The Drain

Today we're talking with two of our favorite San Francisco journalists in Tim Redmond and Marke B., founders of 48 Hills.

Tim is a longtime political and investigative reporter of San Francisco politics, covering the scene for over three decades. He was also the longtime Executive Editor of the SF Bay Guardian.

Marke B., our sweet baby boy, has been on the show before. He's the publisher and arts & culture editor for 48 Hills, ...

It's a new day. California is now gerrymandered for the Democratic Party, and New York City is a socialist caliphate. All is right in the world.

We're discussing how movie star/former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger created California's nonpartisan redistricting commission, how his legacy is going up in flames, and why he appears to be choosing Pope-hangs and beers in Berlin as opposed to protecting one of the few things ...

Hey all, we've been enjoying a boom in listeners, and so we'd like to remind you to like, subscribe, rate, comment, and tell your friends about the Drain. Many, many fun things to come!

We're hitting you a couple days late, due to Kempa moving on up to a nicer part of town. He's also gonna be out east, but we'll be recording through ALL of that, so do not fret.

Today, however, we've got some interesting stuff for you:

**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 hi...

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, ge...

**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.

...

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 report...

**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...

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 ...

**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...

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 “ineffectiv...

**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 platfor...

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 bil...

Hello, Plug brethren and Drain cisterns.

Kempa had to take a few weeks out east for some family business, but we are BACK and ready to discuss the federal redistricting battles.

You may have heard that California is responding to Texas Republicans' redistricting push to ensure fascism in the US in 2026, with a little redistricting of their own.

What does that mean?

Well, Democrats in the Golden State are looking to gain about five ...

It's all old hat at this point, but it bears repeating that Zohran Mamdani's historic nomination as Democratic candidate for New York City mayor is largely thanks to his groundbreaking policies for city welfare, as well as his commitment to social justice. Less examined, however, is the role of ranked choice voting in the success of his campaign. Today we sit down with Josh Rosa of Better Ballot Sacramento for a chat about what is ...

Today we're talking with our friend Coyote Marin, Executive Director of the Independent California Institute, about the new poll they've put out with YouGov on California sentiment towards autonomous rule.

The highlights?

• 50% of Californians say they trust Sacramento more than Washington, D.C.—only 23% say the reverse.

• 71% say California would be better off with special autonomous status within the U.S.

• 44% would vote for...

**This is a preview of our premium Friday show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**

Welcome, to our lovely paid listeners, to an exploration of the rogue benches showing up all over San Francisco.

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.soc...

Today we're taking a look at how President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill is going to affect Californians struggling to get by. As Governor Newsom gears up for his 2028 presidential bid with a trip to genuflect to Jim Clyburn in South Carolina, those of us back home are steeling ourselves for the effects of this legislation.

You may have noticed that every Democrat and two members of the GOP opposed the bill in the U.S. House of Repres...

**This is a preview of our premium Friday show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**

Today Palma and Kempa convene to discuss a Democratic establishment podcast that Kempa forced his poor cohost to listen to: The Latino Vote, whose panel--which includes a Californian who helped launch the Lincoln Project--is ringing the alarm about Zohran Mamdani's historic win in the New York City Democratic prima...