Timing Is Everything (feat. John Fugelsang)

Summary

The Daily Beans: "Timing Is Everything"

Episode Date: January 2, 2026
Hosts: Allison Gill & Dana Goldberg
Special Guest: John Fugelsang

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Episode Overview

This jam-packed episode dives into breaking headlines involving the ongoing Epstein saga, new developments from the Ninth Circuit Court, controversies over U.S. military strikes, and major moments from the Jack Smith testimony. The episode also features an in-depth conversation with John Fugelsang—comedian, activist, and host of "Tell Me Everything" on SiriusXM—exploring shifting trust in American institutions, Republican fractures, and what’s ahead for 2026. As always, the hosts balance hard-hitting political discussion with snark, camaraderie, and listeners' uplifting stories.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. New Year Reflections & Personal Highlights

[02:03-05:49]

• The hosts ring in 2026 swapping New Year’s stories:
  • Dana admits to a cathartic, teary binge on the Stranger Things finale, caviar at home, and east coast ball drop viewing.
  • Allison fell asleep watching Wicked 2, set alarms for the countdown, and noticed technical oddities during the ball drop broadcast.
• They share a humorous exchange about writing checks with the wrong year and nostalgia for decades past.
• Allison mentions her deep dive into Jack Smith’s testimony for her upcoming project "Unjustified" and the struggle of knowing when to stop editing:

  “Step away from the transcript. Yes. So that was me today.” (Allison Gill, 03:12)

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2. Scandals, Breaking News, and Deep Dives

a. Trump, National Guard, and Ninth Circuit Ruling

[07:17-08:45]

• The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered Trump to return control of California’s National Guard to Governor Gavin Newsom.
• This follows a Supreme Court ruling clarifying a president’s limits under Title 10, Section 12406.
• The hosts riff snarkily on Trump’s statements and the implications for his authority—questioning whether this signals attempts to invoke the Insurrection Act.

b. Ukraine Did Not Target Putin

[09:23-11:36]

• U.S. officials and CIA confirm Ukraine did not attempt to attack Putin’s residence, contradicting Moscow’s claims.
• Trump, after receiving a CIA briefing, walked back his earlier stance echoing Russian disinformation.

c. Controversial U.S. Military Strikes

[11:37-13:44]

• Over two days, the U.S. military struck five suspected narco-trafficking boats, killing at least eight, with survivors possibly in the water.
• Dana and Allison remain skeptical of reporting and critique transparency lapses:

  “I'm not sure. I believe that… the military did not provide evidence to back up the claim, of course, they didn't.” (Dana Goldberg, 12:09)

d. Wall Street Journal Epstein Exposé

[13:44-17:48]

• Revelations: Mar-a-Lago’s spa dispatched young female employees to Epstein's mansion for years, despite warnings about his predatory behavior; Trump was directly notified.
• The Wall Street Journal reports an 18-year-old beautician’s allegation sparked his floundering ban from Mar-a-Lago, yet Trump continued warm public comments about Epstein.
• The timeline contradicts Trump’s claim that he exiled Epstein over the Virginia Giuffre incident.
• Hosts suggest the Journal’s new details likely originate from Ghislaine Maxwell, speculating she’s leveraging information for potential favors.

e. Epstein Jail Footage Discrepancies

[17:48-22:52]

• Newly released DOJ files include hours of jail footage previously claimed to be unrecoverable—raising more questions about gaps during Epstein’s death and subsequent cover-up claims.
• The episode notes government inconsistencies and skepticism over the investigation's thoroughness:

  “Except for the really key parts that we don’t want you to see.” (Allison Gill, 19:03)
  “They’ve released 1% of the Epstein files.” (Allison Gill, 22:23)

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3. John Fugelsang Interview: Timing, Trust, and Republican Discord

[24:02-44:02]

Fugelsang on 2026 Vibes and Political Comedy

• John shares feeling less dread entering 2026, hopeful about standing against bullies.
• Recaps the challenge of touring as a comedian in a news-saturated era:

  “...at least half of [each stand-up set] was just about the malfeasance and general rank fuckery that had gone down in the last seven days.” (John Fugelsang, [25:34])

Jack Smith Testimony: Game-Changer for DOJ?

• Allison’s top takeaway: Jack Smith’s poised, detailed answers in congressional questioning shattered Republican talking points, starkly contrasting Robert Mueller’s earlier congressional performance.
• She advocates for Smith as Attorney General in 2029:

  “My big takeaway is that I am going to start campaigning madly and furiously for him to be the attorney general in 2029.” (Allison Gill, 06:41)

• Fugelsang calls Smith “succinct, stoic expert lawman” (26:22), and they agree Republicans released the transcript late New Year's Eve to minimize impact but debate whether it may backfire by giving the public time to absorb it.
• The two explore public trust in government, plummeting poll numbers, and how institutional distrust is a double-edged sword for accountability.

Republican Self-Preservation and Trump’s Waning Influence

• John believes power brokers (“the oligarch class”) are ready to jettison Trump:

  “They got everything they wanted out of this guy... They don’t need this guy anymore.” (John Fugelsang, 28:30)

• He predicts a wave of GOP desertion:

  “These are all barnacles in the dinghy of democracy. They’re all shills. There’s very little honor... They're going to cut him loose like he cuts loose contractors or wives.” (29:58, 32:28)

• Both point to Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert as examples of opportunists pivoting from Trump.

Institutional Barriers to Holding Trump Accountable

• The episode unpacks why impeachment was the only ironclad method to prevent Trump’s return and details why Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is a shaky lever.
• John pins blame on GOP stalwarts like Mitch McConnell and John Roberts for their inaction.

DOJ's Problems: The Pipe Bomber Case

• The hosts describe the messy prosecution of an alleged J6 pipe bomber, suggesting Trump DOJ’s attempts to hide the perp’s MAGA ties may upend the case.

  “...if this is the pipe bomber, if this is him, they're trying so hard to hide the fact that he's MAGA that they're fucking up their own case.” (Allison Gill, 35:00)

• John points out:

  “...thank God they’re so incompetent and stupid. These petulant rich kids who can’t put a sentence together even though they have Ivy League degrees. Bush and Trump, there’s so much they have in common...” (37:01)

The Collapse of Public Trust

• John reframes widespread loss of institutional faith as "discernment," not nihilism:

  “If you still trust our institutions after this year, I don't admire your optimism anymore. I'm concerned about your situational awareness...” (John Fugelsang, 41:42)

• He urges turning skepticism into activism and calls for real accountability after Trump.

Memorable Banter & Closing

• Allison coins “Et tu, toupee” as a proposed slogan for Trump's political demise (“I think the ides [of March] would be appropriate – et tu, toupee.” – 33:04), cracking up John.
• John predicts GOP infighting post-Trump ("they’ll eat each other alive") and expresses excitement for seeing MAGA factions splinter in 2026.

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "[Jack Smith's] calm demeanor, his I-agree-as-a-matter-of-fact presentation.... He shut down all of the conspiracy theories – you could feel in the room the Republicans feeling silly."
  — Allison Gill ([26:22])

• "These Republicans are doing it again out of craven self-interest. That's why they latched onto him, and that's why they're going to cut him loose like he cuts loose contractors or wives."
  — John Fugelsang ([32:28])

• "Step away from the transcript. Yes. So that was me today."
  — Allison Gill ([03:12])

• "If you still trust our institutions after this year, I don’t admire your optimism anymore. I’m concerned about your situational awareness."
  — John Fugelsang ([41:42])

• "[The DOJ] have released 1% of the Epstein files."
  — Allison Gill ([22:23])

• "They’re stuck between a crematorium and a dildo shop."
  — Allison Gill, on DOJ’s pipe bomber dilemma ([40:51])

• "They only like ICE officers. And so, how many actual criminals are walking free because they’re incompetent and Keystone Cops?"
  — Allison Gill ([36:39])

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Good News Segment

[46:09–59:24]
Listeners send in personal stories, resolutions, and adorable pet photos. Highlights include New Year's transformations, chosen family support through tough times, signs of political awakening among relatives, and spotlights on animal rescues. The hosts read submissions with warmth and trademark wit.

