← The Daily Beans
The Daily Beans
28 - 0
00:37:56
Thursday, March 12th, 2026 Today, an investigation shows it was the US that bombed the school in Iran killing over 150 children; Trump has questioned aides about whether Cory Lewandowski profited off Kristi Noem’s $220M ad deal; white nationalist Jeremy Carl has withdrawn from his nomination to the State Department; Hegseth spent $9M on crab legs, lobster, and steak at the end of the fiscal year; Democrat Shawn Harris forces a runoff in the Georgia special election for Marjorie Taylor Greene’s old seat; Democrats deliver a stunning flip in a New Hampshire special election; the Pentagon bars press photographers over unflattering pictures of Hegseth; and Allison reads your Good News. Dana is out and about.
Loading summary
Transcript28 lines
- [00:02]
A
It's no surprise that newsmakers try to manipulate the audience. They want you to believe that they are the one holding the line, and they'll use any trick they can to get you there.
- [00:10]
B
But don't let them fool you.
- [00:12]
A
Get Unspun. I'm Amanda Sturgel. I've been a reporter, and today I teach future reporters to cut the spin and think critically about what newsmakers say. My podcast, Unspun, shows you how to know when you're being manipulated by the news, learn to spot the tricks, and how to make up your own mind about what's true. So if you're tired of being fooled by the news, subscribe to Unspun today. Unspun because you deserve the truth.
- [00:40]
B
MSW Media.
- [00:48]
C
News we're swearing Jelly beans. Jelly beans. Jelly beans. Daily Beans.
- [01:04]
B
Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Thursday, March 12, 2026. Today, an investigation shows it was the United States that bombed the school in Iran, killing over 150 children. Trump has questioned AIDS about whether Corey Lewandowski profited from Kristi Gnome's $220 million ad deal. White nationalist Jeremy Carl has withdrawn from his nomination to the State Department. Pete Kegseth spent $9 million on crab legs, lobster, and steak at the end of the fiscal year. Democrat Sean Harris forces a runoff in the Georgia special election for Marjorie Taylor Greene's old seat. Democrats deliver a stunning flip in a New Hampshire special election. And the Pentagon bars press photographers over unflattering pictures of Hegseth. I'm your host, Alison G. Hey, everybody. Happy Thursday. Dana's out. She's doing her comedy show. I'll be here solo. Thanks for hanging with me. She will be back, I promise. We have so much news to cover today. I'm also gonna be delivering the Beans Talk on video for you at MSW Media's YouTube page. That's free every day. It comes out on weekdays, so you can check out our video podcast over there. It's different from this. I think you'll enjoy it. If you haven't seen it yet again, just Google MSW Media Beans Talk and you'll find it. It also has its own audio feed wherever you get your podcasts. Free to listen there as well. So, like I said, Dana's out. Thanks for hanging with me solo. Let's get to the news and hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up from the Times, an ongoing military investigation has determined that the United States is responsible for a deadly Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school. According to U.S. officials and others familiar with the preliminary findings. The February 28th strike on the elementary school building was the result of a targeting mistake by the US Military, which was conducting strikes on an adjacent Iranian base of which the school building was formerly a part, the preliminary investigation found. Officers at U.S. cENTCOM Central Command created the target coordinates for the strike using outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, according to people briefed on the investigation. Officials emphasized that the findings are preliminary and that there are important unanswered questions about why the outdated information had not been double checked. Now, striking a school full of children is sure to be recorded as one of the most devastating single military errors in recent decades. Iranian officials have said the death toll was at least 175people, most of them children, and I have some thoughts about this. This is people leaking preliminary findings to the New York Times, according to the Pentagon's investigation into this so that's what this particular Pentagon is saying happened, that they had outdated maps and outdated targeting data from the Defense Intelligence Agency. So if for some reason that's not actually the case, they would rather go for incompetent than cruelty. But regardless of the reason, those children are dead. There's also some reporting, and I haven't confirmed this with any other news media outlets, but first responders on the ground have said that there was actually a double tap strike on that school. That's a war crime because basically what they do in a double tap strike is you hit first and then as everybody comes and rushes to the scene, you hit again and you maximize the the death toll. But again, hasn't been confirmed by any other media outlets. But I'll be watching this very closely because the Pentagon is