Unf*cking The Republic

Epizode

• 
  Omnibus (07-23-26). 23.07.2026 1h 17min

  Max and 99 are back for another round of Omnibus. They hit headlines on the Trump administration restricting visas for foreign journalists, tribes suing to block the gutting of the Endangered Species Act, SpaceX’s massive share unlock, and a defense of reading books in an era of mass literary abandonment. Then they tackle listener emails on coordinating progressive media against AIPAC, whether MMT is 1920s Germany, and some episode clarifications. Chapters Intro: 00:00:18 Headlines: 00:15:14 Emails: 00:44:38 Beyond the Bullshit: 00:59:42 Memberships: 01:16:15 Outro: 01:17:08 Resources The New York Times: The Maduro Case May Be About to Take a Hairpin Turn Politico: Taylor Farms still tied to cyclospora outbreak despite ‘false positive,’ FDA says Mother Jones: Tribes and Environmental Groups Sue to Block Trump’s Gutting of the Endangered Species Act Reporters without Borders: US imposes sweeping visa restrictions on foreign journalists, hindering global coverage of American affairs TIME: In Defense of Reading Books Bloomberg: SpaceX’s Great Unlocking Begins With $116 Billion Share Release Book Love David Peter Stroh: Systems Thinking For Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results Marie Arana: Bolivar: American Liberator UNFTR Resources Video: Trump Is a Useful Idiot for the People Behind the Scenes -- 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/accessibilitySupport the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Shitty: The Quest to Make Everything Terrible. 22.07.2026 20min

  Everything is getting worse, but the country hasn’t collapsed. This is all by design. Donald Trump is a useful idiot for the people behind the scenes and Project 2025, most notably Russell Vought. The Trump administration is using the nation’s finances like a personal piggy bank for themselves and large corporations while gutting agencies that provide critical services. The misconception is that Trump is driving things into the ground. He’s not. He’s just making things so shitty that the corporate state looks good in comparison. Resources ProPublica: “Their Entire Apparatus Is Exposed to Our Strategy” ProPublica: “We Want the Bureaucrats to Be Traumatically Affected” Yahoo: This Trump Official Promised To Traumatize Federal Workers — Watch His Words Come Back To Haunt Him The New York Times: Two Dead and Scores Rescued as Flooding Engulfs Central Texas IMF: World Economic Outlook Update, July 2026: Global Economy in Crosscurrents of War and Technology ProPublica: “Put Them in Trauma”: Inside a Key MAGA Leader’s Plans for a New Trump Agenda The New York Times: Why Silicon Valley’s Most Powerful People Are So Obsessed With Hobbits U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index Summary - 2026 M06 Results U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Producer Price Index News Release summary - 2026 M06 Results U.S. News: Trump Administration’s Changes to the CFPB Cost Americans $19B, a New Report Says KFF: In Preliminary Rate Filings, ACA Marketplace Insurers Largely Propose Double-Digit Premium Increase For 2027, Following a Steep Climb This Year National Association of Realtors: NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows 5.4% Decrease in June The New York Times: Cyclospora Cases Rise Rapidly, With No Source Yet Confirmed The New Yorker: The Human Cost of DOGE’s War on U.S.A.I.D. The Washington Post: The gaps in CDC’s public health data are creating dangerous blind spots Axios: Measurement tweaks will make inflation data look better UNFTR Resources Episode: “Russputin” and the Tsar. Episode: Project 2025. Video: U.S. Financials in Free Fall | Graham, McConnell, and the Strait of Hormuz Video: Trump Is a Useful Idiot for the People Behind the Scenes. -- 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/accessibilitySupport the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  On The Record (07-21-26). 21.07.2026 21min

