Dana Goldberg (3:16)

Yeah, there's been a lot lately, actually, which has been lovely. This one's from the Times. The Justice Department's pardon attorney was dismissed a day after she refused to recommend the actor Mel Gibson, as we know, a prominent supporter of President Trump. Yeah, not surprised there. Should have his gun rights restored. That's according to the attorney and others familiar with the situation. Elizabeth G. Oyer, she's a former pardon attorney, described the sequence of events as an alarming departure from long standing practice, one that put public safety and the department's integrity at risk. Mr. Gibson had lost his gun rights as a result of a 2011 domestic violence misdemeanor conviction. Quote, this is dangerous. This isn't political. This is a safety issue. Now, Ms. Oyer said in an interview with the New York Times as she described the internal discussions about whether to give gun rights back to people with domestic violence convictions. And I think I know where you stand on that. Allison and I stand the same. No, no, no. You lose your rights.

Allison Gill (4:16)

No. And that seems to be a big thing for this particular administration is restoring the gun rights to domestic violence offenders. Like some of the January 6th people that were pardoned by Trump. They're trying to extend it to other, like, you know, gun law violations and, and, and especially with domestic violence abusers. So this seems to be like a hill they want to die on is to give guns back to people who beat up women or people with spouses just in general.

Dana Goldberg (4:45)

Yeah.

Allison Gill (4:46)

Next up from Brett Murphy at this is, this is a huge breaking story. It's like breaking as we're recording this, but ProPublica just obtained a remarkable directive to those remaining at USAID. It says empty the safes with the classified and personnel records and then shred. This is a, quote, shred as many documents first and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break. Now, this email came from the agency's acting executive secretary. And this person from ProPublica asked Kel McClanahan, National Security Councilors, the guy who's suing on behalf of a bunch of OPM employees asked if this was legal. And he said, no, it is not, citing the Federal Records Act. Quote, classified records are still federal records. Now, McClanahan just filed an unauthorized disposition complaint with the National Archives and asked them to, quote, take immediate measures to stop the destruction of vast quantities of federal records. And another thing just popped up, too. Labor groups, according to Adam Klassfeld, are now suing the Trump administration. Or, well, they have been suing the Trump administration. They're filing an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order blocking the imminent and ongoing destruction of evidence, referring to this USAID official's directive to clear the classified safes and shred everything that you can. And once the shredders overheat, put it all in burn bags. This is just bananas.

Dana Goldberg (6:15)

Oh, boy. All right, this one's from Politico. A federal judge has ruled that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is wielding so much power that its records will likely have to be opened to the public under federal law. Hmm. The U.S. district Judge, Christopher Cooper said the vast and unprecedented authority of DOGE, formerly known as the U.S. digital Service, combined with its, quote, unusual secrecy warrant the urgent release of its internal documents under the Freedom of Information Act. Yeah. The Trump administration has housed the DOGE operation within the Executive Office of the President in what appeared to be an attempt to shield it from foia.

Allison Gill (6:53)

Yep. Told you.

Dana Goldberg (6:54)

Yeah. Most divisions within the EOP are exempt from foia, but a few deemed to exercise independent authority are subject to the transparency law. The Trump administration has also asserted that Musk himself isn't part of Doge, except that one time when he said it on camera in front of Congress, isn't part of Doge's apparatus, but is serving as a direct advisor to Trump. Play the tape. Cooper's ruling is a win for the citizens of Responsibility and ethics in Washington, which sued to demand the urgent release of DOGE related documents.

Allison Gill (7:28)

The lie detector said, that was a lie. We need to. We need to bring that back.

Dana Goldberg (7:32)

You are the father of doge. Okay, thank you, Markovich.

Allison Gill (7:37)

Elon Musk, you are the father.

Dana Goldberg (7:40)

Well, we got a title for this episode.

Allison Gill (7:42)

Yeah, I know. Get it. So, by the way, this judge also offered some criticism of the way the Trump administration litigates this case, like you said, noting that its lawyers offered virtually nothing in the way of evidence about DOA's operations or management. He goes, indeed, indeed. The court wonders whether this decision was strategic. He said, this is the judge noting that the Trump administration lawyers had taken competing positions, including that DOGE qualifies as an agency under some sections of law, but not others. When it suits it Quote, thus, doge becomes, on defendant's view, a Goldilocks entity. Judge Cooper wrote, not an agency when it is burdensome, but an agency when it is convenient. So, yeah, judges, on to you.

Dana Goldberg (8:29)

Yeah, big time. All right, last in this section. This is from CBS. The US and Ukraine said Kiev would accept a 30 day ceasefire from Russia after talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, with Washington pledging to immediately lift a freeze on intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine, which is bullshit in the first place. And I quote, Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the US President proposal to enact an immediate interim 30 day ceasefire which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. The US And Ukraine said that in a joint statement released by the State Department, and I quote, the United States will communicate to Russia that Russia reciprocity is the key to achieving peace. Will he, will he communicate that this all is just a big farce? I mean, I really do feel like sometimes when, like, they can tell that, ready to burn this country down with, you know, everyone in it. Like, they're all of a sudden like, let's give him a little bit of, like, let's show that maybe he's just a little bit stronger against Putin. You know what I mean? Like, every time it looks like he's in bed with him, they're like, why don't you go ahead and say on camera that you're going to be tough on Russia and that Russia has to make sure that they honor the ceasefire. Do that, and then they will.

Allison Gill (9:45)

This could be a gift to Russia, who might need 30 days to regroup and replan and get some North Korean troops down there. But I imagine Zelenskyy way smarter than me at war.

Dana Goldberg (9:55)

Zelenskyy is, yeah, also probably better at comedy than I am, let's be honest.

Allison Gill (10:00)

I was in the Navy under Clinton, so we didn't do a lot of strategic warfare there. But, you know, I imagine him being like, all right, well, this will immediately lift Trump's freeze on aid to Ukraine. Right. Which is illegal anyway, to freeze that aid because it's congressionally appropriated. But he's like, all right, we can immediately lift the freeze on aid. And while it gives Russia time to regroup, if R violates this ceasefire, then I'm, I'm going in. You know, like, I, I, I'm, I'm assuming that Zelensky and Ukraine agreed to this because they see it as favorable to them or at least keeping the odds even. I don't know. We'll see what ends up happening. I don't. I don't. I'm. I'm. It's us I'm skeptical about.

Dana Goldberg (10:47)

Yeah, for sure.

