Six Alarm

Summary

The Daily Beans - Episode Summary: "Six Alarm"

Release Date: February 3, 2025
Host/Author: MSW Media
Hosts: Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg

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Introduction

In this episode of The Daily Beans, hosts Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg delve into a multitude of pressing national issues, ranging from federal law enforcement purges to international trade conflicts. Amidst the chaos, they emphasize the importance of community, joy, and proactive activism. This comprehensive summary captures the essence of their discussions, notable insights, and the passionate calls to action presented throughout the episode.

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1. Trump Administration's Purge of Federal Law Enforcement

Timestamp: [00:00 - 11:13]

Alison Gill opens the episode by outlining a series of alarming actions taken by the Trump administration aimed at dismantling federal law enforcement agencies. The primary focus is on the mass purges occurring within the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ).

• Directives to DOJ Prosecutors: Trump has ordered the termination of every DOJ prosecutor involved in either the January 6th or the Jack Smith cases. Alison notes, “[Trump directed] every prosecutor at DOJ that worked on either the January 6th case or the documents case... to be fired” ([00:00 - 11:13]).

• FBI Acting Director Brian Driscoll's Resistance: Acting FBI Director Driscoll has actively resisted these directives. He sent an email urging FBI employees about the purge, stating, “We’re going to follow the law, we’re following FBI policy, and we’re going to do what’s in the best interest of the workforce and the American people” ([08:55]).

• Legal Implications: Legal experts deem the purges as illegal under civil service laws, highlighting the lack of due process. Joyce Vance, former U.S. attorney, criticizes the administration’s actions, asserting that "career federal employees can be fired for conduct or performance issues, not because they failed to demonstrate political loyalty" ([10:30]).

• Impact on Morale: The purges have significantly affected FBI morale, with agents expressing fear and uncertainty. A veteran FBI agent commented, “Who right now would want to work on a case that would get them crosswise with this administration? They will come after you” ([11:13]).

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2. Elon Musk's Intervention in Federal Systems

Timestamp: [14:54 - 20:03]

Dana Goldberg highlights alarming developments involving billionaire Elon Musk and his control over federal systems.

• OPM Workforce Reduction: Musk's Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is attempting to cut 70% of its workforce, signaling a severe disruption in federal human resources management ([14:54]).

• Treasury Department Payment Systems: Musk's associates have reportedly gained access to the Treasury's payment systems, which handle over $6 trillion annually, including Social Security and Medicare benefits. Dana underscores the gravity, stating, “These payment systems simply cannot fail” ([19:45]).

• Security Breaches: Attempts to access classified information at USAID have been thwarted, resulting in the suspension of top security officials. This raises significant cybersecurity concerns and questions about oversight ([17:21]).

• Political Repercussions: Senator Ron Wyden criticizes the move, emphasizing the lack of legitimate reasons for such political interference in sensitive systems ([17:24]).

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3. Initiation of a Trade War by Trump

Timestamp: [20:32 - 24:07]

Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg discuss the repercussions of Trump’s initiation of a trade war with key allies, specifically Canada and Mexico.

• Canadian and Mexican Retaliation: In response to Trump’s sweeping tariffs, Canada has imposed a 25% tariff on $30 billion CAD worth of U.S. goods, targeting sectors like beverages, cosmetics, and paper products. Mexico has also announced retaliatory tariffs, though specifics remain unclear ([23:00]).

• Economic and Political Motives: A senior Canadian official stated, “The list is intended to mobilize certain Republican voices around the president,” indicating political motivations behind the economic measures ([22:05]).

• Local Impact: Provinces like Ontario are removing American liquor brands from government store shelves, signaling a grassroots economic pushback against U.S. tariffs ([23:45]).

• Potential Escalation: With Canada entering an election cycle, leaders like Mark Carney are considering more aggressive tariffs, including a possible 100% tariff on Tesla vehicles, further escalating tensions ([24:07]).

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4. New Democratic National Committee (DNC) Leadership

Timestamp: [04:00 - 07:30]

Alison Gill introduces the newly elected DNC leadership, elected on February 1st, highlighting the diversity and fresh perspectives they bring to the committee.

• Leadership Team:

  • Chair: Ken Martin
  • Vice Chair for Civic Engagement and Voter Participation: Raina Walters Morgan
  • Secretary: J. Ray
  • Treasurer: Virginia McGregor
  • National Finance Chair: Chris Corj

• Diversity and Innovation: Dana praises the inclusion of young, tech-savvy leaders like Malcolm Kenyatta and David Hogg, noting their ability to reach broader and younger audiences through innovative messaging ([05:38]).

• Old Guard vs. New Guard: The hosts discuss the tension between experienced, traditional Democrats and the new generation pushing for modern communication strategies, emphasizing the necessity for representation that mirrors the electorate ([06:08 - 07:30]).

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5. Human Rights Campaign Gala and Fundraising Success

Timestamp: [01:00 - 02:26]

Dana Goldberg shares a personal success story from her recent gala in New York for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

• Fundraising Achievement: Dana successfully raised $50,000 during the gala to support HRC and Lambda Legal’s lawsuit against the federal government’s ban on transgender military service ([01:00 - 02:26]).

• Community and Resilience: She emphasizes the importance of finding joy and community support amidst challenging times, encouraging listeners to engage in similar acts of solidarity ([02:12 - 02:26]).

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6. Increased Recidivism Among Pardoned Insurrectionists

Timestamp: [24:07 - 26:19]

Alison Gill highlights concerning trends in recidivism among individuals pardoned by Trump in connection with the January 6th Capitol attack.

• Case Study - Andrew Take: Take, a Texas man pardoned despite pending charges for soliciting a minor online, was wanted for actions during the Capitol riot. His release has prompted law enforcement to seek his return due to the severity of his pending charges ([26:19]).

• Broader Implications: NPR reports that numerous pardoned individuals have prior convictions or ongoing charges, including severe offenses like rape and drug trafficking, raising questions about the effectiveness and morality of the pardons ([25:30 - 26:19]).

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7. Good Trouble Segment: Activism and Community Support

Timestamp: [26:19 - 48:34]

In the "Good Trouble" segment, hosts encourage listeners to engage in meaningful activism through small, impactful actions.

• Dana’s Initiative with Lyft: Dana introduces a way for listeners to support the Human Rights Campaign and other DEI organizations by rounding up their Lyft fares. She explains, “If you take a Lyft and choose to round up to the next dollar, it goes to the Human Rights Campaign” ([26:51 - 30:03]).

