The VA Privatization Scam

Summary

The Daily Beans: Episode Summary - "The VA Privatization Scam" (Released December 9, 2024)

Hosts: Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg
Podcast: The Daily Beans by MSW Media

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Introduction

In this episode of The Daily Beans, hosts Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg delve into a myriad of pressing news topics with their signature blend of social justice insights and political commentary. Skipping the advertisements and introductory banter, the hosts jump straight into the day's headlines, ensuring listeners receive a comprehensive and engaging overview of current events.

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Top Headlines

1. Fall of the Assad Regime in Syria
   The episode opens with a dramatic update on Syria, where the Assad regime has reportedly collapsed after a rapid rebel offensive. Russian state media claims President Bashar Assad fled to Moscow, marking a significant shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics.

   • Dana Goldberg remarks, "Yes, they do. Well, if we overthrow the government, we know where Trump will go."

2. US Economy and Job Growth Under Biden
   Despite an uptick in unemployment to 4.2%, the US economy added 227,000 jobs in November, surpassing expectations. President Joe Biden now holds the record for overseeing job growth in every month of his presidency.

   • Allison Gill shares a personal note, expressing her fondness for Biden and Vice President Harris: "I'm going to miss him and Vice President Harris so much."

3. Naval Academy's Affirmative Action Policy
   A federal judge has upheld the Naval Academy's use of race-conscious admissions, emphasizing the importance of a diverse officer corps for national security. The ruling faces immediate appeals from Students for Fair Admissions, also referred to controversially as "Angry White Racists."

   • Dana Goldberg notes the potential Supreme Court involvement: "So we'll see what happens to that."

4. JP Morgan Chase and Neo-Nazi Twitter Accounts
   Following revelations by the Texas Observer, JP Morgan Chase admitted to firing an employee who operated a neo-Nazi Twitter account.

   • Allison Gill reacts strongly: "Oh, that's sad for the Nazis."

5. Jamie Raskin's Support for Inspectors General
   Congressman Jamie Raskin has reached out to 32 inspectors general, reaffirming his support amidst concerns of potential interference by former President Trump or his allies. Notably, Joseph Khafari was excluded from this correspondence due to past allegations.

   • Dana Goldberg emphasizes the gravity: "Absolutely."

6. Tennessee Senator Ken Yeager's DUI Arrest
   Republican Senator Ken Yeager was arrested in Georgia for a DUI hit-and-run incident. The arrest, captured on video, shows Yeager struggling and ultimately urinating himself during the field sobriety test.

   • Allison Gill humorously comments on the situation: "He in your pants is cool."

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Main Feature: The VA Privatization Scam

Personal Testimony and Investigation

Allison Gill transitions to an in-depth discussion about the potential privatization of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), a topic close to her heart due to her decade-long experience working with the VA. Drawing from Natasha Bertrand’s investigative work, Gill sheds light on the concerted efforts by conservative groups and nominees like Pete Hegseth to dismantle the VA’s established healthcare system.

• Privatization Efforts and Implications:
  Allison Gill narrates a pivotal moment from her tenure at the VA, highlighting the introduction and subsequent permanentization of the Veterans Choice Program under President Trump. Originally a temporary measure introduced by Obama to alleviate VA wait times, Trump’s administration pivoted to make privatization permanent, enabling private healthcare providers to receive up to 115% of Medicare rates from the VA—a move criticized for inflating costs and jeopardizing quality of care.

  • Allison Gill asserts, "So when you get out of the military and you apply for your disability benefits with the VA, Hegseth wants that done by the same AI type software where United Healthcare used to deny claims to."

• Conservative Advocacy and Veteran Opposition:
  The American Accountability Foundation, led by Tom Jones, has compiled a list of 'woke' senior military officers advocating for diversity within the ranks. This list, primarily targeting female officers, aims to pressure nominees like Pete Hegseth to forsake DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives in the military. Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warns of the detrimental impact on morale and mission focus, stating, "you will drive people out, it affects morale as widely and deeply as anything."

• Impact on Veteran Care:
  The proposed privatization threatens to undermine the VA’s comprehensive care system, which has been specifically tailored to address veterans' unique needs, including PTSD and service-related injuries. Critics argue that private providers lack the specialized expertise inherent within the VA, potentially leading to decreased quality of care and increased operational costs.

  • Max Rose, representing progressive veterans, emphasizes, "It's going to increase it. Health care is expensive no matter how you go about it."

• Political Maneuvering and Future Prospects:
  As Pete Hegseth seeks confirmation to lead the Pentagon, his nomination faces scrutiny not only for his stance on VA privatization but also for personal misconduct allegations. The Defense Secretary position under his leadership could herald significant shifts in veteran healthcare, prioritizing budget cuts over comprehensive care.

  • Allison Gill expresses skepticism about Hegseth’s intentions: "He prefers his sound bites on television. If confirmed, he will push for a dramatic overhaul of the military and veteran healthcare system."

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Additional News Highlights

1. Enrique Tarrio’s Combative Testimony
   Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio faces challenges in his court testimony, where he denies key accusations related to the January 6th Capitol riot and has been threatened with contempt by Judge Amy Berman Jackson.

   • Allison Gill reacts to Tarrio’s courtroom demeanor: "Don't her judge how like judge meet like don't just don't."

2. Elon Musk's Massive Political Donations
   Billionaire Elon Musk has funneled over $20 million into the RBG PAC, a super PAC supporting Donald Trump. This contribution is part of a larger $250 million spent to bolster Trump's campaign efforts, including controversial digital ads misleadingly associating Trump with Ruth Bader Ginsburg on abortion issues.

   • Dana Goldberg highlights the controversy: "Sounds like he's woke somebody should fire him."

3. Nick Fuentes’ Assault Charges
   Far-right influencer Nick Fuentes was arrested for misdemeanor battery after reportedly assaulting a woman who knocked on his door. Fuentes faces a court appearance on December 19 and is under scrutiny for his misogynistic online rhetoric.

   • Allison Gill concludes with schadenfreude: "I don't think he'll get any prison time, but she's gonna. Civil suit coming."

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Listener Engagement and Good News Segment

In the latter part of the episode, Allison and Dana engage with their audience by sharing listener-submitted photos, including playful gestures like the “bird watching” (flipping off Trump properties), adorable pet pictures, and heartfelt shout-outs to government programs aiding individuals in various ways. This segment underscores the podcast’s commitment to community building and positive reinforcement amidst the tumultuous news landscape.

• Notable Listener Quotes:
  • Allison Gill responds to submissions with humor and warmth, encouraging continued participation: "Thank you so much for your good news stories and your birds."

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Conclusion

The Daily Beans wraps up with a reminder to listeners to support each other, prioritize mental health, and stay informed. The hosts express gratitude for their community’s engagement and tease upcoming episodes that promise to continue delivering insightful and snarky takes on current events.

• Final Thoughts:
  • Allison Gill emphasizes community support: "Take care of each other, take care of the planet, take care of your mental health and take care of your family."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Dana Goldberg [02:32]: "Calm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. For real."
• Allison Gill [08:05]: "I'm going to miss him and Vice President Harris so much."
• Allison Gill [12:00]: "He puts so many people in danger when he does this."
• Allison Gill [15:16]: "If veterans want to go back to their own doctors, so be it."
• Dana Goldberg [25:46]: "That's what they were saying."
• Allison Gill [34:43]: "I don't support this, by the way, he got doxed on social media while declaring, 'your house, our choice.'"
• Allison Gill [35:07]: "Having worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs for 11 years, something like that."
• Allison Gill [70:41]: "Thank you. I wanted to stay, you know, biblically correct."

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Conclusion

This episode of The Daily Beans offers a thorough exploration of the controversial push to privatize the VA, interwoven with a broad spectrum of other significant news stories. Through incisive commentary and personal anecdotes, Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding veteran healthcare, political maneuvering, and the broader implications for national security and social justice.

Transcript

[Allison Gill]

MSW Media thanks to Beam Dream for supporting the Daily beans. Beam Dream is a science backed healthy hot cocoa to help you sleep better. If you want to try Beam's best selling Dream powder, get up to 40% off for a limited time when you go to shopbeam.com dailybeans and use code dailybeans at checkout. And a big shout out today to Helix Sleep. Helix is offering 20% off site wide plus two free pillows with any mattress purchase when you go to helixsleep.com DailyBeans.

[Dana Goldberg]

News we're swearing.

[Allison Gill]

Jelly beans.

[Dana Goldberg]

Jelly beans.

