Recount Account

Summary

The Daily Beans - Episode Summary: "Recount Account"
Release Date: November 12, 2024
Host/Author: MSW Media

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Introduction

In the "Recount Account" episode of The Daily Beans, hosts Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg delve into the tumultuous political landscape following the recent elections. The episode navigates through heated discussions on election recounts, transition challenges faced by outgoing President-elect Donald Trump, and a significant Democratic victory in Louisiana. Alongside these pressing issues, Alison and Dana share personal insights on navigating social media harassment and foster a sense of community through uplifting good news stories.

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Main Political News

Pennsylvania Senate Race and Recount Efforts

The episode opens with an in-depth analysis of the closely contested Senate race in Pennsylvania. Alison Gill highlights that the Harris Victory Fund is reallocating donations towards a recount effort as the vote count remains extraordinarily tight.

• Dave McCormick's Stance:
  "I'm honored to represent the people of Pennsylvania and will fight hard to make sure their voices are heard in Washington."
  (06:10) — Dave McCormick announces his intention to attend the Senate orientation despite the incomplete vote tally.

• Current Standings:
  With incumbent Senator Bob Casey trailing McCormick by a slim margin of 49.01% to 48.43%, the race stands as the closest Senate contest in Pennsylvania since the 17th Amendment mandated direct elections. The possibility of an automatic recount looms if the final margin remains under half a point.

• Campaign Dynamics:
  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer initially refrained from inviting McCormick to orientation, citing pending vote counts. Alison humorously remarks on this exclusion: "I kind of like disinviting this guy. I'm feeling a little petty this week."
  (07:00)

Harris Victory Fund and Recount Allocation

Dana Goldberg sheds light on the Harris Victory Fund's strategic redirection of funds toward a recount account, emphasizing the fund's role in supporting election integrity within the Democratic Party.

• Fund Allocation Details:
  Donations are segmented, with a portion allocated to the Democratic National Committee, Harris's recount efforts, and state parties. This move occurs despite Vice President Kamala Harris having conceded the election.

• Criticism and Concerns:
  Alison voices skepticism regarding Kamala Harris potentially taking over the Oval Office: "I do not love this idea. Everyone because I don't think Kamala wants a fucking hand me presidency."
  (12:23)

Donald Trump's Transition Challenges

A significant portion of the discussion centers on President-elect Donald Trump's delays in submitting mandatory transition agreements with the Biden administration, raising alarms about national security preparedness.

• Ethics Agreement Delays:
  Trump has yet to sign the required ethics pledge, essential for accessing crucial transition briefings. Alison expresses frustration: "He could just poop on it. Like, it's so frustrating."
  (15:04)

• National Security Implications:
  Experts warn that without timely transition cooperation, the incoming administration could face vulnerabilities. Valerie Smith Boyd from the Partnership for Public Service underscores the gravity: "We are watching it happen, but the consequences are severe."
  (16:15)

• Historical Context:
  Alison references past transition hiccups, noting the 2020 delay when transitioning compromised national security efforts leading up to the September 11 attacks.

Democratic Victory in Louisiana

Shifting to a positive note, the hosts celebrate Democrat Cleo Fields' victory in Louisiana’s redrawn second majority-black district, marking a pivotal win for Democrats in a traditionally Republican stronghold.

• Election Dynamics:
  Under Louisiana’s open primary system, Fields secured over 50% of the vote, avoiding a runoff and flipping the 6th congressional district blue after decades of Republican dominance.

• Significance:
  Alison emphasizes the impact of fair redistricting: "The new congressional map was used for the election with boundaries crafted by the Republican dominated legislature earlier this year because they were forced to be."
  (23:06)

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Navigating Social Media Harassment

Alison and Dana candidly discuss their experiences dealing with harassment on Twitter, contrasted with the more supportive environment on alternative platforms like Blue Sky. Dana shares her emotional toll from transphobic trolling and seeks feedback from trans listeners about the impact of their online advocacy.

• Strategies for a Safer Online Space:
  Alison introduces tools like the Leguminati starter pack on Blue Sky, which allows listeners to follow supportive accounts and utilize block lists to shield themselves from harmful interactions: "They have these great block lists as well, for your safety."
  (03:51)

• Personal Insights:
  Dana reflects on the psychological effects of online hate and the importance of finding alternative avenues for activism: "I'm gonna keep speaking out, but not if it hurts you all."
  (02:36)

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Good News Highlights

In a refreshing departure from the intense political discourse, Alison and Dana invite listeners to share uplifting stories, fostering a sense of community and resilience.

Listener Submissions

• Evacuation from California Fire:
  A listener shares relief that friends and family in Camarillo, California, have safely evacuated from a devastating fire without losing their homes.

• Academic Progress Amidst Turmoil:
  Another listener discusses refocusing her PhD dissertation in human sexuality, inspired by post-election distress experienced within the Child Free by Choice communities.

• Adoptable Pets:
  Ann introduces two foster kittens, SpongeBob (Bobby) and Beacon (Bacon), seeking forever homes through Brooklyn Animal Action.

• Inspirational Quotes:
  Alison recites a poignant passage from Lord of the Rings, highlighting the enduring hope and goodness that motivates resistance and rebellion: "There is some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for."
  (29:38)

Community Support and Encouragement

Dana emphasizes the importance of using personal skills to support social justice causes, encouraging listeners to engage in meaningful actions that promote sanity and focus during challenging times.

