The Election Cookbook (feat. John Fugelsang)

Summary

The Daily Beans — "The Election Cookbook" (feat. John Fugelsang)

Date: February 6, 2026
Hosts: Allison Gill (AG), Dana Goldberg (DG)
Guest: John Fugelsang
Podcast: The Daily Beans, MSW Media

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Episode Overview

This Friday’s episode of The Daily Beans dives into the latest developments in U.S. politics, focusing on Democratic priorities for DHS funding, the repercussions of mass deportations, issues surrounding ICE enforcement, fresh updates from the Epstein files, Tulsi Gabbard’s role in alleged election interference, and seismic shifts in Virginia’s redistricting plans. The episode features a lively, insight-heavy guest segment with John Fugelsang, who brings his signature wit and biting analysis to connections between political corruption, election manipulation, and the unending fallout from the Epstein scandal.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Democratic DHS Funding Demands

• [05:00] Senate Democrats published a 10-point list of demands concerning DHS funding, centering on curtailing ICE/federal agent overreach.
  • Demands include: judicial warrants for ICE entry, body cameras, ban on masks/face coverings, clear display of agent IDs, protections for sensitive locations, prohibition of racial profiling, codification of reasonable use-of-force standards, coordination with local authorities, accountability for detention center conditions, no paramilitary “policing,” and safeguards against federal data abuse.
• The Sanders Amendment to defund ICE did NOT make the cut, signaling the limits of what Dems believe is negotiable.
• AG laments the dropped demand to actually defund ICE:

  “I still think we should demand it… They got three-quarters of the way there for me.” — AG [09:18]

2. Federal Prosecution Overload in Minnesota

• [10:00] Operation Metro Surge, Trump-era mass deportations, is overwhelming Minnesota’s federal prosecutor’s office.
• U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen admits to abandoning civil/criminal priorities due to 427 habeas petitions since January.
  • Impact: serious crimes left uninvestigated as resources shift to immigration.
  • Contradicts DHS claims that the legal system isn’t overloaded.
• AG’s take:

  “This administration…they don’t give a shit. Immigration isn’t a crime. They don’t give a shit anyway. It’s bullshit.” — AG [12:29]

3. ICE and Warrantless Arrests Ruled Illegal in Oregon

• [12:55] Federal Judge Kasubi issues a preliminary injunction: ICE must stop warrantless arrests unless there’s a likelihood of escape.
• Class-action challenge exposes “arrest first, justify later” strategy.
• AG notes many transparency/civil rights safeguards are already law, though often unenforced.

4. Epstein Files Fallout: Legal Scandals and Resignations

• [14:01] Brad Karp, the chair of Paul Weiss, resigns after new documents show a close (and shady) relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
• Details: meals at Epstein’s mansion, efforts to get Karp’s son a role in a Woody Allen film, attendance at exclusive events.
• Karp’s resignation comes after controversial maneuvers with Trump to secure $40 million in pro bono legal work and avoid punitive executive orders.
• AG connects these revelations to the broader theme of elite impunity:

  “Of course they did, because Trump knows everyone who’s involved… and is blackmailing the out of them.” — AG [16:18]

5. Tulsi Gabbard & Puerto Rico Election Interference Investigation

• [16:33] Reuters: Tulsi Gabbard’s team (as Trump’s DNI) seized voting machines/data in Puerto Rico to probe unfounded claims of Venezuelan interference.
  • No evidence found, but Gabbard’s office maintains the probe was about security.
  • AG highlights this as alarming overreach, especially since no foreign nexus was found.
• Sen. Mark Warner sounds the alarm:

  "Absent a foreign nexus, intelligence agencies have absolutely no lawful role in domestic election administration." — [18:10]

6. Redacted Whistleblower Report on Tulsi Gabbard

• [19:18] Congress receives a heavily redacted whistleblower report alleging Gabbard politically restricted dissemination of a classified intelligence report—echoing Trump’s handling of Zelenskyy’s call transcript.
• Complaints about over-classification and Congressional stonewalling abound.

7. Virginia Democrats Unveil Extreme Redistricting Proposal

• [20:32] Virginia Dems announce a 10-to-1 congressional map, with legal challenges pending.
  • Press conference praise: “We said 10-to-1 and we meant it. We’re proud to deliver a map that stands up for democracy.” — Sen. Louise Lucas [20:57]
  • Ongoing court wrangling could escalate to VA Supreme Court.

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John Fugelsang Interview Highlights

(“Fugelsang Fridays” segment: [25:23] – [51:06])

Epstein Files, Political Implications & GOP Hypocrisy

• On selective redactions:

  “They saw fit to redact the names of all manner of monster in here… but they did not redact the names of, I believe it was 43 or 47 women…those women’s addresses are traceable.” — John Fugelsang [27:33] “Donald Trump is mentioned in the Epstein files 5,000 times more than abortion is mentioned in the Bible.” — John F. [25:56]

• On DOJ inaction & cover-up:

  “They are still protecting it…3 million documents still withheld because those are irrelevant to a child sex trafficking operation.” — John F. [30:18]

• On the broader political context:

  “Epstein ran this global cabal…with zero actual clients. This is the first crime in history where there are victims and evidence and money and travel and recruiters, but somehow no customers.” — John F. [32:12]

Election Interference & Gabbard’s Role

• On Gabbard’s actions as DNI:

  “The President sent the Director of National Intelligence to Georgia to go through ballots from an election he lost five years ago. Most normal sentence ever, right?” — JF [33:43]

  • Points out pattern: Trump/GOP seeking “foreign interference” narrative as a legal pretext to seize elections; attempts to construct a “national security” rationale for federalizing election control.
• AG elucidates connections to 2020/Jan 6 plots:

  “He’s been trying to use foreign election interference because he thinks the Supreme Court will show him regard for due deference needed for foreign affairs.” — AG [36:07]

On Republican Election Intimidation Tactics & ICE at Polls

• Bannon’s call for ICE and military at polling stations is framed as calculated voter intimidation.

  "They’re pitching ICE now as Trump’s private militia to scare black and brown voters away from the ballot box. It’s never been about illegal voting, it’s always about making legal voters more afraid." — John F. [39:28]

On the Power of Grassroots Political Resistance

• Example: Democrat Taylor Remt flipping a Texas seat by massive underdog victory despite Trump endorsement and lopsided spending.

  “It’s like a GoFundMe beating a hedge fund.” — John F. [41:48]

• John underscores that Dems have flipped 8 Republican state legislative seats since Trump took office; zero the other way.

Cultural Shifts and the Long Arc toward Justice

• On the lasting impact of MeToo, survivors, and public outcry:

  “It has never been harder in all of human history for a man to get away with interfering with a woman or a child than it is right now… as crappy as it all is, think about the incredible moral progress we’ve seen in our lifetimes.” — John F. [47:40]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We used to accept this crap of ‘we’re not worthy and we shouldn’t exist’ like this government is trying to push down our throats. … We’ve got to revolt and we’ve got to reclaim who the f* we are.” — Ms. Major, as highlighted by AG [04:02]**
• “This administration, what happened to tough on crime? They don’t give a shit. Immigration isn’t a crime. They don’t give a shit anyway. It’s bullshit.” — AG [12:29]
• “He doesn’t care about a trial or a conviction. … He cares about the message and the red meat for his base and … weaponizing Department of Justice.” — AG [38:14]
• “BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, Republicans. … Now we can pack and crack the white districts.” — AG (re: gerrymandering) [22:04]
• “They’re terrified. And that is what I care about.” — John F. [47:40]
• “Epstein files will continue to drive our politics for months and months to come. And I’m inspired by that, because 40 years ago, this wouldn’t have happened… it’s because people are tired of it.” — John F. [49:50]
• “There are concentration camps they’re trying to build in warehouses in multiple rural MAGA counties… and that city council, the Republican city council, was like, no, we don’t want that here.” — AG [43:28]
• AG on hope:

  “We’ve got some reasons to hope, and I’m big on that stuff, so we'll talk about that a little bit later, too.” [02:27]

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Important Timestamps

• [02:58] Black History Month spotlight: Ms. Major’s legacy and activism
• [05:00] – [10:04] 10-point DHS funding demands & ICE policy critique
• [10:04] Operation Metro Surge overburdening Minnesota federal prosecutors
• [12:55] Federal judge’s injunction against ICE warrantless arrests in Oregon
• [14:01] Paul Weiss chair resigns over Epstein files
• [16:33] – [20:02] Tulsi Gabbard’s investigation and whistleblower controversies
• [20:32] Virginia Democrats' 10-to-1 redistricting proposal
• [25:23] – [51:06] John Fugelsang interview: Epstein files, election interference, ICE, GOP fear tactics, democratic engagement

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Conclusion

This episode of The Daily Beans offers a sweeping, often scathing look at the intersections of justice, political power, and public accountability. From the ongoing struggle to rein in DHS abuses and the disarray in federal law enforcement, to the long-lasting shadow cast by Epstein’s crimes and their political protection, the Beans crew and John Fugelsang refuse to let these stories be buried or spun. The episode closes by amplifying hope from grassroots victories, cultural progress, and the lasting power of community resistance—reminding listeners that, as dark as things can get, the arc can still bend toward justice.

