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Downward Spiral - The Daily Beans | Wave AI Podcast Notes

Downward Spiral

Mon Jan 19 2026

Monday, January 19th, 2026 Today, the Pentagon is readying 1500 troops for deployment to Minneapolis; newly released police communications show Jonathan Ross was not seriously injured when he murdered Renée Nicole Good; internal communications show major concern among CBS employees about the report that Ross had internal bleeding; DHS is seeking to deport the two men who witnessed the guard murder a detainee at the Fort Bliss concentration camp; Trump just pardoned a meth dealer and pardoned a pair of fraudsters for a second time; Trump threatens tariffs against the EU over Greenland; a judge has entered a preliminary injunction against ICE in Minneapolis; another judge protects noncitizen academics; massive demonstrations in Greenland tell trump to get out; the Virginia legislature passed their redistricting amendment; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News.

Summary

The Daily Beans: "Downward Spiral" — January 19, 2026

Podcast: The Daily Beans (MSW Media)
Hosts: Allison Gill (“A.G.”) & Dana Goldberg
Episode Theme:
The episode delves into the intensifying political crisis in the U.S. under President Trump’s second term, marked by federal deployments against states, ICE abuses, controversial pardons, and global backlash against provocative U.S. actions, especially regarding Greenland. Amid serious reporting, hosts blend outrage, analysis, and their signature snark, followed by an uplifting “good news” segment with listener shoutouts.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. Pentagon Deployments & the Insurrection Act (02:20 – 05:05)

Pentagon Readies 1,500 Troops for Minneapolis:
The Pentagon prepares active-duty battalions for possible deployment to Minnesota, as Trump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to unrest.
- Quote, Allison Gill (03:43):
  “Yeah, it's real prudent to invade Minnesota.”
Minneapolis Mayor’s Response:
Mayor Jacob Fry accuses the federal government of attempting to “bait protesters,” saying,
- Mayor Fry (quoted by Allison, 04:16):
  “We're not going to give them an excuse to do the thing that clearly they're trying to set up to do right now, which is these 1500 troops… I never thought in a million years that we would be invaded by our own federal government.”
Legal Pretext & DOJ Tactics:
DOJ is investigating local officials for “impeding law enforcement,” language aligned with the Insurrection Act, rather than citing a fabricated injury to federal agent Jonathan Ross—likely to avoid court scrutiny.

2. Police Killing of Renee Nicole Goode & Cover-Up Allegations (05:05 – 07:16)

EMS Reports Contradict Official Narrative:
Newly released reports show that Goode was still alive when paramedics arrived, but was denied care and blocked by law enforcement.
- Memorable exchange (06:53):
  - AG: “She did. He could have started CPR minutes early.”
  - Dana: “He could have. He could have tried to put pressure on wounds. So much could have been done.”
  - AG: “Yeah, agreed.”
No Evidence ICE Agent Was Injured:
No EMS or hospital records support claims officer Ross suffered "internal bleeding," yet CBS reported this based on anonymous sources; internal CBS emails reveal skepticism and editorial dissent.
- Quote, CBS staffer (09:20):
  “It was viewed as a thinly veiled, anonymous leak by the Trump administration to someone who'd carry it online… felt to many here like we're carrying water for the administration's justifying of the shooting to keep our access to our sources.”

3. Judicial Pushback Against Crackdown on Protesters (10:01 – 11:37)

Federal Judge Issues Injunction:
Judge Catherine Menendez stops federal agents from pepper spraying, detaining, or pulling over peaceful protesters in Minnesota during “Operation Metro Surge.”
- Dana Goldberg (10:47):
  “You're not allowed to do that.”
Broader Legal Fight Looms:
Allison notes that much will depend on whether the Supreme Court rules that filming or observing ICE can be classified as “forcibly impeding officers.”

4. International Fallout: Trump’s Tariffs & Greenland Stand-Off (11:37 – 13:42)

Eight European Countries Rebuke U.S. Tariffs:
In retaliation against Trump’s 10% tariffs, allied countries send strong warnings, stating these moves “undermine transatlantic relations” and risk a “dangerous downward spiral.”
- AG (12:47):
  “The unusually strong statement from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany and the UK, The Netherlands and Finland said troops sent to Greenland for Operation Arctic Endurance pose no threat to anyone.”
- Sen. Mark Kelly, quoted (13:18):
  “The damage this president is doing to our reputation and our relationships is growing and making us less safe.”

5. Trump Pardons: Cronyism & Corruption (13:42 – 15:48)

Pattern of Political Pardons:
Trump pardons the son of a GOP congressman convicted of meth distribution and re-pardons two fraudsters, one with alleged ties to super PAC donations.
- Dana Goldberg (15:39):
  “Oh, maybe someone gave Trump $3.5 million to something, one of his PACs. Yeah, this is a pay for play. They are buying these.”
- Alison Gill (16:02):
  “It’s Trump sitting at a table and he’s like, pardons $3 million and it says change my diaper at the bottom.”

