Musk Or Us

Summary

The Daily Beans – Episode Summary: "Musk Or Us" (Released March 11, 2025)

Hosted by Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg, "Musk Or Us" delves into a spectrum of pressing political and social issues, blending incisive analysis with the hosts' signature wit.

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1. Explosive Affidavit in Elon Musk’s SSA Access Lawsuit

The episode opens with a significant development in the legal battle against Elon Musk. An affidavit filed against Musk alleges unauthorized access to the Social Security Administration (SSA) systems. According to the transcript, "a damning affidavit is filed in the lawsuit against Musk gaining access to the Social Security Administration systems" (00:00).

Allison Gill highlighted the gravity of the situation, stating, “This affidavit is so explosive I needed to read some of it to you in this show” (11:04). The affidavit details interactions between Musk’s associates and SSA officials, raising concerns about data security and potential misuse of sensitive information. The hosts discuss the implications of these actions, emphasizing the need for stringent oversight of corporate access to governmental databases.

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2. Department of Homeland Security Initiates Polygraph Tests Amid Leak Concerns

Dana Goldberg reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has commenced polygraph testing to identify individuals leaking information about immigration operations. As Dana noted, “the Department of Homeland Security has begun polygraph tests to determine who is leaking to the press” (00:00).

Dana Goldberg expressed skepticism about the effectiveness and motivations behind these tests, remarking, “I’m wondering if the four sources who gave this information to Julia Ainslie and John Allen are going to be given polygraph tests about whether or not they gave this information to them” (25:19). The hosts debate the balance between national security and employee privacy, questioning whether such measures are justified or an overreach by DHS.

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3. Trump Administration’s Controversial Policies Affecting SSA Operations in Maine

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the Trump administration’s rollback of policies requiring Maine parents to visit SSA offices to register their newborns for Social Security numbers. The hosts explain that this policy reversal caused considerable disruption, forcing parents to manually apply for their child’s Social Security number in person.

Allison Gill criticized the administration’s actions, stating, “Right. So you know you're making them to dead people but don't tell us they're dead is just unbelievable.” (24:00). Dana Goldberg expanded on the administrative chaos, highlighting the sudden termination and reinstatement of contracts that support SSA’s electronic Enumeration at Birth program. The discussion underscores the broader implications of political interference in essential social services.

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4. Supreme Court Reviews Colorado’s Conversion Therapy Ban

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge against Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors. Dana Goldberg expressed frustration over the potential rollback of this ban, emphasizing the harm such practices inflict on LGBTQ youth. She passionately stated, “This is abuse. It’s abuse. It’s abuse” (06:07).

Allison Gill echoed these concerns, noting the Supreme Court's historical tendencies to overturn such progressive measures, “I hate to say it, but the Supreme Court usually takes these cases to overturn them” (05:39). The episode delves into the possible nationwide implications of the court’s decision, highlighting the ongoing battle for LGBTQ rights in America.

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5. Ontario’s 25% Electricity Tax Increase on U.S. Exports

Ontario, Canada, has announced a 25% tax increase on electricity exports to the United States, affecting approximately 1.5 million American consumers. Premier Doug Ford justified the move as a retaliatory measure against President Trump’s trade policies. As Dana Goldberg reported, “Ontario Premier Doug Ford... said, 'I will not hesitate to increase this charge if the United States escalates'" (09:55).

Allison Gill humorously remarked on the potential impact, “So that’s kind of a big deal. Times Square eats up a bunch of electricity” (09:55). The hosts discuss the economic and political ramifications of this decision, considering its effects on states like New York, Minnesota, and Michigan.

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6. Protests Erupt Over ICE’s Illegal Detention of Palestinian Activist

The episode covers the controversial detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist from Columbia University, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Dana Goldberg highlighted the incident, stating, “Protesters plan to rally in New York City... to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil” (22:38).

Allison Gill criticized the administration’s actions, noting, “Trump then threatened to withhold all federal funding from Maine” (22:43). The hosts explore the broader implications of ICE's operations, including concerns over legal justifications and the impact on civil liberties.

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7. Handling of the Assassination Attempt Rifle in Ryan Ruth’s Trial

A perplexing legal issue surrounds the handling of a rifle allegedly used in an assassination attempt on President Trump. Dana Goldberg explained, “prosecutors say Ralph methodically plotted to kill Trump... defendants were given access to the firearm for inspection” (25:19).

Allison Gill pointed out inconsistencies in the prosecution's narrative, questioning the security measures in place: “They're just gonna ship evidence from Quantico” (29:38). The discussion highlights potential lapses in evidence handling and the broader ramifications for the integrity of the judicial process.

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Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

Concluding the episode, the hosts encourage listeners to engage with grassroots movements such as Indivisible.org, advocating for active participation in combating oppressive policies. Allison Gill emphasizes, “Help us make the upcoming congressional recess one for the history books” (30:35).

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Notable Quotes:

• Dana Goldberg (06:07): “This is abuse. It’s abuse. It’s abuse.”
• Allison Gill (05:39): “I hate to say it, but the Supreme Court usually takes these cases to overturn them.”
• Allison Gill (24:00): “So you know you're making them to dead people but don't tell us they're dead is just unbelievable.”
• Dana Goldberg (25:19): “We knew this was going to happen.”