Examples:

• “Here’s to a 2026 that we could choose to build.” — Siobhan shares the meaning of finally wearing gifted pearls ([48:28])
• Anonymous celebrates chosen family and gratitude for birthday joy ([49:35])
• Shantae spots hope in her once-MAGA mom’s uncertainty about Trump ([51:51])

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Episode Takeaways:

• Breaking news on Epstein and Mar-a-Lago, National Guard control, and DOJ mishaps are contextualized amid wider Republican fragmentation and public distrust in U.S. institutions.
• John Fugelsang's appearance deepens the conversation around shifting power and accountability post-Trump, surrounding the Jack Smith testimony’s impact.
• The episode underscores both ongoing peril (DOJ crises, democratic erosion) and emerging opportunities (loss of faith spurring activism, cracks in GOP loyalty).

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For listeners seeking a balance of sharp political insight, comedic relief, and connection with the progressive community, this episode is a must.

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Further Reading/Listening:

• Jack Smith testimony highlights → upcoming "Unjustified" show ([02:19], [06:41])
• John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me Everything” weeknights on Sirius XM Progress, Channel 127 ([24:02], [44:23])
• Submit your stories for the Good News segment via dailybeanspod.com ([46:16])

Transcript

[Martin Sheen]

It's Sunday morning and that wonderfully relaxed feeling of a long, lazy day lingers in the air. If you want to make the moment last, may I suggest the perfect solution? The Martin Sheen Podcast. Join me, your host, Martin Sheen, for beautifully crafted 20 minute programs filled with never before heard stories of my life, along with personal reflections and poetry that inspires. The Martin Sheen Podcast is the perfect Sunday refresh. A chance to take a deep breath, relax and know that the stress of Monday may be just around the corner, but not here, not now. So make this your weekly moment of calm as we explore faith, hope, love, and what it means to be human. And know this, this journey is ever unfolding as I invite you to see what's next with me, Martin Sheen.

[Allison Gill]

And thank you, MSW Media. Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Friday, January 2, 2026. Today, the Wall Street Journal is out with new reporting that the Mar A Lago spa was trafficking girls to Epstein. The ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered Trump to return control of the National Guard to Gavin Newsom. New jail video footage disproves government claims about which cameras were working at the time of Epstein's death. US Officials confirm Ukraine did not strike Putin's residence and the United States strikes five more boats in the Caribbean and possibly leaving survivors. I'm Allison Gill.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[Allison Gill]

Hello, my friend. The news does not stop.

[Dana Goldberg]

It does not.

[Allison Gill]

Neither do we.

[Dana Goldberg]

No, we do not. Officially. Happy New Year to you. We are in 2026. For those of you that still write checks, I mean, to make sure you write the right year on them. Talking to my mother and myself, if I'm honest. So I still do.

[Allison Gill]

I think the last time I wrote a check, I wrote 1996 on it, but it was 2000. So that's, you know, where we are with the way my brain is working. I have also been so steeped in this goddamn. Excuse me, this amazingly wonderful Jack Smith testimony. Oh, my God. It's really, really good. It's really important stuff because I'm putting together a big show for Unjustified on Sunday where I'm going to put together all of the relevant clips. I'm going to kind of boil the eight hour thing down to about an hour at least that's my goal. So that it's a little more digestible than, you know, watching the entire thing. But, but the producers are like, are you done? Are you done highlighting and editing your document to pick clips? And I, I just, I was like, you know what? Okay, you're right. I have to walk away or I'm not going to finish.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, sometimes you do have to have someone else tell you it's perfect. Let it go.

[Allison Gill]

Step away from the transcript. Yes. So that was me today. What did you do for New Year's?

[Dana Goldberg]

If I'm honest, I spen an hour of a two hour finale of Stranger Things bawling my eyes out. It was so emotional and so well done. I don't know if there's Stranger Things fans out there watching or listening to this right now, but I'm sure if you are a person with a heart and you enjoyed the show, you were crying last night too, if you watched it. But no spoilers. Promise. But it's just a very emotional finale. So I spent that. And then honestly, my partner and I. It may sound bougie, but you don't. You can actually find. Very cost effective. But whenever there's a special occasion, we like to do caviar. We do a caviar setup at home. And so we did that for the new year in toasted champagne on the east coast time and watched the ball drop with Andy Cohen. And what is Andy's Anderson Cooper? Anderson Cooper. Thank you very much. Yeah, so that was my New Year's Eve and then I started the year right. I did a lot today. I felt very productive. Started in that five minute journal I said I was going to start in and here we are.

[Allison Gill]

Very cool.

[Dana Goldberg]

What about you?

[Allison Gill]

I fell asleep watching Wicked 2. I set an alarm for 11:57, got up, watched the ball drop. Did anyone else notice the lights on? The ball went out when it got to the bottom. I feel like it broke or something, you know, but fine. All of 2025 just needs to be left behind. I'm serious. Like, just go away.

[Dana Goldberg]

We were so confused with the New York ball because we're like, what is the writing on there? And it said USA250 because it's her 250th birthday. So apparently on July 4th, Independence Day, they're going to drop it again in New York for the 250th birthday. For the. Yeah. Isn't that bizarre?

[Allison Gill]

I'm not dropping the ball for other things. That's not what the ball is for.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's what a rumor has it. I could be wrong. I may have heard it incorrectly. Do not quot you've never met me. I'm out.

[Allison Gill]

But we're supposed to have incredible wrestling matches on the White House lawn. And I mean, isn't that what everyone's going to be?

[Dana Goldberg]

It was actually really funny because Anderson Cooper was talking to Andy and Andy was like, oh, we're going to be here to celebrate the ball drop and you know, the 250th anniversary. And you could see Anderson's wheels spinning of like that's going to be a Trump controlled thing. And I'm not so sure I'm going to or want to be involved in it. Literally, I feel like that's what I could watch his brain doing.

[Allison Gill]

Right. Like you could see this like a little bit of smoke coming out of his ears.

[Dana Goldberg]

Like, yeah, I don't know if that's something I want to be a part of. But yeah, we'll see what happens.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, we will see what happens. I didn't like Wicked 2 as much as I liked the original Wicked, but we watched it and then we watched When Harry Met Sally. Just me and my bestie. Also, it's Friday, so it's Fuglsang Fridays on the Daily Beans. I'll be joining John Fugelsang tonight on his Show Friday night, 9pm Eastern, 6 Pacific, SiriusXM progress channel 127. It's a show called Tell Me Everything. So I'm going to be on there and he's going to be on here. So we're doing little swapsies for, for the New Year. And I'll be on in the first 30 minutes or so, so join us there. Again, it's channel 127 tonight, 9pm Eastern. So I just have one thing to say here about the Jack Smith deposition. We played a few clips on Beans Talk yesterday, but my big takeaway is that I am going to start campaigning madly and furiously for him to be the attorney general in 2029.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh my God.

[Allison Gill]

That's what I want.

[Dana Goldberg]

Amazing. We talk about these people facing consequences and it's not even a retribution. It wouldn't even be like, you know what I mean? It wouldn't even be revenge.

[Allison Gill]

It would. He's super apolitical.

[Dana Goldberg]

Right. He would just be doing his job.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. And of course we have to get the Senate back because Republicans are going to vote against whoever we put forward. Unless it's somebody like a middle of the road, sort of Merrick Garland character. And I don't think we can afford to do that this time around. So I think it should be him. That's just my two cents.

[Dana Goldberg]

No, I think it would be amazing.

[Allison Gill]

It would really also make Jim Jordan's head explode, which.

