Monday, August 18th, 2025 Today, Trump staff left sensitive papers on a printer at the hotel hosting the Trump Putin summit; Attorney General Pam Bondi was forced to re-write her order that gave Trump control of the DC Metropolitan Police - but the military presence in DC will go forward; ‘Sandwich Guy’ has been released from custody after a judge benchslapped the DOJ; the California maps are out giving Democrats five more seats; Trump blocks medical visas from Gaza after a Laura Loomer meltdown; the Trump administration reverses course allowing some troops to carry firearms in the District of Columbia; Kristi Noem is living rent-free in the Coast Guard Commandant’s quarters; Health Secretary RFK Jr is reviving an old anti-vaccine panel at HHS; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News.
Monday, August 18th, 2025
Today, Trump staff left sensitive papers on a printer at the hotel hosting the Trump Putin summit; Attorney General Pam Bondi was forced to re-write her order that gave Trump control of the DC Metropolitan Police - but the military presence in DC will go forward; ‘Sandwich Guy’ has been released from custody after a judge benchslapped the DOJ; the California maps are out giving Democrats five more seats; Trump blocks medical visas from Gaza after a Laura Loomer meltdown; the Trump administration reverses course allowing some troops to carry firearms in the District of Columbia; Kristi Noem is living rent-free in the Coast Guard Commandant’s quarters; Health Secretary RFK Jr is reviving an old anti-vaccine panel at HHS; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News.
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Guest: Tomás Kloosterman - National Political Director of Swing Left
SwingLeft.org
Swing Left Launches “3 to Win”
“Ground Truth”: Swing Left’s Big Bet for 2026
Trump Cuts Off Medical Visas from Gaza After Laura Loomer Meltdown | Rolling Stone
Appeals Court Paves Way for Mass Layoffs at C.F.P.B. | The New York Times
Calif. Democrats reveal map that could gain them five House seats | The Washington Post
DC man accused of throwing sandwich at federal officer released from custody | WUSA9
Good Trouble
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Um. MSW Media media. Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Monday, August 18, 2025. Today, Trump's staff left sensitive papers on a printer at the hotel hosting the Trump Putin summit. Attorney General Pam Bondi was forced to rewrite her order that gave Trump control of the D.C. metropolitan Police. But the military presence in D.C. will go forward. Sandwich guy has been released from custody after a judge bench slapped the Department of Justice. The California maps are out, giving Democrats five more seats. Trump has blocked medical visas from Gaza. After Laura Loomer melted down. The Trump administration reverses course, allowing some troops to carry firearms in the District of Columbia. Kristi Noem is living rent free in the Coast Guard commandant's quarters. And Health Secretary RFK Jr. Is reviving an old anti vaccine panel at HHS. I'm Alison Gill.
And I'm Dani Goldberg.
Hello, my friend.
Hi there. Nice to see you. Allison, thank you so much for being my little surprise guest in San Diego Friday night. I know. And the beans that were all there, uh, you have no idea how much you filled my. But I know that them seeing both of us on the same night was such a treat. So thank you for introducing me at the show. I had so much fun at the diversionary theater in San Diego. You all showed up, we laughed. We had a lot of great moments that were unplanned in both shows. It was just. It was wonderful.
It was so fun. It was truly an honor. Thank you for asking me to introduce you.
I tried to marry a brother and sister accidentally.
Yes. That was fun.
To each other, not to someone else.
By the way, full disclosure. That's my brother. The look on your face.
Oh, my God. I was like, of course it is. Thank you for waiting that long. Good on you for waiting that long.
To tell me they were playing a long game. Uh, you had to be there, everybody.
So good, though.
It was so much fun. And it was nice to get away and laugh for a while. So appreciate you, my friend, and you. All right, later in the show, we're going to talk to Swing Left's national political director about the redistricting ballot initiative in California. His name is Tomas Klosterman. We only have a couple of short months to mobilize, Right. I was thinking, oh, cool, we're gonna have a special election all the way in November. And then I realized it's like, September pretty much, uh, and we don't have that long to get this done. And our MSW Media Media California Victory fund has also pivoted to that work as well, so it's nice to have something to do, to grab onto, to really fight for in this, uh, off year. So there are no such things as off years anymore.
That's true. Other thing that happened this weekend, uh, we all saw this. Embarrassing. Embarrassing. What? The red carpet literally rolled out for a war criminal. Trump and Putin, they had their summit and there was no deal reached. Okay. Trump was played. We know it. You can see it in every photo that Getty image took. And according to npr, there were papers. There were papers with the US State Department markings found Friday morning in the business center of an Alaskan hotel. I am not shitting you. And they actually revealed previous undisclosed and potentially sensitive details about that Aug. 15 meeting between Putin and Trump in Anchorage. And. And this is crazy. This was eight pages. And they appear to have been produced by the US staff and left behind, of course, accidentally, but they shared precise locations and meeting times of the summit. They also had phone numbers of the U.S. government employees on them. They left them in a fucking printer.
Well done. Yeah.
So secure. This country's so secure right now.
Yeah. And, uh, Trump went in saying he was going to get a ceasefire and he didn't. He failed. So, uh. And there was no deal made. Nothing. No line in the sand, nothing. Just gave Putin whatever he wanted. And so it was just. It was embarrassing. Uh, and, uh, it was worse than Helsinki.
Yeah, this is. It was. It was awful. I mean, he's such a coward. He's his puppet. He's his puppet.
Oh, yeah. And Kamala Harris called it out in the debate. You're cozying up to a dictator like Putin who will eat you for lunch, she said. And he did.
And before that, it was Clinton, Hillary. He is literally Putin's puppet.