[Allison Gill]

Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Monday, December 9, 2024. Today, the Assad regime in Syria has fallen and Russian state media says he has fled to Moscow. Ex Proud Boys leader delivers combative testimony in court. A judge rules that the Naval Academy can use affirmative action for admissions. Elon Musk spent over a quarter of a billion dollars electing Donald Trump. President Biden crushed the November jobs report. Tennessee state Republican Senator Ken Yeager was arrested and charged for a DUI hit and run. In Georgia, JP Morgan Chase told the Texas observer they fired the operator of a neo Nazi Twitter account identified as their employee. Jamie Raskin asks the inspectors general to keep him posted on Trump malfeasance. Pete Hegseth and Doug Collins push to cut veterans benefits at the va Military leaders are rattled by a list of quote unquote woke officers that a group has urged Heth to fire. And Nick Fuentes has been arrested and charged with assault. I'm Allison Gill.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[Allison Gill]

Hey, everybody. Happy Monday. Dana. Welcome back.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you so much. It is good to be back. I had a wonderful last traveling work trip in a beautiful place. There were some ligament on the trip that I'd never met before. And I don't think they even knew I was going to be there, which is so fantastic. They were there supporting one of their dear friends who had lost her wife about a year ago. And it was just, it was so lovely. They were like, dana, Dana Goldberg. And then they had me talk a little bit near them, which was funny. They're like, yeah, that's her voice. I'm happy to be back, though. I miss the beans while I'm gone. But I will be honest, I took a bit of time away from the news and I felt strangely misinformed and also strangely calmer.

[Allison Gill]

Calm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. For real. We had people who were like, after, like two days of you being gone, people were writing in like, is Dana not here anymore? Where's Dana? What happened To Dana. Tell us what you did with Dana. And I was like, dana, it's great.

[Dana Goldberg]

Dana was working.

[Allison Gill]

She's out working. She goes. Because, you know, we have so many new listeners that, you know, oh, that's true. Aren't used to all the galas and fundraising that you do and these work trips that you take. So I had to explain that. I was like, no. Yep, she does these great things. 10. What's your total now? I know it's in the 60 million. Geez, 60 million raised.

[Dana Goldberg]

It was actually pretty. We were on this resort, and if I could just take a minute, there was a pickleball portion of it. Like, there were literally five of the best pickleball senior pros in the world. Female senior pros in the world.

[Allison Gill]

Wow.

[Dana Goldberg]

And they were doing pickleball camps. There's like 20 lesbians and women of all sorts that were taking pickleball anyway, long and short. One of them has a disease that is in constant. She's in constant pain. Her face feels like there's fire ants on her. Constantly swallowing knives. And so she's on the board of a nonprofit and raises money in the medical industry. I don't want to mention any of this without permission of names and stuff, but I was on stage and I was like, you know what? I know these women. And I bet that if I auctioned off a shirt that all of these senior pros, the best in the world, signed because they're all pickleballers, and a lot of these women are doing just fine financially. I bet you I could sell this thing. We started $100, and we raised $7,000 for the charity in five minutes. Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

That's awesome. Oh, my God, that is so amazing. But yes. So $60 million raised in these galas that you host. That's just incredible. And so, like, I'm super proud to call you a friend. So that. But that's where Dana. That's where. That's where I go when she's gone. Busy raising $60 million to help people. So, anyway, I'm so glad you're back. There's also a new episode of the Jack podcast out. Andy McCabe and I talk about why Jack Smith felt the need to dismiss the D.C. case against Trump twice. He put in a second motion to dismiss. And it's a fascinating story about a guy named Vlad back in the 90s who was check kiting floating checks. So just some interesting stuff if you want to listen to the Jack podcast. And of course, as soon as the Jack comes out, we will Read it for you on the Jack podcast. And then after that, we're going to pivot to keeping an eye on the Justice Department and the executive branch to call out what they do. That's, you know, I'm glad we've got.

[Dana Goldberg]

Some eyes on the inside because we need it.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. Because they're, they, you know, they're all about law and order. But. But then. And the opposite.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, yeah. And then. And then not.

[Allison Gill]

And then not so much. All right, I had a fun night last night. I. I posted some photos of me.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, I saw some photos. What was that about?

[Allison Gill]

Youths. The youths dragged me out to a rave and I danced and my knees now hurt and I was out past 9:30 on a Saturday night. Yeah, I know, but we had a really good time. So if you want to see some fun pictures of me wearing cat ears, I think they're cat ears. And some rave accoutrement, you can check it out over on Blue Sky. So we had a blast.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. And if you're, if you're interested, I'm sure in the next few days I'll be posting a picture of myself on Instagram in a fluorescent tutu on a rainbow unicorn out in the ocean of Turks and Caicos. And the B roll of me trying to get on a moving unicorn float in a active ocean. May not, I may or may not make the light of day, but the final product will. So check that out.

[Allison Gill]

We need to see that. We need to see comedy.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, I will. I will post it. I will. It's sort of amazing. It's amazing. We were crying when we were looking at the pictures and the video.

[Allison Gill]

DG comedy. That's. That's your handle pretty much on every social media platform. That's right. So I look forward to that. Yeah. How do you do, fellow kids? That was me last night.

[Dana Goldberg]

Good day, child.

[Allison Gill]

Yes. Yes. They were like, oh, look, it's an old. Yeah, here I am. Hello.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, we used to look at other people and be like, look how cool those old people are. And now we're. We are the old people.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, now we're the olds. All right, we have so much news to get to today. But first we have some quick hits. And to make a long story short.

[Dana Goldberg]

Too late.

[Allison Gill]

All right, first up, we are watching, watching history unfold. The Syrian government fell early Sunday in a stunning end to a 50 year rule of the Assad family. After a sudden rebel offensive sprinted across government held territory and entered the capital. In just 10 days, Syrian state television aired video statement by a group of men saying that President Bashar Assad has been overthrown and all detainees in the jails had been set free. Assad is reported to have fled to Moscow, according to Russian state media, because that's where all bad guys go when they are running. They all go to Moscow.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes, they do. Well, if we overthrow the government, we know where Trump will go. So okay, this next one. The US Economy, this is good news. Added more jobs than the forecast in November, while the unemployment rate ticked higher as the labor market rebounded from a month negatively impacted by severe weather and labor strikes. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday. It showed 227,000 new jobs were created in November, just above the 220,000 that were expected by economists. The unemployment rate did increase to 4.2%. President Joe Biden now becomes the only president in history to oversee job growth in every single month of his presidency.

[Allison Gill]

I'm going to miss him. I am going to miss him and Vice President Harris so much.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes.

[Allison Gill]

All right, next up from the post, the US Naval Academy can continue to use race conscious admissions policies. That's what a federal judge ruled on Friday in a closely watched case that followed last year's Supreme Court decision rejecting the use of affirmative action in college admissions. In the US District Court in Baltimore, Senior District Judge Richard D. Bennett ruled that the academy had established that a diverse officer corps is important to national security and that the academy is a vital pipeline to that core. The group that brought the case, Students for Fair Admissions, also known as Angry White Racists, immediately said it would appeal the decision to the appellate court and if needed, to the Supreme Court. So we'll see what happens to that. I mean, if the Supreme Court did a number on affirmative action for regular colleges, it's going to be interesting to see what they do for the Naval Academy, definitely.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right. This next quick hit is very quick. After the Texas observer revealed the men behind four anonymous neo Nazi accounts on Twitter, JP Morgan Chase acknowledged that one of them was their employee and told the Texas observer that person has now been fired.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, fuck around. Find out. Too bad.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's right.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, that's sad for the Nazis. All right, from Politico, Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, who is probably going to be the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee in the next Congress, sent letters Thursday to 32 inspectors general assuring them of his support. He also asked them to reach out if Trump or his allies made any effort to interfere or will make any effort to interfere with or replace them. He did that, by the way, Trump did back in his first term, he got rid of a whole grip of inspectors general because he didn't like them looking in on what he was doing. He said, I invite all inspectors general to contact my office if your independence is undermined or if you're being pressured or threatened with removal in any way, including if anyone falsely suggests that your position is temporary. That's what Raskin wrote in the letter. One inspector general was omitted from the list. So he didn't send it to all 33, just send it to 32. That one, that he didn't send a letter to Kufari. Joseph Khafari, that's the Department of Homeland Security guy, the guy who oversaw the deletion of text messages on January 6 for the Secret Service and then lied to Congress about it. In October, Raskin called Joe Biden to remove the Trump appointed Kufari following an investigation that concluded he gave misleading answers to Congress. That's called lying and wasted taxpayer funds. He, of course, has denied any wrongdoing, but he totally did a lot of wrongdoing.

[Dana Goldberg]

Absolutely. And last and a quick hit. And there is video people from Tennessee.

[Allison Gill]

You've seen this video?

[Dana Goldberg]

God, yes, I have. The Tennessee Tennessean. Tennessee State Senator Ken Yeager, he was arrested. He was booked in Georgia jail Tuesday night and accused of getting into a hit and run while driving under the influence. While on vacation on Jekyll Island, a Georgia state trooper arrested Jaeger at 5:35pm Tuesday. 5:30pm I just like on a Tuesday. Just NAR Tuesday. Now, speaking with Jaeger, troopers noticed, and I quote, a distinct odor of alcohol on his breath. He admitted that he had been in a crash earlier and had drank, quote, couple of glasses of wine previously in the day. Now this is the part that is on video and very embarrassing for the senator. During the stop, he urinated himself. This is what the incident report notes and what the video shows.