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For more:

• Follow John Fugelsang on SiriusXM Progress Ch. 127 and the John Fugelsang Podcast
• Submit stories, shout-outs, or good-news moments via dailybeanspod.com

Ads, intros, and closing banter have been omitted. This summary preserves the core political and cultural discussions, with all quotes and timestamps for context and citation.

Transcript

[A]

It's no surprise that newsmakers try to manipulate the audience. They want you to believe that they are the one holding the line, and they'll use any trick they can to get you there.

[B]

But don't let them fool you.

[A]

Get Unspun. I'm Amanda Sturgel. I've been a reporter, and today I teach future reporters to cut the spin and think critically about what newsmakers say. My podcast, Unspun, shows you how to know when you're being manipulated by the news. Learn to spot the tricks, and how to make up your own mind about what's true. So if you're tired of being fooled by the news, subscribe to UNSPUN today. Unspun. Because you deserve the truth.

[B]

MSW Media.

[C]

News.

[D]

We're swearing.

[B]

Jelly beans. Jelly beans. Jelly beans.

[C]

Jelly beans.

[B]

Daily Beans. Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Friday, February 6, 2026. Today, Senate Democrats have published their list of demands to fund dhs, and the Sanders amendment isn't on it. Tulsi Gabbard investigated Nicholas Maduro for election interference in Puerto Rico last year. A top Minnesota prosecutor says the overwhelming number of ICE cases is causing other matters to slip through the cracks. Congress has received a copy of the whistleblower report about Tulsi Gabbard, but it's heavily redacted. A leader of the Paul Weiss firm has resigned after appearing in the Epstein files, and a judge rules that ICE cannot make warrantless arrests in Oregon. I'm Alison Gill.

[C]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[B]

All right, everybody, it's Friday, which means John Fugelsang is going to join us later in the show for Fuglsang Fridays. How are you doing today, Dana?

[C]

I'm doing okay, my friend. I'm tired. You know, Heather Cox Richardson was talking about this like, I'm not sleepy. I'm exhausted. We're fucking exhausted.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So today's hitting me a little bit harder, but I'm hanging in there. How about you?

[B]

Same. Exhausted. I just finished writing up a piece about Maduro and Gabbard and voting machines and election interference over on substackmillershare.com and? And I've been researching this one for a long time based on, you know, everything I've covered over the last eight and how all the dots are connecting. So, yeah, it's a lot. If you get a chance, check that out. But, you know, there's certain days where the kind of work you do takes so much brain power that it just exhausts you. Do you know what I mean? I do, but I'm hanging in there. I'm hanging in there. We've got some reasons to hope, and I'm big on that stuff, so we'll talk about that a little bit later, too, with John Fiegel saying, but, yeah, I'm with you. I'm exhausted as well.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, do have some good. I like highlighting. I like that we're doing. This is from Erin in the Morning. Erin Reed spotlights Ms. Major Griffin. Gracie today for Black History Month, known to many as Mama Major, was a dedicated community organizer who refused to abandon the most marginalized among us. And this is a beautiful quote. Major's fierce commitment and intersectional approach to justice brought her to care directly for people with HIV and AIDS in New York in the early 1980s and later to drive San Francisco's first mobile needle exchange. Her obituary via House of Gigi reads that and says, as director of TGI Justice Project, she returns to prisons as a mentor to her girls inside. In 2019, she'd be powerfully guided by spirit and her vision in search of a family gathering property. House of Gigi was born out of her dream to build a center that would empower, heal, and be a safe haven for black trans. Trans people and movement leaders in the Southern U. S. A space for our community.

[B]

Yeah. And in Ms. Major's own words, here's a quote. We used to accept this crap of we're not worthy and we shouldn't exist like this government is trying to push down our throats. That's what she told Vice in 2018 and went on to say, quote, we've got to revolt and we've got to reclaim who the we are. If this world is going to get its act together, they have to support and put in the front to lead this revolution the people who are the most oppressed, which is my black transgender community, unquote.

[C]

Amen to that.

[B]

She passed away last year, as you had quoted her obituary there. But, yeah, Ms. Major, just. What a force.

[C]

Yeah. This was a big deal. A big deal. Beautiful ceremony from the community honoring her. Yeah. And I'm glad that we're highlighting her. And, I mean, the impact. The impact of so many LGBTQ people, especially trans women of color in our movement. We're going to cover as much as we can.

[B]

Yeah. And thanks again to Aaron, Erin Reed. Aaron in the Morning for writing these up. Really appreciate it. All right, we have a lot of news to get to today. Let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up, from the Guardian, following the fatal shootings of American citizens Renee Goode and Alex Preddy by federal agents in Minneapolis last month. Democrats have refused to support long term funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless Republicans agree to reforms on the tactics of federal agents carrying out Trump's immigration crackdown. There's 10 of them. They've all agreed to this. Here's the list. Number one, Targeted enforcement. DHS officers can't enter private property without a judicial warrant, end indiscriminate arrests and improve warrant procedures and standards and require verification that a person is not a U.S. citizen before holding them in immigration detention. Number two, no masks. They want to prohibit ICE and Immigration Enforcement agents from wearing masks and other face coverings. Number three, Require ID requires DHS officers conducting immigration enforcement to display their agency unique ID number and last name and require them to verbalize their ID number and last name if asked. Number four, Protect sensitive locations by prohibiting funds from being used to conduct enforcement near sensitive locations, including medical facilities, schools, childcare facilities, churches, polling places, courts, etc. Number five, stop racial profiling. That's the Kavanaugh stops we've all seen. Number six, Uphold use of force standards. Place into law a reasonable use of force policy. Expand training and require certification of officers in the case of an incident. The officer must be removed from the field until an investigation is concluded. Most of these are already policy. They just want to codify this, I think.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Number seven, Ensure state and local coordination and oversight by preserving the ability of state and local jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute potential crimes and use of excessive force incidents. Require evidence is preserved and shared with local jurisdictions and require the consent of states and localities to conduct large scale operations outside targeted immigration enforcement. Number eight, Build safeguards into the system by making clear that all buildings where people are detained must abide by the same basic detention standards that require immediate access to a person's attorney to prevent citizen arrest or detention Allow states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for violations of all requirements and prohibit limitations on member visits to ICE facilities regardless of how those facilities are funded. Number nine, Body cameras for accountability, not tracking. Require the use of body worn cameras when interacting with the public and mandate requirements for the storage and access of footage and prohibit tracking, creating or maintaining databases of individuals participating in First Amendment activities. As you know, we've been seeing a lot of ICE agents take people's photos and say we've got you now. And then their TSA Global Entry is revoked or whatever.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

Number 10, no paramilitary police regulate and standardize the type of uniforms and equipment that DHS officers employ. During enforcement operations to bring them in line with civil enforcement. So right now it seems, Dana, like a lot of these ICE agents are wearing their own masks. I saw one of a guy with a skull face on his. You know, the mask and his face covering. I've seen videos of these agents bringing their own personal dogs on these enforcement activities. People carrying their own guns. In fact, it says in a lot of DHS memos, bring your own gun if you want.