Yep. Gosh, the women were right. Weird. This is next little bit of story is before we get to hot notes. Not surprising at all. You'll remember we've talked about RFK Jr. And how he used to work for a law firm that would sue vaccine companies. Right. And that he was just in this position to make that money. Well, Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday it's reviving a long defunct task force aimed at improving the safety of childhood vaccines, fulfilling a demand of anti vax cultists. Now, Congress mandated the creation of the task Force in 1986 as part of their legislation to address childhood vaccine safety. But the task force was disbanded in 1998 and released a report that year recommending that they expand research on vaccine safety and surveillance of injuries. Now, Children's Health Defense, which is the anti vaccine Group founded by Kennedy MHM filed a lawsuit against Kennedy in May seeking to compel him to reconvene this task force. And he is. So he sued himself to make a bunch of money and he's doing what he himself has asked himself to do, which is reconvene this anti vax cult task force.
So gross. It's all a grift. Oh, my God.
I'm surprised the DOJ didn't reach a settlement with.
We're going to settle with ourselves.
Yeah. But they're like, we'll fund, we'll fund your task force, though. I mean, it's just, it's. And this is dangerous. Children are going to die. Yeah. Is the bottom line. So that's happening. We're going to keep an eye on that for you. We have a lot of news to get to before we talk to Tomas Klosterman from swing left. So let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up from NBC. Attorney General Pam Bondi sought to take control of the Metropolitan police department in D.C. but backed down after the city sued the Trump administration. Chief Pamela Smith remains in day to day control of the city's police force, but some National Guard troops deployed to D.C. will begin carrying firearms to conduct their mission in the city. According to two officials that spoke to NBC News. Not all troops will carry weapons, but some of them will. The arming of the troops marks a change since Guard members were first deployed to D.C. earlier in the week. Several Republican governors announced Saturday they were deploying some of their state's National Guard troops to aid Trump's efforts in in the nation's capital. For example, West Virginia Governor Pat Morrissey announced Saturday afternoon he's deploying three to 400 troops to D.C. mission essential equipment and specialized training. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said in a statement Saturday night he's going to authorize 200 of his state's Guardsmen to Washington. At the Pentagon's request, McMaster stipulated that the troops were subject to immediate recall if a natural disaster such as a hurricane occurred. Oh, so they'll be late. Great. South Carolina is one of the state's most vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms. Erin is out there, whipped up to a Category 5 over the weekend. Could be headed for South Carolina. I'm sure the residents are glad to hear that their National Guard troops are going to be in D.C. and have to be recalled if a, uh, hurricane hits. And, you know, FEMA's been dismantled. So they're not going to be any help. Just ask North Carolina's rural towns who haven't been paid back, as we reported last week. Also, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Boo released a statement Saturday saying the Secretary of the army had requested 150 military police from the Ohio National Guard to Washington. So we get all this National Guard to D.C. now, but we couldn't get them on January 6th. Got it. There were amazing protests in D.C. over the weekend. We didn't get to see much of that on the mainstream media, but we did see it across social media. And, um, my lawyer, who's helping me sue Doge and the government for the Epstein files, too, he actually had an interesting idea. He's like, maybe the blue state governors can send their national guard troops to D.C. to make sure that the red state National Guardsmen aren't breaking the law. Could be that would put more people, like, more guards on the street. More guard on the street. But I don't know. I thought it was an interesting thing because the White House would melt the fuck down.
Well, this is the thing I see happening. The guy is painting everything gold. He's putting concrete over the Rose Garden. He's putting up umbrellas that are literally the same as in Mar a Lago. And now he's militarizing the streets of D.C. i know we're still three years out, but I could absolutely see this as a long game of him saying, I'm not leaving.
Right, Right. And in the midterms to intimidate people at the polls. And you don't have to send National Guard to every single poll to scare people that National Guard might be at their poll at their polling place. So there's that. And I just want to say a quick word about the National Guard. I see a lot of people saying, you know, f these guys, you know, they should resign. They shouldn't do this.
You can't.
You can't resign from the military, you guys. You can't. But, you know, I feel sorry for the National Guard's people who signed up for the National Guard so that they didn't have to leave their families.
Yeah.
And now they're being forced over to D.C. to do nothing. It's. It's sad all the way around. And it's also. I think you're right. I don't think he's planning on leaving in two years. But we knew that.
Yeah. I mean, he's building an addition on the White House so he has his ballroom. Come on, come on. We've got to fight this when it happens. All right. This is from Rolling Stone. Now, Donald Trump's administration stopped all visitor visas from Gaza. That's including those for humanitarian and medical aid. On Saturday, after who far right lunatic and Trump friend Laura Loomer posted about 11 Palestinian children being allowed into the US for medical care amid Israel's relentless siege and blockade, Loomer posted a video Friday showing children from Gaza arriving in San Francisco for treatment. Greeted by cheering crowd, Loomer called the video an exclusive, posting it on Twitter with her watermark on it, despite it being posted on August 6th by the nonprofit Heal Palestine, which provides medical care to Palestinians. So Loomer messaged Rolling Stone on Saturday afternoon and basically said, and I quote, the MAGA base didn't vote for more Islamic immigration into the United States. I applaud Secretary of State Marco Rubio for halting the visas of Gazans from a Hamas hot zone and look forward to seeing the State Department's review of the rogue State Department employees who signed off on visas for Gazans who have shown a disrespect for American life as Hamas continues to hold hostages their children.
