debt Fox Business Clips: ‘SLINGSHOT’: Treasury’s rate move gets BRUTAL reality check IMF: Did the Plaza Accord Cause Japan’s Lost Decades? U.S. Department of the Treasury: Treasury Launches Unprecedented Campaign Against Iranian Regime on Economic D-Day The Hill: Iran reignites Strait of Hormuz fight as US tightens squeeze NBC News: Diesel hits all-time high of $6 per gallon, and just about everything will cost more Brookings: What is yield curve control? npr: Trump’s controversial nominee drops bid to head vital data-gathering agency U.S. Department of the Treasury: Henry Morgenthau, Jr. (1934 - 1945) United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Henry Morgenthau Jr. npr: The IRS slashed its staff. One result? More taxes going uncollected UNFTR Resources Video: The Treasury Secretary Who Can’t Get It Right Essay: Scott Bessent Can’t Stop Failing. -- 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/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we dissected JD Vance’s child care rule change: A Heritage Foundation tradwife policy dressed up as family values, funded by gutting support for the single working parents who actually need it. Then Nathan Robinson joined us to talk about why the socialist moment is real and the DSA keeps winning where it’s not supposed to. And in honor of Labor Day, we put the wage-price spiral myth to rest: real wages flat for 50 years, corporate earnings through the roof, and the Fed looking the other way the whole time. Chapters Intro: 00:00:38 Quick Takes: 00:01:33 Max Notes: 00:05:43 Phone A Friend: 00:14:04 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:37:19 Chart of the Week: 00:39:19 Outro: 00:42:26 Resources The Ghoul Pool wgaltv: Democrats criticize Fetterman after WSJ report claims he avoids meeting with constituents Steven A. Smith: Abdul El-Sayed on Israel, Hasan Piker, ICE and JD Vance A24: You Can See Everything Al Jazeera English: Far-right AFD wins vote in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt state: Exit polls Mother Jones: Ashley Hinson Fought to Save Private Equity’s Favorite Loophole The New York Times: Trump Officials Draft Plan to Pay At-Home Parents, Using Funds for Working Ones The Heritage Foundation: Saving America by Saving the Family: A Foundation for the Next 250 Years Politico: Heritage Foundation calls on US to prioritize marriage and family in new report Congress: The Child Care and Development Block Grant: In Brief National Women’s Law Center: Re-Envisioning CCDF Emerald Book: How the 68% Black Single Motherhood Myth Harms Black Women and Families Center for American Progress: The Economic Status of Single Mothers Financial Planning Association: Leveraging Divorce to Maximize College Financial Aid Nathan J. Robinson: Why You Should Be a Socialist Nathan J. Robinson: Hillbilly Hypocrisy: ND Vance and the Dark Future of MAGA Politics Subscribe to Current Affairs Magazine. Jacobin: Capitalism makes “everyone feels a little insane” Investopedia: Wage-Price Spiral: What It Is and How It’s Controlled Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: Average Hourly Earnings of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees, Total Private Union Stats: Union Membership, Coverage, Density and Employment by Sector and Demographic Group: 1973-2025 Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: Corporate Profits After Tax (without IVA and CCAdj) Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average Federal Reserve Bank of New York: Center for Microeconomic Data UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 9-08-26 (JD Vance’s Disgusting Stunt | Trump is Melting | Nathan Robinson.) Essay: Hillbilly Hypocrite. Episode: Did Ronald Reagan Destroy the American Dream? Episode: Merchants of Death. Episode: Labor Daze. Episode: Economics of Racism. -- 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/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.