The Drain

*Preview* 041 - Graham Platner face-plants

**This is a preview of our premium Saturday show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**
Hey folks, we recorded this one about halfway through all of the unsavory stories coming out against Maine senatorial candidate Graham Platner--and, boy, we were already pretty unimpressed with the guy.
We discuss revelations of his nazi tattoo, his racist Reddit question regarding Black folks and tipping, and his victim-blaming comments regarding women being sexually assaulted out at the bars.
A WHOLE lot more came out in the days after these stories that we think would strike the average voter as disqualifying. With such limited resources, the Left will likely be diverting their resources elsewhere, nationally.
Sources:
Graham Platner tries to turn the page on his online comments - POLITICO
Platner addresses ‘hidden Nazi tattoo’ claims - The Hill
“Platner is part of a crowded Democratic field for the Maine Senate seat; Gov. Janet Mills (D) became the highest-profile candidate when she entered the race last week. All are looking to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R), who aims to secure a sixth term.”
The Maine Monitor: Video shows Graham Platner with 'troubling' tattoo that appears to be a Nazi symbol
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Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
We're still hanging about on Twitter: @sweetxpalma and @youknowkempa
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

040 - California's CARE Court failures, and MAGA Huntington Beach's soon-to-be progressive congressman

The new congressional lines for California's Proposition 50 are going to have a wonderful effect on coastal Southern California's richest MAGA city council, Huntington Beach: They're going to be represented by a gay, Peruvian immigrant Democrat who arrived in the country undocumented.
Yes, the town known for its "MAGA-nificent 7" council, which not only fought Sacramento Democrats on COVID-19 protections, housing, library books, gender policies in schools, and voter ID laws, but also BANNED pride flags, will likely soon be represented in Washington, D.C., by Robert Garcia of Long Beach, who has catapulted himself into party leadership over his scathing rebukes of President Donald Trump and billionaire man-baby Elon Musk. Sometimes, life is sweet.
We also discuss Governor Gavin Newsom's harmful, anti-homeless CARE Courts--which homeless advocates and progressive groups fought against three years ago--a system that seems to have wildly failed in its promises of getting tens of thousands of unhoused folks onto the path toward housing using draconian court measures. Some statistics from the CalMatters story:"While Newsom’s administration estimated between 7,000 and 12,000 Californians would qualify for CARE Court, just 2,421 petitions have been filed through July, according to the Judicial Council of California. Only 528 of those have resulted in treatment agreements or plans.
San Diego County anticipated receiving 1,000 petitions in the first year and establishing court-ordered treatment plans for 250 people. But in nearly two years, the county instead has received just 384 petitions and established 134 voluntary agreements.
Los Angeles County saw 511 petitions filed – the most in the state. Of those, 112 resulted in care agreements or plans. In 2023, officials predicted to news organizations the county could enroll 4,500 people in the first year.
Courts across California are dismissing a significant percentage of CARE Court petitions – about 45% statewide, although that number includes the handful of cases in which someone has successfully “graduated” from the program. The rate is even higher in some counties, such as San Francisco, where nearly two-thirds of petitions are thrown out. 
The allure of CARE Court for many supporters was the promise of court-ordered treatment plans that would encourage sick people to accept the help they’d been resisting. But the courts have ordered just 14 treatment plans so far, according to the Judicial Council. Instead, most counties are solely offering voluntary treatment “agreements,” which sick people are free to ignore.
Very few people have successfully completed CARE Court. Despite the fact that it has the most petitions, Los Angeles County has had no graduations. Nine counties have been operating CARE Court long enough to have graduations (the program takes at least a year to complete)."
This appears to be an embarrassing failure for the man that Democrats increasingly want to represent them in the 2028 presidential election.
Please don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
We're still hanging about on Twitter: @sweetxpalma and @youknowkempa
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

*Preview* 039 - USC v. Donald Trump

**This is a preview of our premium Friday show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**
Hey folks,
Today we're discussing President Trump's push to make USC (and a number of other universities) take on a wildly anti-trans, and anti-antifa, tack against their students.
You can read it here at the LA Times.
Please don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