Yep, injured children. Oh my God. All right, um, just so much fuckery. This is from the Post. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is living for free in a military home typically reserved for the US Coast Guard's commandant. That's according to officials familiar the highly unusual arrangement, meaning it's never been done ever, has raised concern with the agency and some Democrats who describe it as a waste of military resources. You think so? Noem recently moved into Quarters 1, which is a spacious waterfront residence at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling in Washington, where the Coast Guard commandant typically lives. She did so because of concerns over her safety after the Daily Mail, a British tabloid, published photographs in April of the area around Nome's residents in Washington's Navy Yard neighborhood. That's according to DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin. Noem's housing has raised eyebrows among current and retired Coast Guard officials as well as Democrats, who warn that Noem risks creating the perception that she's exploiting the perks of her position at dhs, in which she supervises the Coast Guard. They say her decision could set off a chain reaction that could displace other senior members of the service in a situation with limited housing. Current and former Coast Guard members have also cited Noem's, um, frequent use of the Coast Guard Gulfstream aircraft as a point of tension. Agency guidelines require the DHS secretary use a plane with secure communications for both personal and professional business, though they're required to reimburse the government for personal travel. Like if you're going to ride horses in Argentina when people need assistance and things signed off for female. McLaughlin said Noem has reimbursed tens of thousands of dollars for the air travel after publication of the story, but of course provided no receipts.
Right. All right, this one's from the Times. A federal appeals court paved the way for the Trump administration to move ahead with plans to decimate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Doesn't that sound important, everyone? Because it is. There was a ruling 2 to 1 to throw out a lower court's effort to block mass layoffs. In the 49 page ruling, Judge Gregory G. Katsis of the U.S. court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, a Trump appointee, by the way, wrote that Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the federal district court in Washington had no jurisdiction to block the Trump administration's efforts to lay off about 1,500 of CFPB's 1700 workers civil servants employment related complaints. They're subject under law to a specialized review process. This is what he wrote. And the plaintiff's other grievances. They did not pertain to reviewable final agency actions or unconstitutional acts. And I quote accordingly, we vacate the preliminary injunctions. This is from Katzis, and he wrote in the majority decision, that 2 to 1 decision in which he was joined by Judge Naomi Rao, that is also a Trump appointee. But the ruling may not take effect anytime soon because the judges delayed it to give the plaintiffs time to seek a hearing from the full court and the court time to decide whether to take up the case. Which is interesting because I'm like, okay, they're showing face for Trump because he appointed them, but they're not saying that this has to happen now. We'll give you some time to appeal to the full court. So it seems like they're doing what they need to to appease their little lord and savior, but they're not actually going into action right away. So we'll see what happens with this.
Yeah. Ah, well. And it's weird. I'm still learning about this and I'm gonna do more research on it, but apparently the emergency appeals panels are selected for entire months at a time. And for the first month it was two Trump judges and a, ah, not Trump judge. And for the most recent month, same thing. And so a lot of these decisions from the D.C. circuit are going the opposite way. And then they leave time to appeal en banc because I assume that's going to happen. And I hope that the En banc rehearing puts Judge Amy Berman Jackson's decision back in place. All right, some better news from the Post. Democrats have unveiled their congressional maps on Friday for California. That would allow them to capture five more House seats, likely wiping out the gains Republicans hope to make in Texas and intensifying a national redistricting fight. I wouldn't put it that way. I wouldn't call it a national. I wouldn't. It's not a redistricting fight. It's a response to the Republicans stealing elections. Governor Gavin Newsom said he was pushing the plan to combat Trump's attempts to carve up districts in several red states in hopes of preserving Republicans narrow control of the House after next year's midterm elections. When the California Legislature returns today, Democrats will introduce measures to hold a special election this November to amend the state constitution to adopt a new map for the next three election cycles. That's 2026, 2028, and 2030. Under the new proposal, the state would alter its map only in response to other states. So it would be like a trigger thing. And it would resume using nonpartisan lines after the 2030 census. The proposal by the DCCC will be introduced in California's legislature on Monday. It would redraw the districts held by Ken Calvert, Darrell Issa, Kevin Kiley, and Doug LaMalfa, transforming them from safe Republican districts to ones where Democrats are more likely to win. Some lean Democrats, some safe Democrat. That's according to the copy of the map released Friday. The map would also add more Democrats to the perpetually close swing district held by Rep. David Volatile. And that, you know, it could remain competitive in part because of low turnout in the Central Valley. So that can make it unpredictable, but they're rejigging that map as well. In addition, the newly drafted Democratic map would strengthen the party's grip on at least four toss up seats that are currently held by Democrats. So even the close race seats. Mhm. They're redrawing them to become more Democratic and it would help Democrats enhance their numbers in the Republican leaning district held by Rep. Adam Gray. So yay, the maps are out. I've been asking for this and we got them. And today it looks like the legislature is going to move forward with allowing a ballot initiative in California this November.
