Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (feat. Rep. Dan Goldman; Dr. Joanna Cohen)

Summary

The Daily Beans – Episode Summary: "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (May 15, 2025)

Hosted by MSW Media

Introduction

In this episode of The Daily Beans, hosts Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg navigate a barrage of pressing political and social issues, delivering insightful analysis with their characteristic blend of progressive perspectives and sharp wit. The episode features in-depth conversations with Representative Dan Goldman of New York's 10th Congressional District and Dr. Joanna Cohen from Guns Down America, addressing pivotal topics from judicial indictments to gun violence prevention.

Top News Highlights

Allison Gill kicks off the episode by outlining a series of alarming headlines:

• Federal Indictment of Judge Hannah Dugan: Milwaukee Judge Dugan faces federal charges for allegedly aiding an individual in evading immigration authorities.
• Sinaloa Cartel Membership Deal: The Department of Justice strikes a controversial deal permitting 17 members of the notorious Sinaloa cartel to enter the United States ([02:37]).
• Trump's Meme Coin Investment: A Chinese-affiliated company, GD Culture Group, invests $300 million in Trump's meme coin, raising ethical concerns about foreign influence and presidential family enrichment ([05:00]).
• Family Separation Cases: Heart-wrenching stories emerge, including a 12-year-old boy abandoned after an ICE raid in Massachusetts and a two-year-old girl left in U.S. custody after her parents were deported to Venezuela ([08:00], [09:02]).
• Impeachment Efforts: A Democratic congressman pushes for President Trump's impeachment, met with criticism from party leadership regarding timing and effectiveness ([12:37]).
• Gun Violence and Public Health: Discussions around the Trump administration's cuts to health services and the impact on gun violence prevention initiatives ([48:00]).
• Election Outcomes: Omaha flips blue as Democrat John Ewing Jr. defeats Republican incumbent Gene Stothert, signaling Democratic momentum in local elections ([26:00]).

In-Depth Discussions

1. Indictment of Judge Hannah Dugan ([14:55] – [17:02])

   Allison Gill details the federal indictment of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, accused of obstructing immigration enforcement by concealing an individual’s presence. This development intensifies the conflict between the Trump administration’s stringent immigration policies and local judicial authorities. Dana emphasizes the legal nuances, explaining that an indictment signifies a preliminary step requiring probable cause, whereas a conviction demands proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

2. Interview with Representative Dan Goldman ([30:48] – [46:34])

   Representative Dan Goldman joins the show to discuss his efforts in Congress, particularly focusing on the contentious budget reconciliation bill aimed at cutting government benefits to fund tax cuts for billionaires. Goldman highlights the internal divisions within the Republican Party, noting that moderates in purple districts face immense pressure as their constituents rely on Medicaid and other essential services. He asserts:

   "We have hardcore conservatives who do not believe any Americans need a safety net...and moderate Republicans who have constituents on Medicaid being asked to cut benefits. [They] will have a very difficult time voting to support this because it'll effectively be political suicide." ([31:22])

   Goldman also addresses the Epstein files controversy, questioning Secretary of State Kristi Noem's handling of the case and suggesting possible interference by the administration to suppress incriminating information. He underscores the importance of adhering to Court orders and ensuring due process for individuals like Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

3. Interview with Dr. Joanna Cohen, Guns Down America ([47:05] – [59:16])

   Dr. Joanna Cohen shares her frontline experiences combating gun violence as a pediatric emergency medicine physician and board member of Guns Down America. She paints a sobering picture of the daily realities:

   "About 32 kids in this country experience gun violence daily, and about seven children will die. But that leaves a whole bunch of children who will be shot and not die and who will have lifelong disability and trauma." ([48:52])

   Dr. Cohen criticizes the Trump administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for undermining public health initiatives aimed at preventing gun violence. She highlights the removal of firearm violence warnings and the administration's attempts to defund relevant research, arguing that these actions exacerbate the public health crisis.

   Furthermore, Dr. Cohen draws parallels between the gun industry's tactics and those historically employed by Big Tobacco, advocating for consumer accountability and stricter regulation:

   "The gun industry... promotes right-wing propaganda and hate-based violence to encourage firearm ownership, which in turn increases their profits and perpetuates gun violence." ([53:29])

   She calls for grassroots efforts to hold the gun industry accountable and support corporations that prioritize gun violence prevention.

Good News and Listener Submissions

The hosts shift gears to share uplifting stories and listener contributions:

• Community and Personal Triumphs: Listener Nancy Pronoun shares her dedication to social services like Medicaid and SNAP, emphasizing the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in supporting the economically disadvantaged. She showcases a preserved park, symbolizing community resilience and environmental stewardship.

  "I firmly believe that had I not been born into a white middle-class family, my life would have turned out totally different." ([62:30])

• Animal Welfare and Creativity: Submissions include adorable pet photos, quilting artistry, and support for local businesses like Managua Brewing Company and Penz Spices in Wisconsin. These segments highlight the community’s efforts to support small businesses and animal welfare initiatives.

• Birthday Celebrations and Personal Stories: The hosts and listeners share heartfelt birthday wishes and personal anecdotes, reinforcing the sense of community and mutual support among the Daily Beans audience.

Conclusion

Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg wrap up the episode with reflections on the chaotic socio-political landscape, reaffirming their commitment to delivering transparent and progressive journalism. They encourage listeners to engage with their communities, support meaningful causes, and stay informed through The Daily Beans.

"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." ([78:37])

Notable Quotes

• Allison Gill on the Indictment of Judge Dugan:

  "It's consistently stupid, I think, is the only thing we can definitely say with any actual sincerity." ([04:16])

• Dana Goldberg on Sinaloa Cartel Deal:

  "There's no consistency, my dear." ([03:32])

• Representative Dan Goldman on Budget Reconciliation Bill:

  "It's just a three vote majority and if we do enough to put pressure on those moderate Republicans through their own constituents and their own voters, they will have a very difficult time voting to support this because it'll effectively be political suicide." ([31:22])

• Dr. Joanna Cohen on Gun Violence:

  "We have at least two patients... suffering lifelong disability from a firearm injury that left them both paraplegic." ([50:55])

Final Thoughts

This episode of The Daily Beans offers a comprehensive exploration of critical issues facing the United States in 2025, from judicial integrity and immigration policies to the pervasive problem of gun violence. Through engaging interviews and passionate discussions, hosts Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of the challenges and the grassroots efforts aiming to address them.

For more in-depth discussions and updates, visit mswmedia.com.

Transcript

[Allison Gill]

MSW Media hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Thursday, May 15, 2025. Today, Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan has been indicted by a federal grand jury. A tiny company with ties to China has spent $300 million on Trump's meme coin. Pam Bondi's Department of Justice has struck a deal to allow 17 Sinaloa cartel members into the United States. Governor JB Pritzker is the first to block federal access to personal data on autism. A 12 year old boy was abandoned on the sidewalk after an ICE raid in Massachusetts. A Democratic congressman is pushing for impeachment, but his colleagues are criticizing the movement. Governor Tim Walls and other Minnesota officials are preparing for a possible pardon of George Floyd's murderer, Derek Chauvin. The Pentagon spent $21 million on flights to Guantanamo where there are currently 32 people being held. Democrats go after Republicans online fundraising platform Win Read. A toddler was left in U.S. custody after her parents were removed to Venezuela. RFK Jr. Sidesteps questions about vaccines during a congressional hearing. A federal court allows CREW to continue its bid to free Doge documents using foia. And the city of Omaha has flipped blue as John Ewing Jr defeats the Republican incumbent in the mayoral race. I'm Allison Gill.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[Allison Gill]

Well, we were close to a record on headlines for today.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, there's a lot of them. I'm glad we changed the format a little so we don't go into tomorrow's breakfast. We can just hit the, the literally important parts of every one of these and give you as much information as we can.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. The minute we got out of recording yesterday, I found out about the federal grand jury returning an indictment against Judge Hannah Dugan. We'll talk about that. Also, we're going to talk later in the show to Dr. Joanna Cohen from Guns Down America. That's going to be a really important discussion. And we also have representative of New York's 10th congressional district, Dan Goldman is going to join us.

[Dana Goldberg]

Amazing.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, he's been doing some really great work up on the Hill. Get this, Dana. Mexico's security chief confirmed Tuesday that 17 family members of the Sinaloa cartel leaders crossed into the US Last week as part of a deal between a son of the former head of the Sinaloa cartel and the Trump administration.

[Dana Goldberg]

What in the world?

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, I had to read this like six times to make sure I was getting it right in my head because it just sounds so fucking insane. But apparently one of El Chapo's kids is cooperating with the Department of Justice. I Guess given up other cartels.

[Dana Goldberg]

Okay.

