Anger Translator (feat. Joyce Vance)

Summary

The Daily Beans Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Anger Translator (feat. Joyce Vance)
Date: October 22, 2025
Hosts: Allison Gill (AG), Dana Goldberg (DG)
Guest: Joyce Vance
Podcast Description: Progressive news with wit and snark, focusing on politics, justice, and activism.

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Overview of Episode's Main Theme

This episode breaks down a cascade of breaking political news, the ongoing erosion of democratic institutions under Trump’s administration, and features a deep-dive interview with legal expert and former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance, discussing her new book, Giving Up Is Unforgivable. The show blends sharp analysis, emotional honesty, and practical civic advocacy to inspire and inform listeners during a volatile political era.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Major Political Developments and Breaking News

• Trump Demands $230 Million from DOJ
  Trump is demanding $230 million from his own Justice Department to compensate him for “legal troubles,” a move described by AG as,

  “Just outright theft of the Treasury. Just going right into the Department of the Treasury, grabbing 230 million of our dollars for himself.” (14:12)

• Controversial Office of Special Counsel Nominee Withdraws
  Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel, Paul In Gracia, withdraws after texts surface where he refers to himself as having a “Nazi streak” and denigrates MLK Jr.

  “How Nazi do you have to be to lose Rick Scott and Ron Johnson?” (10:56, AG)

• White House East Wing Demolished
  The Treasury Department instructed employees not to share images of the East Wing’s demolition during Trump’s ballroom project.

  “Treasury Department instructed employees not to share photos...They’re ashamed of what they’re doing, and they should be.” (18:05, 18:34, AG & DG)

• Delay in Swearing-In Adelita Grijalva
  Chris Mays files suit against Speaker Mike Johnson for not swearing in Adelita Grijalva after her clear AZ-7th win.

  “I’m hoping...this will be resolved before the lawsuit gets resolved...but we’ll see.” (06:19, AG)

• Arrest of Pardoned January 6 Insurrectionist for Threatening Hakeem Jeffries
  Christopher Moynihan, previously pardoned by Trump, was arrested for threatening the House Minority Leader:

  “I want to be clear here. These are state charges. It doesn’t seem like this Trump’s Department of Justice...is interested in prosecuting people who threaten Democrats.” (09:33, AG)

• ICE Recruitment Standards & Failures
  Over a third of new ICE applicants fail a basic fitness test, calling into question both the standards and recruitment process.

  “An email [from ICE HQ] lamented that a considerable amount of athletically allergic candidates has been showing up to the academy. That’s a quote.” (24:44, AG)

• Banned Books Reinstated in Military Libraries
  Federal judge orders Defense Department to return books dealing with race, gender, and LGBTQ topics to base libraries.

  “In her decision, U.S. district Judge Patricia Toliver Giles sided with students and their families, writing the removals were not rooted in pedagogical concerns, but in improper partisan motivation...” (30:08, B)

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2. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Jack Smith’s Letter to Chuck Grassley

• AG, paraphrasing Smith:

  “Getting toll records isn’t wiretapping, you dumb ass. Plus, Trump’s DOJ got toll records on Swalwell and Schiff...” (03:56)

• On the Senate GOP’s performative outrage:

  “Why are you mad all of a sudden, you performative douchebags? Sincerely, Jack Smith. I paraphrased a little.” (04:05, AG)

Withdrawal of Paul In Gracia

• DG on GOP opposition:

  “If you can't get Rick Scott and Ron Johnson to like you...how Nazi do you have to be?” (10:53, 10:57)

Trump’s DOJ Claims

• AG on ethical conflicts:

  “It is also the starkest example yet of potential ethical conflict created by installing the president’s former lawyers atop the Justice Department.” (14:12)

ICE Fails Its Own Fitness Standards

• AG:

  “Let me say that again. 15 push-ups, 32 sit-ups, and a mile and a half in 14 minutes. Dana, I do that five times a week.” (20:36)

• On physical standards hypocrisy:

  “We’re never shaming anyone. It’s the hypocrisy...to raise standards for women...but to have these [low] standards for ICE.” (21:36, AG)

White House East Wing: Heritage Lost

• DG:

  “It crushed me to see that...the People’s House. And it crushed me to see that image. For this son of a bitch who is stealing from the government, doesn’t care about our democracy.” (17:10)

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[33:18] — Featured Interview: Joyce Vance, Author of Giving Up Is Unforgivable

Main Topics

1. Defining the Current Crisis

   • Vance:

     “We are perilously close to dictatorship because we have a president who wants to assume all the power of government for himself.” (34:28)
     “His rise to power is inevitable, and that’s what he wants people to think...Well, we saw on Saturday that when 7 million of us turn out...that cramps his style.” (34:45)

2. Dismantling of Institutions

   • AG:

     “He is literally doing so [dismantling institutions], tearing down the White House.” (35:45)

   • Vance:

     “I think he’s sending the message he can do it and no one can stop him. We’re in the middle of a shutdown...but he can tear down the White House.” (36:06)

3. The Stakes: Unitary Executive and Plenary Power

   • Extensive legal analysis of Trump’s push for unchecked executive power.
   • Vance:

     “This is Donald Trump versus the Constitution... the most dangerous [issue] that’s now being teed up in front of the courts is whether or not the courts have any ability to review Donald Trump’s decisions...” (38:28, 39:12)

4. Supreme Court’s Role

   • Worry over the current SCOTUS’s willingness to grant excessive power to the executive.
   • Concerns about the “shadow docket” and removal of checks and balances.

5. What Can Citizens Do? Concrete Guidance

   • AG:

     “People want concrete steps... and, you know, I always say, pick a corner and start cleaning.” (44:14)

   • Vance:

     “We are the cavalry. We have to be done with waiting for somebody to come in and save us. That’s not happening. We’re going to save ourselves.” (44:24)

   • Specific recommendation:

     “The biggest challenge we are going to face in 2026 is proving we are citizens so that we can vote... as communities, we have to pull together and find ways for everyone... to get a passport so that every American citizen can vote.” (44:35)

   • On holding electeds accountable:

     “We have got to increasingly work together... to demand of those senators...they represent us.” (46:49)

   • Ruth Ben-Ghiat cited for the idea that dictators try to overwhelm the populace so they're paralyzed.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–07:13: Rapid-fire news roundup (Trump’s DOJ payout demand, Special Counsel scandal, White House demolition)
• 07:13–12:50: Pardoned Jan 6er threatens Jeffries, Office of Special Counsel withdrawal
• 13:57–15:44: Trump’s DOJ compensation demand breakdown
• 17:10–18:34: Hosts’ visceral reaction to demolition of East Wing
• 19:42–27:14: ICE fitness fiasco and recruitment issues
• 27:28–32:00: Return of banned books on military bases, federal judge order
• 33:18–50:51: Interview with Joyce Vance (Giving Up Is Unforgivable) — deep legal, civic, and motivational discussion
• 53:15–62:11: Listener good news, protest recaps, and community engagement

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Notable Quotes (with Speaker and Timestamps)

• AG (on Jack Smith’s letter to Grassley):
  “Getting toll records isn’t wiretapping, you dumb ass. ...Why are you mad all of a sudden, you performative douchebags? Sincerely, Jack Smith. I paraphrased a little.” (03:56–04:05)