[C]

Unbelievable.

[B]

Like fuck you. But anyway, notably missing the Sanders amendment. There's nothing in here demanding defunding ICE from the big beautiful bill that was apparently a non starter for Republicans. I still think we should demand it. I mean, why did we go through the trouble of severing DHS from the rest of the funding package if you aren't going to shut down dhs? I think they should demand to defund ICE and Customs and Border Protection or shut down dhs. And the only trouble with that, as we know, is that ICE and Customs and Border Protection would continue to operate unabated, fully funded, with everyone getting paid during a shutdown of DHS because of that funding from the supplemental slush funds in the big ugly bill. Yeah. So they got three quarters of the way there for me, Dana. I was like, yeah, sever dhs, two weeks stopgap, then you got all the leverage. Then asked to defund. And they did put up an amendment last week which every single Democrat and two Republicans voted for to defund ice. But that amendment was voted no by every single Republican except for those two, and it was failed. And so now they've moved on to these 10 items. Yeah. And so it seems, because this is a negotiation, that they know that they're not going to get all 10. Yeah, I don't know. I'm just a little disappointed. I was hoping they would try to defund ice.

[C]

Yeah, I thought. Well, I was hoping so too. It is frustrating. Okay, this one's from Politico. The top federal prosecutor in Minnesota says his short staffed office has been abandoning pressing and important priorities to manage the flood of immigration cases stemming from Operation Metro surge. As we know, that's the Trump administration's mass deportation push in the Twin Cities. U.S. attorney Daniel Rosen, in a little noticed filing last week with the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, said the office is buckling under crushing weight of hundreds of emergency lawsuits filed by immigrants arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the recent weeks. And it's one of why one of their lawyers was like, can you fucking lock me up please, for contempt? So I can sleep for 24 hours. He said 427 had been filed in January alone and that the pace is expected to continue into February. Quote. To respond to this wave of habeas petitions, this office has been forced to shift its already limited resources from other pressing and important priorities, rosen said in a declaration to the court. The MN USAO has canceled all civil enforcement work and any other affirmative priorities as it's operating in a reactive mode. In a filing accompanying Rosen's statement, Justice Department attorneys emphasized that the crushing burden caused by immigration cases had led U.S. attorney's office to shift resources away from other critical priorities, including criminal matters, crimes that are being committed in the city. Rosen's admissions contradict claims by the Department of Homeland Security that the flood of immigration cases filed in federal court has not overtaxed the Justice Department. A spokesperson said Wednesday that the administration is more than prepared to handle the legal caseload caused by the mass deportation efforts.

[B]

The other problem is that's compounding here is when the Supreme Court last year in the Alien Enemies act case said that there will be no more nationwide injunctions and that you can only do stuff district by district with habeas petitions. But separately, all of 427 habeas petitions, but these are all in the same district. So it's, it kind of doesn't apply. But it's overwhelming the system so much that they can't investigate crimes. Yeah. Yeah. This administration, what happened to tough on crime? They don't give a shit. Immigration isn't a crime. They don't give a shit anyway. It's bullshit and something I think that the Democrats should talk about. We can't, we can't investigate crimes in our cities. The federal government can't investigate crimes in the U.S. attorney's offices because they're so busy dealing with snatching your neighbor and disappearing them to a third country.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Next up from The Associated Press, U.S. immigration agents in Oregon must stop arresting people without warrants unless there's a likelihood of escape, according to a federal judge ruling on Wednesday. U.S. district Judge Mustafa Kasubi has issued a preliminary injunction in a proposed class action lawsuit targeting DHS and their practice of arresting immigrants they happened to come across while conducting ramped up enforcement operations, which critics have described as arrest first, justify later. The lawsuit was brought by the nonprofit law firm Innovation Law labor, whose executive director, Stephen Manning says he's confident the case will be a catalyst for change in Oregon. Quote, that is fundamentally what this case is about, asking the government to follow the law. He said during a hearing. The preliminary injunction will remain in effect while the lawsuit proceeds. So, you know, this whole one of the 10 things the Democrats are demanding, that you can't arrest people without warrants is already illegal. Yeah, it's already illegal. So is. Anyway, I'm not going to get on my soapbox about this right now.

[C]

Yeah. I love you, my friend. This is from the Wall Street Journal. Brad Karp, the leader of Paul Weiss, one of the country's biggest law firms, resigned as chair in the wake of new revelations about his association with Jeffrey Epstein. Karp is an influential lawyer in corporate circles who advised boards of directors and business leaders, including the Apollo Global Management co founder Leon Black. Karp faced criticism in legal circles last year after he brokered a deal with President Trump to resolve an executive order that cracked down on law firms. Yet the 1200 lawyer firm said it appointed Scott Barchey, one of the firm's most prominent rainmakers, as its new chair. Newly released Epstein file shows that Karp communicated with Epstein about Black, one of his top clients. Emails from 2016 show Karps asking Epstein to find a role for his son. Oncoming Woody Allen film. Oh God, I know. Earlier this week, Karp dropped out of a Wall Street Journal event, which he was scheduled to speak about leadership in uncertain times. Black hired Paul Weiss to negotiate a series of fee disputes with Epstein over several years. The firm said that it was adverse to Epstein, and at no point did Karp or the firm represent him. The new emails show a seemingly cozy relationship between Karp and Epstein that lasted years, including dinners at the financiers I'm sorry, the convicted child sex traffickers mansion and facilitated the attendance of Karp's family members at Woody Allen's movie screenings. A 2019 exchange shows Epstein asking the Republican strategist Steve Bannon to help Karp become a member at the exclusive Augusta National Golf Club. Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges three months later. Three months after that, last year, Trump issued a string of executive orders against law firms that threatened their business, ordering federal agencies to strip clients of government contracts and ban lawyers from federal buildings. Karp negotiated with Trump to avoid that order, promising $40 million in pro bono work. Several other large firms followed and made similar deals to avoid the punitive orders, totaling nearly a billion billion dollars in pro bono work. Of course they did, because Trump knows everyone who's involved in this thing and is blackmailing the out of them.

[B]

Yeah, and it also shows you that even if you give him $40 million in pro bono legal work, that doesn't mean he won't throw you under the bus.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

All right, next up from Reuters, a team working for Trump's spy chief, Tulsi Gabbard, last spring led an investigation into Puerto Rico's voting machines. That's what Gabbard's office said, along with three sources familiar with the previously unreported events. The sources said the goal was to work with the FBI to investigate claims that Venezuela had hacked voting machines in Puerto Rico, but added the probe did not produce any clear evidence of Venezuelan interference in the US Territory's elections. Gabbard's office, in a statement to Reuters, confirmed the May investigation but denied a link to Venezuela, saying its focus was on vulnerabilities in the island's electronic voting systems. Her team took an unspecified number of Puerto Rico's voting machines and additional copies of data from the machines as part of its investigation, according to a spokesperson, her office said the taking of voting machines and data was standard practice in forensic analysis. Noting similar voting infrastructure elsewhere in the United States, it added odni found extremely concerning cybersecurity and operational deployment practices that pose significant risk to US Elections. What's most alarming here is that Director Gabbard's own team acknowledges there was no evidence of foreign interference, yet they seized voting machines and election data anyway. That's what Mark Warner said, top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, quote, absent of foreign nexus, intelligence agencies have absolutely no lawful role in domestic election administration. This is exactly the kind of overreach Congress wrote the law to prevent, and it raises profound questions about whether our intelligence tools are being abused. Yes, they are, Senator Warner. Reuters sources said it was the unproven allegation of Venezuelan involvement in voting irregularities in the U.S. territories Elections that raised questions about possible foreign interference, something Gabbard had the legal authority to investigate. The Caribbean Islands residents are US Citizens but do not have voting representation in Congress and cannot vote in presidential general elections. Challenging the denials of Gabbard's office about Venezuela's role, these three sources told Reuters that the FBI team involved in the Puerto Rico operation was probing the theory that Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government had hacked US voting, an allegation that has strong support among some Trump supporters, but for which no evidence has surfaced publicly. Maduro. And now he's in custody. Yeah. In a separate story about Tulsi Gabbard from the Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration has disclosed to select lawmakers a classified government whistleblower complaint against Tulsi Gabbard that's according to her office. But significant portions were redacted due to claims of executive privilege. So at first it was too classified. Now it's executive privilege. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the complaint against Gabbard was filed with the intelligence community's inspector general last Monday, May. Huh? Right around the time they were investigating Puerto Rico's voting machines, but had stalled for eight months within Gabbard's office. Her office hadn't shared it with Congress until this week after the Wall Street Journal's report. In a memo sent to lawmakers Monday and posted online by Gabbard's office, the intelligence community inspector general wrote that the whistleblower alleged Tulsi Gabbard had restricted the sharing of a specific highly classified intelligence report for political purposes. That is exactly what they did with the Zelenskyy call transcript.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

In a letter late Tuesday to Gabbard, Bacchai Andrew Bakkei, who has not seen the complaint himself due to its classification, has said he and his client have received zero guidance on how to contact the intelligence committees directly about the complaint. Buckai says he's going to do so on his own on Monday to provide an unclassified briefing on Gabbard's conduct and the underlying intelligence concerns raised in the complaint. So yeah, all right.