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Conclusion: "Musk Or Us" offers a comprehensive examination of governmental overreach, corporate malfeasance, and the ongoing struggles for civil liberties and LGBTQ rights. Through incisive commentary and engaging dialogue, Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of these critical issues, encouraging active participation and informed advocacy.

Transcript

[Allison Gill]

MSW Media. Hello, and welcome to the Daily beans for Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Today, a damning affidavit is filed in the lawsuit against Musk gaining access to the Social Security Administration systems. The Department of Homeland Security has begun polygraph tests to determine who is leaking to the press. The Trump administration is backtracking on forcing Maine parents to visit Social Security offices to register newborns. Trump's Department of Justice is allowing the assassination attempt rifle to be shipped to Florida for inspection by the alleged shooter's lawyers. The Trump administration begs the court to vacate the order, forcing the head of OPM to testify under oath in open court. The Supreme Court takes up a challenge to Colorado's conversion therapy ban. Ontario Canada has slapped a 25% tax increase on electricity exports to the United States. And protests erupt after ICE illegally detains a Columbia University Palestinian protester. I'm Allison Gill.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[Allison Gill]

Welcome back, my friend. We missed you.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you. Thanks for covering me yesterday. I was flying back from the state of Florida, and I will say, listeners, I know some of you live there. There are some very fine people in the state of Florida. I had some very bad interactions with people. I was sitting in a bar by myself watching the SEC championship, the women's. And of course, some drunk woman sat down and audibly yelled, try putting trans men in there and see how they like it. And I was like, listen, lady, we're on the different sides of this, so if you could not do that while I'm trying to enjoy the game, I'd appreciate it. And then all hell broke loose, so I should probably learn how to keep my mouth shut, but I did not.

[Allison Gill]

Did anyone get thrown out?

[Dana Goldberg]

No one got thrown out. And then I apologized to the bartender, and he looked at me and said, don't be sorry. Thank you. And then he and I had a really lovely conversation. Like, a really. Just a really lovely connection conversation, which was like a palate cleanser. But also, you know, I'm at the airport, and this guy's got his, you know, proud member of your feelings crowd, since, I don't know, whatever. And there's women stopping him to take a picture of his shirt. And I was like, why are you guys in a cult? Why are you in a cult? So fine places in Florida. Some fine people in Florida. But, man, your leadership down there is really, really doing a number on the LGBTQ community right now, so.

[Allison Gill]

Well, good on you for speaking up and speaking out.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, my. My girl was a little bit less enthused That I did that, but that's okay.

[Allison Gill]

Well, there's also a safety issue, you know.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, I knew I was okay. And I actually, I wouldn't have done it had I known how drunk she was, because then that's why all hell broke loose is that we weren't having the same conversation. Like, we weren't based in the same reality, even outside of her opinions. And so anyway, that's a story for y'all. Raised about a quarter of a million dollars for the child Rescue Coalition while I was down there. So very proud of the work I did for that gala and the work they're doing to really save kids. They really saving kids. Locking up the bad gu. And, yeah, I'm grateful. It was. It was a. It was a good night at work.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, well done, my friend. Again, appreciate all you do to raise money for vulnerable communities.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you.

[Allison Gill]

So important community right now. All right, we have so much news to get to. So glad you're back, Dana. But before we get to hot notes, we've got some quick hits.

[Dana Goldberg]

And to make a long story short.

[Allison Gill]

All right, first up, the Trump administration has asked a judge to vacate the order to have the head of opm, the Office of Personnel Management, testify under oath in court. And Trump instead is asking the judge, just go ahead and issue the preliminary injunction. We don't need a hearing. Just go ahead and issue it so I can appeal it in due course.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, boy.

[Allison Gill]

He's literally, like, to avoid having to have, like, a Zell testify in court under oath, he's just telling the judge to go ahead and award the. The. Not a restraining order, a preliminary injunction that, you know, the people suing him are asking for. He says go ahead and give it to him because he wants to avoid this testimony.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, I'm sure he does. Thanks, Allison. And, God, I hate reporting on this stuff because it just really, it's upsetting. This is from NBC. The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a challenge to a law in Colorado that bans conversion therapy aimed at young people questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity. With more than 20 states with similar bans, the court's eventual ruling, it's likely to have nationwide implications. Childs lawyers cite in part The Supreme Court's 2018 ruling that struck down on free speech grounds a California law that requires anti abortion pregnancy clinics to notify clients about abortion access. So I feel like this is a big reach right here. But at the same time, all right, let's start converting straight people to be gay. I mean, if we're Going to do conversion therapy. Let's do it all the way. You think you can change someone's sexual orientation? No. You're going to damage children. This is ridiculous. This is infuriating. We've been fighting to ban conversion therapy for decades, and for them to roll this back is infuriating.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. And I hate to say it, but the Supreme Court usually takes these cases to overturn them. So I don't think this is going to be a good outcome unless for some reason, they're feeling like we should throw a bone to the American people. Like, I don't see them taking this up for a good reason. You know what I mean?