6. ICE Moves to Deport Witnesses to Detainee Murder (16:04 – 17:45)

Deportation of Key Witnesses:
DHS tries to deport two men who witnessed the killing of a detainee at Fort Bliss and whose testimony contradicted official accounts.
- AG (16:27):
  “So they are now working to deport the two witnesses to this murder.”

7. Judicial Protection for Noncitizen Academics (17:45 – 19:23)

Judge Calls Out Authoritarianism:
Republican-appointed Judge William Young issues an order protecting noncitizen pro-Palestinian academics, decrying the administration’s “unconstitutional conspiracy.”
- Judge Young, quoted (18:09):
  “The big problem in this case is that the cabinet secretaries and ostensibly the president of the United States are not honoring the First Amendment.”

8. Greenland Protests Against U.S. Intervention (19:29 – 20:28)

Massive Demonstrations:
Greenlanders rally in large numbers – a rare event in the sparsely populated nation –, waving flags and carrying signs like “No means no” and “Yankee go home.”
- Allison Gill (19:43):
  “Some people openly cried in the rain in a protest in Nuuk, the capital… a rare sight in a city of fewer than 20,000 residents.”

9. Virginia Legislature Advances Redistricting Reform (20:28 – 21:43)

Democratic-Controlled Legislature Acts:
Virginia Senate passes an amendment to allow for mid-decade redistricting; the initiative now heads to a public vote.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On federal deployment:
“I never thought in a million years that we would be invaded by our own federal government.” – Mayor Jacob Fry, quoted by Allison Gill (04:16)
On official ICE narrative:
“What really bothers me is hearing these very specific details… She was technically still alive… and they fucking blocked her. That's what makes me so angry.” – Dana Goldberg (06:18)
On pardons:
“This is a pay for play. They are buying these [pardons].” – Dana Goldberg (15:39)

Timestamps for Key Segments

[02:20] Pentagon deploys troops to Minneapolis, Insurrection Act pretext
[05:05] Paramedic reports on Renee Nicole Goode’s killing
[07:16] CBS internal dissent on ICE shooting narrative
[10:01] Judge blocks retaliatory action against protesters
[11:37] Trump’s tariffs over Greenland; international backlash
[13:42] Series of Trump’s controversial pardons
[16:04] ICE seeks to deport witnesses to Fort Bliss murder
[17:45] Reagan-era judge rebukes Trump’s anti-academic crackdowns
[19:29] Greenland’s mass protests
[20:28] VA legislature passes redistricting amendment

Tone & Style

Mix of righteous outrage, sharp skepticism, and dark humor.
Hosts maintain a sense of empathy and urgency, while leveraging their community to take action or support advocacy.
Frequent shoutouts to listeners, use of profane or snarky asides.
Quick pivots from grim topics to moments of levity.

Listener Engagement: Good News Segment ([26:43]–End)

The final portion of the episode (“the good news”) features:

Listener shoutouts to activism, milestones, and personal victories.
Calls for “good trouble” (e.g., encouraging protests of performances at Trump venues).
Heartfelt stories about family, new jobs, pet photos, and recovery.
Community and solidarity, with hosts reading and celebrating submissions.

Example Quotes:

“Please help with good trouble. American Ballet Theater has upcoming performances at the Trump Kennedy center… Please call them and ask them to cancel.” – Listener Kathy (28:24)
“I found a job in my desired area, in my desired industry for more money than I asked for. Rock on, Mark.” – Listener Mark H. (29:33)

Conclusion

Summary:
“Downward Spiral” presents an unflinching look at government overreach, media collusion, official cruelty, and the potential for lasting democratic and international damage. AG and Dana dissect these crises with characteristic urgency and humor, while elevating grassroots resistance and community resilience in the face of growing authoritarianism.

Action Items:

Stay informed through independent media.
Resist intimidation and defend civil rights.
Celebrate small wins and solidarity within activist communities.

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Transcript

Martin Sheen (0:00)

It's Sunday morning and that wonderfully relaxed feeling of a long, lazy day lingers in the air. If you want to make the moment last, may I suggest the perfect solution? The Martin Sheen Podcast. Join me, your host, Martin Sheen, for beautifully crafted 20 minute programs filled with never before heard stories of my life, along with personal reflections and poetry that inspires. The Martin Sheen Podcast is the perfect Sunday refresh. A chance to take a deep breath, relax and know that the stress of Monday may be just around the corner, but not here, not now. So make this your weekly moment of calm as we explore faith, hope, love, and what it means to be human. And know this, this journey is ever unfolding as I invite you to see what's next with me, Martin Sheen.

