
Tuesday, December 10th, 2024 Today, the authorities have arrested “the adjuster” in Altoona Pennsylvania for the shooting of the United Healthcare CEO; the Trump Campaign paid RFK Jr. $100K weeks after he endorsed Trump; federal employees scramble to insulate themselves from Trump’s purge; Jay Z has been accused of rape in a civil lawsuit along with Sean Diddy Combs; Biden’s Department of Energy races to get clean energy money out before Trump takes office; and Liz Cheney responds to Trump’s threats to arrest the members of the January 6th Committee; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News.\
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Alison Gill
MSW Media thanks to Storyworth for supporting the Daily Beans with Story Worth. I am giving a thoughtful personal gift from the heart. Go to storyworth.com dailybeans to get $10 off your first purchase.
Dana Goldberg
Jelly beans daily be.
Alison Gill
Hello and welcome to the Daily Beans for Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Today, the authorities have arrested the adjuster in Altoona, Pennsylvania for shooting the United Healthcare CEO. The Trump campaign paid RFK Jr. $100,000 just weeks after he endorsed Trump. Federal employees are scrambling to insulate themselves from Trump's purge. Jay Z has been accused of rape in a civil lawsuit along with Sean Diddy Combs. Biden's Department of Energy is racing to get clean energy money out the door before Trump takes office. And Liz Cheney responds to Trump's threats to arrest the members of the January 6th Committee. I'm Alison Gill.
Dana Goldberg
And I'm Dana Goldberg.
Alison Gill
Hey, my friend. Happy Tuesday.
Dana Goldberg
And to you. And to you. I can't wait to see you this week.
Alison Gill
I know we get to see each other in person. Lunch a time. Yeah. We're going to go to a ALPAC event in New York and then we're going to do a White House thing. It's going to be super fun and I can't wait to like, represent the Daily Beans at the White House next week. It's going to be fun.
Dana Goldberg
I know. Thank you. By the way, I'm looking forward to being your date. Yes.
Alison Gill
You're my plus one, Ms. Goldberg.
Dana Goldberg
Indeed I am.
Alison Gill
And you know, today, Today went by fast.
Dana Goldberg
What did you say though, when I said the day went by fast and.
Alison Gill
You said, well, one day closer to 2029.
Dana Goldberg
Yep.
Alison Gill
Like, just go, just go. Just like wake me up. Do you know they have like cruise lines are offering four year cruises right now.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, yeah. And, but also, I feel like the only people that can afford a four year cruise probably voted for him. Yeah, I know, I know that's not true. I think the only people that want to put their money there probably did.
Alison Gill
Right? But yeah, yeah, it's going to like over four years, it's going to like 400 ports or something like that.
Dana Goldberg
I mean, listen, if you're a cruiser, I think there was an older couple that realized it was cheaper to get a cruise for a year than it was to actually pay rent where they were living.
Alison Gill
Mm. Yeah, I was thinking about that like for my madre. My age.
Dana Goldberg
Yeah. Right.
Alison Gill
But because it is, it's cheaper than like assisted living facilities. But I don't know if they have like memory care. And anyway, Looking into it. Meanwhile, authorities have arrested a man in Pennsylvania on Monday who cops say is connected to the shooting death of the United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York last week. Apparently he used a E bike to get away and then went through a tunnel and then took a bus. It sounds like they apprehended him. His name is Luigi Mangione. He's 26 years old. They got him in Altoona five days after Thompson was shot in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, December 4, setting off a manhunt for the shooter, whose identity remained unknown until now. Mangione was detained after he visited a McDonald's and somebody turned him in. Other guests apparently noticed his resemblance to images and suspected the shooter. That was him. And he was released by New York Police Department a photo of him. And so they contacted the authorities. Online records show that this guy Luigi is an app developer who graduated with a bachelor's and a master's of science and engineering degrees from Upenn University of Pennsylvania, who's also the valedictorian of his class in high school.
Dana Goldberg
Smart, very smart kid.
Alison Gill
Yeah. And according to the Times, authorities say he was carrying a manifesto that included passages criticizing health care companies for putting profits above care. His social media presence indicates he was a big Tucker Carlson fan. He also had accounts on Pinterest, Skype, Instagram, Facebook, on Twitter. What appears to be his account featured an image of what looked like an X ray following a major spinal cord surgery. He also had a Goodreads account that included several books related to back pain, including Crooked Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery. Other titles on his Goodreads hillbilly Elegy by J.D. vance and industrial Society and Its Future. An anti tech diatribe colloquy known as the Unabomber Manifesto was also there. So all kinds of interesting things on this across this guy. Social media. Not quite the. Not quite the. I don't know profile that I, I thought we would see.
Dana Goldberg
Yeah, I, I agree with you. And who knows, I don't necessarily think this is going to change anything when it comes to gun laws because, sure, this I'm not sure, but I would imagine this person got theirs legally. But yeah, this is a really interesting story and the way it is shaking out the man. The comments in support of this kid are kind of wild on his old videos on social media.
Alison Gill
Yeah, yeah.
Dana Goldberg
And listen, I mean, I can, I can, I can understand how someone. I wouldn't. I don't condone violence. You don't condone violence. I would no.
Alison Gill
Right.
Dana Goldberg
Shooting someone like this. But we could definitely understand anger toward these insurance companies when you've got AI with deciding whether they're going to approve or deny someone with a 90% failure rate. 90% failure rate with this that they, they got it wrong with artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, this guy is making, you know, millions and millions of dollars a year.
Alison Gill
Yep. And yeah, it's, it's been interesting to watch. I think. It's something that I think a lot of politicians are paying attention to as well.
Dana Goldberg
I agree.
