Before addressing the news of the day, Will & Kath catch up with Felix on their re-watch of beloved series BANSHEE, which segues nicely into discussion of the baffling firebombing of the Pennsylvania governor's mansion. We then move on to the increasingly horrific and blatantly illegal renditions of American residents into foreign prisons, and the further construction of Fortress America. We also look at potential democratic responses, from Cory Booker’s filibuster, to Kamala slowly stepping bac...
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Semafor reporter Dave Weigel returns to the show to look at the political angles to Trump’s tariff regime and the global economic shocks. We discuss the various attempts to backfill justifications, responses from GOP and Democrats, and how this is all somehow about wokeness and masculinity or something. We also discuss last week’s special election in Wisconsin, and what it can tell us about Trump (and Elon)’s strength going forward. Find Dave’s work on Semafor here: https://www.semafor.com/autho...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 16 min
Felix sits down with writer & journalist Peter Korotaev for a wide ranging conversation on the state of the Russo-Ukranian War in the wake of the Trump administration’s spat with Zelensky & attempts at a peace deal, and loads of context on the politics of Ukraine, Russia, various oligarchs, the Atlantic Council, and other non-state actors that have led to this point. You can find Peter’s writing on Ukraine here: https://substack.com/@eventsinukraine And some other writing of note: For al Jazeera...
Apr 02, 2025•2 hr 2 min
Tim “T-Bone” Faust makes a long overdue return to the program to brief us on the series of guerilla town halls on Medicaid he’s been doing in Wisconsin. But first, we start with a brief roundup on one of the most important health issues facing the nation today: Soda, and the role it plays in keeping Americans healthy. Tim then takes us through the current administration’s assault on Medicaid & Medicare, how the failure to push for healthcare reform in the face of COVID paved the way for huckster...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Delaware state rep Madinah Wilson-Anton returns to the show to brief us on Elon Musk’s attempts to rewrite the state laws of Delaware to help him secure a $50 billion+ compensation package. We discuss the “race to the bottom” in state business laws, and the new wave of assaults on basic legal legitimacy in pursuit of complete oligarchical control. Then, Matt Bruenig joins us to discuss the hot new word on all the wonks’ lips: ABUNDANCE. We review the Abundance Agenda, Matt gives us his takes on ...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 22 min
Felix appeared on today’s Panic World podcast hosted by past-guest Ryan Broderick of the fantastic Garbage Day newsletter. We’ve agreed to crosspost this ep in our feed. Enjoy! Check out Panic World wherever you get pods, and subscribe to Garbage Day here: https://www.garbageday.email/ Every four years America suffers through a national election, with its own distinct collection of far-right freaks. Yet against the trend, in 2024 many of the youngest voters started finding them appealing. So who...
Mar 19, 2025•59 min
D.J. Byrnes of Ohio’s independent news outlet The Rooster returns to the show. We look at constituent outrage at elected officials, D.J.’s sojourn to DC, Cleveland’s $2.5 Billion stadium debacle, and D.J. relates an incredible story of bamboozling Vivek Ramaswamy. Then, Eephus director Carson Lund and writer & star Nate Fisher join Will to discuss the film, its inspirations, how they went about shooting it, Meat Raffles, and some of their all-time favorite Baseball Guys. Find D.J.’s chronicle of...
Mar 17, 2025•2 hr 39 min
We start the show discussing the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil in a glaring escalation of attacks on American civil liberties in behalf of Israel & its supporters. We’re then joined by journalist and co-host of the Odd Lots podcast Joe Weisenthal to take a shockingly timely (for us) look at markets, tariffs, crypto, and economic policy under the 2nd Trump administration. Is there a plan here? Who’s actually in charge? Will these tariffs ever actually happen? Are we careening toward a re...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 13 min
QAA’s Julian Feeld joins us today to give us his report from last week’s CPAC convention. We look at the usual carnival of cruelty on display at the Gaylord Convention Center, with an added layer of vindictiveness in the second Trump era. We also discuss at how QAnon has been fully metabolized into political discourse, and check in on some classic characters like Mike Lindell and JFK. Jr. Finally, a rather grim reading series looking at the lonely political life of Senator Fetterman. Find QAA wh...