All right, and in other good news, um, we've got two back to back now. That man that was accused of throwing a subway sandwich that Allison and I loved at a federal officer in D.C. he was back in federal court on Thursday. He actually is facing a Felony assault charge with a deli weapon. As Allison said that a judge released 37 year old Shawn Dunn. He's a former Department of Justice employee on his own recognizance. Now, despite having charged him with an enhanced version of an assault charge that requires bodily injury and carries up to eight years in federal prison, prosecutors said Thursday they had no basis on which to argue he should be detained. Now, police say Dunn admitted to the act he did. It's on video. He said, I did it. I threw the sandwich. Now, according to his attorney, Sabrina Schroff, Dunn first appeared in the D.C. superior Court on Monday, but the case wasn't papered. Two days later, prosecutors obtained a new arrest warrant for him, this time in a federal court. Now, Schroff said she tried repeatedly to contact the U.S. attorney's office and even the D.C. jail to arrange for Dunn to turn himself in, but was unable to reach anybody. She told Dunn to meet her Thursday morning at court, but later learned he was arrested shortly after 11pm by federal law enforcement. The White House then posted a promotional video of Dunn's arrest to its account on Twitter. All right, that was Thursday evening. In court, the defense revealed Dunn served in the US Air Force. He had worked for the DOJ before being fired after the incident. The his attorney argued no one was injured, calling the felony charge excessive. Prosecutors, they're going to have 30 days to seek a grand jury indictment for Dunn. I know. In a hearing Thursday, just before Dunn's U.S. attorney, Janine Pirro's office was forced to admit it had twice sought, uh, indictment of DC Woman this week on the same charge as Dunn and twice been rejected. I don't think it was actually that she threw a sandwich, but it's the same charge they gave him. That woman, by the way, Sidney Reed, she was accused of assaulting an FBI agent during an inmate transfer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A totally different situation. So Dunn was ordered to return to court for a preliminary hearing that's going to be on September 4th. So we're going to keep you updated with that. I have no doubt they're going to try and make an example of this guy, but this, this is, it's absurd.
I don't think they're going to be able to get this enhanced charge because I don't think they're going to be able to prove bodily injury just like they couldn't in Reed's case. Yeah, you have to have bodily injury for this enhanced charge. If not, it's a simple assault. It's a misdemeanor and that's not a federal charge. That goes to Schwab, the D.C. attorney General. Perfect. And I. And I don't think he's going to charge this guy. I wouldn't. No, I wouldn't. So, uh, good luck with your multiple federal, uh, grand juries. Jeanine Pirro, I hope you get your box of wine. And, you know, I do want to say something in defense of boxed wine and Botox. Like, I like a glass of boxed now and again. Okay. And so I just want to, you know, uh, it's just Judge Jeanine Pirro that drives me up the wall.
Absolutely agree.
I don't know that we need to drag boxed wine into this. Although I haven't had a drink in, what, six months now? But still, I'm a boxed wine fan. Anyway. All right, everybody, it's time for some good trouble.
What are you guys doing? Getting in trouble.
All right, you're good trouble. Uh, today, should you choose to accept it, listen to the latest episode of Femin Buzz Kills with our good friend Liz Winstead. Isn't she amazing?
Oh, my God, she's incredible.
She's so great. You will love her if you haven't heard her. Operation Save Abortion is designed to meet the moment, offering concrete, accessible actions that you can take right now. So our good trouble is to listen to this because it has a bunch of good trouble in it, like how to build an abortion aftercare kit for those in need, how to spot and shut down fake clinics and abortion misinformation, how to confront politicians about their abortion records and policies. Real time direct actions and toolkits for organizing in your own community. So it's in the beans feed. We put it in the. We drop that special episode in the beans feed. But we do encourage you to find feminist buzz kills on their feed and their podcast, and you can subscribe for free. So that's your good trouble today, should you choose to accept it. And then also maybe, you know, give a call to the D.C. attorney General Schwalb and tell him that, uh, you know, if the feds can't get. Can't get a federal indictment from a federal grand jury, that he shouldn't. He shouldn't bring charges against Sandwich guy. Sandwich guy's a hero. Get it? Okay, everybody, we're going to talk. We're going to talk with Swing Left after this quick break, and then we'll bring you the good news. Stick around. We'll be right back. Deleteme makes it easy, quick, and safe to remove your personal data online at a time when surveillance and data breaches are common enough to make everyone vulnerable. So here's the truth. Your data is a commodity. You are a product. And data brokers make money by collecting and selling your information. Your name, phone number, Social Security number, even info about your family and friends and their email addresses. They can be compiled and sold online. Anyone can buy that data, and the risks are serious, including identity theft, phishing attempts, harassment, and scams. As uh, someone who with an extensive online presence, I have to think about these risks constantly. And I keep hearing about data breaches in the news where hackers obtain people's private data. All of that information ends up in the hands of data brokers who turn around and sell it to anyone willing to pay. That's where delete Me comes in. They go to those sites and remove your information, keeping it from falling into the wrong hands. Having Deleteme has given me peace of mind because I know my data isn't just floating around for anyone to buy. Privacy matters, and Delete me makes protecting it simple. So take control of your data and keep your private life private. By signing up for Deleteme now at a special discount for our listeners, you get 20% off your delete me plan. When you go to JoinDeleteMe.com DailyBeans and use promo code dailybeans at, uh, checkout. Again, the only way to get 20% off is to go to JoinDeleteMe m.com DailyBeans and enter code DailyBeans at checkout. That's JoinDeleteMe.com DailyBeans code DailyBeans. Hey, everybody. Welcome back. So here in California, where we say don't poke the bear, we're all pivoting, all of us are pivoting to focus on this November special election, which, of course, won't happen. That ballot initiative has to be passed by the legislature, which, as I said earlier in the show, is meeting today to get that done. And joining us today to talk about what we're gonna do once that pivot is made is the national political director of Swing Left. Please welcome Tomas Klosterman. Hi, Tomas.
Hi, Alison. M. Thank you so much for having me.
It's so great to have you. And, you know, we also had someone from Swing Left on a couple weeks ago to talk about how we're really ramping up fundraising for these swing districts. And now it's like, pivot time, and we're, like, right in the middle of it. So talk a little bit about what Swing Left is doing, because I know that you announced Swing Left announced their support for this ballot initiative, but we have to still pass that in the state legislature.