• DG (on Paul In Gracia’s rejection):
  “If you can't get Rick Scott and Ron Johnson to like you...how Nazi do you have to be?” (10:53–10:57)

• Vance (on civic action):
  “We are the cavalry. We have to be done with waiting for somebody to come in and save us. That’s not happening. We’re going to save ourselves.” (44:24)

• Vance (on voter suppression):
  “The biggest challenge we are going to face in 2026 is proving we are citizens so that we can vote... as communities, we have to pull together and find ways for everyone... to get a passport so that every American citizen can vote.” (44:35)

• Vance (on institutional failure):
  “This is Donald Trump versus the Constitution...the most important issue being teed up in the courts is whether the courts have any ability to review Donald Trump’s decisions...” (38:28, 39:12)

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The Podcast's Tone

• The daily tone is irreverent, clever, and emotionally charged, mixing deep frustration with humor and calls to action.
• Memorable moment: AG and DG’s outrage at the literal and figurative destruction of the White House, expressed with both anger and sadness.

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Final Takeaway

Summary in one sentence:
The episode is a sharp, energetic campaign against normalization of Trump-era authoritarian excess, reinforced by Joyce Vance’s clear roadmap for civic action and preserving democracy.

Call to listeners:
Be the “cavalry” — organize, educate, show up, assist your communities in navigating barriers to voting, and take small, concrete steps. Giving up is not an option; democracy belongs to all of us.

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Additional Resources

• Joyce Vance’s Book: Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy Like Ours (find at independent bookstores and major retailers)
• Joyce Vance's Substack: Civil Discourse
• Send Good News / Community Actions: dailybeanspod.com > Contact

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End of Summary

Transcript

[A]

MSW Media. Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Wednesday, October 22, 2025. Today, Donald Trump is demanding a $230 million from his own Justice Department to compensate him for his legal troubles. Trump's Office of Special Counsel nominee to replace the improperly fired Hampton Dellinger called himself a Nazi and has just withdrawn from consideration. The treasury tells employees to please not share images of Trump demolishing the White House Pro Tempore. Speaker of the House ran away when Raskin called for unanimous consent to swear in Adelita Grijalva. A pardoned January 6 insurrectionist has been arrested for making death threats against Hakeem Jeffries. More than a third of the people that have applied for ICE have failed the fitness test and banned books are being returned to military libraries. I'm Alison Gill.

[B]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[A]

Hey, Dana. Happy taint of the week to you.

[B]

And to you, my friend. Okay, all you Chicago people. And in driving distance, I'm so sorry for the false alarms earlier and last week there we were just. I want to say it's not my fault and I will normally take responsibility when it is. There was an issue on the other side. Tickets for Chicago on November 14th are finally live on my website, danagoldberg.com it is a small theater. There's only 100 seats. Allison can attest, in small theaters, it's a lot of fun. We just did that in San Diego a month ago. A month or two ago. But tickets are already sailing, sailing, selling.

[A]

Selling, selling, sailing out the door.

[B]

There's sailing out the door. So come hang out in Chicago with me on November 14th. I love that, the theater. I don't know if it's pronounced this way, but it sounds like annoyance theater, which I have a lot of lately. So we're gonna have a good time. We're gonn have community. It's going to be wonderful. You are technically the first city of my Outrageous tour. So that's what we're calling it for the end of 25 into 26. And you're going to love the graphic because it's a play on words, but go get your tickets. Chicago.

[A]

Oh, my gosh, I love it. Outrageous out. 100 outrageous out on the road.

[B]

Out on the road. Rage us.

[A]

Rage us Community.

[B]

Out.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Rage us community.

[A]

There's. It's like a. It works nine ways.

[C]

I love it.

[A]

So, everybody, I'm out tomorrow. I'll be traveling, going on a vacation. I will be working. So you'll have me back in your ears on Friday. But Dana's gonna take over the helm tomorrow for the beans. So thank you, Dana. Absolutely.

[B]

My pleasure. I like taking over when you're gone. I don't love missing you, but I, I'm glad I can be here to take over the helm. There'll be a lot of mispronounced words, people, so expect corrections on Sunday. Allison.

[A]

Ah. So for your good news, send it all to [e-mail] Click on Contact and make sure you put words that are hard to pronounce in your good news submissions. Okay. Later in the show, I'm going to be joined by my good friend Joyce Vance, former U.S. attorney and author of her new book, you have to get it. It's called Giving Up Is Unforgivable. You don't want to miss our chat a little bit later. Also today we have a couple of breaking stories. Like right as we were sitting down to record, first of all, Jack Smith sent a letter to Chuck Grassley. And it's awesome. It's refuting the Senate Republicans bullshit about Jack Smith wiretapping them. Remember when Howley was like, you tapped my phone and Andy and I are going to cover it on Unjustified this weekend. But basically it says, look, getting toll records isn't wiretapping, you dumb ass. Plus, Trump's Department of Justice got toll records on Swalwell and Schiff and 43 congressional staff. Us, we needed to prove Trump and Rudy Giuliani called Republican senators to urge them to delay Biden's certification, which they did. And we gave all the toll records to Trump himself and his lawyers two years ago. So why are you mad all of a sudden, you performative douchebags? Sincerely, Jack Smith. I, I paraphrased a little.

[B]

I, I bet that's pretty accurate.

[A]

But that's the gist of the line.

[B]

If you said Jack Smith's inside voice, I bet that's exactly what it would sound like.

[A]

Right? Like the anger translator would. And I think what's interesting here is, you know, I used to do episodes back in the Mueller she wrote days when I would have Andy McCabe on as a guest. Like back in 2019, when Mueller wrote a letter to Bill Barr expressing his dismay at Bill Barr's mischaracterization of his work. Right? Because Bill Barr said that the Mueller report exonerated Trump. And Mueller was like, no, it doesn't. And so he wrote a letter and we were like, oh, my God, he wrote a letter. It takes a lot to get somebody like a prosecutor, a buttoned up prosecutor to go to paper Jack Smith's out there doing interviews, writing letters like this. Basically, given the big old double barrel middle finger, he knows he can't really bring these cases again. Like, even if they make him Attorney General, if we win in 2028, 2029, the statute of limitations on these crimes for Trump will be long over.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Now, I don't know if they can try to say that they can toll them while he was president because you can't indict a sitting president.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But he did leave him open that way. I don't know that he will or if he'll even be the AG or what is even gonna happen in 2028 and 2029, but he's coming out on the record pretty strongly. So it's good to see.

[B]

It is good to see. And a little good news at the top of the hour. I don't. Let's not write off George Santos being held accountable quite yet, it seems. The Nassau County District Attorney in New York, Ann Donnelly, put out the following statement today, and this is a quote. Since first learning of Jorge Santos actions, I have been at the forefront of bringing him to justice. I am proud of the work my office has done and the conviction achieved in partnership with the U.S. attorney's office. While the office cannot comment on ongoing investigations, suffice it to say that I remain focused on prosecuting political corruption wherever it exists, regardless of political affiliation. So that sounds like that we're not done yet.

