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Welcome home.
Y'all to episode sixty two of Native Land Time. Let me break it down and give you all things related to news and culture through a very unique lens. And I have to say, it's a very busy, busy news week. So we're going to jump right into it because we have a lot to get to. So, Angela, what's on your plate this week?
Well, we've been talking about the fires and the many ways in which fires impact folks. And speaking of fires, we know that there was one over one hundred years ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We know that area is black Wall Street and the DJ had something to say about that. So I want to talk about that and all of the other things that DJ gets wrong.
I got a lot of questions for you on that one, Andrew, what you got?
Well, speaking of the DOJ, there is a report released by Jack Smith. You all remember him, a special council on the Trump federal cases. So we want to hit that real quick and remind folks to check it out and then importantly confirmations are going on. We're spinning our heads on a swivel, and we just want to go over who are some of those folks, and maybe what some highlights are and what some strategies Democrats can pursue to get better at this.
I like that, and I'm gonna stick with you on Capitol Hill, Andrew, because as you all may have seen this week, there were threats of violence yet again coming from the Republican side, and I'm curious what will happen if it actually comes to fisticuffs between two members of Congress on Capitol Hill. So we're going to get into all of that, so don't go anywhere, Stay tuned.
Sire Calvin and his family have called Alta Dina home for three generations.
Literally just all us.
In the chaos of evacuating his baby and elderly mother to safety, Sire Calvin got separated from his sister, Evelyn. She lived next door.
Everybody's yelling get out. I'm thinking that she's getting out. And the next day, after the storm, I come back and her car is still there. So at that point in my brain, my soul is shaking.
He and his cousin found Evelyn's remains in the.
Rubble Ah, Evelyn, why don't you leave?
Sire's grief is shared. Five Calvin family members lived on this block. Four lost their houses, but they're trying to hold on to the hope that they can rebuild their beloved community.
Everyone's in the same boat, like everybody you would depend on, everybody you would go to. They're all homeless. Also. They just lost everything. They've lost all their memories, all the joy, everything that we've built together in this neighborhood. We all lost together. And I hate it. I hate it because I love how to pop.
I am so deeply hurt for the people who have lost loved ones, who lost everything they had. There was another story about this man who heard the evacuation orders kind of took it lightly and then he said that they ended up evacuating, but he just knew they would come back. He grew up in la he's been there for thirty years. He said it in the same place,
and he said, there's nothing left. They had a second house, an add on unit in the bag that they lost, their trailer, everything they had he left behind because he didn't take it seriously. And now these folks are not only going to be battling against the trauma of losing their memories, their loved ones. You just heard this gentleman talk about losing his sister but also fighting with insurance companies on whether or not they'll even pay the claims.
So it is tragic.
I've heard a lot of really callous chatter about it doesn't matter because the rich people in Malibu are Pacific palisades, you know, can rebuild. That is so besides the point, I would hope in this moment that we could tap into our humanity and think about the least of these and the folks who have everything. Nobody deserves to lose
their livelihood, everything that they've worked for. And I just would pray that we continue to deepen into compassion, into our humanity in this moment and reach out to support folks who have lost everything.
I take your point age because I've also seen some people circulating things online about you know, when you don't put God first in your life, God shows you He exists, and you know, I just think it's such an incredibly shitty thing to look at people suffering and suggest that this is somehow godly. Just a little bit about the neighborhood, because to your point, We've heard a lot about the
wealthy neighborhoods. About a quarter of the residence in Altadena are sixty five or older, and many of these families pass their houses down from parents to children, hoping they would be a foundation for generational wealth. Most of the residents live west of Lake Avenue in Altadena. This is where many early black homeowners were as a result of redlining, and even when redlining was outlawed, the practice continued informally
by real estate agents. So black families who were pushed out of urban housing in neighboring Pasadena made their way to Altadena, and by the seventies, the black proportion of the population peaked at nearly forty three percent, that's according to census data. And now the worry is that residents will scatter, that neighborhoods will hasten gentrification, that the proportion
of black residents has already fallen to eighteen percent. Now that Altadena is considered affluent, with the average household income of one hundred and ninety thousand dollars. So I've seen a lot of posts from people saying, hey, don't sell. People are already making offers that it's going to be a land grab by wealthy developers. So I truly hope that we as a community can make sure that this community stays in our hands and in our prayers.
Andrew just finally on that. I embrace everything that both of you have said here and just want to double down on this the opportunistic end of natural disasters, which is that speculators, developers, deep investors on the coast in many cases and in many cases outside of this country, We'll look to these areas, these now beleaguered, deeply hampered areas, buy up those lands, and next thing you'll see our multi million dollar you know, real estate popping up in
whole communities and histories loss. To add to your stats there, Tiff, I read this morning that eighty percent of the homes and Altadena are owned and as you mentioned, have been passed generationally for one to the next. I just I'm in prayer for those folks. We see it a lot down South Hill with hurricanes and people's lives being just upended.