Alison Gill
I agree. So we'll, we'll keep an eye on this story for you as it, as it unfolds. But apparently he had a similar gun to the one that was used in the shooting. He had the same fake IDs that they were talking about. And so it looks like it might be him. So we'll see again. We'll, we'll follow this and give you updates as we get them. All right, we have a lot of news to get to, so let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up, from my friend Lisa Rubin and Zoe Richards in NBC. Weeks after RFK Jr dropped out of the presidential race in August and endorsed Donald Trump, the Trump campaign paid a California law firm that lists Kennedy among its lawyers. And that's according to FEC records. The Trump campaign, known as the Never Surrender, Inc. Disbursed $100,000 to J.W. howard Attorneys on September 13, just three weeks after Kennedy bowed out of the race and backed Trump. Financial data for Trump's campaign, which was converted to a leadership package, appears in FEC filings under the new Never Surrender name. The website of a law firm bearing that name has offices in San Diego and Pasadena, California. It features a photo of Kennedy and lists him as a constitutional and environmental litigator and one of the three lawyers working from its Los Angeles area location. The Trump campaign made no other payments to J.W. howard attorneys during the entire election cycle. And that's according to FEC records. Team Kennedy paid the firm on five occasions between August 2023 and April20. JD Howard did not receive payments from any other campaign or committee as of mid October 2024. Kennedy's own financial disclosure filed with the Federal Office of government ethics in July 2024 states that he is under an employment agreement with J.W. howard for the period between January 2023 and December 2024, subject to annual renewal. That same report says Kennedy earned more than $409,000 in income from J.W. howard in 2023 alone. Kennedy abandoned his presidential bid in August, Trump, who last month named Kennedy as his choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The Trump transition team, a spokesperson for Kennedy and J.W. howard, none of them responded to requests for comment on this. This is just a straight up to me bribe, 100%. And this will never go. This won't, this will go unpunished. Because, I mean, obviously if Merrick Garland indicted it, it would just be canceled. And no one in the new Trump DOJ is going to bring this and you'd have to spend time investigating it. But maybe, maybe a local da, maybe some crackerjack local prosecutor might want to look into this. I don't know.
Dana Goldberg
Who knows? Who knows indeed. All right, this one is from the grist when prominent entrepreneur and Allison, correct me if I'm wrong on this. Is it Zhegar Shah?
Alison Gill
I think it's Zhegar Shah, yeah.
Dana Goldberg
Zhigar Shah took over as head of the Energy Department's loan programs office in 2021. He had one primary mission, to get, quote, dollars out the door. Now the office, which offers financing to clean energy technologies that struggle to BO from banks and received a huge boost of money from the Inflation Reduction act, well, it's pushing to do just that before President elect Donald Trump takes office in January. The incoming president, flanked by Republican majorities in both chambers of the Congress, is expected to target unspent funds under the ira, including LPO programs putting at risk billions of loan dollars yet to be granted or finalized. With the Inauguration Day looming. And that is a great word for it. The office has increased its activity in recent weeks since last Monday alone, the LP LPO announced four new conditional commitments for loans and loan guarantees and finalized a pending offer on Tuesday. A long duration energy storage company. That's EOS. I'm assuming EOS closed a $303.5 million DOE loan guarantee to help it scale production. The day before, the DOE stated it planned to lend up to 7.5 billion to finance two electric vehicle battery manufacturing plants in Kokomo, Indiana. And one week earlier, the agency announced a conditional loan guarantee of nearly $5 billion to finance Grain Belt Express Phase 1. And that's an inter regional transmission line that will run between Ford County, Kansas and Callaway County, Missouri. Last Monday, the agency also announced conditional commitments for a direct loan of 6.6 billion to Rivian to build an EV manufacturing plant in Stanton Springs, North Georgia and a loan guarantee of 290 million to Sun wealth to deploy up to 1,000 solar PV system and battery energy storage systems across 27 states under the Biden administration, the LPO so far doled out just under 55 billion in funding across 32 deals for battery and EV manufacturing, nuclear reactors, clean hydrogen facilities, virtual power plants and critical mineral projects. The majority of the LPO's investment, they have gone to Republican districts. That's according to political analysis. Most of the financing deals LPO has announced, about 41 billion worth, remain conditional, meaning the loans or loan guarantees, they're not yet finalized and they depend on the companies meeting certain benchmarks. Legal experts say that while the LPO's 14 closed loans, which total more than 13 billion in investments, should remain safe from Republican backlash, delaying or undoing conditional funds, that could be much easier. And I quote, immediately following inauguration of the new president, there's likely to be a period of inaction or financial assistance awards that are in negotiation and on announced funding opportunities. This is from Hogan Lavelle's attorney, by the way. Mary Ann Sullivan, Republican Majority Congress they could potentially roll back not yet obligated funding in order to help offset the cost of a likely extension of Trump's 2017 tax cuts, which are estimated at 4.6 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. We know most of that's going to the top 1%. As of November 30, the office had 212 outstanding applications with a total of 324 billion in loans requested. In Nove, LPO raised its estimated remaining loan authority to nearly $400 billion. Project 2025 and as we know the Heritage Foundation's blueprint for the next Republican president, it proposes eliminating the LPO entirely. Billionaires Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk who have been tasked by Trump to lead a new task force called we call it doggy but Department of Government Efficiency. They may also target the office and they're sweeping proposals to slash federal programs and personnel. Musk EV company Tesla, it received a $465 million loan from that same office in 2010.
Alison Gill
Of course it did.
Dana Goldberg
Of course it did. Other lawmakers have suggested that the LPO could be reformed to finance more energy sourced favors by Republicans. And Trump's pick for energy secretary, fracking company CEO Chris Wright. Such as nuclear and geothermal and I quote, the LPO needs to have all energy, needs to have all energy if we go forward with it at all. That's Representative Brett Guthrie. He's a Republican from Kentucky and that's what he told POLITICO's E. News. So I'm telling you and I'm going to say it over and over and over. This country is about to see its largest smash and grab we've ever seen. The DOE officials noted that local economic growth and jobs that could be jeopardized should LPO investments be curtailed. Quote, there is steel in the ground and job openings at new or expanded facilities around the country. This is a DOE spokesperson. That's what they said in a statement and went on to say it would be irresponsible for any government to turn its back on private sector partners, states and communities that are benefiting from lower energy costs and new economic opportunities spurred by LPO's investments.
