Transcript
Alison Gill (0:00)
MSW Media hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Friday, December 20, 2024. Today, the Georgia State Court of Appeals has disqualified Fani Willis and her Office from the 2020 election subversion case. Elon Musk forces a spending bill into the trash and threatens Mike Johnson's gavel. President Biden has just set new climate goals, which of course, will face obstacles under the incoming administration. Elon Musk's drug use and ties to Putin could lead to his security clearance being revoked if he tries to upgrade it. And a special alert for government workers as a shutdown looms. I'm your host, Alison Gill. Hey, everybody, I'm solo today. Dana will be back in your ears on Monday. My voice is almost completely gone. I'm recording my fourth podcast, my fourth show today because we, you know, I had interviews and I'm putting out a bunch of content next week for Christmas week. So you'll have shows to listen to. So I'm, I'm looking forward to hearing those really, really good interviews. Tonight at 4:00pm Pacific Time, 7:00pm Eastern, we have a patron happy hour zoom call. So if you're a patron, you can jump on. You can find that link in your emails. And we get in there, we have cocktails and mocktails. And I opened some mail that you all sent and it's a party. It really is. You can ask me anything. So that'll be tonight, 4:00pm Pacific, 7 Eastern. And again, if you're a patron, you'll have that zoom link in your inbox. And if you want to become a patron, you can do it at patreon.com Muller she wrote, As I mentioned, it is Friday here on the Bean. So it is Fugal Sang Fridays. And I will be speaking with John Fugalang later. And real quick, the Georgia Court of Appeals has disqualified Fani Willis and her whole office from her 2020 RICO case against Trump and the other defendants because of her affair with prosecutor Nathan Wade. Fannie Willis says she will appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court if the Supreme Court upholds this decision and she stays disqualified. A guy named Pete Scandalakis gets to decide, like he did with the Bert Jones case, what happens to this case. You'll remember Fani Willis was disqualified from prosecuting Bert Jones because she hosted a fundraiser for his political opponent. And after like a year of sitting on it, Pete Scandalakis, who's the director of the prosecuting attorney's council, assigned the case to himself and then dropped it. So we're going to go over this ruling and the blistering dissent on next week's cleanup on aisle 45 podcast. And speaking of next week, like I said, all new content for you for the Beans. Plus there'll be a brand new episode of cleanup on aisle 45 for you on Christmas Day, our bonus episode this weekend for patrons. We're going to actually make that public because Harry Dunn actually went in and spoke to Senator Murkowski today about some of these appointment picks for cabinet positions in the Trump administration. And we talk about that and I thought that was important and we wanted to kind of give you a little holiday gift. So we're putting that episode out to the public. We are taking this weekend off from the Jack podcast. So there will be no Jack this Sunday. This is the first time we haven't had a show since we started the podcast over two years ago. But we're taking Christmas week off. So we will be back in your ears the following Friday for Today for the Beans. We have a lot of news to get to. We have John Fugelsang and we have the good news. But first, let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, this is from Kate Riga at Talking Points Memo. And this is written from her point of view. As she says, the biggest question to me about Trump is where the administration will land on the spectrum of incompetence to malice. Based on this current preview, the New York Times needle is currently quivering over the red hot incompetence zone. This is a live question because Republicans under Donald Trump's unified government will have more incentive to set aside their obstructionist instincts and cooperate than ever before. The party is much more magified than it was in 2017, with many of the reluctance and resistors forced out. If there's one thing the conference's rightward flank loves more than gunking up the gears of legislating, it's performing fealty to Trump. But Trump has to be actively engaged in governing to snap the foot soldiers into line. And as we've seen this past week, he continues to refuse to do that. Georgetown's Matt Glassman put this well in his newsletter, quote, if he had just laid out his position at Thanksgiving, maybe cleanish CR with disaster relief with farm bill extension, etc. The House GOP would have absolutely passed that bill and then Johnson and company could have negotiated a decent deal with the Senate and moved on. Senator Mitt Romney also put it simply, quote, what does President Trump want Republicans to do? Vote for the CR or shut down the government? Absent direction, confusion reigns, unquote. This time, rather than his typical swooping in at the 11th hour to blow up the carefully crafted compromise of his own accord. President Elon Musk in quotes forced Trump's hand. Democrats gleeful goading of Trump as Musk's puppet is the most energized I've seen them since the election. Add this to the stew that Trump, in a baffling turn of events, now wants the debt ceiling lifted or even repealed altogether. It's a bizarre request to tack on for a number of reasons. First, the only people who actually weaponize the debt ceiling are Republicans, and most only care about it when Democrats are in office. If Trump hadn't called attention to it, Republicans would have lifted or suspended it. As usual, with Democratic votes offsetting the Republican fiscal hawks, it's Democrats who occasionally mutter about taking this weapon out of the GOP arsenal, only to drop the subject until the next clash. This has caused bickering between Trump and aforementioned fiscal hawks, as the president elect is now urging a primary against the unpopular, weak and ineffective Rep. Chip Roy, who in the past has been particularly loud against raising the debt limit and who also unforgivably initially endorsed Ron DeSantis in the primary. Many involved, including Trump, are also now venting their spleen at Speaker Mike Johnson. Quote, we'll see. What they had yesterday was unacceptable, trump told NBC, referring to the original continuing resolution. When asked if he still had confidence in Johnson, he said, we'll see. What they had yesterday was unacceptable. In many ways it was unacceptable. It's a Democrat trap, he said. Of