[A]

Yeah, that's kind of exactly what it sounds like. Also, this just in. Chris Mays has filed her lawsuit against Mike Johnson in the House of Representatives to get Adelita Grijalva sworn in. She knows she won Arizona's 7th district on September 23rd, and Mike Johnson refuses to swear her in. She's asking the court to make a declaration that she needs to be a member of the House of Representatives. And if an oath is required and Johnson won't give the oath to allow someone else to swear her in. So I don't know how far this will go or, you know, the delay tactics that'll be used. It'll go all the way up to the Supreme Court. But the lawsuit is out there. I am imagining and I'm hoping, but I may be giving too much of a benefit of the doubt here, that this will be resolved before the lawsuit gets resolved. But, like, she'll be sworn in before that, but we'll see. But I'm glad she's pulled the trigger on this lawsuit.

[B]

Me, too.

[A]

All right, everybody, we have a lot of news to get to. Let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right. Today in we told you, it's Republicans that are the violent ones. The Washington Post reports that a man who was pardoned by Trump on charges related to his participation in the insurrection on January 6 was arrested last week after threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Christopher Moynihan, 34, was charged with the felony of making a terroristic threat, according to a statement from the New York State Police. Authorities were advised that Moynihan, who resides in Clinton, New York, quote, had made threats to kill a member of Congress. The statement said. I wonder if it bugs him, like if it sticks in his craw that he's a MAGA Republican, but he lives in a town called Clinton anyway.

[B]

I bet it does.

[A]

You live in Clinton.

[C]

Where are you from?

[A]

Sorry, I don't know. I watch a lot of kids in the hall.

[B]

I guess so. Little chaps is hide. Neil chaps is hide that he lives in Clinton. Okay, keep going.

[A]

There's only room enough for one of us here in Clinton. New York State Police declined to release details related to the member of Congress threatened, but Jeffries confirmed it in a statement Tuesday that he was the subject of the credible death threat from someone with every intention to carry it out. Court documents show the State Police filed a temporary extreme risk protection order against Moynihan, restricting his access to firearms and ammunition because he was deemed seemed to be likely to harm himself or others. Wow. According to the order, the FBI received a tip last week that alleged Moynihan had made statements that he would kill Congressman Jeffries in New York City and he would do it for the future. Jeffries addressed the Economic Club of New York on Monday, that that was the event. In 2022, Moynihan was found guilty of obstructing an official proceeding and pled guilty to five related misdemeanor charges tied to his actions during the Capitol breach. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison. He was in February of 2023. So just an absolute jerk. And I want to be clear here. These are state charges? Okay. Because we know we, you know, we're just finding out. There's more breaking news coming out that this Department of Justice decided not to prosecute people who had threatened Swalwell. Right. And this threat against Hakeem Jeffries, again, not brought by the Department of Justice, brought by New York State. So just sort of interesting. I'm just holding that in the back of my head. It doesn't seem like this Trump's Department of Justice, which he's about to ask for $230 million from. Yeah, I don't think they're interested in prosecuting people who threaten Democrats.

[B]

Oh, I don't. Don't either. More news on this horrible administration. This one's from the Post. President Trump's pick to lead an office charged with protecting federal whistleblowers appeared to be in jeopardy on Tuesday after Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he hoped the White House would withdra the nomination. Interesting. Even too shitty of a person for John th. The growing opposition to Paul in Gracia comes after a Politico report of a text chat that showed him saying Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday should be, and I quote, tossed into the seventh circle of hell in. Grazia also described himself in the chat as having a Nazi streak at times. Oh, look at that. Isn't that charming? And I quote, he's not going to pass. That's from Thune. That's from Thune. Two Republicans who serve in the committee with jurisdiction over the nomination for the Office of Special Counsel's job. Senators Rick Scott from Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, both horrible human beings, said they do not support Engra's confirmation. This. I'm telling you, boy, if you can't.

[A]

Get Rick Scott and Ron Johnson to like you. Right?

[C]

Wow.

[A]

How Nazi do you have to be?

[B]

Well, I guess he may not be Russian enough if we're looking at it this way. According to texts. Yep. According to text viewed by Politico and Gracia. Tol told those in the chat that MLK Jr. Was the 1960s. George Floyd and his holiday should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs. Fuck off, dude.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Politico also spoke to Engracia's lawyer, who said the text messages might have been manipulated or were missing context. The lawyer did not confirm the texts were authentic. Okay. Bad old song and dance.

[A]

And by seventh circle of Hell, I mean a lovely garden where everyone can be together. What? Okay.

[B]

The Office of Special Counsel is an investigative and prosecutorial office that works to protect government employees and whistleblowers from retaliation for reporting wrongdoing, and also is responsible for enforcing the Hatch act, which restricts the partisan political activities of government workers, which clearly has not been enforced in a very long time.

[A]

The Hatch act is what we.

[B]

I know you might know something about that one.

[A]

I know a little bit about the Hatch act back when I started military wrote, in case y' all didn't know, I hired an expert on the Hatch Act. To make sure that I didn't come anywhere near. I didn't even want to toe the line. Right. I wanted to be so far away from violating the Hatch act and any ethics provisions in my job at the. At the Department of Veterans Affairs. I almost didn't say Department of Veterans affairs because I was afraid that I still worked there for a second and that that would violate the Hatch Act. Like, I'm very, very. It's a very important line to draw giant chasm between me and the Hatch act. And it's. It's just. It's become a joke now. It's just a joke. Anyway, thanks for that, by the way. He just now, if I'm looking at the news, has withdrawn In Gracia.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Just pulled his name out of the running. Let me see here. I've got it. Paul In Gracia himself put a post out on Truth Social. I will be withdrawing myself from Thursday's hearing to lead the Office of Special Counsel because, unfortunately, I don't have enough Republican votes at this time. That's something to. That's some.

[B]

That's something.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

To not have enough Republican votes. I appreciate the overwhelming support they will vote for. You know what? Never mind. I appreciate the overwhelming support that I've received throughout this process and will continue to serve President Trump and this administration to make America great again. Okay, bye, bye. Bye, bye, bye. Thank you for that story. Next up from the Times. This is so. Oh, my God. I can't believe. I can. Never mind. I can believe this. Yeah. Trump is demanding the Justice Department pay him about $230 million in compensation for the federal investigations into him. That's according to people familiar who added that any settlement might ultimately be approved by senior department officials who defended him in his orbit. The people who have to decide this now.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

Are his lawyers. Todd Blanche, for example.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Whether or not he gets $230 million for his legal troubles, which is oddly about as much as that Let Them Eat Cake ballroom that they're destroying. The East Wing to build is about costing.

[B]

Supposedly was funded. I guess not.