Allison Gill (10:48)

Russia and Trump doing stuff with Ukraine. Like, there's got to be ulterior motives. Well, maybe we'll find out what they are. All right, we have a lot more news to get to, but we have to take a quick break, so stick around. We'll be right back after these messages. We'll be right back. Hey, everybody, it's ag. I've always believed that small, consistent changes can lead to big results, especially when it comes to health. That's why I was so excited to discover Lumen, a tool that helps me understand and optimize my metabolism in real time. Lumen is the world's first handheld metabolic coach. It measures your metabolism through your breath, and it tells you whether you're burning fat or carbs. The app provides tailored guidance to improve your nutrition, workouts, sleep, and even stress management. So here's how it works. You breathe into Lumen first thing in the morning. It gives you a snapshot of your metabolism, and based on that, Lumen creates a personalized nutrition plan for your day. You can also use it before and after workouts or meals to get real time feedback on how your body's responding. Your metabolism is your body's engine. It's how your body turns food into fuel. And optimal metabolic health translates to benefits like easier weight management, improved energy levels, better fitness results, and even better sleep and stress management. So Lumen gives you recommendations to improve your metabolic health, and it can even track your cycle on the onset of menopause. Adjusting recommendations to keep your metabolism healthy through hormonal shifts using Lumen has been transformative for me, especially in menopause. And I've learned how different foods and activities and hormone swings affect my body and my mood and my stress levels. It's really helped me make smarter choices. And I think the audience here can benefit from Lumen because it's like having a personal coach for your metabolism, one that fits in your pocket and gives you real time, actionable insights. So take the next step to improving your health. Go to lumen me dailybeans to get 20% off your lumen. That's L u M e n me DailyBeans for 20% off your purchase. Thank you, Lumen, for sponsoring this episode. Everybody, welcome back. It's time for hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up is a court filing. Now, remember yesterday, Dana, when I talked about Judge Alup requiring a zell who's the head of the Office of Personnel Management opm, to testify under oath at a court hearing about these mass probationary firings. And rather than face that testimony, the Trump administration asked the court to simply grant the good guy's motion for a preliminary injunction. Like, just go ahead and grant it. We're not going to fight you. We'll appeal it, but we're not. Just grant it so we don't have to testify. Basically. Well, the judge came back and said, fuck no, but. But in judge speak, okay, he didn't actually say, fuck no. He said the hearing on a preliminary injunction will proceed as scheduled on Thursday, March 13. The government argues that the March 13 evidentiary hearing and any depositions are unnecessary in light of OPM's compliance with the temporary restraining order and their willingness to convert the court's temporary restraining order into a preliminary injunction. The problem is that plaintiffs seek broader relief than what was provided by the temporary restraining order now in place. So even if the court must rule based solely on the records submitted during the temporary restraining order proceeding, it will do so on or shortly after the March 13 hearing. Defendants next argue that the testimony of Acting Director Azell should not be compelled because to do so would, quote, inappropriately intrude on the workings of a coordinate branch of government and pose avoidable and unnecessary separation of powers concerns. The problem here, the judge said, is that Acting Director Ezell submitted a sworn declaration in support of the defendant's position, but now refuses to appear to be cross examined or to be deposed, despite, it should be added, the government's counsel embracing that very idea during the temporary restraining order hearing. So, bro, you gave a statement. You have to come in and answer questions about it. Your lawyer said you were cool with that, and now you're saying no. So the court's order that he appear or be deposed will not be vacated, nor will the hearing on March 13. If a Zelle does not appear in violation of this order, then the court will have to decide on the sanction, including whether or not to strike or limit his sworn declaration. Meaning that thing that you wrote that said we didn't just sweepingly fire a bunch of probationary employees trash. We're going to shred it with the USAID documents, bro, I was paraphrasing. However, with respect to those other government employees who have not submitted declarations, they need not be produced. At the March 13 hearing, we will address the necessity, if any of their testimony. In due course, plaintiffs remain free to bring those witnesses who will appear voluntarily. Counsel shall advise the court whether they intend to produce any live witnesses by March 11, 2025. That's yesterday at 5pm if the answer is no on all counts, then the hearing will be moved to 1pm so the court need not interrupt an ongoing criminal trial. But if the answer is yes and live testimony will be heard, then the hearing will take place as scheduled at 8am and we're going to bump that criminal trial. We'll know, Dana, in fewer than 24 hours what Azell and the Trump administration decide to do. But if they produce him, I. They're either going to produce him and he's going to be a dick. I don't know. I don't recall, you know, that kind of. That they do.

Dana Goldberg (16:18)

Yep.

Allison Gill (16:19)

Or he won't show up. And then we'll be able to see what kind of sanction the court will impose for violating a direct order.

Dana Goldberg (16:26)

Yeah, we will see. All right, this one's from Rob Weil at NBC. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will double the tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum imported from Canada. That's an escalation of the brewing economic feud between the US and its largest trading partner. Trump posted to his social media true social platform, that the tariffs would go from 25% to 50% starting Wednesday, a move that comes in response to the province of Ontario placing a 25% tariff on electricity coming into the United States. Trump added that he would be declaring a, quote, national emergency for the three states. Ontario is targeted so that the tariffs could go into effect. Trump also called on Canada to drop its duties on American dairy products and threatened to, quote, substantially increase tariffs on cars imported into the U.S. if Canada did not drop their egregious, longtime tariffs. The auto tariffs, Trump warned without citing evidence, as he often does, quote, essentially permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada. Trump then doubled down on some of his recent rhetoric about making Canada part of the United States, though he added it would get to keep its national anthem. What the fuck? Oh, boy. Okay. And I quote, the only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished 51st state. That's what Trump wrote. This would make all tariffs and everything else totally disappear. CNBC reported that Trump had not yet signed formal paperwork to officially increase the tariffs to 50%, citing a senior administration official who added, it was, quote, in the works and remained a threat rather than an action. I'm sure he's got. What is it? Plans. Their plans. Semblance plans. An action. Until the paperwork was prepared in two weeks. That's right. Markets. Nevertheless, unfortunately, responded negatively to Trump's threat. The S&P 500 was down as much as 1.2% early Tuesday afternoon, while the Dow Jones Industrial average gave up as many as 600 points, declining more than 1.6%. Making America great again. Tuesday afternoon, newly appointed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called Trump's threats, quote, an attack on Canadian workers, families and businesses. He said, my government will ensure our response has maximum impact on the US and minimal impact on Canada, while supporting the workers impacted. That's what Carney said. He said Canadian tariffs on U.S. goods would remain in place, quote, until the Americans show US respect and make credible, reliable commitments to free and fair trade. And I wish he would be more specific in that statement and not just say Americans, because there's a lot of us that also want to tell the guy he's dealing with to go fuck off.

Allison Gill (19:07)

Yeah, until Trump shows us respect and makes credible, reliable commitments to free and fair trade.