investigating itself in this particular case. Next up from the Independent Secretary of Defense Pete Kegseth's Pentagon apparently isn't feeling the same affordability struggles as many average Americans, as he approved spending more than $93 billion with a B in September alone, including luxury food items and iPads. A new analysis published by the government watchdog Open the Books found that in September, the end of the fiscal year remember, the fiscal year for the government ends September 30 and begins October 1. Hegseth reportedly burned through cash, including spending $9 million on crab and lobster dinners. According to Military.com, an increase in military officials eating pricey meals has traditionally been viewed as a sign that that something may be brewing, such as President Donald Trump's war in Iran. Though it appears Hegseth has been dining well at the Pentagon since at least spring, the Spending review found that in the month of September alone, the Defense Department spent 6.9 million $7 million in total on lobster tail. $7 million on lobster tail, 2 million on Alaskan king crab. That's according to the government watchdog. In 2025, the department also spent more than $7.4 million on lobster tail across the months of March, May, June. The decadent seafood wasn't the only expensive sustenance purchased at the Pentagon. Hegseth also spent about $15.1 million on ribeye steak in September, 124,000 for new ice cream machines, and 139,000 on donut orders. Due to the way the federal funding works, there is pressure on department heads to end their fiscal years without a surplus of funds, because if they do, it raises questions to Congress in Congress as to whether or not the agency needs a reduction in its annual budget. This is common. I worked for the federal government in budgeting. It's very common to spend a bunch of money, because if you don't use it or lose it, basically in order to justify the same or higher budget in the next fiscal year, you have to show that you needed that money. But I've never seen this kind of money spent on these kinds of items before. This is where we get the old trope, oh, $400 hammer, $10,000 toilet, right? But at the VA, it was a little bit different. When I worked at the Department of Veterans affairs, it was a little different because the way that we would do things is if our VA hospital, for example, had a budget surplus based on all the money that was appropriated out and divided equally amongst the hospitals or by patient numbers. If we had a budget surplus, we would give that money to a different VA hospital that had a budget deficit so that they could make up the money and we would all come out even. But we had to beg for every penny because Republicans often cut or lowered our budget at the Department of Veterans Affairs. And so it was very difficult. We fought so hard for about a $12 billion increase back in 2014 because Republicans didn't want to give us too much money. $12 billion. But the Pentagon spending 93 billion billion alone in the month of September, including tens of millions of dollars on this kind of food. There's more, and I'll get into it here as the article goes on, and the Independent says some of the purchases are lavish. And September Heg spent nearly $100,000 on a Steinway grand piano to outfit the home of the Air Force Chief of Staff. $100,000 Piano he also spent $5.3 million on Apple devices, including brand new iPads. According to the report, The Pentagon paid 225.6 million for furniture, including $12,500 for fruit basket stands and more, and then $60,000 for recliners from high end furniture maker Herman Miller. That's who makes the Eames chair. Those are $7,000 chairs. Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, a New Mexico Democrat, says she plans to launch an investigation into Hegseth spending. Quote, in addition to billions of taxpayer dollars being burned in this war in Iran, reports are showing that Secretary Pete Hegseth blew $93 billion in federal DoD funding at the end of last year. That's what she wrote on social media before listing the various expenditures. Quote, you better believe we'll be investigating. In February 2025, Hegseth said he welcomed a Department of Government efficiency review of Defense spending to help him find ways to reduce waste. Really, Quote, we need to know when we spend dollars, we need to know where they're going and why. That simple accounting and that has not existed at the Defense Department. That's what Hegseth told Fox News at the time. Quote, we're going to fix that, he said. This reminds me of when Kash Patel sat there and criticized. I think it was Jim comey, oh, that's $15,000 every time you fly that private FBI jet, because the director of the FBI has to fly that jet because he's got to have secure communications in case something happens, etc. Etc. And meanwhile, he's going to Italy, drinking with hockey teams, going to Boondoggle ranch down in Texas, visiting his girlfriend, singing the national anthem in Tennessee, spending. I mean, that trip to Italy alone was hundreds of Thousands of dollars. 