
Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 Today, the DOJ finally got a federal grand jury indictment of the alleged pipe bomber; the Wyoming Supreme Court has struck down laws banning abortion and abortion pills; less than 1 percent of the Epstein Files have been released according to a new court filing; the CDC has axed a number of recommended childhood vaccines; Trump says he’ll use your taxpayer dollars to reimburse oil barons for drilling in Venezuela; Republican Representative Doug LaMalfa has died further narrowing the GOP’s House majority; the White House has unveiled a new January 6th webpage blaming Democrats and Capitol Police; the government says if you put a sticker over Trump’s face on your Parks Pass you’ll invalidate it; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News.
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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 Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Today, the Department of Justice finally got a federal grand jury indictment for the alleged pipe bomber. The Wyoming Supreme Court has struck down laws banning abortion and abortion pills. Less than 1% of the Epstein files have been released, according to a new court filing. The CDC has axed a number of recommended childhood vaccines, including meningitis. Trump says he'll use your taxpayer money to reimburse oil barons for drilling in Venezuela. Republican Representative Doug Lamaltha has died, further narrowing the GOP's House majority. The White House has unveiled a new January 6 webpage blaming Democrats and the Capitol Police. And the government says if you put a sticker over Trump's face on your Parks Pass, you'll invalidate it. I'm Allison Gill.
Dana Goldberg
And I'm Dana Goldberg.
Allison Gill
Such a weird and eclectic mix of news today. Some amazing news out of Wyoming, some very sad news out of California, just ridiculous news out of the Centers for Disease Control. Just a lot going on today. A lot of different things from different spheres of politics.
Dana Goldberg
As always, though, we are bringing them together here at the Daily Beans to give you a little bit of taste of all kinds of different stories. So we've got a few of those short ones even in our discussions, so that we don't, you know, make all of the other, the other parts so long. But yeah, this is, I think, what we're going to be looking at for 2026. I think we're going to have to figure out because there's going to be even more than we can cover which stories seem most pertinent to our listeners, which we always do.
Allison Gill
Yeah. Yeah. So thanks for trusting us to curate the news for you on a daily basis. Something I saw today that I think Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein posted from Politico. Jeanine Pirro finally got a federal grand jury to indict the alleged pipe bomber. It has been, wow, over a month now. They said they told the judge that the reason they went to a local grand jury to get that superior court indictment was because there were no federal grand juries sitting between December 19 and December, January 2, or something to that effect. And they did tell the court, like, don't worry, we are going to get a federal grand jury indictment. And they did. She returned one. So again, very low bar, probable cause, but they were able to get that grand jury indictment despite covering up the motives of this MAGA pipe bomber is trying as best they can at least to do so.
Dana Goldberg
Well, we'll see what happens with that case, that's for sure. This is what you touched upon in the introduction about the Parks pass. This is from SF Gate. And apparently the Department of Interior recently updated its void if altered rules for 2026. And I'm only giggling because apparently a bunch of people were covering up Trump's face on their passes.
Allison Gill
Yeah, we had a good Trouble segment where somebody was selling stickers to put over your, you know, beautiful photos of the national parks and the N to put over your new Trump Parks pass. Right.
Dana Goldberg
Well, apparently the Department of the Interior had heard about that or seen it, and so they changed their void if altered rules and explicitly flagging stickers and other coverings as alterations that could invalidate the pass. Now, the move appears, as I said, to be in response to visitors preparing to cover the image of Trump, which was set to begin appearing on these passes on January 1st, despite legal challenges. What a whiny little bastard.
Allison Gill
What kind of, I mean, fascist is the answer. But like, you must not cover my face on these passes or you. They won't work.
Dana Goldberg
Like, which is ridiculous because this guy's one that's trying to get these parks unprotected. If they could drill everywhere in the United States, they would. If they could knock down these places and build, they would. So I To actually have his face on the passes for the parks blows my mind. The place he would never step foot in.
Allison Gill
Yeah. And he's firing all the friggin national park workers anyway. So it's like, I bet they're not happy. And I bet I want to know if you have a national Parks pass with Trump's face on it and you've used a sticker. I want to know if you've gotten in to a national park. If the person's like, yeah, go ahead. I'm not gonna. I'm dying.
Dana Goldberg
Rangers that will let you through, that's for sure.
Allison Gill
I'm dying to know. Next up from the Scientific American. On Monday, the top public health body in the US Slashed a number of vaccines recommended for children, including meningitis. That's insane. In practice, this means the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer recommend shots to protect against 17 diseases. Instead, it's only going to recommend 11. Experts say the changes which are effective immediately will endanger children because there's not a single fucking doctor who decided this.
Dana Goldberg
Nope.
Allison Gill
Okay. It's the ivermectin crew. It's the horse paste crew.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, boy.
Allison Gill
That decided this, right?
Dana Goldberg
Yeah.
Allison Gill
Experts say the changes which are effective immediately, like I said, are going to endanger so many children. Rotavirus. They've removed that as well. This decision is likely to be challenged in court, by the way, but we're going to keep an eye on this. Please, please, please, just listen to your doctors and just get all the vaccines that you're supposed to get.
