Flags At Half Staff

Summary

The Daily Beans
Episode: Flags At Half Staff
Release Date: December 31, 2024
Hosts: Allison Gill & Dana Goldberg
Produced by: MSW Media

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1. Introduction and Key News Highlights

The episode opens with Allison Gill presenting a rapid-fire overview of the day's significant news events:

• Passing of President Jimmy Carter: At age 100.
• Donald Trump's Legal Setbacks: The Second Circuit Court of Appeals upholds a $5 million verdict against Trump for defamation and sexual abuse claims by E. Jean Carroll.
• U.S. Treasury Cyberattack: A major hack orchestrated by China.
• Special Counsel Jack Smith's Move: Handing off Trump's documents appeal case to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Florida.
• Biden's Ukraine Defense Package: Announced at $2.5 billion.
• Trump's Endorsement: Backing Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House.

Allison Gill (00:00):
"President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the $5 million New York Civil trial jury verdict that found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll."

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2. Death of President Jimmy Carter and National Mourning

Allison Gill delves deeper into President Carter's passing, emphasizing his unique legacy as the only U.S. president to graduate from the Naval Academy and having a submarine named after him. She outlines the planned memorial services and the extensive state funeral arrangements.

Joe Biden (06:22):
"I've spoken to some of the friends and family that are helping with the services, and my team is working with his family and others to see to it that he is remembered appropriately here in the United States and around the world."

Biden announced that U.S. flags will be flown at half-staff for 30 days at federal buildings and military installations. Additionally, an executive order declared January 9th as a national day of mourning, during which all federal departments and agencies will be closed except for those handling critical national security and public needs.

Dana Goldberg (07:04):
"I'm grateful that this happened before the next administration took office, because now Jimmy Carter will actually get the state burial that he deserves in this country."

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3. U.S. Treasury Breach by Chinese Hackers

The hosts discuss a significant cybersecurity incident where the U.S. Treasury Department was compromised by a state-sponsored Chinese hacking operation. The breach utilized third-party software to access Treasury employees' desktop computers, though only unclassified documents were reportedly accessed.

Dana Goldberg (08:09):
"The U.S. treasury has been hacked by China, using third-party software to access desktop computers of Treasury employees in what the department is calling a major incident."

Allison highlights the swift response from Treasury officials, including collaboration with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI to mitigate the breach and prevent further unauthorized access. A follow-up report is expected within 30 days.

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4. Biden Announces $2.5 Billion Ukraine Defense Package

In response to ongoing conflicts, President Biden unveiled a substantial defense aid package aimed at bolstering Ukraine's military capabilities against Russian aggression.

Allison Gill (12:48):
"The support will include both a $1.25 billion drawdown package for Ukraine's military and a $1.22 billion package authorized through the U.S. Department of Defense's Ukraine Assistance Initiative."

This assistance encompasses air defense artillery, critical weapon systems, artillery rounds, rockets, and armored vehicles. Biden emphasized the urgency of delivering this aid before January 20th to ensure Ukraine is well-prepared for the upcoming winter season.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (12:30):
"This support is crucial to stabilizing the front lines. Every additional supply from our partners means more saved lives of our soldiers."

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5. Trump Endorses Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House

Donald Trump has officially endorsed Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, for the role of Speaker of the House. This endorsement comes amidst a contentious and divided Republican caucus.

Allison Gill (13:35):
"In a lengthy post on his social media platform, True Social, Trump argued that the Republicans should not blow this great opportunity... to immediately govern, which would require Johnson to be swiftly reelected as House Speaker on Friday."

Mike Johnson (13:51):
"Thank you, President Trump. I'm honored and humbled by your support."

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6. House Speaker Election Drama and GOP Dynamics

The endorsement has ignited a fierce debate within the GOP. Elon Musk chimed in, expressing skepticism about Johnson's leadership:

Elon Musk (14:20):
"Who gives a shit? You're not an elected official."

Meanwhile, Rep. Thomas Massie voiced strong opposition to Johnson's candidacy, criticizing his legislative actions and questioning his commitment to conservative principles.

Thomas Massie (16:06):
"We've seen Johnson partner with the Democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget."

Other Republicans, like Rep. Andy Biggs and Rep. Victoria Spartz, expressed conditional support, citing concerns over Johnson's plans for federal spending and policy direction.

Victoria Spartz (16:44):
"We still need to get assurances that Speaker Johnson won't sell us out to the swamp."

