B (2:59)

He's a sociopathic piece of shit, that's all I can say. Yeah, but you, my friend, have been doing very Good things in the world. So let's pivot to some good news. To kick off the top of this, you made a massive donation to an organization called It Gets Better. We've been talking about the equivalent of your veterans benefits, how you've been donating that to LGBTQ organizations across this country. And this is one you should be very proud of.

A (3:25)

Thank you. And again, it's to counter what this administration does right, to immigrants in the LGBTQ community. But today, I'm gonna be joined later in the show by the executive director of It Gets Better, an incredible man, Brian Wenke. And we're gonna talk about the Daily Beans donation. The Daily beans is donating $20,000 to this organization. And we're also gon about how you can match that donation and where the money goes, what this organization does for people. It's just a truly incredible organization. Dana, when I decided I was going to do this, I reached out to you and a friend of mine locally and a couple of other people that I know locally and some close friends of mine asking him what charities I should look at. And everybody said without hesitation, it gets better. You have to check out It Gets Better. I know a lot of folks are going to remember from 15 years ago, and when that went viral, that message went viral through storytelling. So we're going to talk about all the incredible work that organization does. So I am looking forward to that. It fills my heart what this organization has been able to accomplish and what they're continuing to do for the community.

B (4:28)

So, yeah, I think we'll start a little bit of a chain reaction because It Gets Better. That messaging started from Tyler Clemente. What happened to Tyler Clemente? So the Tyler Clemente foundation, his very incredible mother, who started that foundation. But before that was started, It Gets Better messages, because the online bullying around Tyler Clemente's death was so horrific that the LGBTQ community wanted to start some messages to the youth saying, hey, hang in there. It gets better. Look, I am an example of that. So I'm really glad that the listeners will get to hear your interview with the executive director.

A (5:05)

And you put out a beautiful video of a photo of you many, many years ago, followed by a video of you this past week doing the work that you do, reminding people to hang in there because it does get better.

B (5:18)

Yeah, there's a trend going on TikTok and stuff. And it's sort of like if you had some advice to give to that 20 year old back then, if the 20 year old had made a different choice, you know, make sure. And for me, I had walked into and I know that we can get into more of this in different episodes. And I'm writing a television show about it and an off Broadway show. But I missed an audition when I was in my 20s for a comedy event that happened in Albuquerque. And they told me I'd have to go back the next year. There's a lot that happened during that year, a lot of loss, a lot of growth. And it's basically me saying, hey, you're going to miss an audition in your 20s, it's really important that you go back and audition the next year.

A (5:59)

So, yeah, great. Great post and a great message. All right. Just really briefly, we're going to talk about this story more with Harry Dunn on clean up on aisle 45 tomorrow. But the trial of Milwaukee judge Hannah Dugan started today. You'll recall that this administration charged her federally because she let somebody use a door 10ft away from the main door and they charged her with interfering with ICE operations or whatever. Yeah. But her trial started today. Adam Klassfeld is covering. It did not go well for the government today in the first day.

B (6:33)

How embarrassing.

A (6:35)

Super embarrassing. Lots of things were admitted. There's another signal gate. ICE apparently use a signal to communicate. They're not supposed to do that. That came out during some testimony. And like I said, Harry Dunn and I are going to cover that in a lot more detail. And you can also follow Adam Klassfeld, who's on the ground reporting from the courtroom at All Rise News on substack. All right. We have a lot of news to get to today, everybody. Let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right. First up, and it pains me to report this news, a son of celebrated Hollywood director Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner has been booked on suspicion of murder in the deaths of his parents. That's what the police said on Monday. The Los Angeles police chief, Jim McDonald, said that their son, Nick Reiner, who's 32, was booked for murder and is being held on a $4 million bond. No additional information about criminal charges was immediately available. The police said the couple were found dead in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles Sunday afternoon. Two people who were briefed on the case but not authorized to speak publicly said the couple had been stabbed to death. Rob Reiner, who was 78, was a popular sitcom actor before directing a slate of beloved films, including this Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally and the Princess Bride and A Few Good Men. I could go on. Yeah, he went on to become a force in California and national Democratic politics, championing gay marriage and other causes. Ms. Reiner was 70 and she was a photographer and later a producer. Nick Reiner had spoken over the years about his struggles with drug abuse and his bouts with homelessness. Beginning with his teenage years, he worked with his father on Being Charlie, a movie that was loosely inspired by his early life. In part because of that history, the police focused almost immediately on Nick Reiner. That's according to a person familiar. Booking records indicate that Nick Reiner was arrested Sunday night by the LAPD and formally booked shortly after 5am on Monday morning. Reiner initially found fame playing Mike Sitvik, better known as Meathead, Archie Bunker's son in law, on all in the family in the 70s. He went on to become a remarkably versatile film director, equally adept at the mockumentary like Spinal Tap in 1984, the coming of age film Stand by Me in 1986, the children's classic Princess Bride. Really children?

B (8:50)

I know. It's still one of my favorite movies of all time.

A (8:54)

1987, When Harry Met Sally, 1989, and the courtroom drama A Few Good Men in 1992. A lot of people didn't know he did A Few Good Men, but he did.

B (9:02)

That's also another one of my favorites.