Dana Goldberg
Seriously, keep protecting your children. I'm a little disappointed in this next source for using the language they did, but it's from Politico. More than two weeks after the deadline to release the vast trove of files connected to convicted child sex offender. I just fixed disgrace. Financier Jeffrey Epstein. Justice Department officials disclosed Monday that they're still reviewing millions of documents that they've released. Less than 1% of the total. Less than 1%. This is a quote, more than 2 million documents remain in various phases of review and redaction. That's from Jay Clayton, Manhattan's top federal prosecutor wrote in a five page update to federal judge who previously presided over Epstein's case. Clayton said about 12,285 documents totaling 125,575 pages had been released so far. That's it. In response to a law, a federal law requiring the vast majority of the files to be released publicly. That was back in December 19th of 2025.
Allison Gill
Yeah. So they've released 12,000 documents.
Dana Goldberg
Unbelievable.
Allison Gill
Jesus. All right, again, like I said, the news is kind of all over the place. I usually try to stitch things together in a logical order. That kind of went out the window today. But we do have more news to get to, so let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up from the Hill, the White House launched a website Tuesday. This is on the White House.gov website. Praising Trump for his handling of January 6th. Simultaneously blaming Democrats for Having, quote, masterfully reversed reality and saying that Trump corrected a historic wrong by pardoning those charged with crimes related to the storming of the building. All these criminals who are re criming, they're, they're, we've got child sex abuse material, domestic violence, gun charges. Like this website, which became public on the fifth anniversary of the coup, is Trump's latest defense of January 6, where he told a crowd of his supporters the election was stolen and directed them to march on the Capitol. At the time, the mob that stormed the Capitol threatened to hang. Then Vice President Mike Pence, after Trump tweeted about it, criticized him for not seeking to block Biden's win. Now Trump, who did not respond to the violence at the Capitol for hours, even after lawmakers in both parties were evacuating the building and calling him, by the way, we know Jack Smith testified that Jim Jordan called the President that day and said, please stop this. I'm scared. McCarthy called him and said, you have to stop this. Multiple members of Congress told him, please do something. His son did. His son texted him, yeah, Don Jr. You're ruining your legacy.
Dana Goldberg
You know, if you lost Don Jr.
Allison Gill
You know, like, oh, my God. Anyway, we could go on for far too long. But let's get back to the, to the story here. And Trump is still falsely maintaining that he won the 2020 election. This new website blames Democrats for certifying a fraud ridden election and fumes over the work of the House January 6th Committee. It also accuses the Capitol Police of.
Martin Sheen
Wow.
Dana Goldberg
Wow. The fucking nerve of escalating tensions.
Allison Gill
Quote. With his triumphant return to the White House, Trump wasted no time righting one of the darkest wrongs in modern American history. On Inauguration Day 2025, he issued sweeping pardons and commutations for the vast majority of January 6th defendants. Patriotic citizens who'd been viciously overcharged, denied due process, and held as political hostages by a vengeful regime. How are they denied due process?
Dana Goldberg
I thought that was antifa. Well, why? What do you mean? I thought those were all antifa. Those weren't Trump supporters. What are you talking about? Patriotic citizens.
Allison Gill
I thought it was the FBI.
Dana Goldberg
Yeah, that's interesting. Those seem like conflicting stories.
Allison Gill
Denied due process.
Dana Goldberg
Reject.
Allison Gill
All right. White House aide Stephen Chung. That guy's an asshole. He suggested the site was made as a joke, a trolling effort, writing he couldn't believe media outlets fell for our trap.
Dana Goldberg
Give me a fucking break.
Allison Gill
Wow. But the site quickly sparked alarm among Democrats. Jamie Raskin, former member of the January 6th select committee, blasted the site as Trump doubling down on his lies about January 6th, Trump recognized that he has not shaken January 6th. That's what Raskin told the Hill. The fact that they're having to put up a little propaganda site on the White House web demonstrates how insecure they are about the situation. Benny Thompson, who led the Jan. 6 panel, said he's known for not telling the truth. This is a good example. House Democrats staged a forum Tuesday. This was a shadow hearing to reconvene the House Select Committee that investigated the January 6th attack. At one point hearing from Pamela hemphill, that's a January 6th writer who rejected the pardon that Trump gave her. Hemphill, known as the MAGA Granny, said Tuesday she was not denied due process nor had the Justice Department been weaponized against her. She said, once I got away from the MAGA cult and and started educating myself about January 6th, I knew what I did was wrong. I pled guilty to my crimes because I did the crime. I received due process and the Department of Justice was not weaponized against me. When Trump pardoned us, I rejected the pardon.
Dana Goldberg
Wow.
Allison Gill
Accepting that pardon would be lying about what happened on January 6th. I'm guilty and I own that guilt. That's what she said.
Dana Goldberg
More of that, please.
Allison Gill
Yeah. Now, a report released Monday by the House Judiciary committee detailed that 23 of those people pardoned by Trump have since committed additional crimes, including violent assault, possession of child sexual abuse material, plotting to kill an FBI agent who investigated the attack. There's tons of these. Now, this new site shows pictures of Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi along with the nine members of the Select Committee. That's just a threat. Trump accused the panel of producing a scripted TV spectacle to fabricate an insurrection narrative and pin the blame on Trump. Wow. No wonder they didn't want Jack Smith to testify publicly.
Dana Goldberg
No kidding.
Allison Gill
Quote, the Democrats masterfully reversed reality, branding peaceful patriotic protesters as insurrectionists and framing the event as a coup attempt orchestrated by Trump despite no evidence of armed rebellion or intent to overthrow the government. There are mountains of evidence.