[C]

Yeah, that's really all we can say. All right. This is from the Virginia Scope. Democrats in the General assembly have reached an agreement On a final 10 to 1 congressional redistricting proposal to go before voters in a referendum.

[B]

They aren't around. They were like, it's 6 to 5. Should we go? 7 to 4? Should we go? No, let's go 10 to 1, let's do it.

[C]

Said we made a promise to level the playing field and today we're keeping our promises. From Senator Louise Lucas, a Democrat in Portsmouth, said during a press conference with speaker of the House Don Scott, who's also a Democrat in Portsmouth, said, we said 10 to 1 and we meant it. We're proud to deliver a map that stands up for democracy, to stand up for Virginians to stand up and give us a voice. Scott and Lucas said governor Abigail Spanberger has seen the map and that they should be released to the public by the end of the day Thursday or early Friday morning. A Tazewell Circuit Court judge recently ruled that the Democrats did not legally propose this constitutional amendment to redraw congressional districts. Democrats quickly appealed and the Court of Appeals of Virginia forwarded the appeal to the Supreme Court of Virginia. So this is going to keep moving and we'll keep you post on what's going on.

[B]

Yeah, well, now that we know the Supreme Court is like, yeah, political gerrymandering is fine, go for it. That that's going to be their answer, I think from here on out. I disagree with that answer. But hey, if you're gonna allow political gerrymandering, we'll fuck that shit up. We'll fuck it up.

[C]

You, let's go.

[B]

Now we can pack and crack the white districts. How about that? Yeah, no kidding, assholes. All right, careful what you wish for, Republicans. Next up, we're going to talk to John Fugle saying for fee. Go saying Fridays and we'll have the good news. Stick around. We'll be right back after these messages. We'll be right back. Hey, everybody. This episode is brought to you by IQ Bar, our exclusive snack and hydration sponsor. IQ Bar is the better for you. Plant protein based snack made with brain boosting nutrients to refuel, nourish and satisfy hunger without the sugar crash. And right now, IQ Bar is offering you an exclusive deal. 20 off all IQ Bar products, plus you get free shipping. Just text daily beans, all one word to 64,000. So this new year gives us a chance to reset. I am genuinely excited about IQ Bar as part of that reset. What makes it special to me is that it's an easy, all in one snack that supports how I want to feel fueled, focused and consistent. All IQ Bar products are clean, label certified and entirely free from gluten, dairy, soy, GMOs, artificial ingredients. And they're made with clean, delicious ingredients that help keep you physically and mentally fit, including magnesium, Lion's Maneuver, and more. So the way to go is to try the sample pack. It's nine IQ Bars, eight IQ Mix sticks and four IQ Joe sticks. Now, we've got a no Kings event coming up on March 28th. And I am always, always, always packing IQ bars in my knapsack. And then I also take a couple of IQ Mix sticks with me to dump in a bottle of water so I can hydrate and get electrolytes. And before I hit the road that morning, I always do an IQ Joe. It's 200 milligrams of clean caffeine in amazing flavors. It's incredible. And you can get it all in the sampler pack. So reset and maximize your brain and body's potential with IQ Bar. And right now, IQ Bar is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQ Bar products, including that sampler pack, plus free shipping. So to get your 20% off, text daily beans. All one word to 64,000. That's daily beans to 64,000. Text daily beans to 64,000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Hi, I'm Frances Collier.

[C]

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[C]

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[B]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah. It's what we say, so. That's right.

[B]

And because all we do is give. Every Thursday, you can listen to our hysterical podcast, Idiot of the Week.

[C]

We round up the stupid.

[B]

Because you know what? Somebody has to. Okay. All we do is give. Hey, everybody. It's Friday on the Daily Beans. That means it's Fugal Sang Fridays. Please welcome my good friend. He hosts Tell Me Everything on Sirius XM progress channel 127, weeknights, 9pm Eastern, 6 Pacific. He is the New York Times bestselling author of the Separation of Church and Hate. He also hosts the John Fugelsang show podcast and writes the John Fugelsang substack. Please welcome my friend. You guessed it, John Fegelsang. Hi.

[D]

Thank you, Alison. Or should I say Ms. Motion to compel you and Boasberg. Wow. I should be interviewing you today.

[B]

Thank you. It was incredibly weird and also yet somehow democratically inspiring to see MSW Media, Inc. In a Judge Boasberg minute order.

[D]

Exactly. Yeah. That's amazing. That'll get a chapter in the memoir. You're connected to history now.

[B]

Oh, but then I would have to write a book.

[D]

All right, so it's overrated. It's been over.

[B]

Does anyone in this room know what that's like? I wonder.

[D]

I just want to point out Donald Trump is mentioned in The Epstein files 5,000 times more than abortion is ever mentioned in a Bible. And you can let your right wing loved ones know that. Friends, hi.

[B]

He's mentioned 20 times more than Jesus is mentioned in the way.

[D]

More than Jesus is mentioned, my guy. He's more than pronouns are in the Bible, for God's sakes. Yeah, it's great. And so is Steve Bannon, which makes a lot of things a lot more interesting, too.

[B]

Yeah. Who now is calling to have ICE and the military out and about at polling stations. Which Caroline Levitt just confirmed from the White House press room podium. Again, it's a lot like the Gestapo, right? There was 10,000 Germans for every one Gestapo and secret Service officer. So they had to make believe that they were everywhere all at once and omnipresent and always, you know, around every corner when, you know, they. They knew that they were outnumbered 10,000 to one. And that's what we're seeing here.

[C]

But let's.

[B]

Let's go back to the Epstein files for a second because there was a lot that came out over this past weekend, but it seemed to me to be very tailored. Right. A bunch of allegations and tips without FBI 302s.

[D]

That's right.

[B]

A bunch of his political enemies mentioned everyone. All the perpetrators redacted or attempted to be redacted, but none of seeming like none of the survivors photos and things were redacted properly.

[D]

Most of the survivors, a few of the survivors had their names redacted. Yeah, but you're exactly right. That should be outrage. Number one. This is what Kaitlan Collins was specifically addressing when he told her to shut up and smile more. She was addressing child rape. And the fact is that, look, I love the Ro Khanna Thomas Massie show, the unlikely buddy cop movie that no one expected we'd enjoy so much. But Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie were able to get all of these Epstein survivors to sign on to this bill because they assured them that their privacy would be safe. They assured them that they wouldn't be victimized all over again. But Pam Bondi and Donald Trump, who as of this weekend have now been breaking the law every day to protect child rapists for 50 days. That's this weekend we hit the 50 day mark that they've broken the law every day. Still withholding 3 million files. Right. They saw fit to redact the names of all manner of monster in here. I mean, there's guys. Epstein was a pimp. That's what we're learning. He was a pimp to these men, including possibly Steve Bannon. That Geneva Paris conversation is very interesting to review, too. There's a lot. This is like the Bible. I'm never going to get to read all of this in one lifetime. But they did not redact the names of, I believe it was 43 or 47 women, including their photos. So those women's addresses are traceable. They're already being harassed. A promise was made to these women that they'd be safe. And that promise has been broken by Pam Bondi and by Donald Trump, who are still protecting the child rapists. They're putting five year olds with elephant hats and Spider man backpacks into concentration camps because their fathers are legal asylum seekers going through the required process. But they are protecting the privacy of men who put their children. That is what every conversation has to lead with when dealing with our right wing friends now.