Of course. Alison and I just want to take one moment to take a step back and zoom out here, because there is a lot happening in the ecosystem and there's a lot of news, but the North Star for us at Swing Left remains the same, which is winning back the House and delivering a House democratic majority in 2026. And the reason this is so important for us is because that is going to be our first and best opportunity to put a check on Donald Trump's extremist and unpopular agenda, and really our chance to protect our democracy. Right. We really believe that the stakes cannot be higher, um, and control of the House is on the line. And so, as you alluded to, um, suing left, we have a really clear message. We are all in. In supporting the California ballot initiative, and we are channeling our members, both in California and nationwide, to take action, because, you know, Donald Trump and Republicans are really trying to, uh, rig the 2026 elections, and they're gonna have to go through the people first. Um, and so, you know, for Trump and Republicans, they understand that the stakes are so high, and they also know that their policies are so incredibly unpopular that the only way that they can continue to maintain power is by changing the rules in the middle of the game. And we at Swing Left are, uh, sending a clear message to our members, to volunteers, to listeners who may be, uh, interested in getting involved, that Trump and Republicans are gonna have to go through the people first. And California is the tip of the spear for folks to be able to take action on that front.
And that's one of the big differences between what California is doing and what Texas is doing, isn't it? Is the consent of the people. And that is why Governor Gavin Newsom and organizations like DCCC and Swing Left, for example, really want to focus on putting this in front of the people and putting it to the people on a ballot measure. Because the consent of the voters and the will of the voters is what is driving California's response to the cheating that's going on in Texas. And I wanted to ask you, because Governor Newsom said that if we can win back the House, which, as you said, is the North Star and will remain the North Star for Swing Left and should for the voters, is that if we win back the House, we effectively end Trump's presidency. Talk about this. That concept.
Yeah. So that the. The concept there, and sort of what you're underscoring is, uh, uh, we have. We are supposed to have. We, uh, have three co, equal branches of government that are able to put checks and balances. And right now Republicans control all three levers of government by us winning back the House, by Democrats maintain by having, having some level of power, Democrats are able to stop awful legislation like the big beautiful bill that was recently passed that is the biggest cut to Medicare in recent history. Uh, a Democratic majority would allow for Trump and his cronies to be investigated for there to be accountability. Um, and so it is, uh, for us, it is so important that folks understand that it is, it is about putting, restoring checks and balances and putting a check on Donald Trump. And so we really see the California ballot initiative as our, uh, chance to maintain the opportunity to have a potential Democratic majority that will in turn be able to, uh, like I said, put a check on Donald Trump.
Now, swing left has long been pushing back against Republican voter suppression. Voter suppression isn't new. This redistricting, this gerrymandering that Texas is threatening is a new way of doing it. But there's long been voter suppression. So talk a little bit about other initiatives in addition to supporting this ballot initiative that swing left has participated in the past and will continue to participate in in order to ensure or combat voter suppression. I know we're probably gonna see a lot of National Guard standing around polling places in 2026. I know that they're gonna be spending a lot of money trying to make people think their vote doesn't matter. And swing left has done a really good job proving otherwise that every single vote does matter. So talk a little bit more about what swing left does to combat voter suppression because you have a long history of doing it.
I think this is a critical point, Alison, and thank you for raising it. I think it's important for your, for listeners to know that the reason Republicans even have a majority right now is because in 2022, Republicans in North Carolina gerrymandered the states and picked up three seats. Republicans in Congress right now have a three seat majority. So if it were not for the gerrymandering that they had the Republicans have already done, they would not even be in the majority in the first place. Um, and so it is important for, for your listeners to also know that when Democrats were in the majority, uh, and then there was a bill up that to have independent redistricting, every single Democrat supported it. So this is not a both sides issue as much as I think a lot of people try to make it be right.
And every single Republican voted against it. And now they're scrambling to try to pass that law again, at least that part of that voting rights law that Democrats wrote.
Exactly. Um, and so this is not a both sides, uh, sort of argument, uh, what is happening in California, and I think it's important to know is it is a direct response to what is happening in Texas and to what Donald Trump has told Texas to find more Republican seats. And so the ballot initiative in California is a temporary emergency and voter approved measure designed uh, as a direct response. And so I want to make sure listeners know, um, as they have conversations with their family members and in their communities. And there's a lot of confusion out there. These two things are not the same. Right. And so to your other question about sort of swing left's history, um, you know, uh, to reiterate to your listeners, Swing left, we provide a front door for volunteers, donors, um, or people who want to channel their time, energy, treasure, combination thereof into the highest impact actions that will deliver Democrats governing power. And so we uh, are a one stop shop where folks can come, uh, to, they can visit swingleft.org and find uh, the nearest, uh, swing districts near them, the closest volunteer opportunities to take action. And so we are laser focused as we talked about at the beginning of the conversation on helping win back a Democratic majority. And to your question about sort of what other initiatives we have done, I'm going to actually take us a little bit into the future. Uh, and I know Yasmin, our executive director, was recently, um, on the show to talk about Ground Truth, which is a new canvassing program that folks are, that we are launching this fall and that we, which it is a deep canvassing program, um, in 25 targeted congressional districts where folks are going to be able to talk to their neighbors about the issues they really care about at a deeper level than what sort of what is currently happening on the voter contact. Front, front. They're going to be able to collect that information and give it back to campaigns so that campaigns and elected officials can be more responsive to the needs of voters. And the reason I think this is relevant within the context of the conversation on redistricting is because it is going to be really important that we not just win a narrow Democratic majority. We need to really overwhelm the system with a big victory, a decisive victory across the country and send a clear message that these attacks on democracy are not going to be met. Uh, they will be met with uh, actions to strengthen our democracy. Be it canvassing, be it donating, be it, uh, talking to your neighbors and getting out the vote. And so, um, I think that that's a really important piece here that, you know, there's, uh, actions that folks can take not just in California, but also in their nearest swing districts. And I think that's a message that we really want to underscore, is that, uh, in this moment when there is this sort of unprecedented attack on our democracy, uh, we believe at swingluft that everyone has a role to play in pushing back and fighting back and in every place. Right. And so if you are in California, we, uh, are encouraging listeners to visit swinlaught.org, and take action from today through November 4th to help win this ballot initiative. However, if you are a listener who is in New York, there are critical swing districts in New York that we have to start the work now of winning those elections again. And so what we are saying at Twin Left is we're asking our memberships to sort of walk and chew gum at the same time. And for folks in California, stay focused on California. For folks in New York, there's work to be done in New York, in Michigan, and everywhere in between, uh, where there are swing districts. And so there is a place and there is a race near every single listener where they can take action.