[A]

Maybe it is, and he just wants the extra money from us. This is taxpayer money. The situation has no parallel in American history, as Trump, a presidential candidate, was pursued by federal law enforcement, eventually won the election, taking over the very government that must his claim. It is also the starkest example yet of potential ethical conflict created by installing the president's former lawyers atop the Justice Department. Mr. Trump submitted complaints through an administrative claim process that often is the precursor to a lawsuit the first claim was in late 2023, and it seeks damages for a number of purported violations of his rights, including the FBI and special counsel investigation into Russian election tampering and possible connections to the 2016 Trump campaign. That's according to people familiar with who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The second complaint was the summer 2024. Accused the FBI of violating Trump's privacy by searching Mar a Lago in 2022 for classified documents, which they found along with video of him breaking the law. But whatevs. It also accuses the Justice Department of malicious prosecution and charging him with mishandling sensitive records after he left office. It wasn't mishandling, it was retaining and then obstructing the investigation. So he's asking Pam Bondi to give him $230 million of our tax dollars. Just outright theft of the Treasury. Just going right into the Department of the treasury, grabbing 230 million of our dollars for himself. Meanwhile, we can't get health care.

[B]

Yep. What's the over under? Think they're going to do it?

[A]

Yeah, I think they're gonna. I mean, they gave Ashley Babbitt $5 million. Yep. Although when the proud boys sued the Department of Justice for $100 million for wrongful prosecution, they're fighting that. But this is Trump. And Todd Blanche was his lawyer in these cases.

[B]

Absolutely. And what's keeping him from being like, yeah, give me this money. There's a million in it for you.

[A]

Yeah. So he's just.

[B]

Yeah, it's not like we'd ever know.

[A]

This is oligarchy. He's robbing our treasury, our tax dollars, keeping it all for himself.

[B]

Speaking of the treasury, by the way, the Wall Street Journal reports that the Treasury Department instructed employees not to share photos of the demolition parts of the White House's East Wing after images of construction equipment dismantling the facade of the building went viral online. I'll tell you what, there's been a lot of things that have fucking pissed me off and really hurt my heart. Allison and I were in the East Wing last holiday season when Joe Biden still lived there. And it is powerful and historic, and it's the People's House. And it crushed me to see that. That image just crush me. For this son of a bitch who is stealing from the government, doesn't care about our democracy. He's probably gonna put his name on the damn thing like you said. And those images, really. They hurt. They really did hurt.

[A]

Yeah, I did. On Blue Sky. I did just post some of those Photos of us and you and our good friend Charlotte.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And Keegan Michael Key over at the East Wing. And that's how I choose to remember it.

[B]

Yep. And I will. I will. What a historic time. We really were a part of history. Treasury headquarters is located, by the way, next door in the East Wing, giving employees their front row seat to the construction of Trump's $250 million ballroom. $250 million, huh? That lawsuit. The new project is set to replace parts of the East Wing, quote, as construction proceeds on the White House grounds. Employees should refrain from taking and sharing photographs of the grounds to include East Wing without prior approval from the Office of Public Affairs. This is from a Treasury official. They wrote that Monday evening in an email to department employees viewed by the Wall Street Journal.

[A]

Why are you ashamed of what you're doing?

[B]

Sure sounds like it. The Treasury Department spokesman said the email was sent to employees because photos could, and I quote, potentially reveal sensitive items, including security features or confidential structure details. Really? That's what you're worried about now? Not a fucking signal? Chat with war plans? This is what you're worried about? Someone's going to see something secure in the photo of the East Wing.

[A]

Confidential structural details. I'll just have Barry Loudermilk give me a tour.

[B]

There you go.

[A]

And I can learn all about where all the secret tunnels and passages are anyway. Heartbreaking. So, yeah, Wall Street Journal, that's an exclusive, right? They're like, Treasury Department, hey, don't share photos. So they're ashamed of what they're doing, and they should be. I don't think they got approval. There's like, 10 committee and permits and stuff that you have to do. Although I've also read that the White House is exempt from those because no one ever thought anyone would touch the White House. But the White House has been modified here and there. You know, I think 1902 or something is when the East Wing was built. I don't remember. I'll have to look it up. Don't quote me on any dates, but it just seems like, you know, I think I said yesterday, like, my house was built in 1959, and it's not a government property, and if I want to change anything on the facade, I got to go through 18 months of permitting and go to a. Make a public notice in a paper and then answer questions. It's like, okay, never mind. Can I paint it? Maybe. But the White House, I guess you can just tear it down and I swear, this is just. He's mad about no kings.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that's why he's doing this. I mean, I know he was gonna build this ballroom anyway, but he was gonna. Or he said he was gonna do it without touching the, you know, the existing structure of the White House. And so maybe after no kings, he's like, final tear it down.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I don't know. All right, next up from the Atlantic, President Donald Trump's plan to double the size of the ICE workforce has met a foe more powerful than any activist group. It is decimating new recruits at the agency's training academy in Georgia. And it's the ICE Personal Fitness Test. Now, more than a third have failed so far, according to four officials who spoke to the Atlantic, impeding the agency's plan to hire, train, and deploy 10,000 deportation officers by January. To pass, you have to do 15 push ups, 32 sit ups, and run a mile and a half in 14 minutes.

[B]

Oh, my God. Stop it.

[A]

Let me say that again. 15 push ups, 32 sit ups, and a mile and a half in 14 minutes. Dana. I do that five times a week.

[B]

I was just gonna say, I'm not even a runner. I could absolutely pass this fitness test.

[A]

I'm 51 with. With a nose ring, and I drink soy lattes, and I have cats. Anyway, quote, it's pathetic, one career ICE official told me, adding that before now, a typical class of 40 recruits had only a couple of candidates fail because the screening process was more rigorous. And I want to just make a clarifying statement here. There's no shame in not being able to pass this fitness test only if you're trying to become an ICE agent. Agreed?

[B]

100% agreed. And I know that you say that because I understand that we are an empathic folk here, but I think, you know, everyone knows that what they're asking of them is. It's reasonable.

[A]

It's reasonable. Especially. And again, it's never. We're never shaming anyone. It's the hypocrisy, right? So for Hegseth to get up in front of a bunch of generals and call them all fat asses. And I'm. I'm quoting him. I'm using his words, okay? And to say that the warrior ethos is awful and soft. Soy boys are weakening our military and the Department of War, and we need peace through strength, right? And to really hammer down on this physical fitness stuff. And then to. And by the way, to raise standards for women, right? To stay in combat roles, but to have the standards of 15 push ups, 32 sit ups, and a mile and a half. In 14 minutes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That's like nowhere near some of the women who have gone through Ranger school.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know what I'm saying? So it's the hypocrisy. I want everybody to be clear about that. Not everybody's able bodied. Not everybody can run.

[B]

Yeah. I would also be curious to know the gender discrepancy within those numbers. Do you know what I mean?

[A]

Right. How many women have tried to join ice and do they have the same standards, fitness standards? Because when I was in the military, we did not. Women had to do the same amount of sit ups because we had more core strength, but we didn't have to do as many push ups or we could do on the knee, knee push ups. And we had a little more time to run. And as you got older, they gave you more time.

[B]

That makes sense. Yeah.

[A]

Young people had 12 minutes to do a mile and a half. 21 year olds had 14 minutes to do a mile and a half. You know, 26 year olds had. You know, it's so it, it changes as you get older as well, which is why I threw in the fact that I'm 51, so. But I think I'm actually too old to join ice. But maybe not. Maybe they removed the age requirements. But anyway, I just want everybody to be very, very clear that I'm not saying if you can't do 15 push ups and 32 sit run a mile in half, 14 minutes, there's something wrong with you. Absolutely not. That is not.