  This week we went to see The Odyssey and came out thinking about Bronze Age collapse, because Nolan’s Odysseus is haunted by the wreckage of a civilization that mistook conquest for strength—and the parallels basically write themselves. Then we checked in on the Leading Economic Index, which has been declining for years while the coincident index keeps climbing, and the gap between those two lines is the gap between Wall Street and everyone else: the market’s fine, the C-suite’s fine, but the person trying to build or buy a house is living in a completely different economy. Chapters Intro: 00:00:38 Quick Takes: 00:01:37 Max Notes: 00:07:53 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:14:26 Chart of the Week: 00:17:16 Headlines: 00:19:48 Outro: 00:20:53 Resources Guardian News: Britain’s new prime minister Andy Burnham makes address NBC News: Trump imposes 50% tariffs on dairy, alcohol, and cars from Canada Reuters: Doctors question evidence behind Pentagon plan for testosterone screening Fox Business: Bessent delivers remarks on far-left political terrorism Netflix: Bill Maher Mark Twain Prize Middle East Eye: US influencer Clavicular’s ‘Israelmaxxing’ propaganda trip ends in national scandal Forbes: Here’s The Odyssey’s Budget And Break-Even Point At The Box Office Africa Is a Country: Odyssey to Africa’s last colony Drop Site News: Jeremy Scahill and Ro Khanna CLASH Over Palestinian Armed Resistance and Iron Dome The Conference Board: Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the US Declined in June and Partially Reversed Gains from Prior Two Months ACLU: Defending Our Vote: The ACLU’s election safeguarding program Grist: New York governor orders first statewide data center moratorium The Lever: Repeat Food Contaminator Gave $2.2 Million to GOP. Now Thousands Are Sick UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 7-21-26 (The Odyssey | Pete Hegseth Loves Buff Dudes | Clavicular in Israel.) Essay: Quite the Odyssey. -- 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/accessibilitySupport the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  On The Record (07-14-26). 14.07.2026 22min

  This week we read the federal budget the way it’s meant to be read: as a moral document. What it shows is individuals paying more, corporations getting refunds, classrooms getting gutted, and the pentagon getting fed, all while the deficit stays exactly where it always was. The “fiscally responsible” costume is just that. Then we looked at the strategic petroleum reserve, which is sitting at 1983 levels after nearly 100 million barrels drawn down since the Iran war began—and with China about to reenter the market and the strait still choked off, the traders who’ve been keeping oil prices contained are running out of room. Chapters Intro: 00:00:38 Quick Takes: 00:01:25 Max Notes: 00:05:57 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:18:04 Chart of the Week: 00:19:28 Headlines: 00:21:35 Outro: 00:22:36 Resources ABC News: Senator Lindsey Graham’s sister will complete the remainder of his term Fox News: Trump REVEALS what Lindsey Graham told him before his death CNBC: Elon Musk and Sam Altman spar on X after Apple files OpenAI lawsuit The New York Times: How Marco Rubio Is Running Venezuela From Afar PBS News: Who is Darline Graham Nordone, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sister? Peter G. Peterson Foundation: Chart Pack: Defense Spending CNN: Iran war heats up while US weapon stocks remain depleted, risking military’s ability to fight future wars Dropsite News: Inside Israel’s Plan to Ethnically Cleanse Palestine’s Jordan Valley eia: Weekly U.S. Ending Stocks of Crude Oil in SPR Reuters: Crude stocks in US strategic reserve fall 3 million barrels to lowest level since 1983 In These Times: AI’s Rise is Being Fueled by the Sprawling U.S. Military State Jacobin: Everybody Should Welcome Nationalizing AI Truthout: McConnell’s Been on Sick Leave for a Month. US Workers Aren’t Guaranteed a Day. UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 7-14-26 (U.S. Financials in Free Fall | Graham, McConnell, and the Strait of Hormuz.) Essay: Trump’s Big Beautiful Bullshit Budget. Video: These ‘New Democrats’ Are Literally Aligned with Trump’s Plan -- 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.
• 
  Omnibus (07-11-26). 11.07.2026 1h 10min