[B]

Yeah, and I learned about that when I interviewed some of the sources of the original FBI agents who were locked in a building and told to redact Trump and his friends. But not so much the survivors, until they demanded was the FBI analysts at the Information management division who demanded, we must protect these. That's the paramount thing we should be worried about. And it was kind of like a. Oh, fine. But we would like to see them. We would like that information. Kash Patel and Pam Bondi would like the information of the survivors and their names. But what do you make of the fact that the half of the files that they've released seem to be very. They seem to have cherry picked quite a bit here. I mean, if you think that what we got this past weekend, which is the final by the way. Release. They're done releasing files now. If these are as horrible as they are, imagine what they're not sharing.

[D]

Yeah, and this is not the final release. This is not the law. They have to release 3 million more files. This is a cover up of child rape. They're breaking their own law every day. Now, if you and I ignored a federal deadline for over 50 days, ice would repel through our chimneys. Right, but when the DOJ does it, they just hold a press conference where some guy named Todd announces full compliance because law is woke. They're breaking the law every day. The DOJ acknowledges Dr. Gill, that over a thousand girls are abused. Massive years long sex trafficking investigation, hundreds of tips, multiple named co conspirators referenced by Ghislaine Maxwell that our government knows about. While they're giving Ghislaine Maxwell, who is not just a sex trafficker but also a child rapist, preferential treatment. And yet the number of men charged for trafficking those girls is zero. It's like Epstein ran this global cabal, this sex trafficking ring powered by his own charisma, with zero actual clients. This is the first crime in history where there are victims and evidence and money and travel and recruiters, but somehow no customers. They are still protecting it. So they say. 3 million documents still withheld because those are irrelevant to a child sex trafficking operation. Alison, like the warranty report saying, oh no, these bullets in the body are not relevant to the rest of the report, I mean, and this is Donald Trump's personal criminal lawyer, Todd Blanche, the guy who sat in the cell with G. Lang Maxwell and made her the deal where she'd get a nicer concentration camp with puppies, a much nicer jail than the five year old kid in the blue hat got thrown into. I mean, this is a guy Donald Trump paid to protect him in court when a jury found him guilty of fraud. And then they accidentally posted up the really terrifying stuff, you know, on the first day when all the tips came out and you had the email about Trump and the allegation involving the 14 year old girl who bit him and he punched him and then they deleted it 20 minutes later. Okay, that, that. How is that not going to be seen by history as an admission of guilt? You don't accidentally delete evidence unless you accidentally told the truth. And that's the tell. When you publish something and then remove it, you've told the rest of us. Exactly. Which part scares you? So I don't see this going away. And for a Democratic party that's so obsessed with fundraising, I think the only way forward is for every serious Democratic candidate to demand a special independent counsel in this case, that there has to be an independent counsel to do an investigation and track down these rapists of children because Epstein's island is still on American soil. It can be done.

[B]

Yeah, I agree. And another thing, that to protect this sex trafficking cabal and himself, he's going to try to nationalize and steal elections. He sent Tulsi Gabbard down to Georgia looking for some ballots to steal. I don't know how does the song go, John? But she seized a bunch of ballots, original ballots, voting machine tapes. And you know what I thought would be all in the name of trying to fabricate foreign election interference. We get a story from Reuters today that she did this in Puerto Rico last spring. She went down to seize voting machines to try to prove that Maduro interfered in the 2020 election to help Biden.

[D]

Your guess exactly right. I mean, just think about this. This is the most normal sentence ever uttered, right? The President sent the Director of National Intelligence to Georgia to go through ballots from an election he lost five years ago. Most normal sentence ever, right? I mean Maduro is the key thing here. And that's what's keeping me awake at night. Because what if this is like, oh, all those Disney Star Wars TV shows and they really do all wind up connecting like Marvel in the end? Because think about this. Maduro's in a Jail right now. Why do you send the Director of National Intelligence for a domestic election? Unless you're trying somehow to be able to say, oh, look, another country hacked our election. And so Tulsi Gabbard, like, she's the ballot. Scooby Doo goes to the state where we know Trump already tried to steal it. He committed fraud on the phone. We've heard the tape. Find me 11,780 votes. Not count them, not verify manifest those votes. And we know that the recounts confirm that he lost Georgia and the judges laughed him out of the room. And Giuliani had to pay 148 million for his lies about Georgia. So now they're gonna send the Director of National Intelligence on an FBI raid to Georgia for this thing that's been audited more times than Trump University this election. Necrophilia. And then we find out that she takes a call for Trump from inside the FBI meeting and puts him on speakerphone like he's giving the agents a pep talk before the big game. This is the President personally hyping federal agents for an investigation that will personally benefit him. They didn't campaign on this. They didn't talk about it all in 2025. Alison. Right now, before the midterm, suddenly they need to do it. So you tell me, either Tulsi Gabbard has uncovered earth shattering evidence that was missed by all of these courts and all of these Republican officials and all of these DOJ investigations, or Trump has an obedient supplicant. He might have compromise on who has compromised credibility to help him launder another lie. And if it is Maduro, what happens if Maduro suddenly says, yes, Venezuela hacked the election because we like Joe Biden and fear Trump so much, and then Trump gives Maduro a pardon and that's what they'll use to justify seizing the mechanisms of our election. Because they all know there is no way they can win. And it's happening right in the open. And God knows the Jeff Bezos of the world are gonna let him do it.

[B]

Well, don't forget Trump wanted to seize voting machines in 2020. He wanted. First he wanted Bill Barr to do it. And Bill Barr's like, nah, get out of my face. Then he wanted DHS to do it, and Chris Krebs was like, there's no foreign interference. And then Krebs got fired, and now there's an executive order to investigate him. And in a December 18 meeting in the Oval Office a few weeks before the insurrection, he tried to get the Pentagon to seize voting machines. And it was Rudy Giuliani, the voice of reason in that room that day, that said, no, you have to have foreign election interference in order to seize voting machines. So they cooked up Hugo Chavez, they cooked up Italian satellites, they cooked up an executive order with Mike Flynn and Phil Waldron saying that the President can seize the voting machines in these states. And so he's been trying to use foreign election interference because he thinks the Supreme Court will show him regard for the due deference needed for foreign affairs. As they said in that Abrego, facilitate his return thing. He thinks that's his foot in the door to be able to nationalize elections, control oversight of elections, even though the executive has no role whatsoever in oversight of elections or, you know, putting. Administering elections. That's the states. Right. So we'll see what the Supreme Court, if they're still on the states rights.

[D]

Trip, there's no gray area there. You're right. Yeah, they can't. But let me ask you a dumb question here, because let's say that they somehow wanted to have a criminal case out of the election hacking in Georgia, right? By speaking with the FBI investigators, didn't Trump just give all the ammunition any future defense counsel would need? I mean, it's clearly, it would be a. The fact that he talked to the agents makes it a vindictive prosecution.

[B]

It does, but he doesn't care about convicting anyone. These are, these. If there were crimes, they're over five years old anyway, and the statute of limitations has expired. You remember when he said, hey, Zelensky, open an investigation. I don't care what the outcome is. You don't actually have to do anything, just open an investigation into Burismo or.

[D]

They just wanted an investigation.

[B]

Jeffrey Clark, say there's an investigation into election fraud in the swing states, and me and the Republicans in Congress will do the rest. He doesn't care about outcomes. He cares about.

[D]

You're exactly right.

[B]

He cares about the message and the red meat for his base and also making lives hell for his political enemies and weaponizing Department of Justice. So he doesn't give a shit.

[D]

He doesn't care about a trial, about.

[B]

A trial or a conviction.