Yeah, agreed. And you did it in 2018. Um, massive, massive victory. I believe that that was the impetus for the founding of Swing Left and it proved successful. And I think that we're gonna see it again in 2026. And so I just want to, you know, Everybody go to swingleft.org to help out where you are, because, like you said, there's swing districts everywhere. There's one near you, there's a swing district coming to a theater near you. But also, it's important to note that with the California ballot initiative, we're still, like, kind of waiting for, like, go time until, ah, you know, once the legislature passes this and they're meeting today in session to begin that work. So within the next few days or week or so is when Swing Left is going to be putting up the initiative for California specifically. But in the meantime, there are still tons of other things that can be done, even in California, everywhere with Swing Left. And so once again, tell everybody where they can go and, uh, what they can look forward to. I'm so excited about this California thing. I mean, we've all sort of been. I remember I got up the day after the election, and I was like, I don't know what the plan is. I'm just gonna get up and read the news and the path will reveal itself. And it has. And now we have something, a part that we can play here in California. But it's so important, like you said, to emphasize that everyone, everywhere has a part to play because there is a swing district in every state that could use your help. So once again, tell everybody where they can help out Swing Left and join this initiative and help fight the fight.
You're exactly right, Allison. And I want to underscore before I say swingleft.org, which, um, I will say it again and again, but one of the key things that, ah, we want to underscore also is that, uh, Republicans want people to feel powerless. Republicans want people to feel overwhelmed and like they don't have agency. And for us at Swing Left, we firmly reject that notion. We believe every single person has a role to play, uh, and there's something for them to do that is smart, strategic and impactful. And we are the one stop shop where they can find that action. But the most important thing is that they know that they have that power and that they, um, when they are prepared to use it in whatever way they can, we are here to help channel them to take action. And so swingleft.org is where folks will find all the information they need. And to your other point, Allison, I will just say Republicans only won the House by 7,309 votes in 2024. That is a very, very, very small number. Okay. And so when we think about, ah, what's happening in the barrage of news that listeners are constantly, um, trying to decipher, what is most important for them to know is that winning back the House is doable, it's feasible, and they have a role to play in it. And that work must start now. Be it in California with the ballot initiative, or be it, um, as part of our pilot program with our deep canvassing initiative, uh, or be it through our three to Win, which is our campaign, um, to channel resources to, uh, campaigns that are most competitive. There is a role and a place for folks to take action.
Yes, 3 to win, 53 to blow it out.
Those are my goals.
But thank you so much for the work that you're doing. We really appreciate you coming on and explaining this all to us today and how we can all step in and help in the months and the year coming up. So everybody, thank you so much. National Political Director for Swing Left, Tomas Klosterman. I really appreciate your time today.
Thank you, Alison. Thank you to your listeners. I know we've had a long time partnership and We've done a lot of great work together. And, um, from us at Swing Left, we are grateful to you and to the listeners for the steadfast partnership and, um, onward to more good work.
Onward. And, uh, it's all, all the credit to the listeners, to the Leguminati. Thank you so much, everybody. And as a reward, stick around. We'll be right back with the good news. Hey, everybody. It's ag. Most of us push through stress, sleepless nights and nagging aches without relief. We're trained to do it. We've trained for it our whole lives. But you don't have to. CB Distillery offers a natural option. Instead of the medicine cabinet, their CBD products help me unwind, sleep better, and feel balanced without prescriptions. It's real support for daily life. And that's why I'm so glad we found CB Distillery. And I want to thank them for sponsoring this episode and for this discount for you. You get 25% off your entire purchase@cbdistillery.com using promo code dailybeans. Now, I've been pushing myself more with my exercise lately. I gotta get ready. And, uh, the soreness in my legs used to hang around for days. My hips and, uh, my joints. CB distilleries made a huge difference in that their CBD relief bal has become part of my recovery ritual. And I love being able to bounce back faster. Instead of limping and shuffling around the next day, I can get right back to doing the things I enjoy. CB Distillery really puts care into their products. Everything is made with premium natural ingredients. And it shows. They've got a range of solutions for stress, exercise, recovery, everyday aches, especially my joints, especially in menopause. They even have CBD for your pets. It's not just about masking pain. It's about giving my body something that supports balance and comfort. So if you're tired of being tired and stressed or you just want to feel better in your body, check out CBD from CB Distillery. Right now, you can save 25% off your entire purchase. Just visit CBDistillery.com and use promo code DailyBeans. That is CBDistillery.com promo code Daily Beans CBDistillery.com promo code DAILY Beans Specific product availability depends on individual state regulations. Everybody, welcome back. It's time for the good news, everyone. Then, good news, everyone. Good news. And if you have any good news at all, any little good thing that happened to you recently or far in the past, it doesn't matter. We would love to hear about it. Just Any good news story that you have, send it to us. It can be a shout out to a loved one or a small business in your area, maybe a non profit doing some amazing work. You want to shine a light on some great community organizing that you want to share some signs and photos of, uh, times that you spent at different rallies, whether it's Tesla takedown, Fox takedown, no kings hands off, anything like that. Maybe you're protesting ice on bridges and overpasses. We would love to see that. A lot of people are sending us really lovely pictures of things they see on overpasses and protesters and stuff like that. If you have a shout out to a government program that's helped you or a loved one, we would love to hear about it. Uh, and of course, all you got to do to get your stuff read on the air is pay your pod pet tariff, which means attach a photo of your pet. We can try to guess the breeds of your pet if you would like. We're not very good at it, but it's fun. If you don't have a pet, send an adoptable pet in your area. We'll see if we can find him a home. If you don't have that, really just grab any photo of an animal on the Internet. That's totally fine, whatever you pick. You can also send photos of, uh, some nice happy place, maybe your garden or a sunset or uh, you're, you know, at, ah, whatever. It can be anything. Family photos, awkward family photos, uh, baby pictures, whatever. Send them to us dailybeanspot.com, click on Contact.