• Listener Submissions:

  • Chris Pronoun: Shouts out Hive Bakery in Texas for their resilience and community support amidst backlash. He shares photos and praises their defiance against opposition, urging support for small businesses standing up against political pressure ([37:32 - 38:13]).
  • Mary Pronoun: Recommends the 5Calls app (5Calls.org) for easy civic engagement, allowing users to call their representatives with pre-written scripts tailored to specific issues ([38:00 - 39:57]).
  • Spike Pronoun: Encourages filing lawsuits under the 14th Amendment as a form of protest, providing a brief how-to guide for listeners to initiate legal actions against perceived injustices ([39:57 - 40:57]).
  • Donna Pronoun: Shares her long career in public education and personal anecdotes, inspiring listeners with stories of perseverance and community support ([40:57 - 43:38]).
  • Taylor (He/Him): Highlights a successful legal case against an employer evading responsibility, emphasizing the importance of perseverance in the justice system ([43:38 - 45:16]).
  • AG and DG: An impassioned plea from a federal worker advocating for the recognition and protection of civil servants, stressing their role in maintaining societal functions and the threats they face from administrative actions ([45:16 - 48:34]).

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8. Listener-Submitted Good News

Timestamp: [32:07 - 48:34]

The hosts celebrate a variety of uplifting stories submitted by listeners, showcasing acts of resilience, community support, and personal victories.

• Chris Pronoun's Hive Bakery: Features a small Texas bakery standing strong against opposition, using their platform to spread messages like "Fuck the patriarchy" through their products.

• Mary Pronoun’s Advocacy Tools: Introduces tools like the 5Calls app, empowering listeners to participate actively in political discourse without feeling overwhelmed.

• Spike Pronoun’s Legal Activism: Offers practical advice on utilizing the legal system to challenge unjust policies, encouraging proactive engagement.

• Donna Pronoun’s Educational Dedication: Reflects on a long career in education, highlighting the lasting impact teachers have on their students despite systemic challenges.

• Taylor’s Legal Victory: Shares a success story in holding employers accountable, reinforcing the importance of legal perseverance.

• AG and DG’s Federal Worker Advocacy: Provides a powerful testament to the dedication of federal workers and the critical services they provide, calling for public support against attempts to undermine federal institutions.

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Conclusion

In this high-energy episode, Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg navigate through a barrage of critical issues affecting federal institutions, international relations, and social justice movements. They interweave personal stories of community engagement and resilience with in-depth analysis of political maneuvers and their broader implications. The episode culminates in a fervent call to action, urging listeners to participate in activism through accessible means and to celebrate the good within their communities despite overarching challenges.

Notable Quotes:

• Dana Goldberg: “You are not alone. Your existence on this earth is so much more powerful than if you were to be gone. So please stay. Please stay.” ([04:30])
• Alison Gill: “We’re going to follow the law, we’re following FBI policy, and we’re going to do what’s in the best interest of the workforce and the American people” ([08:55])
• Senator Ron Wyden: “There is no good reason why political operatives who have demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law would need access to these sensitive, mission-critical systems.” ([17:24])
• Alison Gill: “Some murderers get out of prison in less time than that… Making the streets of America safer by releasing 1600 hardened criminals. Fantastic.” ([26:19])

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For more information and to stay updated with future episodes, visit mswmedia.com. Submit your good news stories and engage with the community by emailing [e-mail].

Transcript

[Alison Gill]

MSW Media. Hello, and welcome to the Daily beans for Monday, February 3, 2025. Today, the Trump administration is dismantling federal law enforcement through massive purges at the FBI and Department of Justice. Elon Musk's OPM continues to seize government systems, including the payment system at the Department of the Treasury. The pardoned insurrectionists recidivism rate grows as a rioter is wanted for soliciting a minor. Trump kicks off a trade war with our closest allies while giving a break to China. And we have our new Democratic National Committee leadership. I'm Alison Gill.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[Alison Gill]

Hey, Dana. How are you holding up?

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm doing okay. You know, I had my first gala of the year in New York last night for the Human Rights Campaign. And honestly, Alison, it's what we've been preaching to all of our listeners, the community in the room and the joy and the people that were ready to fight and not just lay down and let this happen. It was really empowering. I think. We covered the story on the beans that the Human Rights Campaign in Lambda Legal is suing the federal government for their unconstitutional ban on our trans military. And last night, I was able to raise $50,000 toward that lawsuit so that, you know, because these lawsuits cost upwards of $1.52 million each of them, and a lot of these lawyers are working pro bono. So it felt nice to do something and last night to be in community and to have joy and to have laughter, even in the face of everything we're dealing with, it was really, really nice. So I suggest. And we always covered this at the end, but I suggest people find a way to find community and joy in any ways they can right now.

[Alison Gill]

Yes. Appreciate that so much. Gosh, $50,000. That's incredible. Well done, my friend.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you. Well, to the generous people in the room. So I'm just able to sort of squeeze out every last penny with the.

[Alison Gill]

Gifts that I have, with the gifts that have been given, bestowed upon me.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes. Guilt and humor. Apparently, that's very what I'm good at. My mother would be proud. I learned that my Jewish mother would be proud.

[Alison Gill]

Yes. My Catholic mother would also be proud. All right, we have to do the show a little differently today because we have 16 news stories to cover where we usually only have about four. So being the fire hose filter, we've combined them all into four stories. And since there's gonna be parts from all kinds of, you know, sources, we won't be reading them directly from the sources, but we will be including Every single cited source in our Patreon show notes this week. We do that for Patron every week. We give every single source that we cite in the news program so that you have a backup for that. So this is basically, this is us putting our fire hose filter into effect.

[Dana Goldberg]

So it seems like the most gentle fire hose we could have pointed at us. So thank you.

[Alison Gill]

Yes. That's what we're trying to do here. And before we go on, I need to acknowledge a patient at Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical center died by an apparent suicide outside the top of the hospital's parking garage Monday. And witnesses say the person was wrapped in a body length Transgender Pride flag. So please fam if you're in crisis, you can call or text 988 to be connected to Live Support 24. 7. And they have separate lines for Veterans, Spanish speakers 2 Spirit, LGBTQIA Youth, American Indian and Alaska Natives, and American Sign Language as well. So please reach out if you need to. And I just want to send all of my love and support to the family and families and friends who are impacted by this.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you, Alison. Honestly, this is the first I heard of the story. When I was reading over the script, it really hit me in the chest. So I'm sorry we have to open the show like that. But we also want to honor the people and reach out to the people that are feeling despair and sadness and confusion. Just know there are people out there to listen and there are professionals trained to listen. You are not alone. And please, your existence on this earth is so much more powerful than if you were to be gone. So please stay. Please stay.