  Max and 99 are back for another round of Omnibus. They hit headlines on the left’s role in silencing Platner’s accusers, the ICE shooting of a Houston father, a parasite outbreak causing explosive diarrhea, and Meta using your Instagram photos to train AI. Then they tackle listener emails on the difference between socialism and social democracy, and creative vision versus collective collaboration. Enjoy! Note: The Meta AI decision was reversed after the time of recording. Details linked below. Chapters Intro: 00:00:10 Headlines: 00:10:31 Emails: 00:39:18 Beyond the Bullshit: 00:59:52 Memberships: 01:09:13 Outro: 01:10:32 Resources Support our friends at Straight White American Jesus PBS: A Mexican father was shot and killed by an ICE officer. His son is demanding an independent probe Chron: Did Houston ICE agents record fatal shooting? Body camera questions remain Rebecca Watson (Skepchick): The Leftists who Mocked Graham Platner’s Victims Wired: Meta Now Lets Anyone Use Your Instagram Photos in AI Images—Unless You Opt Out BBC: Meta pulls new AI image feature after days of backlash Yusuf/Cat Stevens: Father and Son UNFTR Resources Video: These ‘New Democrats’ Are Literally Aligned with Trump’s Plan. Video: Objectivism in The Bear: Elon Musk vs Zohran Mamdani -- 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.
• 
  The New Republicrats: Snakes of the Democratic Party. 10.07.2026 23min

  Ten sitting house democrats and five candidates just signed the “Promise to America” pledge ensuring the public they are not socialists. It has six banal points with no specifics, no plan, and no agenda that might actually help anyone. Of the six, five are limp, empty platitudes. The sixth is a Trojan horse to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. So either these “Democrats” are wholly and secretly aligned with the folks who wrote Project 2025, or they’re stupid. You decide. In this episode, Max rips apart the pledge, puts this so-called movement in historical context, grades the legislators who are signatories to it, and explains why they are so out of step with what their constituents truly desire. Resources Politicon: James Carville: What Just Happened In The NYC Primaries Fox News Clips: ‘WE’RE FOR CAPITALISM’: Moderate Democrat responds to socialist wins NBC News: ‘Mamdani is a threat to my constituents,’ says New York House Democrat Fox News Clips: Democrat TORCHES Mamdani: ‘Job-killing socialist’ Promise to America Newsweek: Democrats Launch Centrist Group as Trump Attacks Socialists, Communists Daily Kos: Promise to America: 15 Dems pledge surrender to the GOP Blue Dog PAC Wikipedia: New Democrat Coalition Problem Solvers Caucus Members The Peter G. Peterson Foundation: Chart Packs UNFTR Resources Video: These ‘New Democrats’ Are Literally Aligned With Trump’s Plan. Essay: The New Republicrats: Snakes of the Democratic Party. Series: The Clinton Years. 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/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  On The Record (07-07-26). 07.07.2026 29min

  This week we asked whether 2026 is 2008 or something worse, and the answer is: different disease, same symptoms. The hiring freeze, the housing collapse, the credit stress all rhyme with the last crisis, but this time the economy is drowning in money that just isn’t moving, pooling at the top while the bottom quietly bleeds out. Then we pulled on the thread of where all that leverage actually lives, and found that the “safe” parts of the financial system—banks, money markets, insurers—are the ones funding the riskiest trades, all stacked on the same narrow AI bet. When it unwinds, the dampeners become the accelerants. Chapters Intro: 00:00:38 Quick Takes: 00:01:30 Max Notes: 00:08:43 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:21:05 Chart of the Week: 00:23:01 Headlines: 00:27:41 Outro: 00:28:47 Resources Bloomberg Television: OpenAI Proposes Giving the US Government a 5% Stake, FT Says CNBC Television: Palantir CEO Alex Karp says ‘something has gone completely wrong’ with how AI is sold CBS News: Trump admits he called FIFA chief about Folarin Balogun’s red card: “That wasn’t a foul” Forbes Breaking News: Graham Platner Issues Video Statement After Allegation Of Sexual Assault Emerges The New York Times: Nearly a Million Investors Lost a Total of $3.8 Billion on Trump Crypto Coin MacroMicro: US - M1 & M2 Money Supply Current Affairs: Of Course The Founding Fathers Would Have Hated Trump Bloomberg: Leveraged ETFs Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg Truthdig: Was USAID Really Neocolonial? The Intercept: RFK Jr. Claims He’s Investigating Terrorism Now, Too MotherJones: “Morally reprehensible”: Prediction Markets Offer Bets on Wildfires UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 07-07-26 (2008 Parallels | McConnell Still Missing & Platner Should Be) Essay: Is It 2008 All Over Again? -- 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.
• 
  The Bear and the American Male Archetype: Carmen Shrugged. 06.07.2026 20min