Alison Gill
Yeah. And if these continue to go for all this money that's going out the door right now, we're going to see the benefits in this, particularly in these like Republican states and Republican counties over the next four years. And Trump will take credit for all of it, 100%, even though it's all come from the Inflation Reduction act that Republicans voted against. We will hold their feet to the fire on that, by the way. And this is from Alexandra Hutzler at ABC News. President elect Trump, in his first broadcast news interview since the election said members of the House committee that investigated the attack on The Capitol on January 6 should be jailed, quote, for what they did honestly, they should go to jail. That's what Trump told NBC's Kristen Welker on Meet the Press. Trump specifically singled out Rep. Benny Thompson, the Democrat who chaired the committee, as well as former Rep. Liz Cheney, the Republican vice chair who was ostracized from her party over breaking with Trump and ousted by a Trump backed GOP challenger. Among other things, he's accused them of deleting evidence which the committee has vigorously denied as have, by the way, all the courts in the land. Because when Trump asked for discovery and demanded the deleted January 6th committee files, the judges, including McAfee Conservative Judge down in Georgia, especially when Meadows asked was like the limit does not exist. You, you, what you're asking for doesn't exist, sir. Now Cheney hit back in a statement on Sunday. Here is the truth. Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize power. This was the worst breach of our Constitution by any president in our nation's history. Donald Trump suggestions that members of Congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic. That's what Cheney said. The president elect also claimed in the interview that the House January 6th Committee deleted and destroyed all the evidence related to the probe. Cheney, in her statement, said Trump knows his claim about the Select Committee. These claims are ridiculous and false, as has been detailed extensively, including by Chairman Thompson in this July 2023 letter. Now, Thompson defended the archival process in that letter that she referred to, noting the records, such as interviews, transcripts and video exhibits have been preserved online. They can be accessed by the public. Thompson also noted that they were consulting with White House and the Department of Homeland Security on some information that could be sensitive to national security or witness safety. And here's another quote. There is no conceivably appropriate factual or constitutional basis for what Donald Trump is suggesting. A Justice Department investigation of the work of a congressional committee and any lawyer who attempts to pursue that course would quickly find themselves engaged in sanctionable conduct. That's what Cheney added. And she also wrote this. This was left out of the story, but I think it's important, she said what the public now deserves to see is the evidence and grand jury material assembled by Special Counsel Smith, including the grand jury testimony of Vice President Pence and members of Donald Trump's former White House and campaign staff. The Justice Department should ensure that all the material is preserved and cannot be destroyed. I have been talking about this with Andy Dana like he's just going to destroy all this evidence. She goes on to say, as much of that information as possible should be disclosed in the special Counsel's upcoming report. Ultimately, Congress should require that all that material be publicly released so all Americans can see Donald Trump for who he genuinely is and fully understand his role in this terrible period in our nation's history. And then Andrew Weissman, former Mueller guy and former dod, went on social media and said, yeah, he should file this all on the court docket to preserve it. Right. I was thinking maybe hand it over to state prosecutors to preserve it.
Dana Goldberg
Yeah.
Alison Gill
Because if you leave it at the FBI, it's going to be destroyed by Donald Trump and cherry picked. But Jack Smith has already filed all of this evidence on the court docket with Judge Chuck when he, you know, he did that 165 page summary of the evidence, but then a 1,889 pages, mostly redacted of the underlying evidence. So it is already preserved on the court docket. So that's the good news. But it's interesting that Cheney here is calling for the Department of Justice to release grand jury materials. They don't have the authority to do that. They have to get permission from the court. But they could ask the court to do that. But a court might not because there's only very specific exemptions within the law to allow it to be released. But I think it's interesting, interesting that she's calling for this grand jury material to be released.
Dana Goldberg
I think it's fantastic and I hope it actually happens and if not, I hope there's someone making copies right now. Right now. Right now. This is our last story and I'm sorry I have to actually report on this. So there is a warning here for sexual assault of a minor. So if it's about, it's about P. Diddy and unfortunately someone else now that has been named in the case. So just want you to know you can decide what to do from here. This is a segment that comes from Chloe Melos at NBC and as I said, content warning for SA Jay Z, the star rapper and entrepreneur whose real name is Sean Carter. He was accused in a lawsuit Sunday of raping a 13 year old girl in 2000, allegedly along with Sean Diddy. Combs, the anonymous accuser, identified only as Jane Doe, said the assault happened after she was driven to an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty. And just a reminder, she was 13. The federal lawsuit was originally filed in October in Southern District of New York listing Combs as a defendant. It was refiled Sunday to include Carter. Texas based attorney Tony Busby, who filed the suit, did not comment. Carter called the allegations idiotic in a lengthy statement Sunday evening and alleged that Busby was engaged in unprofessional behavior. Quote, these allegations are heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one. Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away. Would you not agree? This is Carter, by the way, said in a statement to NBC News. These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment on whether the office is pursuing the case when shown NBC News's report on the lawsuit. Busby has filed several lawsuits in recent months. All have have withheld their complainants names accusing Combs of assault and rape. This is the first suit in which the that it actually has named another high profile a defendant. In a statement, legal representatives for Combs call the suits, quote, shameless publicity stunts designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs. Not to say as his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the fact and the integrity of the judicial process in court, the truth will prevail that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone, man or woman, adult or minor. Federal prosecutors in New York criminally charged Combs in September with racketeering, sex trafficking and other offenses. And he is behind bars at a Brooklyn's metropolitan detention center after he was denied Bail for a third time last month. His trial, that's scheduled for May 5th of next year. So he's going to be sitting there for another six months, hopefully. Prosecutors said in a court hearing last month that they are in the process of potentially bringing more charges against Combs in a superseding indictment. The lawsuit claims that in 2000, Wendoe was 13, Combs and Carter raped her at a house party after the MTV Video Music Awards in New York. The lawsuit says a friend dropped her off at the VMAs at Radio City Music Hall. She did not have a ticket and she approached various limousine drivers to try to gain access to the show or an after party. One driver, the lawsuit says, told her that he worked for Combs and that she, quote, fit what Diddy was looking for. He invited her to the party after the show and told her to return to his car later in the evening after he transported Carter and Combs, this is what the lawsuit says. Later, the driver picked her up and after 20 minutes they arrived at a house with a U shaped driveway. Again, all this is in the lawsuit. She had to sign a document she believed was a non disclosure agreement on arrival and did not receive a copy. And that was just to enter the party. She was offered a drink that made her feel woozy, lightheaded and felt like she needed to lie down and she went into a room to rest. Shortly after, the suit says, Combs and Carter entered the room with Combs saying, you are ready to party. That's when she alleges Carter removed her clothes, held her down and raped her while Combs and an unnamed female celebrity watched. She said Combs also raped her as Carter and the woman looked on. The suit says that she was able to resist being forced to perform oral sex on Combs by hitting him in the neck and that he, quote, stopped after the alleged assault. The suit says she, quote, grabbed her clothes and left. She made her way to a gas station where she called her father. The accuser is seeking unspecified damages. The lawsuit is filed under New York's Victims of Gender Motivated Violence Protection Act. This is a quote, my only heartbreak is for my family. That's what Carter said in a statement. My wife and I have to sit our children down. One of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence. Only your network of conspiracy theorists, fake physics, will believe the idiotic claims you have levied against me. That if not for the seriousness surrounding harm to kids, would be laughable. So we will see how this goes. It's a horrifying story. Obviously we're going to continue to report on this as more news comes in, but it's, you know, with as many things happened with P. Diddy and as many people that were witness to a lot of these things, people that we love and respect as artists, I have a feeling they're going to get wrapped up in this. And every single person who hurt a child needs to be held accountable and rotten prison. I don't, I don't care how rich and wealthy they are.
