Refried Beans | Seventh Kevin (feat. Adrian Fontes) | Jan 4, 2023

Summary

The Daily Beans Podcast Summary

Episode: Refried Beans | Seventh Kevin (feat. Adrian Fontes)
Release Date: January 4, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The Daily Beans, host Alison Gill and co-host Dana Goldberg dive into a range of pressing political and social issues with their characteristic blend of progressive insight and snark. The episode, titled "Refried Beans | Seventh Kevin," was recorded on January 4, 2025, and features a special interview with Arizona's newly elected Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes.

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Key Topics Discussed

1. Kevin McCarthy’s Failed Bid for House Speaker

   • Discussion: The hosts examine the ongoing crisis in Congress as Kevin McCarthy faces his seventh unsuccessful attempt to secure the House Speaker position.
   • Notable Quote:
     Alison Gill (00:45):
     “Kevin McCarthy loses three more House speaker elections. ... The House remains stuck.”
   • Analysis: The paralysis in the House is highlighted, noting it’s the first time in a century that a Speaker hasn’t been elected on the first ballot. The role of a group of 20 conservative hardliners in obstructing McCarthy’s bid is emphasized, showcasing the deep divisions within the Republican Party.

2. Ukraine’s Hotline for Russian Soldiers to Surrender

   • Discussion: The hosts explore Ukraine’s initiative, the "I Want to Live" project, which offers a hotline for Russian soldiers to surrender amid the ongoing conflict.
   • Notable Quote:
     Alison Gill (06:44):
     “A million Russians have called, texted or visited the website of a Ukrainian hotline that allows them to surrender.”
   • Insights: The program’s impact is discussed, with over 4,000 surrender requests and daily inquiries increasing following Russia’s mobilization announcement. The humane treatment of surrendering soldiers under the Geneva Conventions is contrasted with Russia’s approach.

3. FBI’s Increased Reward for January 6th Pipe Bomber

   • Discussion: The FBI’s decision to raise the reward for information leading to the arrest of the January 6th pipe bomber to $500,000 is analyzed.
   • Notable Quote:
     Dana Goldberg (04:50):
     “Many of the components used to build the pipe bombs were widely available... The suspect may still pose a danger to the public or themselves.”
   • Analysis: The hosts express frustration over the prolonged investigation without a suspect apprehended, questioning the efficacy of existing investigative techniques despite advancements in geolocation and digital forensics.

4. Interview with Adrian Fontes, Arizona Secretary of State

   • Introduction: Adrian Fontes joins the podcast to discuss his plans for securing Arizona’s elections against MAGA-aligned factions.

   • Notable Quote:
     Adrian Fontes (13:11):
     “For the first time in 48 years, the top three executive offices are not only held by Democrats... It's a very proud time in Arizona.”

   • Key Points:

     • Election Security: Fontes outlines his strategies for maintaining the integrity of Arizona’s elections, emphasizing procedural clarity, secure network connectivity, and robust training for election officials.
     • Confronting MAGA Fascists: He discusses the necessity of labeling anti-democratic elements within the GOP as "MAGA fascists" to truthfully represent their threat to American democracy.
     • Protecting Election Workers: Fontes highlights collaborative efforts with Arizona’s Attorney General and Governor to enhance penalties against domestic terrorism targeting election infrastructure.

   • Notable Quote:
     Dana Goldberg (17:49):
     “As a Democrat... 30.2% of Arizona's voters are Democrats. I won by with a 53%. ... the electorate absolutely agreed.”

   • Insights: Fontes emphasizes bipartisan support for his election security measures, noting significant voter exhaustion with persistent election fraud claims and legal challenges lacking merit.

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Good News Segment

The hosts transition to sharing uplifting stories and listener submissions, providing a lighter counterbalance to the intense political discussions. Highlights include:

• Listener Milestones: Welcoming new babies and celebrating personal achievements.
• Special Election Updates: Information about upcoming elections in Virginia, encouraging listener participation.
• Heartfelt Stories: An anonymous listener shares a personal tale of coping with a family tragedy, underscoring the importance of mental health and CPR training.