[Allison Gill]

He in your pants is cool.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. Welcome to the GOP with two E's. He failed his so bright. He failed his field so go P.

[Allison Gill]

I'm going to call him that from.

[Dana Goldberg]

They are the GOP with two E's. He failed sobriety tests which had to be cut short due to safety concerns while he was performing a one leg stand. And that's according to the incident report. He agreed to a breathalyzer which returned a breath alcohol content of 0.14.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, wow. So the limit there is 0.08. Yeah. And yeah. And I know that DUI is no laughing matter. He puts so many people in danger when he does this.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God. 100%. But also, these are your folks, GOP. These are your folks.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, he peed on himself. And yeah, the. When you are so drunk that they have to shut down the field sobriety test because you might hurt yourself. Yeah, that's very, very bad indeed. Now, he hasn't commented. He's like, I don't. I talked to my lawyer, but apparently if he does get indicted, I. I think he has to resign. We'll. We'll. We'll follow the story for you. All right, we have more news to get to, but we're going to actually take a quick break. There's so much news. We have to take a quick break. So everybody stick around. We'll be right back after these messages.

[Dana Goldberg]

We'll be right back.

[Allison Gill]

So sleep used to be my nemesis, which sucks, because it's actually my favorite thing. But trying to get to sleep was impossible. I would toss, I would turn. I'd wake up drenched in sweat. My nights were restless. My mornings weren't much better. I'd wake up sore, exhausted, groggy, unmotivated. It was. It was bad. But my old mattress was failing me. I was sleeping on a mattress made for someone else. And I didn't realize how much it was affecting my daily life until I changed. And that's when I switched to Helix. A friend of mine recommended their sleep quiz, which matches you to a mattress based on your unique sleep needs. I gave it a try, and Helix nailed it. From the very first night, I noticed a massive difference. The tossing and turning stopped. I woke up feeling refreshed for the first time in years. And my Apple watch confirmed it, too. My sleep data showed longer, deeper rest, and I've never looked back. If this sounds familiar, it's time for you to check out Helix. Head over to helix sleep.com DailyBe Beans take their online two minute sleep quiz. Get matched to a mattress that is tailored to your needs. Plus you'll get 20% off all mattress orders. Now, years later, my Helix mattress still feels as supportive and as comfortable as the day I got it. There's no sagging, no wear and tear, just consistently awesome sleep night after night. So whether you struggle with back pain, overheating, or just want to feel more rested, for once, Helix has you covered. It's one of the best investments I've ever made for my health and well being. And right now, helix is offering 20% off site wide, plus two free pillows with any mattress purchase go to helix sleep.com daily that's helixsleep.com dailybeans with helix. Better sleep starts now. Hey, everybody. Welcome back. It's time for the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up from the Associated Press. Military leaders are rattled by a list of woke senior officers that a conservative group urged Pete Segheth to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he's confirmed to lead the Pentagon. The list, compiled by the American Accountability foundation, includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers. It has had a chilling effect on the Pentagon's often frank discussions as leaders try to figure out how to address the potential firings and diversity issues under President elect Donald Trump. Those on the list in many cases seem to be targeted for public comments they've made, either in interviews or at events on diversity, and in some cases, for retweeting posts that promote diversity. Tom Jones, a former aide to Republican senators who leads the foundation, this is the American Accountability foundation, said Friday that the those on the list are pretty egregious advocates for diversity. Egregious advocates for diversity.

[Dana Goldberg]

You're either for diversity or you're against diversity. That's basically it.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. For diversity, equity, inclusion, or DEI policies, which he calls problematic. Quote, the nominee has been pretty clear that that has no place in the military. That's what he said about Hegseth. Hegseth has embraced Trump's effort to end programs that promote diversity in the ranks and fire those who reflect those values. Other Trump picks, like Kash Patel for FBI director, have suggested targeting those in the government who are not aligned with Donald Trump. But Hegseth has been fighting to save his nomination as he faces allegations of excessive drinking and sexual assault and over his views questioning the role of women in combat. He spent the week on Capitol Hill trying to win the support of Republican senators who have to confirm him to lead the Pentagon. Do they though Trump might find a way around. We'll see. Doing a radio interview and pending an opinion column. He's really trying to save his ass some service. He's had his mom go out and try to my mom loves me. Some service members have complained in the past about the Pentagon's DEI program, saying they add to an already heavy workload. The Pentagon still has a long way to go in having a general officer corps or specialty occupations, such as pilots that have racial and gender makeup reflective of the country kind of really speaks to this case in court with the the Naval Academy. Right. Because that's the pipeline to this officer corps.

[Dana Goldberg]

Right.

[Allison Gill]

A defense official who spoke on a condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the list, said senior leaders are hoping that once Trump is sworn in, they'll be able to discuss the issue further. No, they are prepared to provide additional context to the incoming administration. Yeah, that'll work, the official told the Associated Press. By the way, and the Associated Press is not publishing the names to protect the service members privacy. Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Friday that the list would have considerable, wide and deep consequences. He said when military members see people singled out, they'll start focusing on their own survival rather than the mission of their job. Quote, you will drive people out, he said. It affects morale as widely and deeply as anything. It creates a negative dynamic that will trickle through the organization. The list, which was first reported by the New York Post, includes nine Air Force general officers, seven Navy admirals of different ranks and four army general officers. Eight of the 20 are women, even though only 17% of the military is female. None are Marines. One female Navy officer was named because she gave a speech at a 2015 Women's Equality Day event where she noted that 80% of Congress is male, which affects what bills move forward. The officer also was targeted because she said diversity is our strength. The phrase is widely distributed. That is a talking point that officers across the Pentagon have used for years to talk about the importance of having a military that reflects different educational, geographic, economic, gender and racial backgrounds in this country. They they always say that diversity is our strength. It's their thing. An Air Force colonel who is white was called out for an opinion piece he wrote following the death of George Floyd, saying, dear white colonel, we must address our blind spots about race. A female Air Force officer was targeted because of multiple woke posts that's in quotes on her Twitter feed, including a tweet about LGBTQ rights, one about whiteness, and another about honoring the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on a stamp. What? What a awful person.

[Dana Goldberg]

How dare you not the.

[Allison Gill]

The RBG stamp will get you fired from Trump's military. Another female Air Force officer was on the list because she, quote, served as a panelist for a diversity, equity and inclusion discussion in 2021, which she was probably ordered to do. The list names an army officer who traveled to 14 historically black colleges to expand the military's intelligence recruitment efforts, and an Air Force officer partly because he co chairs the Asian Pacific Islander subgroup of the Services Diversity Task Force. Caroline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the Trump Transition Team, said in a statement, no policy should be deemed official unless it comes directly from President Trump. But in an interview Wednesday for Megyn Kelly's Sirius XM satellite radio show where she's been relegated, Hegseth said Trump told him he wanted a war fighter who would clean out the WOKE crap. So very eloquent way to put that. Hegseth got a boost Friday from Trump, who posted on his social media site that he'll be a fantastic high energy secretary of defense. Maybe he'll pee himself. The president elect added that Pete is a winner and there's nothing that can be done to change that. Okay. Jones told the Associated Press in June, the American Accountability foundation was investigating scores of federal employees suspected of being, quote, hostile to Trump policies. The work aligns with the Heritage Foundation's far Reaching Project 2020 blueprint for a conservative administration, which, of course, Trump said he knew nothing about. A letter Jones sent to Hegseth containing the list dated Tuesday, says purging the WOKE from the military is imperative. The letter points to tensions with Iran, Russia and China and says, we cannot afford to have a military distracted and demoralized by leftist ideology. Our nation's security is at stake. Conservatives view the federal workforce as overstepping its role to become a power center that can drive or thwart a president's agenda. During the first Trump term, government officials came under attack from the White House and congressional Republicans, as Trump's own cabinet often raised objections to some of his more singular or even unlawful proposals.

[Dana Goldberg]

And as we know, those guardrails are no longer there. Yep. And here's a guy that's probably gonna end up getting pardoned next. This is from Ella Lee at the Hill. Former Proud Boys national chair Enrique Tarrio. He delivered combative and at times contradictory testimony Thursday as a star witness in I know. In the defense of a retired police officer accused of leaking law enforcement intel to the right wing extremist group leader. Tarrio flatly refuted key elements of the Justice Department's case against Metropolitan Police Department, which is the MPD Lieutenant Shane Le Monde, including that the officer warned him about an arrest warrant for burning a stolen Black Lives Matter banner and later tipped him off to his imminent arrest. That's one of the reasons why he was not, I think, at the Capitol. Right?