Feb 28, 2025•1 hr 18 min
Will & Hesse are back to look at the Oscars’ Best Pictures of 2024. They give their takes on the high- and low-lights, offer their predictions of who will take home Oscar gold, and give a special preview of what’s coming up in Movie Mindset Season 3. For more Oscars fun: Come see Will & Hesse host an Oscars watch as part of a party for Zohran for Mayor this Sunday, March 2nd @ Nightclub 101: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/partyforzohran
Feb 28, 2025•2 hr 35 min
We’re joined by Mark Ames & John Dolan of Radio War Nerd to discuss what may be the wind-down of the war in Ukraine. We look at the political ramifications both domestically and internationally, how the west & Russia have fared militarily, and the lives of the Ukrainians affected by the conflict. Plus, would you believe fighter aircraft, MMA, and a drive-by slagging of union general loser George McClellan all get mentions in this? Subscribe to Radio War Nerd: https://www.patreon.com/radiowarnerd...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 17 min
Jake and Thomas return to look at the latest news of Elon’s bizarrely begotten offspring. Plus the jewish guy who shot two Israeli guys because he thought they were Palestinians, Millei’s rug pull, and Bari Weiss’ Free Press asks what exactly makes an American hero (and why does it take place in dive bar bathrooms). Subscribe to Pendejo Time: https://www.patreon.com/pendejotime
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 26 min
Kath joins us for our annual review of the Big Game spectacle. We give our appraisal of what this year’s ad slate says about the state of American culture, plus reactions to Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show, and how conservatives continue to be oppressed by the TV. Then the Washington Post’s Jeff Stein joins us to discuss his reporting on what exactly Elon Musk & the DOGE team are trying to do to the federal government. Jeff’s piece on Elon & DOGE: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/0...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Will sits down with Zohran Mamdani, New York State Representative and candidate for New York City Mayor. After bonding over being just two boys from New York, their grade school rivalry, and touching on Zohran’s family & background, Will & Zohran discuss his plans to improve housing, transit, policing and homelessness services in New York City, as well as his plans to win this election. If you’d like to help out or get involved in his campaign, go to: https://www.zohranfornyc.com/
Feb 06, 2025•57 min
Beautiful Brace Belden joins us to look at Trump’s tariff’s, possible annexation of Canada, halt on federal funding, and other breaking admin news. We also discuss New York Mag’s party report from the NYC MAGA scene, and Brace briefs us on what we should know about the murderous “Zizian” rationalists, and how they fit in among all the other people who’ve broken their brains online. TrueAnon’s in-depth coverage of the Zizians here: https://pod.link/1474001390/episode/a778bfc3221464a5eff8d657bc89e...
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr 16 min
Alex is back on the pod to review the first full week of 2rump news, but first, we wish friend of the show Catturd a speedy recovery from his impacted bowel. Then, we look at Trumps barrage of executive orders, cabinet staffing, and denial of security clearances to a number of former NatSec ghouls. We also discuss the Democrats’ new Tuna-based appeals for viral attention, and consider how history will judge Joe Biden.
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr 10 min
Journalist Mohammad Alsaafin returns to the show to discuss the temporary ceasefire & hostage exchange deal reached in Gaza. We discuss why and how this came about during the Biden-Trump transition, what the actual terms of the deal are, how it leaves the political situation in Israel, Palestine and the rest of the region, and the total effects of 15 months of war. Plus, what was actually in the gift bags given by Hamas to the freed Israeli hostages. If you’re looking for ways to help, this is f...
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr 16 min
Felix recounts Trump’s efforts to discredit the 2020 election as part of the long history of election denial on the right in this clip from Episode 6 of his series “Seeking a Fren for the End of the World.” The full episode and rest of the series are available for subscribers at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.
Jan 15, 2025•10 min
Author Colette Shade joins us to discuss her new book “Y2K” on the millennial era of ~1997-2008. Will and Colette review how the boundless optimism of ‘the end of history’ curdled into the permanent pessimism of the 21st century, how computer doomed everything even if the specific prediction of the “Y2K bug” maybe didn’t literally come to pass, how nostalgia can be both useful and a trap, and of course, how everything is 9/11. Purchase “Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything”: Bookshop: https://bo...
