Kiss The Feet

Summary

The Daily Beans: Episode Summary - "Kiss The Feet"
Release Date: February 25, 2025
Host/Authors: Allison Gill & Dana Goldberg

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Introduction

In the February 25, 2025 episode of The Daily Beans, hosts Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg delve into a myriad of pressing political and social issues, blending hard-hitting news with their signature snark. From assaults at political gatherings to judicial pushbacks against the Trump administration's policies, the episode offers a comprehensive overview of the current political landscape, interspersed with personal anecdotes and community shout-outs.

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Federal Employee Concerns and the Five Bullets Email

Timestamp: [02:25]

The episode begins with Allison Gill expressing empathy for federal employees facing turmoil under the current administration. She recounts the recent incident where federal workers received a dubious email from [e-mail], prompting them to list five accomplishments from the past week. The revelation that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends to use AI to analyze these responses escalated tensions, leading OPM to retract and declare responses voluntary.

Notable Quote:

"My heart goes out to all federal employees right now. They're all, what a mess. Just so scared and terrified."
— Allison Gill [01:30]

Further complicating matters, OPM's communication suggested that any replies might be monitored by malicious foreign actors, heightening fears among employees.

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Judicial Actions Against Trump Administration Policies

Timestamp: [07:48] - [13:00]

The hosts discuss several judicial decisions limiting the Trump administration's reach:

1. Associated Press Restriction: Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, denied a restraining order to reinstate the Associated Press to the White House Corps, reflecting ongoing tensions between the administration and the press.

2. Transgender Housing in Prisons: A significant focus is on Judge Royce Lambert's preliminary injunction against Executive Order 14168, which mandated housing transgender women in men's prisons. Despite the government's argument that low-security men's facilities would mitigate risks, the court found the policy violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.

   Notable Quote:

   "That's cruel and unusual punishment."
   — Dana Goldberg [12:15]

3. ICE Raids on Churches: Another federal judge blocked Trump's ICE raids targeting religious institutions, citing violations of religious freedom.

4. Data Sharing Blockades: Federal judges also impeded the Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Education from sharing data with Doji, further restraining the administration's initiatives.

Allison underscores the judiciary's role in safeguarding constitutional rights, highlighting a Reagan appointee's unexpected decision against the administration's policies.

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Assault at Republican Town Hall in Coeur d'Alene

Timestamp: [13:00] - [19:16]

A particularly disturbing incident occurred at a Republican town hall organized by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee in Coeur d'Alene. Unidentified plainclothes security personnel, employed by Lear Asset Management, violently removed attendee Teresa Borenpo from the auditorium. The confrontation escalated when Teresa challenged Representative Ron Mendenve's claims about public land stewardship, leading to her physical removal.

Notable Quotes:

"They came and took her by the arm and then took her by the feet and pulled her into the aisle."
— Mary Rosedahl [16:18]

"I was really dumbfounded because he said, do you want me to pepper spray you?"
— Teresa Borenpo [16:18]

Witnesses described the event as "violent and really traumatic," with Teresa sustaining minor injuries during the ordeal. Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Lee White condemned the actions, emphasizing the importance of First Amendment rights and the proper conduct of security personnel.

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Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger's Actions

Timestamp: [19:16] - [22:45]

Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, reinstated after being wrongfully terminated by President Trump, is actively challenging the administration's personnel practices. Recently, Dellinger filed requests to stay the terminations of six probationary federal employees, arguing that their dismissals constitute prohibited personnel practices (PPPs) under Title 5, US Code Section 2302 B12.

Notable Quote:

"Firing probationary employees without individualized cause appears contrary to a reasonable reading of the law."
— Hampton Dellinger [22:45]

Dellinger's efforts aim not only to protect these individuals but potentially extend protections to a broader group of probationary employees facing similar unjust terminations.

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Prank at HUD Headquarters

Timestamp: [23:07] - [26:43]

In a lighter yet illustrative segment, the hosts recount a prank at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters, where AI-generated videos depicting President Donald Trump kissing Elon Musk's feet played on agency televisions. The incident, attributed to an anonymous hacker or activist, required HUD employees to manually turn off each screen to halt the loop.

Notable Quote:

"It's disgusting. It's not kissing. It is like fetishizing."
— Dana Goldberg [23:07]

The prank underscores the ongoing tensions and frustrations within federal agencies, especially amidst leaks revealing massive staff reductions at HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development.

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Good News Segment

Timestamp: [27:29] - [41:04]

Shifting gears, Allison and Dana introduce their "Good News" segment, spotlighting listener submissions that celebrate community achievements, personal milestones, and positive initiatives.

1. Listener Shout-Outs:

   • Susanna and Sally from Northern Vermont express gratitude for the podcast’s advocacy, sharing photos of their rescue dogs, Finnegan and Rosie.
   • An anonymous listener praises her USDA-employed partner's resilience amid federal cutbacks, accompanied by images of their cats, Pablo and Wilbur.
   • Steph shares a trivia win related to the endangered axolotl salamander, celebrating the podcast's role in her knowledge enhancement.
   • Karen from Colorado highlights the expansion of a national women’s soccer league team to Denver, suggesting the name "Mile High Valkyries FC" and encourages listener support.