• Dana's Reflection:
  "Find your lane and use your skills to support the demo democratic and social justice causes you believe in that will help keep you sane and focus for the challenging years ahead."
  (30:52)

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Conclusion

Alison and Dana wrap up the episode by expressing gratitude to their listeners and encouraging continued engagement through good news submissions and community support. They highlight the importance of resilience, collective action, and maintaining hope amidst political uncertainties.

• Final Encouragement:
  "Please keep sending it into us. Find those little bits of Hope to microdose and send them to us."
  (40:25)

• Sign-Off:
  The hosts remind listeners to take care of themselves and their communities, reinforcing the podcast's commitment to delivering progressive news with a blend of snark and solidarity.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. "I'm honored to represent the people of Pennsylvania and will fight hard to make sure their voices are heard in Washington."
   — Dave McCormick (06:10)

2. "He could just poop on it. Like, it's so frustrating."
   — Alison Gill (15:04)

3. "There is some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for."
   — Samwise Gamgee (recited by Alison Gill) (29:38)

4. "Find your lane and use your skills to support the demo democratic and social justice causes you believe in that will help keep you sane and focus for the challenging years ahead."
   — Dana Goldberg (30:52)

5. "Please keep sending it into us. Find those little bits of Hope to microdose and send them to us."
   — Alison Gill (40:25)

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Closing Remarks

The Daily Beans continues to stand as a beacon for progressive news, intertwining serious political discourse with personal narratives and community-driven positivity. In "Recount Account," Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg effectively balance the gravity of election-related challenges with the warmth of shared good news, embodying the podcast's mission to inform, engage, and uplift its listeners.

For more information and to connect with the Daily Beans community, visit mswmedia.com.

Transcript

[Alison Gill]

MSW Media thanks to AG1 for supporting the Daily Beans. Every week of November, AG1 will be running a special Black Friday offer for a free gift with your first subscription in addition to the welcome kit with vitamin D3K2. So make sure to check out drinkag1.com dailybeans to see what gift you can get this week. That's drinkag1.com DailyBeans to start your holiday season off on a healthier notebook while supplies last. Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Tuesday, November 12, 2024. Today, the Harris Victory Fund is starting to divert donations to a recount effort. Dave McCormick says he's going to attend Senate orientation even though the votes haven't finished being counted. In Pennsylvania, Donald Trump still hasn't signed his transition ethics agreement. Don't hold your breath. And a Democrat has flipped a long red Louisiana congressional seat after redistricting. I'm Alison Gill.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[Alison Gill]

Hey, my friend. Happy Tuesday.

[Dana Goldberg]

Happy Tuesday to you.

[Alison Gill]

How are you holding up? Holding up, you know, over. I'm over on Blue sky right now.

[Dana Goldberg]

I joined you because Twitter is a dumpster fire. And I know we're both staying, but because I'm so outspoken about trans issues publicly, the trolls get triggered and the hate is horrifying. And so, I mean, I would love to hear from some of the trans listeners to the show. Like, if I post something in support and there's so much hate being directed at responses, is that more hurtful to you all than helpful? My post might be, because I don't know.

[Alison Gill]

That's a really good point.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I'm getting a little teary thinking about it because I know how it feels to read the responses, but for you all to have to read them because you're a Twitter fan of mine. So I'm curious. I'd really like to know because I'm gonna keep speaking out, but not if it hurts you all. You know what I mean? I can do it in other ways. I'm on stage raising millions of dollars in private events that are going toward fighting all of this bigotry and hate and making sure that you have gender affirming care. And maybe Twitter is not the best way for me to be advocating for you. So please let me know.

[Alison Gill]

Right. It's like a lightning rod for hate.

[Dana Goldberg]

Exactly. Exactly.

[Alison Gill]

So, you know, I don't see that over on Blue Sky.

[Dana Goldberg]

Good.

[Alison Gill]

And you're there. DG comedy. I'm there. Muller. She wrote. Also, MSW Media Pods has gone over there. I'm imagining we'll have a daily beans. We have a laguminati starter pack for patrons on the behind the Beans Facebook page. And there's a link to that. Somebody put this together. It's all of the people who are on Blue sky that are patrons that listen to the daily beans and they have these things called starter packs where you just list like a hundred people that you want everybody to follow, and it's just one click of a button, you follow them all. So I've been able to follow back all of the Leguminati, all the people who listen to the show over on the Facebook page there. So that's fantastic. And then they have these great block lists as well, for your safety. So, like, folks have been putting together and I've been sharing like maga anyone who's got maga in their bio or their handle. And what's cool about the block list is you hit block all, it blocks everybody on the list. And then if the person who created that list adds any additional MAGA people to it, they're automatically blocked.

[Dana Goldberg]

You and I are going to have to talk off the air because I need help making sure that my account stays friendly.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, it's pretty great. And it's like old Twitter over there. So now I know it's owned by a billionaire, and billionaires aren't our friends, but it's a much nicer place to share thoughts and ideas than Twitter, which, like you said, is a hellscape. Also, if you want to become a patron, it's super easy. Dailybeans.supercast.com or patreon.com Mueller she wrote and I have a new article up on Substack. It's about an old movie called Pump up the Volume with Christian Slater that was an inspiration to me in high school. Like, I started a zine, like an underground zine, and it should be an inspiration to all of us. Now. This was prompted by the listener who wrote in yesterday and said they wanted to add their voice to the mix. And I said, grab a microphone. So I'm encouraging everyone to tell their story. I hope you check it out. It's at Mueller She Wrote dot com. It's a free. My substack is free. All my content's free. But like npr, you can kick in some financial support if you're so inclined. But it's free. Like, I don't hide my content behind a paywall over there. So I hope you go check it out and subscribe for free to my newsletter. It's Mueller She Wrote dot com and I can't. Also, I can't thank you all enough for listening to the beans. This is a hard week. I know. A lot of people have needed to kind of stop listening to the news for a minute.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

I haven't turned on a cable news since Wednesday, and it's actually really nice.

