Unclean Hands (feat. Rick Smith)

Summary

The Daily Beans - Episode Summary: "Unclean Hands" (Feat. Rick Smith) | July 7, 2025

Introduction In this episode of The Daily Beans, host Allison Gill delves into pressing social justice and political issues affecting the United States. The episode, titled "Unclean Hands," features a compelling interview with Rick Smith, a union advocate and host of the Rick Smith Show. The discussion centers around the impact of recent legislative changes on healthcare, the crucial role of unions, and the broader implications for working families.

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1. Major News Highlights

• Devastating Texas Floods:

  • Casualties and Response: At least 69 people have lost their lives across five counties in Texas due to unprecedented flooding. A significant portion of the fatalities includes 21 children from a summer camp on the Guadalupe River.
  • Impact of Staffing Cuts: The tragedy is partly attributed to vacant positions at local National Weather Service offices, a consequence of budget reductions implemented during the Trump administration. Alison Gill emphasizes the correlation between staffing shortages and the delayed response to flash flood warnings.
  • Notable Quote: “The loss of experienced people who would typically have helped communicate with local authorities... is among the factors likely to be scrutinized as the death toll climbs from the floods.” (12:45)

• Defense Department's Withdrawal of Satellite Weather Data:

  • The Department of Defense has ceased providing satellite weather data crucial for hurricane forecasting. This move endangers real-time storm monitoring as the Atlantic hurricane season approaches.
  • Quote: “For more than 40 years, the Department of Defense has operated satellites that collect information about conditions in the atmosphere and the ocean... Now, their termination leaves forecasters without vital data.” (15:30)

• Legal Proceedings and Human Rights Concerns:

  • Mr. Abrego's Amended Complaint: A hearing is set to discuss the detailed accounts of torture experienced by Mr. Abrego in El Salvador. The Supreme Court's recent actions have complicated his potential return to the United States.
  • Djibouti Detention Case: Eight men awaiting due process in Djibouti were forcibly sent to war-torn South Sudan, defying a previous court order mandating due process protections under the Convention Against Torture.
  • Quote: “The Supreme Court... robbed people of due process protections in the Constitution.” (20:10)

• Pete Hegseth's Intervention in Ukraine Arms Transfers:

  • Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth unilaterally halted military aid shipments to Ukraine, citing unfounded concerns over U.S. weapon stockpiles. This is the third instance within six months, raising alarms among allies and congressional members.
  • Quote: “This is the third time Whiskey Pete has halted shipments to Ukraine unilaterally... Democrats say there's no evidence that American weapons stocks are in decline.” (18:50)

• Healthcare Crisis in Nebraska:

  • The closure of Curtis Medical Center in McCook, Nebraska, marks the first casualty of anticipated federal Medicaid funding cuts embedded in the latest budget reconciliation bill. Experts predict up to six rural hospitals in Nebraska could face closure within the next one to two years.
  • Quote: “The uncertainty over federal Medicaid funding appears to have claimed its first victim in Nebraska.” (21:05)

• Alligator Alcatraz Detention Center in Florida:

  • Florida has constructed a massive immigration detention facility dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," characterized by harsh living conditions and dangerous wildlife. The project has raised ethical concerns due to significant donations from contractors with ties to Republican figures.
  • Quote: “The facility... is a collection of plastic tents outfitted with bunk beds in literal cages, built almost overnight on an abandoned airstrip.” (23:50)

• ICE Release of Honduran Boy with Leukemia:

  • A six-year-old Honduran boy with leukemia, previously detained by ICE, has been released and reunited with his family in Los Angeles following a successful lawsuit and public outcry.
  • Quote: “Their release demonstrates the power we have when we fight back against harmful UN American policies.” (25:15)

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2. In-Depth Interview: Rick Smith on Union Healthcare and the Big Ugly Bill

Allison Gill introduces Rick Smith, a union advocate, to discuss the personal and broader impacts of the recently passed budget reconciliation bill, commonly referred to as the "Big Ugly Bill."

• Personal Story of Resilience:

  • Rick shares a harrowing account of his wife’s motorcycle accident in September, which resulted in severe injuries and a traumatic brain injury. He underscores the vital role his union-provided healthcare played in their ability to navigate the medical crises without financial ruin.
  • Quote: “Having that kind of power, that kind of empowerment is something I want for every working person.” (31:45)

• Impact of the Big Ugly Bill:

  • The legislation threatens to slash Medicaid funding, jeopardizing healthcare access for millions, particularly in rural areas. Rick highlights the potential closure of more hospitals and the dire consequences for communities already facing economic hardships.
  • Quote: “This budget reconciliation bill... will lead to a $3.6 billion cut in funding to Nebraska hospitals over the next decade.” (22:10)

• Importance of Union Support:

  • Rick emphasizes that his union contract provided not only financial assistance but also expert advocacy, ensuring his wife received necessary medical care without the constant fear of exorbitant bills.
  • Quote: “This is why I keep saying, you may not need it... But in these moments, the fact that I had it and I knew they had my back gave me the ability to say, no, we're going to give her every opportunity to mend.” (34:20)

• Critique of Current Administration's Policies:

  • The conversation turns critical of the administration's efforts to undermine unions and strip collective bargaining rights, which Rick argues is a direct attack on workers' rights and essential benefits.
  • Quote: “They are trying to strip collective bargaining rights away from those workers who have very little opportunity to really negotiate for better wages, hours, conditions.” (38:20)

• Future Implications and Call to Action:

  • Rick warns of an impending crisis where even those with solid healthcare may find themselves without support as rural hospitals close. He calls for sustained organizing and resistance to protect and expand union benefits.
  • Quote: “Rural communities are really screwed... We have to go through that kind of suffering so that we can then begin a real conversation of what should the working class be demanding.” (45:00)

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3. Conclusion and Community Engagement

Allison Gill wraps up the episode by reinforcing the importance of community support and shared struggles. She highlights the need for continued advocacy and unity in the face of legislative challenges that threaten essential services and workers' rights.

Final Thoughts: The episode underscores the critical intersection of political decisions, emergency response efficacy, and the indispensable role of unions in safeguarding the welfare of working families. Through personal narratives and comprehensive news coverage, The Daily Beans illuminates the pressing issues that demand collective action and informed engagement.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• “The loss of experienced people who would typically have helped communicate with local authorities... is among the factors likely to be scrutinized as the death toll climbs from the floods.” — Allison Gill (12:45)

• “This is why I keep saying, you may not need it... But in these moments, the fact that I had it and I knew they had my back gave me the ability to say, no, we're going to give her every opportunity to mend.” — Rick Smith (34:20)

• “They are trying to strip collective bargaining rights away from those workers who have very little opportunity to really negotiate for better wages, hours, conditions.” — Rick Smith (38:20)

• “The facility... is a collection of plastic tents outfitted with bunk beds in literal cages, built almost overnight on an abandoned airstrip.” — Allison Gill (23:50)

Key Takeaways:

• Healthcare Vulnerabilities: Legislative cuts pose severe risks to healthcare access, particularly in rural areas, highlighting the indispensable support provided by unions.