Oh my goodness, look at this dog.
I know Christopher. This is from Christopher. Pronouns he and him. Hey, Beans. Queens longtime listener, first time caller. I want to shout out the good trouble the indivisible community has been getting up to over the summer here in upstate South Carolina. Huge turnouts at no Kings and other rallies, weekly signage on the pedestrian bridge. There we go, over the i85, seizing any opportunity to confront and fluster Lindsey Graham, Nancy Mace and local officials when and wherever they poke their heads up out of their own asses. For my pod pet tariff, I've included our fur family, Frankie, who's 10, wearing his favorite sweater. He's a Yorkshit, which I guess is a Yorkie Shih Tzu and just the bestest buddy ever. Always down for a car ride or a good cuddle. Severus, who is 7, is the big cat void. He mostly just chills, but can never get enough pets. So much so that he drools when he's in the zone. Caramel, who's three is the sweetest little cat shaped shenanigans. Keep up the great work sending positive energy to y' all from South Carolina. Stay safe there in South Carolina. Christopher. You got no National Guard, you got no fema. So I hope everything's going to be good this season. Look at these bridges, baby.
All the little blips.
Oh my goodness, the underbite. I love a good underbite on a dog.
So good.
Thank you, thank you.
This is from jl. Pronouns she and her hi AG and dg. I've been a daily listener for years. I appreciate the way the daily beans and your other podcasts help me to make sense of this changing world. You asked us to share what we've been Sorry buddy, you asked me to share. You asked us to share what we've been creating. Well, I have created a series of, uh, free online mindfulness neural training classes for civic change and I'd like to share them with the Leguminati.
Very cool.
In my day job I'm leadership coach who uses embodied and holistic approaches to help people to strengthen agency, build comfort with power, connect with others, and live life as if life happens by me and not life happens to me. The extension to democracy is obvious. Democracy is a system which the government happens to be by the people, not to the people. I'm calling the seven week course Self Determination Mindfulness and it helps people to power up and fight with energy and resilience. The course is free for Leguminati and for everyone fighting for democracy. The way I see it, I'm nurturing those on the front lines, similar to bringing food and water to the marches during the Civil Rights movement. Of course, I'm also on the front lines myself, going to protests and doing good trouble. The Leguminati can learn more and register for my Democracy mindset website@democracymindset.org, we're going to have a link in the show notes because this sounds fantastic. For my Pot Pet tariff, I have submitted a picture of my dog Quincy, enjoying public lands. The scenery behind Quincy is Alice Lake, the turnaround point on a beautiful 13 mile hike in the Sawtooth Wilderness near Stanley, Idaho. Managed by the U.S. forest Service, the area is such a gem and well worth fighting for against the Big Betrayal Bill folks who wanted to sell it with about 500ft.
Wow.
Uh, this is gorgeous. 500ft left to hike. Quincy laid down and let us know he was done. We managed to get him back to the car where he promptly Fell asleep. I let you guess his breed as a hint. His breed is known for hugs and cuddles, not for hiking.
Oh, here's the answer, producers. You keep putting the answers before the pictures.
And it is a teddy bear. Golden doodle.
Uh.
Oh, my God. The teddy bear part means was bred with an English golden retriever, which have shorter snouts and white coats. Basically, this dog's just soft as hell and adorable and sweet and loving. And that lake is gorgeous. This is very cool.
Before the end.
Illuminati sign up for these classes.
I know, right? I love that democracy happens by the people, not to the people. All right, next up from Linda C. Queens of the beans reigns supreme. Heard Diana mention allergies to cats? Diana? I think they mean Dana. I, too, have cat allergies, but not so bad as we have four cats. Oh, my gosh, Dana. Can you imagine having four cats with cat allergies?
No, Absolutely not.
Recently, we switched to Purina Live Clear allergy reducing cat food. And it works. They have it for dogs, too. I have used an inhaler daily since we one case of bronchitis in the 90s. I took Covid very seriously as being sick once effed up my lungs. And since the switch, I rarely use the inhaler at all. The first couple of weeks, I couldn't get over how light my lungs felt. I had no idea my lungs were suffering. As a lifelong cat servant, I thought others might find allergy reducing pet food helpful. Pet tariff. Bo and his brother from another mother, Mikey the cat, my hero and twin sister, cared for Beau when his elderly person no longer could. Karen was recently joined on the other side of the rainbow by Beau. The photo with my sister holding Beau's paw on the very last vet visit is priceless. Oh, my God. Oh, I'm gonna die.
Oh, man.
Oh, um, baby, look at these pals.
So sweet.
It looks like we can guess Bo's breed. Maybe. Yeah. What do you think?