  The hit series The Bear has finally concluded. The final episode is so uplifting that most reviewers appear to believe the arc of the show’s main character follows suit with a redemptive arc. But the connection to Ayn Rand’s famous book The Fountainhead might reveal the opposite meaning. The show’s main character Carmen Berzatto, portrayed beautifully by Jeremy Allen White, shows us a prototypical Randian archetype who understands everything and learns nothing. The deeper subtext of the show is the tension between the upper and working class, the pursuit of both greatness and a paycheck, and whether individual accomplishments supersede collective success. It’s a uniquely modern American theme being played out in real time between two of the most famous men in America. Elon Musk is the avatar of Rand’s objectivist theory, while Zohran Mamdani leverages his fame and status for the collective. Resources The Bear Ayn Rand: The Fountainhead The Bear, “Napkins” The Bear, “Replicants” Ayn Rand Institute: The Mike Wallace Interview with Ayn Rand Wednesday Journal: The Bear visits Oak Park’s Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio New Ideal: Howard Roark and Frank Lloyd Wright UNFTR Resources Video: Class War in The Bear: Individual Genius vs Collective Good Episode: Ayn Rand Was a Dick. Essay: The Bear and the American Male Archetype. -- 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.
• 
  On The Record (6-30-26). 30.06.2026 27min

  This week we mapped out how Wall Street has talked itself into a story it can’t stress-test—Accenture getting punished whether AI succeeds or fails, Saylor quietly selling the Bitcoin he swore he’d never sell, and the hyperscalers borrowing billions to fund a buildout that may be obsolete before it’s finished. Then we looked at the inflation numbers, which are stuck well above target, and the quiet methodology change coming this fall that’ll let everyone claim victory without prices actually moving an inch. Chapters Intro: 00:00:37 Quick Takes: 00:01:25 Max Notes: 00:07:06 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:18:55 Chart of the Week: 00:21:06 Headlines: 00:26:00 Outro: 00:27:08 Resources PBS NewsHour: Stephen Miller says ‘America’s doors are closed fully to asylum seekers’ after SCOTUS ruling TMZ Clips: Dr. Oz Says Great American State Fair Crowd Is Huge, But Camera Pan Shows Otherwise CBS New York: Trump says NYC rent freeze will turn buildings “into ghettos and slums” ScotusBlog.com Motley Fool: Accenture Shares Plunged 50% This Year. Here’s What Investors Need to Know. Yahoo! Finance: Strategy Says It May Sell Up to $1.25 Billion of Bitcoin Yahoo! Finance: Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft are getting hooked on debt to fuel AI boom Reuters:  Cheaper AI is better: Soaring bills are reshaping how businesses choose models TechTarget: Will data centers become obsolete? Breaking Points: “I’M DONE!” Carville, Dem Elites CRASH OUT, Demand Dem Divorce Macro Micro: US - Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index [PCE] U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index Farm Service Agency: Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) U.S. News: Methodology Changes Could Lower US May Core PCE Inflation, Economists Say Daily Kos: Thanks, GOP: Student borrowers face massive bills this week   The Intercept: Abdul El-Sayed Becomes First Senate Candidate Backed by Pro-Palestine Jewish Group ProPublica: Native American Tribes Came Together to Secure Their Rights to Colorado River Water. Four States Are Stalling the Deal. UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 6-30-26 (Wall Street Insanity | White House Depravity | Zohran Crushing) Essay: Wall Street Is Cooked. Video: SpaceX IPO: What They’re Not Telling Retail Investors UNFTR Trivia UNFTR Newsletter 5 Non-Negotiables of the Left -- 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.
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  Is Private Credit the Pin That Pops the Bubble? 28.06.2026 29min