[Dana Goldberg]

Which would be an equal bonus. Yeah. Which is a quick one at the top here. The ninth Circuit Court of Appeals just officially ordered Trump to return control of the California National Guard to Gavin Newsom. So, yep, this follows last week's Supreme Court ruling that Trump doesn't have the authority to deploy the national guard under Title 10, Section 12406. Trump said on True Social. And this is a quote, we will come back perhaps in a much different and stronger form when crime begins to soar again. Only a question of time.

[Allison Gill]

Now, by stronger and different form, does he mean he's going to invoke the Insurrection act, or does he mean he's going to put Gregory Bevino in some lifts?

[Dana Goldberg]

I would imagine he's going to try.

[Allison Gill]

And do both because that little man is an angry, angry little man.

[Dana Goldberg]

He sure is.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. What a terrible person.

[Dana Goldberg]

Nothing against short kings, but that one has a Napoleon complex.

[Allison Gill]

He. He really does. And Abrego, by the way, just filed a response for his sanctions motions because Gregory Bovino went on Fox News and called him a gang banger, an MS.13 gang member, and violated the local rules against extrajudicial statements. So they want sanctions against Bovino and the Department of Homeland Security. We'll see what happens. Abreco is just keeps winning in court. So, you know, I'm hoping that that win streak continues on into the end of this month when they hit. The government has to prove on January 28th that they did not vindictively prosecute him and we could see his charges dismissed.

[Dana Goldberg]

I would love to see him get some money in his pocket for slander. You know, what if he's going to have to go to Costa Rica, let him live a good life out there, I think.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. And by the way, they're super mad that he's doing tick tocks, right. Trisha McLaughlin's like, oh, it's free speec. What he can't. How come he gets to do. He should have be subject to a gag order. You know, and it's, it's like because Trump was so quiet after he was indicted, right. Four times, you know, like you, I just want him to get a bunch of money, move to Costa Rica, be a influencer on TikTok, live his best life. That's what I'm hoping for this guy.

[Dana Goldberg]

Absolutely.

[Allison Gill]

He's been so awesome. All right, everybody, we got a lot of news to get to. Let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up, from the Wall Street Journal. Surprise, surprise, Dana. U.S. national Security officials said Wednesday that Ukraine did not target Russian President Vladimir Putin's residences.

[Martin Sheen]

What?

[Allison Gill]

In an alleged drone operation challenging Moscow's assertion that Kiev sought to kill the Russian leader. It's like, no, yeah, we're trying to kill him, but not that way.

[Dana Goldberg]

Like, yeah, we're gonna do it the right way.

[Allison Gill]

That conclusion is supported by our CIA. Our CIA. A CIA assessment that found no attempted attack against Putin had occurred. And that's according to a US Official briefed on the intelligence. The CIA declined to comment. The US Found that Ukraine had been seeking to strike a military target located in the same region as Putin's country residence. But it's not even close by. President Trump on Wednesday appeared to downplay the Russian claim of an attempted drone attack, posting a link to a New York Post editorial that asserted that the Ukraine strike likely didn't occur and sharing the headline Putin Attack Bluster Shows Russia Is the one Standing in the Way of Peace. Trump actually shared that, but that was after CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed him on the issue. That's according to a person familiar. US Intelligence has a number of ways to monitor Russia's airspace, military activities, and attacks on its territory. Trump told reporters Monday before he was briefed that he was very angry because Putin told him the Ukrainian drones targeted his residents and that his residence, by the way, this is the country home, along a lakeshore in the northwest region of the country. Asked if the US had evidence that such an attack had taken place, Trump said on Monday before he was briefed, you're saying maybe the attack didn't take place? That's possible, too, I guess. But Putin told me this morning that it did. And then Ratcliffe picks up the phone. Ratcliffe picks up the phone, he's like, sir, it didn't happen.

[Dana Goldberg]

Never happened. The delivery, though, I really appreciate the delivery of that quote from you. Thank you.

[Allison Gill]

Thank you.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, this one's from the Associated Press. Some strikes that actually did happen, and probably illegally. The US Military said Wednesday it struck five alleged drug smuggling boats over two days, killing a total of eight more people, while others jumped overboard and may have survived. U.S. southern Command, which oversees South America. It did not reveal where the attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday occurred. Previous attacks, as we know, have been in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. A video of Tuesday's attack posted by Southern Command on social media shows three boats traveling in a close formation, which is unusual. And the military said that they were in a convoy along known narco trafficking routes and I quote, had transferred narcotics between the three vessels prior to the strike. I'm not sure. I believe that the military did not provide evidence to back up the claim, of course, they didn't.

[Allison Gill]

Well, Dana, they're boats and they're boats. Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

And they were moving so fast that they were just throwing cocaine to each other over the waterways. The military said three people were killed when the first boat was struck while people in the other two boats jumped overboard and distanced themselves from the vessels before they were attacked. They Southern Command said it immediately notified the U.S. coast Guard to activate search and rescue efforts. Calling in the Coast Guard is notable because the US Military drew heavy scrutiny after US Forces killed the survivors in an attack in early September with a follow up strike to their disabled boat. Some Democratic lawmakers and legal experts said the military committed a crime, while the Trump administration, of course. And some Republican lawmakers said the follow up strike was legal.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, so they know they're supposed to call on the Coast Guard to rescue shipwrecked people.

[Dana Goldberg]

Look at that. Look at that. US Forces attacked two more boats on Wednesday, killing five people who were allegedly smuggling drugs along known trafficking routes. Now, these latest attacks, they bring the total number of known boat strikes to 35 and the number of people killed to at least 115 since early September. This is according to numbers announced by the Trump administration.

[Allison Gill]

All right, let's shift gears, talk about Epstein for a minute.

[Dana Goldberg]

I love that the Wall Street Journal is the one dropping these fucking stories. So I don't know what he did to piss them off, but this seems like, it really seems like there's a little bit of like, do what I say or we're going to release more happening here.

[Allison Gill]

Well, you know, if I'm going to put my little tinfoil hat on, I think maybe Ghislaine Maxwell is dropping more info to the Wall Street Journal because she hasn't been pardoned yet. But yep, just that. I have no confirmation of that. I have no sourcing on that. That is just me. But Jeffrey Epstein wasn't just a frequent visitor to Trump's Mar A Lago club. In the 90s and early 2000s, the club was also sending spa employees, usually young women, to Epstein's nearby mansion for massages, manicures, and other spa services. According to former Mar A Lago and Epstein employees, the house calls went on for years, even as spa employees warned each other about Epstein, who was known among staff for being sexually suggestive and exposing himself during the appointments. The spa occasionally provided house calls for members. Epstein wasn't a member of Mar A Lago, but Trump told staff to treat him like one. Epstein held an account at the spa where his companion, Ghislaine Maxwell booked appointments on his behalf. They came to a halt in 2003 after an 18 year old beautician returned to the club from a house call to Epstein and reported to managers that he had pressured her for sex. Now a manager sent Trump a fax relaying the employee's allegations and urged him to ban Epstein. That's according to some former employees. Trump told the manager it was a good letter and said to kick him out. Now the beautician disclosed the house call to the club's human resources team, one of the former employees said. The incident wasn't reported to Palm beach police. According to the former employees and the police, the department didn't begin investigating Epstein until two years later when a parent told them that Epstein molested a 14 year old girl from a local high school. Epstein was arrested in 2006 after several underage teens told the police he paid them for sex. That's 10 years, by the way. After Annie Farmer's sister reported the allegations to the FBI, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said Tuesday that the Journal is writing up fallacies and innuendo to smear President Trump. Quote, no matter how many times this story is told and retold, the truth remains President Trump did nothing wrong and he kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of Mar A Lago for being a creep. That's what leave it said in a text message. Representatives for the Trump Organization didn't respond to requests for comment. The beautician's allegations and the Mar A Lago spa's practice of dispatching workers to Epstein's home have not been previously reported. This is brand new from the Wall Street Journal. Employees sent on house calls like the 18 year old beautician were typically licensed by the state boards of cosmetology or massage therapy. The allegations came three years after Ghislaine Maxwell recruited another employee, Virginia giuffre, who was 16 at the time when she left the spa to work for Epstein. Giuffre died by suicide this year. Alleged suicide the Wall Street Journal identified four other Mar A Lago employees who were listed in Epstein's address book, which was obtained by the FBI in 2009. By the time Epstein was banned from the Spa in 2003, disquiet over his presence at the club had been bubbling for years, including from Trump's second, Marla Maples, who in the mid-1990s warned her husband and others that something was off about Epstein, according to former employees. However, I understand that this Wall Street Journal article says that Trump banned Epstein in 2003. But he called him a great guy and one of his best friends after that. So just kind of keep that in mind.