70,000 for the jet alone. And back then, he's like, oh, we should just ground that jet. I can't believe we're wasting money on shit like that. So Hegseth's like, yeah, we need to look into the Defense Department. We're going to fix that fraud, waste and abuse. Now, the Pentagon spending spree came just weeks before millions of Americans lost access to their snap food benefits, leaving the states to fill in the gaps. Now, six months later, Americans are learning the astronomical cost of, of Trump and Hegseth's war in Iran. So I'm very much looking forward to that investigation. We'll get further in that investigation. If we flip the House and the Senate, we could have, we could have investigations in both of those. All right, we have more news to get to, more hot notes but we're going to take a quick break, so everybody stick around. We'll be right back after these messages. We'll be right back. Hey everybody. I live with several cats, which means I start every day with a lot of opinions and almost all of them are about food. They do not care what story I'm covering, they don't care about the news, they don't care how many tabs I have open or whether I'm on a deadline. They just want breakfast handled asap. Around here. Smalls helps me keep the peace, the bowls get emptied, the protests stop, and my furry little managers let me begin my day now. This podcast is sponsored by Smalls Is the news making you want to cuddle up with your cats? Smalls fresh cat food is protein packed recipes made with preservative free 100% human grade ingredients you can find in your fridge and it's delivered right to your door. That's why cats.com named Smalls their best overall cat food and for a limited time you get 60% off your first order plus free shipping when you head to smalls.com dailybeans so starting with Smalls is simple and easy. You tell them who your cats are, what they like to eat, their health, their needs, what flavors they tend to like, and they send a personalized sampler package. That alone saves me from staring at the shelves full of random brands trying to pick one and hoping for the best. I recently did a side by side taste test with Smalls and their old food. It was not even close. They ignored the old food, went straight for Smalls. And they do every time. They love it so much. And if your cat is extra picky, the risk free trial helps because Smalls will refund you if your cat hates it. There's no risk here, so stop guessing which meals will upset their tummies for a limited time. Because you're a daily Beans listener, you get 60% off your first order plus free shipping when you head to smalls. One last time. That is 60% off your first order plus Free shipping when you head to smalls dot com dailybeans hey everybody. I prefer shopping at home. I really, really prefer shopping at home, especially when I'm buying something that I'm putting in my actual home. It's much easier to make a good decision when I can see the options in the room where they'll be used instead of trying to imagine everything while looking at a display in a store. That is especially true for blinds and window treatments and shades because things like privacy Light, control and overall style can feel very different once you get home. I also know that when it comes to measuring and installation, I'd rather trust somebody with experience, like an expert, than try to guess my way through it by myself. That is why three day Blinds appeals to me. They offer a better way to shop for blinds, shades and shutters and draperies. And they are the leading manufacturer of high quality custom window treatments in the United States. And right now, if you use my URL, three day blinds.com dailybeans they're running a buy one, get one 50% off promotion as well. Now, what stands out to me is how convenient it all is. The three Day blinds has local, professionally trained design consultants, each with an average of more than 10 years of experience. They come to your home, help you choose what works best for your space. They bring all the samples. You can set up an appointment, receive a free no obligation quote the same day, which makes the process feel straightforward and accessible. There's no pressure. I also appreciate that they handle the full project from start to finish. Their team designs, measures, installs, so you don't have to take on any of the difficult parts yourself. There's no weird subcontracting or anything like that. And that kind of support makes a real difference. They also offer thousands of options for different budgets and styles, including blackout treatments, light filtering options, and smart blinds that work with Alexa. So it really feels like the upgrade you've been looking for right now. Get quality window treatments that fit your budget with 3 Day Blinds. Head to 3dayblinds.com dailybeans for their buy one, get one 50% off deal on custom blinds, shades, shutters and drapery for a free, no charge, no obligation consultation. Just head to 3dayblinds.com DailyBeans one last time. That's buy one, get one 50% off when you head to number 3D a Y blinds.com DailyBeans you'll be glad you did.
- [14:57]
D
Hi, I'm Frances Collier. And I'm Angela V. Shelton.
- [15:00]
B
And we're Frangela.
- [15:01]
D
You know what you need in your life?