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Closing Remarks

Alison and Dana wrap up the episode by reaffirming their commitment to truthful discourse and community support. They express excitement for future developments in Arizona’s political landscape and encourage listeners to stay engaged and proactive in safeguarding democracy.

Notable Quote:
Dana Goldberg (22:05):
“We have to increase the penalties against those kinds of things and really make it matter. And we have to prosecute folks who would intimidate or threaten their fellow citizens for a political end.”

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Conclusion

This episode of The Daily Beans effectively navigates the tumultuous political climate surrounding Kevin McCarthy’s failed speakership attempts, Ukraine’s humanitarian efforts amidst conflict, and the FBI’s ongoing hunt for the January 6th pipe bomber. The in-depth interview with Adrian Fontes provides valuable insights into election security and the battle against anti-democratic forces within American politics. Balancing hard-hitting analysis with moments of positivity, Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg deliver a comprehensive and engaging episode for their listeners.

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For more updates and detailed discussions, tune into future episodes of The Daily Beans.

Transcript

[Alison Gill]

MSW Media. Hey, everybody, it's Ag. And welcome to Refried Beans, where we play an episode of the Daily Beans podcast from the same week either one, two or three years ago, so we can see how far we've come. So please enjoy this episode from days gone by and note the date in the intro.

[Dana Goldberg]

Refried beans. I like refried beans. That's why I want to try fried.

[Alison Gill]

Beans, because maybe they're just as good.

[Dana Goldberg]

And we're wasting time.

[Alison Gill]

Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Thursday, January 5, 2023. Today, Kevin McCarthy loses three more House speaker elections. Ukraine offers Russian soldiers a hotline to surrender. The FBI has raised the reward for information leading to the arrest of the January 6th pipe bomber to half a million dollars. And Fanon visits the Speaker's office. I'm Alison Gill.

[Adrian Fontes]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[Alison Gill]

Hey, Dana. Happy Thursday.

[Adrian Fontes]

Happy Thursday to you. I really like this raising the half a million dollars. By the way, the arrest for the 16 pipe bomber. I sure hope that helps.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, it's going to be interesting when we get into the news part of it there in the hot notes, some interesting updates from the FBI on that investigation because they've been real quiet about it other than, you know, trying to get people to help them find out who the pipe bomber was. So we'll get into that in the hot notes. Also later in the show, I'm going to be talking to the newly minted Arizona Secretary of State, our friend, the Honorable Adrian Fontes.

[Adrian Fontes]

Love it.

[Alison Gill]

And we're going to talk about what he's going to do to stop the MAGA fascists from trying to roil the elections and, you know, just be general assholes. It's going to be a great discussion. I look forward to that.

[Adrian Fontes]

I'm not sure anyone can stop the MAGA fascists from being general assholes, but good luck.

[Alison Gill]

Just, you know, legally, you know, speaking not generally, but. Yeah. I'm so glad he won that election. We flipped Arizona blue. Very important election. And I think that everyone in Arizona and Arizonans can see, you know, the shenanigans that were going on. So I'll talk to him about that. It's gonna be a great show. We do have a lot of news to get to. Let's hit the hot. Not hot notes. Dana. Dana. Dana.

[Adrian Fontes]

Oh, boy. What a clown Car of a shit show.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And we're in between adjournments right now because basically they had three more votes. I'll talk about this in a second. And then they adjourned and they're going to reconvene at 8pm tonight, which is in about a half an hour. So we couldn't really postpone recording this show, but it's gonna be interesting to see what happens. But the House, they did adjourn and we will see. He lost. Kevin lost his sixth bid to become House Speaker. We've had six ballots now, and he's lost them all. The situation which has dragged on since Tuesday has left Congress paralyzed. Since no member of the House of Representatives can be sworn in and no rules can be adopted until they choose a Speaker, the House remains stuck. After McCarthy was nominated several times for the top job in that chamber, he appears to have failed again to secure that job. On Tuesday, he was denied the 218 votes he needed by a cadre of Republican hardliners in three separate ballots. It was the first time in a century, as we've said, that a Speaker was not elected on the first round. By the way, Nancy Pelosi, nine speakerships, every single one won on the first ballot.