[Dana Goldberg]

I know. I think this little cleanse, I may even take a social media one, definitely from the Twitter. But listen, Instagram is such more of a friendly place right now. Blue sky is more of a friendly place. So if you're on either of those platforms, follow us there. Because I have more control over. Over blocking people there because my, my follower count's not as high. So when they come in, I see them more readily.

[Alison Gill]

Right. Yeah. It just feels safer.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

And so thank you for listening. I. I know it's tough, and I know people will come back in time when they can and if they can. But I have to, you know, I 100 respect everybody's, you know, desire to not hear the news. We have some, some pretty, pretty great stories today and then some pretty straightforward stories. And of course, we'll have the listener submitted good news at the end, which you can submit by going to DailyBeansPod.com and clicking on Contact. But right now, we do have some headlines that we have to get to, so let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up, from George Stockburger at whtm, Pennsylvania's Senator Elect. I'm going to put that in quotes. Dave McCormick says he will attend the Senate's orientation this week after not initially receiving an invitation from Chuck Schumer, quote, looking forward to joining the Senate Freshman Class of 2025 for orientation this week. That's what he said. I'm honored to represent the people of Pennsylvania and will fight hard to make sure their voices are heard in Washington. Let's get to work. The only problem, Dana, is that even though the Associated Press has called the race, the votes haven't all been counted. And it's close.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

Incumbent Senator Bob Casey has not yet conceded to McCormick. There are thousands of ballots still being counted. The race hinges on less than 40,000 votes right now. And on Monday, his campaign again insisted on waiting for all votes to be counted. Seems reasonable, I agree. Should the race finish within half a point, there will be an automatic recount. However, McCormick's lead grew over the weekend. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer initially did not invite McCormick with his office saying they would invite a winner once the votes are counted. Request for comment from Schumer's. Office on whether the invitation was extended to McCormick were not returned. I kind of like this at first I was like, just invite them both. But like, I kind of like disinviting this guy. I'm feeling a little petty this week. Sorry. And U.S. senator Bob Casey has, like I said, has yet to concede. And this is the closest Senate race in Pennsylvania history since the 17th amendment provided for direct election of US senators. It's the closest. Quote, our commonwealth ran a free and fair election and we're still waiting on the final results. That's what Bob Casey said on Twitter. On Monday, our election officials will continue counting ballots and ensure Pennsylvania's voices are heard. McCormick said Monday he will be in Washington anyway, quote, looking forward to joining the Senate freshman class, like he said on Twitter. And you know, the whole let's get to work message, like, he's, he's like, I'm here. I'm going to go to the thing. But even if he can't attend the official orientation, he can vote for new Senate Majority leader and attend Republican only meetings. As of Monday, McCormick led Mr. Casey, the three term incumbent, by slightly more than 40,000 votes, 49.01 to 48.43. If McCormick wins by less than half a point, as we said, there's an automatic Pennsylvania recount. It's the law there in the state. Unless Mr. Casey asked the Department of State not to have one. I personally wouldn't say. I'd be like, yeah, no, do it if.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, quote.

[Alison Gill]

As state officials have made clear, counties across Pennsylvania are still processing ballots and need time to tabulate remaining votes. That's what Casey campaign spokeswoman Maddie McDaniel said Monday. There are more than 100,000 ballots left to be counted, including tens of thousands of provisional ballots in counties favorable to Senator Casey. And just yesterday, officials reaffirmed that tens of thousands of mail ballots remain. Pennsylvanians deserve to have their voices heard. And the process of tabulating votes will continue in the coming days. The Casey campaign said there were about 12,680 provisional ballots in Allegheny county, about 20,000 in Philadel, and more than 15,000 in the Philadelphia suburbs. So let's count the votes.

[Dana Goldberg]

Absolutely. All right. This is from a local affiliate, WCHS Eyewitness News. The Harris Victory Fund, speaking of recounts. And this is a fundraising committee authorized by Vice President Kamala Harris's election campaign allowed some donation funds to be allocated toward a recount account. That's according to fine print included on the website. The fundraising site was created using Democratic fundraising Tool Act Blue, which lists information about how it would use donation money under its contribution rules. And those rules list three different areas where funds would be appropriated. And this is a quote from the story. The first 41,300 from any person or 15,000 from a multi candidate committee or a PAC will be allocated to the DNC, the site. That's what it said now. The next 3,300 or 5,000 respectively from a person or PAC will be allocated to Harris for president's recount account. Additional money would be split equally among the Democratic state parties. The site also acknowledges the allocation formula above may change if following it would result in an excessive contribution. It makes sense. A representative for Harris campaign did not immediately respond when asked by the national news desk, which is tnnd if the vice president is weighing a recount effort in the election which saw her decisively defeated. Yeah. By President elect Donald Trump.