[B]

I also pretty sure no one listening to this podcast wants to join ICE.

[A]

Yeah. Are you sure? Yeah.

[B]

Not 100%. I know we probably have some trolls out there listening just to get some, you know, talking points.

[A]

Yeah. But those are very, very. Those are pretty remedial physical fitness standards for a federal law enforcement agent. And the fact that a third. I think the bigger story here is a third of the people aren't able to do it. It. So the academy standards have already been eased to boost recruitment, and the new parameters should be the minimum for any officer. He and others, none of whom were authorized to speak with reporters, told the Atlantic that the agency veterans are concerned about the quality of new recruits being fast tracked onto the street to meet Trump's hiring goals. An email from ICE headquarters to the agency's top officials on October 5 lamented that a considerable amount of athletically allergic candidates has been showing up to the academy. That's a quote. They had misrepresented their physical condition on application forms. They lied.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The email directed leaders at ICE'S field offices to conduct preliminary fitness exams with new recruits before sending them to the academy. Now, quote, we all know the self certification method has failed. So the honor system is working with ICE recruits.

[B]

That sounds shocking.

[A]

They lie. And they're not honorable. Weird. Ralph Ferguson, an operations official at ICE headquarters, wrote that. By the way, we all know self certification has failed. The Department of Homeland security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, she lies a mile a minute, told the Atlantic in a statement that the 1/3 failure rate reflected only a subset of candidates in initial basic academy classes. So it's like a third of half, a third of a tenth. Or is it just a third lady? Because a third is not a subset of anything. It's 33%. And they're not all new hires. She said DHS expects to fill 85% of new deportation officer positions with experienced law enforcement officials whom they can fast track. Although they will not be required to pass a fitness test at the ICE Academy, they remain subject to medical, fitness and background requirements. Wait, they can fast track people who won't be required to pass a fitness test at the ICE academy? Is she just taking the fitness test away?

[B]

I guess.

[A]

I don't. I don't know. The Trump administration has slashed the amount of time that new ICE recruits spend at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy in Georgia from roughly four months to eight weeks. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. They cut. They cut the training in half. Some of the fresh hires have dropped out of the academy, are flunking exams on immigration law and Fourth Amendment limits on officers search authority.

[B]

That doesn't surprise me one bit.

[A]

No. And when you cut it from four months to two months, you cut the reading part out. Yeah, that's what they did at. Andy and I talked about this on Unjustified. They took the FBI training academy at Quantico from 18 weeks to eight weeks. The one and a half mile run in particular has toppled more trainees than any other requirement, Two officials said.

[B]

I had a feeling that's what it was. And listen, I'm actually thinking about this. That's like clocking nine and a half. If you're on a treadmill, about 6.6.0. A little bit. A little bit higher than 6.0 on the treadmill. That's a pretty good jog.

[A]

Yeah. It's not. You know, some people are like, I can walk that. I know I couldn't. And I would have to put in a pretty good effort to make that time.

[B]

I was thinking the same. Interesting.

[A]

So, yeah, it is a nine and a half Minute mile is roughly what it works out to be. So anyway, just wanted to be clear about that. I'm not shaming anybody. Don't join ice.

[B]

Yep, that's it. That's the moral of the story, everyone.

[C]

Moving on.

[A]

Shame on ice.

[B]

Okay, that's right. This one's from npr. A federal judge ordered the Department of Defense Monday to return books about gender and race back to five school libraries on military bases. In April, 12 students at schools and military bases in Virginia, Kentucky, Italy and Japan claimed their First Amendment rights had been violated when nearly 600 books were removed from the Department of Defense education activity, which is the. The DOE D E A. The DO D E A. They're schools that they attend in all of those bases. The students, by the way, are the children of active duty service members. They range from Pre K to 11th grade. The American Civil Liberties Union. Otherwise, the ACLU of Kentucky and the ACLU of Virginia filed a motion on behalf of the families requesting the return of all books and curriculum already quarantined and removed based on potential violation of the executive orders. In January, Secretary of Defense Pete Kegseth issued a memoranda. He said, restoring America's fighting force, which prohibited, and I quote, instruction on critical race theory, DEI or gender, ideology and identity Months dead. Identity months dead at dod.

[A]

Yeah, that was the name of the memo.

[B]

That's ridiculous. Okay. Which barred using official resources for celebrations such as Black History Month, Women's History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Uh huh. According to the plaintiffs, DODEA officials sent emails directing teachers to remove books and cancel lesson plans and events that would be in violation of Trump's executive orders and Kegset's guidance Books removed from school libraries at military bases covered such topics as sexual identity, racism, and, of course, LGBTQ pride. Two elementary schools canceled Black History Month events. Teachers at a middle school were told to remove posters of education activist Malala and painter Frida Kahlo. And another school canceled Holocaust Remembrance Day. This is just all history. It's world history, people. World history. According to the motion filed at the aclu, the students claim that when they protested the school's actions, they were punished and became, and I quote, increasingly afraid to discuss race and gender in their classrooms because they fear being silenced by teachers fearful of violating the EOS and the DoDEA guidance man.

[A]

How is Holocaust Remembrance Day shameful to American history? So that's just antisemitism. They're just afraid. I mean, that's the chilling effect, right? That's what they want this to do, is Just to be afraid to talk about anything that's in history that's not white history.

[B]

Yeah. And white Christian history. In her decision, U.S. district Judge Patricia Toliver Giles sided with students and their families, writing that and I quote, the removals were not rooted in pedagogical concerns, but rather they were, and I quote, in proper partisan motivation underlying defendants actions. Giles wrote that DoD officials must deny and I quote, immediately, immediately restore the books and charismatics curricular materials that have been removed. So that is a good one.

[A]

Yeah, that's some good news that they're bringing those books back. I remember when they took them away, a friend of mine, I've got many friends who've got friends at DODEA schools who received the notices and, and shared them with me. And I was just like, my God, they don't want to teach history. They don't want to teach it at the ICE Recruitment training facility either. Or Quantico. Right. Which is why everybody's failing out. Anyway, thank you for that story. That's good news. They're returning the books. Everybody, if you stick around right after this quick break, I'm going to talk to Joyce Vance about her new book and giving up is unforgivable. And I, I really, really encourage you to listen to this interview. It's. She's one of my favorite people and I think you'll really enjoy it. Then after that, we'll do the good news. But first we're going to take a quick break, so stick around. We'll be right back after these messages.

[B]

We'll be right back.

[A]

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[C]

Welcome to the breakdown. I'm so excited. I get to talk to my very good friend Joyce Pants today. Mostly because she's amazing, but also because she has a new book out. And I'm so excited. There it, there it is. And we're gonna talk about that today because there's a lot in it. It's so.

[A]

It's chock full.

[C]

It is a rich book and it's so easy to read and so well written and so important for what's happening right now. It's so timely. I don't know how you got a book out in a timely fashion, but you managed to do it.

[D]

I didn't know any better than to agree to do it really quickly. Had I known, I would not have.

[C]

Done it because everybody knows how long it takes to get a book out. So let's talk about it. Let's talk about that. Show us the book again and let's talk about what prompted you to write it. Make sure that's the book and it's a manual. It's a clarion call. There's so much important stuff in here.