[Allison Gill]

Right.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. But he refused to acknowledge messages suggesting otherwise on cross examination, instead seeking to fluster the prosecutor and undermine evidence by suggesting his sedition trial proved prosecutors cannot be trusted to present accurate information. I know. Seconds into his cross examination, Tarrio declined to answer any of the questions about January 6th of 2021. As we know, the Capitol attack that boosted his notoriety, quote, it's just not happening. That's what Tarrio said, who by the way is serving a 22 year prison term for seditious conspiracy after plotting to halt the peaceful transfer of power from then President Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election. The U.S. district Judge Amy Berman Jackson in a federal courtroom in Washington threatened to strike his entire testimony or hold him in contempt. Reminding the right wing extremist group leader that he waived his Fifth Amendment protections against self incrimination when he decided to take the standard, Tarrio said he'd be, quote, okay with those penalties. Of course he would because Trump is going to be president to proceed as he wished. The judge said she wasn't. Tario wore a green inmate's jumpsuit and black thick rimmed glasses, scanning the gallery jam packed with reporters, law enforcement, members of the public as he entered the courtroom and during his testimony. The ex Proud Boys later did not testify, by the way, during his Jan. 6 trial, though several co defendants did. Jackson, who is the judge, said a previous delay in Le Mans trial was the result of Tarrio wishing to wait for the outcome of November's presidential election before deciding whether to testify. Trump, as we said, who is now President elect, has vowed to pardon the January 6 rioters and floated considering a pardon for Tarrio as well. During his testimony, Tarrio said his communication with Lamond began in the summer of 2019 with the objective of keeping fellow Proud Boys and Trump supporters safe at the event by creating, quote, a buffer zone between them and protesters. Lamon was neither a Proud boy nor a friend and this is what Tarrio said, though he stopped short of denying that the officer supported the group. Quote, I can't tell you what Shane was or wasn't. Not officer interesting what Shane was or wasn't, he said. But he wasn't a Proud boy. Tarrio denied confessing to Lamond, pointing prosecutors to podcasts and social media confessions. He's, he said, stood alone. The government alleged Tario confessed to Lamont and that the officer withheld that information from his superiors. He explained away the contradictory messages he sent to various people as a quote, marketing ploy to encourage contacts with big followings to blast the information or is testing out messaging among other Proud Boys. Tario also roundly resisted prosecutors theory that Laman informed tario of his January 4, 2021 arrest. That day, Laman set his telegram chat with Tario to self destruct after 10 seconds. It was very Inspector Gadget and soon after Tario told several contacts that warrant for his arrest was signed. However, Tario did admit to several details. Prosecutors say they were damaging to Laman's defense. Tario initially said that Lamon was not his source at mpd, but later agreed that he was a contact at the Police Department, words Tario used interchangeably, by the way, in his messages. Prosecutors also played a video showing Tario meeting in a parking garage with members of other right wing groups, including Oath Keeper founder Stuart Rhodes. In the video, Tario said he became aware his arrest warrant had been signed, quote, in the air, they texted me from the air, end quote. Tarrio admitted the video showed him saying that, but insisted the person who texted him was not Lamond and he didn't actually know then that the warrant had been signed. He told defense attorney Mark Schamel that he became suspicious after departing the plane, but wasn't sure he'd be arrested until unmarked police cars began following his ride hail into Washington, D.C. assistant U.S. attorney Rebecca Ross questioned why the judge, who alone will decide Lamond's fate, should believe that all of Taro's messages were lies, but he was telling the truth Thursday in the same court where he was convicted of sedition and other serious felonies. So why? Why do you think he's telling the truth now? Tario snapped back and said, well, I wasn't convicted of perjury, man.

[Allison Gill]

Wow. Yeah. And you know, one of the judges that you probably don't want to with is Amy Burman. Judge Jackson if you're nasty, don't just don't her judge how like judge met like don't just don't all right, this next story comes from Bridget Bowman et al at NBC News. Billionaire Elon Musk poured more than $20 million into a mysterious super PAC at the end of 2024. At the end of the campaign, part of more than $250 million he spent overall to boost Trump. That's according to new campaign finance reports. Musk financed RBG pac, according to the report. Sounds like he's woke somebody should fire him. That's according to the report the group filed Thursday night with the Federal Election Commission session. The super pac, which did not disclose its donors before the election, launched ads contending that Trump did not support a federal abortion ban. All of the money the group pulled in 20.5 million came from one single donation from the Elon Musk Revocable Trust in Austin, Texas. RBG PAC spent almost all of its money on digital ads, mailers and text messages. That's according to the campaign finance report, which covered Oct. 17 through Nov. 25. The group's website says Trump and the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg agree on the abortion issue, drawing criticism from Ginsburg's granddaughter Clara Sparrow, who told the New York Times that the message was nothing short of appalling. Now, as we know, Trump took credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, a decision that came after three Trump appointed justices voted with the majority to overturn the national right to abortion. One of those justices, Amy Coney Barrett, was appointed to replace Ginsburg weeks before the 2020 election. After Ginsburg died in mid September. As president, he supported a federal ban on abortion after 20 weeks. But during his campaign, Trump backed away from that position and instead declared that he supported states rights to decide abortion laws. Democrats still hit Trump hard on his past positions to argue that if he were elected, he and Republican Congress would restrict abortion nationwide. The late ad blitz from RBG PAC is only a small fraction of Musk's total election spending this year. He also financed America PAC, a super PAC that reported spending $157 million supporting Trump in the presidential ra. America PAC's latest campaign finance report showed Musk donated $238 million to the group throughout the election cycle, including in kind contributions, and 120 million of that came in the final weeks of the race alone. Musk also cut a check for more than $920,000 to one of Trump's joint fundraising committees a few weeks before Election Day. Federal disclosures show America PAC spent heavily on canvassing Remember all those terrible door knockers and then how they they basically kidnapped him and told him they took him in a plane and said if you don't get a thousand knocks a day or something ridiculous, we're not going to pay for your hotel room and your flight back. And they didn't even know they were out there canvassing for Trump. So that was most of that money. And it also spent a lot of money on digital advertising. It ran a controversial cash giveaway that gave out a million dollars a day, remember? And the Philly District attorney, Larry Krasner, sued Musk and America PAC in late October trying to halt that giveaway. But a judge in the state didn't agree to stop the program. The Justice Department also warned the PAC around the same time that the giveaway might be illegal. The DOJ sent that letter, but it has taken no public action on it. America PAC's Campaign Finance Report lists each of the $1 million prizes as payments for a spokesperson consultant. Musk also gave $3 million to the MAHA. That's the Make America Healthy Again alliance for RFK Jr. It's possible that Musk donated more to pro Trump efforts too, as political committees continue to file fundraising reports pegged Thursday night's deadline. Musk, as we know, co founder, SpaceX, CEO of Tesla, owns Twitter, but he's also been among his most visible donors this cycle. He has been a regular presence at Mar a Lago and by Trump's side during the transition. To the consternation of some of some in Trump's orbit, like Boris Epstein. Trump selected Musk to advise him on cutting spending across the federal government as a co chair of Doggy. That's the Department of Government Efficiency. And Dana, I saved you the best story of the day. It's time for a little schadenfreude.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes you did, my friend. The story comes to us from the Guardian. The notorious white supremacist. If I think that's giving him too much credit notorious part, he's definitely white supremacist. Nick Fuentes. He is facing battery charges in Illinois because authorities say he pepper sprayed a woman who had knocked on his front door after he enraged many on the Internet by tweeting the misogynist slogan quote, your body, my choice following Donald Trump's victory in the recent press presidential election. Fuentes, who's 26, he was arrested on Nov. 27 on account of misdemeanor battery released the same day. And that's according to documents filed on Wednesday in the Cook County Circuit Court that were reported on by the Chicago Sun Times. He is tentatively scheduled to appear in Court on December 19. The far right, avowedly validly anti Semitic influencer seemingly sought to make light of his legal predicament on Friday on social media, publishing a post on Twitter that contained a thinly disguised racial slur as well as the words, quote, free me. Sorry, I almost said something else. Meanwhile, the Jewish feminist activist pressing the case, by the way, against Fuente, she's 57 year old Marla Rose, also commented on social media, writing on Facebook, quote, it is on. And so she added civil case pending.

[Allison Gill]

Yes.

[Dana Goldberg]

To the post. Yep. That displayed three fire emojis.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, yeah, soothe him into the ground.

[Dana Goldberg]

Do it. Fuentes invited the digital spheres Fury.

[Allison Gill]

Fury.

