The Daily Beans – “One Million Times” (Feb 11, 2026)

Overview

This episode of The Daily Beans, hosted by Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg, delivers a packed rundown of the day's major progressive news stories with trademark snark and sharp analysis. The focus is on recent Congressional testimonies involving Department of Homeland Security officials and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, staggering revelations from unredacted Epstein files linking Donald Trump, ICE’s migrant detention operations in Georgia and Idaho, and a landmark immigration case dismissal. The hosts also celebrate grassroots activism, community good news, and listener highlights.

Main Discussion Points

1. Congressional Testimony: Howard Lutnick and DHS Officials

• Howard Lutnick’s Testimony
  • Lutnick, Commerce Secretary, defended himself during testimony about his presence on Epstein Island, awkwardly referencing his kids and nannies:

    “I left the island with my wife and all my kids.” [01:50]

  • The hosts mock the defensive tone and evasion, casting doubt on his denials.
• DHS, ICE, & Trump’s Immigration Policies (Minneapolis & National)
  • Rodney Scott and Todd Lyons faced aggressive questioning; Lyons nearly held in contempt for ignoring 96 court orders in Minneapolis.
  • ICE’s implementation under Trump is polling at record lows, with Republicans “pulling [the] DHS out separately as a funding bill because they know their backs are up against the wall on ICE.” [02:34]

2. FBI Affidavit and Fulton County, GA Election Search [03:13–07:33]

• Affidavit Insights
  • FBI affidavit details the “legal basis” for search warrants in Fulton County after referrals from Kurt Olsen, a Trump-appointed attorney.
  • Claims irregularities in ballots and vote counting from 2020; state officials and multiple recounts have already confirmed Biden’s win.
• Procedural Controversies
  • Atlanta/Georgia state officials demand the return of seized ballots.
  • Judge J.P. Boulay orders unsealing of affidavits and case documents.

3. ICE Detention Center & Civil Rights Lawsuit [07:33–11:46]

• Social Circle, Georgia Detention Center
  • ICE plans a massive, 10,000-person facility near a tiny town and elementary school, drawing bipartisan local outrage.

    “Even those who support the administration are expressing overwhelming opposition due to the facility's location less than a mile from a brand new elementary school.” [07:33]

  • Infrastructure and moral objections are leading to consolidated community resistance.
• Idaho Raid on Latino Community – ACLU Lawsuit
  • Canyon County officers detained 105 people at a horse racing venue, zip-tying children, including a 14-year-old U.S. citizen.

    “[Agents] zip-tied and bruised wrists of Annabel Romero’s 14-year-old daughter...herded them into a confined area.” [09:03] “Law enforcement is not evil because we contained everybody and detained them...until we sorted it out.” — Sheriff Donahue [09:32]

  • ACLU: Cases like these signal “a frightening normalization of harsh and sometimes violent action by federal law enforcement in the presence of children.” [11:18]

4. Epstein Files Bombshells [11:46–15:42]

• Trump’s Extensive Name Drop (Jamie Raskin/Axios)
  • Jamie Raskin reveals Trump’s name appears “over a million times” in unredacted Epstein files.

    “I think I put [Trump’s] name in there, and it appears more than a million times. So it’s all over the place now.” — Jamie Raskin [12:50]

  • Key files contradict Trump’s public denials, showing he acknowledged Epstein’s activities as early as 2006.

    “Trump...called [the] Palm Beach Police Chief...to tell him Epstein’s activities with teenage girls were well known.” [15:00]

  • Ro Khanna reads the real, previously redacted names of high-profile Epstein associates onto the Congressional record.
• Department of Justice and Congressional Transparency
  • DOJ’s handling of file redactions criticized.
  • Congress now has restricted access to unredacted files, not all files.

5. Immigration Judge Halts Deportation of Rumeza Ozturk [15:42–17:07]

• Case Background
  • Rumeza Ozturk, Tufts University doctoral student, detained and targeted for deportation by the Trump administration due to pro-Palestinian activism.
  • Court found “no evidence” she had supported terrorist activity; her arrest was linked to an opinion article criticizing Israel.
• Ozturk’s Statement

  • “Today I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that despite the justice system’s flaws, my case may give hope to those who have been wronged by [the] US government...” [16:00]

Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:50 | Dana | “…he says, and I left the island with my wife and all my kids. Like, there was some inference that he may have left one of his children there.” | | 04:09 | Allison | “…I don’t know that you should be getting search warrants on ‘ifs’.” | | 09:32 | Sheriff Donahue | “Law enforcement is not evil because we contained everybody and detained them until we sorted it out. That’s not evil.” | | 11:46 | Allison (quoting Raskin/Axios) | “When I searched Trump’s name in the unredacted Epstein files…it came up more than a million times.” | | 12:50 | Jamie Raskin | “I put [Trump’s] name in there, and it appears more than a million times. So it’s all over the place now.” | | 15:06 | Allison | “Trump said, she (Ghislaine Maxwell) is evil and you need to focus on her.” | | 16:00 | Rumeza Ozturk | “Today I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that despite the justice system’s flaws, my case may give hope to those who have been wronged…” |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:50] – Howard Lutnick’s testimony on Epstein Island visit
• [02:34] – ICE and Trump’s Immigration Policy Polls
• [03:13–07:33] – Fulton County FBI affidavit and election search
• [07:33–11:46] – Social Circle ICE Center and Idaho ACLU lawsuit
• [11:46] – Raskin & Epstein Files: Trump “1 million times”
• [12:50] – Congressional redactions and Trump’s direct link to Epstein case
• [15:00] – 2006 Palm Beach police call; Trump implicates Epstein and Maxwell
• [15:42–17:07] – Immigration judge terminates Rumeza Ozturk’s removal proceedings

Listener Good News & Activism Highlights

• Grassroots Voter ID Help: Shoutout to Vote Riders for helping voters acquire needed documents. [23:49]
• Community Fundraising: Listener’s daughter raises $1,000+ for diapers in Minneapolis; Social Circle, GA, residents share organizing efforts against the town’s ICE facility. [24:57–25:38]
• Progressive Organizing in Red States: Indivisible Tri Cities and local groups in Eastern Washington persist in advocacy.
• Personal Wins & Pet Tax: Listeners share stories of new jobs, cherished pets, and music fandom—offering hope amid heavy news.

Tone and Style

As always, Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg balance sobering political and social news with cutting humor and supportive banter:

• “You keep telling yourself that, cowboy.” (in response to the Idaho sheriff’s comment) [09:32]
• “I wish we had the majority to be able to do that right now.” (re abolishing ICE) [11:46]
• “I started my day listening to you both to get my daily news with swearing.” — Listener Submission [34:29]

Final Takeaway

This episode spotlights the relentless work of exposing government abuses (from ICE to election interference), the vastness of the Epstein scandal’s scope as it relates to Trump, and the power of community action, all delivered with heart and irreverence. Stories of listener perseverance—whether fighting voter suppression or supporting their neighborhoods—round out the episode on a hopeful note.

For further details, check out the full episode. The Daily Beans provides daily updates on justice, activism, and survival, spiced with wit and real-world inspiration.