Buyer Beware

Summary

Summary of "Buyer Beware" Episode of The Daily Beans

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Daily Beans
• Host/Author: MSW Media
• Description: A women-owned progressive news podcast delivering social justice and political news with a touch of snark, hosted by award-winning Allison Gill and comedian Dana Goldberg.
• Episode: Buyer Beware
• Release Date: November 25, 2024

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Introduction to the Episode

In the "Buyer Beware" episode, hosts Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg delve into a series of pressing political and social issues unfolding in the United States. The episode, released on November 25, 2024, examines the latest moves from the incoming Trump administration, Republican maneuvers in state legislatures, and significant advocacy efforts aimed at reforming executive powers. The discussion is laced with personal anecdotes, expert insights, and listener contributions that add depth and relatability to the topics at hand.

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Trump's Incoming Executive Orders

Key Points:

• Donald Trump is poised to enact numerous executive orders on his first day back in office.
• Policies focus on socially conservative changes, particularly affecting military reproductive healthcare and transgender service members.
• Plans also include large-scale deportations of undocumented immigrants.

Notable Quotes:

• Alison Gill (04:06): "Donald Trump plans to roll out a flurry of executive actions aligned with his campaign promises, imposing more socially conservative health care policies on the US Military..."
• Dana Goldberg (08:31): "So just horrifying, horrifying."

Discussion Highlights: Alison Gill outlines Trump's strategies to reverse President Joe Biden's policies, notably ending travel reimbursements for military personnel seeking abortion care and restricting access to gender-affirming care for transgender service members. The hosts express deep concern over the personal and societal impacts of these proposed changes, highlighting the potential for increased discrimination and reduced healthcare access within the military.

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Republican Power Moves in North Carolina

Key Points:

• North Carolina Republicans have passed legislation aiming to diminish the powers of the newly elected Democratic governor and attorney general.
• The bill includes shifting control of the State Board of Elections to the Republican-held state auditor.
• Additional measures seek to expedite ballot counting and limit gubernatorial authority in judicial appointments.

Notable Quotes:

• Dana Goldberg (13:00): "It just infuriates me."
• Alison Gill (14:09): "State board staff were not consulted about this significant piece of legislation that transfers authority of the State Board of Elections..."

Discussion Highlights: Alison and Dana critique the Republican-led bill as a blatant power grab designed to undermine Democratic leadership in North Carolina. They emphasize the potential consequences for election integrity and democratic processes, questioning the legislature's motives and the legality of such sweeping changes. The hosts anticipate fierce opposition from Governor Roy Cooper, who is expected to veto the bill, and discuss the likelihood of future legislative battles.

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Dismantling of Georgia's Maternal Mortality Commission

Key Points:

• Georgia officials have disbanded the Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) following ProPublica's investigation into preventable deaths.
• The MMRC was tasked with analyzing maternal deaths and recommending preventive measures.

Notable Quotes:

• Alison Gill (16:22): "What the fuck is the point of the commission?"
• Dana Goldberg (16:23): "Seriously?"

Discussion Highlights: The hosts express outrage over the termination of Georgia's MMRC, highlighting the critical role such committees play in addressing and preventing maternal deaths. They criticize the lack of transparency and accountability, suggesting that the dismantling is a response to uncomfortable truths revealed by investigative journalism. Alison references her own advocacy for reproductive healthcare policies, underscoring the broader implications for women's health in restrictive states.

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ACLU and Organizations Advocate for National Emergencies Act Reforms

Key Points:

• The ACLU, alongside other organizations, has petitioned Congress to enact reforms to the National Emergencies Act (NEA).
• Proposed changes aim to limit the duration and re-declaration of national emergencies, enhancing congressional oversight.

Notable Quotes:

• Dana Goldberg (20:13): "Now the next thing..."
• Alison Gill (22:10): "I mean, it had massive bipartisan support..."

Discussion Highlights: Alison and Dana discuss the significance of the proposed NEA reforms, emphasizing how they would prevent executive overreach and ensure that national emergencies are subject to timely congressional review. They highlight specific provisions, such as automatic expiration of emergencies after 30 days and mandatory reporting requirements. The hosts advocate for bipartisan support to pass these reforms, viewing them as essential safeguards for democratic governance.

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Good News Segment: Listener Contributions

In the "Good News" segment, Alison and Dana shift focus to uplifting stories submitted by listeners, showcasing personal triumphs, community achievements, and heartfelt acknowledgments.

Notable Contributions:

1. Karen Pronoun's Story:

   • Content: Karen shares her experiences in the Navy, facing retaliation when reporting issues, and finding strength through veterans' healthcare.
   • Quote: "Your work has put to words what I have a hard time explaining."

2. Gigi Pronoun's Shoutout:

   • Content: Gigi highlights her son's NGO, Project Victory, which aids Ukrainian communities by training first responders and providing medical tools amidst the ongoing war.
   • Quote: "The team at Project Victory works tirelessly to train first responders and bring life-saving medical tools to communities in Ukraine's war zones."

3. Flushing Remonstrance's Tribute:

   • Content: A heartfelt homage to their dog Flapjack, a rescue who taught the family about PTSD.
   • Quote: "She taught me about PTSD and I still miss her every day."