[D]

And with Zelenskyy, it's so true. I mean, they never wanted an investigation of Joe Biden. He just wanted a foreign president to make an announcement on American TV that there was an investigation of Joe Biden. That's it. That was what the whole blackmail was. And of course, as soon as this story broke from the whistleblower on the phone call, Zelenskyy canceled that dopey interview and has had the good sense to never bring it up ever since then. But I mean, we forget Trump got impeached twice for trying to steal the same election. But now brings it back to Epstein because look at the people they chose to humiliate. They redact the names of so many, but they'll still put out, you know, Bill Gates and Noam Chomsky and Bill Clinton and Mick Jagger. And they'll also still put out Howard Lutnick, who is all over this, revealed to be a grotesque liar about his disgust for Epstein. Like, you know, and Steve Bannon, who is all over the Epstein files, who is trying to whitewash Epstein's crimes, who clearly is negotiating the delivery of a woman or a girl to him at some point in Europe. I mean, this is the Epstein files. What we already have are so damaging to Steve Bannon, who then, I mean, at one point you see Epstein tell him, I don't like texting about this. It's that skeevy. And that's why Bannon did that two hour, one on one interview with Epstein, was just to launder his reputation. So Bannon has probably got the fear of God in him because he's badmouthing Trump incessantly. They're talking about how Trump is so easy to control by the Russians. Bannon is the one talking about 25th Amendment and Trump's crazy in these. So what a shock. Within days of the files being released, here's Steve Bannon oozing out of his cave to say, yes, we're gonna have ICE surround the polling places. And again, courts have enforced this for decades. Bannon's describing textbook voter intimidation and he knows it. Is he saying it just because he wants to terrorize people and it's gonna happen, or is he only auditioning for Trump to forgive him? Because they're pitching ICE now as Trump's private militia to scare black and brown voters away from the ballot box. It's never been about illegal voting. It's always about making legal voters more afraid.

[B]

Yeah, 100%. And you know, now we've got this new whistleblower complaint. By the way, the Zelenskyy whistleblower was what happened there was that that transcript of the phone call was over classified because it was embarrassing and it was shoved into a codeword classified system. And now we have a new whistleblower saying Tulsi Gabbard did the same.

[D]

That's right.

[B]

I don't know if it's connected because this was filed Last May. And that's right around the time that she went down to Puerto Rico to do this. I don't know if they're connected.

[D]

He likes them compromised. He likes them dirty. Pete Hex.

[B]

We don't know what's in report that's ultra classified over classified, I should say. But I have a feeling we're going to learn more about it in the coming days and weeks. All right, let's shift gears a little bit. I want to talk about some more positive things about elections and why this administration is so terrified of the midterms. We see what Taylor Remt did in Texas, which absolutely blew me away, by the way.

[D]

I mean, this is a union man, an Air Force veteran, and this was, as I'm sure your attractive listeners know, at Texas State Senate seat that Trump had won by 17 points and his opponent, Lee Wambsgans had publicly endorsed by Trump all over the place, right. Spent 736,000 bucks and Taylor Remt spent about 70 grand. Like he was outspent 10 times over in Texas. And it's like a GoFundMe beating a hedge fund. And Trump had posted in all caps, complete and total endorsement, complete and total. And then this guy won. And Trump is like, I'm not involved in that. I don't know anything about that race. And it's like, dude, you don't get to get out the vote in all caps. And then pretend you don't remember and then tell us you're fine cognitively. Okay? Like, you can forget it or you don't have dementia. But it's an amazing story, folks, and this is everything they're scared about. Democrats have now flipped, what, eight Republican held state legislative seats since Trump took office. And Republicans have flipped zero. This is why they're trying so hard to cheat in Texas. And by God, what do I always say to you? John Roberts is one of the few Republicans who cares about his place in the history books. The Supreme Court is going to let California cheat to keep up with Texas. I mean, it's just getting crazy out there. They know they're going to lose, and there's really not a lot they can pull off that's. I don't think the American people will let them get away with or the Republican Party, because we got a long time until the first week of November. That's a long time for prices to go up, for Epstein files to get worse, and for these Republicans realizing that Donald Trump's name is not gonna help them keep their jobs.

[B]

Yeah, they're certainly not de Escalating ICE either. And there is now a, I think a realization that it's not just the ICE violence that Americans are disgusted and repulsed by, which they are, but it's also the broader picture of mass deportation. There are concentration camps they're trying to build in warehouses in multiple rural MAGA counties, like one that would. Trump won by 24 points. And they, that city council, the Republican City Council was like, no, we don't want that here. They aren't into mass deportation. We saw a wrestling event last night where the entire audience was chanting fuck ice. Fuck ice. Loudly and clearly. We've got, you know, bad Bunny and, and a Green Day at the super bowl this weekend. We've got the Grammys. We, I mean, it's just over and over again, it seems they're losing.

[D]

They're really, really losing their asses.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

And the problem is making us wake up. You know why Trump got elected again? Because when Joe Biden got the most votes any candidates ever gotten in history in 2020, we were all locked in our house with a plague going on outside. Everybody was engaged, everybody was watching the news all the time. Cause the world was on Fire in 2020.

[B]

And everybody had mail in photo and.

[D]

Everybody had mail in ballots because they had the goddamn time to look it up and go on the website and get the ballot mail to them. There was more participation. It shows that when more people participate, Democrats win and Republicans lose. Which we know, it's always how it is all the time. And that's what scares them. Cuz they know what happened in 2018 and 2022 were just appetizers. And a lot of these guys are gonna be out of a job this year because they hitched their wagon to Donald Trump when they should have known better. And by the way, I include Mike Johnson, my liberal friend. We can be as angry as we want about Akeem Jeffries, but that gavel's gonna fly into his hand like Thor's hammer. And Mike Johnson will have earned his place in disrepute. Let's not forget this is the same week, last week that the Florida Bar announced that they're not gonna sanction Matt Gaetz in any way. Mike Johnson was covering up child rape one year before Pam Bondi made it trending. Yeah, no outrage at this guy. He's still pretending, he's still getting into theological battles with the Pope, misquoting the Bible. And it's like, dude, you were covering for a child rapist over a year ago cuz it would make your party look bad. In elections. That's Matt Gaetz. The Florida bar doesn't care if Matt Gaetz had sex with a kid. One America News doesn't care if Matt Gaetz had sex with a kid. And boy howdy, Mike Johnson, Matt Gill, deep old Christian, he sure didn't care. Just as he partakes in this right now in the Epstein cover up, why.

[B]

Take a little bit of solace in that? There are, you know, elections are administered by states. There's like 150,000 locations and counting and things that go on. And there aren't a lot. There aren't enough ICE agents to be at every single polling location. But they can make the threat that they'll be at there might be at yours. You never know. Yeah. But I take a little solace in the fact that it's decentralized right now. And it's going to come down at some point to whether this Supreme Court thinks that Donald Trump has the Article 2 authority to administer elections and to provide oversight to elections. And there was a ruling a while back and Mark Meadows was trying to get his Fulton county criminal case taken out of state court and put into federal court. And William Pryor, the very, very conservative chief justice or chief Judge of the 11th Circuit, the very conservative 11th Circuit, very good friends with, with Clarence Thomas and, and some of the other conservatives in the Federalist Society and in the Supreme Court, put out a ruling that said, no, absolutely not, 100%, you as the chief of staff, nor does the president have anything to do with elections. Go yourself. And I'm paraphrasing, but it was pretty clear. And so it's going to come down to whether the Supreme Court thinks that because of due deference to national security and foreign affairs, this executive Branch has Article 2 authority to take care that election laws are faithfully executed. And I honestly, I wish I had any faith in the Supreme Court to say no way, but I thought no way they'd give immunity to a president. So that's what it's going to come down to.