A (9:04)

Yes, I know. We talk about it a lot here now. Michelle was working as a photographer in the 80s when she inadvertently changed the course of movie history. One day she visited the New York set of When Harry Met Sally and was watching a scene in which Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, lovesick characters, argue with each other when Mr. Reiner, the film's director, spotted her across the room. I look over and I see this girl and who I was attracted immediately, he told the New York Times in 1989. A few months later, the photographer and a director married, and their relationship inspired Mr. Reiner to change the ending of When Harry Met Sally. Originally, Harry and Sally didn't get together, he said to The Guardian in 2018. But when I met Michelle, I thought, okay, I see how this works. Harry and Sally had to marry each other, too. Sorry, guys. After the real life pair wed, Ms. Reiner worked on some of her husband's movies. She was a special photographer on Misery, his 1990 horror film, according to IMDb. She was also a producer on this year's Spinal Tap 2 the End Continues. She also became known for working on political projects with Mr. Reiner. In the 90s, for instance, the pair started the I Am youm Child campaign to raise awareness about the importance of early child development and improve parental access to support services. President Trump seized on the stabbing death of Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle to make a baseless attack on the director less than a day after the reports of his killing, suggesting that Mr. Reiner's criticism of Trump may have led to his murder. Quote, regardless of how you feel about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered. That's what Thomas Massie said. Republican from Kentucky. He went on to say, I guess my elected Republican colleagues, the vice president, the White House staff are just going to ignore it because they're afraid I challenge anyone to defend it. Now, Mike Lawler, Republican from New York, said, this is wrong. Regardless of one's political views, no one should be subjected to violence, let alone at the hands of their own son. It's a horrible tragedy that should engender sympathy and compassion from everyone in our country, period. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, also says, this was no time to attack one's political rivals. Quote, this is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies. And when asked about the Post, Mike Johnson said he hadn't heard about it. Of course, he works 22 hours a day. He didn't know anything about it.

B (11:31)

He's such a, there's a, there's a supercut of Mike Johnson saying that I didn't know anything about it. I'm sorry, I made that.

A (11:37)

I made that.

B (11:37)

I didn't know that that was you.

A (11:39)

Yeah, well, I made that. And then three days later, Daily show did one, and then a few days later, somebody else did one.

B (11:44)

But, yeah, such a piece of shit. And I also want to, I don't know if people, not everyone will remember this. Rob Reiner was married to Penny Marshall before he married Michelle Reiner. And adop, the child that Penny had and raised beautifully as his own. He's just a good fucking man. And we'll talk about that a little bit more on Beans Talk some of our personal stories with the Reiners. But thank you so much for the story, Allison. I know it wasn't easy to deliver. From the Associated Press, a person of interest attained after Brown University shooting that killed two students and injured nine will be released after law enforcement authorities determined there was no basis to keep the individual in custody. This is from officials. That's what they said on Sunday night. And the reason I sound so flippant is this is another Kash Patel fuck up. The disclosure made as a hasty, convened last night news conference represents a dramatic setback and investigation into killings that set off hours of chaos on the Ivy League campus and unravels progress that authorities thought they had made earlier in the day when they detained a man in Rhode Island Hotel in connection with the attack. The release of the lone person of interest leaves law enforcement without any known suspect, with officials pledging to redouble efforts in investigation by canvassing for video surveillance that could help pinpoint the killer's identity. We have a murderer out there. This is from Attorney General Peter Naranja. While Providence Mayor Brett Smiley acknowledged that and I quote, the news is likely to cause fresh anxiety for our community. Despite an enhanced police presence at Brown, officials are not recommending another shelter in place. Order like the one that follow followed the Saturday afternoon shooting when hundreds of officers searched for a shooter and urged students and staff to shelter in place. The lockdown, which stretched into the night, was lifted early Sunday, but authorities had not yet released information about a potential motive. This is a quote, I've been around long enough to know that sometimes you head in one direction and then you have to regroup and go in another. That's exactly what has happened over the last 24 hours or so. This is from Naranja. He said that and I quote, certainly there are some degree of evidence that pointed to the individual who'd been taken into custody, but that evidence needed to be corroborated and confirmed. And over the last 24 hours leading into just very, very recently, that evidence now points in a different direction. The gunman opened fire inside a classroom in the engineering building, firing more than 40 rounds from a 9 millimeter handgun, a law enforcement official told AP. The two handguns were recovered when the person of interest was taken into custody and Authorities also found two loaded 30 round magazines. One of the firearms was equipped with a laser sight that projects a dot to aid in targeting. This is all from officials. And by the way, these are for officials who were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and they spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity. One student of the nine wounded students had been released from the hospital, said Paxson. Seven others were critical but stable condition and one was in critical condition. And I just want to point out a couple of things. One of the students in the Brown University shooting was also a parkland survivor. This is the second shooting this person has had to live through. This is how fucked up gun laws and what they're doing in our country. This is the second time. And the other thing is, it's crazy how much personal information and naming of the suspect they put out because of a leak to the media. And I'm going to make a comparison. Last night, when the news was reported about Michelle and Rob Reiner, the news somehow was there were two people identified around the same age. Rob Reiner was 78. Michelle was 68. And they were not named in this case yet. There was a reason for that. And I know that it's taking me a second to get this out. Their daughter is the one who found them. They knew who these people were, and they, in the media, they did not name them because people had not been let known that it was Robin, Michelle. The media actually did their job in this case. And the fact that the FBI released this person's name, all this information about his LinkedIn, his military background, his, you know, what he may or may not have done. And literally in the article, it's, he may or may not have said he was going to finish his schooling at Brown University. All of this was released to the general public. And now they're like, we've got the wrong guy. They have ruined that kid's life. This Department of Justice and the FBI is releasing information that has not been cooperated too soon in these cases. And they're putting innocent people's lives in danger. Because this kid, I'm sure people wanted to find him immediately because of the mob mentality of social media and take him out.

A (16:31)

Yeah. And I guess the excitement of being able to report something first. Man, when TMZ has more integrity.

B (16:38)

Yeah, right. Even TMZ kept their mouth shut and, you know, they knew. Yeah.

A (16:45)

Maybe it wasn't a good idea to assign half of our federal law enforcement to mass deportation.

B (16:50)

Yeah, I would say you're right. I'm sorry I sound so angry, everybody. I'm just, you know, it's been a hard 48 hours, and I'm trying. I'm really trying to lighten up, but right now I'm just pissed. I'm pissed. I hate the President. I'm pissed.