[Dana Goldberg]

I do know what you mean. I just. And this is. I know you'll. You know, there's some people that listen to this podcast, and I'm not going to say your names. And that's okay. That are like, why are you going so hard with the trans issue? I hope you all understand that this is not a trans issue. This is people trying to put me, as a youth, or my friends when we were little, into conversion therapy to try and in some cases, electrically shocked homosexuality out of people. Think about that.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

It is abuse. It's abuse. It's abuse.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. And on going on about the trans stuff, like trans women in sports, for example. You can't extricate the transgender community from the LGBTQ community. And if you are against rights for transgender people, you are against rights for the LGBTQ community. Period. Just my two cents. And once you give that inch, they'll take a mile.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. And I just. I just want to say, because the message was directed at me, not both of us on social media, and I hope that the listener is listening. I don't choose the stories. We don't choose the. Or I don't choose the order of the stories of. Allison gives me a story. It happens to be about the trans community. It's not because I'm a lesbian. It's not because I'm directly part of the LGBTQ community. It's just the way they fall. So please don't come at one or the other of us for stories that we cover on this podcast, because this is a joint decision to cover the news. I just want you to realize that the trans community isn't the one pushing trans issues. It's the conservative side that is pushing trans issues, and trans people are having to defend themselves. And I will go tooth and nail to defend my family.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. And if you want to. If you want to go after somebody, for me, I choose the stories here, so you can tell me about it if you are so inclined. But I'm not going to ever, ever give an inch on supporting LGBTQ rights. I'm just not. Next up from NBC, demonstrators plan to rally in New York City on Monday to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate arrested by federal immigration agents, a detainment that President Trump said was the first arrest of many to come. Khalil, who helped organize the school's pro Palestinian protest, was hauled away from his university owned apartment Saturday night by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after he was told his student visa was being revoked, his attorney said in a statement to NBC News. Attorney Amy Greer added that ICE was informed that Khalil was a permanent resident with a green card, but still detained him for deportation anyway. A judge has ordered a suspension on his deportation pending further action on the habeas petition. And again, like the trans issue with this issue, I don't care what it is you're free speeching about, I will stand up and protect your rights to free speech whether I agree with them or not. I remember it broke my heart when the Supreme Court ruled that the Westboro Baptist Church could hold up their anti LGBTQ signs at Marine Corps funerals. It broke my heart. I hated that decision. But it's speech. It is free speech, and you can't infringe on it. Whether you agree with it or not, the same goes with any human rights. Okay? I will always stand up for them. And yes, playing sports is a right. It's Title ix. You can look it up. But again, you don't like the stories I pick, you can tell me about it, but it's about rights. It's about civil rights, it's about human rights. Whatever the particular story is, you have to agree that we at least all stand for that.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, I think the listeners do. Even this person I know, they're a fan of mine. In my comedy. I just. It. It got me. It got me when I read it. So. All right, this next story is from the Associated Press. Ontario's premier, the leader of Canada's most populous province, announced that effective Monday, it is charging 25% more for electricity to 1.5 million Americans. In response to US President Donald Trump's trade war. Ontario provides electricity to Minnesota, New York and Michigan. This is a big deal. There's a whole lot of lights that stay on in New York 24 hours a day. And I quote, I will not hesitate to increase this charge if the United States escalates I will not hesitate to shut down electricity off completely. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference in Toronto.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, so that's kind of a big deal. Times Square eats up a bunch of electricity.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, it's not even bad. I mean, and I'm. I mean, I, I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the transit system needs it to run.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. New York consumes quite a bit of electricity.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

25% tax, 1.5 million.

[Dana Goldberg]

Why? Because it's a blue state. Trump's going to be like, I don't give a. Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. Same with Minnesota and Michigan. Although Michigan did go for Trump.

[Dana Goldberg]

Those were, quote, unquote, his states this time. I don't buy it. But keep on moving.

[Allison Gill]

Well, not Minnesota. Right? Minnesota.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes, yes, yes. Correct. Thank you. Anyway, don't. And send in corrections.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, we know. We know, everyone. It's cool.

[Dana Goldberg]

We know when we're wrong. And if not, Allison will tell me. And sometimes I gently tell her.

[Allison Gill]

I like how you say I don't gently tell you because I'm a dick about it. I try not to be. I really do.

[Dana Goldberg]

Every once in a while I'm like, that hurt my feelings. And then you're like, I'm so sorry.

[Allison Gill]

Slow down. All right, everybody, we have more news to get to, believe it or not. That was just the. That was just the warm up. We have hot notes, but we have to take a quick break. Stick around. We'll be right back after these messages.

[Dana Goldberg]

We'll be right back.

[Allison Gill]