[Alison Gill]

1.5 points is not a decisive I know.

[Dana Goldberg]

The vice president last week conceded the election in a speech at Howard University but did not concede the fight. Though Harris was not elected by Americans calls. Well she was voting. I don't love the way this is written, but I understand Though Harris was not elected by Americans, calls for growing for President Joe Biden to resign and allow her take the Oval Office before Trump's inauguration. I have feelings about this, jamal Simmons, Harris's former communications director, said Sunday. A resignation would allow Biden to fulfill his promise of being a transnational figure. It would quote, dominate the news at a point where Democrats have to learn drama and transparency and doing things that the public would want to see in this time. This is the moment for us to change the entire perspective of how Democrats operate. I do not love this idea. Everyone one because I don't think Kamala wants a fucking hand me presidency. You know, that's the first thing she deserves to be President of the United States on her own terms and anyone and the person who does finally end up being the first female President of the United States, I would imagine they would like to also know that they actually earn that recognition and not that Kamala Harris hasn't. It's just a very screwy way to do this and I don't love it.

[Alison Gill]

No. And you know what? I gosh, I think it was the day after the election I put a joke out there saying Biden should resign. So Kamala's 47. So all of Trump's 47 swag is useless, right?

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

Joke. Right.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

Haha. It went mega viral. Like 250,000 likes or something. So I hope that I didn't put this idea in this guy's head, like, somebody, like, said, you wanted her to. You wanted Biden to step aside to make her the thing. I'm like, that was a joke, sir. I was trying to say just to make the 47 swag go away. I wasn't trying to, you know, Anyway, it was a little bit of a chuckle that I think people needed on Wednesday. And. Yeah, so I'm with you on this, Dan.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, trust me, the tweet that got out of control today that really put me in a serious depression was me being a little bit snarky. And I said, if, you know, I hope you all know banning trans girls in sport isn't going to make your daughter, who keeps coming in 12th place, any faster. And the people, obviously, that support having trans girls participate in sport or anyone who understood the laugh, but, man, oh, man, the other side got a hold of it and it was ugly.

[Alison Gill]

That's what they do. That's what they do. They're mad. They're fucking scrolling right now for liberal tears and they aren't finding any.

[Dana Goldberg]

I know. And they also are way more horrible now than they were before he won the election. I mean, my God, they're emboldened. It's awful.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. I think we've just exposed what's been here all along.

[Dana Goldberg]

Absolutely.

[Alison Gill]

You know. All right, next up from cnn, President elect Trump has not yet submitted a series of transition agreements with the Biden administration, in part because of concerns over the mandatory ethics pledge. Vowing to avoid conflicts of interest once sworn into office as president, Trump repeatedly came under fire from ethics groups for potential conflicts of interest relating to his businesses and brands. Both Trump and his family's foreign business ties have also come under intense scrutiny throughout his time in office and on the campaign trail. Trump and his transition team are already behind in accessing key transition briefings from the Biden administration, as they have failed to sign a pair of agreements to unlock critical information before taking over the federal government in 72 days. The holdup revolves in part around the mandatory agreement over ethics issues. A source familiar acknowledged that details are still being worked out with the Biden administration regarding the ethics agreement. What kind of details? Can you take the ethics out, please? I mean, like that.

[Dana Goldberg]

I mean, at this point, too, I feel like it doesn't fucking matter if he signs it or not. He's got immunity from the Supreme Court.

[Alison Gill]

It doesn't fucking matter. Yeah, he could just poop on it. Like, it's so frustrating. It's required by law, though, under the Presidential Transition act, and it applies to all members of the transition team. Updates to that bill requiring the ethics pledge were introduced by Trump ally Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, signed into law by Trump himself in March of 2020. Way to go. The source would not expand further on the Trump's team's concerns over this ethics pledge.

[Dana Goldberg]

Do you need to. I'm just realizing, though, now he, on behalf of his team also, he's the only one that's protected by immunity. Elon Musk, all these other people are not, I guess if they do a federal crime, they can get pardoned. Correct, Correct. Correct.

[Alison Gill]

It's situational because Trump could have. Let's say he makes Elon the fucking secretary of buttholes, and he brings him in and says, look, secretary, but holes, I need you to go steal a bunch of buttholes. And he's like, all right, cool. And then somebody after he's out of office, knock after he's out of it.

[Dana Goldberg]

There's also that stupid thing where you can't use anything that Trump does in prosecution of any of the other buttholes. Okay? Right, right.

[Alison Gill]

And so he would file. If somebody said you stole buttholes, you conspired to steal buttholes, then, sorry, everybody, but not charges. I don't know how else to say this. I don't want to. I don't want to go into actual shit they could do, you know.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, no, I like this butthole thing. It's making me giggle. I feel a little like Beavis and Butthead, but in a good way.

[Alison Gill]

So somebody files charges for conspiracy to steal buttholes, and then, you know, he files it. I'm immune. And he files an interlocutory appeal, goes up to the Supreme Court, and they argue to the Supreme Court as butthole stealing conspiracy. Can I talk to my buttholes are and have that be immune. And the Supreme Court is going to decide whether those conversations are immune or not.

[Dana Goldberg]

Got it?

[Alison Gill]

And then. Or probably kick it back down to the lower court, make them decide, and have it go all the way back up to the Supreme Court so they can make it take two and a half years instead of one years. Which is why no matter who was AG and no matter when Trump was indicted, there would have never been a trial before the election. I built.