4. Laura Pronoun's Appreciation:

   • Content: Laura thanks government programs like SNAP, WIC, and VA healthcare for supporting her through her PhD and motherhood.
   • Quote: "Government is community put into action."

5. Lucy Pronoun's UK-Based Shoutout:

   • Content: Lucy celebrates her mother's efforts in the Labor Party and her creation of a wildlife pond, simultaneously sharing a photo of her rescue hamster, Cuckoo.
   • Quote: "Mom is a badass is all I'm saying."

Discussion Highlights: Alison and Dana express gratitude and admiration for each listener's story, emphasizing the importance of community support and personal resilience. They underscore the value of government programs and community organizations in fostering individual and collective well-being, contrasting these positive narratives against the backdrop of the more contentious political discussions.

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Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

In their concluding discussions, Alison and Dana reflect on the day's news and express frustration with ongoing political conflicts and administrative missteps. They touch on topics like misinformation, the potential for legislative stalling, and personal aspirations for combating systemic issues through activism and support for whistleblowers and investigative journalism.

Notable Quotes:

• Alison Gill (38:36): "Hopefully the size of the bureaucracy slows them down and we can gum up the works with some lawsuits..."
• Dana Goldberg (34:48): "It's always been the party of me and the party of we..."

Discussion Highlights: The hosts reiterate their commitment to fighting political overreach and advocating for transparency and accountability in government. They express hope for future reforms and emphasize the need for continued support for organizations like ProPublica, which play a crucial role in uncovering and addressing societal issues.

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Conclusion

The "Buyer Beware" episode of The Daily Beans provides an incisive look into current political maneuvers and their implications for democratic institutions and individual rights. Through a blend of critical analysis and personal storytelling, Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg offer listeners a comprehensive understanding of the challenges facing the nation, while also celebrating the resilience and positive actions within their community.

For more detailed discussions and future episodes, listeners are encouraged to visit mswmedia.com and follow The Daily Beans across their network platforms.

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Note: All timestamps referenced correspond to the provided transcript of the episode.

Transcript

[Alison Gill]

MSW Media Big shout out today to Helix Sleep. Helix is offering 25% off site wide plus two free dream pillows with any mattress purchase or a free bedding bundle which is two dream pillows, a sheet set and a mattress protector with any luxe or elite mattress order. When you go to helix sleep.com DailyBeans News we're swearing Daily Beans D hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Monday, November 25, 2024. Today, Trump is readying a slew of new executive orders on day one, including rescinding the leave policy for military reproductive health care. North Carolina Republicans vote to strip the incoming Democratic governor of power. A Republican in Georgia has dismantled the Maternal mortality Commission after ProPublica's reporting on preventable death. And the ACLU and a number of other organizations have sent a letter to Congress urging them to pass reforms to the National Emergencies Act. I'm Alison Gill.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[Alison Gill]

Hello my friend. Happy Monday. You sound much better.

[Dana Goldberg]

I am a little bit better. The antibiotics have been helping and I've been resting and soup and no alcohol. Nothing sugary, nothing joyful, no happiness. But I think I'm getting better.

[Alison Gill]

No joy, no happiness but.

[Dana Goldberg]

But I can breathe again and I don't sound like my Uncle Murray.

[Alison Gill]

Let's get stone girl. Thank I'm so. I'm thankful that you that you're feeling better, my friend. Somebody said oh, make sure to drink lots of liquids. And somebody responded that's the only way I consume them.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's very funny. And yes, I've been drinking a lot of water and I like normally when I say a drinking week and I'm like I haven't any alcohol. I don't want anyone to worry about me. I usually have like one or two a week but I know that it depresses my immun system. So.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's like that, that old Mitch Hedberg joke. Like some I hear music. You are not special. That is how I consume it too. Nice just consuming liquids. But anyway, glad you're feeling better. Hey, welcome to all our new listeners. Thanks for listening. We are glad you're here. We have a lot of important news today. Plus the listener submitted good news at the end of the show. You can submit your good news by going to DailyBeansPod.com and clicking on Contact. And here we work like public radio so our content is free. But if you'd like to support us you can do [e-mail] or patreon.com Mueller she wrote you'll get these episodes ad free and early as a thank you for that support. So. But you know, like I said, all of our content is free, so we thank you very much for listening. All right, we have a lot of news to get to. Let's hit the hot notes.

[Peter Nicholas]

Hot notes.

[Alison Gill]

All right, first up and bear with me because this one hurts. This is personal. This comes from Peter Nicholas at NBC News. And content warning for forced birth and SA within hours of taking office, Donald Trump plans to roll out a flurry of executive actions aligned with his campaign promises, imposing more socially conservative health care policies on the US Military and setting in motion the large scale deportation of people living in the country illegally. NBC News spoke with more than a half a dozen people familiar with the transition planning who outlined a number of quick actions that Trump plans to take to signal a dramatic break from President Joe Biden's administration, which Trump claimed was leading the country to ruin. Trump is preparing on day one to overturn specific policies put in place by Biden with plans to end travel reimbursement for military members seeking abortion care and to restrict transgender service members access to gender affirming care. This is according to two people familiar with the plans. Now, with that in mind, I want to play the ad I created for the Harris campaign this past October with Artists United for Change.