[Adrian Fontes]

Absolutely.

[Alison Gill]

A group of 20 conservatives is determined to oppose McCarthy. And the end game remains unclear. And interestingly, though, they did have a little meeting after they adjourned earlier after the sixth failed vote. And there was a rumor going around the Hill that they were going to concede. Like Boebert and Gates and those 20 hardliners, the freedom Caucus or whatever. Pew. Pew. Were gonna concede to McCarthy because he was promising outrageous shit. Like a one member could vote to oust him at any time. Provision, vacate provision. He was promising Lauren Boebert the gavel to the fucking Intelligence Committee, you know, Good Lord. So they all met, and then when Boebert and Gates emerged, you know what, we thought they might figure out a way to give the gavel to McCarthy. She's like, Nope, it's gonna get worse for him. So, no, that rumor was quickly dispelled. We'll see what happens tonight. We'll talk about it on tomorrow's Beans.

[Adrian Fontes]

You know, I saw a tweet, and this is just speculation. And the tweet was basically talking about how Republicans are, like, in disarray in their fuckups, but they're also not this bad normally. And so she's wondering if there's some criming going on right now that they're trying to distract from and that they're gonna work this shit out. So we'll see.

[Alison Gill]

Well, that's interesting. Interesting thought.

[Adrian Fontes]

Interesting thought. All right. Well, federal investigators, they've increased this reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who left those two pipe bombs near the Capitol the day before January 6th. This was raised by fivefold to $500,000, the FBI said Wednesday. Well, the announcement made ahead of the two year anniversary of the attack, which is just how crazy that that's coming up, indicates that federal investigators are still stumped when it comes to the identity of the person who left those devices outside Republican National Committee and the National Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill. In a news release, the Bureau noted that, quote, many of the components used to build the pipe bombs were widely available for purchase in stores and online. And that's including 18 inch threaded galvanized pipes, end caps, kitchen timers, wires, metal clips and homemade black powder. And this is a quote in raising the reward for information about the pipe bomb suspect from 100,000 to as much as $500,000. The FBI and our partners are seeking to encourage the American public to take a fresh look at at our Seeking Information website, which includes images and video of the suspect, the suspect's backpack, the suspect's shoes, the explosive devices, and a map of the route the suspect walked the night of pipe bombs were placed. And this is from the Bureau. David Sundberg, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office, said that, quote, a dedicated team of FBI agents, analysts and law enforcement partners have been tirelessly reviewing evidence in digital media related to this case for nearly two years. Well, not to say. Although these pipe bombs, although these bombs did not detonate, it is important to remember the suspect walked along residential and commercial areas in Capitol Hill, just blocks from the US Capitol, with viable pipe bombs that could have seriously injured or killed innocent bystanders. And that's from the FBI's news release went on to say, moreover, the suspect may still pose a danger to the public or themselves.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, you think?

[Adrian Fontes]

Yeah, I would say.

[Alison Gill]

Who is it? Yeah, I mean, this just shows they really don't have a lock on who this person is. It shouldn't take two years to find them, but here we are. I'm wondering about some of those, like, you know, GPS tracking people's phones, that sort of. They used a lot of that geolocation fencing when they scooped up everybody in the riot. The actual riot at the Capitol or the insurrection, I should say, but that they couldn't get a lock on this person. Maybe they didn't have a phone on them. Maybe they knew, you know. I don't know. I don't understand. All right. My friend, former Metropolitan Police Department Mike Fanone showed up at the Capitol today. On Wednesday to watch the absolute clusterfuck unfolding among Republicans over McCarthy's flailing bid to become House speaker, this is the Daily Beast writing. After three separate votes failed today and three the day before to secure him the speakership Tuesday, another vote was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, and McCarthy was accused by his GOP foes of squatting in the Speaker's office.

[Adrian Fontes]

Oh boy.