[Allison Gill]

And in exchange, this Department of justice is allowing 17 family members of the Sinaloa cartel to come into the United States.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, boy. Isn't the last time something. Not saying these are bad people, but wasn't it rumored that one of the proud boys was doing work for, you know, the United States and sort of doing. Not spying, but giving them information and what happened there. So let's just hope that whoever gets led into this country is one of the good people and not the bad for bad reasons, because we know that his deals don't always work out for the safety of the United States.

[Allison Gill]

Right. And, you know, whatever, screen everybody and let them in. But then to send Afghans who helped us in the war back, or Cameroonians or Venezuelans.

[Dana Goldberg]

Literally, people fighting in the United States military.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, right. Or people who need to get asylum or have been approved, you know, parole or, you know, like the temporary protected status program. Nope, they all have to go. But Sinaloa cartel family members are allowed as well as white Africans. It's just, I. I'm not sure where the consistency is.

[Dana Goldberg]

There's no consistency, my dear. We'll watch these stories and. And obviously deliver what we figure out from them. But, yeah, there's definitely something afoot.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, I probably should stop looking for consistencies in this administration. Yeah, it's just. It's consistently stupid, I think, is the only thing we can definitely say with any, you know, actual sincerity. All right, everybody, we have a lot of news to get to. Let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right. On the docket today, the D.C. circuit Court of Appeals has allowed limited discovery about Doge's operations to move forward in cruise lawsuit. That's the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Their lawsuit over whether DOGE is an agency subject to foia. As you know, full disclosure, I am also MSW Media and the Daily Beans is also suing the DOGE for FOIA for refusing to hand over stuff under foia.

[Dana Goldberg]

Fantastic.

[Allison Gill]

But Lawfare's Anna Bauer, notes on Blue Sky. This is a big deal because the judge's discovery order granted Cruz request to depose Amy Gleason. Oh, the alleged acting administrator of Doge.

[Dana Goldberg]

When. Remember when she was said that she was the administrator? She's like, I am. Yeah, yeah.

[Allison Gill]

What? I'm in Mexico on vacation.

[Dana Goldberg]

Excuse me.

[Allison Gill]

Now, in his order, Judge Cooper noted that parts of a declaration submitted by Amy Gleason appear to be, quote, called into question by contradictory evidence.

[Dana Goldberg]

No.

[Allison Gill]

So she's gonna. Could be disposed under this limited discovery now that the D.C. circuit Court of Appeals is going to allow it to go forward. So that's pretty big deal if you're following. You know, Wittoed, which is who is the administrator of Doge. Something that Anna Bauer and I have been on about. There's even a picture of me on Blue sky right now. I ordered some custom witoed like zipper hoodies.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's hysterical.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, she has one on the way to her. But yeah, I was like, we need jackets like the Pink Ladies.

[Dana Goldberg]

I love it. I love it. This one's from the Times, a struggling technology company that has ties to China and relies on TikTok. It made an unusual announcement this week. It has secured, it secured funding to buy as much as 300 million of Trump. I'm sure this is the Meme coin, but there's a dollar sign in front of.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, dollar sign Trump.

[Dana Goldberg]

Dollar sign Trump. So called Meme Coin, marketed by the President. Now GD Culture Group, that's a publicly traded firm with a Chinese subsidiary, has only eight employees. Its public filings show this and recorded zero revenue last year from an e commerce business that operates on TikTok, the Chinese owned video sharing app. Remember how much drama there was about TikTok?

[Allison Gill]

It's interesting because the, the account that hacked into my account with tens of thousands of followers on TikTok, I haven't been on Tik. My account got usurped. Maybe that's the GD culture group.

[Dana Goldberg]

It is very. I mean at this point I wouldn't be surprised. The purchase, what it's going to do, it's going to create clear ethical conflicts enriching Donald's family at the same time that the President tries to reach a deal that would allow Tick tock to keep operating in the United States rather than a face a congressionally approved ban. So the announcement also shows how investors around the world that have virtually no public footprint. Uh huh. Have latched on to the President's crypto ventures to boost their own business prospects. Now I know we're in an echo chamber here, but I wish every person that voted for him would realize how much his family is gaining. Billions off the presidency so far.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

And it's only been 100, what, 15 days?

[Allison Gill]

Something like that. But I like, I like the term congressionally approved band. Yeah, it's a law. Yeah, it's a law. All right, let's get into some ice. Immigration reporting. A 12 year old boy. 12 year old boy was left behind on the street after an immigration raid in Waltham, Massachusetts. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, that's ICE agents were seen on camera leaving the boy by himself on a sidewalk after arresting the person he was with on Felton street on Sunday, May 4th. Neighborhood Watch Volunteers were able to get the boy home safely. Waltham City councilor Colleen Bradley MacArthur witnessed the raid and recorded some video of it. She said a volunteer notified the boy of his rights and walked him back to his home. Quote, he looks about my son's age. That's what Bradley MacArthur said. It makes me feel sick to my stomach as a mom and as a human being. When the agent got out of the car, she asked him what agency he was with. The agent was seen in the video ignoring her request. Despite Bradley MacArthur saying by law federal agents have to identify themselves. She let him know that. Instead, he shouted back, saying she needs to stand back and not interfere. The counselor said she was just observing, which she's legally allowed to do. And Dana, I've just written a speculative piece about who ICE officers are. Even over on Substack. You can head to muellershirote.com and subscribe. It's free to subscribe and read that article, so check it out.

[Dana Goldberg]

I am looking forward to reading it because I have my own theories as well and some of them have to do with January 6th. I wouldn't be surprised if you echo that in your substack.

[Allison Gill]

Yes. And I've been told, hey, that's not been confirmed by anyone. And I was like, well, yeah, in 2016 it hadn't been confirmed by anyone that the Trump campaign met with Russians multiple times. But I went ahead and speculated on that anyhow.

[Dana Goldberg]

So that's why it's called speculative.

[Allison Gill]

Yes.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. And usually you're right.

[Allison Gill]

And that's a good thing about independent media. We can fucking speculate.

[Dana Goldberg]

So yeah, this one's from the Post. A two year old girl who was left in the United States after both her parents were removed from the country, sparking an international custody dispute, by the way, has been returned to Venezuela. That's according to the child's family in the Venezuelan government. The case of Michaelis Antonella Espinoza Bernal drew condemnation from immigration rights groups and concern about the potential for family separations as the Trump administration looks to expedite the removals. The child's mother was recently deported to Venezuela without her. Her father, meanwhile, was sent to a mega prison in El Salvador, which means this child was left alone. Now, Yureli Bernal, the toddler's mother, was deported without her daughter nearly two weeks ago, despite Signing paperwork for her child to be deported with her. She had spent months in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention that in that one in South Texas and separated from her daughter. She signed a paper that said her daughter, who I believe was probably a United States citizen, which is why she had to sign a paper saying, deport my daughter with me. And they didn't fucking do it. This two year old was left alone in the United States without both of her parents under this administration.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, it's absolutely horrifying all this family separation that's happening. And I think I said in the headlines that both parents had been deported to Venezuela. So self correction that the father's actually in seacoat in El Salvador. So yeah, just left alone like that 12 year old kid on the sidewalk.

[Dana Goldberg]

So disgusting.

[Allison Gill]

It is. It's the cruelty is the point. Right?

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

Next up from NBC, the Trump administration spent at least $21 million transporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay on military aircraft between January 20 and April 8, according to figures provided to Congress by the military. The naval base there currently holds 32 migrants. That's according to a defense official, a tiny fraction of the 30,000 that Trump promised. Guantanamo has held a total of just under 500 migrants since Trump announced the effort in January. And it's never held more than 200 at any one time. Many of the migrants flown there are believed to have been flown back to the United States.

[Dana Goldberg]

Sounds like everything's going smoothly.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. $21 million for 32 people.

[Dana Goldberg]

My God. All right, we're gonna head over to Congress. And this one's from the Daily Beast, Marjorie Taylor Greene. Yep. She has joined calls for President Donald Trump to pardon Derek Chauvin. He's the ex Minneapolis cop convicted in 2020 of murdering because he did George Floyd. She claimed Wednesday that Floyd, who died after Chauvin knelt on his neck for nine minutes. A chilling encounter captured, as we know on video for the world to see, had actually died of an overdose. A conclusion, by the way, that goes against the findings of a Minnesota medical examiner. She's just spreading bullshit. And this is a quote. She said, I strongly support Derek Chauvin being pardoned and released from prison. This is what Green said on Twitter. She said George Floyd died of a drug overdose. That's. I hope his family sues the out of her.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, they can't, but yeah, yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

Chauvin, who's 49, is serving concurrent state and federal sentences of 22.5 years and 21 years, respectively. That means the state charges you can't get pardoned by the way for that. His appeals to the Minnesota Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court have been denied. But a presidential pardon, it could erase his federal charges. Such a pardon would not set him free. I want that to be clear. He would still have to spend two decades behind bars, which is not enough. But that's because of the state charges, something Minnesota Governor Tim Walls, by the way, reminded reporters on Tuesday report that because if you don't, you're going to start problems that don't need to happen right now because we've seen this in our country when justice is not served. Now, this is another quote from the story of Donald Trump exercises his constitutional right to do so. Whether I, and I strongly disagree with him, if he issues that pardon, we will simply transfer Derek Chauvin to serve out his 22 and a half years in prison in Minnesota. And I'm glad he made that very clear. I just, I really hope when, when and if this happens, that this country realizes that it's, it's, it's complete bullshit, it should never happen. But try, try not to react in a way that is going to cause more devastation to communities across this country. That's all I can, that's all I can hope. Well, it will be a miscarriage of justice. We already know that.