[Dana Goldberg]

This is also interesting on the timeline. I'm rereading what's in front of me. And Trump has always said that he kicked Epstein out of the club because of Virginia. You free? This is saying that the Virginia situation didn't happen until three years after this 18 year old beautician, if I'm reading this correctly, came back and said that Epstein pressured her for sex. Just a three year period where Trump supposedly had kicked him out and then supposedly kicked him out again because of Virginia. None of it makes sense.

[Allison Gill]

No, I still think it was the real estate deal gone source.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, absolutely. It had nothing to do with trafficking these girls. I really hope the dam is breaking. I hope the dam's breaking. All right. This is more on Epstein from cbs and I'm glad this stuff is coming out. It's not surprising to any of us listening to this, but maybe could you imagine if they actually proved it wasn't suicide? Among the files released by the Justice Department on December 24 were more than 400 one hour clips of surveillance videos from Epstein's jail. The footage spans non sequential, seemingly arbitrary time periods dating back to July 5th of 2019. That's more than a month before Epstein's death. Well, according to internal Department of Justice emails, including in its disclosure, the surveillance system was configured to retain only 30 days of footage. That raises an immediate why do videos from July 5th exist at all? One potential explanation experts in video forensics that CBS News spoke with. They said that if the system had excess storage capacity, the old footage wouldn't be overwritten. So footage outside of that 30 day window would be easily recovered.

[Allison Gill]

Except for the really key parts that we don't want you to see.

[Dana Goldberg]

That one part, and this is a quote, the system won't overwrite anything until the space is needed. This is from Stacy Eldridge with Silicone Prairie Cyber Services. The new cachet of video also includes footage from five more cameras inside the prison. Most notably, the release includes several hours of footage from a camera previously described as not recording. Oops. It provides an unobstructed view of the primary entrance to the SHU and the stairs leading up to Epstein's tier. Hmm. Yep. The four non sequential one hour videos from the camera, they are all dated August 12, 2019. This is two days after after Epstein's death. However, the Department of Justice correspondent states that the surveillance system stops recording on July 29th and was not repaired until August 14th. These videos are dated August 12th. Hmm. Whoops. This raises questions about which cameras were in fact recording at the time of his death. One potential explanation is that following Epstein's death, the system could have been reconfigured so that this camera was attached to a different functioning DVR recorder. Based on the fact that the on screen displays stays the same and the dates do not overlap, experts told CBS News they thought a wiring change was the most logical explanation. Right. If anything, the camera reveals the missed opportunity that a clear shot like this would have provided for investigators working to determine what happened that night. And this is a quote from the story. It fills in gaps that are obviously missing from the perspective of the other camera. Another question is what happened with the footage from the night of July 23rd. That's less than three weeks before his death, when Epstein was found unconscious on the floor of his cell, but then revived. Now, that incident happened prior to the hard drive failures that led to the broken DVR system. Epstein's tear had a camera positioned at the end, and it would have captured his cellmate calling for assistance and. And corrections officers responding. The DOJ has previously said they have been unable to even locate it. Okay. Yep. These videos are likely a fraction of the videos held by the Department of Justice. They've seen all of these. Documents obtained by CNN earlier this year revealed that the Department of Justice had footage from 147 cameras from the prison covering a 24 hour period before and after Epstein died, totaling over 8 terabytes of data. The internal documents indicate that the footage does not reveal anything significant, since the cameras in the special housing unit were not active at the time. That's a quote, by the way, from the Department of Justice. Probably. After corrections officers discovered Epstein's body, it was transported from a cell to a medical facility inside the prison, then to an ambulance waiting outside. Now, it's likely that some of that movement would have been captured on working cameras that. But none of those have been made public. So it's not clear if the Department of Justice plans to release additional video. They won't. And if they do not do that, they could be in violation of the law, which requires the release of all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials related to Epstein and his death. And another note. They don't care about the law.

[Allison Gill]

No. No, they sure don't. They've released 1% of the Epstein files.

[Dana Goldberg]

1%.

[Allison Gill]

Uno. Hmm. Yeah, boy. So now we have cameras working that they weren't supposed to be working. One with a clear view of the stairs leading up to the shoe and where the DOJ previously said that those cameras weren't working.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep.

[Allison Gill]

Okay, cool. I'm sure it's fine. I'm sure it's fine.

[Dana Goldberg]

I want trials for all of this.

[Allison Gill]

All right, everybody, it's Fuglsang Fridays. We're talking to John Fugelsang. And then get to the good news. Stick around. We'll be right back after these messages.

[John Fugelsang]

We'll be right back.

[Martin Sheen]

It's Sunday morning and that wonderfully relaxed feeling of a long, lazy day lingers in the air. If you want to make the moment last, may I suggest the perfect solution, The Martin Sheen Podcast. Join me, your host, Martin Sheen, for beautifully crafted 20 minute programs filled with never before heard stories of my life, along with personal reflections and poetry that inspires. The Martin Sheen Podcast is the perfect Sunday refresh. A chance to take a deep breath, relax, and know that the stress of Monday may be just around the corner, but not here, not now. So make this your weekly moment of calm as we explore faith, hope, love, and what it means to be human. And know this, this journey is ever unfolding as I invite you to see what's next with me, Martin Sheen. And thank you.

[Allison Gill]

Hey, everybody, welcome back. It's Friday, the first Friday of 2026 on the Daily Beans. That means it's Fugal Sang Friday. And so joining me is the author, New York Times bestselling author of the Separation of Church and Hate, host of tell me everything on SiriusXM progress channel one, 27 weeknights, 9pm Eastern, 6 Pacific, host, the John Fugelsang show, podcast writer of the John Fugelsang substack, the Fugal Stack.

[John Fugelsang]

Heck yeah.

[Allison Gill]

And just all around wonderful man with incredible hair. Please welcome Hollaback John Fugelsang.

[John Fugelsang]

Hi there. Thank you so much. Happy New Year to everyone and your entire deeply attractive audience. It's so good to see you, Dr. Gill, and thank you for yet another wonderful year. I approach 2026 with a lot less terror and dread than I approach 2025, and it's going to be a great time to start standing up to the people who punch down and beating these bullies up.

[Allison Gill]

I agree, my friend. And for the last time, you can call me Allison. I only make Republican men call me Dr. Gill.

[John Fugelsang]

Okay, thank you.

[Allison Gill]

When I was like, I'm all but dissertation, Do I really want to write my dissertation? I was like, I really just want to make certain people call me doctor.

[John Fugelsang]

So I understand.

[Allison Gill]

I've already spent this much time. Might as well Wrap it up.

[John Fugelsang]

Very good, by the way. Henry Kissinger had the same policy. Yet another thing you guys have in common.

[Allison Gill]

That 200 page dissertation took me two years to write and now I write 200 pages every week. It's banana pants. Who am I even?