Dana Goldberg
Yep.
Allison Gill
In truth, it was the Democrats who staged the real insurrection by certifying a fraud ridden election, ignoring widespread irregularities and weaponizing federal agencies to hunt dissenters.
Dana Goldberg
There was also a lot of Republicans that certified the election because it was actually a free and fair election.
Allison Gill
And also, Congress wasn't controlled by Democrats on January 6th. Anyway, quote, what's amazing about the website is that it doubles down on the big lie, that it goes back to the big lie. That's what Raskin said. It continues to excoriate Mike Pence.
Dana Goldberg
Right.
Allison Gill
Where he says, Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what needed to be done, which was what he said on January 6 itself. And he's saying it again. He's continuing to say it. He accuses the Capitol Police of being the aggressors in the violence. And so he has attempted to whitewash the violence. But you're talking about the most photographed and documented violent assault in the Capitol in American history. The White House site also points blame at the Capitol Police, like I said, claiming they were dealing with peaceful protesters. Quote, capitol Police aggressively fired tear gas, flashbangs, and rubber munitions into crowds as he. Confusing his little Bible walk across the street with what happened on January.
Dana Goldberg
Sure sounds like it. Sure sounds like it.
Allison Gill
He's confusing what he did to protesters during the George Floyd protest.
Dana Goldberg
Same thing. They're confusing what ICE is doing right now, not giving people due process. They're literally. Everything is a confession.
Allison Gill
Yeah. It's just reversing history. What is that? Where you divert reverse victim and Darvo. Something that abusers do, where they reverse the victim and the perpetrator. Perpetrator, yeah. Capitol Police aggressively fired tear gas, flashbangs, and rubber munitions into crowds of peaceful protesters, injuring many and deliberately escalating tensions. That's what the site says. It's gross. The fact that the White House spokesman said it's a joke. It's a troll.
Dana Goldberg
Yeah.
Allison Gill
Like, makes me.
Dana Goldberg
Why not own it?
Allison Gill
Want to ask the question. So you're kidding. Then you know it was a coup, right? Like, what?
Dana Goldberg
Seems like you'd actually just want to own that at this point and be like, that's exactly what happened. We stand behind it, not ooze a joke.
Allison Gill
Yeah. I mean, they're owning the oil. Regime change. Shit. Down in Venezuela. Yeah. It's oil. We want the oil. Why not just own this?
Dana Goldberg
Speaking of, thanks for the transition into this story. It's from NBC. President Donald Trump said he believes the U.S. oil industry could get expanded operations in Venezuela up and running in fewer than 18 months.
Allison Gill
Jesus.
Dana Goldberg
He said, I think we could do it. Less time than that, but it'll be a lot of money. That's what Trump told NBC News in an interview Monday. By the way, his last press conference, or whatever the hell that was, was a disaster.
Allison Gill
Oh, the one where he went, yeah, yeah.
Dana Goldberg
So many things. So many signs of dementia. He went on to say, a tremendous amount of money will have to be spent, and the oil companies will spend it, and then they'll get reimbursed. By us or through revenue? That's what he said.
Allison Gill
Wa. Okay, so he wants to send the oil companies down there to put all the infrastructure to get all the oil together, and he's going to take our tax dollars and give that to oil companies.
Dana Goldberg
Sure. Sounds like that's fabulous.
Allison Gill
To reimburse them.
Dana Goldberg
Yep, you got it. Now, whether the US Government ultimately agrees to reimburse the oil industry's cost of Venezuela or alternatively decides that future revenue is sufficient, repayment will likely be a key factor for the oil companies as they consider their options. Yep, let's see how much they're going to get for this. Pay for play. Trump declined to say how much money he believes it would cost companies to repair and upgrade Venezuela's aging oil infrastructure. It'll be a very substantial amount of money will be spent by the oil companies. That's what Trump said. But they'll do very well and the country will do well. Now, despite Trump's optimism, I would say delusion, oil companies have appeared skeptical of quickly entering, expanding or investing in Venezuela. History of state asset seizures, the ongoing U.S. sanctions and the latest political instability all feed into this caution. Trump said he believed that tapping Venezuela's oil reserves is going to reduce oil prices. Gas prices are already at multi year lows. The average retail gas price on Monday was $2.81. That's according to the AAA. That's the lowest it's been since March of 2021. He said having a Venezuela that's an oil producer is good for the United States because it keeps the price of oil down.
Allison Gill
You know, you can just do like wind and solar. Right?
Dana Goldberg
You could do that. That causes cancer, Allison.
Allison Gill
Oh, and that hurts birds. Yeah.
Dana Goldberg
While lower oil prices could make gas cheaper at the pump, it would likely also mean lower revenues for the big gas oil companies that Trump is counting on to bankroll the rebuilding in Venezuela. That oil industry, to the tune of billions of dollars in foreign investment. Asked if the administration had briefed any oil companies ahead of Saturday's military operation. Thank you for calling it a military operation to capture deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Trump said no. But we've been talking to the concept of what if we did it? Oh, so they had a concept of a plan.
Allison Gill
Okay. So he did talk to them before. Okay, yes.