Alison Gill
Yeah, I agree. Early on I was like, maybe a lot of people, celebrities that we know and respect, for example, ended up finding themselves at one of Diddy's freak offs and were like, I gotta get the out of here.
Dana Goldberg
I'd hope so.
Alison Gill
But this sounds like, at least according to the Jane Doe, the 13 year old at the time, that that didn't happen, that they stayed and watched. So we'll see. We'll stay on top of it. I imagine there will be more lawsuits and like you said, Dana, more people that we thought we knew.
Dana Goldberg
Yeah.
Alison Gill
All right, everybody, we have to take a quick break. I have one more story for you. I'm going to get to that after this, this quick ad and then we'll do the good news. So stick around. We'll be right back after these messages.
Dana Goldberg
We'll be right back.
Alison Gill
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So thanks for hanging in with me yesterday during our very long show in the BE block where I talked about what Hegseth is doing and that story from Natasha Bertrand. I have another story from the Washington Post. This one is about civil servants that Elon and Trump are about to send packing. Now keep in mind as I read this, 30% of federal government employees are veterans. 70% of VA employees are veterans. I am a former former civil servant, so this is also very near and dear to me. As near and dear as Hegseth and Collins wanting to cut VA benefits As President elect Donald Trump's transition team moves into federal agencies, thousands of civil servants and some of the Biden appointees they work for are scrambling to insulate themselves from the new administration's promised purge. Federal employees are scrubbing their Facebook and Twitter accounts for any negative posts about Trump. Some, including at least one prominent official who testified in Trump's first impeachment inquiry, are weighing putting in retirement papers while others maneuver to transfer to seemingly safer agencies. D.C. recruiting firms are seeing booming business from those looking for private sector work work. Meanwhile, some agencies have moved to reclassify jobs with titles that could clash with Trump's agenda, especially those promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, boosting environmental justice or fighting the effects of climate change. For the first time, some civil servants are taking out liability insurance to cover lawyers if they're demoted or fired. And in rare alliance, outgoing Biden administration appointees are joining forces with labor unions to extend collective bargaining agreements, locking in benefits before the incoming administration can seek undo them Before Trump takes office January 20, career staffers are racing to outmaneuver his plans to gut and radically reshape the Nonpartisan bureaucracy of 2.3 million. The President elect has promised to fire thousands of professionals and replace them with political loyalists, slash trillions of dollars from the federal budget, eliminate departments and relocate others away from what he declares as the deep state of intransigent bureaucrats in the Capitol. Ross Vought, that's Trump's pick to run the Office of Management and Budget told supporters earlier this year that Trump's second term would put bureaucrats in trauma. So yeah, bragging about causing trauma for people. Beyond these sweeping structural changes, many federal employees also fear they'll be singled out by Trump or Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech mogul's tap to run Doggy the Department of Government Efficiency, who have begun calling out public servants by name on social media to ridicule what they see as wasteful or politically tinged jobs. Quote there is shock and there is actual fear and there is self censure in the sense that people are scared about retaliation. That's Jesus Soriano, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403, which represents more than a thousand scientists and administrators at the National Science Foundation. In another shift with potential to upend the civil service, lawmakers with a new GOP majority on Capitol Hill are dusting off legislation to force teleworking employees back to the office, allow Veterans affairs to fire underperforming workers with little resources, and to require mandatory training to ensure federal employees follow the administration's agenda. Every White House brings new priorities and leadership to government, particularly when political parties shift. But Trump promises a transformation unprecedented in the modern federal system, a restructuring far deeper than in his first term. As they wait to see whether Trump and his allies will be able to follow through. The resistance that many career civil servants showed to his first term agenda is largely going underground, this time with staff keeping their heads down rather than speaking out and risk being singled out. Hi, I know what that's like. Many on the incoming White House's blueprints to slash the workforce could be slowed by lawsuits and pushed back at Congress, an inevitable inertia that some are highlighting to calm jittery nerves. Quote the American government is an aircraft carrier and you don't turn it on a dime. That's Kevin Owen, a Washington area attorney whose clients are predominantly federal workers. Still, Owen is warning that bursts of clients asking for guidance that a wait and see approach could also backfire. Quote It's a threat they need to take seriously and plan for in advance, he said of the climate that he expects will prevail in Trump's second term. Trump's transition team said the federal employees will be secure if they're committed to working under his administration. So if you have to be loyal, we might let you keep your job. Quote the Trump administration will have a place for people serving in government who are committed to defending the rights of the American people, putting America first and ensuring the best use of working men and women's tax dollars. That's Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the Trump transition team. Trump came to Washington in his first term in 2017 pledging to shrink government and do battle with what he called bloated bureaucracy. But his effort to gut the workforce and demand loyalty from career workers largely failed. The number of federal employees grew overall during his first term. He issued his most sweeping assault on the workforce at the end of his term, an executive order known as Schedule F that called for removing civil service protections from tens of thousands of professionals, allowing them to be replaced by political loyalists in a return to the system of presidential patronage appointments that disappeared with the creation of a modern civil service in the late 19th century. But his term ended before the policy could take effect, and Joe Biden quickly revoked it. Now Russ Vought, the first term White House budget chief who began implementing Schedule F at the Office of Management and Budget, is set to return to the same role as Trump is pledging to reinstate Schedule F. Many civil servants facing whiplash from a Biden presidency that embraced federal employees and their union say they need to get ahead of what might happen. Career employees at all levels are considering plans to quit or retire. Although numbers are anecdotal, at least four senior career policy officials at OMB are planning to leave before or as Trump