[Alison Gill]

A letter to the architect to the Capitol architect from Matt Gaetz saying, he's squatting, he shouldn't be in there, he's the speaker because he moved his shit into the speaker's office. And with McCarthy holed up inside the office, Fanon, who previously called McCarthy a fucking weasel bitch for continuing to support Donald Trump after the Capitol riot. So I love my Fano. I love him so much. He suddenly showed up outside the hallway. What are you doing here? He said. I heard he was having some this is according to the Washington Times reporter who tweeted about the surprise guest. I thought I'd rub it in, ABC's Gabe Ferris tweeted. Fanon pointed out to the wall outside the door where the speaker's name would normally be, saying, yeah, just here to rub it in. And maybe the fourth time is the charm, he said, because this was after the third vote. Fanon has been outspoken in criticizing GOP leaders for downplaying the deadly insurrection, having testified, as we know, before the January 6th committee about how he was grabbed, beaten, tased and called a traitor while protecting lawmakers that day.

[Adrian Fontes]

Thank you so much, ag and this story is a little outstanding to me, but more than a million Russians. A million Russians have called, texted or visited the website of a Ukrainian hotline that allows them to surrender, with many seeking a way to avoid going to war since Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine began. That's according to that hotline. Now, the hotline, which is run by the quote I want to live project, has received about 200 to 300 daily calls since September, said Vitaly Matveenko, the project spokesperson. Instead of calling, some Russians choose to send encrypted messages via telegram. Now, although more than 4,000 people have submitted requests to surrender. To surrender. This is a quote, we saw that there are many Russians who do not want to fight, matvenko said. Their number skyrocketed after Putin announced mobilization in Russia while Ukrainian armed forces liberated vast territories in the Kharkiv region in a fulminant counteroffensive. What's interesting is Matt Vyankos. He has a face that's well known to many Russians he acted in a few Russian TV series before the war started, and that's why he was offered the role of a spokesperson of the I Want to Live project. Ukrainian officials said Russians who are considering crossing the front line might want to see someone familiar that they can trust on the other side. Well, the hotline's now functioning in a secure, secret facility which many officials and military staffers aren't allowed to enter. The operators use only computers, headphones, and special software to accept and record the calls. This is a quote. Many of those who called are scared. They want to know whether this project is real and how it's possible for a Russian soldier to escape from the army. Wow. There were some prank calls, of course. Most were real, said Oksana, one of the employees receiving calls on the hotline, whose name has been changed for security reasons. The Russians who follow the surrender rules are legally considered prisoners of war. Ukrainian authorities have said that status guarantees they are treated according to the Geneva Conventions, and they can receive necessary medical treatment and food. They can also call their relatives. Now, leaders of the project said they expect to continue expand this with plans for a separate program in Ukraine and abroad for members of Russia's officer corps who are seeking surrender. This is outstanding. It's huge.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. Yeah. And I remember thinking early on in Putin's war that the Ukrainians should offer them asylum, defect.

[Adrian Fontes]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

Give you citizenship, get the fuck out of Russia, you know, and we know that those in Ukraine will follow the Geneva guidelines as well and treat everybody exceptionally. Do you know what I mean? It's like, it's a very different. It's a very different kind of the way that the Ukrainians are treating captured Russian soldiers. Very different from the way Russians are treating captured.

[Adrian Fontes]

100%.

[Alison Gill]

So very interesting. I'm gonna keep a close eye on this story because I love where this is going. I also love that they're gonna expand it to include some of these flag officers who, like, want to get the fuck out, you know? So we'll see how that goes. But thank you for that story. Very incredible reporting, too, from NBC News, by the way.

[Adrian Fontes]

Absolutely.

[Alison Gill]

All right, we're going to be right back with the brand new Secretary of State, the Honorable Adrian Fontes. He's been on our show before, but at that time he was the Maricopa County Recorder and now he is Secretary of State. We'll be right back with that interview. Stick around after these messages. We'll be right back. Foreign welcome back. There is a new piece in the Guardian, and it's entitled How Adrian Fontes plans to protect Arizona's elections from MAGA fascists, quote, unquote. And joining me today, the newly minted honorable Secretary of State of Arizona, Adrian Fontes. Adrian, how are you?