- [15:03]
B
Hmm?
- [15:03]
D
The Final Word podcast. Yes, you do.
- [15:06]
B
That's right.
- [15:07]
D
It is the final word on all things political and pop cultural, where we make real news, real funny, where we inspire you so you can resist. Subscribe and get a new episode of the Final Word podcast each week. It's the news we think you need to hear.
- [15:22]
B
That's right.
- [15:22]
D
We think you need to hear it.
- [15:24]
B
Okay. Yeah.
- [15:25]
D
It's what we say, so.
- [15:26]
B
That's right.
- [15:27]
D
And because all we do is give. Every Thursday, you can listen to our hysterical podcast, Idiot of the Week. We round up the stupid. Because you know what? Somebody has to, okay?
- [15:37]
B
All we do is give. Hey, everybody. Welcome back. We've got some more news. This is from the Washington Post. The Defense Department has barred press photographers from briefings on the ongoing U.S. israeli military conflict with Iran after they published photos of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that his staff deemed unflattering, according to two people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. So being good doesn't matter, Just looking good, right? The March 2 briefing came days after a joint military strike on Iran that killed Ayatollah ali Khamenei on February 28. It was also the first time the defense secretary had appeared from the briefing room podium since June 26th. Why are we paying for that makeup studio? Several outlets, including the Associated Press, Reuters, Getty, sent photographers to the briefing room from Hegseth and General Dan Kaine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But after they published the photos, which have broad reach because they're licensed by publications globally, members of Hegseth staff told colleagues they didn't like the way the secretary looked. Hegseth's aides decided to shut out photographers from the two subsequent briefings at the Pentagon on March 4 and March 10. And that's according to to two people familiar with the decision. Hitting all the important issues. Kegseth Next up from NBC. President Trump has peppered AIDS in recent days about whether longtime advisor Corey Lewandowski profited personally from that $220 million federal advertising campaign featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was fired last week. And that's according to three people familiar. The ads were a repeated focus of lawmakers questions during a pair of contentious hearings on Capitol Hill last week that led in part to Trump' decision to remove Noem as head of the agency and reassign her as the special envoy to the Shield of the Americas or whatever. Now, Trump told NBC he wasn't thrilled. I wasn't thrilled when Noem testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he had signed off on her expensive ad campaign, contradicting Noem. He said he didn't know anything about it at the time. Now, behind the scenes, he has grown suspicious about Lewandowski's role in doling out government contracts. According to three people familiar Lewandowski has served as a special government employee at DHS for more than a year, basically operating as a de facto chief of staff to Nome and DHS officials and lobbyists say he has wielded outsize influence in the awarding of federal contracts. Now, the ad campaign, which included images of Noem on horseback discussing the American dream or talking about cracking down on undocumented immigrants. It caught Trump's attention, and two of the people familiar with his conversation said he's brought it up repeatedly with advisors. In one instance, he told advisors last week, Corey made out on that one, according to another senior White House official. Now, Lewandowski told NBC he spoke with Trump Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, the three days before Noem was fired, and the president had not brought up the ads or the contracts. He also said that it's his own decision whether he leaves DHS with Nome on March 31, and he's not made up his mind about that. The ad campaign has also become a focus for Democratic lawmakers, two of whom have launched an investigation into three businesses that won contracts from DHS to produce these ads. Safe America Media, the strategy group and people who think. People who think okay in letters to the business. Actually in letters to all three businesses, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Peter Welch said Safe America Media signed $143 million no bid contract with DHS and subcontract contracted part of it to the strategy group. They also said people who think inked a $77 million no bid deal with the agency. The strategy group is run by Ben Yoho, the husband of former DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin. Hmm. Now Welch and Blumenthal wrote that their concerns stem from new reports, including a November story by ProPublica. We covered it here on the beans