takes office. Among them is Mark Sandy, who broke ranks to testify in Trump's first impeachment inquiry in 2019 about the decision to pause congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine. That's according to two people familiar with his plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Sandy testified on Capitol Hill that he raised questions about the legality of Trump's hold on the aid to Ukraine. As he should have it violated the Impoundment Control Act. The president elect has threatened to retaliate against career bureaucrats who he thinks have wronged him. Sandy's departure has not been publicly announced, and the White House spokesperson declined to comment. Numerous career officials at the budget office are wary of a range of Trump's policies, from his push to reclassify federal workers to make to make it easier to fire them to Vought's plans to expand the president's power to unilaterally cancel spending. The people said, quote, I think the risk is very high that the strongest, most experienced OMB career staff who have worked for multiple administrations under different parties will be leaving. That's Kathy Stack, who served served at the agency for almost three decades. She went on to say many employees are actively looking at their options. Top watchdogs at the CIA and the Office of dni, Director of National Intelligence, both Biden appointees announced their departures in recent weeks and what colleagues in the inspector general community said was a concern that Trump could continue to purge inspectors general like he did in his first term. One meteorologist, the National Weather Service, recently deleted all references on his social media accounts to the threat that climate change poses for extreme weather, along with any mention of union support. Quote to make everything about me much more apolitical, he said Trump has a long rejected climate science and cast doubt on the dangers of climate change. And you watch the words climate change will be removed from all government materials and websites starting January 20th. Quote I generally take people at their word and these people have said some pretty awful things about federal workers. That's what the meteorologist who said they would do the interview for the article only on an anonymous basis because speaking out could make them targets. The weather service is the best known department of the national oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, noaa, an agency that could face downsizing or complete dismantling, according to Musk's public comments and Project 2025, the roadmap for the second Trump term drawn up by the Heritage Foundation. An information technology employee IT guy at Social Security who supports gay rights locked down their Facebook account and deleted Twitter after the election, removing all posts that were anti Trump, pro gay rights and pro Ukraine. In addition, civil servants are joining encrypted messaging channels and anonymous chat rooms on Reddit to game out the possibilities. Some are optimistic that lawsuits will block much of Trump's agenda for the federal workforce from taking effect. Others express crippling anxiety about their jobs and predict they'll be fired. Quote People see the things being said about government workers and quite understandably they're wondering what does that mean for me? That's Tom Yazgurdi, a senior Foreign Service officer who is president of the American Foreign Service Association. Trump's designated lead, the FBI, Kash Patel, has vowed to fire the agency's top officials, shut down its Washington headquarters and make it easier to sue journalists within the dojo. Initial panic faded when Rep. Matt Gaetz, who had been investigated by prosecutors for sex trafficking, withdrew his name as Trump's choice for attorney general. But even with a new selection, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, many of the more than 100,000 staffers at the country's largest law enforcement agency remain wary of a president who has vowed to fire career staffers and prosecute his enemies. Legal firm recruiters in Washington have been deluged with queries from career law enforcement officials about private sector work. Quote there's been such a disdain for civil servants that it is not typical that everyone sort of knows why they want to leave government. That's Sarah Van Steenberg, one recruiter taking a rush of calls from DOJ lawyers. Quote a lot of these people have done phenomenal things in the government. The concern is that there isn't space right now in the private sector. Those planning to stay in government are scouring federal job sites for postings at other agencies that appear like they might avoid the chopping blocks. Talk the Education Department? No. Environmental Protection Agency, Internal Revenue Service, Justice Department and at least two dozen smaller agencies are targets for steep cuts or elimination. That's according to Trump's campaign website. Quote, if I were a budget analyst, I'd be applying for jobs at Customs and Border Patrol. Or if I was at the epa, I would try to get to the VA or the faa. That's Owen referring to agencies he predicted are not going away. I'm not so sure about the va, my friend. Civil servants have looked for guidance to outgoing Biden appointees in leadership roles with mixed results. VA Secretary Dennis McDonough has told his headquarters staff that their work for veterans matters and praised their accomplishments during his tenure. That's according to a person familiar days before he resigned as Social Security commissioner last week, Martin O'Malley's top staff secured a deal with the agency's powerful union to maintain its generous telework policy through October 2029. For the first time, making work from home a feature of the collective bargaining contract instead of at management's discretion. That's massive. The work from home policy at customer facing Social Security has been a particular target of Republicans, and Trump's first term commissioner abolished a popular telework pilot program. Many large departments are following suit and extending labor contracts that include employee rights to arbitration in disputes with management and other working conditions, some for as long as five years, to thwart any union busting planned by the incoming Trump administration. Ramaswamy hearing these efforts responded on Twitter. I'm hearing via allies that the federal government unions are scrambling to update their collective bargaining agreements to avoid getting fired. The prospect of being asked to return to the office five days per week, like most working Americans, apparently has them in tears, he wrote. Social Security's chief information officer told her staff at a mandatory town hall meeting last week to stay calm and keep your head down when the new team comes in. And Biden appointees at the State Department quickly angered congressional Republicans for holding listening sessions to calm employees who were anxious about a second Trump administration. In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Rep. Darrell Issa demanded how much taxpayers paid to cater to federal employees who are personally devastated by the normal functioning of American democracy. Yeah, it's normal. That's why everyone's freaking out, Darryl. A State Department spokesman said the agency does not comment on congressional correspondence. The spokesman said that the managers