Dana Goldberg (19:12)

The analysts at Morgan Stanley warned that given that the US Is a net importer of steel and aluminum from Canada, the tariffs would lead to higher domestic prices as tariffs do, because that's how they work. As an example, although steelmaker Alcoa's stateside facilities would benefit from higher tariffs, it has an even larger presence north of the border. We expect it. Yep, we expect a net negative impact to the company as a whole. That's what analysts wrote. Some investors disagreed, sharing shares of the Pennsylvania based firm more than 2% higher. Tuesday. Ontario Premier Doug Ford had on Monday announced a 25% surcharge on electricity tapped by some 1.5 million residents of Michigan, Minnesota, New York, in response to Trump's recent billicose language toward Canada. Billicos, I love when they use these words. While Mexico has faced similar tariff threats.

Allison Gill (20:08)

And shitty Trump's reason, shitty language towards.

Dana Goldberg (20:13)

I guess they can't put that in the article article. While Mexico has faced similar terror threats and rhetoric, that country's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, she has succeeded in assuaging Trump the strategy, probably because Trump's wife doesn't light up when she sees Claudia Scheinbaum, but does light up when she saw Justin Trudeau. The strategy has not worked for Canadian officials who have more aggressively retaliated with tariffs and public comments. And I quote, I'm not too sure why he continues to attack his closest friends and allies. But we need the American people to speak up, Ontario's Ford said Tuesday in an appearance on CNBC. We need those CEOs to actually get a backbone and stand in front of them. And tell them this is going to be a disaster. It's mass chaos right now. I agree with him. New York Independent System Operator, which manages the state's grid, has said that there is enough generating capacity to transition from Canadian sources. I'm not sure about that, a spokesperson for Michigan's Public Service Commission told the Associated Press Monday. The impact on that state's residence was likely to be small. Minnesota governor Tim Walls, as we know, was Kamala Harris's running mate, likewise expected minimal impact for his state.

Allison Gill (21:25)

So yeah, well, we'll see what happens next. Up from CBS Last Friday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated on Twitter that a $600,000 grant to Southern University in Louisiana was being revoked for studying, quote, menstrual cycles in transgender men. This is the latest mischaracterization of a grant that was then canceled by the Trump administration's Doge. Doge highlighted the Rollins post, reposting it on the official doge.gov website and on Twitter. The grant was actually intended for research on the potential health risks posed by synthetic feminine hygiene products and for developing alternatives using natural fibers and fabrics. And that's according to the project's documentation, which was publicly filed on the USDA website. According to that documentation, the goals of the grant were to develop sustainable feminine hygiene products using regenerative cotton wool and industrial hemp, while enhancing education through an extension program that teaches women and girls about menstrual health and reusable products. It also would have funded a fiber processing center for locally grown fibers in Louisiana, potentially benefiting a state with some of the highest unemployment and poverty rates in the country. The USDA's decision to cancel the grant appears to have been the result of the grant being flagged to the Trump administration by the American Principles Project, a conservative think tank. And I think we need to remove the word think from conservative think tank and just call it conservative tank. Can we just do that? Kaylee Myers, a spokesperson for the American Principles Project, said in an email to cbs. This grant clearly denies biological reality. Men don't menstruate, but did not provide any evidence that the grant funded research into menstrual cycles in Transgender Mental. A USDA spokesperson confirmed this reasoning in a statement emailed to CBS News saying the taxpayer funded education component of the grant prioritized women identifying as men who might menstruate. Now, this mission, quote, certainly does not align with the priorities and policies of the Trump administration, which maintains there are two sexes, male and female. That's the statement. Now, while the grant language does include a single sentence acknowledging that transgender men are among those who menstruate. There was no indication that they were the focus of the grant, or even part of it. The passing reference to transgender men in the original grant application appears to be the sole justification for the cancellation of the entire grant. The description of the grant's goals, objectives and project methods contains no mention of prioritizing transgender men and focuses solely on the development of menstrual products made from natural fibers. The grant repeatedly notes that it would focus on efforts to, quote, educate young women and adolescent girls about menstrual hygiene products. The USDA asked in a follow up question whether it had any evidence that the study prioritized transgender men. They did not respond. The true purpose of the project, according to the grant, was to address the growing concerns and issues surrounding menstruation, including potential health risks posed to users for synthetic feminine hygiene products. According to a 2022 study published in the journal Current Environment Health Reports, there have only been limited studies on the risks of environmental contamination from synthetic hygiene products, despite potential for toxic chemical exposure. Some of the concerns include whether exposure to heavy metals and PFAS chemicals could be harmful or cancer causing. Dr. Sammy Kennedy Benson, who oversaw the program, told the local NBC affiliate WVLA the program held potential for US Farmers, Quote our local fiber processing facility will benefit local farmers who often grow fibers on a smaller scale and so we'll also have the ability to provide something local, benson said in an email. Benson told CBS she received notification her grant had been canceled on Saturday, but had not been aware of why until CBS reached out to her. Southern University, which is a public, historically black land grant university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told cbs, quote the term transgender men was used once to state that this project, through the development of safer and healthier FHPS feminine hygiene products, would benefit all biological women. A statement from Southern University said. The grant was reviewed by researchers from throughout the country before going forward. Although the overall dollar amount of the grant is small in the larger context of government spending, it was posted by a Trump Cabinet secretary and reshared by Doge. As a result, the tweets reached over 5 million people on Twitter by Sunday evening. It was also covered by Fox News and other conservative news outlets.

Dana Goldberg (25:59)

Thanks so much, my friend. This last one is from Scott McFarland at CBS. The FBI arrested a Texas man for allegedly beating one passenger, attempting to strike another, injuring a second passenger and vulgarly berating a flight attendant aboard an American Airlines flight from Wichita to Washington Reagan National Airport earlier this month. This is all from what CBS News has learned, it occurred five weeks to the day after the crash of the American Airlines flight on the same route. Now, Asterius, I apologize, was sitting in the 14th row of the aircraft when he allegedly got up just before the flight was landing on the night of March 5, approached a flight attendant and threatened to, quote, to fuck him up upon landing. That's according to an FBI affidavit reviewed by CBS News. Ralomka is also accused of referencing President Trump during an FBI interview. After the flight landed, did, quote, several passengers observing the threatening behavior started filming on their cell phones. This is what the affidavit said. Charging documents alleged Ruamka approached one of the passengers who was recording a video and began attacking him, grabbing his arms and verbally threatening him as he did the flight attendant. Quote, at one point, he struck the victim in the face near his left eye, causing a bruise and a bloodshot eye. Now, the FBI affidavit said Ruamka repeatedly struck the passenger before he attempted to strike a second passenger. The second victim, quote, was able to move out of the way in time to avoid being struck again. This is what the affidavit said. But he cut his finger and broke a fingernail in the process. According to records from the Justice Department, the incident on American Eagle Flight 5574 occurred just before 9pm nearly the precise time of night as the crash that occurred on another American Airlines flight from Wichita to Reagan national five weeks earlier. So just very eerie similarities. I'm not sure if they matter, but, and I quote, we do not tolerate violence and thank our team members for their professionalism. An American Airlines spokesperson told that to CBS News. Charging documents submitted to the judge also alleged that Ralomka, quote, started running up and down the cabin. It took three passengers and the flight attendants to secure him in a seat near his original seat before the plane landed. That's according to other documents. The FBI affidavit said. Upon the flight's arrival, the defendant made several statements, including that he had come to D.C. to speak to President Trump. When asked why he wanted to speak to the president, he stated that he was mad. Now, Ralomka is currently being held in jail, and he faces a federal assault charge. He's scheduled to appear in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Thursday for preliminary hearing, or the judge will determine if he should be held in jail pending trial.