[Dana Goldberg]

And we're back anyway.

[Alison Gill]

A sizable share of Trump's net worth, meanwhile, is tied to publicly traded parent company Truth Social. So Trump's most recent financial disclosures as a candidate showed he has continued to make millions off of his properties and books and licensing deals and he's got a new cryptocurrency business. But all this, a lot of this is tied up with True Social, which we know it's conservative social media network, bound to fucking merge with X or whatever the fuck. But Trump is the dominant shareholder and said Friday that he has no intention of selling his shares. Can you, like any other time? That is insane.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's why Elizabeth Warren is like, you're breaking the fucking law. And I know because I wrote it.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, yeah, there's a lot of those that she wrote too. So this, the legal team for Democrats is going to be very busy. The Trump team ignored a pair of key pre election deadlines to unlock transition activities with the GSA and the White House. Experts are sounding the alarms about the impact to day one national security preparedness. That's why they do this. The GSA agreement, which is due September 1, gives Trump's team access to office space and secure connections. Remember, he failed to do this in when Biden won and GSA Emily wouldn't sign the transition papers. But the White house agreement, due October 1, serves as a gatekeeper for access to agencies and information, lays the groundwork for Trump's team to receive security clearances necessary to begin receiving classified information. By the way, all of those background checks are going to be fucking thrown in the circular file. I guarantee you. They did it in the first one. Remember, Kushner failed 85 background checks or something, so that's not going to. All of this is out the window. A Trump advisor told CNN the president elect intends to sign the ethics pledge, but said the transition team's main priority is selecting and vetting candidates for top cabinet roles. It's unclear when Trump will sign the pledge, though the adviser played down the skip deadlines, saying, that's not, it's not. We're not at all concerned. But nonpartisan watchdogs and Democrats have warned that failure to sign those documents could pose a risk to national security. Trump's team could have begun receiving briefings from federal agencies as early as Thursday had it signed these agreements. That's according to Valerie Smith Boyd, director of the center for Presidential Transition and the nonprofit nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service. Now Boyd estimated that hundreds of Trump officials involved in the transition will need background checks to receive classified briefings. Yeah, sure, they're all going to fail. Max Steyer, the Partnership for Public Services president, warned of severe consequences if the Trump transition continues to fail to engage with President Joe Biden's team and not consequences against Donald Trump. Mind you, consequences for national security. Quote, is it possible to just walk past all this? And the answer is that it is possible and we're watching it happen, but the consequences are severe. It would not be possible to be ready to govern on day one without engaging in interactions with agencies about the state of play within the federal government and the world writ large. Now, transition, he added, this is Styer talking, is a point of maximum vulnerability for U.S. security. We've talked about this before, a new team and this was a problem in 2020 when at GSA Emily wouldn't sign. We're like we're putting our, we're sitting ducks right now. You know, quote, a new team coming in, walks in with the responsibility of taking over the most complex operation on the planet, maybe the world. And in order to do that effectively, they absolutely need to have a lot of pre work. If Trump is inaugurated in January without having participated in any of those activities, quote, he can't be ready to take over our government in a way that's safe for us. That's simply not possible. You will not have the larger team around him that is essential to running our government up to speed and available to enter into leadership positions across the government. Now. White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients reached out to the heads of the Trump transition effort Wednesday to stress Biden administration's commitment to leading an orderly transition and to highlight the necessary agreements needed to move forward. Jamie Raskin, as we know, Maryland Democrat ranking member of the Oversight Committee, warned in a letter to Trump in the weeks before the election that ignoring transition deadlines departs from well established norms of federal government and demonstrate a spectacular disregard for the successful continuation of the essential institutions of American democratic government. So he saw this coming. He wrote this in a letter to Trump a while ago. Now Raskin said that without the memoranda in place, the transfer of power is endangered and that threatens national security. This, that had been a problem in the past. In 2000, I talked about 2020. But in 2000, as the Supreme Court awaited the recount In Florida, neither G.W. bush or Al Gore's teams were participating in a transition, something that the 911 Commission Report found was a contributing factor to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

[Dana Goldberg]

Holy hell. I sorry we left you on that one, but I'm going to, I'm going to hopefully go to something else a little more positive. This is from pbs. Democrat Cleo Fields has won Louisiana's congressional race in a recently redrawn second majority black district, flipping a once reliably Republican seat. He changed it blue. His win marks a major victory for Democrats in a state where they will hold two congressional seats for the first time in a decade. This is only the second time in nearly 50 years that a Democrat won in Louisiana's 6th congressional district where new political boundaries were drawn by lawmakers earlier this year because they were forced to be.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, remember they went back and forth. No, we don't want to. Yeah, you have to. We don't want to. Yeah, you have to.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep. Fields victory returns him to the US House, which he was elected to in 1992. Serving two terms since then, the 61 year old state senator has been a fixture in Louisiana state politics. Under Louisiana's open primary system, in which candidates of all parties appear on the election day ballot, Fields was able to avoid a runoff by getting more than 50% of the vote.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep. He faced four other candidates, including Albert Gilroy, an 80 year old Republican and former state senator. Incumbent GOP Congressman Garrett Graves did not seek reelection.

[Alison Gill]

Smart.