[John Fugelsang]

I'm starting to write my next book right now. And it's like, oh my God, it's a good thing I'm writing all the time now because, I mean, this is what it was like being on tour last year in 24. Like, like I've never done a tour where you had to have all new material by the next weekend. Like every set I did, at least half of it was just about the malfeasance and general rank fuckery that had gone down in the last seven days. And that's how it is. I was saying to you in the break, Normally on Sirius XM, it's nice to have the holidays off in 2025. Yeah, yeah, it's nice to have the holidays off. Cause there's never any news. Nothing ever happens. There's no callers, you can't book guests. And my God, man, baby's making sure there's news. And this media is like the dog that chases down every single tennis ball. The machine launches out. Yeah, they got to chase everyone down.

[Allison Gill]

And it's fun when the dog catches the car. When we have Jim Jordan having to question Jack Smith, having he actually brought him in, but not in public. And about, you know, a quarter of a way through reading that transcript, I realized why Jim Jordan didn't want to publicly ask Jack Smith questions. The command of the details of his investigations, his calm demeanor, his I agree, as a matter of fact presentation. He shut down all of the conspiracy theories you could feel in the room. The Republicans feeling silly asking about their ridiculous conspiracy theories about the 2020 election because they were just confronted with such a knowledgeable, succinct, stoic expert lawman. And it was, you know, night and day to my namesake, Robert Mueller and his testimony before Congress about the Mueller report. Night and day, with command of the details of this and his willingness to talk about at least what was publicly released in the first report. And I think that this is indicative of a bigger picture. And we'll talk about this a little bit more too, when we talk about this pipe bomber case. But the government, particularly Republicans, whether it's the institution of Congress, the Department of justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the presidency, these institutions in recent polls are extremely underwater on trustworthiness. There was a, an Atlas poll that came out that showed every single thing in the red with the most hated Cabinet member or distrusted cabinet member being Pamela Bondi and the most distrusted institution being the corporate media, which I thought was very interesting. But everybody scored poorly. The Supreme Court, the Congress was in the toilet on these numbers. But it's coming to pass. And it's no wonder that the Republicans on the House Judiciary released this testimony on a New Year's Eve late in the evening.

[John Fugelsang]

Well, that's what I want to talk to you about. The timing of it. I mean, the timing of it is monumental because as you know, I think the oligarch class is done with man baby. And I think that the people that Donald Trump pretends he's one of are done with him. And they got everything they wanted out of this guy. They got their massive tax cut, the greatest wealth transfer to the 1% in the history of the country. They got their deregulation. They can pollute all they want. They can go drill in the Arctic now. They got their crypto loophole. They don't need this guy anymore. Peter Thiel's little baby mad puppet is much more pliable and less embarrassing. Wall street oligarchs, they like undocumented immigration. They have no problem with trans kids. I mean, beyond if it helps get ratings, if you're Rupert, you know, so, so this is remarkable in that I think more and more Republicans are. They can see the writing on the wall. They're petted for the Marjorie Retailer Greene does everything out of craven self interest. She turned on Trump because she knew it was safe to turn on Trump at this time. Lauren Boebert is in the process of doing that right now.

[Allison Gill]

Really good point. I'm going to interject right there because Marjorie Taylor Greene didn't turn on Donald Trump for good reasons. No, she only is self interested. And so now we're seeing Republicans head for the door where they haven't in the last eight years with all of the off ramps they've been given, because.

[John Fugelsang]

They'Re all like Trump. They're all Trump. They only care about themselves.

[Allison Gill]

And they know he's on his way out the door.

[John Fugelsang]

They know it. A lot of these people have been in the room with him and when cameras weren't there, they know this man's not right. They can see his cankles up close in person. They know that this guy's body is at this point 40% Crisco. Right. Like you're hearing more and more stuff being leaked from the inside. Donald Trump can't control the leaks I think the posts that he put up over the break, I mean, what he's done to the Kennedys in The wake of Ms. Schlossberg's death is as vulgar as what he did to the Reiners. And he's more and more embarrassing. They know that these Obamacare subsidies, which are done now, it's no longer affordable. The Affordable Care Act. This president makes a mockery of the word affordability. And he's deliberately making America less affordable. And these Republicans know that they will be there longer than he will be there because they're going to keep their jobs. They will all turn on him, even Giuliani. Lindsey Graham has turned on him before when it seemed opportune. These are all barnacles in the dinghy of democracy. They're all shills. There's very little honor. Jeff Flake, that guy had some honor. Mitch McConnell. Yeah, not really. Mitch McConnell knew how evil Trump was. But Mitch McConnell could have stopped all of this by getting a couple of retiring Republican senators to come over in the impeachment vote and put this guy out of the people's house for good. Mitch McConnell is to blame for everything that's happening right now, directly including the deaths of people from USAID cuts all over Africa. He's bombing Nigeria. Donald Trump has killed more Nigerians than any Muslims killed Nigerians in the past year with his destructive cuts in aid and food and medicine. So not to go off on a big tangent, but to me, Dr. Ms. Allison, the timing of the Jack Smith evidence coming out, when everybody was free to watch it, when no one had to go to work and we could actually unpack it and it wasn't going to get buried in a news cycle. I found the timing of that to be very indicative that Republicans allowed this to happen, just like they went against this guy to vote for the Epstein files release. Just like the Supreme Court told him to pack up your troops and leave the cities just before Christmas came, we are witnessing the fracturing because these Republicans are doing it again out of craven self interest. That's why they latched onto him, and that's why they're going to cut him loose like he cuts loose contractors or wives.

[Allison Gill]

That's, that's interesting that you think that they released it, not to hide it.

[John Fugelsang]

Why do you think they released it? Why do you think they didn't release it on like a, a Sunday after night during a major news cycle?

[Allison Gill]

Well, yeah, I mean, I thought releasing it on New Year's Eve on a holiday would try to bury it, but you're insinuating that they were trying to do the opposite of burying it. They were trying to give everybody a minute to sit with it. That's very interest.

[John Fugelsang]

Caesar's gonna die by a thousand cuts, Allison.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

And some experts are predicting March. I think the ides would be appropriate at two toupee. I think would be a really good shirt.

[John Fugelsang]

Oh, folks, folks, let's hear it for Allison Gil. Oh, my. Very funny lady.

[Allison Gill]

Wow. Oh, my goodness.

[John Fugelsang]

At two toupee. Is that yours? You better use that this year.

[Allison Gill]

I just did that.

[John Fugelsang]

Oh, my God.

[Allison Gill]

I just did that.

[John Fugelsang]

That's brilliant. Thank you.

[Allison Gill]

Something I wanted to point out. You said Mitch McConnell could have ended all this and he's actually the only one who could have ended because I know a lot of people point out that title 1823 83. I think inciting insurrection or, you know, taking part in an insurrection would disqualify Donald Trump if he were convicted of that crime. But the Supreme Court wouldn't let that happen. And that's never been litigated. And I don't think that the Supreme Court would allow that. They would call that part of the statute unconstitutional.

[John Fugelsang]

I think that's why you can also why you can blame John Roberts as well. He is the other one you can say. And that could have kept this from happening.

[Allison Gill]

Section three of the 14th amendment, they wouldn't let that go by. And so the only way to disqualify someone from running for office is to convict them of impeachment and write that into the conviction because that can't be overturned. That's a political thing, not a criminal thing. And the Supreme Court can't. Well, yeah. Not going to say the Supreme Court can't touch it in this day and age, but they're not supposed to be able to.

[John Fugelsang]

The right wing overestimated the basic decency and humanity of the cult they've been cultivating for the past 40 years.

[Dana Goldberg]

Years.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah.

[John Fugelsang]

For sure. They just thought beating cops for a lie. There's this guy's done. We don't need to do anything. Mitch McConnell's quoted in in the fire and the fire in for yearbook is saying he's the Democrats will deal with the son of a Now.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. Well, let's talk about the distrust is specifically in the Department of Justice because this helps us in certain cases when we're talking about vindictive and selective prosecution, when we're talking about retribution and the revenge tour of Donald Trump and his weaponization of the Department of Justice. So this is great for. For us when video body cam footage proves that ICE officers actually are the people who are assaulting protesters, not the other way around. And we get grand juries to. To they fail to return indictments. Sandwich guy, for example.