Jan 14, 2025•1 hr 6 min
We’re joined by journalist Yasha Levine & filmmaker Rowan Wernham of the new documentary “Pistachio Wars” join us to look at water in the state of California in light of last week’s L.A. wildfires. We discuss California’s water history, the network of real estate developers and agribusiness concerns that effectively control California’s water, the Resnick family and their Nut Empire, 21st century company towns, and how California water politics affect the Iran Nuclear deal. Watch The Pistachio W...
Jan 14, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Felix looks back at the lead-up to the 2016 election as some of the funniest and most insane days in American political history in this clip from Episode 4 of his series “Seeking a Fren for the End of the World.” The full episode and rest of the series are available for subscribers at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.
Jan 08, 2025•10 min
We catch up with news over our long week off, including brief hits on the two new years truck attacks (more on that Thursday), MAGA civil war over immigration & visas, various instances of Musk buffoonery, Biden’s presidential medal of freedom recipients, and Semafor’s survey of what people in the media ‘got wrong’ about 2024.
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Felix looks at Steve Bannon’s origins, plus anti-Obama hysteria pushing the GOP to the right in the 2012 primaries in this clip from Episode 4 of his series “Seeking a Fren for the End of the World.” The full episode and rest of the series are available for subscribers at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.
Jan 01, 2025•10 min
Felix recounts the rise of Obama-era conservative online media in this teaser for Episode 3 of his series “Seeking a Fren for the End of the World.” The full episode and rest of the series are available for subscribers at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.
Dec 25, 2024•6 min
We’re discussing the ongoing labor disputes with the United States Postal Service with Tyler Vasseur, a shop steward with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC). We discuss the BFN rank and file movement to transform the postal unions, fighting for transparency in bargaining on the long-stalled new contract for letter carriers, what an equitable contract would look like, how the letter carriers fight fits in the broader labor movement, cost of living adjustments in an era of high inf...
Dec 24, 2024•39 min
Will & Hesse are joined by Brian Yuzna, legendary horror writer/director/producer behind such films as Re-Animator, Society, From Beyond, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, and many more. We discuss adapting Lovecraft, all-nude Peter Pan, Clown Theory, copypastas, uniquely American ghouls, the importance of GOOP in cinema, and how real horror fans can enjoy horror even when it’s bad. Pre-order the 40th Anniversary edition of Re-Animator here: https://www.ignite-films.com/products/re-animator?variant=4967...
Dec 23, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Felix documents the rise of future Fox News CEO Roger Ailes in this preview clip from episode 2 of his series “Seeking A Fren for the End of The World”. The full episode and rest of the series are available for subscribers at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.
Dec 18, 2024•10 min
Defector’s David Roth is back on the pod. We start with his write up of the recent drone scare over New Jersey, and how our ever-skittish suburbanites are discovering new ways to be scared of the lights in the night sky. Then, a review of recent media reactions to Luigi-mania, including the Atlantic tut-tutting over “decivilization” and the Root having a certified “bruh” moment. Finally, the most important bellwether poll of the year: the PornHub annual search trends results. Find all things Dav...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 13 min
In a new series by Felix, Josh (@ettingermentum), and Spencer, we ask: how did the Republican Party, once the dominant force in American culture for almost a generation, become a group of bowtied cosplayers and rapist streamers yelling about Litterboxes? We trace this development back to the empires built by two men—Paul Weyrich and James Dobson—as well as the failures of one Pat Buchanan. This episode draws from Dan Gilgoff’s The Jesus Machine and David Grann’s “Robespierre Of The Right.” For a...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 3 min
We catch up briefly on news around the arrest of the alleged UHC CEO assassin. Then, journalist and musician Jael Holzman returns to the show to discuss a new piece she has for Rolling Stone on the potential threats to trans people in the coming Trump administration. We look at the rather grim potential of massively undermining of trans medical care, the equally grim state of Democratic opposition, and the general fecklessness with which Democrats have handled what Joe Biden once called the “civ...
Dec 10, 2024•59 min