[D]

And let's see which states are willing to play ball, since it's going to be a very select number of uniformly blue states they're trying to do this to. I mean, the corruption is so out in the daylight, it's already too late for these people in the history books. But I think there's more of us and the prices aren't getting lower and people are getting angrier and it's going to be harder and harder for them to get away with all their various schemes. I mean, the best days for them may have come already, but we've been saying that for 10 years. But they're terrified. And that is what I care about. I'm also scared of Elon Musk, because now that he's all over the Epstein files, and of course, how many times have you and I written to Jeffrey Epstein at 6am on a Christmas morning asking when the wildest possible party's gonna happen? Alison, now that he's exposed, he's crawling back to Trump, who he scored for being in the Epstein files, and now they're BFFs again. So I don't know how much Elon is gonna help Donald Trump to steal this midterms, but Elon announced merging his two companies this week, and I think that's because he wanted to shift the narrative away from his name being all over these files. The Epstein files will continue to drive our politics for months and months to come. And I'm inspired by that, because 40 years ago, this wouldn't have happened. 100 years ago, this kind of cabal of powerful men that just abused children for pleasure, they would have gotten away with it. And in many ways, this is because of two great cultural movements in our lifetime, and that is the MeToo movement and the Catholic altar boys movement, both of where we moved from a culture of victims to a culture of survivors, where incredibly brave women and incredibly brave men actually came forward and stood up to powerful men. And in the case of the altar boys, powerful institutions. Think about how many dams that cracked by those two movements. Because right now, this is happening. The Epstein files are happening in the open. And we're making these demands because of those people who have stood up to their sexual abusers in the past. It has never been harder in all of human history for a man to get away with interfering with a woman or a child than it is right now. It has never been harder for these rat bastards to abuse a child than it is in the year 2026. And it's because of all the brave people who have come forward. As crappy as it all is, think about the incredible moral progress we've seen in our lifetimes. This would not have been possible in the 1950s or even the 1990s. It's because people are tired of it. Look at how homophobia has been conquered in most of the culture. Look at how a Spanish language album that's great to clean your house to nervous white people just won the Grammy for album of the year. There's so much evidence that we as humans are getting better These fascists are not going to be able to keep the shittiest part of the 20th century alive.

[B]

Well, hear, hear. Thank you so much, my friend. I appreciate your time. Thanks for having me.

[D]

Well, I got preachy in the end. I'll have dick jokes next week, I promise.

[B]

On to the to the Daily Beads, everybody. Please check out Tell me everything on SiriusXM progress channel 127. It's weeknights, 9pm Eastern, 6 Pacific. Also, if you don't yet have a copy, I doubt anyone listening to this has not read the Separation of Church and Hate. But if you haven't, call up your local bookstore and order a copy. Order 10 copies, put them around in your little free libraries. And then of course, you can check out the John Fugl Saying podcast and of course, substack. Thank you so much for joining us today, my friend.

[D]

You're the best, Allison. Thank you and your listeners, everybody.

[B]

Stick around. We'll be right back with the good news. Hey, everybody. When winter hits, I basically move into my bedroom, okay? The days are cooler. The nights are longer. My idea of a good time is getting warm and cozy and recovering from the day and getting some sleep. Sleep is my favorite thing, and that's why I take it so seriously. A good night's rest sets you up for a great day, and my Helix has been a big part of making that possible. Before Helix, my sleep was awful. I tossed and turned. I was sweaty all night, a lot of anxiety. I couldn't, I just, I couldn't. I couldn't get to sleep and I couldn't stay asleep. When I finally got to sleep, I'd wake up sweaty, flipped the pillow. It was awful. My back was sore. In the morning, I was just out of it. I had brain fog. But now, thanks to Helix, I sleep cooler. My back feels supported. I'm not getting jolted awake as easily by aches and pains. And the result is I wake up feeling rested. And that helps me focus. It helps my mood and my energy. And I also appreciate how Helix makes the buying process so simple and easy. The Helix Sleep quiz matches you with the right fit based on your preferences and sleep needs. It ensures that your custom mattress is perfect for you. And then Helix is also the most awarded mattress brand. It's got reviews from outlets like Forbes and Wired. So you're not just taking my word for it, right? Delivery is super easy, too. It ships right to your door. The Helix mattress will be there with free shipping in the United States. And between the happy with helix guarantee, the 120 night in home sleep trial and the limited lifetime warranty. It's a great way to upgrade your sleep with no risk. So go to helixsleep.com dailybeans for 27% off site wide President's Day sale exclusive for Daily beans listeners. That's helixsleep.com dailybeans for 27% off site wide exclusive for listeners of the Daily Beans make sure you enter our show name after checkout so they know we sent you helixsleep.com dailybeans. You'll be glad you did.

[A]

It's no surprise that newsmakers try to manipulate the audience. They want you to believe that they are the one holding the line and they'll use any trick they can to get you there.

[B]

But don't let them fool you.

[A]

Get Unspun I'm Amanda Sturgill. I've been a reporter and today I teach future reporters to cut the spin and think critically about what newsmakers say. My podcast, Unspun, shows you how to know when you're being manipulated by the news, learn to spot the tricks and how to make up your own mind about what's true. So if you're tired of being fooled by the news, subscribe to Unspun today. Unspun because you deserve the truth.

[B]

Everybody, welcome back. It's time for the good news, everyone.

[D]

Then good news, everyone.

[C]

Good news, good news.

[B]

And if you have any good news or good trouble suggestions and your good news can be tiny. It can be massive. It can be from yesterday or 50 years ago. We do not care as long as it brings a smile to our face. Maybe one of those stories that you like to share with your friends that always gets a laugh when you're sitting around hanging out with your pals. We would love to hear that. If you have a shout out maybe to a loved one or yourself or a government program that's helped you or a loved one, a small business in your area, a nonprofit you want us to know about and support a candidate running for. Anything that you want to tell us about. Something that'll make us like Microdose hope a little bit, Send it to us. We'd love to hear from you. Dailybeanspod.com Click on Contact and all you got to do to get your stuff read on the air is really just submit a photo of anything. It can be anything. It can be your pet. It can be an adoptable pet in your area. It can be a random animal on the Internet. We love goats right now. Goats, goats, goats. Please send your goats can be baby photos Family photos, awkward family photos, photos of rallies and signs. Photos of you writing postcards with your friends, sitting around having a good time, shooting the shit. Whatever it is, it can be a picture of what you're growing in your garden or what you're making or creating. With so many creators here who listen to this podcast meme, it could be your favorite meme that made you laugh. Send it to us dailybeanspot.com click on contact. First up is your good trouble. All right, five calls.org sent this message out to their social channels and we'll have a link to it in the show notes. Heads up, team. The new DHS funding bill deadline just dropped. It's Friday the 13th. Get calling and we have an updated script for you and listener Melissa. Pronoun. She and her says hi, Beans, Queens. I heard a suggestion that makes so much sense, I can't believe it never crossed my mind before and I wanted to share it. For those uncomfortable talking on the phone and reluctant to make calls to their reps, just call at night, you get voicemail and the offices have to listen and they have to log your call in the morning. You can share your thoughts and not have to talk to anyone.

[C]

That's a great idea.

[B]

By the way, if leaving a voicemail, please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied. You have to be one of their constituents. For my podpet tariff, I'm sharing another glimpse into the personality of my gremlin. You've met Piper before. Snuggled in bed. This is the face she makes when she's about to do something she knows she's not supposed to. The second is her desperately wanting a bite of my daughter's carrot. She always reminds me of Snoopy on his doghouse in this photo. Thanks for all you do to help keep us sane. Much love to both of you. This dog is amazing.

[C]

Look at this. Oh, the baby.

[B]

And I love your. I think that's a bamboo floor. I have one similar. And I love that deep blue paint that you have on the wall. I love that as well. Very good taste. Oh, my gosh. Look at this dog.

[C]

Adorable.

[B]

Thank you so much. Thank you.