The episode further explores the narrow majority within the House Republicans and the potential for prolonged conflict on the House floor come Friday.

Dana Goldberg (17:01):
"This is going to be such a fuckin' shit show."

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7. Wrap-up and Final Thoughts

As the episode nears its end, Allison and Dana reflect on the tumultuous year and the challenges ahead. They emphasize the importance of community, resilience, and continued activism in the face of political adversity.

Dana Goldberg (34:16):
"Just remember, this community is strong. We are fighting publicly. I'm going to be doing the same thing next year..."

Allison Gill (35:03):
"We will not stop fighting... 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."

The hosts conclude with a reaffirmation of their commitment to delivering progressive news with a blend of social justice and humor, encouraging listeners to stay connected and support one another as they transition into the new year.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Allison Gill (00:00):
  "President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100."

• Joe Biden (06:22):
  "We're going to do a major Service in Washington, D.C. that's a formal procedure that's underway."

• Allison Gill (07:26):
  "Congrats to E. Jean Carroll for not backing down like ABC did."

• Elon Musk (14:20):
  "Who gives a shit? You're not an elected official."

• Thomas Massie (16:06):
  "We've seen Johnson partner with the Democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget."

• Dana Goldberg (34:16):
  "Just remember, this community is strong. We are fighting publicly."

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Conclusion

In this episode of The Daily Beans, Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg navigate through a spectrum of pressing issues—from the solemn passing of a former president and national security breaches to contentious political maneuvers within the GOP. Their blend of insightful analysis, candid commentary, and moments of levity provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the current political landscape, all while fostering a sense of community and resilience.

Transcript

[Allison Gill]

MSW Media. Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Today, President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the $5 million New York Civil trial jury verdict that found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll. Congratulations to our friend Eugene. The U.S. treasury has been hacked by China. Special counsel Jack Smith has handed off the Trump documents appeal case to the U.S. attorney's office in Florida. President Biden has announced a $2.5 billion Ukraine defense package. And. And Trump has endorsed Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House. I'm Allison Gill.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[Allison Gill]

Hi, Dana. Welcome back, my friend.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you. And happy last day of 2024. My goodness, what a year. What a year. What a year.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. Can we just put it all behind it behind us? Leave it all here today and then tomorrow we'll have a really nice 20 days.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, I'm 19. Don't get crazy. 19. And then we'll all be freaking out on the 19th. So 18. We've got 18 good days of 2025. We're kidding. We're going to take care of each other, bring you a lot of laughter, obviously, the news, but we're going to keep each other sane through however many years is ahead of us. And there's going to be several, unfortunately.

[Allison Gill]

Yes. And thanks for listening. Thanks for being part of this community. It really is. It's pretty fucking magical, I got to say. It is. And I can't wait to get to the good news today also. So just a couple of quick things here. Jack Smith has handed the appeal in the documents case off to the local U.S. attorney's office. And Andy and I are going to discuss the implications of that on the next episode of the Jack podcast. And of course, the Second Circuit has upheld the $5 million case that E. Jean Carroll brought against Donald Trump for defamation and sexual assault. And Harry and I are going to go over that story along with the looming appeal on tomorrow's cleanup on aisle 45. Pod. Not sure if he's going to appeal to the en banc full panel of the Second Circuit or straight to the Supreme Court. We will see. And if we, if we know by tomorrow, we'll let you know. So just congrats to Aegean Carroll for not backing down like ABC did.

[Dana Goldberg]

Absolutely. No, I agree.

[Allison Gill]

Just, she knows what she's doing. Her attorney, Robbie is incredible. So I'm just very thankful for those women. And speaking of wonderful women, I had a Wonderful time at Steph Miller's this weekend. I got to hang out with Frangela and Paula Poundstone and Mark Hamill and of course, Steph Miller and Bonnie and Clyde, her two dogs, which are adorable.

[Dana Goldberg]

I was so bummed to miss it. I was out of town, as you know, and I'm so glad you got to go. We have such an incredible group of people in this part of our lives, and Steph's parties are always very enjoyable.

[Allison Gill]

Absolutely. Her house is amazing. And I hadn't met Bonnie and Clyde yet, so I was very thankful to get to meet those two little babies. They're so fucking cute, you guys. If you get a chance to go stock Steph Miller's like Instagram or social media accounts, you'll see photos of Bonnie and Clyde and they're just too cute for words. So, had a blast. Mark Hamill, just a men, just a. Just a gem of a man. Just told some of the most amazing stories. And to sit next to him and Paula Poundstone, who is just hilarious.