[Kamala Harris]

29 years ago, while serving in the US military, I was drugged and violently raped and that crime resulted in an unwanted pregnancy. At the time, because of the protections of Roe v. Wade, I was able to seek reproductive healthcare in Florida where I was stationed. And when Trump's Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, I was immediately worried about all the service members trapped in states with abortion bans where they might be forced to carry their rapists babies to term. So I decided to share my story with the Washington Post. And a few months later, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris enacted policy that grants leave, no questions asked, to service members and their families so they can travel to get the reproductive health care they need.

[Alison Gill]

The next President of the United States is poised to appoint as many as.

[Kamala Harris]

Three Supreme Court justices. But if Donald Trump returns to office, he and his Republican lap dogs in Congress will repeal this policy, stranding our active duty service members and their families in states that will deny them access to life saving reproductive care. Kamala Harris will restore the protections of Roe v. Wade, but she needs a Democratic majority in the House and the Senate to get it done. This November 5th, the choice couldn't be more clear. Vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz but also make sure you vote for Democrats all the way down the ballot. Our freedom is in your hands.

[Alison Gill]

Now, as I warned in that ad, active duty service members stationed in states with abortion bans through no choice of their own, by the way, because they're stationed there on military orders, could be forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term. As soon as the Dobbs leak happened In May of 2022, I wrote an op ed in the Washington Post imploring the Biden and Harris administration and you know, the Secretary of Defense to to institute a policy of granting leave with no questions asked for service members who wanted to travel for any kind of reproductive health care that they needed, life saving care. And four months later the Pentagon enacted that policy and now it's going to be overturned as I, as I warned in the ad that it would. And with an alleged rapist Pete Hegseth, in the top job, I imagine it's only going to get worse. I have to do something I've never wanted to do. I have to advise people not to join the military. It's just too dangerous. This weekend, Maureen Takasek wrote something for the American Prospect that really puts this in perspective. This language, this writing is incredible. Listen to this, Dana. She says the presumptive secretary of education is married to a man whose former employee alleges he forced her to perform sex acts with his friend for an hour and a half after he defecated on her head. The presumptive commerce secretary preemptively sued his former assistant in 2018 after her lawyer threatened to publicize not pretty 2am text messages she'd received from him and his wife. The presumptive Health and Human Services director's explanation for forcibly groping a former nanny's breasts while holding her hostage in a kitchen pantry was that he, quote, had a very, very ram rambunctious youth. He was 46 at the time. The White House efficiencies are currently a defendant in a putative class action lawsuit filed by eight former employees who acc him of perpetrating an Animal House work environment of rampant sexual harassment and paid a quarter of a million dollars to a flight attendant who says he got naked and asked her to touch his erect penis in exchange for the gift of a horse. And of course, the presumptive defense secretary was accused of raping a woman who was tasked with monitoring what she described to police as his creeper vibes after a Republican women's conference at which he was a keynote speaker just a month and change after the birth of his fourth child with a woman who was not his wife at the time. The aggressive rapiness of the second Donald Trump administration is so tyrannical, it's almost enough to make a girl wistful. For Matt Gaetz, the Florida congressman who withdrew his name from attorney general contention yesterday to make way for the despicable Pam Bondi amid an orgy of leaks from two investigations into his sex ploits with a 17 year old procured by a convicted sex trafficker friend. Multiple witnesses testified that Gates did not actually know the 17 year old was underage, you see, and that he ceased having sex with her when he found out.

[Dana Goldberg]

So just horrifying, horrifying.

[Alison Gill]

Reading it all together like that.

[Dana Goldberg]