[Dana Goldberg]

By celebrating Trump's return to the presidency at the expense of Kamala Harris on November 6 with a barbed tweeting on Twitter reading, quote, your body, my choice forever. It was pretty fucking awful. The post haunting the concept of women's bodily autonomy along with the 2022 elimination of federal abortion rights at the hands of the US Supreme Court, dominated by judges either appointed by or aligned with Trump had gained more than 99.7 million views as of Saturday. And some of went his political opponents retaliated by publishing his home address. And I don't necessarily support this, by the way, he got doxed on social media while declaring, quote, your house, our choice, which is kind of hilarious. Rose ultimately told police, sorry, it's good, it's good. I mean, I know, I know. Oh, then sometimes you gotta fight fire with fire. Rose ultimately told police that she had gone to record the outside of Fuentes's home in Chicago area suburb of Berwyn on November 10. He soon allegedly pepper sprayed her, pushed her onto the concrete and broke her cell phone. Video of the encounter that Rose later released showed Fuentes open his door as he reached up to ring the doorbell. As she did, he extended his left arm while holding a bottle of pepper spray, which prompted Rose to say, oh, my God, what are you doing? The phone falling while Fuentes could be heard saying, get the out of here. Fuentes then seemingly used his foot to drag the phone inside his house before closing the door and locking it. The report added that Fuentes claimed to police that he had received death threats as well as, quote, people showing up to his house unannounced after posting a political joke online and left him, quote, in fear for his life. Really? In fear for your life. You should talk to a woman who bled out in a parking lot in Texas. He eventually, quote, became uncooperative and refused to further address the confrontation with Rose. This is from NBC News. That's what they reported. Rose had watery eyes, but listed no other visible physical injuries. Possible punishments for misdemeanor battery under Illinois law. They include relatively short jail sentences, probation, fines. Some of the earliest news media headlines given to Fuentes came when he withdrew from Boston University after participating in the 2017 white supremacist rally, objecting to the removal of a statue of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Heather Hare was run over by a car. A demonstrator protesting the white supremacists, that's who I was just mentioning, Heather Heyer. Her name should be said as often as definitely more than theirs. She was murdered by a neo Nazi who intentionally drove a car into her as well as others. Trump then ignited a scandal, as we know, by hosting Fuentes as a dinner guest at Mar a Lago at his resort in 2022 as he geared up to run for A second presidency. Another guest at that dinner, the rapper previously known as Kanye west, who had propagated anti Semitic remarks that among other consequences, that cost him a business partnership with the sportswear company Adidas.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

Adidas.

[Allison Gill]

Yep.

[Dana Goldberg]

Some of you think that's the way you say it. I do not agree.

[Allison Gill]

What? Adidas.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. If you're right in the correction, I'm team Adidas and I don't.

[Allison Gill]

I'm Team Adidas. It's Adidas.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

It's an all day. I dream about sports. Right. Or other things. Okay, everyone, that's our schadenfreude today, Nick Fuentes. I don't think he'll get any prison time, but she's gonna. Civil suit coming.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Allison Gill]

And I look forward to that very much. We'll be reporting on that over on the cleanup.

[Dana Goldberg]

Clearly, while I was gone. And we know we're getting to the good news, but clearly while I was gone, you must have asked for pictures of people flipping off Trump Towers.

[Allison Gill]