[Dana Goldberg]

Uh huh. New congressional map was.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, I'm sorry, are the maps fair? I'm out.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. A new congressional map was used for the election with boundaries crafted by the Republican dominated legislature earlier this year. And don't give them credit, they were forced to. The map restored a second majority black district in the state, which was a win for Democrats and civil rights groups after a nearly two year legal battle. The new 6th district boundaries stretch across the state in a narrow and diagonal path from the state capital Baton Rouge to Shreveport and Northwest Corner. Black residents account for 54% of its voters, up from 24% previously. And fields happens to be black. A lower court ruled that the new map was an illegal racial gerrymander. But in May, the Supreme Court ordered Louisiana to use it in this year's congressional elections, boosting Democrats chances of gaining control of the closely divided House. In addition to the race in the 6th district, all five Louisiana congressional incumbents were reelected to another term, including U.S. house Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

[Alison Gill]

And we are closely watching the House. There's a slim, slim path that we could flip the House. Nobody's reached the majority yet, but I think Republicans are only four seats away. Yeah, but, but regardless, it's going to be a razor thin margin. And if you think that the last Congress couldn't be done. I was going to say this Congress is going to be fubar. It is going to be a clusterfuck of epic proportions, the likes of which have never been seen. I mean it is. I Can't. They're already bag of rats. Right?

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. And I will say that, and I said this to Ag off the air and I would say it here if God forbid, they get all three branches. Like she said, big fucking bag of rats. There's going to be so many egos, so much going on behind closed doors, so much money, so many people that want power. The infighting is going to be a mess. And when things don't get done and they don't get delivered to the American people, they are going to lose their seats and they have no one else to blame if they hold all three houses. And I know what you're thinking, if there's another election, I get it. But just, let's just go forward thinking we're actually going to have a midterms and they're going to fuck themselves.

[Alison Gill]

They're run by states. Elections are run by the states.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes.

[Alison Gill]

So we gotta, we gotta keep keep moving. We gotta eyes on the prize, you know. All right, everybody, we have some good news that we have to get to, but we have to take a quick break. So everybody stick around. We'll be right back after these messages. Will be right back. Hey everybody. This time of year it is so easy to let your routine slip. Holiday travel, gatherings, parties, more. I mean, it's, it's, it's tough. That's why AG1 has been my go to for staying on track. I've been drinking it for years now. As you know, it's been the easiest way to support my health even during the busiest seasons. And right now, AG1 is running a special Black Friday offer for all of November. AG1 is a healthy drink packed with nutrients to help alleviate bloating, support sustained energy and whole body health. With the added benefits of probiotics, prebiotics, adaptogens, AG1 can help combat the stress of the holiday schedule while helping your digestion and supporting your energy. Those are two of the biggest things around this time of year, right? And I never skip AG1, especially around the holidays when routines tend to fall apart. It keeps me feeling energized, helps my digestion stay on track even after a few too many indulgent meals and have a lot of rich food. I've noticed better recovery from that and better recovery after workouts, less bloating overall, better balance. Since starting AG1, if you're traveling soon, I'm definitely bringing my travel packs with me. It's such an easy way to stay consistent. I'd love to gift AG1 to my best friend who's always looking for simple ways to support her health. My favorite way to drink it? Just cold water and ice. It's refreshing and it's convenient. So this holiday season, try AG1 for yourself or even give it to someone special. It is the perfect time to focus on supporting your body with an easy and surprisingly delicious healthy drink. And that's why I've been partnering with AG1 for so long. Every week of November, AG1 will be running a special Black Friday offer for a free gift with your first subscription in addition to the welcome kit with the vitamin D3K2. So make sure to check out drinkag1.com dailybeans to see what gift you can get this week. That's drinkag1.com DailyBeans to start your holiday season off on a healthier note while supplies last. Everybody, welcome back. It's time for the good news. Who likes good news Everyone? Then good news everyone. And if you have any good news confessions corrections, you want to play what the mutt? Find the cat opine on the bovine. What the heck? What the hell is in that shell? What's the model of your axolotl? Any animal guessing game. Send your pod pet tax into us with your good news story and if you don't have pod pet tax to pay, you can send us an adoptable pet in your area. And if you don't have any of those things to send us, you can send us your baby pictures because we love them. And also shout outs. Shout out to yourself. I would love all self shout outs this week. But also we accept shout outs for loved ones and kids and family members and family members, chosen family. And of course shout outs to government programs whether it's the Affordable Care act, also known as Obamacare. In case some people were confused. Did you see that Dana? Some lady was like what the hell? What do you mean they're going to get rid of the Affordable Care Act? I thought they were going to get rid of Obama.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh my God.

[Alison Gill]

Like it's the same thing. So why did you call it Obama Democrats? Why'd you call it? To confuse us. It's like the Republicans called it that so you would hate it. Oh my gosh. So anyway, Affordable Care act and or Obamacare, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Section 8, SNAP, WIC, head start as anything at all. Send it to us. And of course your student debt forgiveness stories. Send them to us dailybeanspod.com and click on Contact. First up, anonymous pronouns she and her look at this beautiful photo.

[Dana Goldberg]

Gorgeous.

[Alison Gill]

After crying for hours Wednesday morning I found out that almost 15 friends and family were evacuating from the devastating fire in Camarillo, California. The good news is they're all safe with no loss of homes. My granddaughter's horse, Easy and Pony. Her name is Bean. She's a pintaloosa. Love you guys for your hard work. Look at the tiny bean. Pintalousa first of all.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh no.

[Alison Gill]

Oh my God.