in each office have discretion to decide how to support their team members. Now. Some Biden appointees have tried to preemptively protect career staff with administrative moves. Leaders at one Commerce Department agency have changed the organizational chart to reflect workers based in the Washington area who have moved elsewhere for remote work, according to one person familiar with the changes. The goal was to show more employees spread out across the country where Trump's team has set it plans to move a variety of departments. Civil servants elsewhere are changing the nature of their jobs. A longtime climate change researcher who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation and asked that her agency not even be identified, said she expected more of the kind of interference she experienced during the first Trump administration when she said she was pressured to remove references to the human causes of climate change from her work. So she's now looking for ways to focus it on the effects of extreme weather without connecting it to climate change. The researcher said her message to young scientists has been to stay in the government. Quote, I really don't want to see us have a massive exodus. Officials at several major agencies said they're methodically reviewing job descriptions to scrub references to DEI policies, which conservatives have heavily criticized, or to urge employees in those roles to apply for other jobs. Open DEI related positions are not being filled at all. Some employees are seeking legal protection, including several colleagues of Soriano, the National Science foundation union official who have purchased liability insurance in case they're targeted by the new administration. Quote, it's unheard of that in order to do a job in the government. Employees who we consider run of the mill, following ethics rules and rules on scientific review, they become a source of professional liability. Leaders of the National Energy Technology Laboratory, a research arm of the Energy Department in Pittsburgh, they're changing the names of some research projects so they don't jump out as environmental type actions. That's something that Lilas Socoop, President of Local 1916 of the American Federation of Government Employees, said, representing employees at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the Energy Department in Pittsburgh in Trump's first term. She said climate change researchers who left the lab were not replaced, but one was fired. There's so much anxiety this time around that the lab is removing the names of career scientists who are tied to specific projects. Quote, normally you want to put the names out there for recognition, that's what she said. But we're trying to think outside the box. You don't know what's going to be a trigger or not a trigger for the new administration. So this is sad and terrifying and traumatic for a lot of people, a lot of people I personally know. As a matter of fact, I went through it myself in the first term and it's going to be much, much worse this time around. Hopefully these lawsuits will slow some of this down and some of these put, you know, some of these precautions people are taking. But anyway, thanks for hanging in with me for that story. Very important to me. And I know a lot of civil servants who listen to this program, too. So just, I'm, I'm, I'm grateful that you're here and I hope that I'm, I think I'm, I'm working on a project to help with this. So I'll, I'll reveal it in due time. But this is a major concern for our federal government and our civil servants who take low paying jobs in the public sector to help others. Republicans hate that. So that's why everyone is scrambling and is in danger and fear of losing their positions. All right, everybody, we have good news. We need it it. Send it to us dailybeanspod.com, click on contact and we'll read it to you right after this break. Stick around. We'll be right back. Everybody. Welcome back. It's time for the good news, everyone. Then good news, everyone. Good news, good news. And if you have any good news that you want to send us, no matter what it is, please do so. And all you got to do to get your good news submitted is attach a pod pet photos. That is how you pay your pod pet taxes, by attaching a photo of your pet. And if you don't have a pet, you can put an adoptable pet in your area. That would be great too. And then of course, if you don't have that really any animal photo, especially baby animals, send that to us. And if you don't have any of that at all, if you're allergic to animal photos for some reason, you can send us baby photos. Whether it's your baby or a random baby on the Internet, we don't care. We love baby photos. Also, shout outs. Shout out to a best friend, a loved one, a spouse, a kid, a self shout out. We love those shout outs to somebody doing some great community organizing in your area. Maybe a small business that could use a shout out. Use a little boost or your small business. We have tons of makers and creators and entrepreneurs here that listen to the beans. Would love to hear what you're doing. Writing, painting, making, crocheting, knitting. You get. You got chickens that lay eggs. I want chicken photos. I love chickens.
Dana Goldberg
I just saw a video of chickens in pants and I laughed so hard.
Alison Gill
Did you see that? The chicken nuggets. The chicken wearing Uggs.
Dana Goldberg
No.
Alison Gill
Oh, my God, the chicken and Uggs. Fantastic chicken.
Dana Goldberg
I'm totally gonna throw this at you and you don't even know I'm doing this. We're gonna switch. I'm gonna start. I like when you finish the podcast for some reason. And so we're gonna switch order. I'm gonna kick it off. You're gonna close us out.
Alison Gill
Oh, okay. Well, let me tell everyone where to send all their shout outs and do it. Government programs too, right? If you have some government program that's helped you or a loved one or that you work at, like if you work at the va, tell them, tell me about the great care that you're providing to veterans. Or if you know, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Affordable Care Act, SNAP, WIC, CHIPS, PACT. I mean, whatever it is, Section 8, we want to hear about it. We want to hear about government programs, including student debt relief. And also, so we've been bird watching this week and we will for as many weeks as it takes, send us your photos of you flipping the bird to Trump properties.
Dana Goldberg
Absolutely.
Alison Gill
Dailybeanspod.com and click on contact. All right, you want to kick us off? So let's look at this. I think you just wanted to read the.
Dana Goldberg
I mean, normally I just like to stare at him. But come on. This is from Anonymous Pronoun she and her hello Beans Queens. When I saw the notice for a gal in D.C. in December, it reminded me that I have been meaning to submit this good news for quite a while. My husband and I were able to attend your show at the Hamilton and I was so happy to be able to attend the August gala. We had a blast. I continually checked my phone because our first grandchild was due the same weekend. He graciously held off for a week. He's now three and a half months old and has been a bright light in our lives during these very dark times. Thank you for all you both do. And look at this perfect child.
Alison Gill
I know. Look.
Dana Goldberg
Oh my, oh my.
Alison Gill
The heart explodeth the smile.