Dana Goldberg
What if we did this? Like what. What would you all do? He said the oil companies were absolutely aware that we were thinking about doing something. That's what Trump. But we didn't tell them we were going to do it. Trump told NBC News. It was too soon to say whether he had personally spoken to top executives at America's three largest oil producers, ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips. Energy Secretary Chris Wright plans to meet with executives From Exxon and ConocoPhillips this week about Venezuela's oil industry. This is all from Bloomberg News. That's what they reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Wright will be a point person for the Trump administration's broader campaign to rebuild Venezuela's oil infrastructure. That's from a White House official. The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that US Oil industry is eager to return to Venezuela nearly two decades after the country last nationalized. Billions of dollars worth of oil company assets said they want to go in so badly. That's what Trump told reporters Sunday evening.
Allison Gill
Wow. All right, thanks for that. Next up from the post, Representative Doug La Malfa, Republican from California, died early Tuesday, according to a statement from his office. He was only 65. Dana. Wow, quote. His tragic and unexpected passing leaves a deep impact on Mehdi. That's the statement which did not cite a cause of death and described La Malfa as someone who cared deeply for the people he served and worked tirelessly to hold the government to its word. The seven term congressman, seven terms represented a district that encompassed much of Northern California's interior. His district was redrawn, by the way, recently, taking it from safely Republican to Democrat leaning. That was a result of our redistricting to counter Republican gains in Texas. La Malfa's death poses a further challenge for the incredibly narrow House Republican majority and Speaker Mike Johnson, who had ambitious goals for the conference to pass more of President Donald Trump's legislative agenda. And in 2026, they basically want to expand on their tax credits for the wealthy. With La Malfa's absence after Marjorie Taylor Greene officially vacates her seat Tuesday, which is right now, she's gone, the GOP majority will shrink to 218. That means Republicans can only lose two votes to pass partisan bills if all Democrats are present and voting. We have 213 seats. The California Elections Code states that the governor must issue a proclamation for a special election within two weeks of a vacancy in the House. A date for a special election to replace Lama, which must take place between 126 and 140 days following the vacancy, has not yet been set.
Dana Goldberg
All right, thanks, Alison. Curious, the new maps we have with the special election, will those new maps be used?
Allison Gill
It's weird though how that would work because it affects all the districts around it.
Dana Goldberg
Yeah. I don't know. I'm curious to know what would happen to that district, that's for sure. All right. Some good news, some great news. If I can. I don't want to get too excited, but this one's from the Associated Press. Abortion is going to remain legal in Wyoming. This is fantastic news. After the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that two laws barring the procedure, including the country's first explicit ban on abortion pills, that it violates the state constitution.
Allison Gill
I love this. I love this so much.
Dana Goldberg
Yep.
Allison Gill
Because didn't Wyoming pass a really Republican sort of constitutional amendment saying, you know, that you have to be able to have all your health care, like to counter the Affordable Care Act? They did something like that, and it's turn around and bit him in the ass.
Dana Goldberg
Fantastic. The justices sided with the state's only abortion clinic, only abortion clinic, and others who had sued over the abortion bans that passed in 2022 when the U.S. supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Wyoming is one of the most conservative states, but the 4 to 1 ruling, with Justices all appointed by Republican governors, it was unsurprising in that it upheld every previous lower court ruling that the abortion bans violated the state constitution. Now Wellspring Health Access in Casper, that's where the abortion access advocacy group Chelsea's Fund and four women, including two obstetricians, argued that the laws violated state constitutional amendment ensuring competent adults have the right to make their own health care decisions. Interesting. I'm hoping, and I don't mean to segue away from this, I hope if anyone is arguing the case that they're trying to take healthcare away from our trans community, including the adults, that someone will take a case up in Wyoming and make sure that they get overturned at least in that state.
Allison Gill
Right? Right. Because this is what they. They passed that because they thought their healthcare was gonna get choice healthcare choices was gonna get taken away from them, from the Affordable Care Act. And so they put this in their constitution and now it's like, oh, we get to make our own healthcare choices. Thanks.
Dana Goldberg
Yep. Voters approved the constitutional amendment in 2012 in response to the federal Affordable Care Act. The justices recognized that amendment wasn' to apply to abortion, but said it's not their job to add words to the state constitution. That's fucking glorious. Attorneys for the state had argued before the state Supreme Court that abortion can't violate the Wyoming constitution because it's not health care. Fuck off. One of the laws overturned Tuesday sought to ban abortion except to protect a pregnant woman's life or in cases involving rape or incest. The other law would have made Wyoming the only state to explicitly ban abortion pills, though other states have instituted de facto bans on abortion medication by broadly prohibiting abortion. So this is a win. This is. This is a win.
Allison Gill
Yeah, it's these kind of fun, legal sort of loopholes where, you know, Republicans knee jerk past something that actually protects them. Yeah. In the long run. And so Supreme Court had to go with the law here. They're like, look, it's what it says. Like, we can't add words to the Constitution. If you want to do that, you're going to have to amend your Constitution again and make an exception for this. If that's what. That's what you want. I can't believe there's no. I can. I can believe there's one abortion clinic in Wyoming. That is a huge fucking state. That's a massive state.
Dana Goldberg
Amazing. It's massive. This is a good, good thing.
Allison Gill
You might have to drive six hours to get to that one clinic, depending on where you are in the state. My God.
Dana Goldberg
They're also going to get an influx from estates around them now. Yep.
