Unf*cking The Republic UNFTR Media

In this episode, Max breaks down the biggest scandal in the healthcare industry (and that’s saying a lot). We walk through how a bunch of pencil pushing pharmacy middlemen became so powerful they bought out the biggest health insurance companies and pharmacy chains, and did it through hiking up drug prices, kickbacks and taking advantage of government contracts. This is the story of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and how they became the American Drug Cartel.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:36

Sponsors: 00:03:14

Chapter One: The Birth of the American Drug Mafia. 00:04:47

Chapter Two: Unraveling the Supply Chain. 00:16:15

Chapter Three: Is that all? Please tell me that’s all. 00:28:09

Chapter Four: Bring it home, Max. 00:38:44

Post Show Musings: 00:45:24

Outro: 00:01:16

Resources

NAIC: Pharmacy Benefit Managers

Healthcare Dive: FTC launches investigation into PBMs; CVS, UnitedHealth, Cigna and more hit with requests for data

FTC: FTC Launches Inquiry Into Prescription Drug Middlemen Industry

Healthcare Dive: PBM practices are keeping consumers from generics savings, white paper finds

Association for Accessible Medicines:  US Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Savings Report 2021

Lever News: Who’s Killing Your Independent Pharmacy?

PSSNY: PBM Basics

USC: PBMs Are Inflating the Cost of Generic Drugs. They Must Be Reined In

Jama Network: Costco v Medicare study 

Frier Levitt: AUDITING PBMs

46Brooklyn

National Bureau of Economic Research: CVS Response: A world without PBMs: Unpacking the data

FTC: White House Roundtable PBMs

Yahoo Finance: 30 Largest Companies by Revenue

UNFTR Episode Resources

Healthcare Series.

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If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com.

Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations.

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

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."
Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In celebration of Pride we're flashing back to an early Unf*cking: UNFTR on LGBTQ.

Read the essay or visit the episode resources online.

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Today we begin a conversation about the LGBTQ movement in the United States, with a nod to our Canadian friends as well. In order to properly introduce issues facing LGBTQ people into the larger context of socio economic and political topics we cover on UNFTR, we wanted to start with a conversation about the evolving language of inclusion and representation within the LGBTQ community. 

Resources


Edmonton CityNews: Hope blossoms as first two-spirited MP elected
Code Switch: Is It Time To Say R.I.P. to P.O.C.?
Geneseo: Understanding Gender Identity and Gender Expression
PBS: American Experience- Stonewall Uprising
New York Times: The Stonewall You Know Is a Myth. And That’s O.K
Human Rights Campaign: Fatal Violence Against the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Community in 2021
National Center For Transgender Equality: LGBTQ People Behind Bars
Human Rights Campaign: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Definitions
The Williams Institute: Poverty In The Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Community
Columbia Journalism Review: How the word ‘queer’ was adopted by the LGBTQ community
LGBTQIA Resource Center: UC Davis Resource

Book Love 


Eric Cervini: The Deviant's War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America
Joey Mogul, Andrea Ritchie + Kay Whitlock: Queer (In)Justice: The Criminalization of LGBT People in the United States

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If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com.

Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations.

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

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."
Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m still catching my breath from the immigration series, slew of Phone A Friends and topical political stories these past couple of weeks. The upcoming episodes are all pretty exciting and intense so I decided to take a moment to have a family meeting with Unf*ckers in another “Max Unfiltered.”

Resources

UNFTR: Over The Borderline: Intro.

UNFTR: Phone A Friend: Rev. Roger Williams.

UNFTR: Phone A Friend: Ben Burgis.

UNFTR: Phone A Friend: Briahna Joy Gray.

UNFTR: On Protest and Anti-Semitism.

Al Jazeera: ‘Hell on Earth’ as violence escalates in Sudan’s el-Fasher

The Washington Post: ChatGPT provided better customer service than his staff. He fired them.

Bernie Sanders: Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act

The Hill: Corporate profits hit record high as economy boomed in fourth quarter of 2023

ITEP: Corporate Taxes Before and After the Trump Tax Law

UNFTR: Project 2025.