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She started as a social insurance specialist in her local office in 1995 and on January 20th she became the Acting Chief of Staff for the acting IRS commissioner, Michelle King. On the morning of January 30, she says, I got a call from Leland Dudyk. At the time, Mr. Dudyk was serving as a senior advisor in the Office of Program Integrity where he worked on anti fraud measures. Dudic told me that some members of DOGE requested to be on site immediately and wanted to come to our headquarters. He informed me that two DOGE associates, Michael Russo and Scott Colter, would be working at Social Security Administration. Since Dudek was only a mid level employee, I asked him why he was communicating with anyone from doge. Dudek told me that Doge had reached out to him. I then told him to stand down and not have further contact with anyone from Doge. I told Dudek that we would handle the issue through the Commissioner's office. I immediately reported this call to Acting Commissioner Michelle King and we began to prepare to onboard Mike Russo, but Scott Coulter had not come to the agency prior to February 16th. On January 31st, Mike Russo came on site to begin his onboarding process and he officially joined the agency as a Chief information officer on February 3. He introduced himself as Doge and he did that to multiple employees on multiple occasions. As soon as Mr. Russo joined SSA, he requested to bring in a software engineer named Akash Bhabha who was already assisting Doge at multiple other agencies. However, there were challenges with Mr. Bhabha's background check. That took a few days to resolve on February 10, the commissioner's office and the Office of Human Resources started to receive phone calls and emails from Mr. Russo, Doge manager Steve Davis, and people who said they were associated with the White House's Presidential Personnel Office but who were working out of the Office of Personnel Management. All of those contacts were about onboarding and giving Mr. Bhabha the equipment and credentials he needed to access SSA data before midnight that same day. I worked for multiple SSA commissioners across multiple administrations and that request was unprecedented. I did not understand the apparent urgency with which Mr. Bhaba needed to be onboarded and given access to SSA systems and data, which are highly sensitive. Mr. Russo never fully disclosed to the Commissioner's Office the details on what information Doge wanted and what issues it needed to address, but my understanding is it was related to fraud. The information Doge sought seemed to fall into three categories. 1 Untrue allegations regarding benefit payments to deceased people of advanced age 2 concern regarding single Social Security numbers receiving multiple benefits, which is normal when multiple family members receive benefits through one wage earner and three payments made to people without a Social Security number. I considered each of these concerns to be invalid and based on an inaccurate understanding of SSA's data and programs. As to the first, SSA benefits file contradicts any claim that payments are made to deceased people as old as 150 years old. As to the second issue, Doge seemed to misunderstand the fact that benefit payments to spouses and dependents will be based on the Social Security number of a single person. As to the third, we were simply never given enough information to understand the source of the concern and but had never encountered anything to suggest that inappropriate benefit payments were being made to people without Social Security numbers. Throughout this time, Acting Commissioner King requested that Mr. Russo report to her as the CIO normally would, but he consistently gave evasive answers about his work. It appeared to me he was reporting to Doge. Based on my conversations with experts at the CIO's office, I determined Mr. Bhabha could have access to anonymized read only numident data using a standard sandbox approach so that he would not have access to other data. That access was sufficient to allow Mr. Bhabha to answer Doge's numident related questions about fraud as I understood them, but didn't expose personally identifiable information. This approach was similar to how we would handle any request to review SSA's records for potential fraud, waste and abuse by oversight agencies like the Office of Inspector General and the GAO or auditors conducting a financial statement and FISMA audits. For auditors, we would only provide the data they were requesting for the scope of their review, which they would outline in detail. SSA would provide anonymized or sanitized data needed for that review. Unfortunately, due to the speed with which we were demanded to work, the anonymized file had technical glitches that created problems with the data. Mr. Bhabha reported that there were problems with the sandboxed anonymized numident file on Saturday, February 15, I understood Mr. Bhaba was working off site at OPM while he was analyzing the SSA data. I also understood that other non SSA people were with him and may have also had access to this protected information. My understanding is that Mr. Russo approved a telework agreement for Mr. Bhaba while at the same time directing CIO management to work on site full time to allow him to work out of the Office of Personnel Management. But our standard telework agreement our standard agreement states that employees need to work in a private location and should be careful to protect systems and data from unauthorized access. Mr. Bhabha's work didn't seem to align with those requirements. Russo and other Doge officials demanded that Baba be given immediate full access to SSA data in Enterprise Data Warehouse edw, which includes numident files, the Master Beneficiary Record files, and the Supplemental Security Record Files. The files in the EDW include the NumIDent, MBR and SSR files. All of that includes extensive information about anyone with a Social Security Security number, including their names, the spouses names, and their dependents names, their work history, financial and banking information, immigration or citizenship status, and marital status. Acting Commissioner King requested more details from Russo on why this level of access was necessary for the work Baba was conducting, and she didn't get an answer. Instead, Commissioner King received an email from the White House noting that the President had named Dudek as the Acting Commissioner. At the time the email was sent, I understood Dudek to be on administrative leave pending an investigation. Shortly after Commissioner King informed me of Dudek's elevation to Acting Commissioner, I retired. I understand that upon my leaving then, Acting Commissioner Dudek gave Baba and the Doge team access to at least the EDW and possibly other databases. I'm not confident Doge associates have the requisite knowledge and training to prevent sensitive information from being inadvertently transferred to bad actors. That concern is elevated given that I understand Bhabha to be working and thus accessing SSA systems from opm, surrounded by employees and officials of other agencies and White House components who have to my knowledge never been vetted by SSA or trained on SSA data systems or programs. Given that non secure off site access, the protections built into SSA's data system might not work. Others could take pictures of the data, transfer it to other locations, even feed it into AI programs. In such a chaotic environment, the risk of data leaking into the wrong hands is significant.