[Dana Goldberg]

It's like a pinta bean.

[Alison Gill]

A pinto Appaloosa. Pintalousa. And then that horse is gorgeous.

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm so glad they are okay. Yeah, the fires were. I wasn't even there but I and just news and friends over there. The fire is devastating so I hope that anyone affected by the fires is doing okay at this point. Same this is from Lisa Pronoun. She and her hello Beans Queens. Like everyone else, I was deep in my feels last week, but after a couple days I started to ask myself what can I do about it? Because I simply can't stand feeling like a lump for too long. On Friday, I had a long talk with my PhD dissertation chair about refocusing my research topic. Fortunately, I can do this easily since I'm only in my first semester of writing. I'm studying human sexuality and had already planned to look at the Child Free by Choice community. But the post election distress I saw in my child free Facebook groups on Wednesday and Thursday spurred me in a whole new direction. I'm still sorting out the specifics, but I'll likely be researching the impact of election outcomes on contraceptive decision making in Child Free by Choice communities. Look for my dissertation titled to show up in the Good News in a Few Years. I fucking love this idea.

[Alison Gill]

And that is so good. That's so focused. Right? Because everybody's like stocking up on plan B. It's got a shelf life of four years. People are getting IUDs for their 16 and 17 year olds.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

Oh man, what an. That is perfect because it's. It's like it's so focused, you know?

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. I also read somewhere and I know there's different opinions, but testosterone and estrogen as well for my trans and non binary listeners. Shelf life on those I believe testosterone if unopened 3 years, estrogen if unopened 2 years. So please consider stocking up just in case going continuing on this incredible submission. But more importantly, this served as an important reminder I want to share with Liguminati. This is a concrete way I can use my skills to deal with my post election distress as it means to channel my rage I encourage everyone to find a way to use their skills. Mine are in academic research and writing. Yours might be in crafting or organizing or cooking or fundraising or something else that can be beneficial in small and large ways. Find your lane and use your skills to support the demo democratic and social justice causes you believe in that will help keep you sane and focus for the challenging years ahead. I hope that gives someone out there a micro dose of hope in the first steps in a path forward. My pod pet tax is a pic of the cat that makes me the child free cat lady that I am. Dax, my purry and furry tuxy who adores a good belly rub and has no murder button.

[Alison Gill]

No murder button.

[Dana Goldberg]

AG and dg, thank you so much for using all your skills to keep the beans community informed, engaged and laughing every day. You will. We will get through this together.

[Alison Gill]

You know, it would be awesome because I was just thinking as you were talking about Dana, about the shelf life of testosterone and estrogen and how it would be very helpful to be able to stock up. I'm imagining that that's cost prohibitive to a lot of people.

[Dana Goldberg]

That is very fair.

[Alison Gill]

And I'm wondering if there's a way that somebody in the Lagoonati maybe can set up a fund for that type of. Just something small we can do as a community to help, support. To support our, you know, to support our community. I'm wondering.

[Dana Goldberg]

Absolutely. Thank you for pointing that out. I realize not everyone can do that. I'm just. My brain's trying to think of things that can help. I mean, I went as far as going, okay, I'm in menopause. I qualify for hormone replacement therapy, but I'm not using it. Can I get a prescription and be like, hey, if anyone wants to come over for a little pill party, you know what I mean? Like, literally, that's what I'm going through right now.

[Alison Gill]

But we have such a big and amazing community if we just maybe focused on one small thing, like maybe helping people who are, you know, where that kind of hormone replacement therapy is cost prohibitive. Maybe we can help. Just a thought. If anybody's interested, you know, reach out. All right, next up. Oh, this cat. I can't. Okay, from anonymous pronouns to she and her. I just listened to Monday's Microdosing Hope episode. I wanted to share mine for today. Lord of the Rings always reminds me, along with Star wars, that rebellion and resistance never move at the speed we'd like. But they do move. This exchange between Frodo and Samwise sums it up. Frodo I can't do this. Sam. Sam. I know. It's all wrong. By rights, we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad has happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing. This shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you that meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something. Frodo? What were they holding on to, Sam? Sam. That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. I'm sorry. This part kills me. I was just watching this this weekend. That there is some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for. My pet tax is Hazel, the loudest and sweetest kitty there is. Her namesake is the first street we Bough bought a house on and lived in as a family. Shout out to Hazel street in La Habra. We miss you. Look at the beautiful kitty.

[Dana Goldberg]

Beautiful, beautiful.

[Alison Gill]

Sorry, I always get choked up at that part.

[Dana Goldberg]

That is okay, honey. You know things make me cry when I least expect it. This is from Sarah, Pronounced. She and her dear highly regarded Queens of the Beans. Tonight, my partner Jeff ignored me when I flirted with him. You might think I would be slighted but I haven't shared with you what he was doing when I attempted to flirt. He was putting together a list of handles to create the Leguminati starter pack on Blue Sky. I'm happy to share with him all the Leguminati and very grateful he's mine. I will leave you with a picture of us at the Rocky Horror Picture Show. He delightfully participated. Also, a picture of my daughter's spicy cat, Kiara, who runs the entire house. We only live to serve her.