Alison Gill (0:54)

And thank you, MSW Media. Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Monday, January 19, 2026. Today, the Pentagon is readying 1500 troops for deployment to Minneapolis. Newly released police communications show Jonathan Ross was not seriously injured when he murdered Renee Nicole Goode. Internal communications show. Major concern among CBS employees about the report that Jonathan Ross had internal bleeding. DHS is seeking to deport the two men who witnessed the guard murder a detainee at the Fort Bliss concentration camp. Trump just pardoned a meth dealer and then pardoned a pair of fraudsters for a second time. Trump is threatening tariffs against the EU over Greenland. A judge has entered a preliminary injunction against ICE In Minneapolis, another judge is protecting noncitizen academics. Massive demonstrations in Greenland. Tell Trump to get out. And the Virginia legislature passed their redistricting amendment. I'm Alison Gill.

Dana Goldberg (2:15)

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

Alison Gill (2:20)

So much news over the weekend.

Dana Goldberg (2:23)

My gosh. So, so much. And it's good to be back with you, though. How was your weekend? Outside of the horribleness that is going on in this world? You doing okay, my friend?

Alison Gill (2:32)

Yeah, I'm doing okay. I had half a day off on Saturday. It was nice.

Dana Goldberg (2:36)

Nice.

Alison Gill (2:37)

I watched some football and then a Downton Abbey movie with my friend. That's awesome. Yeah. We also have a new episode of Unjustified out with me and Andy McCabe. You can find that wherever you get your podcasts. It's free to listen and subs. And there's a new episode of the Breakdown, my show over on the Midas Touch network. You can find that at Mueller She Wrote dot com. So check those out. We have a lot to get to today, so let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up from the post, the Pentagon has ordered about 1500 active duty soldiers to prepare for A possible deployment to Minnesota. That's according to defense officials who spoke to the Washington Post late Saturday after Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection act in response to unrest there. The soldiers are assigned to two infantry battalions within the Army's 11th Airborne Division, which is based in Alaska and specializes in cold weather operations. The army placed the units on prepare to deploy orders in case violence in Minnesota escalates, according to officials, characterizing the move as, quote, prudent planning. Yeah, it's real prudent to invade Minnesota. It's not clear whether any of them will be sent to the state, but some of those officials spoke to the Washington Post on the condition of anonymity. As we know, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry on Sunday called the federal government surge of immigration enforcement officials and the possible deployment of active duty soldiers an attempt to bait protesters in the city. Quote, we're not going to give them an excuse to do the thing that clearly they're trying to set up to do right now, which is these 1500 troops. That's what Fry told CNN. I never thought in a million years that we would be invaded by our own federal government. Now, the Insurrection act, as we know, is a federal law dating to 1807 and it permits the president to take control of a state's National Guard for or deploy active duty troops domestically in response to rebellion. Now I spoke with Steve Vladek, who's an expert on this@muellershirote.com you can listen to that conversation about the Insurrection Act. And I talked about the pretext to invoke the Insurrection Act. On the breakdown, you'll notice that the Department of Justice is now investigating Walls and Fry for, quote, impeding law enforcement, which is language, Dana, directly from the Insurrection Act. They don't want to use the made up injury to Jonathan Ross who murdered Renee Goode because they'd have to hand over all their evidence in court once they're sued to block the Insurrection Act. And they're desperately trying to hide that evidence. As we know that makes sense.

Alison Gill (7:16)

So I wonder if he. If they even asked him, like they. There was nothing in any of the reports that they rendered aid to him. And like you said, they took him to the federal building. All right, next up from the Guardian, some CBS News employees expressed concern. That's one way to put it. After the network cited two anonymous U.S. officials on Wednesday to report that the ICE officer who murdered Renee Nicole Good, quote, suffered internal bleeding of the torso after incident. CBS initially published the account about Officer Jonathan Ross on Twitter. About 30 minutes later, the network followed up with another post containing a link to an article by two correspondents that similarly cited, quote, two U.S. officials briefed on his medical condition. The report, which was not extensively covered by other news organizations, drew an immediate response on social media from critics who questioned the network sourcing and whether it aligned with the Trump administration's preferred focus, AKA bullshit story. But there was also internal skepticism at the network about this reporting. According to emails viewed by the Guardian, it was met with, quote, huge internal concern by some. That's one CBS News staffer said that others viewed the conversations as standard editorial discussions. And before the original report was published, a medical producer at the network suggested in an email to his colleagues that, quote, it would be helpful to ask what type of treatment he received and, and whether the officer received surgery or any other type of procedure. And in another email, an executive expressed skepticism about the broad nature of the medical diagnosis and what it actually entailed. Quote, I'm no doctor, but internal bleeding is a very broad term and can range in severity. That's David Reiter. He said a bruise is internal bleeding, but it can also be something serious. We do know that the ICE agent walked away from the incident. We have it on camera. The network's story noted that, quote, videos from the scene showed Ross walking away after the incident. The network's top editor, Barry Weiss, expressed a high level of interest in this particular story on an editorial call Wednesday morning. According to staffers, quote, there was big internal dissension about the internal bleeding report here late last night. That's what the CBS News staffer, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said, quote, it was viewed as a thinly veiled, anonymous leak by the Trump administration to someone who'd carry it online, unquote, quote, felt to many here like we're carrying water for the administration's justifying of the shooting to keep our access to our sources. That's what a second network staffer said, who was also not authorized to comment. Yeah, duh. So I'm glad that some of this reporting about massive internal dissension about that story happened.