[Dana Goldberg]

It's a little mind blowing, isn't it?

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. I was just like, I can't. I'm not even gonna talk. I just want to listen to these two all night.

[Dana Goldberg]

A good laugh for you. Last time I went to a party at Steph Miller's, Lily Tomlin was there, Paula Poundstone was there, and someone said that Lily Tomlinson just received the Mark Twain Award. And Paula Poundstone goes, yeah. And Mike, Mark Twain gave it to her.

[Allison Gill]

Gosh, she's so funny. Yeah, those are. Those are great parties. So thanks, everybody. If you haven't. Also, if you haven't checked out Frangela's podcast, you must. It's. Yes, delightful. And of course, the Stephanie Miller Show. I think she's on SiriusXM. Progress. So check it out. Yeah, yeah. 127. Is that right?

[Dana Goldberg]

127.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, yeah. Same. Same channel as Fugal sang, huh? Yep, yep. You can hear it all. All right, we have a lot of news to get to everybody, so let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up from the Washington Post, we have lost a giant. Our only president to have graduated from the Naval Academy. There's a submarine named after him. Jimmy Carter passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Georgia this past Sunday. Memorial services for former President Jimmy Carter are expected to span several days and include public events in Atlanta and Washington. Carter's state funeral will be held January 9th at 10:00am Inside Washington National Cathedral after a procession from Georgia and A ceremony in which his body will lie in state in the Capitol, according to a news release from the Joint Task Force National Capital Region. Quote, I've spoken to some of the friends and family that are helping with the services, and my team is working with his family and others to see to it that he is remembered appropriately here in the United States and around the world. That's Joe Biden on Sunday night. Arrangements, quote, will take a little time. He added, we're going to do a major Service in Washington, D.C. that's a formal procedure that's underway. He ordered flags, U.S. flags, to be flown at half staff for 30 days at federal buildings, military posts, naval stations, and on all naval vessels. On Monday, Biden issued an executive order stating that all departments and agencies of the federal government will be closed on January 9, which he has declared a national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter. The heads of those executive departments will have the authority to determine whether some employees must still report for duty if they handle matters related to national security, defense, or other public needs. There will also be public observances in Atlanta that those details are pending. According to the Carter center, in 2023, Biden revealed that he had been asked by Jimmy Carter to deliver the eulogy at his funeral. The two presidents relationship dates back to when Biden, a first term US Senator from Delaware, was the first senator that endorsed Carter's run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976. Both men were considered relative outsiders to Washington. Carter's body, as I said, will lie in state in the Capitol rotunda after an invitation from Congress.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I will just say, obviously we are sad to see him go. His family is sad to see him go. But I'm grateful that this happened before the next administration took office, because now Jimmy Carter will actually get the state burial that he deserves in this country. And I do not think that would have happened.

[Allison Gill]

I'm willing to bet the flags flying at half staff for 30 days will be for 20 days.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

You remember Trump wouldn't order flags at half mast when Senator John McCain died.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

So. But he did actually. Trump actually put out not a horribly awful, as awful as I thought it would be statement on true social saying that he liked Jimmy Carter and he's, you know, sending thoughts to his fan. He didn't write it. Trump didn't write this. Obviously he's sending. Although he did manage to like interject himself into it. Like, US Presidents are part of a elite club, you know, kind of being. But I don't know, maybe he'll honor it, but I'm with Hugh. I'm very glad that he will get the full honors that he deserves.

[Dana Goldberg]