[A]

Let's talk about, first of all, the.

[C]

Clear analysis of our current situation that is in this book. Because that for understanding the problem is step one in solving the problem. So talk a little bit about that.

[B]

That.

[D]

So look, I'M not going to tell you anything that y' all don't already know. We're in a dangerous moment. And something that I say that I've come to think about more and more is that when we talk about Trump as a king, king is a nice word for dictator. We are perilously close to dictatorship because we have a president who wants to assume all the power of government for himself. And I think the biggest danger in this moment is one we sometimes overlook. It's our sense that his rise to power is inevitable. And that's what he wants people to think. He's invincible. It's automatic. Nothing can stop him. Well, we saw on Saturday that when 7 million of us turn out on a single day, that cramps his style just a little bit. You know, he's reduced to sending out videos of himself as the king of poop. I think it works when we do that, and I think that we should revel in our own power and strength.

[C]

Yeah. And not only that, he. He tears down the East Room, the East wing facade of the White House. I think that that was honestly kind of a retaliation for, you know, before he had the permits or anything like that, because watching it had the desired effect, I think he wanted it to have, at least on me, which was.

[A]

It felt like a gut punch.

[C]

And the metaphor Joyce is not lost on me. I read a lot of Tim Snyder. I read a lot of Ruth Ben Ghiat. Now I read a lot of Joyce Vance. And, you know, we always talk about sort of this intangible idea of dismantling our institutions. And he is literally doing so.

[D]

And I think he's sending the message that he can do it and no one can stop him. Right. We're in the middle of a shutdown. Government employees, like when this happened to the two of us, you don't get paid. You worry about how you're gonna put food on the table, but he can tear down the White House. Boy, is that a message?

[C]

Yeah, it certainly is. And that's. Let's talk about the stakes here as well, because you go into quite a bit of detail on that. We all saw Stephen Miller on CNN accidentally let slip that the president has plenary power. And right now we're seeing that play out in the courts where Donald Trump and the Trump administration feels that they have plenary power unreviewable by the courts. And you are so familiar with this terminology as former U.S. attorney, former prosecutor and professor. Right. That that's the stakes, the danger of the courts, possibly the Supreme Court granting this president plenary power, we already saw a little taste of it when he tried to fire some members of multi member boards against something called Humphreys Executor, which we know that the Supreme Court conservative majority doesn't like very much unless it's the Fed, right, which they've said in rulings, particularly in the Gwen Wilcox, Kathy Harris National Labor Relations Board, Merit Systems Protection Board ruling, but that he wants this plenary power to just fire members of multi member boards that are supposed to be independent checks on the executive. And now we're reaching into the ability to deploy troops and National Guard and the plenary unreviewable power there by saying, well, the local police can't solve 100% of the crime problems. And since they can only solve 99% of the crime problems, I have the plenary power to decide that. I have the power to send in the troops to protect federal property, ICE agents, et cetera. And I was interested in your thoughts on that because of the stakes that.

[A]

We'Re talking about here.

[C]

So we've got the analysis of the problem and then we are talking about the stakes. Like you said, we're this close to a dictatorship.

[D]

So I think you've seized on the most important thread that runs through this entire administration, right? This is Donald Trump versus the Constitution. This is Donald Trump seizing all the power of government. It's what conservatives admittedly sort of on the far right fringes of the Republican Party for many years, but increasingly moving into the mainstream, call the unitary executive. This idea that the Article 2 branch of government, the executive branch, is more powerful than anyone else. And so we've seen Trump assert it in a number of ways. As you mentioned, he started with this idea, well, I can hire and fire anyone I want to in the executive branch, right? I can fire these people on quasi independent wards, even if there are rules that say I can't, even if Congress has passed laws, I'm gonna do it anyway. And we're now seeing that with United States attorneys, right, where he is firing US Attorneys, replacing them with people who are not Senate confirmed. And so now there's the allegation both with Alina Haba and in the Eastern District of Virginia, that he's violated the law by doing that. Trump is in court saying, I can do it, I'm the president. And where it's the most dangerous, I think is this area that you've identified having to do with deploying the National Guard because Donald Trump has decided that the states can't do their own police work. You know under the Constitution that the, the police power is reserved to the states. The irony that states rights Republicans are actually in favor of deploying federal or federalizing troops and then deploying them as opposed to letting the states, states solve their own problems is pretty rich, but that's where we are. And the most important issue that's now being teed up in front of the courts is whether or not the courts have any ability to review Donald Trump's decisions when he says, as he has, there's a rampant crime problem, so I must federalize National Guard troops and send them onto the streets of Chicago and Portland and maybe San Francisco next week. And Donald's Trump argument is, nobody can look over my shoulder and second guess me when I make that assessment. A judge in Chicago has said, not true. We owe you Great deference, Mr. President. But that does not mean, in essence, she says, your assessment has to pass the smell test. And here in Chicago, it hasn't done that. The 7th Circuit agreed. A different result in the 9th Circuit, though, where that court has recently said, well, because the executive branch's use of its power here has been restrained and proportional to the crisis that they're saying exists. Whether we agree or not, sending 200 people in to protect, you know, this federal building seems to be reasonable to us. Look, that's a split in the circuits. If that holds up, maybe the ninth Circuit will hear that case on bonk and we'll get a different result. Either way, this is on a fast track to the Supreme Court. We know it's headed to the Supreme Court. You know, the same court that has said a president can't commit a criminal violation of law when he's conducting official business. They're now going to have to decide whether they want to double down on that and set the president up as this strong unitary power, really all encompassing unitary power. That seems to me to violate every precept that the Founding Fathers set forth or whether the Supreme Court is going to finally tell Donald Trump no. You answer to the courts.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And it can be tough because of the use of the shadow docket, the emergency docket. They've lifted a lot of these temporary restraining orders, which doesn't necessarily mean that that's how they're going to decide on the merits, but it gives the sense that they're allowing the Trump administration to do what they want to do, at least for the time being. And I am especially concerned about the Supreme Court because I've read Ellie Mistall's book, books about the loopholes in the Constitution that are constantly being taken advantage of by the Supreme Court that likes to continue to backslide into authoritarianism. And now we're at this whole plenary power question. And I think that it's especially concerning to me with the makeup of this particular Court, especially, although, again, they have a history of doing wrong things, but this particular makeup of the Supreme Court, especially. And I wanted to get back to the book for a second, because it's not just you saying, yeah, this is awful and terrible things could happen, and terrible things are happening by. You have very, very concrete things that can be done. This is a guidebook. It's a handbook. Right. It's like. Because the question I get most when I do town halls, when I speak at events, when I, you know, people send messages and emails into the podcasts, the question is always, what can I do? And instead of saying, well, you know, just fight. You know, people want concrete steps they can take. I often compare this administration to a house in an episode of Hoarders, where you walk in and it's so chaotic and it's such a mess and it's so overwhelming that it's hard to imagine what you can possibly do. And, you know, I always say, pick a corner and start cleaning. And so that's kind of what I'm finding in your book. So talk a little bit about the answer to that question. What can we do? Because it's on everyone's lips.