• Union Strength: Strong union support systems are crucial for workers facing personal and financial crises, demonstrating the broader societal benefits of collective bargaining.

• Political Accountability: The episode calls for heightened awareness and resistance against policies undermining essential services and workers' rights, emphasizing the need for sustained community organizing.

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For more detailed insights and updates, listeners are encouraged to tune into the full episode of "Unclean Hands" on The Daily Beans.

Transcript

[Alison Gill]

MSW Media hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Monday, July 7, 2025. Today, at least 69 people are dead across five counties in Texas after massive flooding that hit as key roles were left vacant at local weather service offices by Trump cuts. The Defense Department says it's going to stop providing crucial satellite weather data. There's a hearing today on Mr. Abrego's amended complaint that includes his detailed description of his torture in Seacoat. Pete Hegseth unilaterally stopped arms transfers to Ukraine and then lied about it again. A rural Nebraska medical center says it's planning to close because of uncertainty over funding cuts in the billionaire bailout bill. Republican donors are cashing in on Florida's concentration camp. The eight men trapped in Djibouti awaiting due process have been sent to war torn South Sudan. And a six year old Honduran boy with leukemia who had been seized by ICE has been released and returned to Los Angeles. I'm your host, Alison Gill. Hey everybody, it's Monday. That's all I can say about that. Later in the show, I'm going to be joined by our good friend Rick Smith, host of the Rick Smith show and union advocate. And he's going to talk about how his union healthcare is helping his family. Dana is out, but she will be back soon. Thank you for hanging with me solo. I really, really appreciate it. And thanks for all the positive words that you've been sending. There's also a new episode of Unjustified out. And Andy McCabe and I talk about Trump's latest massive power grab that's been flying under the radar. You don't want to miss that. And today in court, there will be a hearing in Mr. Abrego's case in Judge Sinis's courtroom. This is about his amended complaint. He amended his original complaint. The original complaint was, you know, return me to the United States. And the Supreme Court told the government, make sure you're ready to talk about how you're going to facilitate his return to the United States. And that's when he was indicted and brought back. And he's still being held on those criminal charges in Tennessee at the request of his own lawyers because if he was released, as we know, he'd be detained by ICE and deported to a third country. The Supreme Court is now allowing without due process for some reason. But that amended complaint I wrote [e-mail] has the detailed description of all of the torture that he experienced himself at Seacoat in El Salvador and saw others experience as well. Well, and so that hearing will be taking place today. We'll talk about that hearing tomorrow. I may do a substack live. I think Adam Classfeld is on the ground there. So I'm going to be doing that among, among other things today, listening into that particular hearing and this weekend, you know, I don't know, the 4th of July just hit different this year. And even though I was surrounded by loved ones, my chosen family, I couldn't shake this cloud that hung in the air all day. I had been joining court hearings over the eight men trapped on the ground in Djibouti. As you know, back on April 18th, Judge Murphy in Boston ordered the Trump regime to stop removing people to third countries while the case was litigated on the merits. But the Trump administration violated that order when it put eight men on a plane bound for war torn South Sudan. Now, Judge Murphy held an emergency hearing after lawyers for these men filed an emergency motion telling the judge, hey, we think the Trump administration is violating your court order. So the judge had another hearing and ordered the planes to stop when they were on the ground in Djibouti to refuel. And he ordered that those eight men must be given due process because of what the Supreme Court said in the JGG case. Nine to nothing. All nine justices agreed that there should be some amount of due process, meaningful due process. And the due process they sought was what's called a CAT interview, a convention against torture interview. That's where people who are being sent to third countries get an opportunity to prove to a judge or not that they have a credible fear of being killed or tortured if they're sent to the country that they're being deported to or disappeared to. Now, the Department of Justice refused to return those eight men to the United States for these due process interviews and instead, instead suggested they conduct those interviews on the ground in Djibouti, where the plane had stopped, like I said, to refuel on its way to South Sudan. Lawyers for the eight men vehemently disagreed, saying, logistically, it would be a nightmare. It'd be really difficult to conduct these interviews in Djibouti. They would need interpreters, access to legal counsel. How would that happen? Would it be virtual? They would need a place to live, by the way the government put them up in a shipping container. It would need food, medicine. It's really hot there on the ground. It would just be a logistical nightmare. But the Department of Justice, Trump's government, said, we can do this on the ground in Djibouti. So Judge Murphy obliged and Said, if you can return to the United States or you can do it your way, we'll do it your way. And he issued what's called a remedial order. Remedial as in a remedy, a remedy to the government's fuck up to their violation of the previous court order not to send anyone to third parties. That's what a remedial order is. Now, of course, once the operation was underway, the Department of Justice complained in court filings about it, saying, it's too hot, they don't have enough electricity, they didn't have proper medicine or food for their agents. Not the eight men they dragged there, by the way. It was just uncomfortable for them. So they asked the Supreme Court to make it stop. And the corrupt Supreme Court obliged in a one paragraph order failing to explain itself and failing to explain why they would even consider giving equitable relief to the government who came to the court with unclean hands, because they had violated that initial order not to send anyone to a third country twice, by the way, because they had actually also sent someone to Venezuela. That unclean hands, that equitable jurisdiction. I first learned a lot about that and shared it with y' all back during the documents special master case when Trump said, help me get back these documents that I stole. And you know, one of the justices said, one of the liberal justices said, look, you can't have equitable relief for inequitable acts. And during that time, I compared it to something I saw on, like America's Dumbest Criminals, where there was a crack deal going down and the crack dealer gave the crack to the guy, and the guy didn't give him his money and just ran away. Now, that crack dealer went