that detailed ties between the ad contracts and the firm with connections to gnome. They asked the three businesses to provide documentation of their agreements with dhs, which companies they subcontracted with, and whether they had deals in place with Corey Lewandowski. So this is going to be an interesting investigation. Next up from NBC, Trump's pick for a senior role at the State Department said Tuesday he's withdrawing from consideration after having faced bipartisan backlash over the fact that he's a Nazi over his comments about race and religion is what the article actually says. Jeremy Carl, a conservative political commentator, said he's backing out of his nomination to be Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization affairs because of a lack of support from Republican senators. Carl needed unanimous support from all GOP members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to advance a full Senate confirmation vote. Republicans on the panel hold a 12 to 10 majority. So any GOP vote against him would stall his nomination at 1111, since tie votes do not advance to the Senate floor, quote, unfortunately at this time, this unanimous support was not forthcoming. That's what Carl wrote on Twitter. I accept that political reality. Don't wish to have the President, Secretary Rubio or the rest of his team waste valuable time and energy attempting to change that decision. That's what he said now. Members of the Foreign Relations Committee grilled Carl last month during his confirmation hearing with some focusing on his past comments. Senator John Curtis, a Republican from Utah, said in a statement after hearing that he did not believe Carl was the right person to represent our nation's best interests in international forums, adding that Carl's anti Israel views and insensitive remarks about Jewish people were unbecoming. The post Carl was nominated for involves implementing U.S. policy at the United nations and other multilateral organizations. During the hearing, Chris Murphy, Senator Democrat from Connecticut, referred to the comments made by Carl and said, how do you define white identity and what do you think is being erased about white identity? Carl responded, I'm concerned with the majority common American culture that we had for some time that through particularly mass immigration, I think has become much more Balkanized and I think that weakens us. And again, I'm not running away from that comment. Murphy later posted a clip of the exchange on social media and called Carl a legit white nationalist. Now, Carl pushed back on that post, responding, not a white nationalist. The white culture then that I was referring to is simply the culture of the overwhelming majority of Americans who lived here prior to 1965, and that Americans of every race or cultural background can ultimately share in and contribute to that culture. Yeah, that's not what white culture means. Well, no, what I meant by white culture was all people of color who lived here before 1965. What now? Carl, a senior fellow at the conservative Claremont Institute think tank in Washington, was deputy Assistant Interior Secretary during Trump's first term. He thanked Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their continued support and nomination. In his post on Tuesday, quote, the fact they chose to nominate me and were so supportive of my candidacy was one of many indications that this is an administration that was not satisfied to simply do business as usual, nor to simply pick nominees from the same stable of business as usual possibilities, he wrote. Boy, remind me never to read anything by that guy ever again. All right, next up from cnn, Republican Clay Fuller will face Democrat Sean Harris in a runoff to replace former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor greene in Georgia's 14th congressional district. The race to succeed Greene, a former ally turned critic of Trump, has tested the power of the president's endorsement and his influence over the party at a time when Republicans have been willing to split with their party's leader. Fuller, who resigned his role as district attorney to run in the special, surged to the front of a crowded Republican field after snagging an endorsement from Trump in February. But the president's support failed to narrow the field of a dozen GOP hopefuls enough, at least to allow his chosen candidate to win the seat outright. Now Harris, who narrowly led Fuller on Tuesday night, said the results showed that a Democrat could win in the heavily Republican district. Yes, it's ruby red, he said. It won't turn blue, but it's definitely pink. The winner of the April 7 runoff will serve the remainder of Greene's term, ending in January. And next up from the Guardian, A Democrat won a special election for a state House seat in New Hampshire on Tuesday, flipping a Republican district that Trump carried