Absolutely. All right. This is from NBC. The U.S. treasury Department said a state sponsored Chinese hacking operation was able to use third party software to access the desktop computers of treasury employees in what the department is calling a major incident. In a letter seen by NBC News, Aditi Hardikar, Assistant Secretary of management of the U.S. department of treasury, wrote that the office was notified on December 8 of the breach. The letter is addressed to Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who we know and love and will miss in the Senate. Senator Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina. He's also the chairman and ranking member respectively of Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. Hardikar wrote that the U.S. treasury was told by, quote, a third party software service provider Beyond Trust that a threat actor had. I know, I'm sorry, I know. Beyond Trust that a threat actor had gained access to a key used by the vendor to secure a cloud based service used to remotely provide technical support for Treasury Department offices do end users. Now, with this access, the quote, threat actor was able to override certain security measures and access the department office user workstations. The information accessed by that, quote, threat actor was unclassified documents. The U.S. treasury has been working with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigations and other members of the intelligence community, as well as, quote, third party forensic investigators to fully characterize the incident and determine its overall impact. This is all according to the letter. In a statement to NBC News, a Treasury spokesperson reiterated the contents of the letter saying that, quote, the compromised Beyond Trust service has been taken offline and that there is, quote, no evidence indicating the threat actor has continued access to treasury systems or information. The spokesperson said the Department is working in coordination with other agencies, including, like I said, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to, quote, ascertain the impact of this incident. Treasury takes very seriously all threats against our systems and the data it holds. Over the last four years, treasury has significantly bolstered the cyber defense and will continue to work with both private and public sector partners to protect our financial systems from threat actors. This is all in the statement. Fellow agencies helped the US treasury deduce that the breach came from a Chinese hacker. Chinese hackers are behind this. And this is according to the letter. The letter states a supplemental report will be made available in 30 days. And just a fun fact. One, Aditi is a good friend of mine, actually. Aditi Hardikar. I'm so proud of her, what she has accomplished and where she's gotten into this government. And my favorite memory, I know this is not newsworthy, but is singing Total Eclipse of the Heart at karaoke on a cruise ship with Aditi before she became a federal government employee.

[Allison Gill]

Amazing.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, she's fantastic.

[Allison Gill]

Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie Tyler. It's one of my favorites. It's one of my faves. Wish I was there for that. And that is totally newsworthy, by the way. Next up, this is from Fritz Farrow at ABC News. President Joe Biden announced Monday that the United States would offer almost 2.5 billion billion in defense assistance to Ukraine, a move that will bring, quote, an immediate influx of capabilities as the country defends itself against Russia's assault. Quote, at my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine's position in this war over the remainder of my time in office. That's what Biden said in a statement. The support will include both a $1.25 billion drawdown package for Ukraine's military and a $1.22 billion package authorized through the U.S. department of Defense's UK Assistance Initiative. That's according to President Biden. The department has now used all funds allocated by Congress under that initiative, he added. So this is all the rest of the money getting out the door before January 20th. Prior to the announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the report the support would be significant for his forces fighting against the Russian invasion. Quote, this support is crucial to stabilizing the front lines. Every additional supply from our partners means more saved lives of our soldiers, he said on Sunday. He went on to say, we're also working to ensure that other partners maintain their support at a necessary level, kind of indicating that he knows that the U.S. support is going to go away on January 20th.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

The new support packages are expected to help the Ukrainian military with ongoing battlefield efforts, along with, quote, longer term supplies of air defense artillery and other critical weapons systems. That's what Biden said. The president added. He's, quote, directed my administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible, including drawing down older US Equipment for Ukraine, rapidly delivering it to the battlefield, and then revitalizing the US Defense industrial base to modernize and replenish our stockpiles with new weapons. The U.S. department of Defense will be delivering hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds, thousands of rockets and hundreds of armored vehicles to Ukraine, which Biden said will strengthen Ukraine's hand as it heads into the winter. So good News.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thanks so much Ag and from the Washington Post, President elect Donald Trump gave House Republican lawmakers a directive on Monday, days before what's expected to become an embattled speakership fight. Support Mike Johnson's reelection. That's what he is saying.

[Allison Gill]