Allison Gill (28:48)

My goodness.

Dana Goldberg (28:49)

Yeah.

Allison Gill (28:49)

Same flight as the one that crashed with the helicopter.

Dana Goldberg (28:53)

So interesting. Yeah.

Allison Gill (28:54)

Weird. All right, everybody, it's time for some good trouble. What are you Guys doing all right. Your good trouble today is from the aclu. From day one, the Trump administration has relentlessly attacked transgender people's basic freedoms. Now Trump's State Department is denying accurate passports to trans, intersex and non binary people. All of us need accurate and consistent identity documents that reflect who we are. Banning accurate IDs and forcing trans people to out themselves whenever they show an idiot will only push trans people out of public life and expose us to discrimination and violence. So tell the State Department. Everyone deserves accurate passports that match who we are. These attacks on trans, intersex and non binary Americans must be stopped. And your input matters. It is most impactful to add in your own reasons why the State Department should not ban people from getting passports that match who they are. If you're concerned about having your name on the record, you can submit comments anonymously on the Federal Register website. Application for passport DS11 renewal application DS82 and replacement name change and correction DS5504. So you can submit those anonymous public comments using the link in the show notes.

Dana Goldberg (30:07)

Yeah, I just, and I want to unpack this for a second. For people that are like, this is really basically now it goes past the trans issue. And I just want you to hear me out for a second. This is now starting, starting to police how people look and what's acceptable to way they look in society. So even if someone weren't to be trans and they have their passport and it says, you know, F on there, but maybe it's a very butch lesbian and unfortunately black butch lesbians are being targeted more than any others right now. So someone could look at that and go, I'm not letting you in. Even though it matches their identity, it matches their birth certificate, matches how they identify all of it. This is, this is so problematic. This is so problematic. And so this good trouble you can make, definitely. If this is something you feel you can do, do it. Let's, let's, let's, let's flood this.

Allison Gill (30:57)

Agreed. Thank you so much, my friend. Everybody stick around. We'll be right back with Congressman Jake Auchencloss. Hey, everybody. This podcast is sponsored by Peak. Peak's Radiant Skin Duo combines Sun Goddess Matcha and BT Fountain electrolytes for the ultimate in beauty and wellness. This powerful duo supports glowing hydrated skin while boosting energy, gut, health and overall vitality. And you can get 20% off on the Radiant Skin Duo plus a free starter kit@peaklife.com DailyBeans so the Sun Goddess matcha and BT fountain combo. It's my ultimate glow up secret for my Skin and my health The Radiant Skin Duo is a revolutionary pairing of two science backed products that enhance your skin and energy from within. Sun Goddess Matcha gives me sustained energy without jitters or crashes thanks to L Theanine for CAL and egcg antioxidants that firm and brighten my skin. It also supports gut health, helping me feel less bloated which is awesome. Now BT Fountain electrolytes hydrates on a cellular level with clinically proven ceramides to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. As well my skin stays soft and supple and free from redness. All of these products are vegan. There's no sugar added, no artificial ingredients and together they're magical to protect my skin, strengthen its barrier and keep it deeply hydrated for that lit from within glow. It's made with pure premium ingredients. Globally sourced, rigorously tested for effic purity and bioavailability. This duo is a must try. The pre measured sachets make it easy too. Just dissolve in hot or cold water. Sun Goddess Matcha is quadruple toxin, screened shaded, 35% longer and ceremonial grade with a creamy umami flavor and BT Fountain is pure clean hydration. What I love most is how this duo fits seamlessly into my routine that makes it so great. Easy habits to pick up are amazing. Whether I'm starting my day or recharging after a workout, the Radiant Skin Duo keeps me glowing inside and out. So if you're looking for a simple way to elevate your SK and your energy, this is it. So if you're ready to transform your routine right now, you can get 20% off the radiant Skin Duo plus a free starter kit which includes a rechargeable frother, a glass beaker and you can do this with my exclusive link. It's peaklife.com dailybeans that's P I Q U E life.com dailybeans don't miss out. Glow naturally into 2025 while supplies last. You'll be glad you did. Hey everybody, welcome back. Super honored today to be joined by the man who's representing Massachusetts 4th Congress District since 2021 in the U.S. house. Please welcome Congressman Jake Auchincloss. Jake hello Alison.

C (33:25)

Thanks for having me on.

Allison Gill (33:26)

Congressman, I'm so happy to talk to you today. And first of all, just thanks for me personally. I came out with vote vets when we spoke at the Capitol last year to help fund Ukraine. It was you Senator Duckworth, Ted Lieu, Tim Kaine candidate at the time Candidate Eugene Vindman. And I think we did a lot of great work with the Vote Vets organization to get Ukraine funded. You're a veteran. Veteran. I'm a veteran. Help us understand this Republican betrayal of our allies and NATO and Ukraine, because it's so backwards to what we've been, you know, our, our allyships from the last 80 years and our promise to protect Ukraine after they gave up their nukes for us.

C (34:09)

It's making Americans ashamed and afraid. I just did a town hall in the biggest city in my district, Fall River, Massachusetts, which voted for Donald Trump. And at this town hall, the most electric issue was Ukraine. My constituents could not believe that they watched an exchange in the Oval Office in which an American president did not know the difference between good and evil. American presidents for the last 70 years have definitely not always gotten it right on foreign policy. But I do think that since FDR and the reign of the Pax Americana, there has been a general confidence amongst Americans that presidents are at least trying to do the right thing. That where they see freedom and democracy, they want to be on that side. And what we saw in the Oval Office felt like a complete reversal of America's place in the world. World. And so they're angry and they're afraid by it. I think it's important, Alison, to understand how MAGA thinks and talks about this. I spend a lot of time in Congress always seeking out the strongest argument against whatever I believe, because it's too easy for politicians to create a straw man. Right. We need to find the steel man and really wrestle with it. And the MAGA case basically goes like this. The MAGA case is Donald Trump is doing a reverse Nixon. He is taking the more powerful partner, China, and he is wedging the weaker junior partner, Russia, out of an alliance with China. And they call it the reverse Nixon, because 50 years ago, Nixon did this, but he did this with China. Russia at that point was the more powerful of the two. And so he went to China and wedged China away from Russia. Russia. The problem with that argument is that it bonks. It makes literally no sense. The Chinese right now are looking at American acquiescence to the unraveling of a rules based order in which big countries cannot bully small countries and in which ethnonationalism is bound up in at least some amount of respect for the rule of law. And they're watching this and they're saying, this is exactly what we're looking for in the Indo Pacific. Yes, please. This is the kind of American weakness that will Help us take Taiwan, that will help us bully the Philippines, that will help us turn the South China Sea into a Chinese lake. They can't believe their good fortune in getting Donald Trump on board with Vladimir Putin's revanchism.