and marking the latest of a string of 28 Democratic upsets that could usher in a blue wave in the midterms. Bobby Bodman, I think that's how you pronounce her name, beat Republican Dale Fincher in New Hampshire's Carroll County District 7. It was Bowdman's third try at the seat she lost to incumbent Representative Glenn Cordelli in the last two cycles by many points. Cordelli resigned from the seat after moving, leading to the special election that happened yesterday. Unofficial results show Bowdman winning with about 52% of the vote. Marissa Hebert, a spokesperson for the New Hampshire Democratic Party, noted on Twitter the swing Bowdman made in the district she lost in 2024 by more than 13 points. She said, quote, Bad day for New Hampshire GOP. National Democrats pointed to Bowdman's win as part of a pattern of Democrats winning in red and toss up areas. Democrats have now flipped 28 seats since Trump won in November of 2024, the Democratic legislative Campaign Committee DLC said. And by the way, Republicans have flipped zero. It's 28 to nothing. The committee hopes for more wins this year with a strategy that could deliver the biggest Democratic gains in two decades. Heather Williams, she's the president of the dlcc. That's what she said. Tuesdays are becoming a headache for state Republicans across the country as they suffer one stunning defeat after another, she said in a statement. These wins aren't a flash in the pan. Together, they tell an undeniable story of Democratic momentum as voters reject Republicans and blame them for soaring costs. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin praised Bowdman for running a campaign that focused on solutions for New Hampshire families being squeezed by Trump's agenda. He said, quote, this win is yet another warning sign to Republicans across the country. And the new reality is now sinking in. No Republican seat is safe from now until November. Democrats are keeping our foot on the gas and organizing and competing everywhere, including to flip the New Hampshire House and take back power across the country. Now, outside Republican groups, including the Republican State Leadership Committee and Americans for Prosperity, threw money in to help Fincher in the red leaning district. The Down Ballot is a political newsletter and that's what it reported. They threw a bunch of money at this. Republicans still hold an advantage in both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office in New Hampshire. So we'll see how that ends up. All right, everybody, thank you so much. We have good news that we have to get to, but we have to take one more quick break. Stick around, we'll be right back. Hey everybody. I tend to be really cautious with edibles because I don't enjoy that feeling of accidentally overdoing it and then having to wait it out. What I look for instead is something that feels more manageable, that I can control and take while carrying on with my day. And I appreciate products that seem straightforward, consistent and easy to approach, especially when I want something that feels less intense. And I want to thank Lume Gummies for always making me feel just right, Consistent, mellow and super delicious. Lume Gummies are specifically designed to make you feel good, not stoned. So whether you're looking for an end of day de stressor or a midday mood boost, Lumi Gummies has a strain that's right for you. One recent evening after a long day at work, I tried their watermelon Sorbet Gummy while I was winding down at home getting ready for bed. Felt nice and relaxed, but I was still able to get more things done. It wasn't overwhelming, it wasn't too distracting. And by the time I was ready for bed, I was in exactly the right state of mind to fall asleep. Lumi Gummies make the perfect night cap. They're also great before I take on a project or, you know, work on some art or try to come up with some creative ideas. Something to help me relax while still allowing me to stay focused. Lumi Gummies are available nationwide. Go to lumigummies.com that's L U M I gummies.com and use code Daily Beans for 30% off your order. Again, that's L U M I lumigummies.com code Daily Beans lumigummies.com code Daily beans. You'll be glad you did.
- [28:31]
E
I'm Brian Caram and I've spent decades covering politics. Now I'm taking you behind the scenes, one interview at a time.
- [28:38]
F
Join us as each week Brian confronts the issues that matter, posing the questions you wish you could ask. No filter, no agenda, just the truth.
- [28:47]
E
We're not here for sound bites. We're here for substance. Join me, Brian Caram every week as we cut through the noise and get straight to it. This is just ask the question for curiosity will lead us to the facts.
- [29:02]
F
Subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform and remember, when you want answers, all you have to do is just ask the question.