[Alison Gill]

Yes. Thank you so much. All right, before we get into the hot notes, we have new DNC leadership. Those elections were February 1st, as we know, and Ken Martin has been elected chair of the dnc. Vice Chair for Civic Engagement and Voter Participation is Raina Walters Morgan, the vice chair. There have been three positions. We have Artie Blanco, Malcolm Kenyatta, and David Hogg. Secretary is J. Ray, Treasurer Virginia McGregor and National Finance Chair Chris Corj. Or Corgi. I'm not sure how to pronounce that. Please send in a correction if you know. So this is our new DNC leadership team. I love the diversity. I think that this is a new guard. Now, Ken Martin was the vice chair under Jamie Harrison of this past election cycle. So, you know, however you want to feel about that. I was kind of hoping it was Ben Wickler, but I know that some people were against him because Pelosi and Schumer backed him. I Don't know. But this is our team and this is who I will work to support and work to push to do better, especially with communications. So that's your team. And I'm very, very happy with the diversity in this group.

[Dana Goldberg]

I am as well. And I'm also really happy to see some young voices in there that are very tech savvy, a little bit different than the older generation that know how to reach some of the masses in ways that maybe other people don't understand, whether it's Malcolm Kenyatta or David Hogg. They've got messaging, they've got new ideas, they have a new voice and a voice of the younger generation that I think is. So as we figure out this path forward. Because it's gotta be different. It's gotta be different than what we've been doing, because what we've been doing has not been working.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And I want to point out that it's not always necessarily due to age, but old guard Democrats. And I don't mean old age, I just mean old guard.

[Dana Goldberg]

Agreed. That's. Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

Of which I am one, by the way. I am as well, have a very big problem. They look down their nose at digital media, performance media and messaging. And so that's why I'm glad to see that there are folks now of all ages that do support that kind of messaging that have been elected. So really, really appreciate that.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you. And please note that it's the balance that I'm appreciating. I would not have been happy if they would just ousted everyone that has a tremendous amount of experience in this arena for younger voices. Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

And we have to think about age less as about ability or anything like that, or whatever, and more about representation.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

You know, I'm glad young people are represented in this new DNC leadership. So that's kind of the way I like to look at it.

[Dana Goldberg]

Well said. I appreciate that.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

I just. Thank you. In case anyone may have misinterpreted what I was saying, Allison, I appreciate the clarification on your end. I do.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. Because that's what it's about for me. Right. Representation. I want our leadership to look like our electorate. So.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. Because if we've been. If we learned anything over the last, you know, 11 days, there's a lot of stupid old people and a lot of stupid young people. So there's gotta be a lot of smart old people and a lot of smart young people.

[Alison Gill]

Yes. All right. We have a lot of news to get to. So when I say a lot, I mean A lot. So let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up, and this is honestly one of those five alarm fires. If you watched Maddow this past Friday, you'll. You'll kind of get a sense. And if you listened to the Unjustified podcast with Andy McCabe, we recorded that a little earlier on Friday as this was starting to happen. And you could hear Andy McCabe's reaction to this in real time, it's pretty devastating. We have a massive purge taking place at the FBI and the doj. And as you've probably heard by now, Trump directed every prosecutor at DOJ that worked on either the January 6th case or the documents case, the two Jack Smith cases, to be fired. And keep in mind, DOJ prosecutors and FBI agents don't pick and choose what cases they work on. They're told what they need to work on. And there were a lot of Trump supporters and that worked on those cases. We know that because they tried to gum up the works. When Merrick Garland was in charge, then the acting director of the FBI, whose name is Brian Driscoll, sent out an email to all FBI employees warning them of the coming purge. Now, oddly, Dana, the Wall Street Journal reported that Driscoll was supposed to be the acting deputy director of the FBI and a guy named Rob Cassane was supposed to be the acting director. But Trump fucked it up and switched him.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, boy.

[Alison Gill]

So instead of saying, hey, you made a mistake, they just decided to swap out offices.

[Dana Goldberg]

Lord.

[Alison Gill]

So Driscoll sent them an email as their acting director, not the acting deputy director, telling all employees that he'd been asked to provide lists of any agents that worked on any January 6th case, not just Trump's. Plus the Hamas October 7th attack case, which is weird, and nobody can figure out why. I've asked a million experts, and they're like that. You got me. I'm stumped. So it's not just the Trump January 6th case. Now, it's all January 6th cases. The rioters, boots on the ground, everything. But Driscoll pushed back. In new reporting from NBC, acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll on Friday refused a Justice Department order that he assist in the firing of agents involved in January 6 cases, pushing back so forcefully that some FBI officials feared he would be fired. Multiple current and former FBI officials told this to NBC News. Now, the Justice Department ultimately did not fire Driscoll, who's the head of the bureau's Newark field office, temporarily serving as acting director. About 24 hours later, Driscoll notified the FBI workforce that he had been ordered to remove eight senior FBI executives by Emil Bovey. That's the acting deputy Attorney General and Trump's former personal lawyer. Driscoll also said he'd been told to turn over the names of every FBI employee involved with its investigation into January 6 rioters. Driscoll stated that the eight executives had been forced out, but did not say whether he would turn over the broader List of 1-6-related FBI investigators, a list he noted encompasses thousands, Dana, thousands of FBI employees, including himself, a former member of the FBI's elite Hostage Rescue team. Driscoll promised agents that he would follow the law and existing FBI policies. Quote, as we've said since the moment we agreed to take on these roles, we're going to follow the law, we're following FBI policy, and we're going to do what's in the best interest of the workforce and the American people always is what he wrote in a message that circulated widely among bureau personnel, which I also saw a copy of early on, but couldn't say anything because it hadn't been corroborated by any things. An FBI agent summarized what happened as, quote, bottom line, DOJ came over and wanted to fire a bunch of J6 agents. Driscoll is an absolute stud, held his ground and told the White House proxy and the Department of Justice to off.

[Dana Goldberg]

Wow.