A (17:02)

Well, I, you know, I think that reflects how everybody's feeling. So. Yeah. All right, Next up from CNN, more incompetence. JetBlue flight from the small Caribbean nation of Curacao halted its ascent to avoid colliding with an Air Force refueling tanker on Friday. And the pilot blamed the military plane for crossing his path. Quote, we almost had a midair collision up here. The JetBlue pilot said, according to a recording of his conversation with air traffic control, they passed directly in our flight path. They don't have their transponder Turned on. It's outrageous. The incident involved JetBlue Flight 1112 from Curacao, which is just off the coast of Venezuela, en route to New York City's jfk. It comes as the US Military has stepped up its anti drug trafficking campaign in the Caribbean, is also seeking to increase pressure on Venezuela's government. They're trying to steal the oil. Quote, we just had a traffic pass directly in front of us within five miles, maybe two or three miles. But it was an air to air refueler for the United States Air Force and he was at our altitude. We had to stop our climb. The pilot said the Air Force plane then headed to Venezuelan airspace. According to the air traffic recording. The controller responded to the pilot. It has been outrageous with the unidentified aircraft within our air. Derek Dombrowski, a spokesperson for JetBlue said, We've reported this incident to federal authorities who are at fault here and while participating, participate in any investigation. Our crew members are trained on proper procedures for various flight situations and we appreciate our crew for promptly reporting the situation to our leadership team. Can you imagine if visibility wasn't so great?

B (18:41)

Not even that. I did some math. I went on because I was super curious. Most of the airplanes are traveling at about 600, 650 miles per hour. They would have hit that plane in 15 to 20 seconds if it was literally two or three miles away.

A (18:55)

Now, the Pentagon referred the Associated Press to the Air Force for comment. The Air Force didn't say anything.

B (19:02)

God, of course not.

A (19:05)

Can we go back to DEI and woke, please?

B (19:08)

I know. Seriously. Okay, we're going to get through this because good Lord, I need to get to the good news. This is from Politico. Preservationist group is suing President Trump for his construction of East Wing Ballroom, arguing in a lawsuit filed Friday that the wings demolition, it didn't undergo appropriate reviews and demanding the rebuilding cease immediately. And all of that is true. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a non nonprofit chartered by Congress to support the preservation of historic U.S. buildings and neighborhoods, is asking the U.S. district Court of the District of Columbia to block the ongoing construction until the administration seeks congressional approval and consults federal commissions and the public. And the public. And this is a quote. No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever. Not President Trump, not President Biden, not anyone else. The group wrote in a lawsuit. And no president is legally allowed to construct a ballroom on public property without giving the public the opportunity to weigh in. That's why they call it the People's House. Everyone the group argued that construction violated the Administrative Procedure act and the National Environmental Policy act on multiple occasions, including failing to consult the National Capital Planning Commission. And that's a federal agency designated to provide guidance on urban planning. And this is on any large scale project. A Virginia couple filed a similar lawsuit in October attempting to block the demolition, but the case was voluntarily dismissed days later. But Friday's lawsuit was the prominent preservation group it's the largest stride yet and effectively halting the renovations. The White House, of course, declined to comment on whether it would pause construction in response to the pending litigation, but continued to defend Trump's project as legal. The 90,000 square foot ballroom, which the administration began raising for this for in September. It sparked a wave of outcry from a lot of people, including myself and Allison Gill, but also from preservationist groups, activists and Washington's locals who deplored the changes as destructive to the historic building. The White House is expected to submit plans to a federal planning commission this month. I'm sorry, that's a little bit too fucking late. And the administration said it has recruited additional architects to oversee the renovation in and boy, have those architects heard it from the public because we had a little good news to give them a call or write an email.

A (21:31)

Yep, yep. Part of our little Good Trouble segments here in the Good news. And speaking of that, we're going to get to your listener submitted good news, which we really need today after this interview with the executive director of It Gets Better. I hope you enjoy it. His name is Brian Wenke. He's just an incredible human being. We'll get to that right after this break. Stick around. We'll be right back after these messages. We'll be right back. Hey everybody, as soon as the days start to get shorter, I like to start preparing for more time indoors, especially in my bedroom. And one of the first things I do, I switch to warmer bedding and really cozy up the place because I know it's important to protect my sleep schedule. It's the foundation for everything else, especially during the hectic holiday season. And my mattress from Helix Sleep has been a part of that foundation for years. And before my Helix mattress, I'd wake up every morning sore. I felt unrested. I felt like I could never catch up on my sleep, like I was always in sleep debt. But after switching to Helix, I slept cooler, woke up with less stiffness, and I don't wake up throughout the night tossing and turning like I used to. And sleep is especially important during cold and flu season because real recovery and immunity Starts with really good sleep. On top of that, holiday hosting is around the corner. So that means cooking and cleaning and errands and a house full of guests, all while you're not running on fumes. And while you're out shopping for everyone, El consider giving yourself the gift of a good night's sleep. A good night's sleep is a gift that keeps on giving. And with Helix, buying a new mattress couldn't be easier. The Sleep Quiz. The Helix Sleep Quiz matches you to the right mattress based on your sleep preferences, meaning your new mattress is custom built just for you. And it's the most awarded mattress brand. It's been tested and reviewed by experts at outlets like Forbes and Wired. They offer free shipping in the US Seamless delivery right to your door. And you get the Happy with Helix guarantee for risk free returns and exchanges, plus a 120 night in home sleep trial, plus a limited lifetime warranty. Those are the million layers of guarantees for you. There's no risk here. Now, I've slept on my Helix for years. I can't imagine owning a mattress more perfect for my needs. So go to helixsleep.comdailybeans for 20% off sitewide. That's helixsleep.com dailybeans for 20% off site wide. Make sure to enter our show name in the post purchase survey so they know we sent you. That's helixsleep.com dailybeans hey everybody. Welcome back. You might recall this past giving Tuesday I announced that I am donating the equivalent of my annual veterans benefits for being a 100% disabled veteran to the LGBTQ community and immigrant communities either close to me or nationwide. And when I reached out to several friends here locally in the community to ask which charity I should be looking at, they all said without hesitation that there's a charity called It Gets Better. So I reached out to It Gets Better. And today I am speaking with the executive director of the organization to talk about it and what this money can do and what y' all can do to match my donations. So please welcome Brian Wenke. Hi, Brian, how are you?

