The Drain

This was some of the most fun we've had recording in The Drain's 50-week existence. So if you're not a patron yet, subscribe today to listen to the full episode.
We begin with a couple of excerpts from Kempa's favorite modern poet: California gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell. Does he yearn for another night with star-crossed Fang Fang? Move us to tears with vivid verse on uncontrolled farts? You'll have to listen to find out.
Swalwell is, sadly, considered the frontrunner in the race for governor, edging out billionaire suck-up Tom Steyer and horrible boss Katie Porter. But there's a lot of runway before the June 2 primary. We take a look at the state of things, and also discuss Steyer's campaign manager--a former Elizabeth Warren presidential campaign staffer and former intern for America's Landlord/windshield wiper thief, Steve Maviglio.
California's state Democratic convention was last weekend, which brought lots of drama between corporate Democrats and the rising progressive/leftist influence in the party--such as the race for Congress between Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains and local lefty darling Randy Villegas.
Eons ago, Kempa wrote a cover story in the Sacramento News and Review on the 2017 California Democratic Convention. Things were the same back then as they are today, with party establishment types like former state chair John Burton (dead) telling nurses who were fighting for Medicare for All to "shut the fuck up."
Thankfully, there are some bright spots for lefties, such as Representative Ro Khanna increasingly veering left as he prepares for a 2028 run for the White House. We also discuss Bernie Sanders's visit to the Golden State to kick off the campaign to tax the state's billionaires into oblivion.
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
We're also on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

We're joined this week by a friend of the show, who we're going to call "Tommy", to discuss the continuing crisis in California's school funding. Tommy is a member of the California Teachers Association, working in our local unified school district, and has firsthand (and quite deep) insight into how Labor is dealing with the effects of the state's chronic school under-funding, while also expecting so much more from its staff.
As school districts face a crisis in truancy, the state apportions its funding to school districts based on attendance, even if they're on the hook for services regardless. Faced with a shrinking pool of state assistance, and more competitive grant environments, school districts throughout California have chosen to bolster their administrations at the expense of other staff, fostering top-heavy, expensive, inflexible management styles that siphon general fund dollars away from students and educators.
The ultimate result is bearing fruit all over the state, as labor actions erupt out of San Francisco, Natomas, and look to escape the bargaining room in LA and San Diego. Threats of state receivership in Contra Costa, and Sacramento can also be traced back to the same problems we're examining here with "Tommy" -- it's time for the State to finally put its money where its mouth is, and fully fund its education system, support the valuable labor educators provide, and ultimately reverse the unfortunate decline in education outcomes that come with underfunding.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/c/thedrain. 
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
We're still hanging about on Twitter: @sweetxpalma and @youknowkempa
We're also on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

It's official: The Supreme Court is letting Proposition 50 stand (free link), allowing California Democrats (led by political GURU Paul Mitchell) to slice up the state's congressional districts in a manner that will obliterate Republican representation in D.C.
This is another embarrassing loss for Assistant Attorney General/longtime state GOP attorney Harmeet Dhillon, who made headlines weeks ago by arresting former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort for covering an anti-ICE protest in a Minneapolis church.
But perhaps the biggest loser of the day is District 3 Representative Kevin Kiley (free link), whose current constituency has been torn into six pieces by the court ruling.
In all likelihood, Kiley must now hoist the ol' bindle over his shoulder and find a new district if he wants to stay in office. We take a look at his current options, which are so dire that his best bet might be to take a step back from Washington and return to the state legislature.
We take a deep dive into Kiley's options, before taking a larger look at the partisan gerrymander battles taking place throughout the country. No matter the outcome, special elections are already hinting at a very bad election cycle for the GOP, and a very good one for progressives and Leftists.
We also take a moment to check in on labor leaders like the California Labor Federation's Lorena Gonzalez, who is warning Governor Gavin Newsom that he needs to start taking workers' job safety in the face of the rising AI tide seriously if he wants to be the next president.
Oh, and of course we have to touch on a Congress member going wild (free link), posting feet on main.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/c/thedrain. 
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
We're still hanging about on Twitter: @sweetxpalma and @youknowkempa
We're also on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

We begin today with a look at Californians' responses to ICE agents murdering Alex Pretti in the streets of Minneapolis. By and large, the Golden State is horrified by what it's seeing--even members of some of the Golden State's most right-leaning, rural Second Amendment rights groups.
But not all of the state's mayors are living up to the population's standards.
Down in California City, for example, Mayor Marquette Hawkins and his council are facing strong backlash for their lack of response to the atrocities taking place in the city's massive immigrant detention facility, which is run by for-profit agency CoreCivic (free link).
Up here in Sacramento, where city council appears ready to take great strides to make life harder for ICE and DHS agents (free link), Mayor Kevin McCarty decided to skip the latest meeting--opting to join a national mayors conference rather than face over 800 of his constituents who commented both online and in-person to support council's decision.
Speaking of bad mayors, San Jose's very own Matt Mahan thinks that--with the help of rich Bay Area pricks like Garry Tan--he can become California's next conservaDem governor.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/c/thedrain. 
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
We're still hanging about on Twitter: @sweetxpalma and @youknowkempa
We're also on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

**This is a preview of our premium show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**
Today we're joined by El Güero to discuss the Costa-Gavras classic, État de Siège.
Based on the 1970 killing of an American official by the Tupamaro guerrillas in Uruguay, this film examines how police states backed by the United States in Latin America forced the hands of rebels.
We all know how this ended up for Uruguay: The following year, leftists formed the Broad Front coalition, which eventually got former Tupamaro/political prisoner José Mujica elected president.
But many countries suffered much deeper blowback from US intervention. Stay tuned for further film discussions in this series (next up, our dear friend Hesse is planning to join us for an Argentine classic).
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
We're also on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