  Is private credit the pin that pops the market bubble? The short answer is no—but that’s the wrong question entirely. Private credit is now a $1.8–$3.5 trillion market, rivaling the entire U.S. leveraged loan and high-yield bond markets combined. It’s direct lending, shadow banking, and middle-market finance all rolled into one, and firms like Ares, Apollo, Blackstone, Blue Owl, and Morgan Stanley are at the center of it. Business development companies (BDCs), are gating redemptions. Pension funds, insurance companies, and retail investors are all exposed. And the Financial Stability Board issued a formal warning in May 2026. So what is private credit, how did it get this big, and what does it actually mean for the broader economy if it seizes up? In this episode, Max breaks down the entire private credit ecosystem—from its origins in post-2008 regulation to the mechanics of SOFR-linked floating rate loans, PIK interest, covenant-lite structures, and the $410–$540 billion in bank lending that ties the whole system together. We look at the BDC redemption crisis of 2025 and 2026, the First Brands and TriColor fraud cases and Jamie Dimon’s cockroach comment that won’t go away. Resources J.P. Morgan: Understanding Private Credit Bloomberg Television: Why Private Credit Is Not a Financial Crisis Threat Blackstone: What’s Really Happening in Private Credit? Expert Answers CNBC Television: Inside Alts: Private credit fears resurface CNBC Television: This is the start of a big crisis for private credit, says Verdad’s Rasmussen The Federal Reserve: Bank Lending to Private Credit: Size, Characteristics, and Financial Stability Implications Federal Reserve Bank of Boston: Could the Growth of Private Credit Pose a Risk to Financial System Stability? IMF eLibrary: Chapter 2 The Rise and Risks of Private Credit in: Global Financial Stability Report, April 2024 Financial Stability Board: FSB warns on private credit vulnerabilities NAIC: How State Insurance Regulators are Responding to Growth in CLOs and Private Credit Bloomberg: Ares Private Credit Fund Caps Redemptions After 14% Seek to Exit Bloomberg: Apollo Caps Private Credit Fund After 17% Request to Exit Bloomberg: Private Credit Is Still a Hot Asset for Bond Investors Buying Debt Bloomberg: Morgan Stanley Caps Private Credit Fund After 11.6% Exit Request Bloomberg: Cliffwater Private Credit Fund Stung by 17% Redemption Requests Bloomberg: Blackstone Limits Withdrawals From $79 Billion Private Credit Fund BCRED Bloomberg: Private Credit BDC Redemptions Exceed Fundraising for First Time The Lead Left: Middle Market & Private Credit – 1/5/2026 - The Lead Left Financial Times: US debt investors raise alarm over lending standards UNFTR Resources Video: Will Private Credit’s Death Spiral Pop the Market Bubble? Essay: Is Private Credit the Pin That Pops the Bubble? UNFTR Newsletter UNFTR Progressive Trivia -- 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.
• 
  Omnibus (6-27-26). 27.06.2026 1h 4min