Good guess. Yeah. Yeah. We call it bird watching.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God, that's fucking great. I'll make sure I pass mine on.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, I have quite a few as well. And speaking of the good news, we're going to get to it. I do have one more story to share with you, but we have to take another quick break. So everybody stick around. We'll be right back. As you know, sleep has always been a bit of a juggling act for me. Even with the perfect mattress, there are nights when my mind races, my body can't quite relax. That's a mind thing, right? That's a PTSD thing. Or holiday stress throws everything off balance. And that's why I've made Beam Dream part of my nightly routine. It is the easiest, most delicious way to wind down and prepare for restful sleep, especially during the hectic holidays. That's why I'm so excited to talk about Beam's Dream Powder. It's a science backed, healthy hot cocoa for sleep. Other sleep aids can cause next day grogginess. But Beam Dream contains a powerful all natural blend of reishi, magnesium, L theanine, apigenin and melatonin to help you fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up refreshed. Beam Dream is a guilt free treat. You just mix it in some hot milk or water and voila, you have a cozy drink that feels indulged, indulgent. But it's only 15 calories with 0 sugar. The flavors are incredible. Right now, my favorite is cinnamon cocoa. But sea salt, caramel and brownie batter or close seconds, they're always in the rotation. It's hard to believe something this delicious can also help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. And since adding Beam Dream to my routine, I've noticed a real difference in how I feel when I wake up. I sleep more soundly with fewer wake ups in the middle of the night because of my brain and my mornings are way more productive. Even after holiday meals or late night gatherings. Beam helps me reset and feel like myself the next day. Dream is tested for high quality efficacy and formulated to ease your body into rest, supporting all four stages of the sleep cycle and helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. So if you want to enjoy restful sleep, Beam Dream is a must. Try stock up on their limited holiday flavors like White Peppermint Mocha. Oh my gosh, it's so good. Gingerbread. They have also only while supplies last, but it's the easiest way to prioritize your health and sleep this holiday season. If you want to try Beams bestselling dream Powder, get up to 40% off for a limited time when you go to shop beam.com dailybeans and use the code dailybeans a check out that's shopbeam.com dailybeans and enter code dailybeans and get up to 40% off. You'll be glad you did. Hey everybody, welcome back. I wanted to take a segment, a full segment for this next story because it's it's personal to me. Having worked at the Department of Veterans affairs for 11 years, 10, 11, 12 years, something like that, over a decade. And having interviewed David Shulkin and having having been interviewed by Natasha Bertrand, who wrote this story. She's the one who published the story when she was writing for Politico about how my secret podcast made me a target for the Trump administration. So here's what Natasha writes. It was March 2018, and then President Donald Trump was meeting with his Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary, Dr. David Shulkin, about how to reform veteran health care. But it was Pete Hegseth, then, a Fox News personality, whose opinion Trump really wanted. Hegseth, now Trump's nominee to serve as secretary of defense, had been a vocal and persistent advocate for veterans having unfettered access to private health care rather than having to go through the VA to keep their benefits. He also lobbied for policies that would restrict VA care and believes veterans should ask for fewer government benefits. Quote, we want to have full choice where veterans can go wherever they want for care. That's what Hegseth told Trump on speakerphone as Shulkin listened. According to Shulkin's 2019 memoir. Now I'm going to take a break here from Natasha's writing to tell you. I was at the VA when Obama's Veterans Choice Program was instituted in 2014. This was in response to a backlash of a waitlist at the VA in Phoenix where several veterans who had asked to sign up and get information about healthcare through the VA on a website. That list was never sent to anyone to have people follow up with these veterans, and some of them died in, in the interim before anyone at the VA reached out to them. Now, in response, a pretty bipartisan bill called Veterans Choice was implemented as a temporary solution. In this bill, Bernie Sanders worked on it, John McCain worked on it. In this bill, it allowed veterans, if there was a longer than two week wait to get into the va, that they could go to a doctor out in the private sector and the VA would then foot the bill. And so that led to the Veterans Choice act being signed by Obama. It was supposed to be temporary and it also included about $12 billion to help fix the wait times at the VA. So in the meantime, they can go out and see private doctors for a little while. And while you spend this 12 billion to get your shit up to par, to hire the people that you need to build the facilities that you need to be able to see veterans, the goal was within two weeks when they want an appointment. I was there as the outpatient clinic operations chief at the Los Angeles VA Health System at the time, one of the biggest VA health systems in the country. And we had to implement this in 90 days. So we had to create a portal get with a third party corporate entity to process the claims, who, they made a shitload of money off of this. And we would have to send the veterans out. If they, you know, if they, they couldn't get an appointment with us in two weeks, we would send them to a private doctor. And these private doctors could charge the VA up to 115% of Medicare rate. So it was more expensive. And over time, we noticed that the wait times in the private sector were actually longer than the wait times at the va. And the care was subpar to the care to the health outcomes. You know, data driven health outcomes comes at the va. And so we were waiting for this temporarily, temporary thing to be over. We'd gotten our wait times down. Everything seemed to be good. We were spending, trying to spend that 12 billion. And then Trump came in and made permanent the Choice program. So when he goes out and brags veterans choice. I did that. He didn't. Obama did. What he did was make it permanent so that he could continue to line the pockets of health care providers like UnitedHealth, Humana, HealthNet, private doctors, private practices, and these third party vendors that were getting paid a shitload of money to process these claims to make sure that the VA paid these doctors, third party vendors, billion dollar contracts, big, big money into the private sector. So, of course, Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth want to do this because Republicans for a long time have been trying to privatize the Department of Veterans affairs. And Project 2025 promised to shut down all VA hospitals and clinical clinics. Okay, so that's a step back from socialized medicine because, you know, Medicare for all is kind of like, you know, you go out and see your private doctor and the government reimburses for at Medicare rates. But what the Veterans choice does is that they go out to private doctors and the taxpayers have to pay 115% of Medicare rates. And so, you know, for those of us who wanted to expand Medicare for All, taking the VA backwards is a step in the very, very wrong direction toward privatization of our only socialized direct government care in the country. Because with Medicare, you go to a private doctor and the government is the single payer, right? But at the va, you go to a government doctor and in a government facility and there's no third party that has to adjudicate claims, nobody to pay to make money to, you know, no corporations that get a giant chunk of our tax dollars to, to, you know, to process that claim. It's just direct government health care. Kind of like how the military directly takes care of its active duty service members. Unless there isn't a military treatment facility, in which case they get tricare, which is what I worked in when I was the liaison to the Department of Defense for the Department of Veterans Affairs. So I know a little bit about what I'm talking, what I'm talking about here. So back to Natasha's story. Trump's pick to serve as the next VA secretary. Doug Collins has also expressed support for greater privatization of veteran health care care, which advocates, which advocates characterize as giving veterans greater choice over their doctors. So whenever you hear, I'm breaking again from Natasha's story. Whenever you hear a Republican con call for privatization, they disguise it with the word choice. They'll say veterans choice or school choice. School voucher programs provide more choice. Right? Our health care choice program, our private healthcare program program, you know, which are monopolized by like four major carriers, Humana, HealthNet, United Healthcare and Tri west, which are the contracts that the government now uses for tricare for some of our military people when they want to totally privatize all that too in Project 2025. But those massive corporations and the third party vendors that process the claims like WPS, they make a shitload of money off of this. So all of those, they, they, they couch it, Republicans couch privatization as choice, like private prisons. Right? We're just, it's a choice. We're giving the, the, the people, the government, the Bureau of Prisons more choice. That's how they fucking frame it. But then they're anti choice when it comes to our bodily autonomy. Do you see, do you see how the messaging is fucked up? They're very good at it, though. So Doug Collins advocates for this and they characterize it as giving veterans greater choice over their doctors. Quote, if veterans want to go back to their own doctors, so be it, he told Fox News last month. For Shulkin, that's the old VA secretary, a rare holdover from Obama's administration to Trump's. This was, quote, the worst case scenario for veteran health care and one he had repeatedly warned he against. That's why he was ousted. Quote, your version of choice would cost billions more per year, bankrupting the system. That's what Shulkin recalls telling Hegseth in his memoir. How can we responsibly pursue this? Unfortunately, he didn't want to engage at that level of budget and other aspects of day to day reality. He seemed to prefer his sound bites on television. If confirmed, he, Collins will have the opportunity to push for a dramatic overhaul of the military and veteran healthcare system system. One that could significantly cut government health benefits for service members and veterans, many of which Hegseth says veterans should not be asking for at all. Veterans groups encourage veterans to apply for every government benefit they can ever get, they can ever get after they leave the service. That's what he told Fox News. Yeah, imagine telling somebody who fucking signed up to fight for the country and possibly die for it. Yeah, go get your benefit. He hates that. Hegseth says to me, the ethos of service is, I served my country because I love my country and I'm going to come home and start the next chapter of my life. If I've got a chronic condition, mental, physical or otherwise, the government better be there for me. But otherwise, I don't want to be dependent on that. But he also doesn't want to cover every chronic condition, mental, physical or otherwise situation they want to do away with providing disability benefits for rape survivors, for example, example. There's a great many things in here of great many benefits that he wants to just completely shit can. And he wants to use the same AI type software that United Healthcare used to deny claims without having to actually, you know, have it reviewed by a human being. So when you get out of the military and you apply for your disability benefits with the va, Hegseth wants that done by the same AI type software where that United Healthcare used to deny claims to. So many and other healthcare agencies use that too. I just bring up United because they're in the news a little bit lately, so Natasha goes on the fight by pro small government conservatives to privatize VA is not a new one, particularly as the VA has long been plagued with bureaucratic challenges resulting in long wait times and sometimes dangerously delayed medical care for veterans. Hegseth told the Sean Ryan Show, a podcast last month, that he's not explicitly advocating for privatizing the va, but rather, quote, to effectively let the dollars flow to the veteran and to their preferred doctor. That's the kicker. The money doesn't go to the veteran. 115% of your taxpayer dollars goes to his private friends. And by the way, the amount of fraud in the private sector, outside the government, government that has no checks on it, is astounding. I found in one instance when I was the liaison to the Department of Defense, private doctors charging new mothers in Tricare right for a 15 breast pump. They're giving them the 15 breast pump right because they have Tricare and then turning around and charging you, the taxpayer 600 to 1500 dollars per breast pump. We found that fraud. There's tons of it and it's always perpetrated by these rich fucking private sector healthcare assholes. Not by veterans, not by people who use Medicare or Medicaid. Although that's what the conservatives want you to believe. And then they disguise their disgusting privatization as choice. We're giving you more choice. It's bullshit, and I know I'm preaching to the choir. Critics, though, say unfettered choice. That narrative is a Trojan horse for privatizing and ultimately dismantling the VA system altogether, whose budget was over $300 billion in 2024. Hegseth told Sean Ryan that the VA hates conversations about private privatization because their budget might get reduced. Ah, honey. But that doesn't reduce the government spending. It will increase it and it will cause more death and longer wait times and poorer health outcomes. Quote It's a typical swampy feedback loop he said. He added that when he was being considered for the VA Secretary in 2016, he heard from huge numbers of veterans who supported his ideas. And that is, you talk to any veteran, they're like, yeah, my va, you know, especially the, the old guards, like the, the Vietnam era guys and maybe some first, first golf war guys, they're like, yeah, VA is not the best, but don't you touch my VA benefits. They get very defensive when you try to take away their benefits and their health care and their clinic. Amy McGrath, a retired Marine fighter pilot who challenged Mitch McConnell for his Kentucky seat in 2020, emphasized in a conversation with CNN that while the debate around privatization of care has been, quote, going on for years, there hasn't been a widespread outcry from veterans to privatize the VA. Quote, I'm not saying the VA is perfect, it's certainly not, said McGrath, a Democrat. But I don't think there's a huge outcry to privatize it. A senior Biden administration official told CNN that within the VA there are a number of career civil servants who have dedicated their lives to the health and welfare of our veterans and our nation that, that our nation has sent to war repeatedly. Those civil servants are now deeply worried about the continued health care and earned benefits of the veterans they serve. The official added, yeah, count me in that I don't work there anymore. But who, boy, as a veteran and, and by the way, 70% of the civil servants line servants that work at the Department of Veterans affairs are veterans themselves. As Secretary of Defense, Hegseth would oversee the military health system. That's mhs, that, that's who I liaised to when I was the liaison to the Department of Defense for va, which is separate from the vha, the Veterans Health Administration. But Hegseth is broadly skeptical of government provided health care at all. And he's argued that health care benefits for both active duty service members and veterans should be cut significantly so that the Pentagon can spend more on war fighting capability. That's according to a Wall Street Journal op ed he wrote in 2014. If this continues, the Defense Department will event a health care and pension provider that also happens to fight wars, he wrote. I guess completely ignoring the mission of the VA to take care of those and that have borne the service and their widows and their spouses. I guess that whole Abraham Lincoln mission of the Department of, you know, fuck that, I guess to care for those who have borne the battle. Quote, healthcare is expensive no matter how you go about it. This is McGrath who also said while she understands the idea of trying to cut costs, there's been no data that shows that privatizing is going to cut costs significantly. Yeah, and I'm with you that, Amy McGrath. It's going to increase it, she said. Health care is expensive no matter how you go about it. And I fear, and I think a lot of people fear you will lose quality of care care because now you're switching over veteran care to the private sector. The private sector has an incentive to make money. Health insurance makes money by denying care. Is that what we want? You're also going to have people working in the private sector who don't know shit about the unique needs of our veterans and their health care. As CEO of the veterans organization Concerned Veterans For America, a group backed by conservative billionaire Charles and David Koch, Hegseth lobbied for providing VA health care only to veterans with service connected disability and specialized needs. That policy would significantly restrict the number of future veterans eligible for VA care at all. Hegseth's skepticism of the wide array of government benefits veterans have at their disposal has prompted outrage from veterans groups. Right, that's what I'm saying. Veterans do not like it when you fuck with their benefits. Max Rose, an Army Reserve officer and Democratic former congressman who now serves as a senior advisor for progressive veterans organization Vote Vets, called Hegseth's remarks massively disrespectful to veterans who have been trusted to go to war to protect the homeland, defend our rights and our way of life, and then we think they will come home and be an abuser of the health care service. In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Shulkin said some of Hagsef's ideas were not outlandish. He agrees that veterans should have some access to private care, particularly if VA wait times for an appointment are excessive. We've been doing that for decades, though it's called community care. It's nothing new. So like if you go to your local Department of Veterans affairs and you need hand surgery and there's not a, a VA with a hand surgeon within 100 miles, the VA will pay for you to go to get hand surgery at a private doctor. We've been doing that at the VA for decades. So Shulin knows what he's talking about here. If, if you, you know, if there's a long wait time or your appointments are accepted. Excessive. But he also said, Shulkin said that Hegseth is an outsider with no experience at the VA or in health care and didn't understand the complexities of the system he was trying to completely reshape. Quote, at the time, I was telling him, I'm here on the ground. I know the reality. That's what he told cnn. This is Shulkin. I see patients, the veterans with ptsd. I've been a doctor my whole life in the private sector. I know my hospitals that I ran didn't have the capability to care for these patients. I'm not just going to give veterans a voucher and say, good luck. Luck. As Shulkin's memoir demonstrates, Heth and Concerned Veterans for America, that's, that's the outfit that he was with Heth, where he was excessively drinking all the time and had to be carried out of strip clubs. But the Concerned Veterans for America has asserted significant influence over Trump on this issue. Trump considered tapping Heth for VA Secretary in 2016, but by the time Trump took office, Hegseth had already stepped down from the CVA amid those accusations of financial mismanagement, frequent drunkenness and sexual harassment, all of which Hegseth still denies. But cva, quote, was at the White House on a regular basis and showing up at meetings when I hadn't invited them. That's what Shulkin wrote in his memoir. At every turn, White House staff made sure CVA was given a strong voice. The progressive government watchdog American oversight also documented CVA's influence over Trump on this issue in the early years of his administration. Quote, that's our responsibility. That's Kate Guzminski, the director of Military Veterans and Society Programs at the center for the New American securities cnas. And she said there is a conversation that could be had about moving some veteran health services, particularly those services that are not for things directly linked to military service, into communities outside of the va, for example, an annual checkup or getting a vaccination shot. But she said it brings up more questions, particularly about how veterans in vulnerable communities, like those with low incomes, could continue accessing care if the VA is no longer an option for them. Quote, there is a potential for individuals who need access to care, either being delayed in accessing that or not being able to access it, access it at all. And we as a nation have philosophically said, yeah, it's our responsibility. That's what she said. Now, when it comes to the military health systems that the defense secretary directly oversees, the Pentagon this year began to reevaluate its policy over the last decade of trying to reduce health care costs by cutting staff at military health facilities and outsourcing care to private doctors and hospitals. That move toward privatized care was making it harder for service members to access doctors because of staffing shortages, shortages at military facilities, and the fact that tricare, which allows troops and their families to access private doctors and clinics, was either not being accepted by many private providers or only allowed access to subpar facilities. That's what a DOD Injectors Inspector General report found last year, quote, I can appreciate that it sounds good to advocate for people to have the most freedoms and abilities to choose, shulkin said. There's no question that that's an important part of health care care, but you have to have a system you can send them to that knows how to deal with their toxic toxic exposures and post traumatic stress and the injuries that were happening to our young men and women who were coming back after IED explosions and they needed that type of complex prosthetics care Now. Rose echoed the same concerns that veterans may not be able to get the kind of holistic care they may need from civilian providers. Problems with VA health services, of which there are examples, examples of undeniably are that's a reason to build upon our existing system, not to decimate it. And that's what that $12 billion in the original Choice act was for, to fix the problems, not dismantle the va. But when Trump made Choice permanent and took credit for Obama's stuff, he scrapped that 12 billion that was written out because they want VA healthcare to have problems so that they can have a reason to dismantle it. Kuzminski agreed that there are issues the VA excels beyond civilian health care and treating, so the VA is better at a lot of stuff, but said there's been a lot of progress in the last decade on electronic health records which would allow military and civilian health providers to have more well rounded images of veterans health care needs. Shulin said he will reserve judgment on Heg Seth's nomination until he sees him address the issues of service member and veteran care during his confirmation hearings, but he indicated that he hopes he views have changed. I do believe, quote, that what any good leader needs to do is to be able to recognize when their opinions should change or need to change and then to be able to articulate and express what their vision for leading the agency actually is. I think that's a very Pollyanna view of what we're going to hear from Pete Hegseth and what we will see happen to the Department of Veterans affairs under Doug Collins. But thanks to Natasha Bertrand for writing this up and we do have some good news that we have to get to. And so thanks for indulging me. I wanted to do this entire block because this is very personal to me. So I appreciate you sticking around and Dana and I will be back with the good news right after this. Quick break, everybody. Welcome back. It's time for the good news. Good news, everyone. Then good news, everyone. Good news, good news. And if you have any good news confessions corrections, you want to send any good news story into us at all, send it to us in an attach your pod pet tax, which is a photo of your pet. And if you don't have a pet, send us an adoptable pet in your area. We have a pretty good track record of finding them forever homes. And if you don't have, you know, a shelter pup or kitty or a birb that you want to share with us, you can also send in any animal photo. And if you want us to guess anything about that animal, we're happy to try to do that too. We did get five out of five on that one dog that one time.