C (24:29)

Hi. I am fantastic. I'm really excited to be here. And I can't express our gratitude for your support. It's just incredible. So thank you.

A (24:40)

Well, I can't express my gratitude for what y' all do for the community and queer youth. Now, as I said, your nonprofit comes very highly recommended by everybody that I spoke to. So let's talk a little bit about It Gets Better because I think people might remember, myself included, some of the viral moments from, gosh, a while ago, like a decade ago, maybe even longer ago, it's been. The years have just kind of mushed together for me. But let's talk about those viral moments that led to the creation of your nonprofit.

C (25:12)

Sure. Well, it's been 15 years. We actually hit our 15 year mark in September, which is also sort of when this crisis moment was happening that was impacting young queer people across the country. And so back in 2010, there was a highly public suicide contagion that claimed the lives of kids like Tyler Clementi, Seth Walsh, Billy Lucas. And there was. Not all of them were queer. Some of them were perceived to be queer, but, you know, all of them were, were attached to some form of bullying. And, you know, there was this, this, this sense of like, well, we've got to get in front of these young people, these young people who might be thinking, who might be on the same path, but we don't have any time. You know, we, we have to get a message in front of young people to show them that, hey, like, there are people out here that have been through what you're going through, that have, have gone on to live productive, healthy, successful lives as adults. And so, you know, we knew that it was going to take forever to try to get into schools. And so we, we took to social media. And the message was really simple. It was, it was a raw, you know, storytelling campaign that asked people to share their personal stories. And what ended up happening is that there was this groundswell of support of, of this user generated content that it was just people, like everyday people, you know, just saying, hey, like, I, I live in Montana. This is what I went through. This is what I did, did to get through that. And I, and I do believe it get and it gets better was the rallying cry behind all of these stories. And, you know, today we've collected and shared over 70,000 of those stories of hope and resilience and power in the spirit of showing LGBTQ youth who might be having a rough time that there is a future with limitless possibilities waiting for you. And there are people here to help you get there. And that's what people knew us for. That's what people know us for today. That was during, like, when millennials were teenagers, right? You know, this was, you know, if you ask any millennial, what we do, this is, this is it, this storytelling campaign that ultimately brought an Emmy to the organization for its, its use of social media to, to create social good. But today, young people, the Gen Z cohort, And Younger know us as a leadership development and youth empowerment organization. And so today, in addition to our storytelling priorities, we are also providing grants to young future leaders who want to make a difference in their local communities. We. We do that through our It Gets Better Change Makers program. We also have mentorship programs for young people who want to hone their special form of activism, whatever that might be. We do that through our Youth Voices program. So, you know, we are always evolving to meet the needs of young people. And the issues that young queer people are experiencing today are almost identical to what they were 15 years ago to what they were 20, 30, 40 years ago, because adolescence is a rough period for everybody. But we're here to make sure that young people know that there's a path forward and that there's a support network here to make sure that they can get there safely.

A (28:49)

Yeah, amazing. Let's break down some of these components of the different things that you do. It gets better. So let's start with the power of storytelling. Because I've long said that, at least for when I do the news and read the news every day, I read it in a way that helps people feel like they're not alone. And I think that's the magic power behind storytelling. I think we saw it in the MeToo movement. I think it creates a permission structure for people to feel safe, to tell their stories as well. And that sort of, you know, that kind of. It just sort of piles on and snowballs into this incredible impact on so many lives. And I think that the phrase you're not alone has immense power. Like I said, I first felt it when I was in a documentary. I told my story about military sexual trauma. The documentary was called the Invisible War. And I didn't know how they were going to use my story in the film or even if it would make it past the cutting room floor. But when I saw it at the premiere, it turns out they put my story in a super cut of people, men and women, all sorts of people who'd been subjected to military sexual trauma. It was a super cut of people talking about what they were told. When they tried to report how difficult it was, what happened to them, the retaliation and the commonality of the accusations and the interrogations that we all went through. Instantly, I was like a huge weight was lifted off of me because I realized because of all this storytelling that I wasn't alone and that I wasn't crazy for thinking that this was some sort of a way they deal with all sexual assault, like people trying to report Sexual assault and feeling like knowing. Knowing that you're not alone and feeling like you're not knowing that you're not crazy makes it really hard, if not impossible, to gaslight you and bully you and change your mind about what you know to be true. So I think that's where the power in storytelling lies for me. And I was wondering if you've seen that through all the advocacy that you've done through storytelling, have you known that to be true? When you hear queer youth tell their stories and elders tell their stories and seeing the reaction from the community, do you see the same reaction that I'm seeing in the idea that people who feel like they're not alone have so much more power and control over how they feel and how they react to all of this vitriol and hatred that comes out, especially in this administration?

C (31:09)

Yeah. You know, it's. I love that history that you've had where you've been able to kind of, like, have a tangible experience and the impact of a story. And I think, you know, to be human is to, like, be alone. Like, it is a very isolating experience just to exist. Right. And we all have this craving to just belong to something. It's. It's almost an instinctual drive. And when you start seeing people that reflect you, it's incredibly comforting. And, yes, it's incredibly influential. And how you choose with that added knowledge that there are people out there just like you, you might not be able to talk to them every day. They might not be your neighbor, but they are out there. And there is a lot of comfort knowing that just knowing that there is somebody out there that is going through something similar, that has experienced something similar is incredibly comforting. And you can't deny the value of what just having a sense of belonging can mean to a human being who, like I said, we exist in our own minds. Right. And that can be incredibly isolating. But the stories, we're also designed to share stories. Human beings are the only creature on this planet that know how to weave fiction. Right. Like, we create these environments that are informed by the stories, stories that we're telling. And whether or not they are based on the laws of nature or they're based on some sort of psychological interpretation of it. Our stories have meaning and they shape our world. And we can't deny the. The power that stories have over our lives. And we can't deny the superpowers that each of us have innate within us that give us the ability to tell stories that can shape the world.