This is going to be such a fucking shit show.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh my God, I can't wait. In a lengthy post on his social media platform, True Social, Trump argued that the Republicans should, quote, not blow this great opportunity, which we have been given all caps of course, by voters to immediately govern, which would require Johnson, who's the Republican from Louisiana, to be swiftly reelected as House speaker on Friday. Quote, speaker Johnson is good, hardworking, religious man. He will do the right thing and we will continue to win. Mike has my complete and total endorsement, says Trump. Johnson responded on social media. Thank you, thank you, thank you, President Trump. That's not what he said. He just said, thank you, President Trump. I'm honored and humbled by your support report as always. That's what he said shortly after blasting out Trump's endorsement via a press release. Together we will quickly deliver on your America first agenda and usher in a new golden age of America. The American people demand and deserve that we waste no time. Let's get to work. Well, multi billionaire Elon Musk, who has become an influential ally of Trump's and President by proxy, replied @2Johnson's posts saying the speaker also has his, quote, full support. Who gives a shit? You're not an elected official. Sorry. Musk issued that endorsement just weeks after expressing doubts, by the way, about Johnson's handling of legislation to fund the government. House Republicans have said for weeks that Trump would have the final say on whether Johnson keeps the gavel or is replaced. The President elect's endorsement is significant as it signals the House Republicans to stay in line and back Johnson, who began losing support from several corners of the GOP conference during negotiations on how to fund the government earlier this month. But not all Republicans are following Trump's directive, testing GOP's narrow, very narrow majority and foreshadowing a prolonged fight on the House floor Friday. Quote, I respect and support President Trump, but his endorsement of Mike Johnson is going to work out about as well as endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan. This is from Rep. Thomas Massie. He's a Republican from Kentucky, posted that on Twitter and went on to say, we've seen Johnson partner with the Democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans and blow the budget. So he's not doing this for the right reasons, but he is doing this to make the fucking problem.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

Musk responded to Massey saying his assessment of Johnson may be correct, but suggested giving Johnson a shot in the new year. Let's see how it goes. That's how Musk said. Others remained uncommitted to Johnson. Rep. Andy Biggs, he's the Republican from Arizona, told Fox News on Monday that he would like to talk with Johnson, quote, to see what his plans are on the budgetary concerns that he shares with many fiscally conservative lawmakers. Rep. Victoria Spartz, she's the Republican from Indiana, agreed with that posting that she and her colleagues, quote, still need to get assurances that Speaker Johnson won't sell us out to the swamp, end quote.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, she actually is holding him hostage. She's like, she tweeted a list of demands at him for her, like, this is. And they're all bad. Yeah, she's not doing it for the right reasons either, but, you know, she let him fight.

[Dana Goldberg]

Let him fight, let him fight.

[Allison Gill]

Yep, yep.

[Dana Goldberg]

Johnson's been calling holdout skeptical of his leadership over the past several days to understand how best to address their concerns. This is according to a person familiar with the matter, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to outline private and ongoing conversations. A handful of Republicans want Johnson to lay out a plan for how he'll guide the conference in tackling policy deadlines in the new year and later achieve Trump's legislative agenda while also cutting federal spending. Johnson needs the support of 218 lawmakers to be reelected. If all House lawmakers are present and voting for a speaker candidate by name, that support must come from his Republican conference. Given that Democrats, of course, are going to back Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrat from New York, for the role starting the year with just 219 seat majority following the resignation last month of statutory rapist Matt Gaetz, the Republican. I'm sorry, alleged statutory rapist Matt Gaetz from Florida. Johnson can lose support from only one republic, win the speakership. Massey has already pledged to vote against him, meaning that Johnson must win. All of the remaining Republicans, most notably, a speaker must be elected to swear in House lawmakers ahead of the certification of the 2024 presidential election on January 6th. Huh. The House will then face a deadline as soon as January 14th to raise the country's debt limit. That's according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Without such action, the federal government would need to take, quote, extraordinary measures to prevent the United States defaulting on its debt. That's what Yellen told Congress on Friday. So it'll be interesting to see what happens. It'll be interesting to see if any Democrats in the House of Representatives stand up and say, I'm challenging it. Who knows? Who knows what's going to happen?

[Allison Gill]

That'll be interesting.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

Because of the Electoral Count Reform act that we passed after what Donald Trump did. You now need one fifth of the House and one fifth of the Senate to vote, to object to certifying a state's votes. And then if you get a fifth of each House, then each House has to vote by a simple majority to block those votes from being counted. And you'd have to do that in enough states.

[Dana Goldberg]

Right. And I know it's not going to happen, but man, I tell you what, this, this whole thing's been in the works for a long time. Long time.

[Allison Gill]

Yep. Either that or they could pass legislation disqualifying him under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which is what the Supreme Court now requires since they decided to make another rule for the ages and say that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is not self executing, which is because it is. But you know, they've made a new rule because they're corrupt and they're jerks.

[Dana Goldberg]

Indeed.

[Allison Gill]

Yep. And then you would need a, I think a two thirds vote in each chamber to remove that disability to allow him to be president. I would like it if they tried to put a bill on the floor.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. Just so they, just so you can see Republicans vote against it and be on record.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. And it's kind of your job. I mean, you took an oath to uphold the Constitution and the Constitution requires you to, if you have to, you know, execute Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. It kind of says you have to. It's like, it's, you know, Dana, it's the same thing when we, when we voted for impeachment, even though we knew we weren't going to get a conviction.