Allison Gill
Good. Good for them. I mean, I don't know if that's what they wanted. They might be mad. They might be mad about it, probably. But, hey, maybe they're. Maybe they like freedom. I don't know. All right, everybody, we have some good news we have to get to, but we have to take a quick break, so stick around.
Dana Goldberg
We'll be right back after these messages.
Allison Gill
We'll be right back. So I can be pretty picky about my outfits, especially color, when I try to introduce color into my wardrobe, because I generally just wear black. And I don't want to just trust some algorithm or AI or a robot to fulfill my fashion needs. So, luckily, my personal stylist, who's a person from Daily look, is a real human who knows what I like. So thanks to Daily look, the number one premium personal styling service for women, for sponsoring us. You've got to check this out for 50 off your first order and head to DailyLook.com and use Daily beans as the code. Now, Daily look pairs you with a dedicated personal stylist who curates your box of your clothes for you. It's based on your body shape, your preferences, your lifestyle. You send, photos, you send maybe some people you follow on Insta who have a similar style to you. Send them your Insta and they kind of get the hang of it. Right. Again, not an algorithm. And you work with the same real stylist Each time. So each box gets better. You take a quick style quiz so about your budget and your lifestyle and then they'll send you up to 12 pieces to your house and you keep what you like and you send back the rest free shipping both ways. The most recent daily look when for me was a jacket that made me feel like I could solve crimes, file taxes and still make it to brunch on time. It was rad, it was clean, it was tailored, but it was comfortable enough so I didn't immediately rip it off the second I got home. I wore it out on a cold, windy day and I got a compliment within five minutes, which is awesome. That never happens to me, especially when I'm normally out in my lulus. But anyway, Dana grabbed one of her daily look tops for for dinner and then texted me. I look like I have my life together. It's awesome. Which is basically the highest form of praise for Dana. The quality is legit. My stylist keeps pulling me out of the boring style habits that I've fallen into. I love daily look. So it's time to get your own personal stylist with DailyLook. Head to DailyLook.com to take your style quiz. Use code Daily Beans for 50% off your first order. Once again, that's DailyLook.com for 50% off. And make sure you use our promo code Daily Beans so they know we sent you one last time. Dailylook.promo code Daily Beans. You'll be glad you did.
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
Everybody. Welcome back. It's time for the good news everyone. And good news everyone. We need your good news in 2026. Yes, please start thinking about your favorite story, your favorite joke, something that made you smile, a win that you've had. It could be tiny, it could be massive. It could have happened yesterday, it could have happened 30 years ago. We want to hear about it. We want to hear your shared stories. And we need to microdose hope right now and happiness. So send it all to us. You can give a shout out to a loved one, a spouse, a kid, maybe yourself or your best friend or a small business in your area or a non profit or a government program that's helped you or a loved one. We love shout outs, especially those self shout out to shout outs. Right, Dana?
Dana Goldberg
Those are awesome. I love them.
Allison Gill
You could send us your thesis title or dissertation title. We love trying to pronounce them and we love talking about how smart everybody is who listens to this show. It really blows our minds. And all you gotta do, by the way to get your submission read on the air is pay your POD pet tariff, which these days means attach a photo of anything but started out as attach a photo of your pet. If you don't have a pet, send an adoptable pet in your area. Otherwise just grab a random photo of an animal off the Internet. You can also send a bird watching photo which can be an actual bird or you flipping the bird to a Trump building. We love those. You can have a picture of your garden, what you're growing, maybe you're, you know, knitting or crocheting, painting. Maybe you know, whatever you're making or creating, we want to know about it. You can send us signs, your favorite signs at the most recent protest you've been to. Or maybe you snapped a photo of an overpass protest. Those are so cool. I love those. Anything at all. Family pictures, baby pictures. Send it to us dailybeanspod.com click on Contact. First up is your good trouble. So as we talked about Dana earlier in the show, control of the House of Representatives is actually in play right now. It's 218 to 213. There are four vacant seats. With margins this close this year is critically important. Getting involved with local organizations and grassroots groups can make a real difference in special elections. And you can just meet cool like minded people, people in your area, you know, get outside, do some stuff. I can't, I can't explain how fulfilling it is to just do stuff like that, you know, now, staying connected, taking action, it could all help Democrats retake the House or effectively neutralize the majority sooner than we might expect. So find your upcoming actions, marches and other ways to get involved@indivisible.org and nokings.org and with the 50:51 movement, we'll have links in the show notes. So that's your good trouble today.
Dana Goldberg
All right, next up we've got Kelly pronouns he and him and also says and where were all these pronouns when I was being told it's a girl name, I'm sure now dad was a poli sci professor. Starting when we were eight, my sister and I would be handed test papers and composition books from his students to correct spelling and grammar. One of our favorites was the name of elections for governors. They are gubernatorial elections. Never learned why but in the melee of walls deciding not to run. This will come around on the hit parade a lot this year. Love your casts and have inherited a set of dishes you would love. Monogrammed MSW set, including as a photo from the 1962 campaigns in Ohio, sister me with the pen and best buddy Chuck folding and stuffing Vote Democratic mailers. I was seven.
Allison Gill
Oh look, I used to have this.
Dana Goldberg
Kelly, this is awesome. What a great photo too.
Allison Gill
My mom used to have me do this stuff. Oh my gosh. I love it, Kelly. I love it. And you know I'm from Ohio as well. This isn't. Yeah, I don't know why it's gubernatorial.