[John Fugelsang]

These guys have made the Catholic Bishops into the good guys again.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, this is all very helpful to. To the good. The good guys. But it's also very dangerous for the good guys when the DOJ is so incompetent that they can't even get the bad guys. So we have now the pipe bomber here, Brian Cole. He's the alleged pipe bomber. They've got some pretty good evidence against him, but I don't think it's good enough to get a federal grand jury to indict. And they haven't gotten a federal grand jury to indict this guy. They went to a local grand jury in Superior Court. And now everything's hung up on legal matters because the D.C. circuit Court of Appeals is still trying to decide whether or not Jeanine Pirro can do that. The law, Judge Boasberg, says the law allows it and the Congress should fix the law, but he's going to let the Circuit Court decide about the regularity of that particular trick, going to the Superior Court instead of getting a federal grand jury to indict because it's easier to get an indictment in Superior Court. But you've got all of these. If this is the pipe bomber, if this is him, they're trying so hard to hide the fact that he's MAGA that they're fucking up their own case.

[John Fugelsang]

And he's confessed it. Exactly right.

[Allison Gill]

Well, he confessed it after two hours of denying it. And then after being asked, wouldn't you just like to go home? Wouldn't you like this interview to end? Yes.

[Martin Sheen]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

So I'm not sure based on this evidence that this is, in fact the pipe bomb, but if it is, the idiocy, the incompetence and the malfeasance and the distrust of this Department of Justice because federal grand juries might not be indicting because they don't trust Jeanine Pirro could let this guy walk. So. But even if he isn't, and we can talk about other real crimes as well that are not being paid attention to. They've got to the Department of Justice, they've got to the FBI. They hate the Capitol Police. They don't like Metropolitan Police officers. They only like ICE officers. And so how many actual criminals are walking free because they're incompetent and they're Keystone Cops?

[John Fugelsang]

Again, I feel like every conversation we're gonna have to. In the next 12 months, Allison, is going to be about how white supremacists keep disproving the theory of white supremacy, because, honest to God, it's. It's. I call them dim, shady. You know that the one thing that saves America in this century from fascism is that our fascists, they get elected, but they're too dumb to pull it off. This includes Bush and Cheney. I mean, they tried really hard to privatize Social Security like these idiots. Thank God they're so incompetent and stupid. These petulant rich kids who can't put a sentence together even though they have Ivy League degrees. Bush and Trump, there's so much they have in common. The way the base gathered around them, the way the base rallied for their lawlessness, the way the base didn't care when it was revealed they were lied to and Americans had died. And the way the base shook them loose when things got tight. In the case of the pipe bomber, what can Pam Bondi do? They don't want this guy becoming a household name. I mean, maybe he gave it under duress, but his confession was rather specific in terms of how he dislikes both parties. He said that he believed the 2020 election was stolen.

[Allison Gill]

Ah, but he said he dislikes both parties now. And Jeanine Pirro tried to ascribe that to his feelings back in 2020 when he was Moraga, and he went because he was part of Stop the Steal.

[John Fugelsang]

And that won't help them anyway. Even if Jeanine Pirro could do that, the reality is that he did it because of the election. Donald Trump incited this act of terrorism, so what can they do? Yeah, he's maga, even if he's not anymore. What can they do? Donald Trump incited this act of terrorism against the United States. So how does Donald Trump's DOJ prosecute Donald Trump's fanboy who is inspired by the exact stuff. Stuff they just leaked? Jack Smith. Talking about the timing again blows my mind, Alison, that this is happening at the same time the Jack Smith testimony is coming out. Donald Trump had cops beaten for a lie. He could have picked up the phone and stopped it. He still lies about it. And by the way, Marjorie Taylor Greene still lies about it, too. Like, they're still clinging to those lies, but they're starting to cut him loose. They haven't become good people. They haven't found. Jesus, this whole culture. I mean, it's not just a bunch of narcissists in the room like Trump And Elon, which will never work. It's a bunch of corrosively selfish narcissists in the same room and they'll eat each other alive. They will. They'll turn on each other, these guys. If, if there's a real Truth and Reconciliation Committee when this is done, if these historic acts of corruption and open bribery are fully investigated and prosecuted, if we elect Democrats in 2026 and 2028 who promise accountability like the Confederates never saw, like the Iran war architects never saw, like the, like, like Nixon never saw. I mean, I think accountability and hands on Bibles and testimony is going to get Democrats elected for this. But to me, how can they go forward? What can Pam Bondi do? I mean, if she prosecutes, this guy gets famous and then his cause gets famous in midterms year, so they have to kick the can down the road on this. Even if they know they've got the guy. It's an incredible story that comes back to their incompetence and the fact that they put the leader over the law. It's a cult. It's not America. Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

And hiding his activities between the Will Be wild tweet and January 6th, hiding his activities completely on January 6th is going to make it hard for them to secure an indictment from a federal grand jury. Hiding, I think hiding the fact that this guy is MAGA is detrimental to their ability to execute this case properly. And so they're stuck between a crematorium and a dildo shop.

[John Fugelsang]

Like, oh, this is just. Yeah, this is just. I mean, this is part of Pam Bondi's one way ticket to Elise Stefanic Island.

[Allison Gill]

You know, but you're right, they're not cutting him loose because they found Jesus. They're cutting him loose because he is. He can't help them anymore. He's the losing side.

[John Fugelsang]

He can't help them in the midterms. He didn't help them in 18, he didn't help them in 22. He can't help them in the midterms. He doesn't care about them and they know it. So he has let. Wait till Lindsey Graham cuts him loose. Wait till that happens. And again, then it's going to be J.D. vance who watching this guy do his impression of Ron DeSantis doing his Trump impression is going to be hilarious. Watching MAGA just excrete JD Vance from the movement. It's going to be crazy fun.

[Allison Gill]

We know that's one of the things you're looking forward to in 2026. What else are you looking forward To. Before I let you go.

[John Fugelsang]

Oh, Lord. I mean. Well, I was just. I was on a talk show recently talking about my book, and they asked me about public trust in government collapse. And I just. It got me thinking. You know, in 2025, we didn't lose trust in government under Donald Trump. We were. We were relieved of our trust in government. Right. Like, if you still trust our institutions after this year, I don't admire your optimism anymore. I'm concerned about your situational awareness. Okay. Like, in 2025, losing faith in guardrails in government was not nihilism. It was discernment. And I really believe this. We're raised on this idea that believing in the institutions is civic virtue. But at some point, blind faith stops being patriotic and it starts being enabling. So I realize that. I think it's great that so many people are having a collapse in trust of government because that means we were pretending things were fine when they knew they weren't. Right. Like, I'm not alarmed if someone has lost faith in government now. I have respect for them because it tells me they're paying attention. And, you know, faith is earned. Trust is conditional. Respect is reciprocal. So I'm thrilled to have lost trust in our institutions. And I can't wait to start watching people really, really try very hard in 2026 to earn it. And I hope everybody who's feeling down treats themselves to Zoran Mamdani's inauguration speech. I think it'll really touch your heart wherever you stand on the political spectrum.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah, Was a great speech. So was AOC So at that event, his swearing. Anne, I watched at midnight in the old City hall abandoned subway station. Very, very cool.

[John Fugelsang]

I mean, I just want to just add one more thing. Thank you for keeping me on so long. I know that. That this guy is going to hit the hard part now. Political reality will hit him like a ton of bricks in his first year, like it hit Bill Clinton, like it hit Barack Obama. But I think in the long run, how he handles smacking into that cement wall his first year is how he'll be judged, and it'll prove what kind of leader that he will be. If, in the meantime, just look at the fact that this guy's ideas are only going to spread more now, and there's more and more conservatives that will hear this point of view. He's not going anywhere. And the racists are outing themselves all over. There's going to be a lot to enjoy. Stop and smell the train wreck, folks.