Dana Goldberg
Oh thank you Anonymous. Thank you for this. This just fill my chest, filled my cup. All the baby love right there.
Alison Gill
Fantastic. All right, next up from Caitlyn Pronoun. She and her hey there Beans Queens. Wolfie's side chick here and I wanted to check in. It's been a while since I last did. Like many of us, I've had to take a break from the news, including CNN with Wolf. Don't tell him, but I kind of have moved over to Dan Abrams with On Patrol Live. They're all fun to look at on that show. Haha. I was checking in to let you know of some good news. First. I was promoted at the start of the new year in an administrative position for the county's district courts. Congratulations Caitlin. I was managing district court previously and I'm happy for the pay increase, but it's been hard for me to adjust to a less fast paced environment. My second piece of good news has to do with my coworker. Her husband is a retired army vet with one tour in a rock under his belt and they have a beautiful family with a thriving two year old, but they're struggling with finances like most new families. Unfortunately, raising a toddler has triggered her husband's ptsd. He's attending treatment and filed for full disability through the VA back in March. My girlfriend called me at 9am this morning, Monday, December 9, screaming that his disability had been approved including back pay.
Dana Goldberg
Wow.
Alison Gill
I couldn't believe how quickly request was filled and truly believe President Biden is pushing through everything he can before leaving office. Thank you for keeping us well informed. With real news as Pet Tax, I've included Frankie, our axolotl who crossed the rainbow Bridge last month. She was quirky and fun to watch. Enjoy the picks. She looks Like Toothless the Dragon in Disney's how to Train youn Dragon.
Dana Goldberg
That's so cool though.
Alison Gill
Yeah. Biden really like seriously shortened the VA disability claim time. It used to take years and now it's taking months. And that's a pretty incredible feat that nobody talks about, of course.
Dana Goldberg
This one is from Jason. N. No pronouns given for Jason. Hi beans, Queens. Love you both. I used to be a flight attendant and I wanted to upgrade to pilot. So I resigned and started flight school. I had finished my commercial license and just started cfi, which is certified flight instructor school. A few weeks later, on a gorgeous sunny day at the beach, I had my life changing accident. I was running down the beach to dive in and I hit a sandbar. Holy shit. Which broke four of seven vertebrae in my neck. I remained conscious but was paralyzed, hoping someone saw me to pull me out. I ran out of breath and started breathing water. Eventually someone did pull me out and lifeguards took over and I was on my way to the hospital. After spending three months in the hospital, I was able to regain most of my motor skills back, with some exceptions. My accident was March 29, 2013. My reason for this confession is I'm on SSDI and I have straight up Medicare not an advantage program, which I'm also thankful for. I'm unable to work and if it weren't for the gov assistance, I wouldn't be here to write this confession. I am certain of that. Thank you ladies for all you do. Take a look at the hardware. The hardware in my neck. Also for my pot pet, tax, are two best friends who have saved my life. Both Chihuahua mixes. The black one, Laney, is part dachshund. And the other, Chloe, which is a Jack. A jack. Chi. Wow. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 screws in your cervical vertebrae. Look at that. My God. Well, one, I'm so grateful you're alive. Two, I am curious when you said. And please write back in because I don't know that you were paralyzed and couldn't move. Was that a permanent paralysis, but was paralyzed? Well, he saw me to pull me up out, so I'm assuming that was temporary.
Alison Gill
He's gotten. Yeah, he says he's got most of his motor skills back with some exceptions.
Dana Goldberg
Okay, good.
Alison Gill
Jason, so glad you're here. Michael.
Dana Goldberg
Sending love, man. I'm seriously, I'm just. I'm so glad you're still with us. These pups in front of the fireplace, my goodness. These are your angels.
Alison Gill
Rotten, spoil rotten little puppers. I bet their life. Their lives are so, so Hard.
Dana Goldberg
They get to spend a lot of time with dad.
Alison Gill
Yeah. All right.
Dana Goldberg
Okay.
Alison Gill
I love this next picture. This is our final submission. The French teacher resistance pronoun. She and her hi beans Queens. I decided to join on Patreon after taking some of Allison's advice. After the election, I found myself discouraged and feeling hopeless like so many others others, I also felt alone in my very red central Pennsylvania part of my world. I'd been a loyal listener to cleanup on L45 and the jack podcast, so I decided to give Daily Beans a try for my daily news in the morning. Immediately after the election, Allison gave advice to do something new so that after this nightmare of Trump is over, I'll have something positive to say that I accomplished during those four long years. I teach French, but I also coordinate an exchange with my with a school in Germany. Side note, like Allison, I was an exchange student after high school and I can't recommend that type of experience enough. It was life changing for me. Yay. Belgium 9091. So I decided to take on the challenge of learning German. I purchased a language app. I told my students that I would assign myself equal amounts of homework as I assign them each week and keep them updated on my progress. I'm seven lessons in so far and had all of my homework done by Wednesday afternoon this week. Self shout out, I guess. I'd volunteered in my local Democratic office for the campaign and had attended rallies in Philadelphia Walls, announcement and closing night as well as in New York and Harrisburg. I helped to drive canvassers around the county and met so many wonderful people from Baltimore and Washington D.C. that came by the busload to get out the vote. Seeing all the joy and positive energy had me very hopeful for a positive outcome in the election. Alas, we all know how that turned out. But on the bright side, I again took advice from the beans queens and decided to become a squeaky wheel. I'm keeping track in my planner of one thing I can do each weekday to make sure my voice is heard. So far, I've written to my House Rep and Senator Fetterman letting them know my feelings about the clown cabinet being nominated and imploring them to not allow recess appointments to happen. I wrote to Attorney General Garland's office and requested they release the Jack Smith report on the January 6th and classified documents cases once they're submitted. Yesterday, I wrote again to ask that my Senator vote no on HR 9495 in order to protect free speech. The other day, I called the House Ethics Committee to leave A message demanding they release the Gates report.
Dana Goldberg
This is awesome.
