Sweet Palma

100,000 California state workers are going on STRIKE, and we talked with SEIU Local 1000's lead negotiator Bobby Roy on how we got here: www.patreon.com/thedrain/pos...

I tried to do a voter guide episode with Robin and it turned into 90 minutes of insults and joyful asides

hey check me out on the latest episode of @thedrain.bsky.social, where I just non-stop insult Dave Kempa (to his delight) open.spotify.com/episode/77Vx...

Went on Chapo with @palma.ltd to talk California politics and the boys were just as wonderful as I'd imagined: www.patreon.com/posts/1038-l...

🚨🚨🚨the latest from The Drain🕳️🚨🚨🚨 We're discussing Google cofounder Sergey Brin, his gut-health MAGA girlfriend, and their plan to stop the surge of economic populism in CA politics. Folks, it's Building a Bitter California: www.patreon.com/posts/buildi...

Saikat Chakrabarti's least-problematic colleague:

Thanks @thedrain.bsky.social and @prorepcoalition.bsky.social for working to unfuck our democracy!

@edzitron.com thank you for your service bro

🚨NorCal friends🚨 Folks are coming out to the ICE HQ building in downtown Sacramento tonight to show ICE that they're not welcome here -- join if you can 💜

merry christmas, from our foul beast to yours 💜🐶🕳️

The latest from The Drain🕳️ @palma.ltd and @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social discuss @gavinnewsom.bsky.social and AG Becerra's former chiefs of staff facing *federal* charges, and also touch on SF Mayor Daniel Lurie's big appointment bungle involving dead animals. Enjoy: www.patreon.com/posts/143963...

The Plug is BACK, baby (also expect a little bonus soon)! In today's episode, @palma.ltd tells us a chilling tale about a California public utility providing its customer data to cops in order to take down "illegal" marijuana growing operations. Enjoy: www.patreon.com/posts/033-sm...

You can listen to this episode wherever fine podcasts are found, but you can also join our Patreon and subscribe/listen for the low price of GRATIS: 🕳️: www.patreon.com/posts/030-ha...

Today, Josh gives us the skinny on RCV, its practical ramifications for political campaigns, the state of its implementation in Calif., and how we can use RCV to democratize local government 🕳️🕳️🕳️

It's old hat now, but an overlooked reason for progressive candidates' success in the NY mayoral race is how RCV let NYers transfer their vote to another candidate without weakening the position of their own favorite While it wasn't the decisive factor, RCV DID have an effect on the race 🕳️🕳️🕳️

🚨🕳️🚨NEW DRAIN🚨🕳️🚨 We're joined by Josh Rosa, volunteer for @betterballotsac.bsky.social to talk about local and state-wide efforts to bring in Ranked Choice Voting to California in a huge way 🕳️🕳️🕳️ Listen: www.patreon.com/posts/030-ha...

It's a new one! 🕳️ We talked with @ic.institute about their latest California poll, which found: - 71% of residents say the state would be better off with special autonomous status within the U.S. - 44% would vote for a ballot measure for peaceful, legal secession www.patreon.com/posts/029-ne...

Rumor has it our executive director is going to appear on The Drain again in a couple of weeks. 🤫

Hey I don’t know what log you crawled out from under but if you observe the leadership of the party broadly seems to be more concerned with a fake crisis of antisemitism in america instead of the MANY other actual real crises they HAVE BEEN ignoring for DECADES, in addition to the ones in my OP. 😄

If the GOP reconciliation bill passes, ICE gets through FY2029: - $45 billion for detention, on top of the current annual budget of $3.4 billion - $14.4 billion for transportation and removal, on top of the current annual budget of $750 million - $8 billion for hiring/retention - Billions more.

Wild fact: The U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 was more popular among Iraqis than the U.S. military invasion of California is among Americans today

🕳️💦🕳️ THE DRAIN IS BACK 🕳️💦🕳️ 🔓🤑🔓FREE EPISODE:🔓🤑🔓 Apart from touching on ICE we also ask the question: why the hell is Ro fucking Khanna the only California representative formally opposing American intervention in Iran? Should compromised representatives be primaried? Link in the quoted post:

🚨🚨BUDGETWATCH is BACK🚨🚨

More info about California's donor state status: ic.institute/donor-state

Governor @gavinnewsom.bsky.social has been lurching to the right ever since he started eyeing a 2028 run for the White House. Meanwhile, Democrats are courting Elon Musk after his public fallout with Trump Today we look at the inevitability of a Musk-Newsom alliance www.patreon.com/posts/131166...

[trying really hard to rap about being connected] i want to be tied up

Two years ago a group of activists in Atlanta were trying to stop the construction of Cop City. Now, they're facing the biggest RICO case in US history. We talked with friend/defendant @priscillagrim.bsky.social to get the details, and to learn how you can help: www.patreon.com/posts/drain-...

Literally the most fun I have ever had listening to a podcast about our state budget! Like this post if you want @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social and @palma.ltd to make BUDGETWATCH a regular segment on their podcast 😁

The latest! Palma and Kempa are diving deep into @governor.ca.gov's state budget decision-making. Facing a $12 billion deficit, Governor Newsom wants to cut Medi-Cal for undocumented residents, close his fifth prison, and give Hollywood more tax credits. We discuss: www.patreon.com/posts/130011...

Be on alert as it is likely that he has already been rehired.

I was hoping for feature parity between twitter and here, but I certainly didn’t expect it to happen via a regression there. Monkey paw theory is undefeated

news.engin.umich.edu/2025/05/the-... Let's point this at Obama

📢 Today, as El Faro celebrates 27 years of journalism, we launch our digital magazine, Central America Monthly. On the 15th of every month, El Faro English will provide deeper answers to pressing questions in our region. beta.elfaro.net/en/monthly/i...

Amazing first edition of El Faro’s “Central America Monthly,” packed full of superb reporting, the now-notorious interviews with El Sal gang leaders (English subtitles), a podcast episode, a deep dive into the Guatemalan genocide trial, and much much more. 👇👇

"Journalists Exposed Bukele's Ties to Gangs. Then They Had to Flee El Salvador to Avoid Arrest" via @democracynow.org and @elfaroenglish.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yIz...

Your best friends are back! Kempa and I go through a particularly nasty “sex trafficking” bill with very little focus on helping teens escape abuse, and more focus on bashing gay culture and progressives who won’t toe the line. We also go deep into backpage history and lawfare on sex workers. 👇👇