2. Community Engagement:
   The hosts invite listeners to contribute their own good news stories, pet photos, and community shout-outs via the podcast’s website, fostering a sense of camaraderie and collective resilience.

Notable Quotes:

"Thank you all for all you do to spread the word that democracy is good and fascism and oligarchy is really, really bad."
— Susanna and Sally [31:39]

"We will wake up as often as we can and we will do our best to help our neighbors and accept help in return. Humanity is community."
— Anonymous Listener [32:21]

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Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, Allison and Dana reiterate the importance of community support and vigilance in the face of political adversities. They announce the upcoming "Taint of the Week" segment, promising more in-depth discussions on contentious issues. The hosts also emphasize self-care and mutual support, closing with heartfelt acknowledgments of their listeners' contributions.

Final Thoughts:

"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."
— Allison Gill [41:02]

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Production Credits:
The Daily Beans is written and executive produced by Allison Gill with additional research and reporting by Dana Goldberg. Sound design and editing are handled by Desiree McFarlane, with art and web design by Joelle Reader from Moxie Design Studios. Music is composed and performed by they Might Be John Science. The show is a proud member of the MSW Media Network.

For more information, visit mswmedia.com.

Transcript

[Alison Gill]

MSW Media hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Tuesday, February 25, 2025. Today, a Coeur d'alene woman was assaulted at a Republican town hall by two unmarked private security guards. The Office of Personnel Management walks back its Five Bullets email. A Trump appointed judge has denied a restraining order that would reinstate the Associated Press to the White House Corps. Emmanuel Macron fact checked Donald Trump on Ukraine in real time to his face in the Oval Office. A federal judge blocked Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Education from sharing data with Doji. Another federal judge blocked Trump's ICE raids at churches. And yet another judge expanded the restraining order blocking Trump from housing trans women in men's prisons. Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger has ruled that some probationary firings are illegal. And a hero hacked the cafeteria. Televisions at Housing and Urban Development showing a video of Trump kissing Musk's feet. I'm Alison Gill.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[Alison Gill]

Hey, Dana. Happy Tuesday. The taint of the week is fast approaching.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, the taint of the week is fast approaching. I'm revving up for it. How are you, my friend?

[Alison Gill]

Oh, man. Right now I just want to. My heart goes out to all federal employees right now. They're all, what a mess. Just so scared and terrified. And the morale is like negative 150,000 points, if you can measure it on that scale. I went through something not even close to this bad back during the first Trump administration and it's just so heartbreaking.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

But you know, it's like what Trump thinks of service members and veterans, that they're suckers and losers. He thinks that people who are of service are lazy and useless. And because he doesn't understand the idea of being of service to others so.

[Dana Goldberg]

Well, he did serve fries to some actors that drove through a drive through to McDonald's. So don't take everything away from him.

[Alison Gill]

That's true. Okay. My heart goes out to him.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

Update on the Five Bullets email. As you know, we talked about this yesterday. Over the weekend, all federal employees got another email from [e-mail] telling them that they had to list the, like, five things they did last week. And it, you know, it was found out today that they're going to use AI to look at those results. And then a lawyer sent a motion for Rule 11 sanctions against OPM lawyers, like, they want to file sanctions against the general counsel at opm. And they sent that motion. They haven't filed it yet, but they sent it to the Department of Justice lawyers handling his case. And then all of a sudden, today, the Office of Personnel Management wants to make sure everyone knows that it's completely voluntary to respond to that email. So that was fun. And, oh, this is interesting. A friend of mine at CDC got an email that was sent to all HHS employees that, you know, first of all was to notify them that the response to OPM was voluntary. But they said in a bullet point that if you do reply, assume it will be read by a malign foreign actor.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, yeah. So, yikes. So I shared that and been going around social media. My former lawyer, Kathy Harris, who was fired from the Merit Service Protection Board by Trump and got her job back through a temporary restraining order, has just hired Neil Katyal to argue her case to the Supreme Court.

[Dana Goldberg]

Good for her. That's fantastic.

[Alison Gill]

When it gets there, she's a badass. Judge Trevor. Trevor McFadden, he refused to issue a restraining order to return the Associated Press to the press room. As I said in the opening headlines there, he's a Trump appointee, and I just call him Trevor.

[Dana Goldberg]

You should. Well, I guess more. More stuff coming. I mean, in this part, just. I know we're only in the discussion, which is crazy, but there was a preliminary injunction hearing. Judge Kohler Catelli grilled counsel, grilled them for the government on DOI's command structure. Counsel repeatedly said he didn't know the answer to her questions, which is embarrassing. The judge said the questions are relevant because she has concerns about whether Doji is operating constitutionally under the Appointments Clause. So I love that caller Catelli is pushing back on this. The judges are doing what they need to. Yeah, they're not the only piece. And people. I mean, Macron checked Trump today in the Oval Office to his face. Oh, my God. I think, you know, and I take it back, yesterday I said only women. Only women were doing it to his face. And now Macron, that was.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, he's sitting there next to him in the Oval Office, and he's like, Trump said something about Europe didn't give money to Ukraine, they lent it. And Macron's like, no, no, no, we gave it to them.