Allison Gill (36:58)

And what do you think of the. You know, it's just breaking. A couple hours ago, a 30 day ceasefire brokered by Rubio and Jeddah between Russia and Ukraine, which apparently immediately lifts the freeze on aid to Ukraine. Congressionally appropriated aid to Ukraine with a 30 day ceasefire. I'm skipping skeptical, like, I'm not quite sure what all this is about. And it's just breaking. We don't have a lot of details, but is there anything that you've heard about this?

C (37:30)

Your skepticism is well earned, given that Donald Trump sent his lieutenants overseas. And between Hegseth Vance and Rubio, they gave away half of the leverage that America had before they even sat down across the table from Russia's technocrats in Saudi Arabia. I mean, it was the junior varsity squad of American diplomacy. Everybody wants to see the war end, of course, but I think you and I understand that we must negotiate from strength, not appease from weakness. That we have to have a clear understanding aligned with Ukraine about what victory means. I think that's a secure eastern border. I think that's freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. I think that's a session to the European Union and we have to have strong NATO wide consensus about how we provision for Ukraine's security. And the good news there is we have the money. There's 300 billion euros sitting in Brussels. Russian assets that we can direct both the principal and the interest towards the probably about 20 to 40 billion dollars a year that it will take Ukraine to secure its eastern border.

Allison Gill (38:45)

Yeah, and I think I read that like 250 million of it, like the bulk of it isn't controlled by the United States. And so I think maybe the EU can do that unilaterally, which would be good to see. But, you know, we were calling. You were calling. Vote vets were calling to unfreeze those Russian assets a long time ago to help support Ukraine's war and their reconstruction.

C (39:04)

And there's precedent. Joe Biden helped negotiate a $50 billion economic lifeline underwritten by the principal of those Russian frozen assets. So it's all interest payments that will help fund that economic redevelopment. Obviously, the interest payments are still useful. So we don't want to take all the principal all at once because we want it to earn some interest. But we do want to start dipping into the principal as well now, and if you divide 300 by call it 30, you get 10 years worth of the funding necessary for Ukraine to field a multi layered defense, a frontline eastern perimeter defense force, a strategic rapid response force to plug any gaps that the Russians could potentially exploit, and then finally the aerial and maritime defenses necessary for critical infrastructure and for their cities. So we have the money, we have the tactical know how the Ukrainians have been inventive and courageous on the front lines. What we're missing is the political will, and that's where congressional Republicans need to step up. We know the president is a sycophant for Putin, but if congressional Republicans, even a third to a half of them, would join congressional Democrats in clear bipartisan signals of congressional support, we could get our European allies to move boldly in the provision of funds and security guarantees to Ukraine.

Allison Gill (40:16)

Yeah, I agree. I'm just concerned. I know that Congressman Dan Goldman, when I spoke to him, was saying that a lot of Republicans are worried about physical threats. We saw a lot of this in the January 6th hearings and stuff with Rusty Bowers and Raffensperger and his family that they're just actually concerned about their physical safety if they defy the Trump regime. So I'm hoping that they can get over that. Something else, people are mad. First of all, I'm really glad to hear that the number one issue at that town hall, especially in a red area that went for Trump, was the Ukraine, the embarrassment of what happened in the Oval Office. And something else I've noticed in a lot of these town halls, but while they were still having a they've pulled all their town halls on the Republican side, was that people are really angry about Elon Musk and the unelected Elon Musk and Doge and what they're doing to the government. And as you know, particularly speaking from a perspective from veterans, where they're like, you're firing like 30% of these federal workers are veterans. So I wanted to talk about something that's happening now is this battle to fund the government, the continuing resolution. And I wanted to talk about that because the feeling I'm getting, I've got my finger on the pulse of a lot of folks in the Democratic Party is that they do not want Democrats to help fund what this government. What Doge is doing via a continuing resolution. There's all kinds of garbage in this latest version. But people are really concerned. And I think Rep. McGovern was like, hey, Republicans, you claim you have a mandate. I think he said, put on your mandate pants and you figure it out. Which I thought that was a great episode title for a podcast. Put on your mandate pants. But what's going on right now? What's the latest in this continuing resolution? And are Democrats united on refusing to help Republicans pass this continuing resolution?

C (42:15)

In about 15 minutes, I'll be walking to the House floor to vote against this continuing resolution. Democrats needed to use this moment of maximum leverage to accomplish two things in order for us to get to yes. One would be to push back on the chaos and corruption of Trump and Doge and the general aura of lawlessness that pervades this administration. People may think there's waste, fraud and abuse in government. There's waste, fraud and abuse in every big bureaucracy. I don't think my constituents think that weather forecasters for air traffic control is wasteful. I don't think they think that the Office of Pharmaceutical Quality at the Food and Drug Administration is and a ridiculous use of money. I don't think they think that national park rangers or EPA officials who make sure that our rivers are clean are.

Allison Gill (43:00)

Veteran crisis line, Veterans crisis line. The list goes on.

C (43:04)

Federal employees are 4% of the federal government's budget. And to claim that they are saving money by creating an environment of uncertainty for job creators and investors and undermine the programs that make Americans feel safe and allow them to buy with confidence, it's just intellectually dishonest. So we needed to box in the president and his just his refusal to abide by the norms of appropriations where Congress tells him how to spend the money and he spends it that way. He has to, as his oath says, take care that the laws are faithfully executed. The number two thing we had to do is we had to get some wins for the middle class. The president gave a hundred minute speech in his joint address and he spent two minutes of those hundred talking about the cost of living. And half of that time he was saying the cost was going to go up. And I need to see something that's going to help the middle class out because what they're about to face is higher home insurance, higher car insurance, higher utility bills. They're going to see higher health insurance bills because of his Medicaid cuts. And we got to get them something. Last Congress, at the end of the last Congress, Speaker Johnson axed a bipartisan bill to lower prescription drug prices, for example, by taking on health insurance abuses. And Alison, you, you will believe this, but sometimes I can't even believe it myself. He, he axed it because Elon Musk tweeted about it. So I believe it in this bill. To get to a yes on this continuing resolution, we needed to get strong constitutional provisions against the chaos and corruption of Trump. And we had to get some wins to lower cost from middle class. This bill doesn't either of those things. And we try. We try. It does. In fact, that actually expands the envelope by which Trump can abuse his office and does absolutely nothing to lower costs for the middle class, except it extends his tariffs that will make their home insurance and car insurance bills and utility bills spike. So this one's a no. We're here to work with Republicans if they want to break with the president and get serious about funding the government responsibly. But this one is not it.