[Allison Gill]

There's no history of that. The George Floyd protests were peaceful and I imagine people will hit the streets.

[Dana Goldberg]

Again if I worry about, I worry about during that time, the George Floyd protests, the white people that were going in and smashing windows and how the.

[Allison Gill]

Trump administration reacted to them.

[Dana Goldberg]

Exactly right.

[Allison Gill]

Like, I mean, they called anarchic jurisdictions in Portland and were sending in unmarked vans to disappear people off the street.

[Dana Goldberg]

Use tear gas, tear gas, clear a square so he could take a picture with an upside down Bible in front of a church he's never been in.

[Allison Gill]

Right? Yes.

[Dana Goldberg]

Well, maybe he has been. I don't know.

[Allison Gill]

Well, I'm surprised he hasn't come spontaneously combusted walking anywhere near St. John's Episcopal. But, yeah, he can't get out of prison because these state charges are unpardonable. It would be, I, I would be surprised if Trump did this. But again, I can't put anything past this administration.

[Dana Goldberg]

So I have a feeling if it does happen in it, because it's going to have to come. I mean, I understand a presidential pardon, but somehow Pam Bondi is going to have to have a hand in this, wouldn't she?

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. Well, because now Ed Martin is the new pardon attorney at the Department of Justice and I'm sure he would fast track this. But this could be a reason to get people out into the streets to go after them, right?

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, I think they would do it on purpose. They would try and hope that they're going to start a race war because that's what they've been trying to do for decades.

[Allison Gill]

Yep. All right, next up from cbs, a federal grand jury on Tuesday actually indicted the Wisconsin judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities, allowing the case against her to continue. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of Wisconsin confirmed the indictment to cbs. The arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Judge Hannah Dugan escalated a clash between Trump's administration and local authorities over the Republicans sweeping immigration crackdown. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of trying to make a national example of Dugan to chill judicial opposition. Now, prosecutors charged Dugan in April via a complaint without a grand jury for concealing an individual to prevent arrest and obstruction. In the federal criminal justice system, prosecutors can initiate charges against a defendant directly by filing a complaint or present evidence to a grand jury and let that body decide whether to issue charges. A grand jury still reviews charges brought by complaint to determine whether enough probable cause, and that's important, exists to continue the case as a check on prosecutor's power. If the grand jury determines there is probable cause, it issues a written statement of the charges known as an indictment. And that's what happened in Dugan's case. We're going to cover this on the next episode of clean up on all 45. Judge Dugan, who is being represented by Paul Clement, who was named amicus cure in the Eric Adams case he's representing Judge Dugan, has just filed her motion to dismiss these charges. And we're going to go over that, like I said, in detail on cleanup on aisle 45. But please note that it only takes probable cause to get an indictment. You need beyond a reasonable doubt to get a conviction.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you so much, Allison. And this one's from NBC. And this is crazy. RFK Jr. Was asked a question and gave the most batshit crazy answer possible. Okay. On Wednesday, he sidestepped a question about vaccines and whether he would choose to vaccinate his children today against a number of diseases. And RFK Jr said, I don't think people should be taking medical advice from me. Wow. Kennedy's comment was in response to Rep. Mark Pocon. He's a Democrat from Wisconsin. During a House Appropriations Committee hearing amid an ongoing measles outbreak in West Texas and other parts of the United States that has killed two children and One adult, by the way. All unvaccinated. Kennedy has pushed on proven remedies, including a steroid called budasanide.

[Allison Gill]

I don't know.

[Dana Goldberg]

Buddhistsonide.

[Allison Gill]

I don't know. Budesonide.

[Dana Goldberg]

Podesanide. That sounds much more correct. Podesanide. And that is an antibiotic called clarithromycin and cod liver oil, a supplement high in vitamin A. I'm sure those two things are good for a lot of things. I don't think that they are going to be the cure for measles. None. By the way, of the things I just mentioned are proven treatments for measles. That's what experts say. Experts. I just want to emphasize that you.

[Allison Gill]

Said it and I said it, and then some actual experts said it, so that makes me feel better.

[Dana Goldberg]

High doses of vitamin A that can cause nausea, by the way, vomiting, liver damage, especially in small children. That's why you don't give them high doses. Doctors say that now. In her closing remarks, ranking committee member Rep. Rosa Delaro, she's the Democrat from Connecticut, she criticized his comments about vaccines, emphasizing that both Kennedy and hhs, quote, makes medical decisions every day, and pointed to the two children in the US who have died from measles this year. She said, you're the secretary of hhs. You have tremendous power over health policy. Really horrifying that you will not encourage families to vaccinate their children. Measles, chickenpox, polio, vaccines are one of the foundations of public health. Vaccines, yes. They save lives. And the fact that the Secretary of Health and Human Services refuses to encourage children to be vaccinated is a tragedy. I completely agree. Well said. The fact that he said no one should be taking medical advice from me is bananas.

[Allison Gill]

Agreed. Agreed. I. I am in agreement with RFK Jr. No one should be taking medicine.

[Dana Goldberg]

For the first time ever. I guess that's true.

[Allison Gill]

All right. That brain worms. Right? Twice a day. Right. Oh, boy, that old chestnut.

[Dana Goldberg]

I don't know how much food he's got left, to be honest with you.

[Allison Gill]

Next up from the pets. Probably why he died anyway. From the. The brain worm.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

To be clear, so. So Secret Service doesn't come back.

[Dana Goldberg]

Stop giving people some sort of hope.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, I know. Sorry. Next up from the Post, a Democratic lawmaker is launching an effort to impeach Donald Trump, pushing past party leaders on Wednesday with an attempt to force a procedural vote in the US House that is expected to fail. This is Rep. Sree Thanat of Michigan. And let me know if I'm saying that Correctly or incorrectly. He announced his intention to charge ahead with the impeachment, saying that as an immigrant, he wants to do all he can to protect America's Constitution and their institutions. His resolution criticized by fellow Democrats contains several articles of impeachment against the president. Thaner is not the only Democrat who has signaled impeachment efforts against Trump. Al Green did this a while back. He's also introduced articles. But Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said Democratic leadership would vote to sideline any effort to bring Thanators impeachment articles to a full vote. Calling impeachment not the right approach we should be taking. Hm. He said right now our focus is on health care being stripped away from the American people. That's what Aguilar said. That's the most urgent and dire thing that we could be talking about this week. Okay, but you can do a couple things at once right now. It's a vote. It's just a vote. Anyway. Aguilar added that Trump quote is no stranger to impeachment, but said Thanator's proposal is not ripe and it's not timely given the negotiations over Republicans budget reconciliation package. I don't. Okay, I disagree.

[Dana Goldberg]

And not to argue with you on the podcast, I actually, I don't, I don't want to see this happen right now. We know it's not going to be successful and I'm not saying that's why you shouldn't bring up an impeachment. I just think right now it's going to embolden if the vote does not pass. It's just going to embolden him and he's going to use it as talking points. The Democrats are trying to impeach me again. I'm just doing all I can here in the United States, blah, blah, blah. There's going to be a time for this. I think he's going to do something even more egregious and high crime if he hasn't already committed that. But I think we need to have that in line. Just my opinion, before we try and do impeachment again. I mean, he's already got two under his belt, for fuck's sake, and nothing happened.

[Allison Gill]

Well, we did actually successfully impeach him twice.

[Dana Goldberg]

Agreed, Agreed.

[Allison Gill]

But you know, for me, you take an oath to the Constitution. You got to do your duty and I think that's part of your duty.

[Dana Goldberg]

I agree with that. Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

Timing, sure. I mean, what, Pelosi didn't bring any impeachment up after the Mueller investigation.

[Dana Goldberg]

Right.

[Allison Gill]

Because there wasn't an appetite for it in the country. Yeah. But yeah, I don't know. If you got a tool, got a tool, use it. You can't. It's not going to pass regardless of whether we bring it up now or later. It's in fact, there's never going to remove a president through impeachment probably ever again in this country.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, I think there's an argument for both for sure.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, there definitely is.