to the cops to try to get relief, to get justice, but you can't come to get equitable relief with unclean hands. Just like Trump couldn't go to the court to get relief for a crime he committed, stealing these documents, retaining them unlawfully. But here we are with the Trump regime, violating a court order and then going to the Supreme Court and asking for relief. And that was in the dissent of the liberal justices. Now, the Supreme Court blocked Judge Murphy's original order, the one that blocked the government from sending people to third countries without due process, even though they had said in another case, nine zero, that everyone's entitled to due process. No one could square that circle, by the way. So as a last ditch effort, the morning of Independence Day, lawyers for the eight filed a habeas petition in D.C. and the case was assigned to Judge Randolph Moss, an Obama Appointee who held an emergency hearing that same day. Now, this habeas claim wasn't about getting a Convention Against Torture interview. That wasn't the relief they were seeking. But it was about the government sending people to countries with horrible conditions as punishment. And that punitive action is a violation of their 8th amendment right against cruel and unusual punishment. But even though their claim was different, the judge said it was similar enough to their previous due process claim so it must be transferred back to Judge Murphy in Boston. And within just two hours or so of the planes taking off for South Sudan, Judge Murphy said that the Supreme Court's order blocking his ruling on the other claim was clear and that his hands were tied. So that night around 8:30 Eastern, while people were eating hot dogs and watching fireworks, these eight men were disappeared to South Sudan aboard a C130 military transport, most likely to their deaths with no due process. Knowing that made it hard to celebrate Independence Day. I couldn't stop thinking about how the Supreme Court, bought and paid for by oligarchs and fascists wrapped in flags and carrying Bibles, robbed people of due process protections in the Constitution. And I couldn't stop thinking about the Declaration of Independence, the document whose signing we were supposed to be celebrating, which said of King George iii, he has combined with others to subject us to jurisdictions foreign to our Constitution and unacknowledged by our laws, giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation. For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us, for protecting them by a mock trial from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states. For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world. For imposing taxes on us without our consent, for depriving us in many cases of the benefits of trial by jury, and for transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses. That's what was on my mind this Independence Day. But I'll continue to work to achieve those ideals represented in the Declaration of Independence, as long as I draw breath. It was a tough weekend. I'm glad you were all here. I'm glad you're all here now. So thank you. All right, we have a lot of news to get to, but we have to take a quick break. Stick around. We'll be right back after these messages. We'll be right back. Hey, everybody. Right now the headlines are chock full of data breaches and regulatory rollbacks, making us all vulnerable. But you can do something about it. Delete Me is here to make it easy, quick and safe. To remove your personal data online and we want to thank our sponsor for today's episode, delete Me. If you want an easier way to deal with data breaches, get Deleteme. These days, it feels like everyone's personal information is out there. I keep hearing about data breaches in the news. DOGE has all of our stuff. 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So take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for Delete Me now at a special discount for listeners. Get 20% off your delete me plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com DailyBeans and use promo code dailybeans at checkout. Again, the only way to get 20% off is to go to JoinDeleteMe.com DailyBeans and enter code DAILYBEANS at checkout. Once again, JoinDeleteMe.com DailyBEANS code DAILYBEANS. You'll be glad you did, everybody. Welcome back. It's time for the hot notes. Hot notes all right, first up from the post, at least 69 people have been confirmed dead by the floods that swept through a region of Central Texas known as Flash Flood Alley. As a frantic search and rescue operation continues for countless more who remain missing, including including 11 girls from a beloved summer camp on the Guadalupe River. Dalton Rice, the city manager of Kerrville, one of the hardest hit areas, told reporters that the search would continue throughout Sunday, though flash flood warnings and watches remain in effect across the area and well into the evening, dimming hopes that others could be found alive. 21 children are confirmed to be among the dead, and authorities expect the toll to rise. And the New York Times is reporting that crucial positions at the local offices of the National Weather Service were unfilled as severe rainfall inundated parts of Central Texas Friday, prompting some experts to question whether staffing shortages made it harder for the forecasting agency to coordinate with local emergency managers as floodwaters rose. I have an answer for that. Yes, it did. The staffing shortages suggested a separate problem. Those former officials said. The loss of experienced people who would typically have helped communicate with local authorities in the hours after the flash flood warnings were issued overnight. The shortages are among the factors likely to be scrutinized as the death toll climbs from the floods. Now, separate questions have emerged about the preparedness of local communities, including Kerr County's apparent lack of a local flood warning system. The county, roughly 50 miles northwest of San Antonio, is where many of these deaths occurred. The National Weather Service's San Angelo office, which is responsible for some of the areas hit hardest by the flooding, was missing a senior hydrologist, staff forecaster and meteorologist in charge. That's according to Tom Fahey, the legislative director of the National Weather Service Employees Organization. That's the union that represents weather service workers. The weather Service's nearby San Antonio office, which covers other areas hit by the floods, also had significant vacancies, including a warning coordination meteorologist and a science officer. Staff members in those positions are meant to work with local emergency managers to plan for floods, including when and how to warn local residents and help them evacuate. That office's warning coordination meteorologist left on April 30 after taking the early retirement package that the Trump administration used to reduce the number of federal employees. A Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has said in a statement, quote, in a moment like this, we feel just as helpless as everyone else does. And all we know to do at this moment is pray. That's why we have scientists. Sir, if all you know how to do is pray, don't fire people who know how to actually do shit. Your king gutting our National Weather Service