[Dana Goldberg]

Nice.

[Alison Gill]

And also Russia was the per. The country that started that war because, you know, Trump was trying to say that Zelensky started it.

[Dana Goldberg]

Huh.

[Alison Gill]

And also, a judge blocked Trump's ICE raids at a couple of churches.

[Dana Goldberg]

So much winning.

[Alison Gill]

This isn't nationwide, but these churches sued on religious freedom grounds. And, you know, I posted on Blue sky that I love it when religious freedom bites them in their own Sanctimonious asses. And I thought, hey, maybe we should start a religion called the Democracy Religion.

[Dana Goldberg]

There you go.

[Alison Gill]

And make it legal to launch Republicans into the sun for violating our democracy.

[Dana Goldberg]

I mean, that's not a bad idea. Every organized religion is literally made up, so why can't we. And then do everything on the grounds of our religious beliefs?

[Alison Gill]

I mean, do you remember the Flying Church of Flying Spaghetti Monster?

[Dana Goldberg]

No.

[Alison Gill]

There was a Kansas City school board that said, oh, you know, that all religious texts or whatever are free to be used in the classrooms or something like that. And so some guy started the. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Love. And there's a whole canon now. And. And so his. He was like, so my kids should get to wear a strainer on his head to show. Because that's what we do in our religion. And we also believe that one of their major core canons is that the dwindling number of pirates is causing climate change.

[Dana Goldberg]

I mean, this is a brilliant idea. Why the fuck haven't we been doing this the whole time?

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Dana Goldberg]

What do you have to do to start an organized religion? Nothing.

[Alison Gill]

But it worked. The dude sued and he got his Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster book in curriculum or something. I don't know.

[Dana Goldberg]

So good.

[Alison Gill]

I forget the whole story.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's a little good. Trouble. I love that.

[Alison Gill]

Look it up. Yeah, it is fun. All right. And that's really cool about the judge and the appointments clause thing because, I mean, Anna Bauer has been asking for. For days now on social media. Who is the administrator of Doge? Will the real administrator of Doge please stand up? Because they're saying it's not Elon Musk. He's some sort of Stephen Miller, you know, what. What do they call him? Peewee German was on tv, like, saying that. No, Musk is an advisor in the White House, and all the orders come from the President. Like, they're trying to justify it as a. A legitimate agency without advice and consent or being set up by Congress. And so it's a separation of powers issues and all that stuff. So good for her. I'm glad she's doing that.

[Dana Goldberg]

Fantastic.

[Alison Gill]

But we. We do have quite a bit of news to get to. We haven't even gotten to the.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thanks for the show today. Oh, we're not there yet. Okay, great.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, yeah, no, let's do it, though. Let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up, this is from a court document from Judge Royce Lambert, a Reagan appointee, and he wrote the following on February 18th of this year, this court entered a preliminary injunction in joining the enforcement of sections 4A and 4C of Executive Order 14168 on Eighth Amendment grounds against plaintiffs Jane Mary and Sarah Doe. So this is the case, Dana. This is the case about the transgender women incarcerated and Trump ordering them in sections 4A and 4C of his executive order to be housed in men's prisons.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep.

[Alison Gill]

So on February 21, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint which added nine new plaintiffs, all of whom are transgender women incarcerated in Women's Bureau of Prisons facilities, seeking the same relief as the original three plaintiffs. That same day, the plaintiffs filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and expanded preliminary injunction to prevent the government from implementing Executive Order 14168 to all 12 plaintiffs. Now, the plaintiffs emphasized the urgency in resolving this motion. Because of the additional plaintiffs, they were rounded up by BOP officials and informed they would be immediately transferred to men's prisons and would have their health care terminated pursuant to the executive order. So the court reviewed the party's filings and determines that the same reasoning for the court's original restraining order still applies, with nothing in the record to compel a different outcome. The only new development on the record is that the government Trump has identified low security men's facilities in which to house the plaintiffs, which, according to the government, completely alleviates the plaintiffs alleged Eighth Amendment harms, Eighth Amendment cruel and unusual punishment. The court finds that the plaintiffs are still likely to succeed on their 8th Amendment claim regarding the transfer provision. As this court concluded in granting the original restraining order, when the initial housing determination was made for each of the named plaintiffs, the Bureau of Prisons determined that, considering all statutorily and constitutionally required factors, a woman's facility was the appropriate facility for each of the named plaintiffs. This was the conclusion. Even in a landscape where 99% of transgender women in BOP custody are housed in men's facilities, summarily removing the possibility of housing the plaintiffs in a woman's facility when that was determined to be appropriate under the existing constitutional and statutory regime that demonstrates a likelihood of success on the merits of the plaintiffs on their 8th amendment claim. They're likely to win.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's wonderful.