[Allison Gill]

Thank you so much, John. It's so Good to see you. Always good to see you. I hope everyone's got their copy of the Separation of Church and Hate. I'm looking forward to your second book, my friend. I know that this one did so well. Instant New York Times bestseller. Thanks to independent media.

[John Fugelsang]

Thanks to independent media. Thanks to your deeply attractive audience too.

[Allison Gill]

Thank you so much for everybody tuning in to. To. To listen to your program on SiriusXM progress channel 127. That's weeknights at 9pm Eastern, 6 Pacific. It's an incredible show. You have some amazing guests, some great call ins. It's, it's wonderfully produced and edited and no, it's not even edited. It's live.

[John Fugelsang]

It's live.

[Allison Gill]

It's live.

[John Fugelsang]

You can call and talk to me.

[Allison Gill]

Do you have a seven second delay for when you bring me on?

[John Fugelsang]

No, it's Sirius xm. It's the house that Howard Stern built. Profanities and courage. Profanity is a sign of integrity now. I guess so. So it's, it's like a podcast, except we're live and people can call and MAGA folks are always welcome to, to call and explain why I'm wrong about the Bible and Donald Trump is right. I, I love those. They, they don't really do it, but I keep asking them to. And Dr. Gill, I hope to have you on very, very soon.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, it would be my pleasure, my friend. Thank you so much for joining me, everybody. Stick around. We'll be right back with the good news.

[Martin Sheen]

It's Sunday morning and that wonderfully relaxed feeling of a long, lazy day lingers in the air. If you want to make the moment last, may I suggest the perfect solution, the Martin Sheen Podcast. Join me, your host, Martin Sheen, for beautifully crafted 20 minute programs filled with never before heard stories of my life, along with personal reflections and poetry that inspires. The Martin Sheen Podcast is the perfect Sunday refresh. A chance to take a deep breath, relax and know that the stress of Monday may be just around the corner, but not here, not now. So make this your weekly moment of calm as we explore faith, hope, love and what it means to be human. And know this, this journey is ever unfolding as I invite you to see what's next with me, Martin Sheen.

[Allison Gill]

And thank you everybody. Welcome back. It's time for the good news, everyone.

[John Fugelsang]

Then good news, everyone.

[Dana Goldberg]

Good news.

[Allison Gill]

And if you have any good news, tell us what you did on New Year's. Tell us what you're going to do this year. Tell us what your intentions or resolutions are. If you've got any good trouble you want to share. Maybe you have a shout out to a loved one or yourself or a small business or a non profit. Maybe you have a shout out to a government program that's helped you or a loved one. Maybe you have a funny joke you want to share with us. Tell us who your favorite comedian is, some misheard song lyrics, anything at all really. Send it to us dailybeanspod.com and click on Contact. And all you got to do to get your submission read on the air is pay your POD pet tariff, which these days means just attach a photo of anything you want. It can be your pet pet, it can be an adoptable pet in your area. It can be you flipping the bird to Trump Building, which is bird watching. It's technically bird watching. You can put a picture of a cute random animal that you found on the Internet. Baby photos, family pictures, awkward family photos. Photos of you celebrating New Year's, Photos of the TV that you were watching when you were celebrating New Year's. Whatever signs at a rally that you love. Maybe you went to no Kings or no Kings 2. Show us what you're making or creating. We have so many great entrepreneurs and makers and creators that listen to this program. Send it all to us dailybeanspot.com and click on Contact. First up is your Good Trouble. Today's Good Trouble ACA subsidies that lower monthly insurance premiums for millions of Americans have expired. An estimated 22 million of the 24 million Affordable Care Act Marketplace enrollees are currently receiving enhanced premium tax credits to lower their monthly premiums. 22 of 24 million and many are preparing to see their premiums soar this year. So contact your House rep and your senator, both of them, and let them know that this is unacceptable and they need to take action now. There was a discharge petition filed. They need to bring a vote to the floor to extend these Affordable Care act subsidies and we will have a link to the 5 calls app in the show Notes for you to do that.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right, this one's from Siobhan Pronoun she and they hey Beans Queens a little over 10 years ago, I was given a set of pearls by one of the first people I ever came out to. I didn't consider her particularly close friend, but we thought each other were generally chill and enjoyed hanging out on occasion. So I was pretty surprised and incredibly touched when she gave these to me. I've never worn them before. I never felt like it was there. I was too insecure, too afraid that they would look weird on me. I wasn't ready, and for a while I thought I never would be. I kept mostly as a reminder of a truly thoughtful gift from an old friend. I'd find them sometimes while I was looking for something else, and there would always be a sort of warm sadness of what could have been. On New Year's Eve, about three hours before midnight, I found them again, and I knew I was ready, and I made sure I was wearing them when 2026 began. So here's a 2026 that we could choose to build. These look really beautiful on you, Siobhan.

[Allison Gill]

Well, this one got me teared up a little bit. Siobhan, thank you so much.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, that was a good one.

[Allison Gill]

All right, next up from Anonymous Pronouns he, they I want to shout out my amazing chosen family for the way they lifted me up through this holiday season. Me and my parents are simultaneously in the divorce season of our lives. Mine is more or less amicable, and I'm grateful to my wife for that. My parents are, however, choosing to largely cover up the turmoil brewing in their own lives, and it's distressing and frankly, poor timing. Without the gory details, my family came through in a big way. Besides seeing many of them in the final two weeks of the holiday season, a few went above and beyond. First, my friend Anna, who helped organize birthday postcards from 10 of my lovely friends. Important to note, my birthday is on December 26th. Oh, I'm so sorry. Anonymous so, a wonderful, rare day of actually seeing friends on my birthday. I found the postcards in the mail maybe a few days later. My friends said the kinds of things about me in their letters that I've been trying desperately to put into the world. Nice things like compassion and positive masculinity. Somehow seeing it all written down in one place in the light of all this that's gone down this year makes me feel like I actually live up to the person I'm trying to be. Talk about gratifying. And second, I want to single out my friend Natalie. We both decided to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together at my house, just enjoying each other's company and doing whatever we wanted. That mostly looked like puzzle time, cat time, unseasonably warm stroll time, and lots of connecting. When she left each night, I tried to write everything down to capture the wonderful time we shared. My parents made an awkward 24 hour ish visit, and Natalie even took me thrifting after they left town. I told Natalie this in person, but I also wanted to say that with each new layer she Peels back. I'm simply delighted. AG and dg, thank you for both the kindness and warmth you show each other through it all. You set an outstanding example for the rest of us. For my POD pet tariff, I present my boys, Earl and Ted. They got along famously with Natalie during her time at the house. Also, I present Earl being helpful with a puzzle. Earl, get your booty off the puzzle, brother. Oh, my gosh, they're so adorable. I love this. What a great Happy Holidays New Year's story.

[Dana Goldberg]

Love it. Thank you so much. All right, this next one's from Shantae. Shantae. Shantae Pronoun. She and her. The other day after we finished breakfast on Christmas Day, I was putting my presents away when I overheard my mother saying, I don't know how I feel about Trump, considering she's been supporting him for quite some time now. It's incredible to see some progress in waking her up. I haven't talked heart to heart with her about her political beliefs recently, but maybe I can get her off the MAGA bandwagon by the end of 2026. For my pod pet tax, I introduce one of my two sweet kitties, Autumn. I constantly call her Pumpkin Spice Girl. It's a beautiful picture. I love pictures like this.

[Allison Gill]

Shantae, that's such good, gorgeous angle.

[Dana Goldberg]

It sure is. Even if someone says, I don't know how I feel about him, that means there is headway.