[Dana Goldberg]

Of course it is. We knew this was going to happen. Thanks Alison. This one's from Arthur Delaney at HuffPost. For decades, new parents across the United States have been able to check a box on hospital forms in order to request Social Security numbers for their newborns. For a brief period this week, that was no longer the case in Maine, where parents were told that they would have to visit a Social Security field office thanks to a shocking move by President Donald Trump's administration. And there's nothing you want to do more after having a newborn baby is going to the Social Security field office. A spokesperson for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services told HuffPost on Thursday that the Social Security Administration said it had canceled contracts with Maine's Vital Statistics program that support Social Security's electronic Enumeration at Birth program. Quote, as a result of SSA's contract termination, effective immediately, Maine hospitals are no longer able to enroll newborns into Social Security at the time of birth, so parents will now need to visit their local Social Security office to apply in person for their child's Social Security number. The main DHHS spokesperson said that in an email Thursday evening, no justification was given for the change, which was first reported by the Portland Press Herald. But on Friday morning, the Social Security Administration abruptly changed course and announced the contracts would be reinstated. Of course they did, because that's what keeps on fucking happening. And I quote, in retrospect, I realized that ending these contracts created an undue burden on the people of Maine, which was not the intent. For that I apologize and have directed both contracts be immediate immediately reinstated. This is from the acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudyk. That's what he said in a press release. Dudic did not explain why the contracts had been canceled in the first place. I would imagine it was a directive from the federal government or Musk and spokes, you know, just guessing the spokespeople for his agency. They did not respond to requests for explanation either. Trump has feuded with Maine Governor Janet Mills. We know she's a Democrat for refusing to play along with Trump's directive to disallow transgender athletes in girls sports. Mills told Trump she would, quote, see it in court over the directive during a recent meeting between governors and the president in Washington, D.C. trump then threatened to withhold all federal funding from Maine. And I'm sure at some point just willy nilly was like cancel the contracts and didn't give a shit who they affected. And I quote, joji, people are learning that they will make mistakes, but we have to let them see what is going on at the Social Security office. This is what Dudyk told the group. That's according to notes of the meeting that were obtained by the Washington Post. Went on to say, I'm relying on longtime career people to inform my work, but I am receiving decisions that are made without my input. I have to effectuate those decisions.

[Allison Gill]

He's not relying on long time career people. They fired them all or they all quit.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. Now due to previously announced the SSA would undergo a massive reorganization with significant job cuts. Martin O'Malley, who led the agency under former President Joe Biden, who I miss deeply, told HuffPost this week that the cuts to the agency could cause it to miss benefit payments to millions of people at some point. More than 50 million seniors rely on Social Security's retirement insurance program in Maine. The canceled contracts. They would also force funeral directors to report deaths by submitting paper records instead of using an electronic system. The Social Security Administration has contracts with all U.S. states and territories to collect death information through a digital portal. In addition to halting Social Security retirement benefits, the SSA shares the information with other federal agencies to prevent them from making improper payments. We talked about this before. When someone dies, everyone in these systems start talking to each other. So these payments stop going out, at least to that person, unless someone gets the other person. You know what I mean? Unless there's a beneficiary of it. Now, requiring funeral directors to submit paper records would have been directed directly contrary to Musk and Trump's stated goal of stopping the supposedly fraudulent transfer of benefits to bank accounts associated with Social Security number holders who are deceased.

[Allison Gill]

Right. So you know you're making them to dead people but don't tell us they're dead is just unbelievable. It sounds like also they're trying to create fraud where none exists so that they have a pretext to shut it down and steal our money. Just a thought. Next up from Julia Ainslie and John Allen at NBC. The Department of Homeland Security has begun performing lie detector polygraph tests on employees to determine who might be leaking information to the media about immigration operations, according to four sources familiar with the practice. And I'm wondering if the four sources who gave this information to Julia Ainslie and John Allen are going to be given polygraph tests about whether or not they gave this information to them.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God. Probably.

[Allison Gill]

The department's plans to perform these tests was first reported by Bloomberg after the publication of this article. DHS said in a statement, the Department of Homeland Security is a national security agency. We can, should and will polygraph personnel. Border czar Tom Homan and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have blamed lower than expected ICE arrest numbers on leaks revealing the cities where it's planned to conduct operations. In a video posted on Twitter Friday, Noem said, we have identified two leakers of information here at the Department of Homeland Security who've been telling individuals about our operations and putting law enforcement lives in jeopardy. We plan to prosecute those two individuals and hold them accountable for what they've done. Yeah. Good luck.

[Dana Goldberg]

Okay. The other thing is, this is not from leakers. This is from normal Americans that are protecting people that should not be targeted by these ICE raids because they're unconstitutional and legal. There's so much on social media telling people, do not open your door, ask for a signed warrant, make sure that it's actually signed. Make sure it's actually the right warrant. That's what's happening. People are actually fighting this shit out on the streets, but they need to find a leaker because there's no way the American people would turn against us Now.