[Alison Gill]

The court is also unconvinced by Donald Trump the government's proffered statistics attempting to show that low security men's facility would be safer for the plaintiffs than their current housing assignment. The government statistics do not disaggregate assaults against transgender inmates from overall rates of assault. And in any event, the proffered statistics are still consistent with the numerous government reports and regulations recognizing that transgender persons are at a significantly elevated risk of physical and sexual violence relative to other inmates when housed at a facility corresponding to their biological sex. And that is to say nothing of the other harms identified by the plaintiffs, which the government fails to address at all. Quote, that placement in a male penitentiary by itself will exacerbate the symptoms of gender dysphoria, even if they are not subject to physical or sexual violence in their new facility, whether because they will be subject to searches by male correctional officers made to shower in the company of men referred to as men forced to dress as men, or simply because the homogeneous presence of men will cause uncomfortable dissonance. So it is hereby ordered that the plaintiff's motion for a temporary restraining order and expanded preliminary injunction is granted. And it is further ordered that the defendants are hereby enjoined. Trump is hereby enjoined from implementing sections 4A and 4C of the Executive order against plaintiffs Jane, Mary, Sarah, Emily, Zoe, Tori, Olivia, Susan, Lois, Sophia, Sally, and Wendy Doe. And it's further ordered that pending further order from this court, that the defendant shall maintain and continue the plaintiff's housing status and medical care as they existed immediately prior to January 20, 2025.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I find it really interesting. I've said this before. You'll notice that we don't hear anything about transferring trans male prisoners to a female facility. You don't hear anything. That's not what's making the news. And there's a reason for that. Because if in this administration's theory, okay, that trans men are biologically women, wouldn't they be in immediate danger, according to them, if they were in a male facility, because they think they're women? No, they're trans men. And a lot of that is not being talked about because I've said this before. At the root of all of this is misogyny. It's them wanting to control women in whatever form they come in. If they don't think that they fit into society's standards of what a woman is, that's exactly what's happening. That's why you're not hearing anything about the other cases.

[Alison Gill]

Right?

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm so glad they're suing. And it sounds like they're winning. So far. They're winning.

[Alison Gill]

Judge. It's. This is a Reagan appointee. This is an old dude.

[Dana Goldberg]

Love it.

[Alison Gill]

It's like, excuse me. No, fuck you. That is cruel and unusual punishment.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right, this one's from Coeur d'alene. Post Falls Press A legislative town hall organized by Kudenai County Republican Central Committee quickly devolved into chaos Saturday when unidentified plain clothed security personnel dragged a Post Falls woman from the Coeur d'alene High School auditorium. You have to remember this is a Republican committee that's happening right now, though the company that provided security for the event has been identified town hall organizers at Kootenai County Sheriff's Excuse me, Sheriff Bob Norris. They have claimed that no knowledge of the security personnel or who hired them. Yep, Coeur d'alene Police Chief Lee White confirmed Sunday that the man who dragged Teresa Borenpo from the meeting worked for the private security firm Lear Asset Management. And I quote, nobody was telling people cheering to stop cheering, but at any time there was a negative reaction. We were scolded. That's what she said. I felt comfortable expressing displeasure because people were very openly expressing their appreciation for the legislators there. Now Boren Pole said the turning point came when Rep. Ron Mendeve, he's the Republican from Calan, spoke about how he helps to take care of Idaho's public lands as co chair of the Resources and Conservation Committee. And this is another quote, I screamed out of turn. Admittedly, Phil Hart stole timber from public land. Again, that's Born Pole. That's what she said and admitted that. And that's when they seized on me. Now Born Poel said she didn't recognize Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris at first when he approached her in the semi darkness of the auditorium because he was dressed in jeans and a baseball cap. And another quote, I was really dumbfounded because he said do you want me to pepper spray you? She recalled. That was the first thing he said to me that I remember. Footage from the event showed Norris take Borumpol's arm with both hands and make multiple attempts to pull her from the seat. Now Boropol said that after she declined to leave, Norris turned to the unidentified men and said, guys, get her. On video, Boropol can be seen repeatedly asking the men to identify themselves. They did not. She asked Norris if the men were his deputies and he gave no answer. Norris said his handling of Born Pole was in line with protocols that were set before the town hall began, though he did not explain what the protocols were or who had set them. I know, white said it's not appropriate for law enforcement to forcefully remove a person from a town hall for speaking out of turn or shouting. And I quote, I don't care what your message is, especially in an open town hall like this. Again, this is White and went on to say, we have to respect everybody's First Amendment rights, regardless of what side of the aisle you happen to sit on. I know there's some people up here who probably disagree with me and would like us to take action and maybe try to silence a voice that's in opposition to theirs at a town hall, but there's very little we can do with regard to the First Amendment protections. We have to make sure people have the protections afforded to them under the Constitution.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, what a concept.