Dana Goldberg
It's fun to say though.
Allison Gill
It is. And it also because of the R in governor. It looks like goober. Goobernatorial you goobers. Thank you so much for that. That was a wonderful submission. Next up from Carolyn Esme and Githa Cats from yesterday are witches from the Terry Pratchett Discworld books. I recommend these books at this time. They are fantasy with humor and thoughtful center. I love those Terry Pratchett books by the way.
Dana Goldberg
There you go.
Allison Gill
And the next one from Kim B. Pronoun. She and her Greetings your Majesties of Beanie goodness. I had a laugh when I heard slash saw static haired babies on Tuesday's good news segment as I just snapped a photo of my granddaughter's electrifying do on the day before. I took it as a sign that I should share it that you are correct Kim Be that is exactly what you should do. Along with a pick of her new baby brother. Especially for you, Dana A and one of what has become an evergreen sign I made for the second Women's March way back in 2018, which seems like 10 minutes ago, doesn't it? Shout out to both of you for bearing the brunt of the endless onslaught of that passes as news these days and delivering it to us with clarity, honesty and of course our daily recommended dose of profanity. Kimby that's how I feel like too like I'm like, I'm wading through a swamp, right? Like, holding my shoes above my head so they don't get wet. Trying to find news, you know, and bring it to the masses. Keep fighting the good fight. Know that you're leading a diverse and powerful army of well informed, kind and compassionate people who appreciate the catharsis of a well placed F bomb. That is a cool sentence. And I might post that on the Internet.
Dana Goldberg
Hell yeah.
Allison Gill
Love and light to you and all the legume. Legume. Legumin. Legumaniacs out there. It's time for Legumaniacs. We have pay or play contracts. Look at the baby.
Dana Goldberg
Well done.
Allison Gill
Please stop fucking with the facts. I love that sign.
Dana Goldberg
Seriously.
Allison Gill
XOXO Kim B.
Dana Goldberg
Thank you, thank you, thank you. All right, this is from Kent. Pronouns, he and him. Good day, Beans Queens. I'd like to offer a quick shout out to a wonderful small business called that Gay Guy Candle Company.
Allison Gill
Love that Gay Guy Candle Company.
Dana Goldberg
Yep, they sell candles and other merch with hilarious and often inappropriate slogans. I've attached a photo of a couple of my favorites that I gifted to my husband for Christmas. And as bonus, 5% of all sales go to organizations serving the LGBTQ community. We have a link to the show notes. Nope. We'll have a link in the show notes, everyone, but maybe a link to the show notes for Gay Guy candle for tax. Here's an update on Olaf. He was featured in the Daily Beans in October when he was eight weeks old. Here he is now, approaching five months and £60. And eight weeks. His breed was difficult to guess, but should be much easier now. Thank you both and your entire team for all you do and looks like Dane. I know the gay. Let me look at it. Oh, the baby.
Allison Gill
Yep, Great Dane. I got it.
Dana Goldberg
One Detroit versus Trump is one of the candles and the other one just says Trump.
Allison Gill
Yeah. Yeah. I love the Guy Gay Guy Candle Company.
Dana Goldberg
Me too.
Allison Gill
Kid's cool. All right, thank you so much for that. Next up, Sammy the Rainbow Trout. Pronouns he and him. Hello, Beans Queens. I'd like to give a shout out to my partner, Thomas. I previously worked as a case manager for Social Security disability law firm, helping people across my state apply for SSI and ssdi. Thank you for your service, Sammy the Rainbow Trout. In May, I lost my job. Kind of went down a spiral. I submitted hundreds of job applications and because of how awful the job market is, I felt like my spark went out. Thankfully, though, I had Thomas, who gave me nothing but love. He managed being our sole source of income, paying for rent and groceries while always having some leftover for a sweet treat. He's been my rock and I can't wait to marry this man. I also want to thank you both for keeping me grounded during this time. The swearing at bullshit and the good news segments always bring a smile to my face, even on my worst days. I'm happy to share. I started working again and I'm hoping to run for public office soon and will hopefully have more updates for y' all when I announce. Sammy.
Dana Goldberg
This is awesome.
Allison Gill
Attached is my bird watching picture with my partner and I flipping off the Supreme Court building because it's basically a Trump building anyway, as well as a photo of us in beautiful Greece. I'm the one in the white hat. Here is to a better 2026. Love you ladies. Keep inspiring the people to make real and positive change.
Dana Goldberg
Look at this. Oh, you guys are so cute. What about this cute couple? Sammy. Sammy the rainbow trout. I have a joke about rainbow trout in my set. Oh, my God. So good.
Allison Gill
Okay, well, I'm so glad you're working again. And I totally get it. You know, losing your job, especially connected to helping people get their Social Security right. Jesus.
Dana Goldberg
All right.
Allison Gill
But I look forward to you running for office, so that's super brave. Let us know.
Dana Goldberg
All right, that was Sammy and this one is Sam. Pronouns? He and him. Hello. Thank you for your continued reporting and all the bullshit happening in our country. I have two small pronunciation corrections and a pet tariff for you. Cash is one syllable pronounced the same way you would the word cash, not cache. Good to know. Pica. The animal is pronounced Pica, not got Pika. Pika are small and mighty, but they are not related to the Pikachu attaches. A photo of my dog and cat snuggling during our recent negative 50 degree Fahrenheit weekend. Where the are you?