Alison Gill (11:37)

Yeah. And this is all going to come down to whether the Supreme Court at some point decides that filming officers observing ICE agents or warning your neighbors of the presence of ICE agents is somehow forcibly impeding officers. That's what this is going to come down to. That's the main question that's going to have to get answered now as we await the tariff ruling from the Supreme Court. This comes from The Associated Press. Eight European countries targeted by Trump's 10% tariff for opposing American control of Greenland. They blasted the move on Sunday, warning that his threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. The joint statement by some of America's closest allies signaled a possible turning point in the recent tensions over sovereignty and security, nearly 24 hours after Trump's threat. It was also the most forceful rebuke of Trump from the European allies since he returned to the White House almost a year ago. In recent months, Europeans have mostly opted for diplomacy and flattery around Donald Trump, even when seeking to end the war in Ukraine. Sunday's statement, as well as some European countries sending troops to Greenland for Danish military training exercises, appeared to be a step away from that. Let's flatter him and hopefully he'll leave soon. Strategy. The unusually strong statement from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany and the UK uk, The Netherlands and Finland said troops sent to Greenland for Operation Arctic Endurance pose no threat to anyone. Now U.S. senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, said Trump's threatened tariffs on US Allies would make Americans pay more to try to get territory we don't need. He went on to say troops from European countries are arriving in Greenland to defend the territory from us. Let that sink in. The damage this president is doing to our reputation and our relationships is growing and making us less safe. If something doesn't change, we will be on our own with adversaries and Enemies in every direction.

Alison Gill (21:43)

We'll see what happens. Everybody, we have some good news we have to get to, but we have to take a quick break, so stick around. We'll be right back after these messages. We'll be right back. Hey, everybody. This episode is brought to you by IQ Bar, our exclusive snack and hydration sponsor. IQ Bar is the better for you. Plant protein based snack made with brain boosting nutrients to refuel, nourish and satisfy hunger without the sugar crash. And right now, IQ Bar is offering you an exclusive deal. 20 off all IQ Bar products plus get free shipping. Just text Daily Beans to 64,000. The new year is my favorite excuse to hit the reset button on all my habits. And IQ Bar has been my fuel for that fresh start. It helps me stay consistent when motivation disappears. And what I love is how it helps me feel ready for whatever the day throws in at me physically and mentally without a bunch of extra ingredients to second guess. IQ Bars, protein bars, hydration mixes and mushroom coffees are clean, label certified and contain no gluten, no dairy, no soy, no GMOs and no artificial ingredients. This is perfect for me going out to the protests. Okay, so in the morning I have the IQ Joe, which is 200 milligrams of clean caffeine and amazing delicious flavors. Way better than any drip flavored coffee I ever had. And then I put a couple of IQ Bars in my fanny pack and I take some of the IQ mix sticks with me so that I can get a bottle of water when I get on scene and dump these IQ Mix sticks into the water so I can get my electrolytes and my magnesium and get like rehydrated and refueled. So seriously, the sampler pack is the way to go. And it's just, it's everything that you need. So reset your routine and maximize your brain and your body's potential with IQ Bar products. Right now, IQ Bar is offering our special podcast listeners 20 off all IQ Bar products, including the Sampler Pack plus free shipping. So to get your 20 off, text Daily Beans to 64,000. That's Daily Beans all one word to 64,000. Text Daily Beans to 64,000. Message and data rates may apply. See Terms for details. Hey everyone. Is the litter box the worst part of Having a cat? Yes. It's the only bad part, actually. Absolutely, yes. I love my cats. I would do anything for them. But the litter box is the one daily chore that tests my character. And that's why I switched to Boxy Cat. Because it is a rare cat product that actually makes life easier instead of giving me another chore. So, thanks to our new sponsor, Boxy Cat, we have an offer for you.