[Alison Gill]

The accounts of Driscoll's actions shed new light on a chaotic series of events over the last 48 hours that began with the news that the Trump administration was seeking to purge the top ranks of the FBI's career civil servants. Quote, late this afternoon, I received a memo from acting Deputy Attorney General notifying me that eight senior FBI executives had to be terminated by specific dates unless these employees have retired beforehand. That's what Driscoll said. And he went on to say, I've been personally in touch with each of these impacted employees. We understand that this request encompasses thousands of employees across the country who have supported these investigative efforts. I am one of those employees, as is Acting Deputy Director Rob Kassane. FBI agents were heartened by Driscoll's memo, according to a source, which many saw as an attempt by Driscoll to make the workforce and the public aware of what he was being asked to do. Quote, he was trying to do right by the workforce, said one person familiar. He's putting it in writing and naming names. Experts say the firings are illegal. Legal experts say that few, if any of the firings carried out so far by the Trump administration have been legal under civil service laws. Because the employees were not afforded due process. The Trump White House argues, though, that the president has the absolute right to fire anyone he wishes in the executive branch. The Supreme Court has ruled that federal employees have the right to a hearing before they're disciplined or terminated. Joyce Vance, as we know, former U.S. attorney and NBC News legal contributor, called these firings illegal, saying career federal employees can be fired for conduct or performance issues, not because they failed to demonstrate political loyalty to the current incumbent of the White House. Trump ignored controlling law and regulations to do this. And unless the Supreme Court changes their interpretation, any firing of permanent members of the civil service should not stand. Now, even if some of the employees sue and win, they say their public service careers have been irreparably damaged if not ended. Current and former FBI agents say the purge at the Bureau has a shattering effect on the morale, sending a message that agents who work on cases that anger someone in the Trump administration could and probably will be targeted. Quote, who right now would want to work on a case that would get them crosswise with this administration? That's what one former FBI official said. They will come after you. And some more pushback, Dana. Acting Director Driscoll has communicated to the Department of Justice requesting that he receive written assurance from the DOJ that all individuals on that J6 list will be guaranteed due process protections. To date, that assurance has not been provided. And the New York Times is reporting that top agents at the FBI's New York City field office vowed in a defiant email to his staff to, quote, dig in after the Trump administration targeted officials involved in the January 6 investigations and praised the bureau's interim leaders for defending its independence. He wrote, today we find ourselves in the middle of a battle of our own as good people are being walked out of the FBI and others are being targeted because they did their jobs in accordance with the law and FBI policy. That's from James Dennehy, a veteran and highly respected agent who has run the largest and most important field office in the bureau since September. Elsewhere in the federal government, Elon Musk says he wants to cut 70% of OPM workforce. And USAID has apparently disappeared and moved up under the State Department. Seems to be an illegal move since the department was created by law, by Congress. Another example of Trump trying to seize the powers of Congress. Here there's a march, by the way, on February 5th to lobby Congress against canceling all foreign aid. That's February 5th at 11:30am Eastern Time at Upper Senate park on Constitution Avenue and Delaware Avenue. All right, so lots going on in the federal workforce.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, and this is not it. This is another five alarm fire. We're having another coup, basically. This is from Jeff Stein at the Post, Billionaire Elon Musk's deputies. They've gained access to a sensitive Treasury Treasury Department system responsible for trillions of dollars in US Government payments after the administration ousted a top career official at the department. And this is according to three people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe government deliberations. On Friday, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, he approved access to the Treasury's payment system for a team led by Tom Krause. And that's a Silicon Valley executive working in concert with Musk's dodgy whatever we're calling it. And this is all what the sources said. David Lieberck, who served in non political roles at the treasury for several decades, had been the acting secretary before be. Since confirmation, he had refused to turn over access to Musk's surrogates. People familiar with the situation told the Washington Post. Now Trump officials placed him on administrative leave. And then he announced his retirement Friday in an email to colleagues. The sensitive systems, these are run by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service. They control the flow of more than $6 trillion annually. Tens of millions of people across the country rely on these systems. They're basically responsible for paying Social Security and Medicare benefits salaries for federal personnel payments to government contractors and grant recipients tax refunds among tens of thousands of other functions. Typically, only a small group of career employees control the payment systems. And former officials have said that it's extremely unusual for anyone connected to political employees to access them. All of this is fucking extremely unusual. Can we just acknowledge that Musk has sought to exert sweeping control over the inner workings of the US Government, installing longtime surrogates at several agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management, which essentially handles federal human resources, and the General Services Administration, which manages real estate. Doji is now housed in a White House, as the people are saying, in a White House office that was formerly known as the US Digital Service. But now of course they're calling it the U.S. i'm going to call it Doji because that's what they're calling it. Doji service and has broad visibility into technology across the government. Democrats have strongly criticized the idea of giving must surrogates access to the payment systems as they fucking should. Musk should not be running anything. He's not elected fucking official.

[Alison Gill]

He's not a government employee. He's a private citizen.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you. And he may not even actually be a citizen. That's a little sketchy, too. We're not sure this is a quote. To put it bluntly, these payment systems simply cannot fail. And any politically motivated meddling in them risks severe damage to our country and the economy. This is Senator Ron Wyden. He's a Democrat from Oregon. He said that in a letter to Besent on Friday and continued with. I can think of no good reason why political operatives who have demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law would need access to these sensitive, mission critical systems. Additionally, aids to Elon Musk, charged with running the U.S. government Human resources Agency. They've locked career civil servants out of the computer systems that contain the personal data of millions of federal employees. And that's according to two agency officials. The systems include a vast database called Enterprise Human Resources Integration, which contains dates of birth, Social Security numbers, appraisals, home addresses, pay grades, length of service of government workers. This is all what the officials have said. Quote, we have no visibility into what they're doing with the computer and the data systems, one of the officials said. And that is creating great concern. There's no oversight. It creates real cybersecurity and hacking implications. And I just want to go back to the fact that he had access to the fucking voting machines. All right, continuing on with the story, Wired magazine tells us more. And it says already Musk's lackeys have taken control of the Office of Personnel Management. That's opm, which we've been covering, and General Services Administration, that's the gsa. They've gained access to the Treasury Department's payment systems, potentially allowing him access to a vast range of sensitive information about tens of millions of citizens, businesses and more. On Sunday, CNN reported that dodgy personnel attempted to improperly access classified information and security Systems at the U.S. agency for International Development. That's USAI. And that top USAID security officials who thwarted the attempt were subsequently put on leave. The AP reported that Dodgy. I really hate this fucking department personnel. The personnel had indeed access classified materials. So now they are into stuff they should not have access to. And I don't know how to stop this Allison lawsuits.

[Alison Gill]

But they have it.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep.

[Alison Gill]

So anyone who's ever received a check from the Department of Treasury. Musk has your stuff.

[Dana Goldberg]

That would be anyone who's ever gotten a refund after they did their taxes. Anyone who's ever gotten disability, Medicaid, or anyone that got a little help from the government during COVID when everyone got those checks.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, yeah. So that's frightening. That's what drove me to post on Blue sky the other day. Hey, if I ever stop podcasting without telling you that I'm stopping, it's because somebody stopped me. So. And everyone's like, are you okay? Are you okay? I'm like, yes, I'm fine now. I just want to let you know, just putting a flag in the ground, if you wake up and there's no beans and there's not a glitch, you know, in the, the Internet or we failed to post it or something, that wasn't by choice. I just want to put that out there.