It's nauseating.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thanks, Ag. I'm sorry you had to report on that story. And this really frustrates me. People elected officials in office so they can do their job and the Republican bullshittery that's going down in North Carolina is just fucking insane. This next one is from Jane Tim at NBC. North Carolina Republican lawmakers, they voted to strip the state's incoming Democratic governor and attorney general of key powers, passing a sweeping bill before the GOP most likely loses its veto proof supermajority in the legislature next year. Because people fucking voted for that to happen. The legislation would grant the authority to appoint members to a state's election board, which oversees the voting process in North Carolina, to the state auditor, an office that will be held by a Republican named David Boliak after he defeated incumbent Democrat Jessica Holmes on November 5th. That power currently lies with the governor's office, which will remain in Democratic hands after Attorney General Josh Stein defeated the horrible Republican Lieutenant governor Mark Robinson. Thank goodness. Republicans have long sought control of the State Board of Elections, which is historically controlled by the same party as the governor. But the courts have foiled their past efforts. Now the legislation would also shorten the time for voters to fix ballot errors and require counties to count ballots more rapidly. The changes are just one part of a massive 131 page bill that includes hurricane relief funding and would advance a spate of other Republican legislative priorities. The law was written behind closed doors, introduced as a committee substitute Tuesday morning, replacing a long discarded bill about dental practices. Yeah, as one does, both GOP controlled chambers passed it over just two days, though three Republicans opposed the measure in the House on Tuesday. After the Senate passed the bill Wednesday, it heads to the desk of Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, who has criticized the measure as a power grab. It's not going to sign it. Yeah, and I quote State board staff were not consulted about this significant piece of legislation that transfers authority of the State Board of Elections and makes substantial administrative changes that may make it impossible for the county boards of elections to adequately ensure every eligible ballot cast is counted, especially in high turnout elections. This is from Karen Brinson Bell. She's the executive director of the State Board of Elections at the time. After Wednesday's vote, Senate Republican Phil Berger defended the bill saying it was, quote, all within the rules that we have. That's according to to the Raleigh News and observer. North Carolina's election board, by the way, is currently split 3:2 in favor of Democrats. The legislation also proposes prohibiting the attorney General, an office Democrats also kept control of in this month's election from taking legal positions contrary to those of the legislature. That would prevent the state's incoming Attorney general, Jeff Jackson, from refusing to defend laws the state legislature has passed. As Stein did with the state's new abortion law last year. The new bill would also strip the governor of some of his powers to filling judicial vacancies and creating new Superior Court positions nominated by legislative leaders. Republicans are on track to lose their supermajority in the legislature pending the result of a recount in a House race in which the Democrat currently leads the GOP held district. That means they would be unable to override any future vetoes by Stein. Other excuse me. With that Democratic support now Stein is succeeding Cooper, whose administration repeatedly clashed with Republican led legislature in the battleground state. Quote, many people in committees are hurting and need our help. This is what Stein said on Twitter on Tuesday and went on to say, but instead of stepping up, the Republicans in the General assembly are grabbing power and exacting political retribution. So it goes to the governor's desk. He's obviously going to veto this and he's not going to sign it. But does that mean this legislature could override the veto? Allison?

[Alison Gill]

I say because they have a supermajority now. So I say just don't sign it and let the next Congress try to pass that bill. And then give it to Josh Dyn.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

And then he can. I don't know what their rules are.

[Dana Goldberg]

Well, the next Congress it probably wouldn't happen because they're going to lose their supermajority. So they're not going to have majority.

[Alison Gill]

They still have a majority, but then they can't override the veto right now. And I don't know if a new governor can veto a bill from the previous Congress. I don't know their rules exactly.

[Dana Goldberg]

Got it. Well, yeah, I would say, let's.

[Alison Gill]

I just want to stall.

[Dana Goldberg]

Stall. Don't sign it. Then stall and wait for this new legislature to Cancun.

[Alison Gill]

Like, Ted Cruz.

[Dana Goldberg]

There you go.

[Alison Gill]

And just be like, I'm sorry, I was in Cancun. It's Josh Stein. Now you're gonna have to ask him.

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm out.

[Alison Gill]

Like, fuck these dudes.

[Dana Goldberg]

No, I'm just. It's just gross. Like, our elections are just. There's so much fuckery. Like, it's really making my blood boil. The American people have spoken. If we're going to honor the fact that Trump supposedly won this election, fine, let's honor that. But then let's also honor that the Democratic voters in North Carolina chose a Democratic governor to do the job and to strip him of his powers. It just infuriates me.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, yeah. There might be a lawsuit in there, too. Like, this isn't the Democratic governor that people voted for. You're trying to water down the position after an election, and maybe there's something, again, rules against that.

[Dana Goldberg]

I sure hope so.

[Alison Gill]

You know, like, I voted for Josh Stein because I wanted him to be able to have the control of the state elections board.

[Dana Goldberg]

Right.

[Alison Gill]

And so now you want to change the job of the governor that we all just elected with. I don't know that you can necessarily get away with that. Anyway, we'll see what happens. Next up. This is from ProPublica. This is amazing. Awful. Amazing, not good. Amazing. And I really encourage you to all support ProPublica. Georgia officials have dismissed all members of a state committee charged with investigating deaths of pregnant women. The move came in response to ProPublica having obtained internal reports detailing two deaths. You'll remember ProPublica reported in September about the deaths of Amber Thurman and Candy Miller, which the state Maternal Mortality Review Committee had determined were preventable. They were the first reported cases of women who died without access to care restricted by a state abortion ban, and they unleashed a torrent of outrage over the fatal consequences of the law. The women's stories became a central discussion in the presidential campaign and ballot initiatives involving abortion access in 10 states. Quote, confidential information provided by the Maternal Mortality Review Committee was inappropriately shared with outside individuals. That's. Dr. Kathleen Toomey, Commissioner of the state Department of Public Health, wrote and wrote that in a letter on November 8 and addressed it to the members of the committee and went on to say, even though this disclosure was investigated, the investigation was unable to uncover which individuals disclosed the confidential information. Therefore, effective immediately, the current MMRC is disbanded. You're all fired and all member seats will be filled through a new application process. The health department spokesperson declined to comment on this decision to dismiss the entire committee, saying that the letter, which the department provided to ProPublica, speaks for itself. Governor Brian Kemp also declined to comment, referring questions to the health department. Under Georgia law, the work of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee is confidential and members must sign confidentiality agreements. Those members see only summaries of medical records stripped of personal details, and their findings on individual cases are not supposed to be shared with the public, not even with hospitals or with family members who died. What the fuck is the point of the commission?