  Max and 99 are back, back, back again. They hit headlines on the Supreme Court shielding Roundup from cancer lawsuits, Stephen Miller quietly gutting disability rights, a socialist congressman who tried to abolish the Senate in 1911, and the Netherlands criminalizing conversion therapy. Then they dive into listener emails on stablecoins and the Genius Act, the “upside” of losing the Iran war, and how Max’s economic outlook squares with the Scott Galloways of the world. Enjoy, Unf*ckers. Chapters Intro: 00:00:45 Headlines: 00:14:56 Emails: 00:30:07 Beyond the Bullshit: 00:59:22 Membership: 01:02:27 Outro: 01:04:24 Resources NPR: DOJ memo stokes fear among disability advocates of a return to institutionalization Bloomberg Law: Stephen Miller Said to Drive DOJ Memo Eroding Disability Rights New York Times: Supreme Court Rejects Lawsuit Alleging Roundup Weedkiller Caused Cancer Jurist: Netherlands passes law banning conversion therapy Max: The Socialist Who Tried to Abolish the Senate Ed Zitron: Exclusive: OpenAI Losses Increased Nearly 8X in 2025, With Spending Hitting $34 Billion UNFTR Resources UNFTR Progressive Trivia -- 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.
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  On The Record (6-23-26). 23.06.2026 23min

  This week we said goodbye to Alan Greenspan, the man who spent two decades quietly rigging the economy for the wealthy, and encouraged working people to take on debt he knew would blow up in their faces (he would eventually call this a “flaw” ). Then we looked at housing starts, which just posted their worst number since COVID, with multifamily construction down 40% in a single month—because between 6.4% mortgage rates, all-time high home prices, and tariffs jacking up the cost of every material that goes into a build, the math simply doesn’t work. Chapters Intro: 00:00:38 Quick Takes: 00:01:20 Max Notes: 00:06:27 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:13:47 Chart of the Week: 00:17:09 Headlines: 00:22:02 Outro: 00:23:17 Resources The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder: How Did Hasan Make Emma Cry? Ed Zitron: Exclusive: OpenAI Losses Increased Nearly 8X in 2025, With Spending Hitting $34 Billion Yahoo! Finance: SpaceX stock tumbles 16.4%, shaving off most IPO gains since debut Owen Jones: Keir Starmer: Dishonest, Unprincipled - And FINISHED Walter Masterson: Trolling Nick Shirley in NYC United States Census Bureau: Monthly New Residential Construction, May 2026 Freddie Mac: Mortgage Rates NAHB: New Tariffs on Lumber, Wood Product Imports Add Headwinds to Housing Market Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: Median Sales Price of Existing Homes Justice for Colombia: Who is De la Espriella, the Colombian far right’s presidential candidate? The New Yorker: The Repo Man is Coming for Your Ride Mother Jones: Why GM Is Betting on a Future With Sodium-Ion Battery Storage UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 6-23-26 (Greenspan, SpaceX, and the Colombia Coup Nobody's Ready For.) UNFTR Progressive Trivia Essay: Alan Greenspan Has Died. Episode: Housing in America. -- 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.
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  We Lost More Than This War: Iran Ascendant. 21.06.2026 16min

  Trump lost more than the war with Iran. U.S. media tends to look at things through a bilateral or ethnocentric lens of winners and losers. The bigger story is how Trump singlehandedly altered the calculus for multiple nation states, and fundamentally shifted historic alliances. Israel stands to lose the most and is increasingly isolated now that Iran and its proxies are triumphant. But this also has enormous implications for the Gulf States who have to renegotiate their relationship with Tehran. Whether there are any actual payouts in this agreement is icing on Iran’s liquidity cake as entry to market oil prices and flows alone will amount to a huge windfall. In three short months Trump weakened the position of U.S. allies and strengthened Iran and its allies. Resources CNBC: Pres. Trump: MOU is not final, if I don’t like agreement we will go back to dropping bombs AL-MONITOR: Analysis-Gulf recalibrates as Iran emerges intact from war Al Jazeera: Will a US-Iran deal unlock $300bn in investment fund for Tehran? Middle East Eye: US-Iran deal leaves Israel isolated and Netanyahu exposed Brookings: The end of the American way of war? Media Bias Fact Check: Shafaq News – Bias and Credibility Shafaq News: Two powers, one grid: The geopolitical siege of Iraq’s economy Frontline: Qassem Soleimani’s Complex Legacy in Iraq Alcon Intel: Iran Proxy Network Post-War: Reconstitution & Threat U.S. EIA: Country Analysis Brief: Iran Tehran Dispatch: Iran Quietly Expands Oil Sales to Asia, Bypassing Western Sanctions UNFTR Resources Video: Trump Weakened U.S. Allies While Strengthening Iran. Essay: We Lost More Than This War. -- 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.
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  Omnibus (6-20-26). 20.06.2026 1h 29min