- [29:17]
B
Everybody, welcome back. It's time for the good news. Who likes good news? Everyone? Then good news everyone. Or near good news Good news. And if you have any good news, good trouble suggestions shout outs. Whether you want to shout out a loved one or yourself or a small business or a nonprofit or a community organizing group, a government program that's helped you or a loved one, anything at all you want to shout out, send it to us. You can send us your favorite joke, your favorite Monty Python movie quote. Tell us what you think the most quotable movie is. I think we had a tie between like Anchorman and the Holy Grail going at one point. Whatever it is that'll bring a smile to our face, send it to us. Dailybeanspod.com click on Contact and all you got to do to get your submission on the air is pay your pod pet tariff, which really means attach a photo of anything you can attach your pet. We can try to guess the breeds in your shelter pup or your cat or your horse or your turtle or your cow or your chickens or your axolotl. What's the model of your axolotl? You can send baby photos, family pictures, photos of rallies. Show us what you're making or creating what you're growing in your garden. Maybe you've got some egg laying hens or you're raising some goats. Whatever it is, send it to us. We wanna. We wanna microdose your happiness. So send it to us@dailybeanspod.com click on Contact. First up is your good trouble. Your good trouble today comes from Jess Craven at Chop Wood Carry water. Quote According to a House Appropriations Committee ranking member, Rosa Deloro, Republican leadership, is currently blocking her bill, H.R. 7481, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations act of 2026, to fully fund TSA and several other agencies under DHS. If Speaker Johnson allows her bill to receive a vote, we could resolve the staffing issues at the airports immediately. Instead, they're choosing to hold TSA officers and Americans travel hostage in order to force Democrats to sign off on even more money for ICE and Customs and Border protection without the guardrails against abuse a vast majority of Americans want to see. So call your representatives, tell them to support the bill. Tell your senators to pass something like it right away. So we will have all of that information for you as links in the show notes or you can use your five calls app. You can find out more about HR7481@chopwood carrywater daily actions.substack.com and we will have a link to that in the show notes as well. First up in the good news from Patty, the proud Democrat. Oh my gosh, this baby photo. While visiting the Torrance Farmer's Market, I couldn't help but double bird the disgusting picture at this gross booth. How unfortunate. The Democrats had their booth about 2ft away, including a picture about 74 years apart. All right, so there is her flipping off Trump and then a beautiful baby photo. Thank you so much. Oh my goodness, look at you. That's a lot of hair for a baby. Thank you so much, Patty. All right, next up, Melissa pronoun she and her longtime listener. First time caller. Just a quick pronunciation correction. The last name of the man that brought Epstein's Orro Ranch sounds like huffines. Think of the scene in raising Arizona. Yes I did. The feds are interviewing Nathan Arizona about his missing kid and they ask him why he changed his name and he responds would you shop to store called Unpainted Huff Hines. Similar sound, different spelling. Thank you, Melissa. I've been bringing up the raising Arizona Unpainted Huff Hines quote for a while. My pod pet tariff is Camille AKA Cammy, Cam Cam Camlama, Ding Dong and BAE Big ass Ears. She's my eight year old rescue. Drives me crazy while simultaneously keeping me sane. Hooray for our pets. Can you guess the primary breed? Hint. When she demands, she barks. Much like myself, I suppose. Keep up the good work ladies. Sending love from Virginia. Oh my gosh. The primary breed here. If she barks when she demands, it's going to be some sort of a herding dog. But not a German Shepherd. But it looks like a German shepherd. I don't know. I give up. Let's see. Australian cattle dog, Boxer and Pity, 68% Australian cattle dog. Well, she's gorgeous And I love the dog birthday cake. Amazing. Oh, and doggles. There's one on a kayak with doggles. Oh, my God. Adorable. Thank you. Thank you so much, Melissa. Next up from Ray, pronouns she, they. Dear Allison and Dana, I'm writing to share the good news. My district had a special election yesterday for state House and the Democratic candidate, Bobby Bowdman, a woman, flipped a Republican seat 52 to 48. Not only is this incredible news on its own, she only raised $12,000 in donations, while the Republican candidate had at least $25,000 in donations, which partly came from the Republican State Leadership Committee and the Koch Network's Americans for Prosperity. You're always much more informed than I am. But in case your listeners hadn't heard, the Kochs. Ah, yes, the Koch. We used to say the Koch brothers. Now it's just a Koch brother because one of them died. They're billionaires who are involved with the Free Stater project here in New Hampshire. I'm still learning about it myself, but apparently in the early 2000s, a group of libertarians decided to get 20,000 signatures to commit to moving to New Hampshire so they could take over the politics and make New