UNFTR: Phone A Friend: Jeff Main.

UNFTR: Phone A Friend: Tad DeLay.

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If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com.

Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations.

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

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."
Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max takes aim at NYU professor Scott Galloway who recently appeared on CNN to criticize student protests with the most bizarre analysis that smacks of laziness and propaganda. While “takedowns” and “gotchas” aren’t Max’s favorite thing, he makes an exception for Galloway because of the space he occupies in the media ecosystem and on the spectrum of white male bro-influencers with independent platforms that are poisoning the media. Max also provides closing thoughts on the rise of anti-Semitism and the dangers of conflating Judaism with the far-right ruling government in Israel. 

Chapters

Intro: 00:01:34

Section One: 00:11:05

Section Two: 00:17:11

Section Three: 00:19:01

Section Four: 00:20:25

Section Five: 00:25:40

Post Show Musings: 00:39:30

Outro: 00:48:32

Resources

CNN: Why NYU professor says instructors who are protesting should be fired

ACLU: Know Your Rights: Students in Higher Education & the First Amendment

ACLU: Defending Speech We Hate

Axios: Over 2,000 protesters arrested at college campuses across the U.S.

Los Angeles Times: Striking deals to end campus protests, some colleges invite discussion of their investments

PBS: Protests and Backlash

Niche.com: Most Conservative Colleges in the U.S.

Common Dreams: Israeli Finance Minister Denounced for Calling for 'Total Annihilation' of Gaza

Haaretz: They Incited Rabin’s Murder. Now They’re Murdering Israel’s Democracy

Vox: TikTok isn’t creating false support for Palestine. It’s just reflecting what’s already there.

The Baffler: Parting Waters: Passover at the Columbia encampment

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If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com.

Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations.

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

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."
Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's Show Notes, Max and 99 get into many spirited discussions inspired by Unf*cker feedback—from climate change to faux intellectual influencers. Additionally, they touch on some topical headlines relevant to the Over The Borderline Series and Point of Pride Phone A Friend. Enjoy!

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:20

Emails: 00:34:25

Outro: 01:30:00

Resources

Phone A Friend: Jeff Main, Executive Director of Point of Pride.

Point of Pride Resource Library

Erin Reed Substack, @erininthemorn on Twitter and TikTok

 @pointofprideorg on Instagram, @pointofpride on Facebook

BBC: José Raúl Mulino: Stand-in for convicted candidate wins Panama presidency

New York Magazine: Andrew Huberman’s Mechanisms of Control

Phone A Friend: Tad Delay, author of Future of Denial.

UNFTR Episode: A (Mostly) Vegan World.

UNFTR Episode: Building the Climate Industrial Complex.

Highland Lakes Canine Rescue (HLCR)

@hlcaninerescue on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

Unf*cker Recommendations

George Orwell: The Road to Wigan Pier

Jacobin Radio: Behind the News: Criminalizing Protest w/ Adam Federman

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If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com.

Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations.

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

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."
Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One half of one percent of Americans identify as a gender other than the one assigned to them at birth. And yet our state legislatures found the time to propose more than 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in 2023, with over 80 passed into law and nearly all focused narrowly on restricting trans rights. According to Human Rights Watch, since the Transgender Day of Remembrance in November of 2022, at least 33 transgender and gender non-conforming people have been killed in the United States. In 2024, state legislatures are on pace to drop even more legislation.

To help us wrap our minds around the challenges facing the trans community, I spoke with Jeff Main, executive director of Point of Pride, an organization dedicated to helping trans youth and adults access necessary, life-saving health and wellness services. Point of Pride’s vision is a world where trans and gender diverse people see a bright future for themselves—living their authentic truth.

Resources

Point of Pride

Point of Pride Instagram

Point of Pride Facebook

Mercury Stardust Instagram

Alluring Skull Instagram

Erin Reed Substack

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If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com.

Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations.

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

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."
Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.