and NOAA is to blame for this. You're not helpless. You're hapless. You're unprepared. You're cruel. Fuck you. First of all. Also, to all of our friends in Texas, we see you. I see you. I'm getting tired of folks saying they asked for this, they voted for this, forgetting that not everyone did and that not everyone has the means or the desire to simply pick up their entire lives and move elsewhere. That's something else I'm seeing a lot on social media. These girls at that camp, they didn't vote for Donald Trump. I'm so sorry. You're going through this, Texas. We see you. All right, Next up from NPR, this is to make matters even worse, the U.S. department of Defense will no longer provide satellite weather data, leaving hurricane forecasters without crucial information about storms as peak hurricane season looms in the Atlantic. For more than 40 years, the defense Department has operated satellites that collect information about conditions in the atmosphere and the ocean. A group within the Navy called the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography center processes the raw data from these satellites and turns it over to scientists and weather forecasters who use it for a wide range of purposes, including real time hurricane forecasting and measuring sea ice in polar regions. In late June, the Department of Defense announced it would no longer provide that data, and that's according to a notice published by noaa. The termination date was originally the end of June, but after an outcry from scientists and forecasters, it was updated to the end of July, according to the Navy. Next up from the Guardian, something else Kegseth has done. He unilaterally halted an agreed shipment of military aid to Ukraine due to baseless concerns that US stockpiles of WEAP have run too low. A batch of air defense missiles and other precision munitions were due to be sent to Ukraine to aid in its ongoing war with Russia, Russia's war, which launched a full scale invasion into Ukraine in 2022. The aid was promised by the United States during Joe Biden's administration last year, but the Pentagon halted the shipment, with NBC reporting that a decision to do so was made solely by Hegseth, former Fox News Weekend host, who has previously come under pressure for sharing plans of a military strike in signal chats. Some corporate news outlets are reporting that Trump allies were shocked and taken aback by this decision. Totally caught off guard, really, really. Because this is the third time Whiskey Pete has halted shipments to Ukraine unilaterally, with the latest intervention purportedly coming due to concerns that the US's own weapons stockpile is running too low. The decision surprised members of Congress as well as Ukraine and US European allies. Democrats said there's no evidence that American weapons stocks are in decline. We are not at a lower point, stockpile wise, than we've been in the last three and a half years. That's what Adam Smith, a Democrat and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, maybe somebody who knows something about this. That's what he told NBC. He also said that his staff had seen the numbers on weapons supplies and that there's no justification to suspend aid to Ukraine. The weapons being delayed include dozens of Patriot interceptor missiles that can defend against Russian missile attacks, as well as howitzers and other missile systems. So third time in six months that Kagseth has done this. And next up, the big ugly bill is already having devastating effects. From Nebraska Public Radio, the uncertainty over federal Medicaid funding appears to have claimed its first victim in Nebraska. Community Hospital in McCook announced Wednesday it's going to close the Curtis Medical center in Curtis, winding down its services over the next several months, quote. Unfortunately, the current financial environment driven by anticipated federal budget cuts to Medicaid, has made it impossible for us to continue operating all of our services, many of which have faced significant financial challenges for years. Years. That's Troy Bruntz, president and CEO of Community Hospital, in a news release. The budget reconciliation bill that the House of Representatives voted to approve on Thursday contains several provisions that experts say will slash Medicaid, which rural hospitals are more dependent on than their urban counterparts. Earlier this week, during a zoom meeting put on by the multi state organization United Today, Stronger Tomorrow, officials estimated that up to six Nebraska hospitals could be forced to close. We currently have six hospitals that we feel are in critical financial states, three that are in an impending kind of closure or conversion to the rural emergency hospital model. That's Jed Hansen, executive director for the Nebraska Rural Health Association. He went on to say we would likely see these closures within a year or two years once the bill is fully enacted. In a statement Thursday, the Nebraska hospital association said 44% of the state's rural hospitals are already losing money and passage of the bill will lead to a $3.6 billion cut in funding to Nebraska hospitals over the next decade. All right, let's head down to Florida with this story from Rolling Stone. President Donald Trump traveled to Florida on Tuesday to tour what Republicans have dubbed Alligator Alcatraz. I just call it a concentration camp. It's a 5,000 bed immigration detention center built in a remote, hot and disgustingly humid corner of the Everglade. The facility, a collection of plastic tents outfitted with bunk beds in literal cages, was built almost overnight on top of an abandoned airstrip in an area known as Alligator Alley. Republicans have emphasized the amount of deadly wildlife surrounding the camp and the danger alligators and pythons might pose to any detained migrants who might try to escape the state. GOP is even selling disturbing swamp themed merchandise touting the project. And Trump on Tuesday said, I guess that's the concept to a question about whether undocumented immigrants will be eaten by alligators if they try to escape. But so far, little has been said about how exactly the facility came to be. As it turns out, two contractors who work to quickly build out Alligator ALCATRAZ, which Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has called a one stop shop for detention, adjudication and deportation of migrants, have been significant donors to DeSantis and Trump. Earlier Tuesday, Bloomberg News identified several contractors working on this facility, a group of disaster relief firms selected by Florida's Division of Emergency Management, which is part of DeSantis administration. Among the contractors is CDR companies, which Bloomberg said will run medical services and did some site preparation. CDR's President Carlos Duart and businesses affiliated with his firm have made significant donations to DeSantis and Trump as well as to Health and human services secretary RFK Jr. CDR Enterprises donated a million dollars in December 2023 to Fight Right Inc. A super PAC that supports DeSantis presidential campaign at the time. Late last year, DeSantis announced he was appointing Duart to the Board of Trustees at Florida International University and named his wife, Tina Vidal Duart to the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees.