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm great. What's cooking?

[Alison Gill]

Oh, it's so good to speak to you again, my friend. Congratulations on the win a hard fought election in Arizona where we now I believe have the, well, a really wonderful representative leadership there in my old home state. So I appreciate you and all your work and I'm glad that you are where you're at today.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you so much. Yeah, it was a heck of a battle getting here. And for the first time in 48 years, the top three executive offices are not only held by Democrats, but for the first time since statehood, all three offices, the governor, the secretary and the Attorney general, are held by Arizona natives. So we're very proud. It's a very proud time in Arizona.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And I imagine you're going to get a lot of really great work done. And I wanted to start with this piece and some of the things that you had to say about now that the rubber is going to meet the road. How do you protect Arizona's elections? Because you actually have a really great history yourself. You have experience running clean elections and secure elections in that state. And going forward, how are you going to continue to protect those elections from the magas?

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, well, you know, just as a matter of quick background, when I was the Maricopa county recorder between 2016 and through the 2020 election season here, we completely revamped the election system then. Maricopa county is the second largest voting jurisdiction in the United States of America. A lot of people don't know that, second only to Los Angeles County. So it's about two thirds of Arizona's voters. And so now we get to, at the regulatory level from the Secretary of State's office, do the things that you're asking about, right. Make sure that we've got procedures in place through the procedures manual that are easy to understand not just for the folks administering elections, but for the public making sure that we are secure in our network connectivity, which is of course statewide as it must be, and then making sure that we've got a good solid set of training and resources for those folks out there in the counties who actually run Arizona's elections. The secretary is a chief regulator and chief election officer, but the folks in the counties do all the hard work. So we're really hoping to be able to help them out and hopefully convince the legislature that they need more Resources.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And it really also feels like Arizonans are done with the shenanigans and not just the voters themselves, but the courts. We've seen several frivolous lawsuits that have in some cases been hit with Rule 11 sanctions and in other cases been forced to pay attorneys fees. And it just really feels like the electorate and the whole infrastructure is done with this election denial, you know, falsehoods about election fraud. And I think that's gonna carry all a long way.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, well, you know, you can only pitch this nonsensical stories for so long until people get fed up. And I think that's really what happened. You know, we. Let's not forget. So. So I am a Democrat. 30.2% of Arizona's voters are Democrats. I won by with a 53%. Right. So that means a heck of a lot more than just Democrats voted for me. A lot of Republicans and a lot of independents. And my opponent was one of those MAGA fascists. He's one of those guys that just does not believe in free and fair elections. And. Yeah, so the electorate absolutely agreed, you know, and the characterization I think you're making about the courts can be construed as such, but none of their lawsuits had any merit. So we're really in a place right now where folks are ready to move forward. They're ready to look at data, they're ready to look at reality. They're ready to listen to election administrators, I hope, and find out what more they need to continue to bolster what is already a very good election system here in Arizona.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, one of the best. And honestly, I think that a lot of the social media from the Maricopa county elections officials, as this was, as the votes were being tallied, I think really helped. There was, you know, fair but strong pushback from a lot of these accounts. And I think that that went a very long way. It was really good to see, you know, instead of being back on our heels all the time and responding to the MAGA fascists, as you put it, to be more out front and more proactive about how amazingly run these elections are, especially in Maricopa county, but also statewide. And, you know, I want to talk a little bit about the words MAGA fascists here in the article in the Guardian. You explain why you use the word MAGA fascists. You say these people are not Grand Old Party Republicans, they're MAGA fascists. There's no reason for me to call them by anything other than what they are. If they feel a little sensitive about that. Then maybe they ought to reconsider their positions vis a vis American democracy and stop acting like fascists. Why is it so important to call these things out for what they are?