[Dana Goldberg]

I know. Mary Rosedahl attended the town hall and described watching the sheriff attempt to pull born pole from her seat, then beckon to the security personnel. There was witnesses to this. Rosdahl, who is a nurse, said she stood nearby during the incident because she feared for Borampole's safety. Quote, they came and took her by the arm and they pulled her and then they took her by the feet and pulled her into the aisle. Then they laid her face on the floor. Two of them were on top of her, holding her down. And then eventually they boosted her up on her feet and dragged her out of the door. I was worried about their handling. As the men dragged her down the aisle, Bormpoel lost one of her shoes. At one point, her shirt nearly came off. Quote, it was really violent and really traumatic. Again, this is from the victim of this incident. They had grabbed my wrist. They contorted my body. They lifted me up and dropped me down. My only thought was to maintain my airway. They were forcing me down on the ground. I just wanted to make sure I could still breathe. Boropl said she bit one of the men who was dragging her from the auditorium. Good for you. Quote, I didn't know if I was being detained by what I now knew to be the sheriff's officer or if these were private hired guns. I was so confused. I didn't know if I was being arrested by the sheriff's office or if I was being kidnapped, which is a fair assessment. God. White confirmed that Borampol was cited and released from misdemeanor battery because of the bite, though he noted that the officers who responded to CHS didn't have access to the numerous video recordings that showed what happened before they arrived. Quote, now that we are in receipt of several videos that have showed the majority of the event that we didn't have at the time, the battery citation will be under review by our prosecutor's office.

[Alison Gill]

Good.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep. Now, White said his officers declined the sheriff's request that Bore and Pool be arrested for trespassing. Okay. And I quote, we respectfully inform the sheriff that since this was an open to the public event, we are not going to arrest anyone for trespassing. That seems reasonable. Reasonable? That would be inappropriate. Correct. White is correct. Police and prosecutors will also consider the actions of the security guards. This is again from White. Coeur d'alene city code requires security agents to wear uniforms that are clearly marked with the word security and letters no less than 1 inch tall on the front and no less than 4 inches tall on the back. The security personnel at Saturday's town hall were in plain clothes with no visible sign sign that they were security at all. When the Coeur d'alene City Council approved the uniform requirement last summer, Truett testified against the change. Quote, paul Truitt contacted me and told me they wouldn't be doing any security of that type in our city. And yet here they are again. This is from White. I love this person. As far as I know, Lear Assessment Management has a license, but not a license to perform activity such as this. If Lear Asset Management is determined to have violated city ordinances, White said of this, the city can suspend or revoke the firm's license and the city prosecutor may take action. I sure the fuck they do.

[Alison Gill]

Good. I hope she files criminal charges. I hope she files a civil suit against Lear Asset Management. I hope she sues these fuckers into the ground. I saw that video. It just, it just last night. It set me off. I must have done like five minutes about how I hate Nazis on blue sky after I saw that. It was so fascy. So I went and I posted Chumbawamba's the Day the Nazi Died, which is a great song on my social media. And I had to try to cut it down to a minute. It's pretty funny. All right, next up, from the U.S. office of Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, by the way. And if you're listening to the cleanup on aisle 45 podcast, you'll know that he's a guy that Trump fired, but a judge has reinstated his job because you can't fire that guy without cause. And that he investigates the improper firing of federal workers, among other things. He writes, last Friday, Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger. Well, I guess maybe he didn't write this, but the Office of Special Counsel wrote it. Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger filed initial requests to stay or pause the apparently impermissible terminations of six probationary employees across various executive branch agencies. The request filed with the US Merit Systems Protection Board seeks a 45 day stay of the terminations because there are reasonable grounds to believe that the agencies engaged in prohibited personnel practices. Those are called PPPs or Triple Ps under Title 5, US Code Section 2302 B12, by terminating the employees in violation of federal laws and regulations governing probationary terminations and reductions in force. A redacted example of one of the stay requests can be found here. There's a link. OSC Office of Special Counsel does not typically comment on stay requests while they're awaiting a decision by the MSPB consistent with OSC's past practice. Special Counsel Dellinger did not comment publicly on the pending request prior to its apparent disclosure by one of the agencies named as a respondent. Because his stay requests are now being publicly discussed, the Special Counsel provides the following statement, quote, since the Civil Service Reform act was passed in 1978, the merit system principles have guided how federal government agencies hire, manage, and if necessary, remove federal employees. These principles establish that all federal employees, including those in a probationary status, should be evaluated based on individual performance. Dellinger added, firing probationary employees without individualized cause appears contrary to a reasonable reading of the law, particularly the provisions establishing rules for reduction in force. Because Congress has directed that OSCs shall protect government employees from triple Ps, I believe that I have a responsibility to request a stay of these actions while my agency continues to investigate further the apparent violation of federal personnel laws. The Special Counsel believes that other probationary employees are similarly situated to the six workers for whom he currently is seeking relief. Dellinger is considering ways to seek relief for a broader group without the need for individual filings with the Office of Special Counsel. So that's cool. So he trump fired him. He said, no, you can't fire me. Got a restraining order, was returned to his office, and is now asking for an administrative stay for these six probationary employees who filed with the Office of Special Counsel through the Emeritus Service Protection Board, but is also trying to find a way to protect all probationary employees that were removed without an individual review. So good for him.

[Dana Goldberg]

I love it.

[Alison Gill]

Now, Dana, I know I have saved you the best story. Sometimes I feel like I want to give you the really good stories and stuff.

[Dana Goldberg]

It makes me happy. You're a giver. You're a giver. So what's funny is I literally saw this video five minutes before we started recording. So I love that. This video. This story's in here. All right.