Allison Gill (45:17)

Now, is there a point where you two agree to fund the government cleanly, as is, including doge and the government cuts that are happening, or is that something that is non negotiable?

C (45:27)

Republicans control the House, the Senate and the presidency. They are responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen in Washington, D.C. including a government shutdown. Nobody wants a government shutdown. It's not the right way to run the greatest country in the world. But it's even more irresponsible to provide money to a president who does not spend money in accordance with congressional intent. Because if Congress loses the power of the purse, we're not a legislature anymore. We are a board of advisors.

Allison Gill (45:53)

Yeah, no, I'm really glad to hear you say that. I am always against a government shutdown. I was a federal employee for military. I'm always against a government shutdown when the government's functioning at least relatively properly. And I don't see it as doing such. But like you said, you're right. They control both houses. They control the White House. This is. Put on your mandate pants and pass your resolution if you can, if you're able. But I am really glad to hear you say that. I have a technical question about congressional rules. There's also something going on on this thing, this big, huge budget reconciliation bill, Mike Johnson's pet project to raise the debt ceiling, cut taxes for the wealthy on the backs of the rest of us. Right, by cutting Medicare, Medicaid, veterans benefits, et cetera. This is just, I guess, kind of a technical question because I honestly don't know how this works. If they pass this budget resolution, I know it takes, it's a pretty big dance and could take a while, assuming they can't pass a budget reconciliation before the government shuts down. But if they could, would that alleviate the need for a continuing resolution if they pass that budget reconciliation, or is there still a CR that's needed to fund the government each time?

C (47:08)

No, the budget reconciliation. I think I understand your question. The budget reconciliation process and the appropriations process for the government are always going to be distinct. You can attach anything you want to appropriations, I guess, but the reverse doesn't work. And the reverse doesn't work because reconciliation is a partisan maneuver. It's a maneuver that bypasses the filibuster. And when you do that, you take on a lot of constraints about what you're allowed to put in that package. It has to be primarily about spending, not about policy. And appropriations bills have a ton of policy associated with them. And so they're not appropriate for reconciliation maneuvers. I'm glad you raised the reconciliation attempt, though. The only asterisk I might put on it is that it's actually not Speaker Johnson's pet project. To be clear, it is, it is Donald Trump's mission. Speaker Johnson is a courtier at the, you know, at the Court of Mar a Lago, and he is being told to do this. He has been told, go and find $4.5 trillion to give tax cuts to people who don't need tax cuts. And the only way he can find that $4.5 trillion is by taking away health care from people who do need health care. P.S. also by exploding the federal debt by trillions of dollars.

Allison Gill (48:22)

Right.

C (48:23)

And so the Republicans are in this position of confabulation where they were told to do something and now they have to pretend to their constituents like, no, no, we got here for sound policy reasons. There's $880 billion of waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid. Really? Tell that to the 40% of American kids who get preventative and primary care through Medicaid. Tell that to the 45% of American women who get perinatal care through Medicaid. Tell that to the seniors who get at home care through Medicaid. When Medicare does not cover long term care and supports, I don't think they view that as waste, fraud and abuse. Again, can every federal program be tightened up and can you make reforms? Of course. And if the Republicans want to come and talk about provider taxes or federal matching rates and where can we get some savings and deliver care more efficiently? Sure, of course. That's our job here in Congress. We'll wrestle with that. That's not what they're doing. They were given a number and they were handed a chainsaw and they were told to carve out that number from the body politics, need for healthcare. And that's what they were doing.

Allison Gill (49:29)

Yeah, no, I totally get it. When I worked at the Department of Veterans affairs, one of the biggest parts of my job, I spent a lot of my time, a lot of my day, making sure that the Department of Defense paid the bills for active duty service members that got care at the va. They were paying a six figure job to make sure the government paid the government through a third party that was getting a cut of it. So, yeah, is there fraud, waste and abuse there? And yes, I spent the last two years of my job trying to eliminate my job because I thought it was redundant. It. And it seemed kind of idiotic. And that was before then Trump came in and removed me because I had a podcast about the Mueller investigation. But that's neither here nor there. But that's the kind of fraud, waste and abuse we want to look out for and we want to do. Not cutting these things like wholesale, you know, I mean, and especially if Rick Scott's on board, who's one of the biggest Medicare fraudsters in the history of the program. So. So the hypocrisy is real, but we know the end game. They want to break the government so that they can say we must privatize it and then they can line their own pockets with the privatization and contracts with AI for Musk and all that other stuff on the backs of the middle class and more wealth gap widening, I think, is what we're looking at.

C (50:45)

I'm glad you raised the misdirection of what they're doing because I think it's so important for us to bring this home to Americans. The claims about Social Security fraud that the President made in the joint address were lies. The database with all of those beneficiaries in there who are deceased, they are not getting benefits. And the reason that it's so concerning that he's saying that is not because he's lying, because he lies all the time. And I think Americans know that. It's because the lie is preceding a truth. And the truth is the Republicans have wanted to privatize Social Security since George W. Bush when they first tried and Democrats stopped them and we will stop them again. But I'm worried about constituents who get hurt along the way. They are trying to close a Social Security office already in my district. Big city, multi ethnic, working class city, people really use that Social Security office and they're saying it's a non core asset and they're trying to shut it down. And that is the beginning ripples of what I worry is a tsunami that they are trying to build for Social Security privatization.

Allison Gill (51:52)

Yeah. And this might be a little tinfoil Hatty, but I think that's why Doge wants right access to Social Security administration systems so that they can create fraud where it didn't exist in the first place. You know, like, hey, just, you know, just, hey, doj, investigate the, you know, the election. And my buddies, my Republican buddies in Congress will do the rest. But you know what, Congressman, I want to thank you so much for doing this podcast and for doing other podcasts podcasts, because, you know, there's a lot of old guard Dems out there who kind of look down their noses at independent media and think that performance and going viral and things like that are beneath the party. And I'm hoping that that tide changes because the kinds of media that you do. Max Frost, Jasmine Crockett, aoc I think that there's really a benefit to that and I appreciate you coming onto our podcast and other podcasts and speaking out about these things because it just kind of grows our entire media base. And I'm very thankful that you decided to join me today.

C (52:59)

Well, I agree, Alison, and I'm thankful that you had me on.