[Dana Goldberg]

Seriously?

[Alison Gill]

The health department's letter states that there could be new steps to keep the board's deliberations from public view. Again, what the fuck is the point of the commission if they're the only ones who know their findings? The letter said officials might change, quote, other procedures for onboarding committee members, better ensuring confidentiality, committee oversight and MMRC organizational structure. Maternal mortality review committees exist in every state, by the way. They're tasked with examining the deaths of women during a pregnancy or up to a year after and determining whether they could have been prevented. This reporting makes me want to share another concern I have. By the way, this amazing reporting from ProPublica. We know that the incoming administration will be destructive. It will cause death and sickness and horrible things. Yeah, but because Trump is in charge, we likely won't get accurate data on the extent of the damage. You'll recall he hid Covid numbers from us. He wouldn't let a ship at sea dock because he didn't want to add to the COVID numbers. He wanted to downplay it to make himself look like he was doing a great job. He changed the trajectory of a hurricane with a Sharpie. He quashed reports on Russian interference in our elections. I doubt we will get accurate job numbers, accurate data on how many deaths are caused by abortion bans or by dismantling Noah or FEMA or Health and Human Services. I don't think we'll get accurate data on deportations, on test scores after they shutter the Department of Education. We won't know the impact of banning vaccines or books or whatever they decide to ban. Or we won't probably know what the GDP really is or anything else that alerts us to the disposition of the Republic. And that's why we have to support whistleblowers and organizations like ProPublica. So just keep that in mind when he starts releasing numbers.

[Dana Goldberg]

And just a reminder, this is going to affect people in red states more because a lot of the governors in the blue states are like, I'm going to protect my people. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure they have what they need. And if that means reporting deaths, I think they would probably go over the president's head to make sure that at least the people in their state know what's happening. I worry about the people in the red states and the people that may not be, you know what I mean, socioeconomic issues, the black community, places that they're not putting energy into in those specific areas. It's just, I think they're going to lose more voters. And at this point, I hope it matters and hope we have another fucking election, but I will get off that soapbox. I'm going to move on to the last story in this section. This is from Soren Dayton. Now, back in October, the ACLU and multiple other organizations sent the following letter to Congress. The undersigned cross ideological organizations would work to safeguard and strengthen our democratic institutions. Right. To urge you to enact the National Emergency act, which is the NEA reform legislation that recently passed out of committee in both the House and the Senate. With overwhelming bipartisan support. This reform legislation would be enacted in this Congress either as a standalone or as part of a broader legislation such as the National Defense Authorization act, the ndaa, or a government funding bill. Such reform is critical to preventing future abuses of emergency authorities and could be the most substantial rebalancing of power between the executive branch and the Congress since 1970s. Now, here's what the legislation provides. 1. Presidential Declared national emergency would automatically expire after 30 days unless Congress affirmatively votes to extend it using expedited procedures that will ensure timely action and prevent obstructionism. If Congress does not extend the national emergency, the President may not, during the remainder of their term in office, declare a subsequent national emergency with respect to the same circumstances.

[Alison Gill]

Excellent.

[Dana Goldberg]

Okay, the next thing. A national emergency declared by the President and approved by Congress may remain in place for up to one year. If the President wishes to renew the declaration at that time, Congress must approve the renewal using expedited procedures.

[Alison Gill]

Good. Good.

[Dana Goldberg]

Next, with each proclamation declaring or renewing a national emergency, the President must provide a report to Congress that includes a description of the circumstances necessitating the declaration, an estimated duration of the emergency or summary of actions the President intends to take, and for renewals, a summary of action taken in the past year. Now this, like a lot of these are, if you'll think about what this is going to Be this is going to be focusing on deportation. They're saying we have a national emergency. And Trump just wants to f going to extend this thing for four years. This is what this is going to help prohibit from happening.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And by the way, if you're asking him to write you any kind of report.

[Dana Goldberg]

Right.

[Alison Gill]

That's why I was laughing, by the way. Not at.

[Dana Goldberg]