[Dana Goldberg]

We're all, we're all keeping track. We're all keeping an eye on you.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And, and, you know, sometimes they don't go out on time. Don't worry. Give it a minute and email us. I'll let you know. Next up, from Rob Gillies at the Associated Press. Canada's prime minister and Mexico's president ordered retaliatory tariffs on goods from the US following through with their threats after Donald Trump sparked a trade war. By sparked is a little, I don't like that word. Started a trade war by imposing sweeping tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China. Canada is initially targeting 30 billion Canadian dollars in goods imported from the US with tariffs of 25% to come into force on February 4, including beverages like alcoholic beverages, cosmetics and paper products. A second list targeting $125 billion Canadian in goods will be unveiled soon and will be implemented after public consultation that will include passenger vehicles, trucks, steel and aluminum products, certain fruits and vegetables, beef, pork, dairy products, and more. A senior Canadian government official said on a briefing with reporters that the list is intended to mobilize certain Republican voices around the president. It wasn't immediately clear if that will include Elon Musk and Tesla in the second phase, and Mexico has so far said it will only impose retaliatory tariffs without mentioning any rates or products. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke by phone Saturday after Trump's administration imposed the tariffs, which are 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico, with the lower rate of 10% for Canadian oil and 10% on imports from China, although there's still no indication the two countries are coordinating responses now. Trudeau's office said in a statement that Canada and Mexico agreed to enhance the strong bilateral relations between them. And Canadian officials have had extensive dialogue with their Mexican counterparts. But a senior Canadian official said he would not go as far as to say their tariff responses are coordinated. Quote, now is the time to choose products made right here in Canada, trudeau said on Twitter on Sunday and on Saturday. He even suggested Canadians should not buy U.S. products or vacation in the United States. Canada is the largest export market for 36 states and Mexico is the largest trading partner for the United States. Canada and Mexico ordered the tariffs despite Trump's further threat to increase the duties charged if retaliatory levies are placed on American goods. Quote we're certainly not looking to escalate, but we will stand up for Canada. That's what Trudeau said. At the local level, some authorities in provinces like Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia will remove American liquor brands from government store shelves. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario sells nearly $1 billion worth of American wine, beer, spirits and seltzers every year. That's according to Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Not anymore, ford said. Starting Tuesday, we're removing American products from LCBO shelves. As the only wholesaler of alcohol in the province, the LCBO will also remove American products from its catalog so other Ontario based restaurants and retailers can't order or restock U.S. products. Beyond the official response, people are already thinking of ways to face Trump's decision, including by sharing on social media lists with alternatives to American products. The trade war comes as Canada is entering an election cycle. Trudeau's Liberal Party will announce a new leader on March 9, and a spring election is expected. Quote, Canada will not bow down to a bully, said Mark Carney is considered the front runner to replace Trudeau, and another Liberal Party leader suggested slapping 100% tariffs on Teslas. Also, I should say that a lot of these tariffs that are being placed on us by Canada are aimed at red states and southern states. So they really are.

[Dana Goldberg]

And there's a lot of memes we've seen that. Like they've said, we're not trying to hurt the American people, we're trying to hurt your lunatic of a president. So we'll see where this all goes. My God. All right, last section here, another 85 stories for you. This one's also from the Associated Press. A Texas man released from prison under Donald Trump's sweeping pardons over the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. Well, he's wanted by authorities on a 2016 charge of soliciting a minor online. Why am I not shocked? Andrew Take He's 36. He was accused of attacking police officers with bear spray that day and a metal whip during the capital assault. He's one of a handful of former January 6th defendants who have drawn attention from law enforcement since being pardoned last week. Now Take was released from a federal prison in Colorado after Trump pardoned nearly 1600 people charged in connection with the attack. Capital attack. He was released on January 20 despite Texas authorities request to hold him. Texas authorities. If you know you've lost Texas in this whole January 6th pardon, you know you've done something wrong. Texas authorities request to hold him for pending warrant. According to a statement from the Harris County District Attorney's Office, Take was previously awaiting trial on the charge of soliciting sex with a 17 year old through a messaging app, quote, rearresting individuals like Take who are released with pending state warrants. It's going to require significant resources. This is from the DA's office. That's what they said in a statement. Know that we already are in the process of tracking him down as we already know other January 6ers that have broken the law. Now, in Indiana, a man was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop just days after charges were dismissed. Daniel Ball, a Florida man, was arrested on federal gun charges in Washington, D.C. just days after being released on felony charges of throwing an explosive device at officers in the Capitol. And a Kentucky man also faces criminal charges after being pardoned by the president. Federal authorities are seeking to return Daniel Wilson to prison for firearms offenses they say were uncovered when authorities searching his home after the Capitol riot. And there was another January 6th, I believe that fucking killed someone in a DUI accident that we covered on this podcast.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. In fact, NPR has identified dozens of defendants with prior convictions or pending charges for crimes including rape, sexual abuse of a minor, domestic violence, manslaughter, production of child sexual abuse material, and drug trafficking. So way to go. Making the streets of America safer by releasing 1600 hardened criminals. Fantastic. Yeah. All right, everybody. It's time for some good Trouble. What are you guys doing? And today's Good Trouble is brought to you by Dana Goldberg.

[Dana Goldberg]

Hello, everyone. Okay, so I know a lot of the times we talk about good trouble. We're talking about something you can do. Flood an inbox, send a letter to a representative. This is something good, Good trouble. In fact, maybe not even get you in trouble. So, as you know, a lot of companies are having to get rid of the dei, their diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives. And a lot of the companies have abandoned, unfortunately, things like the Human Rights Campaign or organizations that are fighting for equity and justice in this world. Now, they're not sponsoring the podcast. So please not know. We are not paid to do this. I found this out when I was doing the gala last night. Lyft, like the App that a lot of us take to get somewhere has always been a huge supporter of the Human Rights Campaign. I found out last night and I did not know this in your app. So I don't know if you're listening to this on your phone. It's going to be hard. Yes.

[Alison Gill]

In the lift, right? Like Uber, but Lyft, yes.