A (32:58)

So, yeah, yeah. And you know, in Canada they say elbows up. And I always say cameras out and microphones on, because if the other side's gonna flood the zone with shit, we need to flood the zone with sunshine and compassion and awesomeness. So let's talk about some of the other ways that these grants can help not just amplify queer voices through storytelling, but some of the other things that you spoke about. You spoke about mentorship. And then there's also a mental health component to it gets better. Can you talk about some of those other things that, that some of these grant programs can fund?

C (33:32)

Yeah. Well, so the Changemaker grant program is very specific in that it is a competitive opportunity. And we're actually in early spring of next year, late winter, we'll be releasing, we'll be opening the portal for additional applications for the next cycle. But these are grants of up to $10,000 that we offer young queer people in partnership with their school or with the local organization who want to make a difference in the. And these grants can fund anything from community art projects to teacher education, to content creation to queer proms. There is a wide variety of projects that these funds can support. And yes, I think the projects are always inspirational, they're always fun, they're always exciting to watch these young people navigate the world. But what I like about this program more than what the outcomes of these individual projects are is the fact that these young people are engaging in their community in a way that is skill building and shows them how to navigate the real world. And it's, you know, like this is. They're dealing with conflict. Sometimes schools can't take funds or there's challenges with local community groups and we help them navigate all of those. So at the end of the day, they get these projects off the ground, but they also get all of this great like leadership skill, you know, development, opportunity as well. And I love that you brought up IMI because, you know, this is the mental health aspect of our work, that it's. It's not new for us. But this particular program, it's called imi. I M I. That's how it's spelled. That's not like a phonetic pronunciation of it, but it's a web based free app app that young people can go to to explore everything from stigma to gender identity and to do so in a healthy, self guided way. We created this platform with two other groups with Centerlink and Hope Lab, and we recently took over stewardship of the platform. So really excited because all of the content on that platform is created for youth by youth and has all of these experts kind of in the background making sure that the content that young people have to interface with on the platform is productive and meaningful and actually has tangible outcomes in terms of its absorption. So really excited about that.

A (36:11)

There's so many great things out there. Like with that are five, like for youth. By youth, I mean, the kids are all right.

C (36:18)

I love that.

B (36:18)

Bye.

C (36:19)

Bye. I have not heard that before. I'm gonna steal that.

B (36:22)

Steal it.

A (36:23)

I just made it up right now.

C (36:24)

All right.

A (36:25)

I recently went to a production like where the kids put on a musical and also did the production and the direction and the lighting and the screenplay and all this stuff. So I just, I absolutely love it because it's just so powerful and inclusive and I think important. And there's so much representation, which is also important. And one of the benefits of working with young people is that they're really good at technology, which I am not at all good at technology. And tomorrow on Twitch, which is a platform I have not yet made my way into and I'm not sure that I'll be doing that, but it's such an incredible platform for young people. You're going to be holding a Queer A Thon tomorrow. Tell us about that event and how people can can get involved with that. That again, that is going to be on December 17th, Wednesday, it's tomorrow. Tell us about the Queer A Thon.

C (37:16)

Correct. So this is great. I love Twitch. Growing up I always had a console like whether it was a Sega or a PlayStation or a Nintendo. And being able to kind of play on this platform is sort of near and dear to my heart because it is very gaming centric. But what we are doing on Wednesday the 17th is we are hosting a Queer A Thon. And so this is like a six to eight hour live streamed event that is sort of the capstone of our year end fundraising and engagement campaign. And what we've done is we've brought in gamers and people who just like to chat and we brought in our youth voices and we've brought in this amazing cast of characters who are going to create some really cool, uplifting and empowering programming for LGBTQ youth so we can celebrate the holidays together in a very positive way. You know, this is, this time of year is very big for us around concepts that are about chosen family and the importance of chosen family. Especially as you're navigating the holidays where you might be forced to spend time with your biological family. That is challenging for a lot of of queer youth. And so we like to create outlets that young people can connect with one another around the concept of chosen family and enjoy the holidays in a way that makes the most sense for them. So we're doing that on Wednesday and I'm really excited about it and I'm glad you are too. And anyone who has never been to Twitch, you know, it's addictive. And if you're into gaming and just sitting around and shooting the bull with, you know, you know, people on the other side of the world, like, come in and engage. What I like about it is that the audience can interact with the people who are on screen as well. So that's cool.

A (39:08)

Yeah, it's going to be, I think it's going to be a really successful event. And, you know, I just want to let you know, to help out, the Daily Beans is going to be donating $20,000 to it gets Better. And I want to let our listeners know. We call our listeners the Leguminati because it's the Daily Beans. I want to let the Leguminati know. We're going to have our own dedicated link, just like we did for the Human Rights Campaign. We're going to have our own link with a landing page where hopefully you'll match my $20,000 donation. And that link is itgetsbetter.org dailybeansdonate. Brian, talk a little. If we can match that and we can raise forty thousand dollars, my twenty thousand and twenty thousand from the listeners. Talk a little bit about how far that can go for your organization.

C (39:56)

Okay, well, I mean, just, we'll start with like Change Makers, right? Our grant making program. That's like four grants right there, like right out of the gate. And these grants fund youth and communities across the country. And I think this program has entered 47 states so far. And we're working really hard to get into those states that are not represented in that roster. So right out of the gate for grants to, to help young people create better, more inclusive communities, that is one thing. Our, our IMI platform, literally $1 equals one new user. This year we had 35,000 new users to that platform. And we worked it out and it's like, okay, this is how much it costs to attract young people, to show young people that this service exists, and then get them to stay on the platform for as long as humanly possible. So $1 per user for IMI, that's 40,000. And I think that's totally doable next year because we've gotten a taste of success and we want to Keep that going in that platform since its inception in 2022, has had over 200,000 visitors, unique visitors since it was launched. So really excited to keep the momentum going. Strong on that. And, you know, $40,000, like, we have a lot of content that we. That we produce every single year, and we love to pay our creators. And so we have a lot of niche topics that young people want to learn more about, whether it's like, finance or intimacy and relationships. And so finding content creators that are experts in that niche is really important to us. And so something like $40,000 that could fund at least almost 10 content series along the lines of what we did with Queer Chameleon, which was this really cute animated series with this. With this queer Chameleon that essentially took. You know, it was like a. What do you call it? What was the. This is. I don't want to date myself. But it was like. What was the advice columnist? Was it Ann Landers?