[Rick Smith]

Hmm.

[Alison Gill]

Last June, CDR McGuire Inc. Donated $400,000 to Write for America, a pro Trump super PAC. Dewart donated half a million to the Trump 47 committee in October. He also gave $148,000 in December to the Kennedy Victory Fund, helping RFK Jr clear some of his campaign debt. In January, CDR Enterprises contributed half a million dollars to Trump's inaugural committee. Bloomberg also reported that SLSCO Ltd. A construction company in Galveston, Texas, is also involved with this Florida concentration camp, noting that the business had helped build parts of Trump's border wall during his first term as president. According to documents reviewed by Bloomberg, the contractors were selected from an existing pool of vendors already approved by Florida's Division of Emergency Management, which is a move that allowed the state to bypass competitive bidding requirements. The heavily redacted planning document for the detention center obtained by Bloomberg indicated a desire to petition DHS to waive Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention standards to streamline the setup of detention facilities. They are waiving DHS's detention facility standards to build these privately owned prisons. We'll keep an eye on that. Next up, this is some better news. This is from NBC. A six year old Honduran boy with leukemia whose arrest sparked a public outcry after he, his mother and his sister were seized by ICE agents and sent to Texas to a detention center. This boy is back in Los Angeles now. The family, which had been held for a month in the Dilley Immigration Processing center in Texas, was released on Wednesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a lawsuit was filed on their behalf in San Antonio federal court. We were in the process of putting together a reply brief explaining why the government was wrong to hold them when we learned they were being released. That's Alora McCurgy, director of the Immigrants Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School. She went on to say ICE released the family without a court order. The family was dispatched to the detention center to a shelter in South Texas. From there, they were put on a plane and flown to lax, where they were reunited with their family in Los Angeles. Public pressure over the plight of this family and media coverage helped free this boy. Their release, quote, demonstrates the power we have when we fight back against harmful UN American policies. That's what attorney Kate Gibson Kumar of the Texas Civil Rights Project said, which also represents the family. All right, everybody, it's time for some good trouble. What are you guys doing? I am really excited about today's good trouble. This is from Indivisible. Across the country, authoritarian forces are getting bolder and more dangerous. Trump and his allies are not hiding their agenda. Mass deportations, rollback of civil rights, weaponized courts, and full scale attacks on our democracy. We do not have to wait until it's too late. We can stop this, but it'll take all of us, not just on single days of mass action, but through sustained organizing in our communities. That's why this summer, Indivisible is launching One Million Rising, a national effort to train 1 million people in the strategic logic and practice of non cooperation as well as the basics of community organizing and campaign design. This is how we build people, power that cannot be ignored. And you're invited to join us and lead. Let's build a force bigger than fear and louder than hate. Let's get ready. Let's get organized. Let's stop Trump. Session one is the moment and your mission. It's July 16th. Session two is how to make it happen. And that's July 30th. And session three is what now? That's August 13th. You can sign up for all three sessions to get the most out of this experience. You can watch it live with friends in person. Have a watch party. There's a lot of watch parties already set up on. Mobilize us and get ready to host your own community resistance gatherings. After the second and third sessions, this is how we get to a million. We will have a link to sign up for these virtual seminars in the show notes. I'm happy to announce that They've already got 1.5 million people signed up. So check it out again. There's a link in the show notes. I'm going to be there. You can also follow the link that I posted on my Blue sky account if you want to link through me. So I'm very excited about this non cooperation and combating authoritarianism. All right, thank you so much to indivisible for that everybody. We're going to be talking to Rick Smith and we're going to talk about his story about health coverage and health care and the big ugly bill and how health care and health coverage through his union has helped him. It's a very personal story. Stick around for that. We'll be right back. Hey everybody, let's be real. I'm not always the best when it comes to nutrition. I don't really eat that much. I do my best, but there's huge gaps in my nutrition between my schedule and menopause and all the conflicting advice out there. Honestly, it gets confusing fast and I've always felt like I could use someone in my corner and that's when I checked out. Fay Nutrition this episode is sponsored by fay. Go to feynutrition.com dailybeans to qualify to see a registered dietitian for as little as $0. Faye connects you one on one with an actual registered dietitian who builds a personalized plan based on your body's unique needs. This isn't some one size fits all approach. 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So if you're ready to stop guessing and start truly fueling your body for better health, take control with personalized nutrition support from a registered dietitian through Fay because you deserve to feel energized, healthy and confident in your health choices. Having a personalized nutritionist used to cost big bucks, but not anymore. With Fay. Listeners of the Daily Beans can qualify to see a registered dietitian for as little as $0 by visiting Feynutrition.com DailyBeans that is Faye F A Y Faynutrition.com DailyBeans One last time Feignutrition.com DailyBeans and make sure you use our URL so they know I sent you. You'll be glad you did. Hey, everybody. Welcome back. I was able to read a story from a friend of mine and I hadn't read the story before or heard the story and it really hit me and I wanted to bring him on to talk about it today. He's a longtime labor advocate. He's the host of the Rick Smith show, which I'm sure you've heard, which is a national radio program dedicated to highlight the issues that matter to working families. So, you know, we're honored to feature his perspective as part of Labor Strong's mission to elevate the voices of those fighting for workers every day. Please welcome Rick Smith. Hi, Rick.

[Rick Smith]

Hi, Alison.

[Alison Gill]

It is good to see you, my friend. It's been a minute, has been a.

[Rick Smith]

Little while, but, you know, been a little busy.

[Alison Gill]

Have we, have we been busy? Yeah, there's a lot going on. And recently, especially with the passage, I mean, this month has been interesting, the transition from June to July. We've had the passage of the billionaire bailout bill, the big ugly bill, whatever you want to call it, this budget reconciliation bill that we all knew was coming prior to the election last November, but it is finally here and it's been signed into law and millions and millions of people are going to lose their health care. And of course the Republicans are like, well, just get a job then. And you know, but then they also bust unions and try to rip healthcare away from people who have jobs. And your story that I read was really heartrending. Can you share that story with us?

[Rick Smith]

Yeah. Back in September, September 12, at 9 o' clock in the morning, my wife was hit by a careless driver while she was riding her motorcycle. She was life flighted to the hospital and began the permanent change in our lives forever. She broke every bone on the right side of her body and now suffers from a traumatic brain injury that she probably will never recover from. So our journey has been one of dealing with a lot of hospitals, a lot of medical and our roles changing from her taking care of me to, well, me Taking care of her in every way, shape and form. And I wrote the article because, look, I've been very fortunate in this because I'm cognizant of how the working class is vulnerable to things happening. And since you brought the big nightmare bill up, that piece of legislation will only make what happened to me much worse for other people and for me, ultimately, because ultimately, she may end up on Medicaid. She may end up, you know, we don't know yet. And to have no safety net and a diminished safety net is something that is heartbreaking in this moment. But again, I come back to the reason I wrote the pieces. I was very fortunate. I felt very fortunate because I have a union job. I've been a truck driver teamster for over 30 years. The health care that our union fights for, negotiates for, and that we defer compensation for. I was a godsend in this moment. I had no point in the drive to the hospital, at no point while we're sitting for the endless hours waiting to hear, did I ever think, how am I going to pay for this? Oh, my God, we're going to go broke. And I got to tell you that one little thing, and it may sound little, but it's really the change of the whole situation for me. It's horrible. The life, as I knew, was completely over. But to not have to worry that, is she going to get the care she needs? Are we going to get thrown out of the hospital and moved along? And real quick story, we went to a rehab hospital, and they said, well, our normal stay is 16 days. So they wanted to move us along in the beginning of December, and that means going to a nursing home. And I said, no, I'm not going to allow that. And my. My health and welfare fund backed me up. They actually called the hospital and said, nope, it's in our best interest. She stays right where she's at. And we didn't leave that rehab hospital until the middle of February because of my union health fund, because those folks were on my side, fighting for me every step of the way. And I gotta tell you, having that kind of power, that kind of empowerment is something I want for every working person. And the reason I told the story is not to share how fortunate I am. And I am in this horrible tragedy, fortunate in this aspect, but that I want this for everyone. So at the backdrop of what just happened, we've made families less safe, less secure, and more vulnerable than we've ever been, at least in my lifetime. So I just thought it was an important time to bring that out.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. I think it's so important that you mentioned it's not just that it's paid for, it's that you had people in your corner interpreting all of the laws and insurance policies and bills and transfers and, and, and things that most folks just don't know about. You know, I remember working for tricare and even though I worked there for several, worked on, you know, with TRICARE for several years, there were still of the 8,000-page TRICARE manual, but at least 4,000 pages that I didn't know yet or understand. And that was my job. And so to have these experts in your corner, in addition to not having to worry about where the money was coming from, but to have somebody stand up and fight for you and then to take it a step further and say, I want this for everyone is something that I think is worth fighting for.