[Dana Goldberg]

L, Y, F, T. So and this is just for the people that use Lyft. And if you don't, that's okay. But if you want to, this is a good way to do it. If you go into your Lyft app, on the top left corner on the homepage, there's those three tiny lines that if you click, it creates a drop down menu. Now in the drop down menu, about two thirds of the way down, there is a donate button. And if you click on the donate button, you're going to see all of these organizations that you can pair with. So if, let's say your lyft Drive is $19.16, 84 cents, if you choose to round up to the next dollar, goes to the Human Rights Campaign. Now, I know you don't know that maybe 84 cents is a big deal, but let me tell you something. If everyone does this and everyone who's been doing it, I've been working with HRC for 15 years. I didn't even know this is possible. And I felt bad that I hadn't been doing it. There's been over $30 million in donations to the Human Rights Campaign from people that just chose to round up to the next dollar. So even though you may not be able to donate the 10,000 or the 5,000 or even a hundred, if you take a lift and you're like, you know what, I don't need that 75 cents. And it could save someone's life and help one of these lawsuits that we're doing to try and sue the federal government. Remember that small thing I told you that you could do to sleep better at night? This is one of those things I found out last night. I've already taken two Lyft drives. One to the gala, one back to the apartment, and it's, you're doing something. I was shocked when I found out the totality of money that actually has been donated through this app. So if for some reason a Lyft driver is listening to this, you're working for a good company. If for some reason a Lyft company person is listening to this podcast, thank you for your, you know, your commitment to equality and diversity, equity, inclusion, and it's just a little thing you can do, a little good trouble you can make and you're already spending the money anyway, so it's small. But, Allison, thank you for letting me tell people, because there are so many organizations, as we talked about on my day off, that dropped support of organizations like the Human Rights Campaign that are trying to sue the federal government and, and save the lives of our trans and non binary community. This is a tiny little way you can help Beans listeners.

[Alison Gill]

That's amazing. So in the Lyft app, the hamburger stack at the top left, drop down menu, Donate, Round up. And you, you said just rounding up alone has raised $30 million for our marginalized communities and LGBTQ communities.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, and there's a few other. Honestly. And I wouldn't even go just necessarily. I mean, obviously I'm a little bit biased to hrc, but like, there's the Red Cross every town, so if you care about gun safety, NAACP has got a button on there, raises trust for public land. The aclu, I just had no idea. So there's all kinds of buttons on there. Obviously I'm mentioning the Human Rights Campaign because I work with them. But if there's something in here that is important to your heart and you want to make a difference, you have an opportunity. Now, these are all diversity, equity, and inclusion organizations that are trying to make the world better.

[Alison Gill]

Incredible. And just so you know, I got a request in my inbox today saying, hey, I subscribed to a zillion newsletters and nobody's put out a list of the companies that are nixing their DEI programs. Could you do it? So I did at the substack muellershirote.com I've got a list. And if you want to add to the list by replying, you can do that. It's free to subscribe, it's free to read, so you can search for the companies to avoid. They're the ones that are kowtowing and bending the knee to these Republican attorneys general and assholes like Jim Jordan who are literally threatening companies with litigation if they don't get rid of their DEI programs.

[Dana Goldberg]

Alison, not to put more work on anyone's table, but do we also have a list of companies that are not nixing so that we know where to put our money right now?

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, Costco.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, there's a time.

[Dana Goldberg]

And we're signing off. Have a great day, everyone. Here's the good news.

[Alison Gill]

I will see if I can get a list of the companies that are standing up to this. I know we talked about them a little bit on that Monday you were traveling.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes.

[Alison Gill]

I'll see if I can put together a list of the good guys, too.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's good.

[Alison Gill]

I wanted to get that list to avoid out there. And we'll do that as soon as possible. All right, everybody, we have listener submitted good news to get to, Please. If you've ever been like, you know what? I should send in a good news story about that cool thing that happened to me in 1989. Do it today. Send us your good news. You can send it to [e-mail] and click on contact. We'll be right back with it. Stick around after these messages.

[Dana Goldberg]

We'll be right back.

[Alison Gill]

Hey, everybody, it's Ag. This podcast is sponsored by Delete Me. Delete Me makes it easy, quick, and safe to remove your personal data online. At a time when surveillance and data breaches are very common. Common enough to make everyone vulnerable. It's now easier than ever to find your personal information online. No matter how careful you are, your information is just sitting there waiting to be snatched up and used against you in the real world. It makes everyone vulnerable. You know, your privacy is really important and it needs protecting. It doesn't matter whether you're an activist or just an average everyday person. You can be a target. As someone in the public eye, I've recognized how much this puts me at risk, which is why I rely on Delete Me. Delete Me is a subscription service that monitors online data brokers who sell your information, and it scrubs what you want protected. Their highly trained staff remain vigilant, constantly monitoring for your private data to help keep you safe. They'll even send you reports of what they find and what they removed and how much time they saved you, giving you the peace of mind you'll need to feel protected. So it's not a one and done thing. It continuously happens. Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for Deleteme now at a special discount for listeners. Get 20% off your Delete Me plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com DailyBeans and use promo code DailyBeans at checkout. Again, the only way to get 20% off is to go to JoinDeleteMe.comDailyBeans and enter code DailyBeans at checkout. That's JoinDeleteMe.com DailyBeANS code DailyBeans. You'll be glad you did. Everybody, welcome back. It's time for the good news. Who likes good news? Everyone. Then good News, everyone. Good news, good news. And if you have any good news confessions corrections, especially pronunciation corrections you want to send in, please send that to us. Any good news story doesn't even have to be recent. Something good that happened to you in 2013, or something funny that happened to you in, in, you know, 1996. I almost said 1925. But hey, if you're still with us, we want to hear about it, man, be 100 years old. That would be great. I think the, the guy who was the CIA and the FBI director, the only guy that ever was, he's a hundred. He sent a letter to Congress. Yeah. So anyway, send that to us. If you have a shout out to yourself or a loved one or some great community organizing, or you want to send us your idea for some good trouble, you can send that to us. Shout out to government programs that have helped you or a loved one. Medicare, Medicaid, snap, wic, Head Start, Affordable Care Act, PACT act, great VA health care you've received, and of course, student debt relief. If you've had your student debt given. We would love to hear about that story and how it's impacted you and your loved ones. And all you need to do to submit your good news and all of that other stuff is to attach a photo of your pet. It's called pod pet tax. And if you don't have a pod pet, you can send us an adoptable pet in your area. If you don't have that, any photo of any animal will do. I'm partial to capybaras. I don't know, I love them.

[Dana Goldberg]

I like baby pictures and baby animals.

[Alison Gill]

Yes. And pygmy marmosets are fucking adorable. I mean, there you have it as our pygmy hippos. Anything, any animal. And if you don't have an animal baby photos, you're a baby photo. Random baby on the Internet, whatever. And then of course, bird watching photos, which can be an actual bird, like a feathered bird, a feathered friend, or a photo of you and your loved ones flipping off Trump properties. That's also bird bird watching as far as I'm concerned. So.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God, Alison, I forgot to tell you at the gala and because everyone probably wants to hear this, one of the people that was on stage speaking was no one other than CongressWom woman, Sarah McBride. So I got to see my dear friend. She was on stage. And when I tell you that, warm welcome in New York. And just so you know, she is a huge fan of the podcast. She listens all the Time.