[Dana Goldberg]

Well, it's because the truth matters. That's why it's important. And it is absolutely true. As we're, you know, taping this here, we're seeing the battles in Congress for the House Speaker. We're seeing some significant splits in the Republican Party here in Arizona. And that's clearly illustrated by my election. We had a lot of the GOP Republicans, the Grand Old Party types who came over and said, we want stability, we want predictability, we want a partner we can just sit down and talk to, even if we don't agree on every single thing. And that is the candidate that I presented, as opposed to the alternative, which is unpredictability, loyalty to only one person, not to the rule of law, not to the Constitution. And that, at the end of the day, that is fascism. And so here's the critical component. Like you mentioned, if these folks are upset that I am calling them what they are, then they need to figure out a different way of doing things. Right. If you're upset that what somebody's telling you, your policies hurt families, then pick better policies. If you're upset that banning books is seen as authoritarian and anti American, then stop banning books. Right. And from the political center and the political left, here's the criticism I have. Just call them what they are. Just say the truth and say it assertively because it is true. And stop worrying about their feelings because they don't care about yours. Right. If anything, Marine Corps, it's that, you know, your feelings don't matter. And if there's anything I learned in my first round in political office, it's, you know, eat your feelings and cry in the shower. You got a job to do, get out there and do it. And when it comes to these sorts of, when it comes to these sorts of conversations, we have to be direct, we have to be assertive because we're protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States of America and that we.

[Alison Gill]

Can never lose focus on 100%. And before I let you go, recently, in the last couple of days, Donald Trump is back on Truth Social, attacking election workers like Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss. How are you? And the Attorney general, new Attorney General, and Governor Katie Hobbs. What are you going to do to help protect election workers? Because you mentioned how important they are to the election infrastructure in this article, and I'd like to know some of the concrete steps y'all plan on taking to ensure that these folks are safe?

[Dana Goldberg]

Well, conceptually I think we all both, well, all three of us, the governor, our new attorney general, Chris Mays and myself, we all agree that we've got to protect these folks. I think, and I can't speak for them, but I think they would agree that, you know, guys hanging around ballot drop boxes with long rifles and camouflage, that's terrorism. That is domestic terrorism because it fits the definition perfectly. And so we've got to increase the penalties against those kinds of things and really make it matter. And we have to prosecute folks who would intimidate or threaten their fellow citizens for a political end. That's just not how America is supposed to work. Look, the bottom line is this. I think we all in principle believe in the same ideals and we have the same values vis a vis protecting election workers and the folks who actually make our democracy work. The concrete plans are developing slowly but surely. Don't forget, Chris just came out of a recount that left some uncertainty. Her transition, as I understand, has not been as smooth as possible because of her predecessors unwillingness to cooperate. And the governor's got a big, big, big job ahead of her. She's got 85 or 95 department heads, an entire executive branch that has been dominated by the other party for decades, at least a decade and a half. And so as far as moving into office, I think I've had the easiest out of the three of us since I took over for Governor Hobbs here at the secretary's office. But we're going to be getting together soon and hopefully we can find some willing partners in the legislature to make things happen to strengthen those penalties against those kinds of domestic terrorism that are so deplorable. And I'm happy to use that word.

[Alison Gill]

I'm happy that you use it as well. I appreciate your time today. I look forward to see what y'all do with my home state and we'll be keeping tabs. And I would like to welcome you back a little bit later in the year to see how things are going because I'm very excited to see what's to come for Arizonans, what they've done with their hard fought elections. I appreciate you.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you so much. And for your listeners, just understand, Arizona has not only got free and fair elections, we are also open for business and we're super excited about folks like you who've come from here. One of these days maybe we'll get you back.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, I've, I, I've been toying with the idea of running in six against Gosar, but I don't know.

[Adrian Fontes]

We'll see.

[Alison Gill]

We'll see how it goes.

[Dana Goldberg]

Well, we're always good. We're always good to watch a good fight here in the Grand Canyon.

[Alison Gill]

All right, thank you so much. I appreciate your time. Secretary of State, the honorable Adrian Fontes. Everybody stick around. We'll be right back with the good news. Everybody, welcome back. It's time for the good news. Who likes good news?