course it has to be at least a little friendly to Democrats by design. If some Republicans will never vote for anything but their dream Hard Right spending bill, it paradoxically moves the bill to the left, as Johnson needs Democratic support to make up for that and get the bill through. This is a tale as old as time. A handful of House Republicans are openly telling reporters that Johnson is losing their support, and Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul are sycophantically calling for Musk, who we're watching discover how the government operates in real time to be installed as Speaker. Instead, Rand Paul and Mike Lee are calling for Elon Musk to be installed as the speaker of the House. If Johnson manages to keep the government funded, his team is leaking news of a plan for a three month extension, reportedly cutting measures like lowering prescription drug costs that had been included to keep Democrats on board. Some of this furor might die down before the speaker elections on January 3rd. Trump immediately endorsed the bill, though there's still a Democratic Senate to contend with. Even if it does pass through the House, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the Trump Musk Johnson proposal laughable. Johnson may ultimately survive, not least because given the above, who the hell else would want this job? One thing to keep in mind. If Johnson does win the election to retain his title for the incoming Congress, he'll enjoy a degree of security neither he nor Kevin McCarthy before him ever had. The new rules package requires nine votes to trigger a motion to vacate up significantly from the current one vote. I recommend you go subscribe to Talking Points Memo if you haven't already. We will keep you updated as this fight unfolds. But Friday the government shuts down. And because of that looming government shutdown. And keep in mind, I record this show on Thursday and like I said, things could turn on a dime. And we may be funded by the time you hear this show. But if not A friend of mine posted on Blue Sky A list of things to do if you're a Federal Worker this is a special Alert for Federal Workers thread. It is time to prepare for a federal government shutdown which may begin this weekend. While you'll probably be back to work soon, it's best to treat a shutdown like a layoff. If you're furloughed, assume that Friday will be your last day of work, possibly for several weeks. You may not have access to your office government systems, including Employee Express or other HR networks. Don't assume that any government issued computers, smartphones or other devices will work as usual. With this in mind, here are some things to do before signing out on Friday. Make sure you have printouts and or electronic copies sent to a non government email of your last three pay stubs and pay statements. Your last performance evaluation, your latest notice of personnel action, that's your SF50 and your security clearance forms. Your SF86 if applicable. Also, any performance related communications, positive or negative from your supervisors in emails. Forward those to your non government email Agency directives on furlough policies. Send those to yourself. Updated resume with current job description and achievements. You're going to want to send that to yourself. Non government contact information for your supervisors and team members, union reps, and any potential employment references. Get their non governmental email addresses and non governmental phone numbers. Not sure if you're in a union or if you're in a bargaining unit. Find out today and make sure you're up to date on your dues. If you work in an office, take any personal items with you that you can't bear to part with. Grab any chargers for your electronic devices that you'll need at home. Send set up an out of office message and don't forget the plants, he says. And a reminder, Most federal employees are and will be eligible for unemployment benefits during a furlough. Apply on your first day of non work as many states have waiting periods and you could There's a link in this thread which I have reposted on my bluesky account where you can do that. You can look up for how to apply for unemployment benefits in your location with an addendum here. Don't let repayment requirements stop you from claiming unemployment benefits. They may make the difference for paying the rent and mortgage when you need it. Just keep in mind part of the big back paycheck that you'll get when will go back to the government for paying that back. So anyway, that is a list of things for federal employees to take care of in case there's a government shutdown. So thank you very much for that my friend. And again, that thread, I've posted it on my Blue sky feed. Next up from the Independent Executives working for Elon Musk have been advised not to seek a higher security clearance for him because of concerns about his drug use and contact with foreign nationals. That's According to reports, lawyers at Musk's rocket launch company, SpaceX, had warned senior executives that applying to upgrade his access would force him to answer awkward questions and even put his existing clearance at risk. This is from the Wall Street Journal. Yet Musk will soon hold a powerful position as a top aide to President Elect Donald Trump, with access to an extraordinary trove of federal information. The revelation follows a bombshell report by the Journal in October alleging that Musk had been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin since late 2022, on top of previous reports claiming that he had used ketamine multiple times. The independent has contacted SpaceX for comment. The company previously said that the claims about Putin were misleading and unsubstantiated. But since 2022, Musk has enjoyed a Top Secret security clearance, which is the highest general purpose permission bestowed by the US Department of Defense. But it does not include special need to know clearances for specific projects known as Sensitive compartmented information sci. The decision reportedly means that Musk must be kept in the dark about some of the payloads that SpaceX puts into orbit, which are said to include US military and intelligence agency satellites. Security clearances are sometimes granted to people who have previously used drugs illegally, but those with clearances are generally required to stay drug free after receiving them. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has said that the reports of Musk being in contact with Putin are concerning if they're proven and should be investigated by the government. This incoming administration and Department of Justice and FBI are not going to investigate that. According to the Journal, SpaceX's lawyer told executives that applying for higher clearances would force Musk to answer questions about his contact with foreign nationals and his drug use, since U.S. officials would be worried he might inadvertently disclose secrets during such conversations. Applying for heightened security, regardless of the warnings, could lead to Musk being turned down or losing the clearance already granted to him. Musk's current clearance reportedly prevents him from being informed about SpaceX's Star Shield spy satellite program, which grew out of Starlink communications and is available only to national security agencies. Sources also told the Journal that Musk's current clearance took years to obtain due to government concern over Musk's 2018 interview with right wing podcaster Joe Rogan in which he accepted and smoked a cannabis blunt offered by the host. You know, I don't. I think Trump can probably just give him whatever clearance he wants. So anyway, and next up from Maxine Joslow at the Washington Post, President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the United States would aim to cut its greenhouse gas emissions at least 61% below 2005 levels by 2035, even as the nation remains far off track for meeting its previous climate goal and as President Elect Donald Trump prepares to dismantle dozens of climate policies. The announcement builds on Biden's pledge in 2021 that the United States would seek to slash its emissions between 50 and 52% by 2030 relative to the 2005 levels. Yet even before Trump won a second term, many analysts expected the country to blow past this prior target under the Paris climate accord. In announcing the new goal a month before Biden leaves office, the White House officials struck an upbeat tone, saying the country would continue to make climate progress over the next four years. But some analysts said this announcement succeeded only in highlighting how far off the nation's climate target we truly are. This goal is very, very ambitious, said Robbie Orvis, senior director of modeling and analysis at Energy Innovation, an environmental policy firm. Quote, to achieve these numbers given the incoming administration, would require a lot of unprecedented policies from non federal actors like states and cities. A recent analysis by Energy Innovation projected that the United States would reduce its emissions by roughly 37% by 2030 under current policies. The analysis accounted for landmark Biden policies that Trump has promised to undo, including the strongest limits to date on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and power plants. In addition, the firm accounted for the clean energy tax credits established by Biden's signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act. Trump has pledged to work with Republican lawmakers to repeal those tax credits, even as they disproportionately spur investments in conservative states and congressional districts. A recent study by the Rhodium Group, an independent research firm, similarly projected the US would cut its emissions by 38% to 56% below 2005 levels in 2035. Quote we're not on track for the 2035 target today. We're not on track for it even if all the Biden administration policies were to be maintained. That's Kate Larson, a partner at Rhodium Group, who leads the firm's international energy and climate research. But she added, There's 10 years between now and 2035. There's two presidential elections between now and then. This is a long game. In a video address from the White House, Biden said his administration has carried out the boldest climate agenda in American history. Without mentioning Trump, he asserted that these actions would transform our nation for generations to come. Biden plans to formalize the new goal in a submission to the UN which has asked all nations party to the Paris Agreement to update their climate targets by February deadlines. Trump has vowed to withdraw the United States from the Paris Accord, as he did during his first term. Quote, the Biden Harris administration may be about to leave office, but we're confident in America's ability to rally around this new climate goal. And that's what John Podesta, senior advisor to the president for internal climate policy, said in a call with reporters. He went on to say, while the United States federal government under President Trump may put climate action on the back burner, the work to contain climate change is going to continue in the United States with commitment and passion. The US Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of governors representing nearly 60% of the US economy and 55% of the US population, pledged Thursday to to work to meet Biden's new climate goal. California Governor Gavin Newsom also vowed this week that his state would continue to set stronger climate rules for cars than those of the federal government. And we sort of kind of dictate that here in California because we buy so many cars. QUOTE the 2035 climate target can serve as a North Star for states, cities and corporations that are committed to climate action and ready to accelerate progress outside of Washington, D.C. that was Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Natural Resource Defense Council at the UN Climate Change Conference last month in Azerbaijan. Other developed countries announced their own fresh carbon cutting targets. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for instance, pledged that Britain, the world's fifth largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, would aim for an 81% cut in its emissions by 2035. One major question mark remains. That's China, the world's biggest annual emitter. While a growing number of analysts expect China's carbon dioxide output to peak this year, it's unclear whether Beijing will be able to dramatically slash its emissions or merely let them plateau in the coming years. So we'll be keeping an eye on all of this now and in the next four years. And I'm really excited to talk to my friend John Fugalsang on Fuglsang Fridays right after this quick break and then we'll follow it up with the good news. Stick around, we'll be right back. Hey, everybody, welcome back. It is Friday on the Daily Beans. That means it's Fugal Sang Friday. So I'm joined by my good friend, the host of Tell me everything on SiriusXM progress channel 127, weeknights, 9pm Eastern, 6 Pacific. And if you don't have Sirus, you can always listen to the John Fugalang show podcast for free. Wherever you get your podcasts, please welcome my good friend, John Fugalang.