[Alison Gill]

Well, we gotta get her on.

[Dana Goldberg]

We all get her on and see. I'll send her a text message.

[Alison Gill]

Heck yeah. Come on, Sarah, let's talk. Yeah, I don't know why I said it like that.

[Dana Goldberg]

She said it's a really incredible message of like love and hope and, and, and you've taken the high road. And I was like, I'm almost there. I'm not there yet, but I'm almost there.

[Alison Gill]

I love it. I'm a low road Democrat these days, but that's totally fine.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right, keep. Let's keep going.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, and we are gonna. We're trying to make shirts, low road Democrat shirts for everybody. I'm excited about that. Low road, low road Dems. All right, anyway, send us your good news. Send all that stuff that I just said. Dailybeanspod.com click on Contact. All right, first up, from Chris Pronoun. She and her hello, the beans queens that make my days a little brighter, even if they're pretty fucking dark right now. I'd like to shout out a bakery that I've never been to, but that is giving me joy right now. I stumbled across the Hive Bakery on Facebook because they're in Texas and are decent human beings, they get some serious shit flung their way. Well, their community showed up and continues to show up for them like mad. They make the patriarchy cookies, fuck ice cookies and even cookies with the lovely Reverend Buddy's picture. They have occasional pop ups where they'll mail out orders and they also have merch that they ship. They seem amazing. And even though they're doing great, it never hurts to call out a small business standing up to the bullies and bullshit. Personally, I'm eyeing the eat the Rich T shirt they have up right now. Sounds like something I need in my dark days. Do they have an Eat the Rich cookie?

[Dana Goldberg]

Because I'll do that.

[Alison Gill]

I want those cookies. So let's see. Here is my pod pet taxi. It's Ms. Maya. She's a mixed breed rescue I've had since she was 6 months old. She's about 12 now and moving slowly, but she still loves to go for walks and all the foods. Thanks for everything you do to help keep me sane in these horrible times. You are amazing little lights and I appreciate the hell out of you, Chris. Thank you. This picture is fucking cool.

[Dana Goldberg]

It's so cool.

[Alison Gill]

This is a rad dog. This must be a German shepherd mix. I love it. Look at the beautiful cookies. Look at the Fuck the patriarchy cookie looks delicious. I need an excuse, actually.

[Dana Goldberg]

Everything in this photo. Looks delicious.

[Alison Gill]

I know. I want to eat it all right now.

[Dana Goldberg]

I know I've been trying to be good. All right. Thank you so much for kicking us off with that submission. This is her Mary pronoun. She and her hello beans queens. Thank you again for voicing our anger over what is taking place in our country, but also speaking to our grit, determination to do something in support of the latter. I wanted to share something new to me that I learned in one of my Democratic forums. It's an app called 5Calls, and the website is 5Calls.org. The app provides topics you wish to call about, the name and phone number of the member to contact, and a script to use and give your zip code. That's amazing. From someone who needs to do something but is anxious about how to do it. This provides easy support and the necessary information needed to carry through with it.

[Alison Gill]

Love it. Five Calls the number five calls dot org. Thank you, Mary. That's awesome. Next up, from Spike, pronouns she and her greetings, glamour gals of the garbanzos. I so appreciate how destiny has conspired to endow both of you with the backgrounds that prepared you to be the warriors we need for the coming uglies. Okay, first of all, that first sentence is fantastic. Between the two of you, there's a universe of representation. Thank you for your consideration. This lawyer posted a suggestion for what I think could be classified as good trouble. Petition the government for redress of our grievances. His TikTok on how each of us may file a lawsuit invoking the 14th Amendment is here. It's on threads and we'll have a link in the show notes. I have seen this. It's pretty cool. He basically says, all right, so you put at the top, you know, your local district court. Like, for me, Dana, it would be the Southern district of California. Okay, then you put your name versus Trump and then.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's awesome.

[Alison Gill]

Paragraph. It tells you how to file a lawsuit. Yeah, it's great.

[Dana Goldberg]

Let's flood them.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, flood, right. That's the good trouble for podpet tax and what the mutt. I'm sharing a picture of Alice, Irene, the shedding machine with her boy, Ezra. EZ is now all grown up, and Alice is permanently unleashed from her earthly tethers. Oh, she was the best of girls. A shout out to ez, who by night is DJ Susan. Saran Wrap, vinyl and digital. During the day, he's using his skills as a massage therapist to work with animals, specializing in geriatric cats. In particular, he's adapted biodynamic craniosacral work to ease breathing issues for brachiophilic flat faced cats. His business is called Tender Beast and he makes house calls sharing a photo of my grandkitten burger who is both the owl and the pussycat.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes.

[Alison Gill]

With apologies. With apologies to Fireside Theater. We're all garbanzos on this bus.

[Dana Goldberg]

What a great submission.

[Alison Gill]

Well written submission, Spike.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

Beautiful kitty. Oh, hello.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right, this next one's from Donna Pronoun. She and her hello my beans. I listen to your podcast when I go on my bike rides and I'm enjoying them immensely. I retired at the end of last school year after 40 years in public education. Donna, thank you for your service. 10 at 7 and 8th grade math, 2 at administration level and 28 in special education. You are what we call the men. Yep. Please, oh God. Please note some murders get out of prison in less time than. Oh, some murderers get out of prison in less time than that. I was like, where is this going? Anywho, you are my refuge for the trying times ahead. I knocked on countless doors for Harris campaign the past fall and was crestfallen with the election results. We must move on and we will prevail. I'm sharing a picture of my beautiful Samantha who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in December. Samantha was hands down the smartest cat I have ever had and there have been plenty that have come and gone as I keep forgetting to turn off the flashing neon sucker sign that I have in the front yard. Let me tell you how smart Samantha was when she showed up on my doorstep almost 16 years ago. I took her to my vet to do a wellness check and gave her a check for a chip. My vet gave her a clean bill of health, but alas, no chip. So she agreed to live with me. One month later, I opened a closet door and there was Samantha and her three new kittens. Long story short, I kept one of her kittens, Murray, and my Murray. Murray, Murray.

[Alison Gill]

Everybody knows Murray.