[Dana Goldberg]

But see, this is how Alison and I fight. It's very comfortable. All right, we're going to bring in some good news from Politico. House Democrats are firing back at Republican attacks on their top fundraising platform. And I'm glad because they said they were going to go after Act Blue, by the way, they're saying that in fact it's the GOP's own online fundraising sites that might be used as tools of corruption and foreign influence. I agree. The top Democrats on the House Judiciary Oversight and Administration Committees, they're asking the Treasury Department to fork over any evidence of suspicious transactions connected to a wide range of Republican and President Trump's aligned fundraising platforms. That's including the Republican aligned small dollar mega platform Win Red and the Elon Musk Affiliated America pack. Yep. Reps. Jamie Raskin, who we love, Joe Morelli, who we also love, and Gerald Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia. They've all for, quote, suspicious activity reports. It's in response to Trump's and the GOP's parallel effort, like I said, to turn screws on Act Blue. And that's the Democratic online fundraising powerhouse that Republicans have recently targeted over allegations of illegal foreign donations. And whenever there's an accusation, it's an admission of guilt. We already know this. The Democrats say their Republican counterparts focus only on ActBlue obscures similar allegations of corruption or foreign influence in those Trump aligned entities. Notably, they are also asking for any reports of suspicious transactions related to the Trump family's new cryptocurrency ventures, which have raised concerns about potential for abuse and influence peddling.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, $300 million from an eight employee company in China, for example. Yep. They're never going to get those, by the way.

[Dana Goldberg]

Correct. But I'm glad. But like you said, I'm glad they're asking.

[Allison Gill]

They're asking. All right, next up, more good news from the Guardian. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed a first in the nation executive order to block the federal government from collecting health data related to autism, a direct rebuke to the Trump administration. Pritzker, a Democrat who's been one of the more vocal critics of Trump's second administration, which I appreciate signed the order last week saying he wanted to protect dignity, privacy and the freedom to live without fear of surveillance or discrimination. Pritzker's executive order bans state agencies from disclosing personally identifiable autism related data outside of state government unless the person or their guardian gives consent first. It is required by legal action. It is necessary to provide services such as employment or housing, or if it's otherwise required by law. State contractors, vendors and grant recipients are also covered by this, he said. We're taking steps to ensure that our state remains a leader in protecting the rights of individuals with autism and all people with disabilities. And that's what JB Pritzker said after signing this order. He is first in the nation on a lot of stuff and I really appreciate what he's doing.

[Dana Goldberg]

I do as well. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but this should be covered by hipa, is a medical diagnosis.

[Allison Gill]

Well, you'd think one would think.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

But, but you know, does Trump get to dictate what the policies of HIPAA entail?

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, no, I think it's great putting this into law.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

For me, protecting, protecting. Get ahead of it every time. But we've got more good news before we get to the good trouble. This is from abc. John Ewing, he's the treasurer of Douglas County, Nebraska. He's set to become Omaha's first black mayor after his opponent conceded in Tuesday's mayoral election. And Democrats are celebrating the upset as a sign of what they say is the latest in a string of election victories where they are, quote, outperforming Republicans. And I'm not surprised on this. Ewing faced off against incumbent Mayor Gene Stothert. And Gene is a Republican who is running for a fourth term. A fourth term. And he didn't just win, by the way, he trounced that Republican 56% to 40. That's a 13 points, 13 percentage points. Democrats are pointing to the results and how Ewing flipped the office from Republican to Democrat as a sign of what they say is their continued success in special and off cycle elections this year. That includes victories or better than expected performances in some state legislative special elections as well as the Democratic supported candidates victory in the nonpartisan Wisconsin Supreme Court race in April. And I saw something the other day and Allison, you can tell me if you think this number's off because it seemed high, but it was from a very reputable source before the midterms when we're talking state elections, school board elections, city elections, there's 100,000 special elections across this entire country before the midterms. We have to pay attention to each and every one of them.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, I had no idea. I guess if you include like, water boards and city council, school board elections. Wow. And we've been doing really, really well. So good job, everyone. All right, everybody, time for some good trouble. What are you guys doing? All right, this is from a listener. Greetings, lady leaders of the Laguminati. I have found some good trouble to cause. Trump media would like it very much if they could hear public feedback about their Truth plus streaming platform. According to their website, Truth plus provides a slate of unbiased news channels and non woke on demand movies. What the is a non woke on demand?

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God.

[Allison Gill]

And entertainment content. Golly gee. You can let them know just how much you value this service and how much it adds to your life by emailing them@supportupport. Truth+tv. That's support truth plus. Spell out plus. It sure would be a shame if that website was flooded with spam. All right, everybody, we'll be right back with Congressman Dan Goldman, followed by an interview with Guns Down America. And then the good news. Stick around. We'll be right back after these messages. We'll be right back. Hey, everybody, let's face it, feeding yourself or a family every night is kind of exhausting. But Home Chef makes it easy and less expensive and more flexible. They have flavorful meal kits that suit your schedule and your taste. And you'll choose from more than 35 weekly recipes, including kid themed options which I often buy for myself, and quick prep meals. Each box includes fresh ingredients and chef designed recipes delivered straight to your door. It's healthy and affordable and far less stressful than another night of scrolling for ideas or going to the store or whatever. So whether you're burned out or just looking to shake things up in the kitchen, Home Chef makes dinner something you actually look forward to. Users of leading meal kits have rated Home Chef number one in quality and convenience, value, taste and recipe ease. And for a limited time, Home Chef is offering you 50% off and free shipping on your first box. Box plus free dessert for life. Just go to homechef.com dailybeans I was recently able to have their orange teriyaki pork noodles with candied walnuts. Oh, it was so good. I was blown away by how much flavor the dish had and I didn't have to spend that much time on it. The noodles soaked up that tangy, sweet orange teriyaki sauce. It was incredible. The pork had just the right kick from the garlic and ginger seasoning. And the candy walnuts were an unexpected, totally addictive treat. So it's comfort food with a twist. Home Chef is my go to for hassle free, delicious dinners. Whether I'm in the mood for something quick or I want to explore new flavors, their chef designed recipes and fresh ingredients make it easy. I especially love their five ingredient meals. Just five ingredients, simple for someone like me. Dinner's on the table super fast. With so many options and all this real savings, you can save up to like 86 bucks a month. It's never been easier to enjoy quality meals at home. And for a limited time, Home Chef is offering you 50% off and free shipping on your first buy box. Plus free dessert for life. Just go to homechef.com dailybeans that's homechef.com dailybeans for 50 off your first box and free dessert for life. Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert. Hey, everybody. Welcome back. Super excited to be joined today by master of the Congressional takedown and just an incredible representative all around, Congressman Dan Goldman. Hi, Congressman. How are you?

[C]

I'm good, Allison, how are you doing?

[Allison Gill]

I'm doing great. How is it over in New York's 10th?

[C]

You know, we're, we're hanging in as best we can. I think there's a lot of energy, a lot of fight, a lot of activism and, and motivation. And I think what we are doing is just trying to harness that as much as possible to get the word out, make sure people know who may not normally pay attention that, that their benefits are on the chopping block. So that billionaires can get tax cuts.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, that's the big thing right now in Congress is this massive, massive budget. It's a budget reconciliation bill. So they don't have. They don't. They can get around the filibuster in the Senate if they need to. But it feels like the Republicans are pretty divided. Some of them say, oh, we only want to kick 8.6 million people off of their health care. No, that's too low. We must go harder. So it seems like for the wrong reasons, there's a lot of disagreement among Republicans on this particular bill.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I think that this is really where the rubber hits the road, because you have hardcore conservatives who simply do not believe that any Americans need a little, a safety net or a little boost to get back on their feet or get on their feet. And they just want to cut all government benefits. And then you have Moderate Republicans in purple districts who have hundreds of thousands of their own constituents on Medicaid being asked to cut Medicaid for their constituents, which should be an outright political loser. And so we've always said that it's just a three vote majority and if we do enough to put pressure on those moderate Republicans through their own constituents and their own voters, they will have a very difficult time voting to support this because it'll effectively be political suicide. And so we're going to continue to push on that. And it's starting to, I think it really is starting to resonate.

[Allison Gill]

I think it is too. And you know, this, you know, this is a great example of why we need to, you know, flip the House and get the house back in 2026. And in that vein, I want to thank you very much for modeling what a do something Democrat does because there, there have been some, you know, some things, whisperings going on with the base about how we need our representatives to stand up and do what's right and do something. And you're in that group and we really appreciate all the work that you're doing and all the attention that you're bringing to these issues, especially going into the next election cycle because it's going to be very important. We only need three to win and it's going to be incredibly important to have that check on this particular administration. But in that vein, you have recently written a letter about requesting information, demanding information about what's going on with the Epstein files. And I wanted to talk to you about that today. Can you talk a little bit about this letter? And what I think think you're getting at is something we kind of all know what, what the Republicans are up to with this.