A (42:09)

Dear Abby?

C (42:10)

Who was the Dear Abby? Yes, it's sort of like a Dear Abby for queer kids, but it was, like, done through a animated queer chameleon. So that kind of stuff. You know, again, we like to pay our content creators. It's really important for us. But, like, that kind of content, which is probably our most viewed content ever, does require some money, and $40,000 could crank out a lot of that and reach a lot of young people on a very mass market level. We've got over 2 million followers across. Across all of our platforms. We're the largest LGBTQ+ nonprofit on YouTube and Tumblr and Twitch. And so we have a great audience that is hungry for. For advice and information about how to navigate their future. And so those are just some of the ways that we could 100% leverage. Like, I've already got it spent in my mind, but, like, you know, let's. I will. I will hold my horses just a smidge, but. But I'm really excited about engaging your audience around this opportunity because it is incredibly inspiring to see these young people who are very different than I was when I was a teenager, the way that they consume content, the way that they activate on that content, and, you know, if you want a little dose of hope, engage with the young people who is committed to making a better world, not only for themselves, but for everybody around them.

A (43:34)

Well, everybody. If you're listening, Russia, if you're listening. No, I'm kidding. If you're listening to this and you want to match the daily beans, $20,000 donation, and we can turn dollars that this administration is sending to me into stuff that helps the communities that they put in harm's way. Again, there's a link in the show notes. It getsbetter.org dailybeansdonate. See what we can do to double my donation. And, Brian, I appreciate you spending time with me today. Can you tell everybody where they can find information on how to participate in the Queer thon and to get more information on your organization?

C (44:13)

Yeah, well, our website is really simple. It's just itgetsbetter.org and on all of the major social media platforms. Instagram, TikTok, Tumblr, our handle is also. It gets better, so it's pretty easy to find us. But for Twitch, it's. It's Twitch tv. Itgets better. And that'll take you directly to our channel, and you'll see a lot of great archive content there. And I love that platform. And, yeah, I can't wait to be there on Wednesday.

A (44:46)

All right, everybody. Well, you know, Brian, I appreciate you spending time with me today. I hope that everybody listening helps try to match that $20,000. Just know if we can turn, like, the dollars that this administration, who is putting the LGBTQ community in harm's way, if we can, into $40,000 to support the LGBTQ community, I think that that would be incredible. So again, you have the link. The link is in the show notes. Brian, I look forward to catching up with you in the new year to see where we're at and see how we did. I hope we have a wonderful time on Twitch tomorrow. And now everybody knows how to go and watch that. But thank you so much for joining me today. I really appreciate it.

C (45:28)

First of all, just like, thank you again. I cannot express my gratitude for the kind of support and dedication in your audience into, because this is a movement for the people, by the people. And I just appreciate your support and the way that you're doing it. And I just for everyone out there who's listening, you know, whether or not it feels like it's getting better today or not, you just got to hold on to that thought because, you know, you just got to believe that it gets better. We can get through whatever challenge the world throws in front of us. So whether you're queer or straight and the world is challenging for everybody and it does get better, but you got to believe it first.

A (46:08)

So I agree. Thank you so much, everybody. Stick around. We'll be right back with the good news. Everybody, welcome back. It's time for the good news. Who likes good news? Everyone?

C (46:18)

Then Good news, everyone.

A (46:33)

Good news. And if you have any good news whatsoever, please, please send it to us. Maybe you have a great memory of a Rob Reiner film that you want to share with us or some of Michelle's activism. We would love to hear it. Any good news story at all though. We'll do anything small or big from last week or 20 years ago. If you have a joke that you want to send us, whether it's a street joke or your favorite comedian's joke, tell us who your favorite comedian is and what your favorite joke by your favorite comedian is. Send us your shout outs. Your shout outs to loved ones or yourself or a small business or a nonprofit that could use a boost. We want to hear about that. Shout outs to government programs that have helped you or a loved one. We would love to hear about that too. You can send it all to us@dailybeanspod.com just click on contact to submit your good news. And all you got to do to get your submission read on the air is attach a photo of really anything. It doesn't matter, Yanni, we'll take it. Yep. We used to call it paying your pod pet tariff because you could attach a photo of your pet. But if you don't have a pet, send an adoptable pet in your area. If you don't have that, send a random photo of an animal on the Internet. Send us a bird watching photo which can be a bird or you flipping the bird, some of them with the double barrel middle fingers and like the squat. I mean like there are some really intense bird watching photos, people flipping off Trump buildings. We love to see it. It makes me happy. It brings me joy. Send that to us. You can send a photo of your happy place, a garden, what you're making, what you're creating, what you're knitting, quilting, sewing, needlepoint, writing, painting, music, whatever you're doing, we would love to hear about it. Family photos, baby pictures, holiday photos, pictures of rallies and your favorite signs, some great protests, community work, anything at all. Send it to us dailybeanspod.com click on Contact. First up is our good trouble. And our good trouble today comes from Jess Craven at Chop Wood Carry Water in the wake of yet another mass shooting at a school. Call your senators and your House representatives and call to reopen the gun violence prevention office, which Trump shut down his first week in office to help end gun violence. Now she has a handy script you can follow. Senators. Hi, I'm a constituent calling from zip code. My name is blank. I'm calling to demand that Congress act on gun violence now. Australia saw a horrific mass shooting this weekend and their government is already in action preparing a special session in which they will tighten their gun laws. What are we doing here? 46,000 people will die from gun violence every year in our country and Congress keeps refusing to act. It's unconscionable. We want an assault weapons ban, we want universal background checks, we want safe storage laws and we want the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which Trump shut down in his first week in office, to be reopened immediately. Nothing less will do. And there's also a letter here template for your house replacement that we'll have for you. We're going to have the link in the show notes on all of this information, not just these templates but how you can contact your representatives and if you're a Republican, you can add, I want the representative to support the Democrats discharge petition to extend the ACA premium tax credits for three years. Thank you.