[Alison Gill]

It makes me throw up in my mouth a little, though.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, yeah, it's disgusting. But this one is from Wired magazine. Federal Employees okay, everyone just hunker down. Federal employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and otherwise as hud. They were greeted this morning by television sets at the agency's Washington, D.C. headquarters, playing what appeared to be an AI generated video of President Donald Trump kissing the naked feet of Elon Musk, accompanied by the words long live the real king.

[Alison Gill]

And by the way, he's making out with his feet.

[Dana Goldberg]

It's disgusting. It's not kissing. It is like fetishizing. And there's nothing wrong with that in this particular instance. It's disgusting. Also, one of my favorite comments on this whole thing was someone saying, that's not AI, that's a live feed from the office.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, I like how Wired is like, it appears to be an AI Generated. Generated video.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. Anyway, so let me continue. A person from HUD headquarters on Monday morning, they shared a video with Wired showing the scene playing out on loop on a TV screen in the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building. So the source, who was granted anonymity over fears of, of course, repercussions, says that workers at the building had to manually turn off each television in order to stop the video from playing. Now, it's currently unclear who is behind the prank. Similar AI generated videos and still images of Trump kissing Musk's feet. They've been shared on social media platforms since last year. This isn't anything new. Another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources. And this is a quote that's from Casey Lovett at hud, the spokesperson. That's what they told Wired. Appropriate action will be taken for all involved.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, party pooper.

[Dana Goldberg]

Well, are Trump and Musk gonna be fine? Because they look like they were involved. The White House is not immediately, of course, responding to any sort of request for comment.

[Alison Gill]

I wonder if Matt Crone saw it.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, God, be hilarious. I'm sure he threw open his mouth because that's not even cool. In France. The incident came just days after leaked documents showed that Elon Musk, so called Department of Homeless, you know, I'm sorry, government efficiency, Doji. That project was planning to eradicate 4,000 employees at the agency. Okay. At the HUD agency, which is in the midst of dealing with the U.S. housing crisis. NPR reported this weekend that HUD's Office of Community Planning and Development is slated to lose 84% of its staff, according to leaked documents. 84%. And this is a quote. We've decided internally to start notifying our grantees, every mayor, county head governor, nonprofit CEO and congressional earmark recipient that they should anticipate a loss or significant unpredictable delay in funding. That's from a current HUD employee. That's what they told Wired. Over the weekend, employees at hud, like many other federal workers, they received an email from the Office of Personnel Management demanding a reply with, quote, approximately five bullet points, which we talked about at the top of the show of what you accomplished last week. And you were supposed to CC your manager on it. Leadership of many of the agencies, as well as federal workers union leaders. They told members not to respond to the emails, while HUD leadership told employees to wait until at least Monday at noon before taking any action. A HUD source. That's what they told Wired. So the video is obviously hilarious in many ways, but in my head I'm also like, all right, if you guys are able to hack things, can you please use your powers for something a little better? Just a little better.

[Alison Gill]

I don't know. That was pretty great.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, it was fantastic.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. Wow. I want to know who this hero was that did this. So if you're listening, if you're part of the Leguminati, let us know. I'll keep you anonymous, I promise. All right, everybody, it's time for some good trouble. What are you guys doing? All right, today's good trouble comes from the online group Anonymous. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to apply for a brand new internship with the Heritage foundation that you don't intend to take. Quote, the Heritage foundation project 2025 idiots are looking for new interns. They'll need to manually review all applications. You can sign up here. We'll have a link in the show notes. Everybody stick around. We'll be right back with the good news.

[Dana Goldberg]

We'll be right back.

[Alison Gill]