  Your host pals Max and 99 are back for another round of Omnibus! They hit headlines on AI as a political problem dressed up as a spiritual one, Carville’s prediction that Trump walks away by Easter, the new Spielberg film, and a leaked member list from Peter Thiel’s secret society, then tackle listener emails on whether there’s any coming back from this level of democratic destruction and what’s coming for the dollar and gold + more. Enjoy!  Chapters Intro: 00:00:18 Headlines: 00:14:10 Emails: 00:51:57 Memberships: 01:22:55 Outro: 01:26:54 Resources The Hill: Carville doubles down on Trump departure prediction: ‘Your life is miserable’ CNBC: ‘A signal of where power sits’: Trump and world leaders joined by OpenAI, Anthropic, Google at G7 Bloomberg: SpaceX Pounces on $60 Billion Cursor Takeover Days After IPO Jacobin: The Soul of AI and the Future of Humankind Wired: Leak Exposes Members of Peter Thiel’s Secretive ‘Dialog’ Society Bluesky: Post by @crimew.gay Adam Grant Poem Slate: Steven Spielberg’s New Movie Is a Monument to the Power of Watching Something Together CBS News: Mamdani delivers passionate Knicks victory speech to ‘a city overcome by happiness’ USA Today Sports: Knicks owner James Dolan says ‘I don’t need your vote’ at NYC parade celebrating NBA Finals title Book Love Jeff Sharlet: The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power UNFTR Resources Series: Palestine: A Political History of Palestine from the 1880s through Today. Video: Trump Weakened U.S. Allies While Strengthening Iran. Video: Elon Musk Is Now the Leader of the “Free” 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/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  On The Record (6-16-26). 16.06.2026 21min

  This week we took a detour into the joy of the Knicks championship and what it says about New York, collective identity, and why Zohran Mamdani’s politics make sense in a city where the billionaire and the bodega worker share the same sewer pipe. Then we got back to the markets, where a flood of new share issuances is quietly changing the supply and demand math that’s driven equities upward for 40 years. With bond yields actually competing for attention, the irrational exuberance warnings are starting to sound less crazy. Chapters Intro: 00:00:37 Quick Takes: 00:01:18 Max Notes: 00:04:57 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:13:17 Chart of the Week: 00:15:34 Headlines: 00:19:51 Outro: 00:21:03 Resources 270 to Win: 2026 Senate Election Interactive Map Sharing Sociology: From Redlining to the Court: How Systemic Racism Shaped Basketball Culture in NYC Nate Rattner: Courts of New York (A visual atlas of the city’s public basketball spaces) Courts of the World: Basketball Courts in New York City, NY NYC Parks: About the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Forbes: The Cities With The Most Billionaires 2025 The Bitchuation Room (with Francesca Fiorentini): Ivanka and Jared Chased Out Of Albania SIFMA: US Equity and Related Statistics CounterPunch: What’s Wrong With the American Left: Captured by the Professional Class Dissent Magazine: AI is Theft Grist: For first time, Americans are getting more of their electricity from solar than coal UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 6-16-26 (Zohran & Knicks outshine Trump & UFC). Essay: Be Like NYC. -- 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.
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  Omnibus (6-13-26). 13.06.2026 1h 43min

  Max 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.
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  Demand Destruction and the “Resilience Paradox.” 12.06.2026 25min

  Donald 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.
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  The SpaceX IPO Fraud: Truly Out of This World. 11.06.2026 20min

  This 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.
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  Omnibus (6-8-26). 08.06.2026 1h 6min

  Max 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.
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  On The Record (6-02-26). 02.06.2026 23min

  This 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.