Alison Gill
It is. So now, when scrolling on Blue sky or Insta, I take screenshots of suggestions to get ideas about how to be a squeaky wheel and vent my frustrations to the people that have the power to do something. Keep the ideas coming on your shows, Allison. I promise to squeak as much as possible. I'm contemplating getting a few of my blue friends together to meet once a month to share ideas for things to squeak about in a squeaky wheel club. I love this. My new morning routine is sipping on my coffee in the school parking lot and listening to the good news portion of your podcast before I start my day with my students. It allows me to walk into my classroom with a smile and a positive vibe for the day. So thank you, Merci and Danka, for all your hard work that you do each day to keep the Leguminati informed and ready to make our voices herd. For my pod pet tax, I'm submitting a picture of Oswald, which is a great name for this orange rescue kitty. This little fluff ball enjoys pinning me to the couch and making muffins on me when I'm relaxing. He immediately puts his cute little paw on your chin if you stop giving him pets. I'm so glad to be a member of this community. Please take care. Oh, French teacher resistance.
Dana Goldberg
Yeah.
Alison Gill
Amazing. Amazing.
Dana Goldberg
So awesome. And that sweet, sweet kitty.
Alison Gill
Yeah. This is a sink cat. This is what we call a sink cat. Dana. Many cats. Like one out of every probably four cats I've had is a sink cat. They just like to sleep in the sink.
Dana Goldberg
Huh?
Alison Gill
For some reason. Maybe it's nice and cool if they fit real nice in it. Maybe it makes them feel safe. I'm not sure. But if you ever catch me on the episode of House Hunters that I was on on, you can see one of my previous sink cats named Booba hanging out in the sink.
Dana Goldberg
Awesome. Booba.
Alison Gill
Booba. Thank you so much for all of these submissions and thanks for all the work you're doing. I love squeaky Wheel. Squeaky Wheel club. That is the coolest thing.
Dana Goldberg
Totally.
Alison Gill
I posted. What did I post today? Oh, yes. I am a low road Democrat. That's what I posted.
Dana Goldberg
I love that. And it's a really good logo too.
Alison Gill
Some one of one of our listeners actually put that together and slapped it up there.
Dana Goldberg
Surprised. Not surprised at all.
Alison Gill
And I was like, I love this. It looks like a microbrewery label.
Dana Goldberg
Totally.
Alison Gill
But yeah, low road Democrats established in 2024 because we're done taking the low road, damn it. And don't mistake our kindness this for weakness.
Dana Goldberg
I think absolutely.
Alison Gill
I'm all about being a low road Dem. So that's what I'm gonna mostly post on. On Blue sky from now on is low road Dem stuff and calling out the fascists with the relentless mockery and also cat pictures. So if you're not on Blue sky yet, come over. It's so great there. It's so much better than Twitter.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, my God, it's so much better.
Alison Gill
Yeah.
Dana Goldberg
Now I go to Twitter and I'm like, what is this cesspool? Yeah.
Alison Gill
Oh, I think. I think I said the other day, like, every time I go to Twitter for something, I have to feel like I have to take a Gattaca shower. Like. Anyway, thank you all so much. I really appreciate that. Send your good news to us dailybeanspod.com click on Contact. Do you have any final thoughts, Dana?
Dana Goldberg
I do not.
Alison Gill
All right, well, I will see you soon. We'll be back on yours tomorrow. And don't worry, even though we're traveling a lot over the next week, we're still going to be able to put some shows out for you. And nothing will. Nothing will be interrupted. Promise. So 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.
Dana Goldberg
I've been AG and I've been dg.
Alison Gill
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 McFarland with art and web design by Joel Reeder with Moxie Design Studios. Music for the Daily Beans is written and performed by they Might Be Giant Clients, 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.
Podcast Summary: The Daily Beans – "Beat The Clock" Release Date: December 10, 2024
Hosts: Allison Gill & Dana Goldberg
Description:
"The Daily Beans" is a women-owned progressive news podcast delivered with a blend of social justice insights and political commentary, infused with a healthy dose of snark. Hosted by Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg, the show aims to inform and engage listeners during their morning commutes.
Overview:
Allison Gill opens the episode with a breaking news story about the arrest of Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old app developer from Altoona, Pennsylvania, for the shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024.
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The hosts delve into the revelation that weeks after RFK Jr. exited the presidential race in August to endorse Donald Trump, the Trump campaign made a significant financial contribution to J.W. Howard Attorneys, a California law firm associated with Kennedy.
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Allison and Dana discuss the anticipated purge of federal employees as Donald Trump prepares to take office, highlighting the anxiety among civil servants about potential job losses and policy reversals.
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The podcast addresses a serious allegation against hip-hop moguls Jay Z (Sean Carter) and Sean "Diddy" Combs, who are named in a civil lawsuit accusing them of raping a minor girl in 2000.
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The Department of Energy (DOE) under President Biden is expediting the allocation of clean energy funds before the incoming Trump administration can implement its budget cuts and policy shifts.
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Liz Cheney, a prominent Republican and vice chair of the January 6th Committee, responds forcefully to Donald Trump's recent threats to arrest committee members.
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Despite the heavy political and legal discussions, Allison and Dana dedicate a portion of the episode to uplifting stories submitted by listeners, focusing on personal victories, community support, and resilience.
Highlighted Submissions:
Anonymous Listener:
Caitlyn:
Jason:
French Teacher Resistance:
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In the Hot Notes segment, Allison and Dana provide brief updates on other significant news items, ensuring listeners stay informed on a broader range of topics.
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In this episode of "The Daily Beans," Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg navigate a complex landscape of political intrigue, legal battles, and social upheaval with their characteristic blend of insight and humor. From high-profile arrests and campaign finances to systemic changes within federal agencies and serious civil lawsuits against prominent figures, the hosts provide a comprehensive overview of the current political climate. Balancing the heavy topics, the episode also shines a light on personal triumphs and community support, reminding listeners of the resilience and positivity that persists amidst turmoil.
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Useful for Non-Listeners:
This detailed summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from "The Daily Beans" episode "Beat The Clock," offering a comprehensive overview for those who haven't tuned in. It highlights critical political and social issues, providing context and analysis that reflects the podcast's progressive stance and commitment to social justice.