[Allison Gill]

Yeah. Even if you say something like, yeah, giving all that money to Argentina, or, you know, these tariffs hurting business owners or, you know, something like that. Something that everybody hates, you know? All right, next up from Kate Pronoun. She and her hey Beanie Queenies. Every New Year's Eve since my husband and I moved from California to Mid Coast Maine. Wow, that's a hell of a move, Kate. We've done our oyster Cheers. Offering wishes and thanks with every delicious Slurpee. Tonight on New Year's Eve Eve, we toasted things that gave us joy in this stupid ass year. Our first toast this year was to Ag and dg. Oh, for helping us stay sane, hopeful, and inspired to make good trouble, you guys. For our pod pet tariff, here's a photo of me and my husband about to toast and a photo of our boy cats, Paul the tabby and the fluffy orange schmarmalade, who we call Bean. Long story. Oh, my God. Thank you for everything you do. And have a happy new year.

[Dana Goldberg]

Those little maybe dirty, maybe not maybe just olives, but those look like some lovely martinis.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, yeah. Fantastic. Happy New Year's, Kate and hubby.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right. This is from Aaron. Pronouns she and her hi Beans, Queens. I had just been listening to you off and on, but recently you have become more part of my morning to get ready routine. You've been keeping me sane. So thank you so much for what you do. Okay, my good news. I have a friend that runs a nonprofit animal rescue. I've been trying to think of a way to let people know about her rescue and how awesome she is. And I thought of the good news. Her rescue is in Manteca. Manteca, California and in the Tri Valley area. The shelters are full and animals are being dumped on a regular basis. She works tirelessly and pays for everything with very little help. Every dog that comes in gets vaccines and spayed or neutered in addition to taking care of other ailments they may have. Just as she finds forever homes for her current rescues, another group of five or six dogs get dumped. It's endless. I don't know how she does it. Her rescue is Paw it Forward. Here is the Facebook link. We'll have a link to this in the show notes, everybody. She uses Pet Finder a lot to put dogs up for adoption. And I know she has dogs that are not on her Facebook page. So please reach out to her if you're interested in in adopting or donating. It's such a dire need for her and other rescues in the area. My pot pet tariff is attached. My husband and I have adopted two dogs from Pot Forward, Ozzy and Rex. Unfortunately, we lost Ozzy pictured in the car backseat with Benny and Kabuki very unexpectedly in May of this year. I am so sorry. He was my sole dog and I miss him dearly. Then we got Rex and Sexy Rexy, or Sexy Rexy is what we call him, pictured on the grass with Bunny and Kabuki. Kabuki is wearing recovering from surgery in August and he is doing great. The perfect addition. I feel like my pack is whole again. We will be doing a DNA test soon, although it is fun to guess.

[Allison Gill]

Well, well. Kabuki looks like a lab.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, looks like we've got with a.

[Allison Gill]

Mastiff, two of them cuties.

[Dana Goldberg]

We also have mom and daughter English labs. Okay, well, there's that. Kabuki is the mom and Bunny is her daughter. Thank you.

[Allison Gill]

Oh, so I'm looking at the dog on the left maybe.

[Dana Goldberg]

No.

[Allison Gill]

Which dog are we guessing the breeds for?

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm a little bit lost. I'm not gonna lie.

[Allison Gill]

They're all adorable.

[Dana Goldberg]

They're very Cute.

[Allison Gill]

They're all just adorable.

[Dana Goldberg]

Well, the one, the brown one in the middle looks like a husky pit mix.

[Allison Gill]

So cute.

[Dana Goldberg]

So cute.

[Allison Gill]

Right? With those eyes.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Allison Gill]

All right, well, under the redactions it says German shepherd, possibly mixed with healer or kelpie.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, okay. It could be a healer. Yeah, I see that.

[Allison Gill]

Okay.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right.

[Allison Gill]

Okay, if that's the dog, could be a totally different dog. I'm not quite sure.

[Dana Goldberg]

Could be a dog. Not even pictured. We don't know.

[Allison Gill]

Next up from anonymously yours. I've been listening for about six months and love y'.

[Dana Goldberg]

All.

[Allison Gill]

I have two good news stories from my state. One is North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson won his lawsuit against the pussy ass bitch. Thanks, Chrissy teigen. To get 200 million back in FEMA funds for North Carolina disaster victims. This goes back to the devastating hurricane that hit western north carolina in which felon 47 has fought to take these funds from them. Despite mostly these here are his voters. Second, the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina won their 137 year fight for federal recognition. Woo. This was a bipartisan bill and the felon in charge signed it. The Lumbee are made up of a conglomerate of tribes. The most famous among them are the Tuscarora and the Croatoan as the lost colony on Roanoke island were recognized as the Croatoan in 1885 by North Carolina, later changing their name to the Lumbee after the Lumber river basin from Robeson county where they mainly reside. If there are any pronunciation corrections for any of these, please send them to me. The meaning of the words Lumbee is people of dark water and after the dark waters of the Lumber River. For my pet tariff, I'm sharing a pic of our fat boy Max. Just chilling. You can guess his breed easily. Thanks for all you do.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, hi, Max. Cutie.

[Allison Gill]

Sweet tuxy kitty boy.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right, we've got Lisa pronoun she and her howdy beans queens. I'm a fairly new follower, but very devoted and especially appreciate the swearing. Well, yeah, Lisa, I just wanted to get something in before the end of this atrocious year. And I think you'll appreciate both of these picks, the first of which is my pod pet tariff. The first is of a foster pup I had a couple of Weeks in 2001 named Roxy. She was a hoot and one evening we realized she was growling at the TV which was playing the news. I snapped this pig so you could see who she was growling at. And I just wish I'd gotten video the second pic I took in October as I was walking down Fifth Avenue in New York City. How I hate that man. But to appreciate my new moniker, radical leftist scum. Thank you for improving my life immensely since I discovered you both. You're truly an amazing gift to all of us.

[Allison Gill]

So many very kind words from everybody. I'm blushing.

[Dana Goldberg]

I know. We've got good people.

[Allison Gill]

Great bird watching. Photo 2001, Trump was on TV and Roxy was growling.

[Dana Goldberg]

Could have been the Apprentice. I hate to say it.

[Allison Gill]

That's amazing. Dogs know. Well, my friends, thank you so much for that incredible good news. And thanks to our good friend John Fugelsang for joining me today. I know he's feeling a bit under the weather, so I hope he feels better.

[Dana Goldberg]

Feel better, John boy.

[Allison Gill]

You can watch me tonight on tell me everything. SiriusXM progress channel 127. It starts at 9:00pm Eastern. I'll be on in the first 30 minutes. I think sometime in there. And I look forward to that. Again, that's Friday. I know some of the patrons who, who are super generous and. And, you know, kick us a little bit of money every month. They get this show early. They get it the night before it goes public. And so I don't want you to think I'm going on Thursday night. I'm going on Friday night.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep. There you go.

[Allison Gill]

So anyway, thank you all for good news. Send it to us. Do you have any final thoughts?

[Dana Goldberg]

No. Final thoughts for today?

[John Fugelsang]

No.

[Allison Gill]

All right, everybody, we'll see you over on Beans Talk on the MSW Media YouTube channel. It's our new daily video news podcast. So check it out. It's called Beans Talk. Thank you so much. We'll be back in your ears. Monday. Oh, my gosh, it's Friday. That's right. I forget what day it is.

[Dana Goldberg]

I know.

[Allison Gill]

Like this, this, you know, I'm like, I don't know. Is it Tuesday? Is it purple? Could be. I don't know, Whatever. But we will see you on Monday. So until then, please, take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, take care of your mental health and take care of your family. I've been ag and I'm indici. And them's the beans. The Daily Beans is written and executive produced by Allison Gill with additional research and reporting by Dana Goldberg. Sound design and editing is by Desiree McFarlane with art and web design by Joelle Reader with Moxie Design Studios. Music for the Daily Beans is written and performed by they Might Be Giants. And the show is a proud member of the MSW Media Network, a collection of creator owned podcasts dedicated to news, politics and justice. For more information please visit mswmedia.com msw media.