038 - Katie Porter's crash-outs, and Dr. Pan eyes a congressional seat

It's no secret that former Orange County congresswoman Katie Porter is leading the race to become California's next governor. But it's also no secret that she can be kind of a dick. You know, like Amy Klobuchar mean.
So, inexorably, the Democratic establishment was going to trot out old clips of Porter yelling at her aides. What we didn't foresee was that she was also going to just go on TV and have similar outbursts with TV reporters. (shout out to CBS Sacramento's Katie Watts for handling that so well).
All of this to-do has Californians wondering if Porter has opened the door for other challengers to take the lead in the race, such as Senator Alex Padilla. Others are whispering that Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis may re-enter the race.
We discuss Porter's flub, then run an update on the big players in the governor's race.
Finally, we are happy to report that Rep. Kevin Kiley is facing a well known (albeit boring as f*ck) challenger in former state senator (and 2024 Sacramento mayoral candidate) Dr. Richard Pan. Does Pan live in the district today? Will he live in it after Prop. 50 passes? We don't know. But with CA-3 set to shift from a +4 Republican district to +10 Democrat, we're fairly certain that Kiley is toast.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

*Preview* 037 - The ultimate man-cave grift

**This is a preview of our premium Friday show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**
Today we're discussing the fascinating story of the southern California son of a billionaire real estate magnate who is facing a lawsuit from investors in his idea for the Ultimate Rich Guy's Man Cave, called "The Bunker," which has not come to fruition despite millions in investments.
David Bren, son of well known real estate developer Donald Bren, is being taken to court over allegations that he has misused some $2 million in investments to his endeavor to create an opulent Los Angeles man cave at a Los Angeles hotel for dudes who love cigars, nice cars, and good wine/liquor.
We discuss the details of the story, and take a look at his YouTube pitch video for "The Bunker," which holds some prescient clues for the trouble he is now facing today.
Culture for the Driven, indeed.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

036 - California's conversion therapy loophole, and Governor Newsom is grilled by ConnorEatsPants on Fortnite Friday

Today we're discussing Governor Gavin Newsom's hardest-hitting interview from the Left in ages, which was conducted by a Twitch streamer named ConnorEatsPants on Fortnite Friday. Listen to our discussion on their talk, but you'll definitely want to hop over to his YouTube channel and watch it as well. It includes a phenomenal discussion on a one-state solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict, lots of hilarious Boomer moments from the governor as he tries to navigate the video game, and an incredible moment discussing Newsom's ex-wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Newsom was on the show to discuss Proposition 50, which every Californian should be supporting (the ballots are in your mailboxes, folks!). We have some updates there on this important fight against the Trump administration's gerrymandering push in red states.
We then get into a story in the San Francisco Chronicle discussing an incredibly important issue--California's massive problem with "conversion therapy" groups. In this story, Kempa's former SN&R colleague, Raheem Hosseini, explores the state's problem with these damaging programs, and hints at how we can end them.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

*Preview* 035 - Governor Newscum takes on economic nihilism and gamer culture

**This is a preview of our premium Friday show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**
Today we're taking a look at Governor Gavin Newsom's podcast episode discussing economic nihilism, online communities, and gamer culture, with Brandon Ewing (a.k.a. @atrioc). If you don't know who that is, don't worry--Kempa didn't either. But we're gonna learn today.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

034 - The progressive push to oust California's neoliberal Congress members

It's no secret that Democratic voters are incredibly unhappy with their electeds.
Throughout the country, they've been described as a "spineless" party that just "roll(s) right over" for the Trump administration.
In total, about one-third of Democrats described their party negatively in an open-ended question on a recent national survey, with 15% using terms like “weak,” and “apathetic,” with another 10% saying they are “ineffective” or “disorganized.”
In total, just 2 in 10 Democrats described the party positively.
So maybe it should not come as a surprise that half of Nancy Pelosi's district believe it's “time for a change."
This comes as Pelosi, 85, has filed to run for reelection in 2026, but has not officially said whether she’ll be vying for her seat again.
Are people ready for new blood?
Here in Sacramento, another octogenarian is facing a challenge from a city council member embraced by the Left.
District 8 representative Mai Vang is challenging Doris Matsui, who has held the office for nearly two decades. However, her constituents are increasingly frustrated with her lack of availability.
As always, you can like, rate, and subscribe to The Drain on all of your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
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*Preview* 033 - SMUD narcs on its California customers