I sure hope this gets passed. Other things in this, the president must also provide a report every six months on the stats, the status of the emergency, and acts the president has taken to address it. Like, if we're saying we have an emergency, we're doing mass deportation. What's going on? How many people have you gotten? How many legal people have gotten wrapped up in this? Who's died? All of these things. Things the report needs to address this stuff. And also existing national emergencies will be subject to the same renewal requirements outlined above. Emergency declarations that rely solely on the International Emergency Economic Powers act, which is the ieepa, are exempted as IEEPA presents unique considerations that should be addressed through separate legislation. So these simple common sense reforms, they're going to shore up Congress's role as a checks against presidential overreach while retaining the president's flexibility in the immediate aftermath of an emergency. I hope this gets signed. If it went out of both committees, let's fucking do this.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. I mean, it had massive bipartisan support. And if they roll it into the ndaa, we still have a little bit of a, you know, a tiny majority over there in the Senate might be a lot easier to get it done in this Congress. And so I'm glad they've written this letter, and I hope it's being considered. Chuck Schumer, Please do. All right, everybody, we have some good news that we have to get to, but we have to take a quick break, so everybody stick around. We'll be right back. Hey, everybody. Before switching to Helix, I didn't even realize how bad my old mattress was. I'd wake up feeling like I barely slept, groggy and sore, already counting down the hours till I could crawl back into bed. Then I heard about Helix through a friend of mine. And, you know, they couldn't stop raving about Helix's sleep quiz and my friend's custom mattress that they made for her. And from the very first night, I felt the difference. I was finally sleeping through the night, waking up refreshed, no stiffness, no aches. And now, years later, my Helix mattress, still going strong, still as comfortable as the day I got it. Love it head on over to helixsleep.com dailybeans take their two minute sleep quiz and they'll match you to a customized mattress that will give you the best sleep of your life. And you'll get 25% off site wide. Now let me paint a picture. Tossing, turning, waking up drenched in sweat. Ladies of a certain age will understand that one. And that persistent lower back ache, a hip ache, that was my reality every night. My old mattress made sleep feel like punishment. And that's too bad, because sleep is my favorite thing. But then Helix came along, flipped the script. My sleep is now cool, uninterrupted and blissful. The back pain gone, hip pain gone. Tossing and turning no more. Even my apple watch has confirmed it. Higher sleep scores, longer uninterrupted sleep cycles, better overall rest. And my mornings have never felt this good. And right now, helix is offering 25% off site wide plus two free dream pillows with any mattress purchase or a free bedding bundle, which is two dream pillows, a sheet set in a mattress protector with any luxe or elite mattress order. Just go to helixsleep.com dailybeans that's helixsleep.com dailybeans with helix better sleep starts now. Everybody, welcome back. It's time for the good news. Who likes good news?

[Dana Goldberg]

Everyone.

[Alison Gill]

Then good news.

[Dana Goldberg]

Everyone.

[Alison Gill]

Near good news, good news. And if you have any good news you would like to submit to us, just head on over to DailyBeansPod.com and click on contact. Submit your good news and pay your pod pet tax. Which means just attach a photo of your pet if you want us to guess what breeds are in your shelter pup. We play what the mutt here. We're not very good, but we would be happy to try to, you know, take a stab at it. Not. Well, I. I'm not like a Christy gnome. Step like a. We would take a guess. And then also if you don't. I can't believe. I can't believe. She's in charge of the Department of Homeland Security. Oh, my God. And if you don't have pod pet tax to pay, send us an adoptable pet in your area. We have a pretty good track record of finding forever homes for adoptable pets. We love that. Also, if you don't have that, you can send in any animal. We don't just play what the mutt. We play opine on the bovine and what the heck wine and what's the model of your axolotl like any really anything. We just like animal pictures is what we're saying. And if you don't have any of those, baby pictures are fine too. Your baby pictures. Your pictures of your babies, whatever it is, baby out of a catalog. We just love baby pictures and animal pictures I think is what I'm trying to say. And then of course shout outs. Whether it's a self shout out which we love and treasure, especially right now, self care stuff that you're doing, maybe that four year project you're picking up, we would love to hear about it. And also shout outs to loved ones and family members and community organizers doing great work in your area or a small business that could use a shout out. And of course shout outs to government programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Affordable Care Act, SNAP, WIC, Head Start, Section 8, great VA healthcare that you've gotten. And of course student debt forgiveness. Send it all to us dailybeanspod.com and click on Contact. And again, welcome to all of our new listeners. We love your good news submissions, so keep them coming. First up from Karen Pronoun, she And her Dear A.G. and Dana, I wanted to comment and thank you for the difficult material you report every day, especially this past Friday. Your work has put to words what I have a hard time explaining. For decades while I was in the Navy, things that I reported to the chain of command were answered with retaliation. During and while I was in I would speak about those problems and the most common response from my family was well you joined the military. What did you expect? It took me years and lots of mental health treatment to disconnect from toxic family and find framily. Thanks to my amazing veterans healthcare. Thank you for your strength and getting the difficult read the difficult news to read out. Thank you for giving me the words to make others aware on why veterans healthcare is so important. Thank you for your years of work. With love and gratitude for Pod Pet Tax. Here's a collage of our dog Flapjack throughout her life. She was a rescue from Riverside county and abandoned on the 215 freeway in a bag from a truck. My God she taught me about PTSD and I still miss her every day. We believe she was a Blue Healer, Terrier and something else mix. Probably Chow Chow and Staffordshire. She was definitely a cattle dog. I have the chewed up ankles of my yoga pants to prove it.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh my God, that's funny.

[Alison Gill]

Oh Karen, thank you for your service. I know what it's like to try to report it's not easy or even just, you know, say hey, you know, something needs to change. There's a lot of retaliation So I appreciate your service and your fortitude. Thank you.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you indeed. This one's from Gigi Pronoun she and her hi HG and dg. I'm writing. Thank you for your great work. I especially appreciate your research in curating the news with positivity and colorful language. I would like to give a shout out to my son and his NGO Project Victory, a veteran founded humanitarian ngo. We'll have links to that in the show notes. It's Project Victory nonprofit dot org. They're doing God's work in Ukraine. The team at Project Victory works tirelessly to train first responders and bring life saving medical tools to communities in Ukraine's war zones. I would like to encourage our beans community to learn about their work and support Project Victory's efforts to save lives in Ukraine. My pod pet tax story is linked to the Ukraine war. I'm including a picture of Koa, who has been my son's dog since my son and his dad rescued puppy Koa from an animal shelter. See puppy photo. When the Ukraine war started, I temporarily adopted Koa while my son was in Ukraine. The war has not ended and Koa, who is now 13, see the senior Koa photo, continues to comfort me while my son helps war torn Ukrainian community survive another day. You probably can easily guess Koa's mix, especially in the puppy pictures.