[Rick Smith]

Absolutely. And look, you know the thing, and I've said this for years as a union member, I feel empowered at work to make good choices. I've never taken an unsafe truck on the road knowingly if something's wrong, I make them fix it. That kind of empowerment. I've never worked in unsafe conditions because, hey, I've been empowered to say, no, we need to fix this, and my union has my back. This is another arena where the union had my back. And this is why I keep saying, you may not need it and I thank goodness if you don't. But in these moments, the fact that I had it and I knew they had my back gave me the ability to say, no, we're going to, we're going to do certain things and no, you're going to give her the care she needs and no, we're not going to move into one place or another. No, we're going to give her every opportunity to mend, to heal, every opportunity to become a functional person again. And look, I got a stack of EOBs, the bill, the bills there. $5 million worth of health care costs to this point and we still got a long journey ahead of us. Can you imagine the big health insurance companies trying to find ways to squeeze the quarter till the eagle screams to ration the care that she would get, the therapy she needed, the surgeries she needed, the just enormous amount of healthcare that it has taken to get us to this point. Can you imagine having to fight with an insurance company every single step of the way just to get the next test or the next surgery? I can't. And fortunately I don't have to. And this is for me, one of the greatest stories of why every working person should have a union contract and should be fighting for better health care.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And let's talk about what this administration is doing to try to take away the benefits of unions. We, you know, we've seen there, I think there's a preliminary injunction or a temporary restraining order, one of the two in place, to stop Trump from stripping unions of their collective bargaining rights, for example.

[Rick Smith]

Yeah. I mean, you know, AFGE is the federal government union. And look, they're, they're an open shop. So, you know, that's, you know, it's what Republicans say, that they want the true belief that you should be able to choose or not choose or whatever. They're trying to strip collective bargaining rights away from those workers who have very little opportunity to really negotiate for better wages, hours, conditions. They're taking what minimal opportunities they have away. Imagine what happens if they're able to do this to public sector workers. And for me, it reminds me, it goes back to the Reagan era. All this stuff began during the Reagan era when Reagan fired the PAT coworkers. It was a shot heard across the boardroom. Open season on working people. And the standard of living in this country has declined. Workers being able to get the kind of health care that I have become accustomed to and take for granted honestly in the work that I do because of my union's ability to fight for these things. When I first started, this stuff was the norm. And now I'm talking to people and they're shocked that I'm not going to go bankrupt. They're shocked that my insurance company is still paying the bill. And here we're 10 months into this. They're shocked that they're not, that I'm not suffering in ways that they would with their, well, you know, private health insurance or their, their non profit private health insurance.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And I think the only thing I don't understand is why outside of cruelty, they would want us to not have health care and not be contributing members of society. You talked about, you know, being able to be empowered to make decisions for your wife's care and to, you know, help her to heal and become well and become a, and get back to being a contributing member of society. I don't understand. I mean, I know it saves them tons of money not having to pay for these benefits and not having to pay higher wages, but the amount of money they could, the amount of money they could steal back from us as tax paying, contributing members of society, if I could put it that way, I Don't know how else to put it. You know, as a veteran, I also don't have to worry about healthcare and I didn't have to worry about where my bachelor's or my master's degree was gonna come from. And because of that, I've created a ton of jobs. I've got a bunch of people in the market, in the workplace, making a ton of tax revenue for these guys to steal as tax cuts for themselves. Why wouldn't they want. I know this sounds like a terrible question, but why wouldn't they want more of our tax revenue to steal for themselves?

[Rick Smith]

Well, they don't have to go through the work.

[Alison Gill]

Does it not give them as much money as withholding benefits and payments? I mean, it seems like they could. There would be a ton more there for them to. To pilfer one.

[Rick Smith]

The cruelty is always the point, right?

[Alison Gill]

It has to be.

[Rick Smith]

You don't want an empowered workforce. You don't want me. You don't want a bunch of me walking around in this country demanding better. I'll give you a quick story. You know, when the doctor came to me and said, you know, about 16 days is the average in this rehab hospital, I said, no, she's not going anywhere. She's going to walk again. She's going because they told us she was never going to walk again. Now I can't stop her. He told me that this is the best place for her, but, sorry, she can't stay. And I said, I don't understand how you can hold those two thoughts in your head at the same time as a doctor saying, this is the best place for her, but also as a doctor going, sorry, she can't stay. And I said, look, you say it's the best place for her, I say this is the best place for she stays. And you take that to the next step, demanding better health care, better retirement, better wages, better schools, better infrastructure. You start having a society that demands better for the working class. Well, look, the wealthy don't get the pocket as much. And to your point, why they don't want to go through getting more out of us. That takes work. It's easier just to take it right off the top and not have to do all the work of providing for us the things, the environment that we need to thrive and to have a standard of living that we once took for granted in this country, providing for.

[Alison Gill]

Us, by the way, what we pay into.

[Rick Smith]

Certainly everything that is created is done with our hands and the sweat of our brow and the ache of our back. But Somehow, people who move money from one pocket to the other, they're the aggrieved. They're the ones. And who's this Altman guy who says, oh, I. I feel, I feel like I don't have a party, I have nowhere to go because people are tired of billionaires taking everything.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, I think, I think you're onto something with the, you know, the, the cruelty and, and I mean, that's just the only thing I can think of. And the fact that, that it takes work. But also the, the thing, the point that you bring up is the last thing they want is a healthy electorate that can critically think and demand more for themselves and be in community. They want to isolate us from one another. They want us to be tired, they want us to be sick and they want us to give up and they.

[Rick Smith]

Want us to die. Look, what we know out of this big, beautiful nightmare is that, what was it, 21,000 people are going to die because of the healthcare that we're stripping away from people. I met a guy not too long ago. A homeless guy came to me and said, hey, you know, this big storm we had that just came through, basically wiped his tent out. All of his belongings are scattered all over the place, and the guy's just trying to find a place to spend a night. And the local shelter couldn't take him because he has health, he has a health condition. He had a colostomy bag and a couple of other ailments that they're like, hey, we, we can't touch that. There's nowhere for this poor man to go. There's no help from him. And it only is going to get worse because of the Medicaid cuts, because of all of the things that they have done in this bill, the SNAP cuts, the cuts to the Section 8 housing, all of this stuff is only going to make that poor guy's life even harder. And the weird thing is, is the guy wasn't complaining. It wasn't, hey, poor. What was me? It was none of that. It was, hey, can you help me just get a place for a night so I can get myself back together?

[Alison Gill]

Yeah.

[Rick Smith]

And it's heartbreaking that in this country, in the wealthiest country on the planet, in its wealthiest moment, the wealthiest time in history, that you've got people who. Nowhere, no help.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah.