[Dana Goldberg]

Absolutely.

[Allison Gill]

The reason was, is because it's our duty, we have to do it. We've sworn oath of the Constitution. So I would like to see them fight, put up a little bit of a fight. I'd rather see them step in the ring than not step in the ring at all. Even if it's a losing battle. But just my two cents. Anyway, thanks for that reporting. This is going to be such a shit show. And it happens. Friday, January 3rd is the first, the first day back. And that's also, by the way, when Rudy Giuliani gets to appear in front of Judge Lyman. Who's gonna, who's gonna Sanction him, I'm pretty sure because he keeps trying to not produce discovery in one of his. There's three contempt motions against that. So unbelievable. It's a Friday is going to be an interesting and interesting day and we'll be here for it. All right, everybody, we have some good news, but we have to take a quick break first, so stick around. We'll be these messages. We'll be right back, everybody. Welcome back. It's time for the good news. Who likes good news, everyone? Then good news, everyone. And if you have any good news at all, confessions corrections, especially pronunciation corrections, you can send them to us by going to DailyBeansPod.com and clicking on Contact. And you just need to pay your pod pet tax to make your submission, which means include a photo of your pet. If you don't have a pet, you can send us an adoptable pet in your area. If you don't have an adoptable pet in your area, you can send us a photo of any animal. What the hecwine opine on the bovine? What's the model of your axolotl? Any animal at all. And if you don't have any animal photos, you can send us your baby pictures because we absolutely love those. So please, if it's your baby picture, send it to us. And then of course, if you have a shout out, you can submit that instead of, you know, in lieu of good news, if you want to give a shout out to a loved one or a small business in your area that could use a boost or your small business, let us know what you're making and creating because we have so many great entrepreneurs that listen to this show and also shout out to government programs that have helped you or a loved one, like Medicare, SNAP, Section 8, Head Start, the PACT act that got passed thanks to Democrats, VA Healthcare that you've received that. That was good. Send it all to us. Including student debt relief. There were about another 55,000 people that got student debt forgiveness this past week or so. So if that, if you're one of them, send that story to us. We'd love to hear about it again. Dailybeanspot.com click on Contact. Look at this baby dog.

[Dana Goldberg]

I know.

[Allison Gill]

This is from Mike D. What's up, Mike D? Do you get respect? Is my cash in your jewelry what you expect?

[Dana Goldberg]

Sorry, that's my favorite Beastie Boy song.

[Allison Gill]

It's the best one, right? Oh, man, everybody knows it by heart too. You can go right onto Blue sky right now and said, here's a little story I got to Tell and everybody will.

[Dana Goldberg]

And we'll finish it.

[Allison Gill]

We'll finish it. Good morning, Ag and dg. By the way, the pronouns here are he and him. Just a little tip I use to figure out to whether to use me or I when I. When I do say this sentence without the other person in there and see which one is right. Yep, yep. For example, Ag, dg, and I are not eating fish for lunch versus me is not eating fish for lunch. Right. Doesn't make any sense compared to the fish ate ag, DG, and me for lunch. I is used when it is the subject pronoun and me when it is the object. Hope this helps keep up the good work trying to maintain our sanity. My friend and I Never miss an episode. Podtax is my daughter dog named Clover. She's a mix of a lot of stuff and we don't have the test to confirm, so whatever you guess is correct.

[Dana Goldberg]

We've got Healer, shepherd, bully. Did you say bully?

[Allison Gill]

Mm. Oh, looks like a piddle.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. Oh, I was like, the dog does not look like a bully. It looks really nice. That's why when you said bully, I was like, ew, what did the holidays do to you?

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, sorry, no cutie dog pebble. It looks like. Almost like it's got kind of like a schnauzer sort of face, right?

[Dana Goldberg]

Like, yeah, yeah.

[Allison Gill]

Adorable dog, regardless.

[Dana Goldberg]

Indeed. All right. This is from Corey. Pronouns he and him. I got to see John Oliver do stand up at the Kennedy center with my brother as a Christmas gift from my parents. He really is wonderful. We had a lot of fun. Corey, I love that you got to do that. I love me some John Oliver.

[Allison Gill]

He's amazing. You want to take the next one, too?