[Dana Goldberg]

Everyone.

[Alison Gill]

Then good news, everyone. Good news. And if you have any good news confessions, corrections, you have a shout out you want to give to somebody. Santa letters, shit kids say frog orgies, baby pictures, whatever you want to send to us, please do so by going to DailyBeansPod.com and click on contact. All right, Dana. First up, from Dan. Oh, Dana.

[Adrian Fontes]

I know Dan. Thank you in advance from Dan.

[Alison Gill]

Pronouns he and him. Hello. I'm so glad I found the pod. I'm happy to have it as part of my morning routine. Just emailing to pay the toe beans. Good news, baby tax. Wife and I welcomed our third in September and thought y'all would love to see this baby's baby new year shoot. Enjoy.

[Adrian Fontes]

Look at the baby feet. I know. How can you not? I mean, I know some people don't like kids, but you can't not like babies. They're perfect.

[Alison Gill]

Look at the laughing in the last photo.

[Adrian Fontes]

I know.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, my God.

[Adrian Fontes]

Congratulations, Dan, on this perfect child.

[Alison Gill]

Ugh. The blue eyes. I can't.

[Adrian Fontes]

Okay. I love it. Okay. This is from Robin Pronoun. She and her urgent flip it blue request. Virginia House of delegates district 24 is vacant after the death of Ronnie Campbell, who's a Republican. And it's up for special election on January 10th. Early voting through January 7th. Campbell's widow is running as a Republican to fill his seat and Jade Harris is running as a Democrat, challenging her for the seat. If possible, could you speak with Jade Harris before the election and help spread the word about the election to get out more votes? Virginia also has another special election for federal House district in February where the Democratic incumbent after winning re election, passed away from cancer. Reminder to listeners in that district to be sure to get out to vote. To keep that district blue for pet techs. I'm including pics of my dad's toy poodle, Honey, demanding a tummy rub.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, hi, honey.

[Adrian Fontes]

Thank you for all that information and the adorable pup.

[Alison Gill]

I will reach out to Jade Harris's campaign. I don't know. There's not a lot of time between now and then, but I'll see what I can do. Robin. And thank you for that. And this dog. Oh my God. Doing a lude. So cute.

[Adrian Fontes]

Aw, no.

[Alison Gill]

All right, from Diane. No pronouns given. Hello, ladies and happy New Year. I have some important public health advice to share. Since we're in the thick of things for flu season, some people will be opting for telehealth appointments to avoid exposure to the flu, Covid, strep, rsv, plague, and miscellaneous other cooties flying through doctor's offices this time of year. As a primary care pa, I have some suggestions and etiquette I'd like to remind and recommend to all patients opting to go on video for appointments. All right, number one, we need three vital signs from you. It can be weight, height, blood pressure, heart rate, whatever. Please do not include penis length as a vital sign. We do not care and we are not impressed. Oh, no. That means that's happened. Number two, it is not a fashion show. We don't care what you look like or wear. But please do wear clothes.

[Adrian Fontes]

Oh my God.

[Alison Gill]

Diane. Number three, please inform members of your household you will be having a video appointment and or go to a room where you are going to have private as to avoid us seeing your loved ones walking past in the background with little to no clothes. Okay, I'm sensing a theme. Number four, speaking of where to take your video appointment, here's a list of preferred locations to avoid the bathtub, the toilet, loud rooms, your sex room, or anywhere else you wouldn't show your mother. Yes, some, but not all of these have happened to me. God, Diane. But seriously, please stay healthy and safe. Get the flu shots and Covid boosters as soon as possible. We can't promise you won't get sick, but they'll increase your chances of staying out of the hospital, and that's something. As tax, I have to share a treasured and hilarious Christmas ornament made by my daughter. In the first grade. The students were told to make an ornament of their last initials, which is D for us. And yes, I know that makes me a double D. Haha. I don't know about the D part, but she may have a career in gynecology. Oh my God.

[Adrian Fontes]

Good Lord.

[Alison Gill]

I think the tack drives it home for me.