Allison Gill (53:02)

Well, I hope we can do it again soon. Go vote, go do the thing and let us know how it goes. Thanks 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? Then good news, everyone. Good news. All right, we need your listener submitted good news. Confessions, corrections, misheard song lyrics, fun stories, jokes you want to share. We love. Remember when we were doing street jokes for a while?

Dana Goldberg (53:42)

Oh, yeah, that was pretty fun.

Allison Gill (53:45)

Send those into us. Also, shout outs to yourself, a loved one, a small business in your area, your small business. We have so many makers and creators and entrepreneurs that listen to the daily beans. We love to hear about that. Shout outs to yourself, a government program that's helped you out. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, all the stuff the Republicans are about to cut. Anything that's helped you out that Republicans are about to cut, which is pretty much every government program you can tell us about, how it's helped you or a family member or a loved one. And then of course, student debt relief, for example. So many people's student debt is going to double, triple, quadruple right now because they've closed the pay as you earn and save program and the income driven repayment program. Remember when Biden capped it at 5% of your discretionary income. Yeah, they've blocked that. So many people are ineligible to apply for those discounts again. And people's it's going to go up. But if you've had your student debt forgiveness, we want to hear from you as well. And all you got to do to get your good news in or your submission and your shout out in is to pay your POD pet tax. Attach a photo of your pet if you want us to guess the breeds in your multi breed dog or you know, even we're not very good at it. So maybe just give us purebreds and we'll guess those cats, whatever, Turtles, horses, some reason I'm good with turtle breeds. I don't know why that worked out that way. But you can send us any animal photo. If you don't have that adoptable pet in your area. If you don't have animal photos, you can send us your baby photos. You as a baby, your kids as babies, your spouse as a baby, stranger baby, strangers from the Internet, whatever, baby photos. And then of course we're doing bird watching, which can be an actual photo of a bird or you and your family and friends flipping off Trump and Musk properties so he submit it all to us dailybeanspot.com click on contact. First up from Shannon Pronoun she and her greetings and salutations. First of all, I appreciate the Leguminati so much. Not sure if I spelled that right, but you get it right. I live in a perpetual state of fear and loathing. I hate everything. I walk around mad as all day, every day. Okay, maybe not. But in all honesty, I do. A lot of the time. There are so many gross things being done and so many people are suffering or will be suffering soon. I have given up trying to understand how anyone could support so much senseless cruelty. Of course the caveat to that is until it affects them personally. And even then it seems as though some of those people, the MAGA cult folks, would be happy to end up penniless, homeless, living in a ditch, so long as the people they don't like are being hurt too. Trump really did bring out the ugly in people and they fully embraced it and wave it proudly. You know, I don't want to interrupt here, Dana. Have you read the article in the Atlantic? The parent whose kid died of measles in Tex and is still saying we just thought the vaccine was too dangerous?

Dana Goldberg (56:37)

No.

Allison Gill (56:38)

Yeah. Mm. It's a death call, man. This leads me to my good trouble. Thank you, Shannon. I was able to attend a rally the other day that was organized by Queen City United Stand in solidarity against white supremacy. This is a response to Nazis roaming around like they own the city of Cincinnati. It made my heart happy to see so many different kinds of people attending this rally. The turnout was really good and it was peaceful and the speakers were great. It was nice to feel love and hope for a few hours. I'm including a few pictures from the rally, a couple of my favorite signs, and just general crowd picks. I'm looking forward to attending future rallies and marches and whatever else I can get around in this area. I hope more people begin to realize how we really are in this country. It took a Cheeto dusted shit weasel less than two months to tear our government apart and turn the country into a pariah. Do we even have any allies left? It's absolutely terrifying. Fine. But I will get out there as much as I can and do as much as I can for as long as I can to cause good trouble.

Dana Goldberg (57:32)

Look at this sign for.

Allison Gill (57:34)

This is good for. For Pod pet tax. I'm including a picture of my Malcolm, AKA Captain Fuzzy Pants, named for Captain Malcolm Reynolds on Firefly. Ah, nice. I had a lyric in a song that said Captain Archer. What a guy. But he's no Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly. No, I lost him in September of last year, but I still think about him every day.

Dana Goldberg (57:55)

He looks so cute in his outfit. He does. He does.

Allison Gill (57:58)

I love it. All right. Look at these great signs.

Dana Goldberg (58:02)

Yeah.

Allison Gill (58:02)

Orange lies matter. Mr. Putin, go back to Russia.

Dana Goldberg (58:06)

Mrs. Putin.

Allison Gill (58:08)

Mrs. Oh, Mrs. Putin. Okay.

Dana Goldberg (58:10)

Yeah. That's Trump in a wedding dress. And my goodness, that is one ugly bride.

Allison Gill (58:14)

Oh, yeah. Yikes. Thank you for that. Thank you for that. And thank you for that rally. And Shannon, Dana. I'm gonna be attending the Empty Seat Darrell Issa rally in Escondido on March 23rd. Sunday. I'm gonna be a guest speaker and a guest panelist because Darrell Issa is not gonna be showing up for his town hall. So we're gonna host one ourselves.

Dana Goldberg (58:34)

That's amazing. All right, this one's from Suzanne Pronoun. She and her hello beans Queens. I'm a new listener and today I want to give a shout out to my dad.

Allison Gill (58:42)

Hey, dad.

Dana Goldberg (58:43)

85 year old dad spent the other day and we'll spend the next two weekends canvassing for Judge Crawford.

Allison Gill (58:50)

Yes.

Dana Goldberg (58:50)

In this very red county in southwestern Wisconsin. Him. He did the same thing in the fall for Kamala. I absolutely hate canvassing, but was so inspired by his determination that I canvassed for Judge Crawford last week and will canvas two more weekends before the election. Judge Crawford is one of the two candidates running for a Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin. This is a very important election as electing Judge Crawford will keep extremist Brad Schimmel off the court. Schimmel's campaign is being flooded with musk money and is already facing ethics complaints. Big surprise. I'm hoping the current anger at Trump Musk Vance will propel Judge Crawford to victory. Early voting starts March 18th. With the election on April 1st. I also wanted to give a shout out to Medicaid. My son has developmental disabilities and I didn't know what we'd do if the program is cut. And a shout out to aca. My self employed farmer brother would not have health insurance without it. Finally, I've been engaging in as much activism as possible. Yesterday there was an anti musk slash Trump rally at the State Capitol. On the day before I attended a pop up postcard writing party to get the vote out for Judge Crawford. I've also spammed mailboxes as suggested on your show. My favorite so far was submitting a job application to Dosh on behalf of the Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson. He's not interested in serving the people of Wisconsin so I thought he should look for work elsewhere. Although he's more on the senior side, I thought he'd fit right in over there. I'm sure mansplaining is a top talent at Doge.

Allison Gill (60:26)

Yeah, and being a Russian asset too.