[Alison Gill]

Oh Gigi, thanks for your service and your family service. And look at this beautiful pupper.

[Dana Goldberg]

He looks like a little Ridgeback puppy, but I don't know what he's mixed with.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, Ridgeback and some sort of hound dog. Hound dog with those ears. I'm a hound dog.

[Dana Goldberg]

It does look like a hound dog with those ears.

[Alison Gill]

Who do we have? Yep, Ridgeback and Black Mouth Kerr, which I believe is a hound dog. Yeah, I believe.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right.

[Alison Gill]

But thank you. Thank you for that submission. And CO is a beautiful name by the way.

[Dana Goldberg]

And may your son stay safe.

[Alison Gill]

Absolutely. What incredible work. Oh, thank you, thank him. And thank you Flushing Remonstrance. No pronouns given. Hello from Backwater. Again, this is a belated reshout out to my daughter who graduated from NYU Nursing with her master's degree last December. I gave her. I remember I gave her a shout out back then with the anticipation her graduation ceremony would be in May at Yankee Stadium. Turns out the nursing school chose the comfy confines of the New York City center in the Theater district for the festivities. I had never heard of it before. Apparently. It's in the neo Moorish style building located on West 55th street between 6th and 7th Avenues. My wife and I couldn't be prouder. She worked real hard to attain that. In fact, while this was a freebie from New York University, because my daughter was an employee, she also qualified for loan forgiveness for her undergraduate tuition. This started out at around 75,000, but she got it down to 20,000 with a $4,000 retroactive check for overpayment and she gladly accepted it. Thanks to everyone at the Daily Beans for the work you do to keep things real and me sane. The corporate controlled media is now unwatchable. I'm not too good at tech, but my pod pet tax is our rescue. Bella, trying to get a morsel of bagel from the graduate. Please name the breeds for us because we don't know. Thanks for all you. A pity. That's a pity. And staffy. And chow Chow.

[Dana Goldberg]

Probably for sure.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

It's adorable though. Looks like my friend's dog. Honey.

[Alison Gill]

I love when pity sits side saddle like that. All goofy. Yeah, cracks me up. Thank you, flushing remorse.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right, this is from Lucy Pronoun. She and her hi Beans Queens. I'm a listener from across the pond in the uk. My heart is so heavy for you all right now. And I'm grateful for the brilliant job you do keep. You. Excuse me, you do. Keeping us informed. My shout out is to my incredible mom. She's an all around amazing person. She cares for my dad who has Ms. She's a local organizer for the Labor Party and spent hours walking miles delivering leaflets and knocking on doors in the run up to the general election back in July. All the effort was worth it as the town she lives in got its first ever Labor MP, having been Conservative since basically the 1800s.

[Alison Gill]

Wow, 1800, like the beginning of 1800s.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. Also, she also decided this year that she wanted a wildlife pond in her garden, so she decided to dig one herself. She's 72 and tiny, but she created this beautiful pond. It's already a favorite spot for the birds who love to have a splash about in the shallow area. For my pod pet tax, here's a photo of my rescue hamster. Cuckoo. Feel free to have a go at guessing what type he is. He's a winter white dwarf hamster. I guess I. I said that before taking a guess, but there's zero chance Allison and I were going to get that.

[Alison Gill]

I had no idea hamsters had breeds.

[Dana Goldberg]

I thought they were just same, same. Like that's a hamster, that's a gerbil, that's a guinea pig. I thought those were the Breeds of small furry animals like that. I adopted him from wonderful local small animal rescue here in southwest England called the Bunny Jackpot Foundation. They rescue rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters. Cuckoo is a bit of a ghost hamster. I don't see him very often and he's very sweet when he loves sunflower seeds, green leafy vegetables, and the odd half a blueberry as a treat.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, he's a cuckoo is adorable.

[Dana Goldberg]

And what a beautiful little lake.

[Alison Gill]

She dug that her damn self.

[Dana Goldberg]

She sure did.

[Alison Gill]

Mom is a badass is all I'm saying.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh my God, I love this.

[Alison Gill]

Oh my gosh, that's wonderful. What a beautiful, happy place. Thank you so much for sending that in. Oh my God, this dog. Next up from Laura, pronounced. She and her. I want to shout out a few government programs that got me where I am today. Snap, which is food stamps, wic and the federal program. Child Care Access means parents in school, or C. Campus. Pronounced like just campus. Okay, just one C. I had a baby during my PhD program, during which I was a very low paid TA. We counted on food stamps to get us fed, WIC to provide formula, and campus to significantly lower the cost of daycare. Because of that assistance, I was able to finish my degree. Now I have a career with an income that will likely keep me from ever needing those programs again. Government is community put into action. Oh, that is so well said, Laura. And I will always be grateful for the fact that my community was willing to help me become a better version of myself and to allow my daughter a better quality of life. That's what the Republicans in MAGA don't fucking get. You know, Dana, they don't understand that when we help each other out, we all benefit. Like because of my VA healthcare and my, you know, the benefits that I got from the government, I am now a productive member of society, creating jobs and shit.