[Allison Gill]

NBC goes on to say that it's not clear if those two employees Noem referred to had actually been identified through a polygraph test. And it's also not clear how many employees have been polygraphed or may face the tests. But sources say the employees asked to take the test so far have been in different agencies across dhs. Polygraphs of the department are not new. They've been used in the past, such as when Customs and Border Protection is screening new hires. But according to the sources familiar with the current use of polygraphs, the so called lie detector machines are now being used to ask employees across the agency specific questions about leaking classified documents or sensitive law enforcement information on ICE operations.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thanks so much, Al. And this one's from Scott McFarland at CBS. According to court filings reviewed by CBS News, defense attorneys for Ryan Ruth. Is it Ruth or Ralph? I bet you probably it's Ralph Routh. Ryan Routh were given access to Tour Trump golf course on February 25th to prepare Routh's defense in the alleged assassination attempt against Mr. Trump during a September 5 golf outing. Wait, what? I didn't even think. I thought there wasn't even a right. Like, there was so many. Okay. There's so much confusion around this, and I think this should. Everyone's little feelers should be going up. A court filing submitted by Justice Department prosecutors this week said, quote, we took the lead in setting up arrangements for this visit, even though the press prosecution team obviously does not control the course, which is private property. Now, in the March 3 court filing, prosecutors added, and I quote, as we told defense counsel, their request to inspect the firearm in this manner was highly unusual in the experience of the FBI. But nonetheless, we made it happen. Oh, I think they said it wasn't lo now. And now these stories. I can't keep one assassination attempt clear from the other one. So it's kind of confusing. Prosecutors have also helped provide transport of the rifle allegedly wielded by Ralph near Trump's September golf outing. According to the Justice Department's submissions to a federal judge in Miami. And I quote, to accommodate a defense request, the prosecution team ensured that the firearm, scope, magazine, ammunition and anti ballistic plates were Transported from the FBI's lab in Quantico, Virginia, to the FBI field office in Miramar, Florida, so the defense could inspect it with purported consultants in tow and South Florida after the golf course visit. So that's what this whole reasoning is for. Prosecutors say Ralph methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery at Trump as he played golf on September 15th at the Trump West Palm Beach Country Club. Before Trump came into view, Ralph was allegedly spotted by a Secret Service agent. Federal authorities accused Ralph of aiming his rifle at the agent who opened fire, causing Ralph to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot. Prosecutors say he left behind a note describing his intentions. Isn't it interesting that the other assassination attempt, when they found the kid on the roof, they said, we couldn't take a shot at him until he took a shot at the President. But apparently this guy they took a shot at, which made him drop his rifle and run, seems a little conflicting.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. Although I think they didn't even see the guy in the first assassination attempt until he fired. No, they saw him.

[Dana Goldberg]

They saw him. Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

I don't know.

[Dana Goldberg]

Now, if convicted, Ryan Ralph faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. That's according to court records. Ralph was convicted of felonies in North Carolina in December 2002 and March 2010. Ryan Ralph's trial is scheduled for September 8, nearly a year to the day after the alleged assassination attempt. The presiding judge is Judge Aileen Camp Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by Mr. Trump, as we know, in 2020, and who's been really kind of a piece of since then. Last year, Cannon dismissed Trump's classified documents federal criminal case.

[Allison Gill]

So they're gonna ship evidence from Quantico.

[Dana Goldberg]

To Florida and we're supposed to just believe that nothing's gonna be fucked with?

[Allison Gill]

They're just. They're just gonna. I. Well, you know, like, why don't they just open the evidence file and like, take a dump inside of it? I think they call that a Florida steamer. I'm not sure, but what the. Hey, everybody, let's just ship, okay? I would like more information on the shipment. Is it like a courier that's going to be hand carrying it or are they just using dhl?

[Dana Goldberg]

It's not a moving the shipment.

[Allison Gill]

Right? Is.

[Dana Goldberg]

Is.

[Allison Gill]

Well, Dejoy left who. Who's in charge of the post office, you know, like, jeez, I don't know, man. That just seems really weird to me. But to counter all of this, we have some good trouble. What are you guys doing? All right, today's good Trouble comes from Indivisible.org Help us make the upcoming congressional recess one for the history books, we have put together a detailed toolkit to help you plan events in your districts, make the most of town halls, and put members of Congress on blast if they try to hide from constituents. So that is indivisible.org Musk or us. And we will have a link for more information to either plan or attend one of these rallies in your area. So thanks to Indivisible for that. We love that kind of good trouble and there's been all sorts of really great groups holding town halls when the. You know, with absent republic.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep.

[Allison Gill]

Members of Congress because they get booed the fuck out when they show up. So this will be fun again. We'll have that link for you in the show notes and everybody stick around. We'll be right back with the good news. 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. Get 20% off on the Radiant Skin duo plus a free starter [e-mail] DailyBeans the Sun Goddess matcha and BT fountain combo ultimate Glow Up Secret. The Radiant Skin Duo is a revolutionary pairing of two science backed products. You know I love science that enhance your skin and energy from within at the cellular level. Sun Goddess Matcha gives me sustained energy without jitters or crashes thanks to L Theanine for calm focus and EGCG antioxidants that firm and brighten my skin at the same time. And it also supports gut health, helping me feel less bloated and more confident. BT Fountain Electrolytes hydrates on a cellular level with clinically proven ceramides to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. My skin stays soft, supple and free from redness and I stay hydrated. It's all vegan, no added sugar nor artificial anything. It's great and together they're magical. They protect my skin, strengthen the skin barrier and keep it deeply hydrated for that lip from within.

[Dana Goldberg]

Glow.