[C]

Yeah. Last week was we, we heard the first about the Epstein files that we have heard in a couple months now when there was a undercover recording of the Attorney General talking about how many videos there are included in the Epstein files. And, and we went back and looked at some of the comments back in February that she made and that other Republicans made and they were gung ho and determined to, in the name of transparency, to release the full Epstein files. And after the first batch was released and it was clear that it was largely duplicative of public information, the Attorney General actually blamed the FBI and ordered the FBI director to provide her with all of the material within 24 hours and a report within 14 days about what happened and why there was not the full files that were released then. We don't hear anything much, but we then get Some reporting at the end of March that the FBI agents in the New York field office have, dozens of them, have been pulled off of their regular investigative duties, trying to protect the public from terrorism and gang violence and narcotics trafficking and securities fraud and public corruption to work around the clock to redact materials from the Epstein files. Now, I don't, I'm not saying they shouldn't be redacted. Anything with victims, anything with minors must be redacted. But what shouldn't be redacted is anything that has to do with accomplices or co conspirators or others who may have been involved in Epstein's massive child trafficking and sex trafficking scheme. And it was, it's just, you know, as a, as a former prosecutor and you know this saying, I don't really believe in coincidences. And it was, there are too many sort of red lights blaring about. All of a sudden, after the Republicans had been so determined to release this that they all gone, they'd all gone radio silent. Anna Paulina Luna from Florida was so obsessed with this, she was going to introduce a resolution on the floor and now she's gone radio silent. And then what we know is all of the various connections that Donald Trump had with Jeffrey Epstein. And so it begs the question, did Donald Trump or someone in the White House or some other agent or representative of his issue a kill order to the Attorney General not to release the Epstein files because it would be embarrassing or even potentially inculpatory, incriminating, related to, to Donald Trump? So I wrote a letter to refresh her recollection about what her promises were two and a half months ago and ask why she has not come through on those promises.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, well, I mean, in a television interview, when asked before the election if he would release the Epstein files, he was like, well, yes, well, it depends. We would need to take a look at that. We would need to see what was in them. And you know, we've seen the Twitter files, I mean, if, you know, transparent. I just wrote an article called Transparency my ass. Because, you know, he's gutted inspectors general, he's gutting FOIA offices, he's having behind closed doors interviews. Congress was really good at doing this kind of thing in the Biden impeachment inquiries where a guy is sitting in jail for making stuff up about those hiding doge under the executive office of the President. And these, these new in the Abrego Garcia case. And I wanted to ask you about this before I let you go because you were in a hearing today about this in the Abrego Garcia case, asserting, first of all, he tried to make up a privilege that doesn't exist called governmental privilege. But now he's asserting state secrets privilege about a bunch of stuff he's bragged about on social media with Bukele and Rubio and Caroline Levitt and Mark, you know, everybody. And then also a deliberative process privilege. And you know, the last time they went through that was with that Bill Barr memo that they lost out on and had to end up being revealed. So talk a little bit about your interaction with Secretary Noem about the Abrego Garcia case because the Supreme Court, as far as I'm concerned, ordered him to facilitate his return and he so far hasn't done anything despite saying that he could.

[C]

Well, it's not just as far as you're concerned. It is pretty clear from the plain text of the 9 nothing Supreme Court order. That's what they said. And then if that weren't enough, Judge Harvey Wilkinson, who is a venerable, esteemed, very conservative judge on the fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, issued a blistering and I thought spot on opinion which made the point, that is exactly the point I was trying to make today, which is that Kilmar Abrego Garcia may or may not be a member of Ms. 13. I have no idea. And frankly, the administration has no conclusive evidence. At least they have not presented any conclusive evidence. And so there's a process that you must go through to do that. Now, they admitted that they violated his due process rights. And so that's why the Supreme Court said, okay, well you have to at least do something to facilitate his return so that he can get due process. And that's exactly what Judge Wilkinson said. And so I was just asking, I thought what were pretty basic questions of the secretary that who, who gets to determine what the law is? The judges? Well, the judge said that it violated due process and he needs to be returned. You know, what are you doing? And well, we, we disagree. Basically. She said we disagree that we didn't violate due process or that it's just TFB that you, you know, he's now in El Salvador. And she said we handled it all appropriately. And I pointed out, well, no, the court specifically said you have not handled it appropriately. And then I went through Judge Wilkinson's opinion about how facilitate, the word indicates and requires some action. And so I just simply asked her what actions has she taken to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia? And she would not answer the question. And it's Very clear that they have done nothing, that they are trying to, in sort of an odd way, set this up as if. As if, you know, we Democrats are supporting terrorists, which, of course, is entirely besides the point. And that's how the. The questioning was finished with her. And I. She started accusing me of standing up for a terrorist. And I said, I'm not standing up for any terrorist. I'm standing up for up her due process. And that's what the Constitution requires, and that's what she is violating.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. And. And the way we determine if someone's a terrorist or a criminal or not here illegally is through due process. I think. I think I had said, you know, for example, if you go on trial and a jury of your peers convicts you on 34 felony counts and you're sentenced, then we can call you a criminal because you've had to process otherwise, you know, because I think their answer is, well, if he comes back, we're just going to deport him to a different country, bring him back, put him through his due process, and then do it properly. Nobody is saying he should be released or anything like that. I think the judges have been quite clear on that for the entire class of folks that are stranded in sea codes. So I really.

[C]

It may be the case, you know, and I don't know all the details, but in this particular case, there is an outstanding deportation order against him. There's also a withholding order saying he cannot be deported back to El Salvador. Now, traditionally, people who are deported are only deported back to the country of origin. So in previous administrations, that was essentially a permanent withholding of deportation because he had demonstrated a fear of. Of persecution if he were returned to El Salvador, if they can make the argument that some other country will take him. And there's nothing in the court record that says that he can't be deported to a different country. And so if that is what her argument is and that is what they plan to do, I'd have to examine it a little closer. But I'm not sure that's wrong. All we're asking for is follow a court order, and there's a reason for that, which. And followed the Constitution and due process because they are intentionally pushing the envelope as far as they can. They want to see how far they can go in effectively denying or defying a court order while denying that they are doing it. And It's Donald Trump's M.O. as you said, when he was asked about the Epstein files.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

Well, we should. We should release them, just like he said. During the Mueller investigation. Oh, I would love to speak to the special counsel, but, you know, we'll see what my lawyers have to say. He never had any intention of talking to it. So what they say is, is worthless. It's what they do that we have to focus on.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, I agree. And I appreciate you too, for continuing your continuing work to bring what they do too light in these hearings. So thank you very much. And any final thoughts you want to send out to our listeners before I let you go. I know you've got a lot of votes and stuff today.

[C]

Yeah, no, I mean, the thing that's on my mind right now, and this is how fast, you know, everything happens here, is we had Secretary Noem in the committee this morning, and then I get out of committee and I see that Tulsi Gabbard has fired two very experienced intelligence officials who in the proper traditions of the intelligence community, evaluated the intelligence information and made an apolitical, nonpartisan determination that Venezuela was not actually behind or supporting trend, which is the entire basis for invoking the Alien Enemies Act. That, of course, goes undermines Donald Trump's view, as if he knows what the law is. And so he was upset about that. And so I learned today that Tulsi Gabbard, who's clearly just placed in there as a political hack for Donald Trump, fired those intelligence officials for doing exactly what they are supposed to do. And this is the administration that says that they won't politicize and weaponize government. Well, you have case in point of pure politicization. They didn't like what a career experienced official had to say, and it wasn't supporting Donald Trump's view. And so they fired him. It's just one thing after the next, after the next.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, it goes to the anti transparency situation I was talking about. We, because we saw that memo, a February 26 memo, and then Trump didn't like what the outcome was from the intelligence community, asked for another one, and then the April 7th one was somehow freed in a FOIA request. And I was like, ooh, somebody is going to be fired. And here we are. She's firing these intelligence officials. It's first of all monstrous because these people are stuck in this torture prison in El Salvador through no fault of their own, without due process and suffering irreparable harm every single day. And meanwhile, back in the courts, Donald Trump keeps putting off discovery and trying to, you know, elongate the problem and hide his agreement with Bukele from, from the courts. And we continue to see it day after day. And so, again, you're the work that you're doing. Really appreciate it, and I thank you very much for joining me today.

[C]

Thank you very much.

