917 - Touchdown Tim Chitters feat. D.J. Byrnes & Eephus (3/17/25)

Fighter jets are just falling off the back of our aircraft carriers now in yet another Keystone Kops-ass bungle in the Red Sea. Gerry Connolly announces he’ll step down from the oversight committee in another moment of glory for the funeral home waiting room of Democratic leadership. Will reads us a profile of a new up-and-coming conservative influencer so annoying it drives Felix to the brink of rage-quitting. Alex Nichols returns to the pod to discuss these stories and more on today’s program. We are putting a limited number of overstock copies of ¡No Pasarán! Matt Christman's Spanish Civil War next Wednesday, April 30th at 8am Pacific Time at: https://chapotraphouse.store/

The first episode of this season of Movie Mindset is free for all listeners as always. To listen to the rest of the season, subscribe at www.patreon.com/chapotraphouse When you love movies, you’ve got to watch them. There’s no other way…Movie Mindset Season 3 commences with our first ever single feature on the most referenced movie in Chapo Trap House history: Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece Casino. Will and Hesse are joined by Felix to take a kaleidoscopic and dizzying dive into the inferno of American greed that is Las Vegas. Anchored by a triumvirate of all career great performances from Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci in FULL PSYCHO MODE, Casino is by equal turns hilarious and stomach turning and stands alone as Scorsese’s grandest and most generous examination of evil and the tragic flaws that doom us all. Should you listen even if you haven’t seen this movie? Why take a chance? At least that the way we feel about it.

Historian and author Greg Grandin joins us to discuss his new book America, América: A New History of the New World, which looks at the five century history of colonization & conquest of the New World, and how North & South America developed their distinct identities through a long history of mutual interaction and opposition.  We also catch up with Greg for his takes on the death of Pope Francis, the state of American empire at the start of the second Trump term, the U.S.’s lack of a forward-looking political horizon, and what possibilities we might see in the future of Latin America.  Buy America, América: A New History of the New World online here, or wherever you get books: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747326/america-america-by-greg-grandin/

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 back into the spotlight, and finally Bernie & AOC’s recent rally in LA.  Find EEPHUS streaming on VOD and new Eephus merch at: www.eephusfilm.com

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/author/david-weigel

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: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/1/23/why-is-ukraine-struggling-to-mobilise-its-citizens-to-fight Jacobin: https://jacobin.com/2022/07/ukraine-neoliberalism-war-russia-eu-imf Canada Files: https://www.thecanadafiles.com/articles?author=645e6f082224bb01e8f3f37c Arena https://arena.org.au/ukraines-borderline-disorder/

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

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/

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

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/