Allison Gill
Yeah. Jesus.
Dana Goldberg
My dog is hugging his feet because he was still cold even after being tucked in. Spoiler alert for his breed. We were told that was the dog, but we're not sure. Sure that's true. Usually when people ask what he is, we say he's friendly.
Allison Gill
Oh, my God, he's adorable. Looks like a boxer lab or something.
Dana Goldberg
Pity Boxer Max Lab.
Allison Gill
Weimaraner is what the is. Interesting. I could.
Dana Goldberg
I can see that.
Allison Gill
Yeah.
Dana Goldberg
I'm trying to understand the feet.
Allison Gill
Hugging his own feet.
Dana Goldberg
He's like, it's all tucked in and folded over.
Allison Gill
Oh, here. Cold babies. Negative 50. Jesus.
Dana Goldberg
Seriously?
Allison Gill
All right, next up from Chris Pronoun. She and her greetings. Allison And Dana, I'm so happy to have finally joined your birdwatching club. Last Friday night, my boyfriend and I were outside enjoying a fire and a glass of wine. That sounds so lovely. We saw a strange light in the sky and he said, I think that's SpaceX. We sprang into action, and as I gave my double barrel salute, I shouted my most used phrase since the orange man came back.
Dana Goldberg
You.
Allison Gill
I hope my MAGA neighbors heard it. While I'm here, I want to thank you both on the whole MSW team for keeping me sane, entertained and informed. A shout out to all the listeners for sharing their wonderful stories. There's always hope to be found. As Podpet tariff, I give you Daisy and Dusty, our two year old rescue siblings. We're not sure what they're made of, but the rescue called them blank mix. Any guesses? Thanks again and take care. They look like little Chihuahua. They're cute. They're adorable. I don't know what, but they're just adorable.
Dana Goldberg
Looks like there's some healer in the legs. Red or blue or.
Allison Gill
Or maybe. Yeah, they got the little shots. Yeah, like an. An Aussie mixed with a Chihuahua. Like a Chihuahuasi.
Dana Goldberg
I don't know why when we mix dog breeds, it makes me laugh so hard.
Allison Gill
Apparently their cavalier, King Charles. M and I was gonna say that because of the spots, but there we go.
Dana Goldberg
So much cuter than King Charles though.
Allison Gill
They're adorable.
Dana Goldberg
All right, this is Amy. Pronouns she and her dear beans queens. What can I say? It really makes my day to hear you reading the news. Not so much because of the content, like gag me out the back door, but because of your spirited swearing and real time reactions in times where LGBTQs are having to protect their rights left front and center, especially transgender people. May I suggest this book called Safe and Sound A Queer Guide to Home Repair by Mercury Stardust. If you don't like or need the book, it's also possible to follow her on Instagram. We're gonna have links to those. All those links to the Instagram YouTube for Mercury Stardust, where she shows folks how to do simple repairs while rocking an amazing makeup job. That makes me jealous for my pod pet tariff. I don't have a pet, but I'm including some pictures from my area of resistance, the ha. I hope I'm pronouncing it right. The first one is International Court of Justice, which the one day might put out an arrest warrant for the kidnapper in chief. The second one is the Woof Cheven. What's that?
Allison Gill
Scheveningen Prison.
Dana Goldberg
Scheveningen Prison. Well done. I'm not sure.
Allison Gill
Sounds like fish called Wanda. Look, Mr. Mafringen Sinfin, I am sure you are not to debriefing a KGB operative at a safe house nearby.
Dana Goldberg
Thank you for covering my pronunciation on that. You're welcome to send in corrections of. Allison got it wrong, but I think Allison got it right. I don't know where the kidnapper in chief is more than welcome to spend the rest of his days without access to his precious true social. Of course, whether this makes it to the podcast or not, I just want to say thank you for your work and for helping us all keep our senses in this crazy times. And we will have a link to a Queer Guide to Home Repair, Safe and Sound by Mercury Stardust. I think Mercury Stardust started following me on Instagram the other day, which made me very happy.
Allison Gill
Nice, Mercury, if you're listening.
Dana Goldberg
Big ups.
Allison Gill
And also, that's cool that you live near the Hague. If you happen to see Jack Smith, if he goes back there, please tell him I said hello.
Dana Goldberg
Totally.
Allison Gill
Unfortunately, the United States is not a signatory on the Rome Statute, so we can't have our officials try it at the International Criminal Court. And I don't think that we're going to get 67 senators to agree to it either, since most of them are super pissed that they got their phone records searched.
Dana Goldberg
No kidding.
Allison Gill
Next up, and finally, from Joni, a fellow Californian. Pronouns she and her hi, AG and dg. I want to let you know how much it meant to have the Daily Beans during the holidays. While other shows went on hiatus, you took the time to be there for us. And during the sometimes crazy holidays, I really appreciated finding comfort in hearing your voices, and I wanted to let you know you made a difference. This is so important to me. The reason I want to make sure that I put content out and that we put content out over the holidays is because I just imagine people, like, sitting there with their phones and opening up their podcast apps, and then there's nothing there and they're all lonely and like, I've had some really lonely holiday experiences and I would love to have my friends there with me, my podcast friends and family. Do you know what I mean?
Dana Goldberg
I do know what you mean. Absolutely.