**This is a preview of our premium Friday show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**
Today, Max regales us with a chilling story about a California public utility--the Sacramento Municipal Utility District--sharing its power usage data with cops to help them find "illegal" marijuana grow operations in the region.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

032 - Chuck remembrance and Newsom bills

Today, we discuss the loss of a California staple, our old punk/anti-fascist friend Ground Chuck.
We also Discuss the passing of another Chuck , whom you may or may not have heard of: Chuck (Charlie) Kirk.
Then we talk about some California bills coming to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk:
“Anti-semitism” bill – AS UC BERKELEY SHARES 160 names with Trump administration: 
Energy bill tied to wildfires, utilities and oil (six bills, includes increase in oil drilling, re-authorized cap and trade through 2045 – lots of concessions all around) “I don’t know how any of this saves money,” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. “But this is the new state of Sacramento. I think it happened because of Trump, honestly, I think this is all about abundance and Trump, and Democrats trying to make a name for themselves by dumping regulation.”
CEQA crushed for urban development “In practice, that means most new apartment buildings will no longer face the open threat of environmental litigation. It also means most urban developers will no longer have to study, predict and mitigate the ways that new housing might affect local traffic, air pollution, flora and fauna, noise levels, groundwater quality and objects of historic or archeological significance. And it means that when housing advocates argue that the state isn’t doing enough to build more homes amid crippling rents and stratospheric prices, they won’t — with a few exceptions — have CEQA to blame anymore.”
Bill against local, out-of-state and federal agents wearing masks 
UBER and Lyft can now unionize (AB 1340) – comes with strings
Regulate companion bots: SB 243 would put tighter regulations on online chatbots powered by artificial intelligence to limit their risks on young users.
Higher car dealer fees: SB 791 would raise the cap car dealers can charge to process documents from $85 to $260.
Wage boost for incarcerated firefighters: AB 247 would increase the minimum wage for incarcerated firefighters fighting active wildfires to $7.25 an hour.
Abortion pill protections: AB 260 would help protect California pharmacists, doctors and hospitals from penalties for dispensing the abortion pill mifepristone to out-of-state patients, and remove the names of patients and providers from abortion medication prescriptios.
Kill mute swans: AB 764 would make it easier for hunters and landowners to kill the invasive species.
Ban plastic glitter: AB 823 would enforce a first-in-the-nation ban on the sale of personal care products that contain plastic glitter or plastic microbeads.
Save the bees: AB 1042 would create a health program for managed honey bees that would provide grants to beekeepers, farmers and others for projects and research supporting the struggling population.
Redistricting (Prop 50) – obviously a major time-suck that affected other possible legislation
“Leaders also rushed through several Newsom administration budget measures that shield construction for the Los Angeles Olympics from environmental review, prop up struggling child care centers, bolster the state’s ability to recommend immunizations and allocate $70 million in new state general fund spending. 
The result? Other measures ran out of time. And, many Democrats were left grumbling about how business gets done on consequential measures — but they still overwhelmingly approved them.”
What failed?
Lena Gonzalez’s fight to pull back on LA’s “mansion tax” on high value real estate deals
 lawmakers punted multiple tech measures to next year, including a proposal to require tests of automated decision systems before they can be used in important personnel decisions. This is at least the second time such efforts have stalled, amid strong opposition from business associations and health care providers. 
They also shelved a measure that would have restricted workplace surveillance by public and private employers, a victory for the California Chamber of Commerce. 
A controversial criminal justice bill that drew strong opposition from moderate Democrats failed to advance. The measure would have made low-level felony offenders eligible for diversion programs, allowing them to avoid jail time. 
Some Democrats including Stephanie Nguyen of Elk Grove, Maggy Krell of Sacramento and Anamarie Avila ns in opposing the bill.
As always, you can like, rate, and subscribe to The Drain on all of your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for premium Friday episodes of The Plug :)
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social