[Dana Goldberg]

My vet helped me find homes for the other two. One beautiful fall evening, Murray was about four months old. Samantha came running to me, screaming up a storm and running back out the patio. I told her, okay, I'll bite. And I followed her outside to the backyard gate. She continued to screech. So I opened the gate and she ran down the sidewalk and then to the neighbor's yard. Well, there was Murray. He was tiny, so he had squeezed out under the gate, went on an adventure. I breathed a sigh of relief, brought him back home and put a big Brick by this open spot with the gate, animals really do know how to point you to. To the well where Timmy fell in.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, my God. That's so funny, because I was gonna say, does Timmy down the well? Every time my cat comes in my room and it's like, meow. I'm like, did Timmy fall down the well? So I'm really glad that you made that reference.

[Dana Goldberg]

Keep doing what you're doing. Just like public school teachers, we do not see the results of our efforts immediately, but they are there, and the world will be better for what you both are doing. Thank you.

[Alison Gill]

Well, I have to say, Donna, with 10 years teaching seventh and eighth grade math, two years in administration, and 28 years in special education, I guarantee you there is a host, or as they say in Mr. Holland's opus, a symphony of lives, that you have changed. So thank you for your work, Donna. Next up, Taylor. Pronouns he and him. Dear beans queens, our justice system sometimes seems irreparably broken, given mango wannabe Mussolini's evasion of accountability. But occasionally, it gets things right. I'm an attorney representing a man whose employer fired him without cause and failed to pay back wages. The employer agreed to a judgment and formed a new entity to evade payment. Then, when the judgment was amended to include the new entity, he appealed the decision, once again trying to escape responsibility. Yesterday, January 30, we heard from the appellate court that a unanimous decision had affirmed the judgment. After over 10 years, there's a glimmer of hope that this despicable employer will face accountability. I want to share that with you, because perseverance almost always wins. And we need to remember that as we face perilous times with the first felon of the United States. FFOTIS in charge. Thanks for all you do, and please keep up the good fight. There isn't a day that you don't. That you don't bring a smile to my face and make living in this hellscape a little easier. By the way, that gasp was because with a little bit of a scroll, there's a baby picture coming. Sorry for my podpet tags. Here's a picture of my oldest daughter as a baby who is now 10. She's beautiful, smart, funny, and inquisitive. And I can't imagine where she gets it from. Oh, probably you, Taylor. Look at this beautiful, beautiful baby.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Alison Gill]

I want to sleep like that. How do I.

[Dana Goldberg]

No, once again, I don't know either, honey. I don't know either. All right. This is from SP Pronouns she and her dear AG and dg. I know I'm about to preach to the choir, but now is the time for us to sing out loudly with one voice. I have served for more than 20 years in the Department of the Interior along with many, many others that take our service very seriously. The civil servants of the U.S. federal government serve the people of the United States. According to the US Constitution, we do not serve the executive branch, but we do take out funding from the legislative branch and use it as directed by laws passed. We as employees are not paid as much as what those in the private sector can. We do not get IPOs or stock offers, but we do put in the years of service toward a reasonable retirement. Civil servants are what Mr. Rogers used to call the helpers of society. We inspect things to keep the public safe. We do research to find cures to diseases and help keep our water and air safe. We are there on the phone when you need help. We process payments, are the bedside of the sick and those that need help when we are there in an emergency. We're the backbone that keeps the United States safe and functioning as a prosperous nation. We are under threat by those that do not understand service. The cowards calling for a performance culture. The federal workforce is comprised of the best America has to offer.

[Alison Gill]

Hear, hear.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep, the civil servants I've known have gone above and beyond their duties. I can only think of one or two who did not perform their duties to expected. But at the same time I knew dozens who went way above expectations. The American people have benefited from the culture of service dedicated to duty and the belief in small role each of us has to the greater good. Transactional bullies will never understand this. The coward who wrote the memos from the opm.gov could not even sign a name to it. All government employees take responsibility for their duties. But the nameless coward who wrote these directives is no civil servant. We, the civil servants of the United States, are a treasure, silent until now, who make the country work. Yes, there are silly little things we are told to do, but we are only enforcing the rules set by laws pendant approved in Congress and then approved by the executive branch and held up by the judicial branch. There is a process for change and it is slow and cumbersome. But it is there to ensure that safeguards for society are there. It is time for the chorus of federal workers to sing out about what we do and who we serve. The findings of federally funded science belong to the people, the experts who conduct that research. Are there an emergency when we need them from the people who are there to take care of our veterans, inspect our food supply, ensure safety for the airways, roads, railways, to those that help run the many, many other programs across the federal government. We serve you, the American people. We carry the knowledge of over knowledge over long careers. And I know some of you have 30 to 50 years of service. We do not just walk away from those we serve. To all my friends that would rather use a tuning fork to sing your perfect pitch than to take a silly fork in a road. Let the American people know what they have and what they might lose if nameless cowards get their way. For my pot pet tax, here's Leia the cat hiding behind some houseplants and copper one of our chickens out in the grass. Copper is beautiful.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. Wow.

[Dana Goldberg]

So is a cat.

[Alison Gill]

Fancy chicken with those little black tip feathers. Leah, beautiful sb thank you for sending this. I, I echoed that. I think I wrote in a substack because they're trying to smear our federal workforce. Especially in that faq. That fork FAQ follow up that went out that was like we want you to become private sector, productive private sector employees, not unproductive government workers or whatever. The. It's disgusting the way they're smearing our federal workforce. And it's funny that you mentioned something that I mentioned in my substack sb. I've worked with hundreds and thousands of federal employees. I had at one time about 400 people working for me, direct reports when I was the outpatient clinic ops chief for the whole Los Angeles VA Health System. And, and I seriously ran into two people who were not putting in 110% and I could name them. And that's over more than a decade career working as a civil servant. So the fact that you said you only know like one or two people, that's exactly right. So to say, you know, they're lazy or whatever is just absolute bullshit. It's a smear campaign to get the American people to go along with their massive dismantling of our federal workforce. And I stand with you. So thanks for that submission and thanks everybody for all your submissions and photos. Please send us all your good [e-mail] and click on contact. There's a new episode of Unjustified out and it's really, it's kind of heart wrenching because, you know, Friday night as the news was breaking about the FBI Purge and the DOJ purge, I was reading those breaking headlines to Andy McCabe who spent over two decades at the FBI and it was his reaction Just. You should. You should check it out. It's free. Wherever you get your podcast, it's called Unjustified. It used to be called the Jack Podcast until Jack Smith went away. So that's where we are. Thank you so much for all your good news. This is so heartening and lovely. And Dana, thanks for that good trouble today. I had no idea that you could round up and donate on the Lyft app. That's so incredible. Do you have any final thoughts today?

[Dana Goldberg]

No, I think we covered it.

[Alison Gill]

All right, everybody, 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, 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 McFarlane with art and web design by Joelle Reader 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 mswmedia.com msw media.