[D]

Yeah, I mean, you know, Ruth Ben Guyot writes with so much scholarly authority in her book Strongmen about this deliberate strategy dictators use. Right. They try to overwhelm us. So we feel like there's no way we can fight back. And the first step is understanding that that's the playing field that you actually have to, you know, clear a little bit of space, work in one of your corners, for starters, and understand that they are trying to overwhelm you, and you must not permit that to happen. So, you know, my view is that we are the cavalry. We have to be done with waiting for somebody to come in and say, us, that's not happening. We're going to save ourselves. And I think there are a lot of positive steps. But, you know, the one that I want to talk about that I think is the most important is revitalizing our notion of civics education, because understanding how our institutions work and how, for instance, we're going to protect the 2026 elections so that we can start rebuilding guardrails against this president, that I think is critically important. And sure, we all get civics education in fourth grade or sixth gr. But what we have to do is start committing to it as a whole of community effort. And let me give you a really specific example, because the biggest challenge that we are going to face in 2026 is proving we are citizens so that we can vote. That's clearly Donald Trump's agenda. And you know, it's expensive to prove that you're a citizen. It means, in essence, that you have to have a passport. There are some other documents they can be more difficult to get. Passport is a safe bet. And it costs. Costs just shy of 200 bucks. That may mean that as communities, we have to pull together and find ways for everybody to get the documentation they need and be able to get a passport so that every American citizen can go in and vote. And look, voting is a right, not a privilege. We should not have to jump through those hoops. But the reality is that we may well have to. We should face that reality and work together. That's an everyday expression of our civic value. And then, Allison, if I can just one more thing that I included increasingly think about, that's really important. I live in a red state. I've got two Republican senators. They don't listen to me when I write to them, but I do keep up a running dialogue with them on their websites. We have got to increasingly work together in community to demand of those senators and those members of Congress that they represent us. Look, they serve everybody in their states, not just the people who voted for them or the people who they want to claim as their own. They're obligated to hear our voices. We're entitled to get answers from them. Why do you continue to support Robert Kennedy, who's making it impossible for me to protect my family through vaccinations? I think we are going to have to take it to them in large numbers and insist that they behave with greater responsibility. I am done with giving them a pass and just saying, oh, I have two red senators and throwing my hands up in the air. This is not the fight any of us wanted, but it's the fight we have.

[C]

Yeah, I remember talking to Judge Ludick, who reminded me that the strongest.

[D]

Or.

[C]

The most power that we have, the strongest check on the executive, is the people. And I remember writing back when I was long time ago when I was doing the Mueller She Wrote podcast and people were sending me Mueller prayer candles and Mueller rosaries and God bless Mueller and everything that I had said and I had written, look, we are the Muellers that we've been waiting for do not rely on a single prosecutor to save democracy. And I put out a tweet, we are the Muellers. We've been waiting for like it's us, and it always has been. And I think that people who generally are like, somebody else will solve this for us, are now taking to the streets understanding that it is our government, that it does belong to us. That White House that he just tore down the East Wing for, that's our house, and we need to stand up. And I think that we showed that. We showed that at no kings one when we had 5 million people turn out. We showed it. Here we have 7 or 8 million people turning out. I think that we might get up around nine or 10 in the spring when we do it again, and then all converge together right before the midterms. But you're right, it's.

[B]

So.

[A]

The idea is to discourage us.

[C]

And that's why the Giving up is Unforgivable is such a powerful book and a powerful idea. And I think it's the underpinning of the entire book, is that we do have to do something, but not just telling people to do something.

[A]

Here are some things that you can.

[C]

Do, and I think that that's really amazing. And I thank you so much for.

[A]

Writing this, your first point.

[D]

Mark first book. And thank you for your kind words. I appreciate it. You know, I have so much faith in us. I mean, here we are, almost 2,500 of us, in the middle of the afternoon on a Tuesday. I hope I haven't lost track of days of the week. We are actually civics education happening. Right? We are this nation coming together in the way the founding fathers envisioned. And what I know about us is we are not quitters. We will not give up. We will find a way to do this. It may not be pretty, but we will come out of this on the other side with an intact democracy.

[A]

Yeah, I agree.

[C]

And for more civics education, you can subscribe to Civil Discourse by Joyce Vance. And then you can get the book. Wherever you get your books, I like to go to my little independent bookstore and order it from them. And I usually order about 10 or 20 copies so that I can give them out as gifts at the holiday times and then put them in my little free libraries around my neighborhood. So however you get your book books, I highly recommend picking this one up. Tell us about it one last time, and where people can find and follow you.

[D]

So it is Giving up is Unforgivable, A manual for keeping a democracy like ag. I'm a huge fan of small bookstores and so if you look it up online, you'll actually see links to indie booksellers along with the usual suspects. And you can also find me on Substack, where I'm Civil Discourse or Joyce. Thank you. You can subscribe for free. I hope that you will. And thank you so much for spending time with us today.

[C]

Yes, thank you everybody for being here. Really appreciate it. Just these little things are acts of resistance. Find your corner, start cleaning and grab a copy of Giving up is Unforgivable. Thanks everybody for joining us today on the Breakdown.

[A]

We'll see you next time.

[D]

Bye y'. All.

[A]

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[D]

Then good news everyone.

[A]

And if you have any little bit of good news, big or small, whether it happened yesterday or 20 years ago, we would love to hear from you. We also want to hear your jokes, your favorite jokes. Send in your jokes. We all could use a laugh. We also want to hear shout outs. Whether you have a shout out to a loved one or a small business in your area, maybe a nonprofit doing some great stuff, some great community activism, a self shout out, a shout out to a government program that's helped you or a loved one. We would love to hear that as well. And then of course, please send out in anything and everything about your experience during no Kings. We want to hear about that. And maybe what you're going to do for the holidays. There's a lot of holidays coming up in Q4, so let us know about that. All you got to do to get your stuff read on the air is pay your POD pet tariff, which means attach a photo of your pet. And if you want, we can try to guess the breeds in your shelter pup. If you don't have a pet, send an adoptable pet in your area. We'll see if we can find him a home. We got a pretty good track record of doing that. If you don't have that, just really grab a random animal photo off the Internet. Anything will work. And baby animals especially we love really into frogs these days. I have been for a long time, but now especially with Portland. And then you can also send in bird watching photos, which is an actual bird, or you and your family and friends flipping the bird to Trump buildings. Of course we also accept photos of the no Kings rally, your favorite signs, maybe your hobby, the way that you're passing time, the way that you kind of unplug. Whether you're knitting or crocheting or painting or writing. Whatever it is, you can send it to us. And maybe you're putting something, planting something in your garden. We would love to see it. Send it to us dailybeanspot.com click on contact. First up is your good trouble. Your good trouble today comes from David. Pronouns, he and him. The North Carolina General assembly is contemplating the Orange Menace's call for gerrymandering. The public comment period is now over open, so I hope my fellow Tar Heel Lagoominati will make their voices heard about this utter trash idea. We'll have a link in the show. Notes for my tariff, I present our retired racing greyhounds, Lucy and Julia, all dressed up for no Kings in Cary, North Carolina, this past Saturday. Look at this.

[B]

Oh, my gosh, how cute.