[Dana Goldberg]

You know, it's always been the party of me and the party of we. It has not changed. Republicans only care about themselves in so many aspects. Unless they want to go ahead and tell you what to do with your body. And then it's the party of you. Let me tell you what to do.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And Laura, I don't know if this is your doggo, but this is a fantastic photo.

[Dana Goldberg]

It's basically if a deer became a dog right in front of us. It's beautiful.

[Alison Gill]

I want to boot the snoot.

[Dana Goldberg]

I know very badly. That is a good. Wait a minute, hold on a minute. Is there a tiny little thing on the dog's ear up Top. I thought it was like a little fly. No.

[Alison Gill]

Maybe just a little piece of floof might be.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God. Could you imagine if it's just a tiny little spider? Okay.

[Alison Gill]

Hello. One of those cute spiders that you could zoom in and be like, yeah, yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

And they named him. Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

Yes. And this is Bernard.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my gosh.

[Alison Gill]

Very great. Thank you so much for that. Thanks to all of you for your submissions. Please, please send your good news to us dailybeanspod.com click on Contact. And thanks for listening again. Welcome to all our new listeners. Do you have any final thoughts today, Dana?

[Dana Goldberg]

No, not today.

[Alison Gill]

All right, everybody, we'll be back in your ears tomorrow. Also, check out the latest episode of the Jack podcast. I have to tell you, Dana, Ken Paxton is suing Jack Smith because he wants to preserve all of Jack Smith's evidence because he saw a shredding, a paper shredder truck outside of the Department of justice building at 9:50 penn. And he thinks that Jack Smith is going. Is destroying all of his evidence and we want it preserved. We're afraid Trump's going to destroy it.

[Dana Goldberg]

But, yeah, what in the hell?

[Alison Gill]

The funny, funny thing is that Jack Smith doesn't work at Main justice, so, like, he's got the whole wrong. He's just so dumb.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank God that, I mean, listen, Pam Bondi is a horrible fucking person, but I was expecting Ken Paxton or someone like that.

[Alison Gill]

So what a clown shelter.

[Dana Goldberg]

I would really love to talk to some of the, like, MAGA who aren't cult. I don't think everyone in maga's in a cult. I don't. I know it sounds crazy. I don't. But some people that thought Trump was going to, you know, they're making more money or, you know, whatever reason they did. I'd love to talk to him and be like, is this the cabinet that you actually wanted? Like, are these the people you wanted running the fucking government? Or can you admit that you're disappointed? Can you admit that you made a mistake? Right.

[Alison Gill]

A lot of people have. There's a whole, like, subreddit on this. And, you know, I might start. We might start a new segment called fuck around and find out where, you know, people who voted for Trump are now having caveat emptor, buyer's remorse, and like, which, you know, caveat emptor is Latin for fuck around and find out.

[Dana Goldberg]

Got it, got it.

[Alison Gill]

But I mean, that's like, it's, you know, what they're about to, you know, they're just about to find out. I don't I don't know.

[Dana Goldberg]

And we all are. I just, I would be blown away if some of the people that voted for, you know, the tax break or whatever, they're like, all right, I'm making more money, but oh my God, there goes our democracy. Like, I just can't, I can't even fathom.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, no, me neither.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. And listen, I want. I'm sorry. Now I guess I do have final thoughts. I would love to have all the preservatives out of our food. I would love it. It's one of the reasons why food is so cheap though in this country. When it comes to the other side, if it's not organic, you've got like, because the corn syrup is cheaper than, you know, regular things and the, you know, palm kernel oil. I would love to have all of it out of our food. But people don't understand that is going to raise the price of groceries. And that's why a lot of people who unfortunately can't afford the organics do because they know how much shit is in all of this other food. And I'm like, it's just a double edged sword. Like I want all that stuff out. But a lot of the people that, that are already having a hard time affording their groceries are going to be like, what happened? Well, RFK Jr. They want to food stamps. Like it's just going to be a disaster.

[Alison Gill]

Yep. Hopefully the size of the bureaucracy slows them down and we can gum up the works with some lawsuits, maybe passing that emergencies Presidential Emergencies Act Reform act or whatever it's called and slow it down as much as we can until we can flip Congress in 2026 and then have a real check in there. That's my goal. I'm going to put my head down and do the work until that happens and then we'll see and then, you know, do Pilates and then we'll see what happens after that.

[Dana Goldberg]

There you go. Lots of Pilates.

[Alison Gill]

Anyway, thanks so much everybody. Check out the latest episode of Jack. You, Dana and I will be back in your ears tomorrow. The listeners ears. 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 and I've been Gigi and Em's the Beans.

[Peter Nicholas]

The Daily Beans is written and executive produced by Alison 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 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.