Hey everybody, it's ag. 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. It's a powerful duo and it supports glowing hydrated skin while boosting energy, gut health and Overall Vitality. Get 20% off the Radiant Skin Duo plus a free starter kit at PeakLife.com DailyBeans so let me tell you about this go to combo for glowing skin and steady energy, it's the Sun Goddess Matcha and BT Fountain and together they make up the Radiant Skin Duo. And honestly, I'm hooked. I'm obsessed. And Sun Goddess Matcha. It's my morning must have it gives me a calm jitter free energy thanks to L Theanine while EGCG antioxidants firm and in my skin I Love that. It's like a twofer. It even supports gut health so it's really a 3 fur and I feel like less bloated all day. It's awesome. And then there's BT Fountain electrolytes. This stuff hydrates on a cellular level reducing fine lines and wrinkles. With clinically proven ceramides, my skin stays soft and supple and free from redness. And it's all vegan with no added sugar or artificial anything. I love Peak Life for its pure premium ingredients and effortless skin care support. The Sun Goddess Matcha is ceremonial grade shaded 35% longer and toxin screened for max purity. Paired with the BT Fountain, a clean vegan hydration boost, my skin stays deeply nourished and protected. Both come in easy pre measured sachets. Just mix in water and enjoy. With no preservatives, no added sugar, this duo helps me achieve my healthy lit from within glow. 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 including a rechargeable frother and a glass beaker with my exclusive link peaklife.com dailybeans that's that's P I Q U E life.com dailybeans don't miss out glow naturally into 2025 while supplies last. Everybody. Welcome back. It's time for the good news. Who likes good news? Everyone? Then good news everyone. All right. If you have been sitting at home thinking one of these days I'm going to send in a good news story. I'm going to give myself a shout out. I'm going to shout out my loved one. I'm going to give a shout out to a government program and you just haven't gotten around to it. Today is the day. Do it today. You go to dailybeanspod.com click on contact Submit your good news Confession and Correction. Any shout outs you want to give to loved ones or yourself or a small business or government program. All you got to do to get your submission into us is pay your pod pet tax. So attach a photo of your pet. If you want us to guess the breeds of your shelter pet, we can try to do that. If you don't have a pet, you can send us an adoptable pet in your area. We'll see if we can find them a forever home. If you don't have that, really just grab a pet photo off the Internet. We don't care. How are we going to know? It's an honor system here as long as they're cute as long as they're cute. And also if you don't have any of that, you can send us a baby photo. And if you are so inclined, we're also accepting bird watching photos for the near future, which could be an actual bird or you and family and friends flipping off Trump and Elon properties. So send it all to us dailybeanspod.com click on contact. First up from Susanna and Sally. Pronouns she and her hi, Allison and Dana. My wife and I are longtime listeners and new ish patrons. We'd like to say a big hello from Northern Vermont. Thank you all for all you do to spread the word that democracy is good and fascism and oligarchy is really, really bad that we're sending a pod pet tax of of our two sweeties. Oh Finnegan and Rosie. They're both rescues from the south and they make our hearts happy. Also, my bird watching photo is from Quebec television station as there is not to my knowledge any turd branded properties in Vermont. Take very good care of yourselves. We're in this together for the long haul. Oh, the puppies are adorable and a great bird watching photo. Thank you Susanna and Sally and welcome as patrons. Help this show get made. I cannot thank you enough.

[Dana Goldberg]

Absolutely. All right, this next one is from an anonymous human being pronoun she, her, they, them. Howdy beans queens. I just wanted to shout out to my partner who works at the USDA and has been keeping me abreast of all the batshit email federal workers have been getting. He was hired more than a year ago and so he has been safe so far from the cuts. But not threats of getting rid of. Excuse me, me. But not threats of. Ah, he's not safe from threats of getting rid of teleworking. I've been lobbying him to respond to Elon's gibbering intimidation attempts with equally stupid responses, but so far he has remained professional and or just left his muskiness on red. His muskiness.

[Alison Gill]

I just wanted him on red. I love it.

[Dana Goldberg]

So good. I just wanted to shout out his commitment towards continuing to do his job, making sure the ag economy and the ag workers his duties affect continue to function while the government is general burns down around his ears. Potpet tax is our fur child Arty, short for Artemis the Weimariner. I love Weimariners. One look in her adorable and utterly worry free eyes reminds me that hey, none of this shit really matters, does it? We will wake up as often as we can and we will do our best to help our neighbors and Accept help in return. Humanity is community. Let's keep keep communing. Thank you for the light in the dark places. Wine riders are so freaking cute and they love taking photos.

[Alison Gill]

Look at this ham sandwich of a dog.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep.

[Alison Gill]

So a cute. Thank you. She, her, they, them and big shout out to your spouse doing the. Doing the Lord's work in AG over there at usda. Appreciate it. All right, next up from Steph, pronoun she and her. This is a much dumber self shout out than I ever thought I'd send, but I can't help it. My office has a chat room where one of my co workers sends the trivia question from his daily calendar. The question from today, what critically endangered species of salamander can be found only in Lake Huac Milco? Am I saying that right in Mexico City? I responded with the answer within seconds. Axolotl. The only reason I know this is because of the beans. I've had an epic streak of wrong answers. So this was a good start to the week. This is not the knowledge I expected to thank you for, but here we are.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God. So good.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, well, I doubt that any of the trivia questions are going to be which federally appointed Biden judge seriously signed the executive. Yeah, for Podbet Tax. This is a little bittersweet. I'm not sending my pooch because he's an easily identifiable golden retriever. So here are my parents rescues, one of whom, Buddy, the black dog, recently passed away at 10. He had centronuclear myopathy, or CNM, which means he never fully developed skeletal muscles and was very weak. But he, of course, never knew he was different and was a happy, funny, easygoing boy that my parents adored and desperately missed. Their other dog, Daisy, who is white, was Buddy's polar opposite and was literally the yin to his yang. And that's the third photo. Oh, what a sweet baby. Oh, oh, oh. Are we supposed to guess?

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, okay. So labs, we got Daisy, Buddy. Yep. Definitely a lab there. That looks like a pity lab mix.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, I don't know. Some sort of hound dog.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. What do we got here?

[Alison Gill]

Sausagey hound dog body. Let's see. Buddy is a lab and a whippet. Oh. Oh, awesome combo. Daisy, Argentine dogo, Beagle and boxer, sir. That chest, I would have never guessed Beagle hound dog, though. Okay, but I would. Argentine Dogo. I'd have never heard of that breed. I learned something today. Big love to y'all during this era of. Thank you so much, Steph. Congratulations on your trivia win, Axolotl.

[Dana Goldberg]

Axolotl Bitches. This next one's from Karen. Not that Karen. No pronouns given. Hi, Leguminati Queens. I wanted to shout out to my Colorado peeps, we are finally expanding a national Women's soccer league team to the state of Denver. The presale of the season tickets has asked for input on the team name.