[Allison Gill]

All right, everybody, stick around. We'll be right back. Hey, everybody. Welcome back. I'm honored today to be joined by a board member of Guns Down America. We've spoken to Guns Down America before on this show. She works at Johns Hopkins Hospital, pediatric emergency medicine physician. And it is hospital week. And we're gonna talk a little bit about that and some of what the Trump administration is doing that endangers the lives of many Americans, including children, with their cuts, the cuts that they're making across the board. So please welcome Dr. Joanna Cohen. Hi, Dr. Cohen.

[D]

Hi. Thank you for having me.

[Dana Goldberg]

Allison.

[Allison Gill]

I'm so glad that you're here to talk to us today because, you know, we're facing a public health crisis. My main concern has, you know, first of all, always been what these kinds of cuts and if, you know, especially at hhs, nih, et cetera, are going to do, how they're going to hurt real Americans in real time. But I'm also very concerned about the fact that we might not get full reporting on the impacts because the reporting arms of these federal agencies are also run by this administration. So let's talk a little bit, first of all about Guns Down America. Again, remind everybody about what that organization does and your, your part in it. Yeah.

[D]

So Guns Down America is helping address the preventable deaths through gun violence by holding the gun industry accountable. So they're engaging with consumers and corporations to stand up for gun violence prevention. And I'm a board member for that organization, and I'm really proud of the work that they're doing to contribute to gun violence prevention.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. And I think it's, I mean, it's got to be incredible being on the front lines in the ER when you see gsws and the actual tangible effects and impacts of gun violence. Can you talk a little bit about that? Because I know a lot of listeners, I remember going back to, you know, in the wake of some of these mass shootings in Uvalde, for example, that a lot of these children can't even be identified because of the type of weapons that are being used, that DNA testing has to be relied upon in order to identify some of these victims of gun violence. And I imagine that you see that up front and up close and personal. Yeah.

[D]

So Uvalde was a very special circumstance because it was the shooter used automatic weapons. I was not involved in Uvalde at All but I had an interaction with a trauma surgeon who helped do some of the identification for them. And she said it was just horrifying just to see the bodies were. They didn't look like bodies. Everything just looked like mincemeat. And this is part of the reason that we're such strong advocates for regulation on automatic weapons and the use of bump stocks and other things that can create automatic weapons and put them in the hands of civilians. I have been fortunate to have not been involved in a pediatric mass shooting, but we do see a lot of gunshot wounds in children in the emergency room. About 32 kids in this country experience gun violence daily, and about seven children will die. But that leaves a whole bunch of children who will shot and not die and who will have lifelong disability and trauma related to their gunshot wound. That brings them back to the hospital over and over again for mental health concerns, substance abuse concerns, as well as medical concerns from the actual injury. So we have at least two patients that I can think of that I've seen fairly recently who are survivors and suffering lifelong disability from. From a firearm injury that left them both paraplegic, meaning they can't walk, they can't use their bladders and bowels normally, they have sexual dysfunction. They come to the emergency room for frequent urinary tract infections and pressure wounds and complications of their gunshot wound, which was, for both of them, was more than two years ago. And they're going to suffer with these problems for the rest of their lives. These are, These are long lasting injuries.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. And talk about how Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. What's he doing to help solve the problems? Because, you know, we. It seems like everything is being cut from, from just like health care benefits for this kind of ongoing care that's required to getting rid of the former Surgeon General's firearm violence warning. It seems like everything that this Secretary of Health and Human Services is doing is the opposite of combating this public health problem.

[D]

Yeah, 100%. And you know, I think you just asked me an impossible question when you asked me, what is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Doing to solve this problem? Kennedy has come out publicly and said that gun violence is not a public health emergency. And he recommends just enforcing existing laws, not enacting new laws. They did. In March of this year, the Trump administration pulled Vivek Murphy's firearm violence warning down from the website, saying that this isn't a public health crisis and they don't want to fund research around it. And there are numerous representatives like Diane Harshbarger Representative from Tennessee and others who are urging Kennedy to cut spending to the CDC and NIH around firearm violence. So what is he doing to help? Nothing that I can think of. Nothing good. Nothing good is coming out of this administration related to this issue that I can see. If anything, they're making the problem worse. They ended up the ATF zero tolerance policy for gun dealers who willfully violate the law. They've lost key career officials at the ATF who had a lot of experience with this issue. You know, and they really, you know, the Trump campaign took a lot of money from the firearm Industry Trade association and the NRA. I think the NRA gave him like $30 million or something to his campaign. And that, that, that came with some strings attached and we're going to see the effects of that.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, I think the only thing that the Trump administration and RFK Jr. Are helping is, is the gun industry. So let's talk about that a little bit. And your work on the board of Guns Down America to combat the aggressive marketing that we see from, from the gun lobby.

[D]

Yeah, I mean, the gun lobby is very powerful. They advertise to children as young as 10 years old. They are entirely exempt from consumer protections. In 2005, the protection, the PLCAA, the protection of Lawful Commercial Arms act was enacted. And so now firearms are the only consumer product in the United States that's not subject to federal health and safety regulations, which protects the gun industry from any lawsuits for negligent use or crimes that happen with their weapons. And you know, the ATF is really the only federal organization that has been, has substantial oversight over gun crime. And they're being gutted by the Trump administration. So, you know, what we're working on through Guns Down America really is looking at the way the gun industry perpetuates gun violence and their contributions. And how do we spread our message that, you know, that you are way safer without guns and to, you know, spread the word that, that this is propaganda that you're being fed by the gun industry. You know, and, and, and they're good at this. You know, they, the gun industry, they make money by selling guns. Right. So the more people they sell guns to, the more money they make. So they lobby for decreasing restrictions on ownership. They oppose any legislation that promotes gun safety or age controls on selling weapons. And the other thing that they do, which is really interesting that Everytown just did a big project on, is that they really promote the gun industry actively promotes right wing propaganda, hate based violence. They promote this because they incorporate their gun rights conspiracy theories into that ideology. And they encourage radical extremists to see efforts to regulate firearms as warranting a violent response. And so the thinking not only encourages decreased restrictions on firearm ownership, but also encourages firearm violence by feeding this right wing propaganda. And it's intentional. It's absolutely intentional. And it's to further their propaganda machine to increase profits.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. And that marketing campaign reminds me, I don't think it's a lot unlike big Tobacco back in the day.

[D]

Exactly.

[Allison Gill]

But at some point we reached a tipping point with big tobacco in this country and we need to reach that tipping point with guns and gun violence and gun research and to research it as a public health issue the way that we did with Big Tobacco. And that is kind of, you know, exactly what Guns Down America is working toward. And you know, as you have said, and as the previous person from Guns Down America who came on the podcast has said, the good news here is that this is preventable. We can work toward that tipping point. So can you talk a little bit about how this is preventable, what we can do and you know, as it dovetails with what Guns Down America is doing and how everyone can help Guns.

[D]

Down America, number one, talk to your local lawmakers. If you, you know, if you have a voting lawmaker, make your opinions be known. We want to hold the gun industry accountable. We want to advocate for engaging consumers and corporations to stand up for gun violence prevention. We want to support corporations that engage in gun violence prevention and we want to make people aware of the commercial determinants of gun violence, the sort of market forces that are making this problem worse. And you can find more information at our [e-mail] to find ways to support our campaign and other businesses that are engaged in this, this, in this activity.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, I would love to know which retailers, for example, are, are helping us in this fight. You know, we, we use a lot of apps here. Like, you know, there's a couple that show you where the MAGA owned businesses are in your area. There's a few that show who's donated what to whom. But it would also be great to, to, you know, go to gunsdownamerica.org and you know, find out who is good to support and who you probably want to kind of keep your dollars away from. I think that that' our dollars using our wallets here in the United States is a, is a real good way to get things done in some cases.

[D]

But that's great. That's exactly what you can find at the Guns Down America website.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. Love it. All right, everybody, again, that is gunsdown America.org for more information. Support them. Get the word out. Even just talking to your neighbors, your friends, your family, your community members about these initiatives and directing them to gunsdownamerica.org for what they can do to support them. This because you know, the polling shows over and over again that the people of this country just want common sense gun violence reform. And chances are the people in your community and your family, regardless of who they voted for, are probably on board with these initiatives too, if you, if you just position them in the right way. So thank you so much for joining us today. Dr. Joanna Cohen, it's been, it's been an honor.

[D]

Thanks for having me.

[Allison Gill]

All right, everybody, stick around. We'll be right back with the good news. Everybody, welcome back. It's time for the good news, everyone. Good news. And if you have any good news confessions corrections, especially pronunciation corrections, we, I probably need a couple today so we could use your support there. You could send that. And if you have a shout out to yourself or a loved one or a small business in your area or your small business or some great community activism happening where you are, we want to hear about that. Also shout outs to government programs that have helped you or a loved one, anything from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Affordable Care act, all The Way to Snap, WIC, Head Start, Section 8 Free School Lunches for kids. Talk about that. That really helped me growing up were those free school lunches. Then of course, great VA health care. You've and you know, any student debt relief. Those are always really, really great stories to hear if that's still happening out there in the world. And all you have to do to get your submission read on the air is pay your POD pet tariff, which means attach a photo of your pet or if you don't have a pet, attach an adoptable pet in your area. We'll see if we can find him a home. If you don't have that, any animal photo really is good. We're doing a lot of bird watching, which can be an actual photo of a bird or you and your family and friends flipping the bird to Trump and Musk Properties.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes, please.