[Alison Gill]

I see you shiver with anticipation. That's adorable. And thank you for putting together that list. I was just talking about that at the top of the show. It's so helpful. Next up, from Anne. She and her. I don't have any good news, but I do have two Foster Kitties. SpongeBob aka Bobby and Beacon, aka Bacon, who desperately needs a forever home. Bobby is older, calmer, but more shy, while Bacon is a rambunctious and funny kitten. They can't stay with me past the end of this month. Month. And they're adoptable through Brooklyn Animal Action, so we do have spongebob and Beacon a link to their adoption at New York Pet Finder, so look for that link in the show notes. And it's through Brooklyn Animal Action. They're adorable. Oh, my God, they're so cute.

[Dana Goldberg]

Very sweet. They really are.

[Alison Gill]

Thank you. Thank you, Ann, for sending that in. I know it's kind of hard these days to find good news, so thanks for sending the adoptable baby.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. And from Minnesota, Tracy pronounced she and her beans queens. Like so many others, I have trouble finding the words to describe how this feels. I found myself crying one minute, raging the next. On Wednesday, a coworker fought back tears and asked, what do we do now? Where do we go? I said, we don't go anywhere. We plan for worst case scenario. We build pregnancy tests, plan B, plan C, stock up for women who won't be able to get them. Never mind that I'm 55 and menopausal. Lol. We have contacts ready for friends and family that are at risk of deportation and a plan for caring for their children. I told her, we don't give in. We stay and we fuck this shit up. She said, you're right. I think I'll stay and fuck shit up too. Action is power. Volunteer, donate money. Use your voice to speak up for those who cannot. If you aren't able to donate or volunteer, just check in on your friends and family. Knowing that they have your love and support can make all the difference. If you'd like to have some fun, buy holiday gifts for your MAGA family members from businesses run by women of color or LGBTQ owned. You get to support our community and give the middle finger to MAGA for pet tax. I'm sending a picture of my brother's dog, Jet, in his Halloween costume. He'll probably guess his breed easily. He's not a complicated guy. He looks like a little black Chihuahua.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, he looks like a pug. He's cutie or something.

[Dana Goldberg]

He is adorable. And I love his pug mix.

[Alison Gill]

Let's see. Oh, pug mix looks like Chihuahua to me, says Kanai producer extraordinary.

[Dana Goldberg]

Me too, Kanai. Me too.

[Alison Gill]

I. I concur. I love that. You're right. I think I should stay. And up too. I. I actually would like to encourage menopausal women and people who don't have periods to download some period tracking apps and Christmas tree that data. Just start tracking a period that doesn't exist. I did. I opened up my health. My health app. I like a period. And it's like, what? Excuse me? And I was like, I know it's been two years, but check it out. Stick with me. I'm trying to Christmas tree the data. So just a thought.

[Dana Goldberg]

I love that. Oh, and by the way, if you are actually menstruating and you're listening to this, take the do not give real information and track your periods. And we're not, we're not being crazy with this. They've there people have said they will track it. They've said so.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. Jd, take it off your phone. We're gonna do that. Yeah. All right. Finally, from anonymous pronoun she and her AG and dg. I am a third year law student, and last week my friends and I sat for the mpre, the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, which is required by most states in order to practice law. It has felt extra dystopian studying for it this week, knowing that the actions of lawyers in Trump's last administration are literally used as examples for what is not ethical. See Cohen, Giuliani, and Eastman. Obviously, this is not good news, but I digress. What I really came here to say is to shout out the phenomenal, smart, and ethical people I have met in the past two and a half years in law school. I'm filled with hope about the amazing things that they will do once we all become lawyers. This week has been a beautiful reminder that I have the right people around me, while also being a swift kick in the butt to recognize that the work is so, so far from over. Here's a picture of my parents dog, my dog growing up. She's a true mutt. So take your best guess. Oh, looks like a maybe cattle dog lab. Adorable. It's just an adorable dog.

[Dana Goldberg]

It really is very, very cute.

[Alison Gill]

That is the adorable breed. Congratulations, man. Yeah, we're gonna need so many election law lawyers and constitutional lawyers come. So that's so. That's intense that you're studying for this and they're giving you examples of what not to do using Trump lawyers.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep. Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

All right, everybody. Thank you so much. This good news has really, really lifted my spirits. I can't thank you enough. Please keep sending it into us. Find those little bits of Hope to microdose and send them to us. Even if it's just a baby picture, you just say, I don't really have anything to say but here, here I am as a baby. And then we can all go, oh and feel a little bit better. And then you can feel better knowing that you made us feel better. It's all, it's like a self fulfilling thing. It's symbiotic. So send us your good [e-mail] and click on Contact. There's a new episode, by the way, of the Jack Podcast out. Andy and I go over all the possibilities of what Jack Smith could or might do. We talk about what, what probably will happen, but he could have a surprise or two up his sleeve. So you want to check out the latest episode of the Jack Podcast for that. Do you have any final thoughts today, my friend?

[Dana Goldberg]

No, I don't. Other, I mean, other than him. Just send my family love. And that means every single one of you that's listening, you are my family.

[Alison Gill]

Yep, absolutely. And on that note, 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 for reals. And take care of your family. I've been AG and I've been DG and them's the Beans. The Daily Beans is written and executive produced by Allison Gill with additional research and reporting by Dana Goldberg. Sound design and editing is by Desiree McFarland with art and web design by Joel Reeder with Moxie Design Studios. Music for the Daily Beans is written and performed by they Might Be Giants and the show is a proud member of the MSW Media Network, a collection of creator owned podcasts dedicated to news, politics and justice. For more information Please visit msw media.com msw media.