Allison Gill
This means a lot, Joanie, that you would. That you would write in and say that. Joanie says, my pet photo is my blank playing with his dog buddies. Mine is the white one. It looks like a Pyrenees.
Dana Goldberg
Oh. I was gonna say most of these look like golden retrievers.
Allison Gill
To me, but Great Pyrenees are Kuvas, maybe. Let's see what we got.
Dana Goldberg
What the hell's a Kuvas?
Allison Gill
Nope. These are English cream golden retrievers. Look at me.
Dana Goldberg
Beep, beep, beep. I didn't notice they were English. I just knew they were golden retrievers. I couldn't hear their accent through the photo, but I knew that they were golden retriever retrievers.
Allison Gill
Wrong. They're the English retrievers.
Dana Goldberg
Excuse me.
Allison Gill
They're very, very beautiful.
Dana Goldberg
It's not dead yet.
Allison Gill
It's not dead.
Dana Goldberg
I'm.
Allison Gill
I'm not dead.
Dana Goldberg
Not dead. I'm. I'm feeling quite well. I'm still alive.
Allison Gill
No.
Dana Goldberg
All this could be yours. The curtains. Okay.
Allison Gill
Not the comfy chair. Okay. I could do this all day.
Dana Goldberg
I think we're having a stroke. We're quoting Monty Python.
Allison Gill
Just back and forth. Random sketches, too. We weren't even on the same movie, but it started off yeah.
Dana Goldberg
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay Asleep all night and I work all day, girl.
Allison Gill
I went to college at Northern Arizona University. We were the Lumberjacks. Oh, my God. So every day I would walk past this giant 20 foot tall lumberjack statue. And you know, I'm like. I wear high heels, suspenders, and a bra. I wish I'd been a girly.
Dana Goldberg
Just like, dear Papa, I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay.
Allison Gill
Yep, yep. And then they're. By the end, they're like, he's a lumberjack and he's okay.
Dana Goldberg
He sleeps.
Allison Gill
And of course, the dead parrot sketch. All right, you know what? We could do this for days and never tired of it.
Dana Goldberg
Allison could. I probably tap out long before her.
Allison Gill
We don't wanna. We don't wanna do that to y'.
Dana Goldberg
All.
Allison Gill
Thank you so much for your good news. Send it to us. Send us your favorite Monty Python quote. Send us your favorite Monty Python scat. It can be anything. Seriously, Your good news can just be anything that makes you happy.
Dana Goldberg
This is true.
Allison Gill
It'll make us happy, too. It will. All right, everybody, we'll see you over on Beans Talk. Thanks again for listening. Do you have any final thoughts before we get out of here?
Dana Goldberg
Not today.
Allison Gill
All right, we'll see you there. Check out our new revamped website, DailyBeenSpot. You can buy a one year patron subscription for somebody in need. You can sign up to be the recipient of a donated one year Patreon subscription by going to DailyBeansPod.com and clicking on Contact. That's also, by the way, how you send us your good news, so we'll all see you tomorrow. Until then, please take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, take care of your mental health and take care of your family. I've been ag.
Dana Goldberg
I've been dg.
Allison Gill
Then them's the Beans. The Daily Beans is written in a 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.
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 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.
Air Date: January 7, 2026
Hosts: Allison Gill & Dana Goldberg
Podcast: MSW Media (Webby-award-winning, women-owned progressive news)
Today’s episode delivers a whirlwind of U.S. political news, covering a rare federal indictment in the MAGA pipe-bomb case, a landslide Wyoming Supreme Court ruling on abortion, a wild update to National Park passes under Trump, dramatic changes at the CDC, slow-rolling Epstein file releases, and the White House’s newly-launched January 6 propaganda website. The hosts blend sharp legal insight, biting wit, and an activist spirit as they break down what these stories mean for American democracy, public health, and the 2026 political landscape.
[02:59]
[03:52]
[05:40]
[06:35]
[07:37]–[14:48]
[15:05]
[19:10]
[20:44]
On CDC Vaccine Rollbacks:
On the White House Jan. 6 site:
On Trump’s Venezuela Oil Scheme:
On Wyoming Abortion Ruling:
| Timestamp | Segment | Notes | |-----------|--------------------------------------|----------------------------------------| | 02:59 | Pipe-bomber indictment | Federal DOJ action after month delay | | 03:52 | National Parks pass “void if altered”| Trump’s face & sticker gag | | 05:40 | CDC vaccine rollback | Serious risk to public health | | 06:35 | Epstein files <1% release | DOJ’s stonewalling | | 07:37 | Jan 6 White House page | Propaganda, “big lie” redux | | 13:26 | Jan 6 site’s attacks on Pence | Repeating “no courage” rhetoric | | 15:05 | Venezuela oil scheme | Subsidizing oil corps, military ops | | 19:10 | Rep. LaMalfa death | House margins, impact | | 20:44 | WY Supreme Court abortion ruling | Legal win for reproductive rights |
This episode captures the chaos and contradictions of early 2026 in U.S. politics: the Trump administration’s ongoing legal and culture-war offensives, progressive wins in unlikely places like Wyoming, and a right-wing intensification of anti-science and propaganda tactics. Gill and Goldberg offer listeners clarity, snark, and a call to action, holding space for both outrage and hope.
For more or to contribute your good news, visit: dailybeanspod.com/contact