[Allison Gill]

And if you don't have any of that, always, always feel free to include your baby pictures. So yes, please send it to [e-mail] and click on contact. First up, the good trouble anonymous submission that we just read before we had those interviews from she, her Greetings, ladies, leaders of the Illuminati. And you know, she went into the good trouble about the truth plus television coming up with woke moob non woke on demand movies. Whatever. As I now I'm like in my head trying to create non woke on demand movie scripts.

[Dana Goldberg]

I can't.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah like the Hallmark channel but like for Nazis.

[Dana Goldberg]

The point of movies is for social change most of the time. Yeah, I can't. I don't even know.

[Allison Gill]

No art please. No talent. Nope, nothing like that now. But we wanted to include her POD tariff that she attached to her good trouble. This is ladybug modeling part of a dance costume. She was a stray so I actually don't know what breed she is. This is what Anonymous says. She's quite sure she's a tiny ladybug though, regardless of what the scale says. Oh my God.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh my God. So sweet. Look at that fedora.

[Allison Gill]

I know. It's a bedazzled like that is something my mom would wear to Reno. I love this fedora. Oh my God. It's great. What a great document.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's fantastic. All right, this is from Nancy Pronoun. She and her dear bean Wonder Women. I used to get all my news from. Wait, wait, don't tell me. And that was enough. After the election, I realized I needed to stay on top of things and do my part to save our country. A friend recommended your podcast and I look forward to it every morning.

[Allison Gill]

Welcome Nancy, welcome.

[Dana Goldberg]

For 10 years I worked with Medicaid and SNAP approving people for benefits. You were doing the Lord's work, Nancy. There are a myriad of complicated regulations for these programs, many of which you can tell were a compromise on the Senate floor that caused petty restrictions in some areas that kept the programs going. Despite some of the stinginess and complexity of these programs, I have felt proud that our country provides food and medical care for those in need. I firmly believe that had I not been born into a white middle class family, my life would have turned out totally different. I could easily be without a job that covers the cost of living and possibly without a home. I would be on the other side of the desk asking for help. I also feel DEI is necessary to every aspect of our society to try to compensate for the implicit bias we have all if we grew up in the United States. And that is a truth ism, by the way. I'm adding that I now understand that thanks to an implicit bias training my employer provided, probably following diversity, equity inclusion requirements. I'm grateful that I received that training not to feel guilty, but to better understand what is happening and work toward change. It seemed like we were making progress with dei. We can't stop now. We need to fight to save dei, Medicaid, snap, and other social services that help improve the lives of the less economically fortunate in our country. I don't understand how the billionaires think, but I want to live in a country that, with all its flaws, at least tries to be humane. Thank you for your podcast and all you do toward these ends. I am sending a picture of wildflowers in the 11 mile long park that I'm proud our town continues to preserve. Oh, beautiful indeed.

[Allison Gill]

Every time I see a beautiful park, I think of Pawnee and Parks and Rec. I just love that show so much. Like, I expect, like, this beautiful photo. I expect to see, you know, the guy with the mustache trotting out like, what are you doing here? But that's fantastic. Dana, did I tell you about my interviewing process at the va?

[Dana Goldberg]

No.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, I used to. I set up this whole process at the va. I was like, we gotta strip our implicit bias from the interview process. So we set it up to where four. Four people would interview each candidate. One would be at the same level or position as the person being interviewed. One would be a direct manager, and two others. It had to be a diverse group. We stripped the candidates names and genders and ages out of their applications.

[Dana Goldberg]

Amazing.

[Allison Gill]

And we only did phone interviews so you wouldn't see them face to face. After we implemented that, I have to tell you. And it was all performance based, points based, very quantitative. Right. Like if you hit these two questions with actual examples, you got 10 points, et cetera. When that was implemented, 84% of the top candidates that were selected black women.

[Dana Goldberg]

Amazing. And not surprising, 4%.

[Allison Gill]

And so, of course, I have recently heard word that they've gotten rid of that interview process at the Department of Veterans affairs, at least where I was working. I don't know how far nationwide it spread. I know that it went to a couple of other networks and regions is what they're called, but I was very sad to learn that they think that that's dei, so.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, boy.

[Allison Gill]

Anyway, thanks for all the work that you did, Nancy. That's incredible. Next up, Emily. She her. Oh, my gosh, look at the kitties. Allison, you are curious about the breeds of my cats who were featured in yesterday's Good news. Bonnie sounds like Bonnie is mostly Persian. Dilute calico. Her name is Arabic for children of Jack, whose name means Jack. Back is a flame point rag doll. Ah, they're both my fluff. More fluff than actual volume. We fill Many vacuum bags. Yeah, girl. I know, I know. Our most ordinary looking calico cat, Nin, is named after the Mesopotamian goddess. I hope I'm saying that right. But her breed profile, based on testing is somewhat interesting. So I've included it, not surprisingly, with all that street cat cat. She's a bit hyper vigilant and has a formidable hunting instinct. I buy her many plush toy dogs. Dog toys. Oh, so she has things to kill. I like that. Look at these two cats.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God, they're very cute.

[Allison Gill]

And then look at this sweet baby. 17 Kenyan street cat, 16 Omani street cat. 12 Iranian street cat and 1% Egyptian street cat. But also 24 Persian it. Oh, wow. And then you got a little Kahamani and Burman in there. That's very cool. An American domestic cat and oriental long hair. Wow, that's a lot going on.

[Dana Goldberg]

It sure is. That's a lineage right there to make that cat.

[Allison Gill]

I know. Like how did the Kenya, Omani and Iranian and Egyptian cats meet up? Where did they meet up?

[Dana Goldberg]

I don't know. They hopped on a boat. Ship. Yep. They sure did.

[Allison Gill]

Oh my gosh. That's so great. Thank you for that. That.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right. This is from Ken. Pronouns he and him want to shout out. Two Wisconsin businesses. The first one is Managa Brewing Company.

[Allison Gill]

Yes.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. Managua and Madison. They have been dealing with literal legal attacks on the business from Oneida County. I don't know if I'm saying that one right, but I think I got the other ones. Penz Spices, Milwaukee. That's the second one. Check out some of their social media posts and offers. Penzies, P E N Z E Y S. Penzy Spices.

[Allison Gill]

Yes. I love both of these companies. We've had many, many good news submissions about all the amazing things in the community that Penzes and Minocqua are doing. And Managua is just being hit over the head by MAGA jerks like litigation wise and it's costing them a ton of money. So if you can check out Minocqua Brewing Company, they actually do need some help.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right. And pet tax is Maggie, a senior cat who was adopted last June after losing our 16 year old feral rescue normal orange and white shelter. Thought she was 77 vet and we think she's closer to 12. She has arthritis and gets monthly shots for it. That's made a lot of difference with her. I love how much people take care of their animals, their baby children, their fur babies.

[Allison Gill]

I'm actually. Look at all this incredible quilting that's happening.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, that's actually amazing.

[Allison Gill]

Like, this is. I have to ask Ken, who's the Quilter? Because that is beautiful work. And then look at the orange boy.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, that sounded very far ago. I have to ask Ken, who's the quilt?

[Allison Gill]

I had to ask, you know, who's the Quilter? Ken, I'm answering your questions.

[Dana Goldberg]

Growler needs a jump.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, he's running flee in the interview.

[Dana Goldberg]

Who's the Quilter?

[Allison Gill]

Ken, who's the quilter? This is incredible work.

[Dana Goldberg]

People were finding joy and laughter wherever we can.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, you get me into my Midwest mode, and it just doesn't stop up. Thank you so much for that. Next up, from E pronoun, she and her Hiya Beans Queens. Las Cafeteras is a band from East Los Angeles with many songs about resistance. My favorite at the moment is an oldie but a goodie. If I Was President, it has brought me to tears several times in the last few months. My heart is so heavy living under this administration, but I know I have to keep my head up and focus on the joy in that song because happiness is resistance. Ah, well said. We cannot afford to lose hope. Confession. It took me way too long to realize you're saying pronouns. I was mishearing. This submission is from Eva, pronounced she. Her.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God. Funny.

[Allison Gill]

Imagine my confusion. Podbet tax is a picture of my friend's current foster, Rocco. Such a good boy. Hope he brings you some happiness today. And we're going to have a link to if I Was President. Look at this. I love it. Oh, good dog. Thank you so much for that, Eve.

