Pope-Pourri (feat. Andi McNew)

Wed Apr 23 2025

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025 Today, turns out the intel that Pete Hegseth shared on at least two unsecure Signal chats came from a classified system; three prosecutors on the Eric Adams case have resigned after being pressured by Emil Bove to lie about it; new images could change cancer research but ICE has detained the Harvard scientist who analyzes them; lawyers for Abrego Garcia issue their first letter accusing the government of obstructing the court ordered discovery in his case; the FDA has suspended quality tests for milk; the Trump administration will be sending those in student loan default to collections; A Tennessee bill that would have required school districts to ask students their citizenship status is likely now dead for the year; a Trump draft order calls for a dramatic restructuring of the State Department; a federal judge orders the government to give Venezuelan migrants in Colorado a 21 day deportation notice; HHS is going to scrap the national LGBTQ Youth Suicid...

Summary

The Daily Beans - Episode Summary: "Pope-Pourri (feat. Andi McNew)"

Release Date: April 23, 2025
Host: Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg
Guest: Andy McNew, Director of the East County Victory Pack, San Diego

Top News Highlights

1. Classified Information Leak Involving Pete Hegseth
Allison Gill opens the episode discussing a significant intelligence breach involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. According to NBC News, "Minutes before US fighter jets took off to begin strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen last month, Army General Michael Eric Kurilla... used a secure U.S. government system to send detailed information about the operation to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth" (06:45). The information included sensitive details that could jeopardize pilot safety if mishandled. Dana Goldberg comments on the gravity of the situation, stating, "He's putting our military in danger and our national security at risk" (08:16).

2. Resignation of Federal Prosecutors in the Eric Adams Case
The podcast reveals that three federal prosecutors—Celia V. Cohen, Andrew Roach, and Derek Wilstrom—have resigned from their positions due to pressure from Emil Bovey to drop charges in the Eric Adams bribery and fraud case. Allison Gill emphasizes their stand against wrongdoing: "The prosecutors said, 'We will not confess wrongdoing when there was none'" (11:30). Dana Goldberg applauds their decision, remarking, "I want to see more of that" (11:30).

3. Harvard Scientist Detained by ICE
Dana Goldberg reports on the detention of a Harvard scientist critical to cancer research advancements. Allison Gill highlights the urgency by stating, "She developed computer scripts to read those images, cancer breakthrough" (12:45). The scientist, a 30-year-old Russian national, fears persecution and imprisonment in Russia due to her anti-war protests, with her colleague describing her detention as being trapped in "a grinding machine" (12:52).

4. FDA Suspends Milk Quality Tests
Allison Gill informs listeners that the FDA has suspended quality control programs for milk and other dairy products due to reduced capacity in its food safety division (14:01). Dana Goldberg expresses concern over potential safety lapses: "I don't know why Trump wants to bring asbestos back. Does he want to add asbestos back to milk?" (14:05).

5. Student Loan Collections Resuming
The Education Department is set to resume collections on student loans in default starting May 5, 2025, including wage garnishments. Allison Gill denounces the move: "Fuck May 5th" (15:26). Dana Goldberg criticizes the administration, noting, "They are funding a scam called Trump University and now they're going to garnish your wages" (15:28).

6. Debunked Trump Administration Order on State Department Restructuring
A purported Trump executive order aiming to restructure the State Department was quickly debunked. Allison Gill mentions, "The U.S. State Department disputes the report, calling it entirely based on a fake document" (16:28). Dana Goldberg adds skepticism about the administration's intentions, saying, "Anything they call a hoax is an omission" (16:49).

7. Defunding of LGBTQ Youth Suicide Hotline
Mother Jones reports that Health and Human Services plans to eliminate services for LGBTQ youth on the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline, affecting over 2,100 daily contacts. Allison Gill underscores the dire impact: "Here we are cutting off the nation's lifeline to those in crisis" (18:03). Dana Goldberg condemns the action as intentional cruelty: "The cruelty is the point" (18:10).

Interview with Andy McNew: Scaling Local Political Engagement

Allison Gill introduces Andy McNew, the Director of the East County Victory Pack in San Diego, who discusses strategies to bridge the urban-rural political divide.

Key Discussion Points:

Importance of Local Engagement: Andy emphasizes the need for Democrats to run in local, often nonpartisan, races to effect meaningful change. "If Democrats do the work, we can win," she asserts (27:06).
Challenges in Rural Campaigns: Highlighting logistical issues such as dispersed housing and limited canvassing opportunities, Andy explains, "Reaching these voters is a lot more difficult than when you live in a city with nice square blocks" (30:11).
Success Story in Alpine, San Diego: Andy shares a case where her team successfully ran a Democratic candidate in a heavily Republican district by intensive door-knocking and targeted messaging. "We won by 10 points" she proudly notes (41:35).
Empowering Local Candidates: She urges listeners to get involved locally through organizations like RunForSomething.net and to participate in local government to influence policies directly affecting their communities.

Notable Quotes:

“Start going to school board meetings and listening in to see what's going on.” (44:48)
“Every single local office should have a progressive or Democrat running for it. And right now it doesn't.” (44:48)

Andy underscores that local victories can lead to broader national impacts, as policies often require grassroots support to be implemented effectively.

Good News & Community Highlights

The episode transitions to a segment dedicated to positive community stories and listener submissions.

Listener Highlights:

Kathy from Kansas Praises Social Security: Kathy shares her positive experience with the Topeka Social Security office, highlighting the helpfulness and respect shown by the staff, which alleviated her concerns regarding benefit filings (50:29).

"Everyone was patient and helpful treating everyone... with respect." (50:29) – Kathy B.
Kim's Enthusiastic Message on Papal Processes: Kim humorously reflects on the movie "Conclave" and the traditional process of electing a new Pope, expressing hopes for a progressive leader.

"The next pope will be pretty woke. I'm all for a woke pope." (53:23) – Kim
Empowering Experiences Shared by a Quadriplegic Listener: A listener details her impactful participation in a town hall, which not only helped her advocate for Medicaid benefits but also inspired others in her community.

"I spoke about how Medicaid pays for my caregivers so my husband can work... People came up to my husband during the next week to thank me for speaking out." (54:43) – Friendly Quadriplegic

Shout-Outs and Contest:

The hosts encourage listeners to submit their good news stories, whether personal achievements, community successes, or positive encounters with government programs. They highlight a collaboration with Signs of Justice, offering listeners a chance to win free postcards for activism purposes.

Conclusion

Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg wrap up the episode by reiterating the importance of local political engagement and celebrating community successes. They remind listeners to participate in future giveaways and continue sharing positive stories to foster a sense of hope and solidarity.

For more detailed information and to listen to the full episode, visit mswmedia.com.