Intro

Quick Hits

Max Notes

Killer Left Take of the Week

Chart of the Week

Headlines

Pod Love + Book Love

Outro

This week’s On the Record covers how Donald Trump is killing our collective brain cells. We’re giving flowers to Brittany Page of the Page Perspective, talking about an aspect of the looming private credit crisis that financial pundits aren’t talking about, Kash Patel, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Super Troopers 3, headlines from The American Prospect, The Lever and Current Affairs. Who’s excited?

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:00

Quick Hits: 00:00:34

Max Notes: 00:03:00

Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:11:09

Chart of the Week: 00:13:00

Headlines: 00:16:55

Pod Love + Book Love: 00:18:25

Outro: 00:19:18

Resources

New York Times: What Trump Is Doing to the English Language

Bolch Judicial Institute: The U.S. Presidency: Looking Forward

NPR: Education Secretary Miguel Cardona reflects on FAFSA rollout, debt forgiveness

USA Today: Education Secretary Linda McMahon confuses AI with A1, sauce brand capitalizes on blunder

New York Times: Maduro Is Gone, and the Purge Has Begun

KFF: Deaths and Health Care Issues in ICE Detention Centers Under the Second Trump Administration

The Ink: After Epsteingate, the ball is in our court

KFF: Key Facts about the Uninsured Population

Obama Archive: Let’s Move

USA Today: Kid Rock drinks milk in a hot tub with RFK Jr. in wild workout video

Brittany Page: Jeff & Lauren Bezos Make ‘Gratitude Lists’ as AMAZON WORKERS DIE AT WORK

Bloomberg: Direct Lending Fundraising Hits Three-Year Low in First Quarter

American Prospect: The Deal That Could Destroy Hollywood

The Lever: The Helium Crisis That Won’t Go Away

Current Affairs: Steven Pinker Doesn’t Know Anything About Marxism

Book Love

Nancy MacLean: Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America

Anderson M Bean: Venezuela in Crisis: Socialist Perspectives

Pod Love

Outrage + Optimism: It’s In Our Blood: Communities vs Forever Chemicals

UNFTR Resources

Video: Trump Is Rotting Our Brains and Nobody’s Talking About the Real Credit Crisis

Essay: How Trump Is Making Us Dumber.

--

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Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.

This week&rsquo;s On the Record covers how Donald Trump is killing our collective brain cells. We&rsquo;re giving flowers to Brittany Page of the Page Perspective, talking about an aspect of the looming private credit crisis that financial pundits aren&rsquo;t talking about, Kash Patel, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Super Troopers 3, headlines from The American Prospect, The Lever and Current Affairs. Who&rsquo;s excited?
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:00
Quick Hits: 00:00:34
Max Notes: 00:03:00
Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:11:09
Chart of the Week: 00:13:00
Headlines: 00:16:55
Pod Love + Book Love: 00:18:25
Outro: 00:19:18
Resources
New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/opinion/trump-speech-language-verb.html">What Trump Is Doing to the English Language</a>
Bolch Judicial Institute: <a href="https://judicialstudies.duke.edu/2021/01/the-u-s-presidency-looking-forward/">The U.S. Presidency: Looking Forward</a>
NPR: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/01/10/nx-s1-5253915/education-secretary-miguel-cardona-reflects-on-fafsa-rollout-debt-forgiveness">Education Secretary Miguel Cardona reflects on FAFSA rollout, debt forgiveness</a>
USA Today: <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/12/linda-mcmahon-a1-instead-of-ai/83059797007/">Education Secretary Linda McMahon confuses AI with A1, sauce brand capitalizes on blunder</a>
New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/world/americas/delcy-rodriguez-maduro-allies-venezuela.html">Maduro Is Gone, and the Purge Has Begun</a>
KFF: <a href="https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/deaths-and-health-care-issues-in-ice-detention-centers-under-the-second-trump-administration/">Deaths and Health Care Issues in ICE Detention Centers Under the Second Trump Administration</a>
The Ink: <a href="https://the.ink/p/after-epsteingate-the-ball-is-in">After Epsteingate, the ball is in our court</a>
KFF: <a href="https://www.kff.org/uninsured/key-facts-about-the-uninsured-population/">Key Facts about the Uninsured Population</a>
Obama Archive: <a href="https://letsmove.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/">Let&rsquo;s Move</a>
USA Today: <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2026/02/18/kid-rock-rfk-jr-video-hhs/88736402007/">Kid Rock drinks milk in a hot tub with RFK Jr. in wild workout video</a>
Brittany Page:&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/nKOncH9a2Wc?t=81">Jeff &amp; Lauren Bezos Make &lsquo;Gratitude Lists&rsquo; as AMAZON WORKERS DIE AT WORK</a>
Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-20/direct-lending-fundraising-falls-to-10-7-billion-lowest-in-three-years?embedded-checkout=true">Direct Lending Fundraising Hits Three-Year Low in First Quarter</a>
American Prospect: <a href="https://prospect.org/2026/04/20/deal-that-could-destroy-hollywood-paramount-warner-bros/">The Deal That Could Destroy Hollywood</a>
The Lever: <a href="https://www.levernews.com/the-helium-crisis-that-wont-go-away/">The Helium Crisis That Won&rsquo;t Go Away</a>
Current Affairs: <a href="https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/steven-pinker-doesnt-know-anything-about-marxism">Steven Pinker Doesn&rsquo;t Know Anything About Marxism</a>
Book Love
Nancy MacLean: <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/23377/9781101980972">Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right&rsquo;s Stealth Plan for America</a>
Anderson M Bean: <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/23377/9798888904640">Venezuela in Crisis: Socialist Perspectives</a>
Pod Love
Outrage + Optimism: <a href="https://www.outrageandoptimism.org/episodes/its-in-our-blood-communities-vs-forever-chemicals">It&rsquo;s In Our Blood: Communities vs Forever Chemicals</a>
UNFTR Resources
Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/qj_HEI3Yx6M">Trump Is Rotting Our Brains and Nobody&rsquo;s Talking About the Real Credit Crisis</a>
Essay: <a href="https://www.unftr.com/blog/how-trump-is-making-us-dumber">How Trump Is Making Us Dumber.</a>
--
If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: <a href="https://unftr.com/rate">unftr.com/rate</a> and follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Unfucking-The-Republic-102319714930389">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/unftr.com">Bluesky</a>,&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unftrpod/">Instagram</a> at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/">unftr.com</a>.
Become a member at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/memberships">unftr.com/memberships</a>.
Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at <a href="https://shop.unftr.com/">shop.unftr.com</a>.
Visit our bookshop.org page at <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod">bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod</a> to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at <a href="https://bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations">bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations</a>.
Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/accessibility">unftr.com/accessibility</a>.

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.

Unf*cking The Republic&reg; (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.