[Dana Goldberg]

Okay, we're on to Patty pronoun. She and her. Pronounced she and her. Yours is the best podcast ever. Keep up the good.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, all right.

[Dana Goldberg]

Did you guys hear the submission?

[Allison Gill]

Okay, good. I got. We have a good one.

[Dana Goldberg]

Everyone.

[Allison Gill]

We have won the best podcast ever. All right, tell Midas Touch. They're gonna be upset.

[Dana Goldberg]

Here's a shout out and fun news submission. This past Saturday, I attended the Basset Hound games in Irvine, California.

[Allison Gill]

What?

[Dana Goldberg]

Bogart. Of course. Bogart. The basset hound became a wonderful tale art. It was about 90 degrees there. I had no idea his tongue was so long. When we were leaving, I had the fun honor of running into this brilliant person. Oh, she was there with her sweet Basset hound. My apologies. I don't know if I just called Bogart a basset hound. Can we start all that over?

[Allison Gill]

I think Bogart's a basset hound.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. Okay. Yeah, we're not starting jack shit over. I got that right. The first Time.

[Allison Gill]

I mean, I had no idea Bogart's tongue was so long. I mean, I'm not sure you would want to. I hope Bogart's a basset hound.

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm gonna gather myself and continue. The shout out is to my niece. She's a type 1 diabetic and needed a way to store her pump. Her product is called skirtmypump. We're giving you a link to this skirtmypump.com. all right. It actually has a few uses. I'm including a picture of Bogart, the basset hound, with his artwork. Me and the possible future governor of California. And me, about 70 years ago. 86. 47. As soon as possible.

[Allison Gill]

Okay. So they put paint on the dog's tail, and then the dog uses their tail to paint.

[Dana Goldberg]

By the way, there's a picture, a beautiful picture with her and Katie Porter. And I love Katie Porter. Patty, this picture of you and Katie Porter is fantastic.

[Allison Gill]

Look at that. And then look at her. 73 years ago.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my goodness.

[Allison Gill]

Look at the baby.

[Dana Goldberg]

Look at the hair.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, my God.

[Dana Goldberg]

I love it. I love it.

[Allison Gill]

Okay. Bogart's adorable. Yeah, that tongue, that right out the side of the mouth. Very Basset Houndy. Thank you so much, Patty. Next up, Katie. Hello, my Leguminati friends and family. First and foremost, I'd like to give a shout out to DG. I've learned so much from Dana about everything LGBTQ. When my 14 year old grandson and I were chatting last weekend, he mentioned that he got in trouble at school for standing up for himself. Himself. Apparently a kid called him the f slur and he reacted. He got in trouble, but didn't the name caller did not. And I'm pissed. Very nonchalantly he said, you know I'm bi, right? And I didn't know. I tried to channel Dana and AG's wisdom and quickly found myself saying, I'll love you no matter how you identify. I hope you know that. And he said he did. And then I added, at some point you'll need to choose though, because otherwise you're just a greedy whore. And he laughed so hard afterwards, I questioned myself, should I have said that joke? I'm gonna say yes. It was lighthearted and it gets my. He gets my humor. So no foul. I hope we have preferred you both being here to help me navigate this.

[Dana Goldberg]

I just wanna say before you go on, if there's any listeners right now that are taking offense to that joke, it was very specific to the submitter and their child, so please keep that in mind. I know that joke wouldn't work for everybody, but they're having their moment and it was okay within that in that relationship.

[Allison Gill]

Katie was joking. She doesn't really think that what you're getting at. Next, huge shout out to Ag, who has gotten me through the toughest times of my life. Losing my three adult children to Joe Rogan.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, man.

[Allison Gill]

Haven't seen her talk to them in five years. Losing my mom to Covid.

[Dana Goldberg]

No, man.

[Allison Gill]

And then passing, the passing of our bestest boy, Bentley, who lived to be 14 years old. So your words mean a lot. I just have one shout out left, and that's to me. Yes, I'm going to shout out me, who will be 61 and tons of fun on Saturday, May 17th. Last year, my whole family forgot my birthday. Yes, it was a milestone birthday. I turned 60 and everyone forgot. It still stings. And I can't believe another one is coming soon. I would love to hear Happy Birthday, Katie, from as many of the Leguminati as possible. Be a mensch. Learn that word from Dana. And please send birthday vibes.

[Dana Goldberg]

You ready, Ag? One, two. One, two, three.

[Allison Gill]

Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Katie. Happy birthday to you.

[Dana Goldberg]

And that was the boring version. So. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Happy birthday, birthday to you.

[Allison Gill]

Nice. I'm gonna see they might be giants tonight they sing the song. You're older than you've ever been. And now you're even older. And now you're even older. And now you're even older. You're older than you've ever been. And now you're even older. And now you're older still. So happy birthday.

[Dana Goldberg]

There you go.

[Allison Gill]

Katie, look at these three beautiful dogs. Oh, no.

[Dana Goldberg]

They are so sweet.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, my gosh. We have. No, wait. I. I scrolled up for some reason. Oh. Because we were done.

[Dana Goldberg]

We've had that.

[Allison Gill]

That's why. That was the last one, right?

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. Okay. All right. I got it.

[Dana Goldberg]

It's fine here, people. We've got everything under control.

[Allison Gill]

We did peel back the curtain and see what really goes on at the Daily Beans.

[Dana Goldberg]

Chaos, mayhem. No one knows what they're doing.

[Allison Gill]

I just have to let everybody know that I woke up Yesterday morning at 5 in the morning with a song in my head and I couldn't place what movie it was in. And it wouldn't leave my head because, you know, I've got a little bit of a PTSD issue and a little OCD issue and it just over and over, all day in my Head. And I kept trying to figure out. I even went over to my best friend's house to sing the song and do the dance that I thought was happening in the movie in my head. And no one could figure it out. And I just want everyone to know. At 10 o' clock at night, I was laying there. I went to bed at like 9 and I was laying there and. And this song was in my head over and over again, again. 10 o' clock shot up out of my seat and I said it was Glenn Headley. It was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh my God.

[Allison Gill]

I felt like I had just solved all the calculus, all of it. And so I went to bed and I have never slept better in my life. But anyway. Yeah. If you haven't seen Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the dance club scene with Glenn Headley and Michael Caine.

[Dana Goldberg]

So good.

[Allison Gill]

Fantastic.

[Dana Goldberg]

May I please go to the restroom?

[Allison Gill]

Yes.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you.

[Allison Gill]

May I take your trident, sir? Rubric? Yeah, it was the. And. And I had it in my head. I was like, it's 80s, it's a dance, there's a dance. But they're not kids. I don't know what's going on. I was going to absolutely out of my mind trying to get this song out of my head. And I did it. I just want to let you all know. Well, that's my good news. All right, everybody, we'll be back in your ears tomorrow. Thanks so much to Dr. Cohen and thanks so much to good old representative Dan Goldman doing the real work in that hearing today. We talked about him taking apart secretary Kristi Noem on Abrego Garcia. So appreciate him coming on. Do you have any final thoughts, my friend?

[Dana Goldberg]

I do today as we're recording this on May 14 is the third anniversary of Urvashi Vayed's passing. And I just want to give a shout out to Urvashi and all of the incredible change she made in this world. If you're not familiar with Urvashi, her name is spelled U R V A S H S H I. Excuse me. Her last name is Vayed V A I D. She is the dear partner of our Kate Clinton, one of my colleagues. And Ervishi was incredible. If you're not familiar with her, you really should look her up, read something she wrote, honor her life and the third year anniversary of her passing. We miss you very much.

[Allison Gill]

Thank you so much for that. Yeah. If you aren't familiar, get familiar. Truly incredible writer.

[Dana Goldberg]

She is also the aunt of Alok. If you're familiar with Alok the non binary poet comedian as well and just incredible human being. Actually I'm not sure if Alok identifies as trans or non binary, so I apologize for that, but I believe it's they them pronouns. Alok is amazing and is the herba, Shivayed is their aunt. So the the incredible eloquence runs in the family. I'll just say that you should look up both of these people that will change your life.

[Allison Gill]

Effy Fantastic. Thank you so much my friend. We'll be back on your ears tomorrow everybody. Until then, please take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, take care of your mental health and take care of your family. I've been ag. I've been DG Them's the the Beans the Daily Beans is written and executive produced by Allison Gill with additional research and reporting by Dana Goldberg. Sound design and editing is by Desiree McFarlane with art and web design by Joelle Reader with Moxie Design Studios. Music for the Daily Beans is written and performed by they Might Be Giants and the show is a proud member of the MSW Media Network, a collection of creator owned podcasts dedicated to news, politics and justice. For more information Please visit msw media.com msw media.