Hey folks,
We recorded this episode before ICE murdered VA nurse Alex Pretti in the streets of Minneapolis last weekend, but Max hopped on to lead us in with a note on that horrible escalation by state-sanctioned terrorists. We will certainly be covering this story in the weeks to come, particularly as it affects our undocumented neighbors here in California.
Today, however, we're covering a potpourri of California storylines, including:
The mysterious, cheeky billboard outside of Vacaville wishing Congressman John Garamendi a happy 81st birthday (and ways you can support young progressives like Mai Vang, who is challenging octogenarian Doris Matsui for her seat in Congress)
Governor Gavin Newsom (yes--we, too, are tired of discussing him) trolling President Donald Trump in Davos
A rightwing Zionist mewling that a UC Davis professor kept her job after opposing Israel's genocide in Palestine (free link)
State senator Scott Wiener stepping down from his post as co-chair of the legislature's Jewish Caucus after publicly acknowledging that Israel has committed genocide (free link)
Democratic congresswoman Lateefah Simon voting to hold Bill Clinton in contempt over his refusal to respond to a subpoena to testify over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal (free link)
Sacramento's push to ban ICE from city property (free link)
Solidarity with the Kaiser nurses' strike (free link)
Sacramento making waves in this year's Oscars (free link)
Speaking of film, keep an eye out for a premium episode this week in which we're discussing a classic film examining the US's meddling in Uruguayan politics. And stay tuned for another premium episode with one of our more famous film buff friends--coming soon!
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/c/thedrain. 
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
We're still hanging about on Twitter: @sweetxpalma and @youknowkempa
We're also on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA17) may have more billionaires in his affluent San Jose district than any other member of the House of Representatives, but he's showing that he's not afraid to go against the grain.
He staunchly supports California healthcare workers' signature initiative for a state billionaire tax. He visits ICE detention centers, using his stature to elevate just how dangerously inhumane their living conditions are. And he rightly opposes Israel's genocide in Gaza.
Not surprisingly, billionaires are plotting to oust the popular progressive Democrat from his seat in Congress (free link).
Meanwhile, Democratic leadership appears set to showcase another Californian in the 2028 race for the White House: Governor Gavin Newsom.
Newsom, who has promised in the past to veto any state legislation geared toward taxing billionaires, is making himself both the face and the loudest voice against this year's billionaire tax initiative. Not only has he not visited an ICE detention facility in the state, he instead brings rightwing ghouls--such as the late Charlie Kirk and the unfortunately living Ben Shapiro--onto his podcast to brag about how much he cooperates with ICE. And he refuses to call Israel's genocide in Gaza exactly what it is.
Newsom currently leads in polling for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, despite holding just a +12 approval rating in a state where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by a factor of nearly 2:1 .
But who, really, can Californians count on to defend them against violent ICE officers? Who, besides direct action groups like NorCal Resist and the Border Angels, will stand up for undocumented residents? And who won't blink when the Golden State's billionaires threaten in bad faith to flee the state?
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/c/thedrain. 
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
We're still hanging about on Twitter: @sweetxpalma and @youknowkempa
We're also on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

**This is a preview of our premium show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**
Today we're looking at California Governor Gavin Newsom just after his final State of the State address, posturing himself for a 2028 presidential run.
Can our favorite AI-era Patrick Bateman find his way into the White House?
We touch in his latest profile in The Atlantic (free link), which would not have been written had he not assured the editors at America's foremost neoliberal mag that he's running for president. It has some juicy bits, such as the fact that he holds no personal political views to speak of (source: Willie Brown), and that his ex-wife Kimberly Guilfoyle despises him--even if she did once publicly mention that he's a veritable tripod.
Newsom's rise to power in San Francisco--and, ultimately, California--cannot be discussed without his close ties with billionaires such as the oil-baron Getty family.
We take a hard look at his history, as well as his dire prospects for the presidency as America's working class shifts toward a more economically populist posture. Can Democrats count on Newsom and his billionaire lackeys to land the presidency?
Likely not.
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
We're also on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

Today we're having a talk about the illegal kidnapping of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro. How did Sacramento respond? (free link)
And how did the rest of California respond? (free link)
John Fetterman discussed the state of "Venezwenians," for whatever that's worth.
We then dive into the California oil industry's ties to Venezuela--a la Chevron--(free link), and what that means for us in the freest state in the union.
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
We're also on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

We start our first episode of the year on a somber note after ICE terrorists murdered Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Here in California, the people are pushing back hard against the jackboots. Hundreds showed up to the capital's ICE headquarters to show their disdain, after which agents descended from the building to deface Good's memorial. (If anyone has information on the name of the agent, please reach out to us.)
Beyond that, we encourage everyone to tap into their local rapid response organizers against ICE, and to donate to Renee's family (please remember that her child lost its father just three years ago).
We then discuss the surprising passing of California House Republican Doug LaMalfa (free link), a man known for farming rice, going to the most banal of events in his district, and fighting against trans rights and for international war crimes in Venezuela. How will Doug's death affect the GOP's tenuous grasp on the House? Only time will tell.
Finally, we take a look at the California legislature as it dives into a new session. What new laws are coming into effect? (Free link.) What's on the agenda for 2026? (Free link.) Subscribe your fine self to our show to learn more as the Capitol starts bubbling with new legislation.
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
We're also on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social