Dana Goldberg (60:28)

Yep yep. Also, shout out to the Satanic Temple. There's a wonderful documentary about them titled Hail Satan and I'm so pleased you talked about them on previous episode Hell Satan. And there is an official trailer link that we're going to put in the show notes so you can watch that that my pod Pet Tax. I'm submitting a picture of our dogs Dustin and dolly. Dolly's a 17 year old mini schnauzer. She was brought to our vet almost four years ago by a caregiver. Her owner had died and the caregiver wanted her euthanized because she had developed a seizure disorder. Our vet basically said that because she was in good health and she seizures are easily controlled by medication, Dolly was surrendered on the spot. Our vet then called the biggest saps on her client list. That's us. We had agreed to foster Dolly. Of course she's been with us ever since. Dolly is super prickly and shows us she loves us by allowing us to scratch her ears. Oh, Dustin is the Maltese. He arrived over the summer after he was seized from a 24 dog hoarding situation. Wow. He has all cuddles all the time. Thank you for everything you do. I'd be lost without you. Keep up the great work.

Allison Gill (61:40)

My God, look at the look on the Maltese's face.

Dana Goldberg (61:42)

I know. Maltese is like don't touch my schnauzer buddy.

Allison Gill (61:47)

That brow is like yeah, back off a dolly.

Dana Goldberg (61:50)

No, Dustin's got protected.

Allison Gill (61:53)

Yeah, he protect, he attack.

Dana Goldberg (61:56)

So sweet.

Allison Gill (61:57)

Thank you Suzanne for that great, excellent, excellent information and stories about your activism. Next up, Mitch pronouns he and him. Just heard about a wonderful bookstore in Smyrna, Tennessee called the Spine Bookshop. They have started something called the Banned Book Brigade. They are collecting books that have been banned by local schools or that are frequently the target of the MAGA zealotry. Kids who want to pick up these books can grab a copy for free. Thanks to the support from Like Minded Souls. We'll have a link in the show notes if you want to support the Spine Bookshop and this awesome campaign to get free banned books to kids for podbet tax, I submit Kevin and Lucy. Now in double decker sunbathing mode. Oh, I like Kevin and Lucy. I'm gonna grab the next one too since that one was pretty short. Next up, NC transplant pronoun she and her hi AG and DG. I've been waiting for the past two years to be able to write this good news. Oh my goodness. On Friday I was notified the remainder of a consolidated loan that we had been paying on since 1992 has finally been forgiven. We were terrified when the Pinot took over. That's President in name only took over that we would be stuck paying on the portion of the consolidation loan that fell under my husband. It was frustrating and a difficult journey, but it finally happened. The remaining $49,228.11 was forgiven as of Friday, March 7, 2025, two years after we had met our 120 payments for the second time.

Dana Goldberg (63:30)

Wow.

Allison Gill (63:31)

Fuck. Nelnet and Devos for pet tax I submit my retired racing greyhounds, Lucy, Black and White and Julia Brindle and White White and Diva, the black foster who's looking for her forever home, Lily, her orange highness and Harley, an old man Maine coon. Keep up the good work that you do for your loyal listeners. Sisters in the resistance NC Transplant. Congratulations. Look at these beautiful aminals.

Dana Goldberg (63:58)

So sweet.

Allison Gill (63:59)

I'll pet the kitties.

Dana Goldberg (64:01)

All right. Thanks AG and this one is from boat down ballot blue and pronouns are he him. I know when I started listening to the Daily Beans because the first thing I can remember is the announcement of the new pod. You don't know jack thinking that's going to be a trademark nightmare. We get our dose of beans on our way to high school each morning. No offense to Andy, Pete, Harry or John, but Dana is the family favorite. So I listen to the other pods after drop off on my way to work. Thank you for that by the way. My good news is that finally, after.

Allison Gill (64:32)

Two years of prom, what about me?

Dana Goldberg (64:34)

Hey, hey. Talking about co host. Zip it. My good news is that finally, this is my moment. My good news is that finally, after two years of promising the teens that we would become patrons, I have made good on that and I'm officially a okay, here is where we start to veer off the rails. I absolutely love the epithet Leguminati. Just brilliant. My issue is that coffee beans aren't legumes. I've tried to come up with a name for a splinter sect of coffee lovers, but I'm not creative enough. Perhaps a fellow listener can help a brother out as penance for my leggardy. Leggardly. Laggardly. There we go. Laggardly. That's the right word. As penance for my laggardly performance in becoming a patron, we've also sponsored two other memberships who's as a behind the scenes guy myself, I wanted to just not thank the incredible on air talent but all the incredibly talented team that works in the shadows making sure we get our daily dose. Yes, they are incredible. We are three generation family unit of seven with three octogenarian elders, two teenage twins and me and my amazing wife stuck in the middle. All seven of us are as blue as blue can be. I even tried to write a song. I vote those down Ballot Blues to the tune of St. Louis Blues by W.C. handy. My kids are mad that they turn voting age just days after midterm. Given that we are full time caregivers for our elders, we don't have any pets at this time. For my pod pet tax I include a photo of Beans my axolotl. Their model is basic gray and black and white flecks. Their model M O D E L is 100% recycled plastic pellets from the petting zoo. My daughter calls them my emotional support axolotl as I clutch it to my chest while my teens learn to drive. Ah yes, fantastic. This one is submission.

Allison Gill (66:29)

Great submission. Oh this is amazing. Vote down ballot blue. I just need to let you know that originally the Daily Beans wasn't based on coffee beans. It was based on legumes beans and we used to get tons of rancho Gordo beans in the mail and then it kind of, it kind of became coffee because it made sense because it's the morning and you get your news, et cetera, et cetera. But either way, good to know. I actually didn't know coffee beans weren't legumes, so now I know. I learned something today. Thanks everybody for your good news. Incredible submissions. Please send it all to us daily beanspod.com click on Contact and if you're able to become a patron, it would really help us out. We've got seriously a huge increase in listenership which increases our costs quite a bit and you all help us cover them and help support independent media. You can become a patron@patreon.com Muller she wrote. Really, really appreciate everything. Do you have any final thoughts today, my friend? Friend?

Dana Goldberg (67:29)

I don't think I do. I just don't. I don't. I'm tapped.

Allison Gill (67:33)

I'm tapped too. But my final thought, I guess is that I love y'all and we'll be back on your earth 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 beans. The Daily Beans is written and executive produced by Allison Gill with additional research and reporting by Dana Goldberg. Sound design and editing is by Desiree McFarlane with art and web design by Joelle Reader with Moxie Design Studios. Music for the Daily Beans is written and performed by they Might Be Giants and the show is a proud member of the MSW Media Network, a collection of creator owned podcasts dedicated to news, politics and justice. For more information Please visit msw media.com msw media.