[Dana Goldberg]

You bet. This is from Melissa Pronouns. She and her. Hello, Queens of the legumes. Longtime listener here. Love, love, love the podcast and so grateful for what you guys do. I stopped watching and reading most news after November 5th, but I need my daily dose of the beans. I also still have my subscriptions to the Atlantic and my excellent local daily. I was a total news junkie before, but now I do more bird watching instead. Actually watching birds with binoculars. It's very relaxing. Comes to many of us over the age of 50. When I heard your call for bird watching, p ears perked up. And then I realized. You mean that kind of bird watching. I don't live near a tree rump property, thank God, but my stepdaughter in New York City took this for me of the T. Rump International Hotel in Manhattan. I think it's very artistic shot. While I'm here, some misheard lyrics from your jingle. When I first hear the podcast, I thought the words were news. Liz Waring.

[Allison Gill]

Liz Waring. Yeah, people. A lot of people think that.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep. And I thought why are they shouting out a non well known civil rights advocate from South Carolina? She was a badass by the way. Elizabeth Waring, champions of civil and human rights in South Carolina. There's going to be a link in the show notes in case anyone wants to read up more on Elizabeth and this this submitter said and I realized, oh, with swearing, that's the one for me. Thanks again for all you do. I know how hard work goes into podcasting.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, it's a lot of hard work, but I love it. And yeah, I'd love to see your actual birds through binoculars photos as well. Alyssa. And swear to God, like on my 50th birthday, downloaded the Cornell bird app, started my bestie got me binoculars and yeah, we started watching birds too. This is a very artistic shot.

[Dana Goldberg]

It is. It's very good.

[Allison Gill]

All right, got another bird watching submission from Pam Pronoun. She and her this picture was taken in November 2017. My future husband and I were on our first trip together in Chicago. We walked into her hotel room, opened the curtains and saw this. We immediately started flipping the bird and then knew we must memorialize the moment. I knew I really loved him on that day. We are in deep red Texas. No, we are in we are deep in red Texas and still hate that orange pig with the heat and fury of a thousand suns. Thanks AG and Dana for being awesome. Let's stick together and never stop fighting or telling the truth. Pam Deal and love this photo. It's like a. It's like a it's romantic and also fuck you Trump.

[Dana Goldberg]

Totally amen to that. This one's from Anonymous Pronoun she and her hi Beans Queens. I'm a watercolor artist and teacher in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and have been listening to the POD for a couple of years. Recently another artist friend of mine connected me with an artist downstate who turned her anger art after the election results into happiness art. Anger art into happiness art. She took her anger art just throwing paint and paper and cut it into 7 by 7 inch squares, sending them to other artists to create a paper quilt showing love and support for the LGBTQ+ community. I love the concept, sent her my piece and looking forward to seeing the finished quilt. Thought I'd share this cool project. This is really awesome and your piece is beautiful. I cannot wait to see when you get this back. Anonymous Please, please, please do not forget to send in a submission with the final product.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. Oh that's so amazing. What a great project. So thank you for sharing that. And yep, I'm with you 100%. Dano. I want to see the final product when it's done. Next up from cj Pronouns he and him hello. I'm a relatively new listener after finding your pod on blue sky. God, I love blue sky. And I've listened every day since. I love that. Not only can I hear new stories and join you in venting my frustrations about them, about, well, everything, but each episode ends with reminders of the goodness that is still in our world. With that in mind, my good news is that after a rough end to the year for all of us, I can reflect on all the great things that 2024 still brought me. My fiance and I both started new jobs that we love. I went to nine amazing concerts. I got to leave the country for the first time and explore Mexico. On that trip, I proposed to my now fiance. After five years together, we purchased our first home in Denver. I purchased a new electric vehicle thanks to Colorado's fantastic EV credits. And we adopted our two adorable kitties, Ben and Jerry. Shout out to the Aurora, Colorado Animal Shelter. Thank you so much for providing a welcoming place for me and so many others to spend our mornings learning, venting, and ultimately loving cj. My heart.

[Dana Goldberg]

So beautiful. What a lovely submission.