Oh, my gosh. Pure, uh, cuteness mixed with a scruffy angel and a terrier. Because God loves a terrier.
Staffer. Terrier. That looks like there's also some sort of cattle dog.
Yeah, we'll see.
Meet Bo.
Hi, Bo.
22 staffy. What? You got it. 100. Good dog. Border, collie, pit bull.
I thought there was pit bull in there.
Cattle dog.
You got that?
The Chihuahua. Chihuahuas get into everything they really do.
Or everything gets into a chihuahua. Apparently.
Depends on which side you're on. Yeah. Uh, it's like the chow. Yeah. Um, chow. Chow. Chihuahua. What's that called? A cha cha cha.
Beau is adorable.
I'm so sorry for your loss too.
That was super cute actually. Allison M. All right, this one's from Anonymous. Pronouns he him. This is a pet peeve coming from an 80 year old with hearing aids. I don't have any animals since the loss of our Mini a golden retriever. So here's a fuck trump for you girls. When people hit their lock button on their key fob and their vehicle blows its horn to confirm, it sends a shockwave up um, my spine and I us cry out in alarm. It bothers me that all they have to do is lock the door while exiting to avoid having to use the fob. It also pollutes the community ambience with loud honks. Manufacturers should replace the honk with a chirp. Your faithful listener Bob Pronouns he him. If you're wondering about the email handle, it's a railroad term called bad order, meaning a defective piece of equipment or safety appliance. I used it when I wrote for a craft newsletter as my nom de plume while working on the railroad.
Very cool job.
Yeah.
80 year old working on the railroad telling us our pronouns I love you. All right, next up from Nicole pronoun she and her hi AG and dg. I want to give a shout out to my good friend Myra, who is an amazing artist we met last year at a cancer retreat. We were both done with the treatment, but not with the trauma. She left the retreat and got to work on a series of paintings chronicling her cancer experience. There are ten paintings in all. They're huge and a little difficult to look at because they capture the complexity of cancer so well. The series was purchased by a cancer research center in the Bay Area, where they will be up on the walls reminding the researchers of the importance of their work, which is so cool to me. Myra is also a kick ass activist, using her artwork and her community connections to support marginalized folks, protect her neighbors and fight injustice. I've attached two pictures of her artwork. One is called Our Sick World. It's the last painting in her cancer series. Another is Don't Take My dad in the First. It's the first of her new series. If you look at the TV screen in the hospital painting, you can see a preview of her next painting. It's like you're being transported from one series to the next. A big thank you to Myra and all the artists out there who use their passion to make the world a better place. If you want to check out Myra's Art here is a link to her website. It's Myra M Y R A eastman.com. for my Podbet tariff, I've included a picture of our new dog, Templeton. She was mid snack when the vet snapped this hysterical picture. P S Allison, I love the way you said New York City the other day. That's the only way I say it. Oh, I was talking about that old commercial for salsa.
New York City.
New York City.
Get a rope.
Yeah. Amazing. Uh, all right.
Look, oh, my God, at this dog. So cute. And this art's really good.
Wow. It's beautiful.
Powerful.
Thank you for that. You can find it@myraesteman.com yeah.
All right. This is from Julia, printed on she and they. Good morning, Beans Queens. I'd like to shout out my daughter Mary and all the teachers heading back to school. She's been teaching 18 years and currently teaches pre K to high need students in a Virginia beach public school. The pre K program is funded through a combination of the Virginia Preschool initiative, the VPI that grant, local funding, and the Title 1 grant, now a good example of what state and federal funding can do to improve children's education. I get frustrated with knuckleheads who disparage teachers, especially elementary school teachers, as anything but the professionals they are. Who the fuck is disparaging elementary school teachers? Send them our way. That was not the writer. That was me, the reader. I'd like to recommend that if there are people hesitant to give their money to Amazon for teachers wish lists, you can also support teachers through the cool charity. It's called Donorschoose as potpet tariff. I'm including some photos of my grand cats, Miles and Cole. The photo of the boys on the stairs illustrates the jingle from your podcast. What are you guys doing? Getting into trouble. Thanks for your help making the horrible news more palatable. With a dash of swearing and a sprinkle of humor. I live for each tidbit of good news, good trouble, and my microdose of hope.
Okay, the orange kitties.
Oh, um, my God, the second picture is so cute. On the stairs.
That's not a mirror. That's two cats.
Oh, my God.
Yeah. Sharing the brain cell like orange cats do. Julia, thank you so much. Thank you for that. And thanks to everybody for all your amazing photos and good news stories. Everybody, send us your good news stories@dailybeanspod.com click on Contact. And thanks to Tomas over at Swing Left. Um, we're gonna. But we're gonna sink our teeth into this. And I'm gonna be working really, really hard to help get this ballot initiative passed. So here in California. Don't poke the bear.
Nope. Nope, nope, nope.
Don't poke the bear. All right, thank you so much, everybody. That's our show for today. Dana, do you have any final thought? I just want to shout out everybody who came to your show again one last time.
That's what I want to do. All the Beans listeners who bought tickets to Friday night show in San Diego, I love you and I promise you all, I'm putting together a tour. Um, we're trying to get 12 cities on the calendar. So once that happens, you'll know if there's something near you as soon as I can let you know. And I'll always tell you first because I want as many of you in the audience as possible.
Uh, amazing. Thank you so much. Everybody will be back in your ears tomorrow. Until then, please take care of yourself, 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.
I've been dg.
And them's the Beans. The Daily Beans is written and executive produced by Alison 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 Media Network, a collection of creator owned podcasts dedicated to news, politics and justice. For more information, Please visit msw media.com msw media.