[Dana Goldberg]

I would say that's right before I left. And I was like, I'll never do this again.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. And it's never going to happen again. But it's still fun. So send all those photos into us. And if you don't have any of that, you can send us baby photos. We love baby photos too. And of course, right now we're doing the bird watching, which is sending us photos of you flipping off Trump properties. We love those, especially the group ones. I love it when I get like 12 middle fingers in front of the bold post office.

[Dana Goldberg]

You know, fantastic.

[Allison Gill]

It's good. And also we love shout outs. Whether you want to shout out a spouse, a friend, a kid, a parent, yourself, we love self shout outs. Your small business or a small business in your area that could use a boost. Maybe you're writing something or painting something. We have so many makers and creators and entrepreneurs that listen to this show. We would love to hear about what you're doing to keep, you know, to keep sane during these times. Send that to us. And of course, shout out to government programs. Shout outs to government programs. We love those. Whether it's Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Affordable Care act, which is the same as Obamacare. Tell your Uncle Frank, section 8 WIC headst start, snap. You know, I mean, there's so many, you know, while we still have them. Send in your good news stories about that because, you know, I'm gonna be. My goal here is to, you know, I was sending the student debt relief stories to the White House. And I still am when we get them. But I would like to love to put together just a huge compendium of how government programs have helped people, especially when we start facing their demise in this next administration. So send those to us. Send it all dailybeanspod.com click on contact first up from Barbara C. Pronoun she and her this is me flipping the bird at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Manhattan on November 3, 2019, the day my younger sister ran the New York City Marathon. I was working my way towards the south end of Central park to meet my sister after the race. The streets were pretty jammed so I couldn't really stop and stand, you know, because when, when New Yorkers are walking.

[Dana Goldberg]

Especially oh yeah, you got to keep it moving.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. So she couldn't really stop, stand still to take a clear photo. But the people in the blue hooded clothing are runners wearing finishers ponchos distributed at the end of the race. Thanks to you and the beans cleanup and Jack and thanks to the teams for helping keep people sane and informed. There it is. Look at that bird.

[Dana Goldberg]

Love it. It's a good bird.

[Allison Gill]

Excellent. Thanks for oh, more birds. What do we got?

[Dana Goldberg]

It's a quick one. This is from Nick. No pronouns given. This is my 14 year old daughter who asked permission just before giving Trump Tower in Chicago the one finger salute on our summer vacation. That is a good one there. And that is definitely a teenage hand and a teenage bird.

[Allison Gill]

I 18 year old bird. Fantastic. You want to take the next one too, my friend?

[Dana Goldberg]

Absolutely. This is from Daphne. Pronounced she and her hello ladies. After the election and finishing in audiobook to on Tech Bros, I decided to end my Facebook and Instagram addiction once and for all. Not wanting to turn to corporate news media, I decided to join Blue Skies and needed a name. For most people this would be a problem, but I am. I am a semi out trans person and I decided to share with the world how I see myself as Daphne. I picked Daphne because daffodils give such a joy when they pop up in the spring after a long hard cold winter. And hopefully that will give someone some hope that winter will pass.

[Allison Gill]

Oh man, that's fantastic.

[Dana Goldberg]

Having a moment as and I don't know if you've covered it on the show and I'm sure we will, that there's a massive case at the Supreme Court right now and the trans leaders in our world argued in front of the Supreme Court and so this just, it hits a little bit, you know, harder right now. So Daphne thank you for the submission already.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, we did. I did a whole entire segment on it and then. And then a follow up as well.

[Dana Goldberg]

Wonderful. Daphne continues. I'd like to give a shout out, shout out to a government program, the Department of Housing and Urban Development in particular. As in 2009 when I was trying to buy a home and all the foreclosed houses were being snapped up by investors, I was able to buy a house through HUD as they prioritize bids from first time home buyers like myself. Like many Americans before me, this has helped springboard me and my family into a solid middle class foundation. I could go on and on about government programs and helping people, but I feel like I've already said too much. You have not, Daphne. I've submitted a picture of my three cats. Murray Thumbs and our newest edition. Oh, Murray Thumbs. And our newest edition. Pearl.