[Allison Gill]

They're made with pure premium ingredients, globally sourced, rigorously tested for efficacy, purity and bioavailability too. This duo is a must try and the pre measured sachets make it so easy it just dissolve in hot or cold water. Sun Goddess Matcha is a quadruple toxin screen shaded 35% longer and ceremonial grade with a creamy umami flavor. It's delicious. And BT Fountain is pure clean hydration. 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 and glass beaker. With this exclusive link, it's peaklife.comdailybeans 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. Everybody. Welcome back. It's time for the good news. Good news. All right, it's time for my favorite part of the show. Listener submitted Good news. So if you have any good news stories you want to tell us about a happy place, you want to give a shout out to a loved one or yourself or a small business in your area or an adoptable pet in your area. Or if you, you know, you, you want to give a shout out to a government program that's helped you or a loved one, whether it's Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Biggins Affordable Care act or, or the little ones like WIC, SNAP, a section 8 or you know, any, any, any government program. Great VA health care you've received like from the PACT act for example, or your local VA clinic where people might start or have maybe already started being fired from and of course, student debt forgiveness. Send it all to us. And the only thing you need to do to submit your good news stories or your shoutouts is to submit your POD pet tax, which means to attach a photo of your pet. And if you want us to guess this, the breeds in your shelter, pup or kitten, we can try to do that too. If you don't have a pet, talk about an adoptable pet in your area. We'll try to find him a forever home. If you don't have that, just grab an animal photo off the Internet. Really, anything will work. We're pretty chill about it. Also, we're doing bird watching photos, which can be a photo of an actual bird because we know, I know we have a ton of birders who listen to this podcast or you and family and friends flipping the bird to Trump and Musk Properties if you don't have any of that. Baby pictures. We always, always accept baby photos, even if your submission is just baby photos and you don't have anything to say about it. But we still want to see them. And if you're a patron, you get to see the photos on each Patreon post. If you want to become a patron of this podcast, support independent media and get these episodes ad free and early and view these wonderful pictures, you can do [e-mail] MullerShiprote all right, first up, from Hai Ting. That's high ting, like the sound of a small bell. Hello, beautiful beanie deities. I've been a patron since the Kitchen table days, and you've been my brain saviors for most of those years. Thank you for all you do. I've written in a few times to shout out my own musical doings, such as Astronautica, Voices of Women in Space. Remember that? I loved that. This time I'm writing in with my shout out to my partner Matthew, who is also a musician, composer, songwriter. He recently entered an international songwriting contest with a song called Hold On. It's a beautiful bittersweet anthem that imagines the Earth addressing us life in the form, you know, the form of human beings. And these poignant lyrics could only come out of my partner's unique mind. Quote, you scurried and stampeded, played violin, exploring every crack of my skin. Then you covered me in roads from Namib to Berlin. Please don't lie to me. And with every fossil grave you suck dry, you deny the angry wind. Hold on and stay with me. The lovely news is that the song made it to the semifinal round of the International Songwriting Competition from among hundreds of thousands of submissions. I think that you and the Leguminati would love this song and the rest of Matthew's music too, which gets much less attention than it deserves. We'll have a link in the show Notes, by the way, to the YouTube version of hold on. And we also have a shout out to a government program as freelance creatives, we've never had health insurance through employers and before Obamacare we found ourselves uninsured with a couple of lifelong pre existing conditions between us. We might never have been able to get back on health insurance rolls if it had not been for Obamacare's mandate. We literally owe our lives to that particular Democratic policy. As Pod Pet Tax, I offer Bibim and Bop, who we adopted this past summer. Their purrs, antics and squeaks have been a helpful antidote to the chaos and cruelty that's being inflicted on so many of us. Thank you for your steadfast intelligence and compassion. We are an even more effective antidote to the aforementioned chaos and cruelty. Look at these babies.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, very sweet. Oh, they love each other. Well, one of them loves the other. The other one's like, yeah, yeah. The other one's like, you're in my space. You're leaning too hard. You're leaning too. He's leaning too hard.

[Allison Gill]

This is my dance space. This is your dance space.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right, this one's from Nancy T. From Virginia. No pronouns given. The reason why Virginia did not join the suit from the state ags is because our Attorney General, Jason Milares, is a MAGA Republican. As all maga, he seems to be obsessed with what children have in their pants. The only thing he seems to be proud of are the trans laws. He's up for reelection, by the way, in November, as are the entire Virginia House and Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. They will lose. Virginians are smarter than voting for maga. Again, podpet tax. My two girls, Batgirl, the Calico Smudge, the Black Kitty, and my new boy, Earl Gray.

[Allison Gill]

Okay, I can see why you call her Batgirl, because she looks like she's saying I'm Batgirl.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh yeah, this is so good. These cats are gorgeous.

[Allison Gill]

Beautiful.

[Dana Goldberg]

Podcast has turned me into a little bit of a cat lover, even though that's yay pushing it.

[Allison Gill]

And this podcast has turned me into a little bit of a baby lover.

[Dana Goldberg]

So.

[Allison Gill]

No, I'm just kidding. I never hated babies.

[Dana Goldberg]

Could you imagine? I hate babies.

[Allison Gill]

Get that baby away from me. Get it away. Babies are so adorable. Send your babies. Next up, Anonymous. No pronouns. Hi, AG and DG. I have a bit of good news. Concept 2, a Vermont based manufacturer of rowing equipment and exercise machines, holds a variety of exercise challenges throughout the year. On International Women's Day, they do a charity event for everyone who joins the challenge and rows or skis 500 meters or bikes 10,000 meters. Then Concept 2 donates $5 to up to the max of $15,000. They split the money equally between the Women's Sports foundation and Women's Sports International. The max was reached this year. This felt like extra good news this year given the deluge of defecation surrounding girls and women's sports as of late. By the right included for pet tax a stock image of a baby deer. Yeah, we got. I think we've got our first stock animal image. It's getting closer to that time when they'll be racing through my yard while we have a love hate relationship with what they do to my plants. It's fun to watch them try to quickly jump and run away when they're little. Aw, sweet baby.