[Rick Smith]

And what does that say about us?

[Alison Gill]

And I'm thinking of people in rural counties, people who tend to be subject to climate events, for example.

[Rick Smith]

That's where I'm at. I'm in rural America. I'm in the reddest part of Pennsylvania, we're right there smack in the middle of the T that this is. This is 65, 35 Republican, 70% Trump supporters. This is the heart of all the bad that is going to happen. And the rural hospital here is worried. The clinics that are up north in Perry county, the only healthcare infrastructure in that county, is probably going to go under. So it's going to be the red hats. It's going to be all my red hat friends who are cheering on Trump to go after those, you know, fill in the blank, who they're going to be the ones who suffer. And I come back to, you know, the old labor frame. When their stomach gets empty, their head will get right. When bad things happen and there's no help, there's an opportunity to then organize them. And I fear we have to go through that kind of suffering. I said on election night, you know, the solutions of the future are going to come out of the suffering due to their savagery. And this bill, a huge part of their savagery.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, they just closed a rural medical center in Nebraska because of fear of, you know, they don't have. They aren't sure where their funding is going to come from after this bill is passed. And then I also think of, you know, not just the folks who live in those rural areas, but at the Department of Veterans affairs through the Choice act that Obama signed. A lot of our veterans get care who live in these rural areas, get care in these rural hospitals and these rural clinics that's paid for by the Department of Veterans affairs. And they will not have a place to go now, either.

[Rick Smith]

No, look at me. I've got the greatest health care. I've got friends in Congress who are jealous of the health care that I have, literally. And I know all the people are gonna get the best. No, I've got the best healthcare. And where am I gonna go? The rural hospital closes. Where do I take this shiny card that I pay 25 grand a year for? Where do I go to get healthcare if everything's closed down? What er. We were in the emergency room on Saturday. What emergency room do I go to if the local emergency rooms close down, I got to go an hour and a half away. And that's what we're going to end up with. Rural communities are really screwed. And maybe this is what we have to go through so that we can then begin a real conversation of what should the working class be demanding? What should people like me be fighting for so that we all have an opportunity at life Liberty, pursuit of happiness. Maybe we have to go through this, and I fear that we're gonna have to.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, I think you're right. And that's what we were trying to prevent. We were trying to make sure that people had dignity, living wages, healthcare. No matter what side of the aisle they were on. They just wanted us to suffer, but all we wanted for them was healthcare. Our friend, Jess Piper, rural Missouri, her slogan, I think she coined this weekend, is healthcare, not wealth, care. And I like that. And I think that.

[Rick Smith]

Yeah, but that's not new. That goes back.

[Alison Gill]

No, no, that goes back a long.

[Rick Smith]

Time ago when we were fighting to get something better than Obamacare. And look, Obamacare is a step in the right direction, but, you know, if it weren't for Max Baucus, if it weren't for Joe Lieberman, if it weren't for those folks, maybe we would have gotten something towards Medicare for all, a single payer system, something better than, well, where we are so that can be taken away from us by a horrible piece of legislation like this. And people who, if I could just say the Freedom Caucus, had better just shut the fuck up at this point because I don't ever want to hear another word out of those backstabbing little pinheads. I want to hear nothing from them again because every fucking one of them fell in the line.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. Or, you know, I'm sure that, you know, if the tables turn and we need to raise the debt ceiling, they'll be very, very much against that, even though they just raised it to 5 trillion, I believe, so that they could have their. So their donors could. Could get richer.

[Rick Smith]

So my congressman, Scott Perry, shut the fuck up.

[Alison Gill]

He needed to shut the fuck up a long time ago, but. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Well, you know, I want to send all of the love in my heart to you and your wife. I know it's a big change. I'm glad that you had the health care. I'm glad that you had the advocacy of the union to back you up. And I just want to thank you for going out to work every day to make sure that everybody has this. Everybody has access to education, healthcare, a living wage and the benefits that we pay into. It means a lot what you do, and I appreciate it.

[Rick Smith]

Thank you, Allison. I appreciate it.

[Alison Gill]

Well, I hope I see you soon, sooner rather than later. And let's keep in touch.

[Rick Smith]

Anytime you want. I'm here for you.

[Alison Gill]

Great. I appreciate you. Thank you so much, everybody. Check out the Rick Smith show. Any. Anywhere else people can find and follow you and Follow your work.

[Rick Smith]

The RickSmithShow.com is our website. You follow us on substack with Political Voices Network, Also Free Speech TV every weekday at 3:00pm Eastern Time.

[Alison Gill]

Cool. Thank you so very much, my friend Rick Smith, everybody. Stick around. We'll be right back with the good news. Everybody. Welcome back. It's time for the good news, everyone.

[Rick Smith]

Then good news, everyone.

[Alison Gill]