[Alison Gill]

In Denver.

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm like the state of Denver. Yes. The presale of the season tickets has asked for input on the team name. My hubby and I didn't love the options, so we're asked AI to give us some suggestions. And the one we loved was Mile High Valkyries fc. I kind of love that. All right. We love the imagery and the marketable items. If you agree, please boost the idea by contacting the organization and give the name a boost. We're going to have link to that in the show notes if you're anywhere. I guess, if you'd like, but I'm sure they care if you're in Colorado.

[Alison Gill]

But yeah, I love Valkyries.

[Dana Goldberg]

I know, right? My pod pet tax is my kitty Dexter Murder Claw, who just had his annual kitty well check and his claws are murderous to my hubby trying to get him into the carrier. He is healthy, but avoiding us now. He's a sweet and feisty soul.

[Alison Gill]

That's so awesome. Yeah, we had a San Diego, had our home opener and we beat the Galaxy LA rivalry, a new one, so that was great. Yeah, that was the. Our first game.

[Dana Goldberg]

Clear. Just to be clear, Allison's talking about men's soccer because I guess men play soccer too.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, that's. I'm sorry. Yes, they do. I apologize.

[Dana Goldberg]

I didn't. I just found that out. I didn't know.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. Oh yeah, everybody, men also play soccer.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

Look at this kitty. The kitty has a plushie kitty of himself, which is fantastic. All right, next up from Sprite pronoun she and her. Hey, Beans Queens. I originally found your podcast thanks to my curiosity about the Jack Smith Report, which oddly enough popped up on my Spotify one morning. Clearly the algorithm knew I needed you two in my life at some point. Hehe. Since then, y'all have been my go to source for staying sane, informed, and occasionally yelling exactly at my phone. I appreciate you both so much. Thank you, Sprite. I wanted to take a moment to shout out two absolute powerhouses making a difference in Idaho. Dr. Teresa Borenpohl and Alicia Abbott are both out here fighting for democracy like the queens they are. Dr. Borenpohl recently made national news after she was forcibly removed from a town hall meeting by unmarked private security simply for asking questions. Yep, you read that right. But instead of backing down, she's standing up even taller and continuing to fight. And because badassery attracts badassery, Alicia is also part of of Babevote, an incredible grassroots org in Idaho that's been getting young people, women, and marginalized communities registered and ready to vote since 2019. They're making civic engagement feel less intimidating and more empowering. Exactly how it should be.

[Dana Goldberg]

This is awesome.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. Follow baby vote on Blue sky at BabyVote Bisky Social and help spread the word. Thanks for everything you both do. Keep being awesome. Also, fuck Trump and his administration. Here's my pet tax of a sweet cat buddy and his statue. I'm still not sure how he feels about it. Lol.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh my God. That's very funny.

[Alison Gill]

Now, Sprite. I have to wonder, when Dana reported on Dr. Borampol and Cordelane, were you yelling exactly at your phone, like right before we read this particular submission? And look at the kitty standing next to his Lego friend.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, that's adorable. That's so funny.

[Alison Gill]

That is a really cool marking. He's got a tiny mustache and a goatee.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep, it is really cool in his little black spots on his nose.

[Alison Gill]

That. That mustache, the little. It's so tiny, but they. They curl up at the ends like a old timey mustache. It's adorable.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my goodness. Thank you, thank you, thank you. This one is from Zach. Pronounce he and him. Hello, I just wanted to share what I did last week with the OMP and you, my beans Queens. I hope you enjoy. And I also hope that I don't get sent to Gitmo for it. Keep up the necessary work. My email reads, hello, I'm not an employee, but last week I thought of the ways that Elon Musk is a Nazi. I also tried to figure out how in the world Donald Trump hasn't been impeached for violating the US Constitution multiple times. Fuck all y'all. Exclamation mark.

[Alison Gill]

Great email, Zach.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, Podpet tax are Pablo and Wilbur. Pablo is the derpy one with his head on Wilbur. The cats are vixen, which is the torty. Violet, the gray and white one, and Ginger. Take a guess. Thank you again for all you do. Beans Queens. I'm gonna say Ginger's probably the orange one.

[Alison Gill]

The ginger. I love that bridge with the. I got. I gotta get like some, like a. Some sort of wall playground for my cats so that they leave my microphone alone because they need. They need some distractions. These derpy dogs are so adorable. Very, very cute.

[Dana Goldberg]

They really are cute.

[Alison Gill]

Thank you everybody for all of your wonderful good news. And like I said, if you've been on the fence about sending in your good news story or your shout out get off the fence, send it in DailyBeansPod.com, click on Contact and we will read it on the show. Do you have any final thoughts before we get out here today, my friend?

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm exhausted. I do not.

[Alison Gill]

I am also exhausted. That's my final thought as well. Everybody will be back in your ears tomorrow for the Taint of the Week. Week it'll be Wednesday, which we've renamed the Taint in case you don't know what we're talking about. 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 Sabines 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 John Science 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 mswmedia.com.msw media.