[Dana Goldberg]

No. Look at that.

[Allison Gill]

Cute.

[Dana Goldberg]

It's perfect. All right. This is from Anonymous. No pronouns Giving hello beans Queens. I wanted to write in with a shout out for federal government programs. My parents both became disabled when my sister and I were young and they received ssi, we received Medicaid, we got food stamps and free lunch at school. I received a Pell Grant to go to college because of these programs. I had food and healthcare. I graduated from college, I went to law school, earned an mls, and now I work for the va. I love my job and I will work hard at it until they take it away. As a side note, our production is carefully monitored. We couldn't slack off even if we wanted to. My success in life can be directly connected to federal programs that made it possible for me to have housing and food growing up, getting educated. I love my quote, low productivity job according to Doge in the federal government. My husband is also a federal employee who grew up in the military family. I will not quit. I will hold the line. The picture is my sweet Tropical Sam. We adopted him as a rescue that traveled to the Pacific Northwest from Hawaii. Yeah, he's trying to be cute so he can keep my seat. He refuses to share it with me.

[Allison Gill]

I was wondering why you call him Tropical Sam, but now he comes from Hawaii. Look at that little tuxedo being adorable and totally hogging the queen seat. In my house. We call the good spot on the couch the queen seat. And you know, that's just always cats in my queen seat. Of course, next oh, look at this baby. From Chris. Pronouns, he and him. Beans Queens, you're too beautiful for an audio medium, but also the best podcasters out there, so I won't complain. My good news is my great son. He's growing into a great young man, straight A's, volunteering hundreds of hours a year, and unfortunately for my blood pressure, excelling in rock climbing, which involves me pretending I'm not scared of heights while I join him. He's strong, smart and kind and non toxic. I'm sharing a pic of him from his first year playing with the same silicon brush he now uses when cooking for us at 14 years old. A year ago, we vacationed in Rhode Island. Awesome state. But his grandfather and I drove him to Massachusetts so he could check out one of his bucket lists. Fishing in lake. Oh, I'm not going to say this. Lake Charga Gaga Machuagaga Chabana Baga Maga. That's what.

[Dana Goldberg]

There's no way.

[Allison Gill]

That's what I've decided. It says we'll have a link in the show notes. I think that's it.

[Dana Goldberg]

Imagine if this was like in the national spelling be. Please spell like.

[Allison Gill]

I'd be like. Can you use it in a sentence?

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

Look at the baby.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep. It actually. The lake is spelled like. That sounds like the baby is saying it.

[Allison Gill]

Yes. That sounds like baby language to me.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's insane.

[Allison Gill]

But there they are.

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm sure it is. And please know I'm not making fun of any sort of Langu language or heritage or anything that the name of this lake is Banana Pants.

[Allison Gill]

It's long. It's so long. And. And we're really only making fun of ourselves for not being able to pronounce it.

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm gonna spell it. Everyone. You ready? C H A R G O G G A G O g G M A N C H A u g G A g O g G C H a U B U N A g U n G U. No A m A U g G. Swear to God. That's what we're trying to read.

[Allison Gill]

Bunagunga mug is like the last fourth of it.

[Dana Goldberg]

Okay. This is home of the Nipmook. Nipmook Indians. I don't know if I'm saying that right and if I would really like to know how to say that.

[Allison Gill]

Julian's pronunciation guide. Yeah, so we're at. I just clicked on the link. Julian's pronunciation guide.

[Dana Goldberg]

Okay. You're gonna have a link to this so you can know too. But this is what we're trying to pronounce right now, everyone.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. But it is a home of the Nipmok Indians.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, Nipmok Indians. Amazing.

[Allison Gill]

Well, I can see why that's a bucket list item is to go in that beautiful area and. And go fishing. I. I'm never going to be able to pronounce that, but I appreciate you sending it in and I appreciate the link so we can learn more about that area because it looks absolutely gorgeous.

[Dana Goldberg]

I. I just, it's. It does look absolutely beautiful. And I'm sure there's so much heritage in this area and I'm sure there's such a beautiful meaning behind lake. I. I just really wish I knew how to say it because it is a tongue twister.

[Allison Gill]

I'll do my best. I'll work on it.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right, me too. I'm in. You and me. You and me.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. I always like to get things right, but I think people send these in just. Just for that purpose. But hey, what a great bucket list thing to do now. Now it's on my bucket list. Honestly, I want to go see that. It looks so. It's just so gorgeous.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

Everybody, thank you so much for sending in your good news stories and all of your photos. We really, really appreciate it. If you have anything you want to Send to us dailybeanspod.com click on Contact. Any final thoughts? Thoughts today, my friend?

[Dana Goldberg]

No, not today.

[Allison Gill]

All right, everybody, we'll be back in your ears tomorrow. Until then, please take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, take care of your mental health, and take care of your family. I've been AG and I've been DG and them 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 Giant 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.