And boy, we need your good news. Please send it to [e-mail] and click on Contact. Whether you want to give a shout out to yourself or a loved one or some great community organizing, maybe share some pictures of a no Kings event or a rally that you've been to recently. Maybe you went to a Tesla takedown. Maybe you're following Cliff Cash and you're going to his Fox News or Heritage foundation rallies. I would love to see photos of this. Send those to us. If you have a shout out to a small business in your area or a government program that's helped you or a loved one, anything at all, any little bit of awesomeness so we can all microdose some hope together. Send that into us for your good news submission. And all you gotta do to get your submission read on the air is pay your podpet tariff, which means attach a photo of your pet. And if you don't have a pet, send an adoptable pet in your area or do what some folks are doing. Do both. If you don't have any of that, you can send any animal photo from the Internet. Literally, just grab a red panda and send it in. There's been, I think I've been tagged like a hundred times in that video of a red panda eating grapes. And I, I've watched it like 12 times this weekend. It made me feel much better. Send those to us if you don't have any of that. Any family photo. Awkward. Family photo. Baby pictures. A photo of your happy place. Bird watching. We're doing bird watching for the foreseeable future, which can be an actual bird photo or you and your family and friends flipping the bird to Trump and Musk Properties. Again, send it to [e-mail] and click on contact. All right, first up from Steph Pronoun. She and her since last fall, I've been designing bracelets to cope, connect and raise funds for causes helping people impacted by Mango Mussolini's regime. Right Now I'm supporting whistlebloweraid.org with a courage is Contagious collection. Oh, my God, that's so great. Steph, I hope you're using our beans link whistlebloweraid.org beans and also Ukraine via World Central Kitchen. I love World Central Kitchen and all the work they do. This is incredible. I included a shout out to my Boston terrier Ollie AKA the Blanket Bandit as my tariff Studio vibes by Steph and we're going to link to Steph's shop in the show notes studiovibesbysteff.etsy.com these are beautiful. Slava, Ukraine. Look at these. Oh my goodness. I'm going to go order a bunch of these. I love them. Courage is contagious. These are so fantastic. Everybody check it out. StudioVibesbysteff Etsy.com thank you so much. Next up from Jane Pronoun. She and her hello Reinas de los Frijoles. I want to give a shout that always reminds me of the opening of that Chains Addiction song Rijado y Realto de Los Angeles Juanas Addiction. Okay, I want to give a shout out to all of the indivisible groups and their amazing organizers. I belong to two groups, one in San Francisco East Bay and one in Maui where we live part time. Okay, I'm a little jealous Jane. The Maui group is amazingly active for a small island and manages to turn out thousands for their events. It's nice to know that wherever I am I can easily find a group of like minded humans to protest with. As we all know, Amazon and Etsy are carrying the Alligator Alcatraz merch for sale. This is disgusting. A disgusting monetization of human suffering and we need to convince them to stop. It's difficult to find the right place to contact Amazon, but I used this email Amazon prmazon.com youm can also contact them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to report an item on Etsy. This is what I was trying to do Jane. I was like just give give these shops low star ratings but there's not a rating thing. But you can report an item. So to do that Jane says go to the listing page and select Report this item to Etsy. Choose a reason from the dropdown menu and provide additional details. Let's stop people from making money off this concentration camp. I agree Jane. For my pod pet talks I'm sharing two photos. The first is my sweet girl Scout in her happy place, the beach in Maui. You can probably guess her breed. The second one is of a puppy, Pikmin that I just adopted from the shelter I volunteer at a shelter in California. And look at those ears. FYI, Scout is a mini American Shepherd. Pikmin is unknown but clearly a Shepherd mix. I hope he's loving his forever home. Yes. Look at the ears on that puppy. And the beautiful dog on the beach in Maui. I love Maui. Maui is my happy place. Jane, I'm gonna have to look up that indivisible group in Maui. Oh, thank you so much for this. I needed that sunset dog beach photo. That just looks so very peaceful. All right, next up from Reid. Greetings. I'm a graphic designer who enjoys listening to the news but with swearing. Fuck yeah. Over the last six months, I've been swearing more and more as I watch what's happening to our country recently. To help with the rage, I've been focus my designs on two things. Cats, because they bring me joy, and illustrations that mildly annoy maggots. I'm not very confrontational, so mild annoyance with a hint of humor is the best I can muster. I figured another way I could feel better was to donate half my T shirt proceeds to the National Immigrant justice Center. That's immigrantjustice.org I guess this is my form of good trouble. I love this read. I'm hoping there's some beans listeners out there who want a cool shirt that will help a good cause. So go to Teepublic t e e teepublic.com user zellytease z e l L Y T E E S I'm sharing a couple of my recent designs along with podpet tacks of a fennec fox because they're super cool and have the most amazing ears. Read. Yes, they do. Thank you and have a great day. All right, here's a Looks like a T shirt that says Ernst 2026. We're all going to die. Oh, this one's great. Human rights have no borders. That design is incredible. I love it. And the fennec fox is adorable. In mid Yawn. Thank you so much. I needed that, Reid. I really did. I appreciate you. Oh, my gosh, look at this chonker. Okay. This is a picture of a cat, by the way, from Paul. Pronouns he and him. Loved your show with Eugene and John on Friday. Right up there with some of your best guests. Spent part of the fourth listening to you. Black man spy with Malcolm Nance and Legal AF with Judge Ludig. Judge Ludig is just such a mensch. Then I reread the Declaration of Independence. Regained my focus and purpose. Anyway, just been wanting to write and send pics of some of our critters. The gray white limited brain cell male is lightning for the white zigzag on his back. The first black cat, not a speck of white, is Chase. ADHD chases whatever catches his attention. Last male cat, Velcro. I had a cat named Velcro, Paul, clipped ear and all. Name says it all was waiting outside the local humane society for the doors to open so he could come in. All were adopted from rescue and fixed. Not included is a German shepherd aquarium fish, frogs, toads and pondfish. Oh, and two more black cats that think my garage is a bed and breakfast and show up on a semi regular basis for meals and sleep. Keep up the great work, ag, dg, Andy, Harry and everybody who makes this possible. Paul, thank you. This void cat is amazing. Looks like my booba. I think that's the one with the clipped ear. Yes. Oh, look it. Hi, kitties. They're so cute. I could see the one with the no brain cells. I can see it. I can see it bouncing around in there like a BB in a boxcar, as my dad would say. Next up from Anonymous, pronouns he and him. Hey, AG and DG and all your wonderful beans crew and supporters. I love your show. I recommend it to all my friends. Thank you for your dedication and getting worthy news out there. You're my compass and astrolabe. Is that how I say it? Amidst the seas of fuckery, we enjoyed the fourth despite the traitors that serve the American people and their awful death. Bill, here's a pic of our traditional July 4th cake. Usually it's an American flag, but this year my wife had a more appropriate, festive and patriotic message to share. And I added some custom carved strawberries. It tasted as sweet as how it's going to be when we get past this orange turds douche fest and bring democracy and the people's rights back to this country. Also, here's a picture of my protest signs from no Kings. Ah, cheers, my lovely beanie, ladies. And don't let the bastards get you down. Thank you, Anonymous. So it says in blueberries, trump. And then the carved strawberries are two double barrel middle fingers. Beautiful. Thank you so much. And then science made America great. I'd go for some Taco Bell. Get it. And it's a really great drawing of Trump with a taco head. And the taco is stuffed with cash. This is a great sign. I hope you had fun at no Kings, Sir. Everybody. Thank you so much. I needed that today. I will be back in your ears tomorrow. Please give Unjustified a listen if you haven't before. And even if you have before, I think it's a really important episode and I appreciate everybody listening. Thank you so very much. It was a tough weekend, but I have to say because of this community and because of the stuff that we do and the things that we've been getting done, this non cooperation to combat authoritarianism, I'm just not going to give up. Never. But it's okay if you're not okay. I feel you and I see you and please sending out all the love and protection to all of our friends in Texas and elsewhere where there's disasters. Ah. Anyway, I'll see you guys tomorrow. Thank you again for the good news. Please flood us with the good news. We need so much of it. Dailybeanspod.com Click on Contact and I'll be back in your ears in the morning. 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 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 msw media.com msw media.