B (49:36)

Nice.

A (49:37)

So I love Jess Craven over there. Chop wood, carry water. She has a podcast here on the MSW Media Network called the Practivist Podcast that she hosts with Steve Pearson. So you can check, check both of those things out.

B (49:47)

Nice. All right, Allison, thanks so much. This is from Dr. Cindy pronouns she and her hello Beans Queens. This is a self shout out along with a shout out to all those who encouraged me to keep going. You know who you are? My husband, Trent. Adult kids Lauren, Ryan and Jesse, dad Jerry, brother TG and bestie sis, Steph Dilla. I am a first, excuse me, first generation college graduate in biology, 1992 with a master's degree in anthropology, underwater archaeology in 2009 from when my kids were little. A few years ago, I missed out on a dream job with NASA because I was at age 49, I had the experience, but I didn't have a PhD. Now I have it. Saturday, at age 56, I walked across the stage and received my PhD doctoral hood from my incredible committee chair, Dr. Sharon Frazier Burgess. Did I mention I completed my PhD while running for US Congress? First against our former VP's brother, Greg Pence. The second I ran for an open seat now held by the second richest member of Congress, Jefferson Shreve. You wanted dissertation titles, Here is mine. A narrative inquiry into key experiences affecting Women's persistence in STEM fields following the bachelor's degree. Nice. The study documented the experience of women who left the STEM field after completing a bachelor's degree through a critical feminist theory lens. I'm now free to campaign full time and plan to Congresswoman elect Dr. Worth in November 2026. A pod pet tax is a photo of my two girls, Mango, who's 8 years old, the one throwing serious snarky side eye, and her little giant sister, Maisie, 5, the Fluff Ball Mango demands to have sweet baby James with her name inserted sung to her every day. And Maisie gives hugs whether you want them or not. Also enclosed is my PhD hood ceremony. Thank you for all you do. And to anyone out there doubting they can do something, you can do it.

A (51:42)

I did. Congratulations, Dr. Cindy.

B (51:46)

That's awesome.

A (51:47)

Look at that photo. Amazing. Brilliant. Oh, so great. And the dogs are awesome as well. Thank you very much for your pod pet tariff. And congratulations again. All right, everybody. From Linda Pronoun, she and her queens of the beans reign supreme. Great news. My nephew sent this photo from the very red Conroe, Texas, outside of Houston. Sadly, my trans brother, disabled and now victim of musk doge making life impossible for the disabled, had his bank accounts attacked and has the following warning and call to action for Americans. For now, his benefits are paused and he's struggling with SSA.gov being dyslexic. Doing everything online is an additional challenge cruelty from my brother Randy. I do suggest everyone Thoroughly review your SSA.govinfo and status as soon as possible. Huge changes start on January 1st. Many are losing benefits, most unknowingly. The burden to cross your T's and dot your I's is on each taxpayer. Please tell everyone confirmations of all information for each of us US citizens must be done by December 31st or you'll suffer harsher consequences. Best of luck to all. He fears he and other trans community members are being attacked from inside the government based on info from other trans folks. Second photo is a make it work moment from Eureka, California, Reminder there are more of us and we hold the moral high ground.

B (53:13)

Yes, we do.

A (53:14)

Oh, my gosh. That's a great Christmas tree photo.

B (53:17)

I know, it's very funny. These signs, though, in a very red part of Texas, are really make me happy. Trump loves Epstein. Two peas in a pedophile pod. Honk if you want to dump Trump. And they're massive. They are massive.

A (53:33)

That's great. That's great.

B (53:34)

All right, next up, Allison, I'm going to need your help. What in the world does that say? Because I think you might know.

A (53:40)

Let's see. Tarquin Fin. Tim. Lin Bin Winbim. Limba. Stop. F Tang. F Tang. Ole. Oh, biscuit barrel. Is that from. Is that from Monty Python?

B (53:55)

I don't know, but I appreciate you taking that. And that person's pronouns are he and him and they.

A (54:04)

I think. I think it might be. But I could be wrong. You'll have to let us know. Right.

B (54:07)

Okay, here's a limerick. And this is actually very well done, Mr. He. Him. Letitia James doing her job. Because Trump only knows how to rob. He tried to strike back an incompetent hack, and it made him look just like a slob. Well done. No guesses of the breed needed. I'm pretty sure that's a Chihuahua.

A (54:27)

No, I think that's a doxy.

B (54:28)

Oh, a doxy. Well, then I guess we do need. Oh, yeah, look at those feet. Yeah, it's a doxy.

A (54:33)

The feet's the giveaway. Is it?

B (54:35)

And you're right.

A (54:36)

Yeah, well done. I got a couple of limericks here. Let's see, where did I put them? There once was a pants pain and an insurance lawyer from Maine, and try as they might, they just couldn't indict the brilliant black woman, Tish James.

B (54:52)

Nice job.

A (54:53)

And there once was a bloated orange tool whose dementia was making him drool. He attempted in vain his revenge on Tish James, but he ended up looking a fool. So those were a couple nice job limericks I penned in response to a post over on our Patreon group. All right, next up, Christy pronouns she and her hello. I'm a newish listener to the Daily Beans About a year now, though I loved your Twitter breakdowns of the Mueller report back when that was happening. These days, you two keep me laughing and well informed and I'm very grateful to you both for your tireless efforts. Thank you, Christy. I'm writing to share a bird watching photo of my immigrant husband. We were in Chicago with our kids this past July and my husband wanted me to take this photo with a certain building visible in the background. And he didn't even know that y' all collect birdwatching pics. My husband is the hardest worker I've ever known and finally finished the naturalization process in 2024. Just under the wire. Christy. Immigrants make our country better and I'm so proud of him. Excellent bird watching photo.