[A]

Royal hounds against royalty.

[B]

Love it.

[A]

No Kings. Look at these dogs. They're beautiful. Thank you so much. Thank you, Dick. David.

[B]

Yes. This is from Julie Pronoun. She and her. Hey, Beans Queens. I thank goodness for your podcast every day. I'm a longtime listener. You provide me good information and a feeling for community, which is so crucial in these days where there are so many forces trying to divide us. I have a brother who thinks that protesting against the Trump administration is just performative and actually dangerous to our cause. He frequently writes letters to the editor, but this one almost made me choke on my toast. There's a picture included. No need to read his name on it. Air right after reading it. I went with a friend to do a Saturday a.m. bridge Brigade on a pedestrian bridge over a busy highway and sent him my picture. And on no Kings Day in Minneapolis, we all showed up. Yes, you did. I was out there. I saw the protest. Also wanted to include a pic of my pup and his pals at the dog park and the beauty of morning glories that line the fence of the dog park. Finding beauty every day is a blessing in my life. Life.

[A]

Amazing. I don't see the letter to the editor, do you?

[B]

I do not. Which maybe. Maybe that's a divine intervention, but I hope. We'd love to see it.

[A]

Yeah. If you'd like us to read it without divulging his name, Julie, please send it in. But look at the beautiful doggos. And look at that. Look at the rally. That's amazing. Impeach, remove, convict. I love it. No Kings. The no Kings logo is so good. Good. You know, it is so good.

[B]

I. I want to get a hat.

[A]

It's just right to the point.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right, next up, from Anna Pronoun. She and her. Hi, ladies of the lagoons. I just wanted to share that I have an annual book retreat where we exchange books, play games, do crafts, and eat great food. This year it was in Waynesboro, which is in Pennsylvania. Population 11,000, where 70% voted for Trump. So seven of us went and joined the roughly 300 that were gathered there on Saturday for no Kings. Also, shout out to my hometown, Cowdersport, which is. Yep, Cowdersport. I got it. And that has a population of 2,000. And 80% voted for Trump. And they had 140 people turn out to the no Kings protest. I've attached a pic of my friends protesting. Look at this. The people united will never be defeated. Anna, this is my favorite thing about no Kings is These small towns, 2000 population, 11,000 population, where hundreds of people shut down, show up. That's just blows my mind. So thank you for sharing that. Really just. I absolutely love it.

[B]

Yeah. All right. This one's from Janet Pronoun. She and her Good morning, AG and dg. I have been listening since the election and I can't thank you enough for saving my mental health. This morning has been especially stressful as I am looking at the pictures of the destruction of the White House. Janet, we feel you. I'm so outraged. I've spent my morning calling Congress members. If it wasn't for you, I would not know how to do that. I rely on the good news, good trouble to provide me with actions to take to help save our democracy. It doesn't feel like much, but when you add it up, it makes a difference. I believe just a few of these actions, as I learned from db, contributions from Lyft, joining Indivisible, going to protest wearing my huge paperclip, Pride Watch Band, daily no Kings boycotts of Target and Disney 5 calls, et cetera. But my greatest feat was proudly canceling my Amazon subscription and using the money to become a patron and support independent media. I'm so happy to be here and looking Forward to your YouTube show. Thank you for all you do to help save our soul and keep my heart soft. For my POD pet tax, I'm including pictures of my beautiful Lucy, whose soul you can see in her eyes. Oh, my gosh, yes, you can. She's not the brightest bulb in the box, but she's loving, happy companion whose smile is contagious. I've also included pictures of me and my friends at the no Kings protest this past Saturday.

[A]

That is truly a beautiful dog.

[B]

Yeah, look at those eyes.

[A]

Look at that. Not a single eye booger anywhere. Just absolutely beautiful. Pupper, great photo of you and your friends, too. Look at those signs. GOP Guardians of Pedophiles. We stand with immigrants. Love it. Oh, I love it. Thank you so much for sending that all right, next up from Dr.

[D]

Worm.

[A]

It's Dr.

[B]

Worm again.

[A]

Pronoun. She and her. Yeah, yeah. Beans queens. I got Jim jokes. A pirate walks into a bar with a steering wheel hanging from his crotch. I know this one. The bartender is like, dude, you have a steering wheel hanging from your crotch. Why? And the pirate was like, arg. I know. It's driving me nuts.

[B]

I love that one too.

[A]

It's a good one. A passenger boards a plane carrying three dead raccoons. And the stewardess stops them and says, I'm sorry, but only two carry on allowed. Carry on. Okay.

[C]

Photo.

[A]

Is a beans related air freshener spotted while buying a new old truck with a friend. And a photo photo of the sexy nostalgia bomb of a truck my childhood was in. Hard body. Also pictured my kitty helping out while I move sticks around my yard. Keep giving them beans. Look at that. Look at the beans.

[B]

That's funny. That's a great truck. Oh, it's just a great truck.

[A]

Let me see. Let me see.

[C]

What do we got here?

[A]

Is that a Ford? Like F. I had a. I had a long, long, long body, white Ford 1980 Ford F250 pickup truck. Dana. I had to start it. I had to open the hood to start it with a screwdriver.

[B]

Stop it.

[A]

Uh huh.

[B]

Oh, my God. I drove a little pickup truck too. For a while. Was a little Toyota, but it wasn't that. It wasn't like that. It was just a single cab and had a long back and a short little front. So I called it Rex.

[A]

For T. Rex, I had a Mitsubishi Mighty Max, which I called the Mighty Maxi Pad. And. But the Ford F250 I bought for like a couple hundred bucks from somebody because it ran and it was, you know, it had. It came. Dana. It came with a gun rack and it had a bumper sticker on it that said, the bumper sticker said, I believe in tit for tat. Want some tat?

[B]

Oh, my God, you're such a douche.

[A]

So I kept it. I kept it and the gun rack.

[B]

I was like, oh, my God, let's.

[A]

Go all out on this Forda 2 fish. Anyway, thank you all so much for your good news stories. Thanks for your jokes. Send it all to us dailybeanspot.com click on contact. I'll be traveling tomorrow. Dana's gonna hold down the fort. Thank you so much, my friend, for doing that.

[B]

My pleasure. You always take care of me when I'm gone.

[A]

And I'll be back in your ears on Friday with Fugal sang for Fugal sang Fridays. And then we're gonna talk to comedian Cliff Cash on Monday about his upcoming events as well. So any final thoughts today, my friend?

[B]

No, no final thoughts today.

[A]

Just go to danagoldberg.com yeah, you know what?

[B]

Fine. Final thought Chicago. If you missed the top of the podcast and get you at the end, danagoldberg.com, tickets for Chicago, a little black box, 100 seats finally on sale. Go get em before they're gone. And VIP gets you a meet and greet and they're really, they're really reasonable. So go grab em.

[A]

They are do it. It is so worth it. I have been to a few Dana shows and I can't wait to go to my next one. So everybody will see you tomorrow. Dana will I'll be back in yours Friday. Until then, 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. I've been DG and them's the Beans. 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 Joel Reeder with Moxie Design Studios. Music for the Daily Beans is written, 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 mswmedia. Com. MSW Media.