[Adrian Fontes]

Hysterical.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, the little young Georgia O'Keeffe.

[Adrian Fontes]

It hurts a little to look at the tack, I'm not gonna lie. All right, here we go. This is from Anonymous. Pronouns. He, him, kitchen table fan from the UK here. Still riding high on Dana, complimenting my accent a year ago the Patreon Drinks Trigger Warning Bereavement Just a general comment on trigger warnings for those that may not need or understand them in the context of recent events. While being an empathic guy, I've not had much direct adversity in my life and never needed a trigger warning. I've tried to respect others but always felt indifferent. That was until my wonderful dad had a sudden and very unexpected heart attack in 2020. Luckily I was there and performed CPR until the ambulance arrived where they took over for me. Another hour of work and he was able to be transported to the hospital, but sadly the damage was too great and he passed away a couple of days later. I love and miss him greatly and replay the unpleasant episode over in my head daily since then. While I'm coping on the outside, I run cold whenever I see or hear of heart issues. Even fictionalized like that experienced by Damar Hamlin. I sincerely hope he recovers very soon. I'm writing all this to say two things. 1. If you don't already, you've been lucky enough not to need them. Please respect people's trigger warnings as to never know what people may be dealing with. It doesn't take much and can mean a great deal to others care and good mental health. We can't trigger warning everything, but it's a perspective I've come to learn that is so important. 2. Go learn the basics of CPR. While I didn't get the outcome, I wish every day I did. It can and does work and good quality CPR is easy to learn, requires learning in advance. Go look up your local guidance as it changes, but take 15 minutes just to read, watch and learn. Love to you both and thank you for the work you do in the communities you have built. Sharing my Bunny Abraham Lincoln for the pet tax 1. The bunny is beautiful. 2 Anonymous I think I know who you are and I'm just giving you a big hug and sending you love. I'm so sorry to hear about your father.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, truly. And I understand. I understand that. And respecting other people's trigger warnings is very important. So thank you for pointing that out and sending all the love to you.

[Adrian Fontes]

And I still love your accent.

[Alison Gill]

Thank you everybody for sending in your news, your good news, your stories, the things you want to share and we really really appreciate it. And you can send anything into us at all. You can do [e-mail] just click on Contact Dana do you have any final thoughts before we get out of here today?

[Adrian Fontes]

No final thoughts for today, I think you should sign us off. One day I'll actually have a good one again. But, man, my brain feels like it's just trying to rev back up for the new year.

[Alison Gill]

Same, same. I'm still stuck somewhere between Christmas and New Year's. It's.

[Adrian Fontes]

If you had asked me Monday, like, gun to my head, what day is it? I'd have been like, I had a good run. Like, I had no idea. What. What? Monday. I had no idea all day Monday. Because the New Year's was. New Year's Day was Sunday. I was completely lost on Monday. I had no idea what day it was.

[Alison Gill]

That happened to me as well. It was Monday. And somebody. No, it was actually Tuesday. Somebody said, don't you. Somebody's like, don't you have a thing at one? And I'm like, that's Tuesday. And they're like, it is Tuesday. I'm like, holy shit. Okay.

[Adrian Fontes]

Yep.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And the fact that we record on a different day than the show comes out also kind of messes me up a little bit.

[Adrian Fontes]

Totally thought it was Thursday right now as we're speaking, and I'm like, nope. I have Stephanie Miller in the morning. That's sometimes the only way I know what day it is is I have Stephanie Miller on Thursday mornings.

[Alison Gill]

Well, we'll be back tomorrow, which is Friday.

[Adrian Fontes]

See, this is fucking me up. Surprised we both haven't lost our minds. Wrap it up.

[Alison Gill]

Until then, please, take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, take care of your mental health.

[Adrian Fontes]

Vote blue over Q and take everyone with you.

[Alison Gill]

I've been ag.

[Adrian Fontes]

And I've been dg, I think.

[Alison Gill]

And I think that was the beans.

[Dana Goldberg]

Refried beans.

[Alison Gill]

I like refried beans.