[Allison Gill]

Thank you so much. Welcome welcome to the Leguminati. Look at these babies, Cutie. So adorable.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right, this one is from Bethany Pronoun. She and her hello ladies of the Legumes. I keep hearing your calls for shout outs to government programs, including the aca. I hesitated to write in because my story isn't recent, but with the potential fall of the ACA on the horizon, I decided I should share the positive impact it's had on my life. As the ACA has been part of our lives for so long, I think it's easy for my Trump supporting family to forget to forget what life was like before it. Back in 2007, I was a freshman in college, struggling with all new challenges that came with it. I had been dealing with an eating disorder for years, but I convinced myself that college would be the fresh start I needed and that I'd be fine. I was wrong. The stress of college only amplified the eating disorder to the point that my school stepped in and told me I either had to take a semester off to seek treatment or be Forced to withdraw completely, I did the brave thing and called a few treatment centers to try to find care. I was nervously optimistic when I found one that told me they had a bed for me if I could be there the following week. The last hurdle Insurance approval. This was 2007 before the ACA. I've never forgot the devastation of being told that my insurance was refusing to cover my care because they deemed it a pre existing condition. I was only told that even if it wasn't considered pre existing, they wouldn't cover the residential level of care my doctor was recommending. Fast forward to a few years and the ACA passed along with the mental health parody protections and coverage for pre existing conditions. It was because of those protections that when I relapsed hard in 2020, I was able to access care. Thanks to that care, I'm in a relatively stable place with my mental health for the first time that I can remember. However, even as my mental health has improved, my physical health has become an ongoing struggle. Nearly three years ago, I woke up with what I thought was a typical migraine for me until it never went away. For the past three years I' had a persistent never ending migraine. It's not lost on me that this would be considered a pre existing condition should I have to switch insurance. I'm terrified about what could happen if insurance companies are allowed to strip away protections for pre existing conditions again. That said, I've been thinking a lot lately about how thankful I am for the ACA along with the mental health parody protections it provided. Learning to manage my new chronic health issues has come with a lot of hard emotions. It's because of my time in treatment that I now have the coping skills to handle these emotions without relapsing into my eating disorder for podpet tax. I hope you'll enjoy this photo of Janor, who was clearly plotting my death. It's a few years ago, but it's still one of my favorites.

[Allison Gill]

Look at this little baby.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh my goodness. This is cute. Bethany, I just want to say one I'm really proud of you for persevering finding the help when you needed it, especially during relapse. I don't know if you're a podcast listener, but Glennon Doyle from We Can Do Hard Things and her wife, Abby Wambo. Glennon talks very openly about her eating disorder and the relapse that she had in recent years and it's it's just phenomenal. So there's a lot of episodes that may be useful to you and maybe feel like you've got some community and that you're not alone. And maybe you're already one step ahead of me and already listened to. We could do hard things, but it's. It might be a nice family for you to find. So I'm glad the dog did not take you out.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, he does. Yeah. It looks like the dog is plotting your merch for sure. I think it's because of the pajamas that you. You put on the dog and. Yeah, you know what? That's such a good point. So many people forget what it was like before the Affordable Care Act.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

So thank you for the reminder, and thanks for being a warrior. Seriously, really appreciate you sending out virtual hugs and virtual hugs to everyone on this Tuesday, which, by the time you hear, this, will be the last day of 2024, as Dan said. So we will be back in tomorrow. Do you have any final thoughts, my friend?

[Dana Goldberg]

You know, I do. It's just. This is the end of the year 2024. I think a lot of us, almost everyone, I would say, listening to this podcast, had a lot of hope for what this year might be and what it could have turned into on November 5th. And I know we feel pretty let down and disappointed in so many people in this country, but just remember, this community is strong. We are fighting. We are fighting publicly. I'm going to be doing the same thing next year that I've been doing for the last 15, and that's raising money for the LGBTQ community, Planned Parenthood, for Lambda Legal, for all of these marginalized communities that may be under attack under this new administration will be on the front lines, and so will Allison. So just remember, we've got your back, and we know you have ours. And I just want to wish everyone a really safe, safe, and happy New Year.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. Thank you so much for that, Dana. We will not stop fighting. You know, I. I peeled myself up out of bed on November 6 and made a podcast because that's what I do. Because you guys are here, and.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I cry. You all heard me cry. We. I recurried publicly here. Stephanie Miller. We cried. We cried, but we got up and did it.

[Allison Gill]

We got up and did it, and we'll be here for you. So thanks for being here for us. We'll be back in your ears tomorrow. Until then, please take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, take care of your mental health, and take care of your family. I've been AG and I've been dg, and them's the.

[C]

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.