Hampshire a libertarian free state by lowering taxes and government services. Rumor has it the Republican candidate in this race is a free Stater. So to wrap up my good news, I'm so incredibly happy that my district is paying attention and that we're fighting for our community. It's so nice to feel hopeful. For my potbet tariff, I'm including an adoptable pet from the shelter where I adopted my cat. This is Sunny. She's six years old, and although she might be shy at first, she's very sweet. The shelter website says she's a terrier, but also that she's 51 pounds. So even as a cat person, I think I can say there's some pedigree information missing. She's currently at the Pope Memorial SPCA in Concord, New Hampshire. Much love to all the beans, Ray. She's beautiful. Oh, this puppy. Well, six year old, I call them all puppies. Is beautiful, Ray. Thank you. Yes. And we're so excited. Let me know how Bobby pronounces her last name. I don't know if it's Bowdman or Bodeman, but I would love to learn. So thank you so much for that. Next up from Jess Pronoun. She and her hey, leading ladies of the Liguminati. My good news is that on Friday, March 6, I made it to my mom's house alive. I live in a very rural area of southwest Michigan and I was driving to my mom's house when I noticed the skies around me and I called her. I said is there anything going on weather wise? And she said the radar looks like it's all north of us. And I said okay and kept driving. But minutes after I hung up I got a warning on my phone to take cover. A tornado was headed my way. I floored it to my mom's and made it just as the storm hit. Later, as I was driving home the same way I had come, the roads were blocked with uprooted trees, debris, even a twisted and mangled irrigation sprinkler system. Came to find out had I been five minutes slower, I would have been driving in the tornado. Now Governor Whitmer has sent formal requests for investigations to see if doge cuts are the reasons for the delay of the warning for the area that sadly ended in the death of a 12 year old boy. I've included a link to one of the local news stories if you're interested. So thanks for all you do. I start my day every morning with you ladies and wouldn't have it any other way. You girls give me hope that even though I'm a little blue.in a big red square, there are more folks out there that think like me and you help us weather the storm of this administration. Wink podpet tax is my boo who had decided I needed a bath and a picture of my Molly saying hi. Love you both bunches Jess okay, the kitty is adorable. Jess, I'm so glad you're okay man. Minutes. Oh oh, and there's Molly. I wonder if that cat belly is a trap because I want to pet it it. Thank you again Jess and again so so glad you're okay and you made it safely. Next up from Robin Pronoun she and her hi AG and dg. Good news. I adopted a new pup named Buddy and would love to have you guess his mix. I'll put the answer at the bottom of the post. Buddy is a very good boy who's happily joining me on my adventures as a newly retired person. Congratulations, Robin. He loves hikes, playing at the dog park and joining in indivisible Northern Nevada's weekly tyranny Tuesday protests outside the federal building in downtown Reno. The podcast highlight this week has to be Andy's imitation of Janine Nobel Pirro on Sunday's Unjustified episode. It was hilarious and I hope I hear more. Andy is really funny. I'm telling y'.
- [38:17]
G
All.
- [38:17]
B
My personal good trouble has been writing postcards for Reclaim our Vote, sending postcards to bipoc voters in Wisconsin and Virginia. I'm planning to host some postcard parties soon to reach out to even more voters. Thank you so much for giving us hope and honest news with swears to keep us going in these dark and darkening times. Times. Here's Buddy. Buddy looks like a Cumberland hound. That face looks like a Cumberland hound. Maybe a pit bull. Some sort of. Some sort of basset or beagle. I'm not sure. Let's see what we've got here. Yellow lab and cocker spaniel. Okay, well, I got zero percent correct. I'm interested if you do doggy DNA, because I think there's a hound dog in there somewhere. Anyway, what a beautiful baby. Thank you all so much for your good news and thanks for hanging with me solo. Dana will be back soon, I promise. She's doing her comedy thing and I hope some of you were able to make it out to her show at Zany's in Nashville last night. So thank you so much, everyone. I'll be back in your ears tomorrow. I think Dana's. I think Dana will be back tomorrow too. But regardless, there will be beans. That sounds like a shirt. There will be beans. As God is my witness. I'll see you all then. Until. Until tomorrow. Please take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, take care of your mental health and take care of your family. I've been ag and them's the beans.
- [39:37]
G
The Daily Beans is written and executive produced by Allison Gill with additional research and reporting by Dana Goldberg. Sound design and editing is by Desiree McFarlane with art and web design by Joelle Reader with Moxie Design Studios. Music for the Daily Beans is written and performed by they Might Be Giants and the show is a proud member of the MSW Media Network, a collection of creator owned podcasts dedicated to news, politics and justice. For more information Please visit msw media.com msw media.