[Allison Gill]

I don't know, I kind of like Murray Thumbs.

[Dana Goldberg]

I like Murray Thumbs. Like he's a little. He's a little off gangster.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

Murray Thumbs.

[Allison Gill]

Tony the fish.

[Dana Goldberg]

Murray, how you doing? Murray Thumbs. And the newest addition is Pearl, who are enjoying a lazy afternoon while the kids are at school. Daphne, I love the name. I love the reason for the name and thank you for the submission. And I love that the HUD program helped you start to, you know, create that beautiful dream home that you wanted and that you have a safe shelter and all of the things. It just makes me happy that at least as it has done some good through the years.

[Allison Gill]

Okay, this photo, first of all, the corner with the window is beautiful. Yeah, love that. I'm guessing a big Maine coon and a tiny tabby kitty and then this moo cow. That must be. That must be thumbs.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, you can do it. Murray thumbs. Murray thumbs.

[Allison Gill]

He's got thumbs.

[Dana Goldberg]

Murray and thumbs.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, Daphne, thank you. Thank you so much. All right, next up, from Stacy Pronoun. She and her hello. First, I want to give a huge thank you to AG&DG for all the work you're doing to help the trans community. Our oldest son is non binary and for them and their friends, it's really a frightening time. I so very much appreciate you speaking out on behalf of this community because they know all the help that they can get at this time. Our family has a long history of giving the bird to Trump properties. So when I learned that you were looking for photos of the one finger salute, I had Fun Searching through 2018 and 2019 photos to find these. Enjoy. All right, there's a double barrel middle finger or two different people flipping off the Trump International Hotel. There's one a shaky Chicago across the river. Here's another one a Trump Tower, New York Fifth Avenue.

[Dana Goldberg]

I love it.

[Allison Gill]

Great. It is fun looking through all those 20182019 bird bird watching photos.

[Dana Goldberg]

There's going to be a lot more. All right, this is from Anonymous Pronouns he and Him I'm a new listener to the Daily Beans. I'd like to shout out my VA services. I've been a patient with VA Healthcare since ex the USMC in 2014. I've been a patient of the Rocky Mountain VAMC and now the San Diego VAMC. My current doctor is amazing and takes the time to listen to my concerns and provide education. The staff are a bright spot, a system that is broken for so many I'd also like to shout out my post 911 GI bill. I graduated with a BA in Criminal justice in 2018 and a Master's in Social Work in 2020. I now work in healthcare guiding my patients, their families, their loved ones through our frag Augmented Healthcare system. Through hard work, taking at least 16 credits each semester, I was able to complete both of these degrees within 36 months of benefits provided by the Post 911 GI Bill. The BAH allowed me to focus on my studies full time. I would not have been successful as I was without it. As veterans we work hard for our benefits. This is my encouragement to all veterans to use them. In 2017 the Forever GI Bill was signed into law eliminating that arbitrary 15 year time limit to use GI Bill benefits. It also expanded benefits for others to include Purple Heart, Purple Heart recipients, reservists, and the Yellow Ribbon program which can cover the cost of education above the GI Bill tuition gap cap. Excuse me. Learn a trade, obtain your degree or learn a new set of skills for a new career. So thank you to the Beans crew for all that you do. For my POD Pet Tax. Here's a senior dog named petunia@lionels legacy.org Lionels legacy.org Let's give Petunia the loving home she deserves and we've got a link in the shownotes to Lionels Legacy.org and there's also a link to Petunia specific listing and Petunia is an adorable SHU mix and she's in Elon, California.

[Allison Gill]

Oh look how cute she oh my.

[Dana Goldberg]

Goodness that second photo. Get out of here.

[Allison Gill]

I know the eyes. I want to give her bacon right now. She would get I there would she would have all the bacon in all.

[Dana Goldberg]

The bacon unless she was a vegan Dog.

[Allison Gill]

No, no, of course, but man. Anonymous, thank you for your service and thanks for shouting out the GI Bill. I used my GI Bill after I got out and got my bachelor's and then my mba. And I also use the San Diego VA healthcare system. It's one of the best in the nation. So I probably know your doctor. I worked at the VA for 10 years. And just so you all know, when he says the BAH allowed him to focus on his studies full time, BAH is the GI Bill pays your rent.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh nice.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, it's fucking amazing. And it. So if you served, there is no longer a 15 year limit on when you can start using your GI Bill benefits. So go out, get it done. And thank you so much, Anonymous, again for your service and for sharing an adoptable pet out here in El Cajon. Appreciate you. All right, let's see. We have Christina pronoun. She and her. I just had to say thank you for making me laugh once again. Your story about stealing the baby Jesuses and returning the them was too much. Then the fact that it was never reported that they were returned. But that's the mainstream media for you.

[Dana Goldberg]

Ha.

[Allison Gill]

Dana. I'll explain for my pod pet fee. Sorry, brain malfunction. I can't remember if that's what it's called. I submit our 10 year old semi lazy dog, Elsa. She's waiting for me to make her move so I can make the bed. Can you guess what she is from this angle? I'll give you a hint. Their breed is also referred to as the gray ghost.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. Wine?

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. No answer given, but I'm gonna guess Weimaraner. So yeah, this week I told us.

[Dana Goldberg]

Please share.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, I told a story about how when I was a teenager I used to steal baby Jesuses from nativity scenes.

[Dana Goldberg]

Jesi Jesus.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

No, that sounds awful. Keep going.

[Allison Gill]

How did you know that?

[Dana Goldberg]

I made it up.

[Allison Gill]

That's actually a tag in the joke. I talk. It was Jesus. We never. We never taught. I said we never know. What if there's only been on Jesus.

[Dana Goldberg]

Sorry.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. You just tagged my joke with a tag that I use in my joke. That's fantastic.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's what comedians do. Go ahead, keep going.

[Allison Gill]

And. And you know at one point, St. Timothy's parish where I went to church, they put a LoJack in their Jesus because they were afraid that it was going to get snagged because I. Apparently it was a caper like everyone was was on the news that the Jesuses would go missing. But what they never reported it on or they never reported on was the fact that I returned them all on Easter. I returned them on Easter, which is hysterical. Thank you. I wanted to stay, you know, biblically correct and, and I would take them places like Magic Mountain or Four Corners and take photos. So I, I would return the Jesus, the G's eyes.

[Dana Goldberg]

Hilarious.

[Allison Gill]

On Easter with photos of their vacations. No one, no one, no one talked about that yet. So she's right.

[Dana Goldberg]

Want to do it?

[Allison Gill]

Damn the mainstream media.

[Dana Goldberg]

Well, we've got more about this. I think this is from Anonymous. No pronouns given. I loved ag story about stealing the baby Jesus is especially the bit about her trunk being full of them. I could picture that so easily. Years ago, one of my sisters did something similar in our small town. We were Catholics living in a predominantly Catholic community, which didn't keep my sister or and her friend from stealing the baby Jesus from the nativity scene and leaving a note that read, quote, find yourselves another sucker. This baby has had it.

[Allison Gill]

Was it like cut and paste from a magazine? Like a magazine. Oh my God.

[Dana Goldberg]

Did you imagine. Imagine. My mother thought it was hilarious. But we were told not to tell our dad or anyone outside the family. The kidnapping was written up in the newspaper and the priest was quoted quote, this is a very sick individual. This really made us laugh them, as my old mom used to say. She would have loved you both. Thank you for everything you do. Oh my God, that's hysterical.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, I. And you know that stealing Jesus's bit was always. It's a true story. It was a long part of my comedy set and then I actually did a, you know, the moth storytelling type thing I did. I did a full story and I had photos of my trunk full of G Z. Like that's hysterical. Post it notes on them with their addresses so that I could get them back to the right houses on Easter. Anyway, oh my God, thank you all. I was afraid I was going to get a bunch of write ins saying how dare you. But everyone seems pretty cool with my Jesus stealing youth. Anyway, thank you so much for your good news stories and your birds. Send in everything to us all the time, please, at DailyBeansPod.com click on Contact. Do you have any final thoughts today on your first day back?

[Dana Goldberg]

I don't, I don't. I'll get some going for the rest of the week though.

[Allison Gill]

All right, cool. We'll be back in your ears tomorrow. Remember to check out the new episode of the Jack podcast with me and Andy McCabe when you get a chance. And so, yeah, until tomorrow, 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 Gigi and them's the Beans. The Daily Beans is written and executive produced by Allison Gill with additional research and reporting by Dana Goldberg. Sound design and editing is by Desiree McFarland with art and web design by Joel Reeder with Moxie Design Studios. Music for the Daily Beans is written and performed by they Might Be Giants and the show is a proud member of the MSW Media Network, a collection of creator owned podcasts dedicated to news, politics and justice. For more information Please visit msw media.com msw media.