B (55:53)

Cute.

A (55:55)

Thank you, Christy. Fantastic. Love the Snoopy shirt.

B (55:58)

Nice. All right, this is from Serenity. Thank God Pronoun she and her. Hey, Queens of the Beans. This is a two parter. Hopefully not too long for airtime. I want to give a shout out to Queermunity, which I will quote their website. Queermunity is a vibrant event venue, gathering space and cafe in Minneapolis dedicated to offering high quality experiences for lgbtq, LGBTQ and bipoc communities and their allies. This place is amazing and could use any support possible. Also, as a trans woman just really finding herself who has isolated a lot over the past few years, I finally started putting myself out there. Specifically, I started streaming video games on camera on Twitch and you can find me. We're gonna have a link to her show notes if you are. If you're a twitcher. If you're a twitcher. There you go. Go. For my pet tariff, I give you Max, a lovable boy who really enjoys the snow. Thank you for everything you do. I cannot express how much I appreciate you and the community. You get me through hard days. You all are amazing. Max's breed. We thought he was mostly blank until a friend showed me photos of his blank that looks identical.

A (57:05)

So I guess we don't know for sure, but it looks like a.

B (57:09)

Okay, that second photo looks like a Pomeranian mix.

A (57:14)

I don't know. I don't know. So they thought he was mostly collie, but a friend showed Australian shepherd Ozzy. There you go. I don't know.

B (57:24)

That's a pretty long nose. It's pretty long and long nose and.

A (57:27)

Fun ears and big ears for Aussie. So everybody check out queer immunity. MN as in Minnesota.com and what is it? Twitch TV? Ms. Serenity 13. Awesome. Love that. Next up from Lisa Pronoun. She and her hi beans queens. I'm currently trapped among the moron militia in Florida. But our town and its very progressive leaning residents are doing our small part to fight the Trump DeSantis war. On woke the two most recent sports clubs to open. A large YMCA and a swanky paddle sports club. Both have a locker room. Yes, room, singular with the purpose and goal of inclusivity. And as an added bonus of avoiding dumb Desantis lawsuits, they opted for Euro style changing facilities that are shared by all. I woke up this morning and the phrase doors to the floors was in my head. I was hoping to share the idea in the hopes that other developers would follow suit and design facilities that remove one small stress from the everyday lives of our LGBTQ friends and neighbors. Maybe we can help it become a movement. Attached is my pod pet tariff, my wee dog gizmo who loves to visit at local breweries. Same Lisa, can you guess the breed? He's a something that I nursed back to health nine years ago and he still gets into trouble after midnight. So he's a gremlin. What is that? A shih tzu?

B (58:48)

It looks like a shihdoodle or a Maltese with long hair.

A (58:53)

What is that, Maltipoo? Let's see. Havanese. Get that wrong. Oh, my God. Is that a maltipoo? Is it a Maltese with the poo? Is it a biza? No, it's a Havanese.

B (59:04)

Okay. All right, we'll have to remember.

A (59:07)

Adorable. Adorable photo, by the way.

B (59:09)

Yes. All right. This is from Kate Pronouns. She and her literary fans will probably know that December 16th is Jane Austen's 250th birthday. And two centuries after her death, she remains one of the most enduring authors in the English language. This past weekend, I had the honor of being invited to speak at a Jane Austen tea party thrown by a group I volunteer with. I was asked to give a talk on one of my favorite topics, the fashion history of the Regency period. Period. I'm not an academic, just a dork with a special interest. So it was such an exciting chance.

A (59:39)

With me and the Mueller report. Kate.

B (59:41)

So it was such an exciting chance to get to speak to an interested audience on a topic I'm really passionate about. Somehow, word got out about this, and I was considered enough of an expert on both Jane Austen and the history of the era to be interviewed by my local radio station as well. My love of historical fashion includes sewing historical outfits, so I'm attached a picture of me wearing the outfit I created for the event. I made the dress, undergarments, and shawl for this outfit, but because the radio station had asked me to come in costume and not a great planner, I was putting finishing touches on it at 9pm the night before, having to go to the radio station at 6, 7, 15 in the morning. The history of the dress is really important to me because so much of the formal study of history is tied up in wars and kings and important dates. And there's a real perception among the crustier scholars in the discipline that fashion history is lesser because it's girl stuff. But getting dressed is, to me, the history of real life, especially women's lives and livelihoods. So I also want to shout out to the countless museum employees, volunteers, reenactors, and suists who give the history of textiles and garments the credit it deserves. This is beautiful. Well done.

A (60:55)

Yeah, and well said. I bet you really like the costumes part of the Oscars. All right. I do. I do. That's one of my favorites. Yeah, that's a really good way of putting it. Getting dressed is the history of real life, and it is fascinating that it's just about wars and kings and important dates. Like, I was watching, I like the context of history. And I was watching Amadeus the other day, I was rewatching that film, and I was reminded that the emperor that Amadeus worked for, his cousin, was Marie Antoinette.

B (61:31)

Oh.

A (61:32)

And so Amadeus being the people's composer, right, instead of the aristocracy, is always kind of an interesting look back. And I know there's arguments against that. And again, I'm not an academic. I'm just a nerd with an interest in it. But I was like, oh my gosh, I forgot about that historical tie. And to understand what was going on in all the places of the world when that happening is fascinating and, and the clothes are part of it. So thank you for that. Thank you all for your good news. I really needed that. I really needed it today.

B (62:04)

Yeah. Did we? Yeah.

A (62:07)

And we'll see. Everybody over on Beans Talk, please start watching our video podcast if you want. We love it. You can see it at the MSW Media YouTube channel and we'll be back on your ears tomorrow. Until then, please, 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 able to. I've been DG and EMSA 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 com msw media.