638 - Real Matt & Felix Hours (6/21/22)

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 hucksters like RFK Jr, and how health justice remains a bedrock principle for a left political program going forward. Tim is happy to book a town hall in YOUR neck of the woods if you reach out to him: https://x.com/crulge And here’s a quick flier he put together for Hands Off Medicaid if you want more info: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jusscubmipf5fsd5hob24/national-flyer.pdf?rlkey=b1327wky6zte79m00g8peo8iq&e=2&st=d3dngrl3&dl=0 On Will’s rec, go see “The Encampments” if you have the chance: https://www.watermelonpictures.com/films/the-encampments

31 Mars 1h 15min

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 the policies, and we evaluate the Abundance potential as a viable organizing principle for the moribund Democratic party. Check out NLRB Edge, Matt’s labor law newsletter: https://www.nlrbedge.com/

24 Mars 1h 21min

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 or what turned Gen Z fascist? Felix Biederman of Chapo Trap House joins us to discuss the main players in the right-wing (mano)sphere, and whether this ecosystem of new guys will keep our nation’s youth in their thrall. Our guest Felix Biederman co-hosts Chapo Trap House (https://www.chapotraphouse.com), found wherever you get your podcasts. You can purchase the Seeking A Fren for the End of the World series for $5 at: https://www.patreon.com/cw/chapotraphouse/collections Or it, along with all their premium episodes and other acclaimed miniseries like Hell of Presidents and Movie Mindset, are available to all subscribers for just $5 a month at https://www.patreon.com/cw/chapotraphouse

19 Mars 58min

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 Ohio depravity at the Rooster: https://www.rooster.info/ Find showtimes for Eephus @ https://www.eephusfilm.com/

17 Mars 1h 38min

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 recession? Joe shares his thoughts on these questions and more with us. Listen to Odd Lots wherever you get podcasts, and find Joe’s work at Bloomberg here: https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AQ0VXvE12t0/joe-weisenthal Go see Eephus as it rolls out to your neck of the woods, search for showtimes @ https://www.eephusfilm.com/

10 Mars 1h 13min

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

28 Feb 1h 35min

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 wherever you get podcasts, and subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/qanonanonymous Check out Julian’s recent Jacobin pieces On the current state of QAnon: https://jacobin.com/2025/02/qanon-legacy-conspiracy-trump-patel And his report from CPAC: https://jacobin.com/2025/03/cpac-trump-bannon-far-right Finally, go see Eephus when it comes to your town: https://www.musicboxfilms.com/film/eephus/

28 Feb 1h 18min

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 NYC: 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

24 Feb 1h 16min