[C]

All right, we're moving to Jim. No pronouns given, but from my hometown, this is a shout out. I'm an Albuquerque native, retired Marine, and lifelong liberal. New Mexico is solid blue. I want to shout out our great national, state, and local leadership. Our senators are Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan. They've been vocal in defending civil and human rights and the environment. My representative is Melanie Stansbury. One of the most articulate and energetic foes of fascism in the house. Jim. I wish she had been around while I was still living in Albuquerque. I would have voted for her as many times as I was legally allowed to. Our governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, got legislation passed to make New Mexico the first state to offer free universal pre k education. The state created the program in 2005, but it wasn't free for everyone until FY2024. Hey, if one of the poorest states in the country can do it. Albuquerque's mayor is Tim Keller, who was decisively reelected last fall when the voters rejected the MAGA opponent. Under his leadership, crime rates have fallen for the last five years, although still far too high to make life easier for people with low income. The public transportation system is now free to ride. Albuquerque has a serious case of urban sprawl, so being able to get around is vital. During the no Kings march in October, the Albuquerque police were present along the marching route. They were smiling, friendly, and interacting with those of us marching. I wish government everywhere was as generous, progressive and focused on public services. Here, for my pod pet tariff, I'm including two pictures. Will Ferrell astray. My son Chris adopted Ferrell F e.

[B]

R a L o.

[C]

And a shot of our three litter mates on high alert. Rusty's name is obvious Bolt. And Torti was named for her talent as an escape artist. And blondie M penzi is Swahili for lover boy. We were supposed to be fostering them and couldn't give them up, so we adopted the whole litter. Jim, you're amazing. I love my home state of New Mexico. I love visiting there. And I love, love, love that the people there continue to vote in outstanding people in your legislature.

[B]

These cats are fabulous. And also Tim Keller, your mayor. He had a cameo in pluribus, did he not?

[C]

I believe he did, yeah.

[B]

What a great show that is. All right, thank you so much for that shout out to New Mexico man. They also are the first ones to have a turquoise alert for missing indigenous people.

[C]

Oh, yes, yes. Mm.

[B]

We reported that here on the show. All right, next up, Jen pronoun. She and her hello. Lovely legumes. I wanted to share a sample of my recent crafting glittering exploits. Some context. It's currently Mardi Gras carnival season in New Orleans. Many parading groups. I'm going to pronounce this wrong. Crews. K R E W E S is it cruise have a specific signature throw a coveted hand decorated item or something that's handed to revelers as floats pass by. That's a throw. I ride in the crew of Temis, an all women group dedicated to social justice. Our signature throw is a miniature umbrella. I've included a pic of a few of mine with some particularly beansworthy messages. I often listen to the beans on Justified cleanup while in my glitter flow. So know that y' all are represented in this sparkle. Mardi Gras is an embodiment of resistance and celebration, joy and grief, and most of all, community. Despite how it may be portrayed in the media, I know my soul needs it more than ever this year. Here, here, here. Podpet tariff is my tuxi etouffee. Barely tolerating affection from my youngest. Oh, Pierrot the blank. That's redacted. I guess it's a dog breed. In one of our recent freezing nights. Thanks for all you do. P.S. dana, please, please, please bring your tour to New Orleans.

[C]

Ooh.

[B]

All right. Okay, so these little umbrellas, these throws, they're beautiful, by the way.

[C]

We've got choose the bear, which is fantastic. Which is a.

[B]

A play on the. You know, when women are in the woods, Would you rather hang out with a bear or a white guy? Yeah, always pick the bear. There's a orca. Looks like he's going yacht hunting. I'm guessing there's a whistle. Oh, I love this. Protect pbs. Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Burton, Ernie, these are fantastic. I love this. Oh, and look at the babies. All right, that puppy. What do you think? Golden retriever?

[C]

Looks like it. Yeah, I would say Goldie Pirro, the golden retriever.

[B]

Yay. We did it. We got something. It's a golden retriever, but I'll take it.

[C]

Love it, love it, love it. All right, this is from Suzanne Pronoun. She and her My pod pet tariff is good news. Last year, it was hard enough due to the havoc wrought by the orange menace in his regime. Then between August and October, I lost our cat, Keely, PPT, May 2025, and my husband, in both cases, suddenly. Oh, my God. Suddenly and unexpectedly. Suzanne, I'm so sorry. Right before Thanksgiving, I adopted another cat from a local rescue group. Tiramisu is a shy girl about 3 years old, and we're still getting to know each other, but making progress. Like you lovely ladies of the bean. She helps me deal with the ongoing dumpster fire and puts a smile on my face every day. Thank you for all you do, Suzanne. I'm showing you so much love. Yeah. Yeah. For real.

[B]

What a beautiful cat. Look at the coloring in the sun. Yeah. She's Purdy. Thank you so much for that. Next up from Lance Pronouns, he and him shout out to my Favorite Non Profit, DrawChange.org this organization works tirelessly to provide an art therapy outlet for impoverished and unhoused children. Such a great group. They need a high five and a PR bump. Slightly downturned after cuts to the arts funding. So Everybody check out DrawChange.org look at this amazing pod pet tariff. I'm assuming that's some type of poodle. Poodle. Weimaraner. What do you call that?

[C]

That looks like a. A weimer doodle. A weimer doodle. A weimer. A weimer oodle.

[B]

No, I think weimerdoodle. Yeah, it sounds like Weisenheimer, but we can also call it that.

[C]

It's just poodle rhymer. Poodle rhyme.

[B]

All right, next up from James. That was a short one. I'll take this one. Pronouns, he and him. I've been wanting to write for a long time to thank you for keeping me sane and believing in humanity. Especially during the reign of the tangerine nightmare, but also during the hardest year of my life. Last year, my 6 year old son Luca was diagnosed with leukemia, something that has completely rocked our world. About three months ago, a relatively new chemo medicine caused my son to have a seizure and and stopped breathing. He nearly died after being on it only four days. This medicine reduces the chances of relapse by around 10%. So we decided to give it another try. And I'm happy to say that last Saturday my son finished his 28 day treatment of this chemo medicine without any other side effects. There's a long way to go still, but this was a giant step in the right direction. So thanks again for help keeping me sane, giving me something to look forward to every day, and for providing a voice of reason and hope to listen to while I cry on my way to work. Keep fighting the good fight. I've attached some pictures of my little champion below.

[C]

No. Beautiful, Beautiful.

[B]

What a little warrior. Yeah. Look at that hockey jersey. Oh my goodness. I know.

[C]

Oh my goodness. Sweet, sweet boy angel indeed. Thanks, Allison, for that. All right, this is from Anonymous. Pronoun she and her hello beans queens. With chick season starting soon, I wanted to do a little. I know, my ears perked up. I wanted to do a. I wanted to do a little self shout out from my tiny farm business while also hoping to give you a smile. You already did. Anonymous. I own Acorn Springs Farms in northeastern Connecticut. I breed Icelandic chickens, a rare breed on the conservation watch list with less than a thousand in the U.S. whoa. They're quirky birds with lots of personality and great foragers. I hope to be able to share the breeds with others and I hope that if people get chicks this year, they will look for local breeders. I'm trying to stop. Sorry. Thanks for keeping me sane in this insane world. For my pod pet tax, I included some pictures of my chickens, including my sweet gentle giant Canute.

[B]

I think so. Maybe it's just Cenut. Remember when it was Peanut and it was Peanut? Yeah.

[C]

Who recently passed in the album cover for my girl's single egg song. Oh, my God. I know. Also my two kitties, Niam and Cyan, and my dog Clea, who had to send over the. Oh, we had to send over the Rainbow Bridge right before Christmas. If you want to guess her breed, she was a. Oh, my God. Adorable. A friend of mine has a dogs and I can't remember what they are. They're.

[B]

Is that an Irish wolfhound?

[C]

Yes, that or a Russian wolfhound, I think Irish wolfhound. Well done.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, everybody, thank you so very much for all of your good news submissions. Please continue to send them to us dailybeanspod.com and click on contact. And do you have any final thoughts before we get out of here? On for the weekend, my friend.

[C]

No. Everyone, have a fantastic weekend. I'll be back in yours Monday morning with Allison.

[B]

All right, everybody. 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'm AG and I'm dean.

[C]

I've been dg. You're messing me up.

[B]

I it up.

[C]

I've been AG and I've been dg.

[B]

And them's the beans. Did we get it? The Daily Beans is written in exactly. 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 Joel Reeder with Moxie Design Studios. Music for the Daily Beans is written and performed by they Might Be Giants and the show is a proud member of the MSW Media Network, a collection of creator owned podcasts dedicated to news, politics and justice. For more information, Please visit msw media.com msw media.