These fires can come very unperd didictably, you had parts of La La County that weren't even in these evacuation zones, and because of the strength of the wind and the dryness of the area. You have these fires Hopscotch and the areas that weren't expecting it. And so just prayers going up for those folks and to Karen Bass, wishing Mayor Bass the very best as she works toward the reconstruction of our community.
Well, we have a question or a comment, I believe from a viewer, so let's get into that.
Hey, welcome home, y'all. Thank you for everything that you do. You're just stalwarts of black journalism and I really appreciate y'all. I am coming to you from Los Angeles. I'm sure you've heard about the fires. Everybody's heard about the movie star homes that burned down, but I wanted y'all to hopefully give a little coverage to the neighborhood of Altadena. This was a bastion of the black middle class here in the Los Angeles area, and it was really ravaged
by the Eton fire. You're probably hearing a lot about the Palisades fire, but this was the one on the opposite end of town near Altadena. This place is just a treasure trow for black history. This is where Jackie Robinson grew up. Science fiction author Octavia Butler author Charles White. I think Eldrick Cleaver is buried there. And again, it was just a lot of black wealth that was lost in those homes. So I hope this does get some publicity, and I thought y'all would be the perfect outlet to
give it a little bit. Thank you so much, and again I appreciate everything you do. Keep up the good fight, don't quit the pod. We got this.
Bye Andela.
I loved her.
Interesting that she brought up Octavia Butler. Our friend Aaron Haynes and I reread a parable of the Sewer, which is one of her most popular books, And just the coincidence, if you will, that that story began. It came out decades ago, but the story begins in twenty twenty four, and I remember reading it as a younger person thinking it's so weird that somebody's born in nineteen seventy nine will be in their forties and blah blah, here I am. And the premise of the story is California is on fire.
It's a post apocalyptic world. So the fact that her neighborhood and God rest her soul as being one of the pioneers of black sci fi writers. But the fact that she wrote this story and that her neighborhood where she grew up is a blaze in a story that perhaps she foreshadowed, you know, like her stories could have been The Hunger Games. You know, they too centered a
young black protagonist. Her story could have been Twilight. So anyway, I know you lived in LA and I just feel like you have family in LA so I know that you have personal connection here as well.
Yeah, Fortunately all of my family is safe. I have friends that have been traumatized, friends that are separate from the air quality and all that, and we also have friends of this show. Our friend Carrie Champions submitted this statement, Hey.
Y'all, how are you. My good sister Angela Rai sent me a text today and she said, can you talk a little bit about the place you call home. The place that I call home is Pasadena. I grew up in Pasadena. I went to Wilson Middle School. I went to Pasadena High School. I went to UCLA. I am born and raised, but I'll talk specifically about Altadena and
what that community meant to me growing up. The very first time that I had my first celebrity introduction to the world, I was in junior high school and I was getting my hair done. Of course, I was getting my hair done, and I met Tupac Shakur. He was just coming on the scene, very popular. I get around and he was in a hair salon in Altadena, and it was a hair salon that also did men's haircuts on one side, women on the other. You could only imagine,
but it was home. It felt very comfortable. It felt like a space for us to relax. It felt like a space for us to do our things. And that, to me, is a beautiful way to describe Altadena. My very first boyfriend was in Altadena. Sadly, he posted that his mother, eighty two years old, lost her home. Imagine being eighty two years old and losing your home. You don't have two years to rebuild. You don't have a
lifetime to rebuild and start from scratch. And so what I encourage most of us to do is do your homework and understand this beautiful community called Altadena that was one of the very first sanctuaries for the middle class and affluent blacks. It breaks my heart to think what could happen next if we don't come together and help this community out.
I'm thankful for that for their testimonial, and wanted to make sure that we were keeping in our own family here who work with us every week, week in and week out on the show. Let's hear some reflections from one of our producers here, Nick.
Hey, fam, this is Nick. I'm a producer, normally behind the scenes, some Native lampod but I was asked to record this little video since I'm living through this big wildfire event right now in LA. I was a few miles away from the mandatory evacuation zone when the fires were at their worst, and like everyone in Los Angeles, have been obsessively checking my phone for the last week to see where the fires are moving to if they're getting closer to me, to see what the air quality
is like. Can I even breathe the air outside today? And while I'm experiencing this event in person, I've also been experiencing it online like all of you, So I
seen all these terrifying videos and pictures. It can be mentally draining, and I think those images are a big part of the reason why so many Angelinas, so many folks in LA have been coming out in force to volunteer and donate It's been really heartening to see, and I think it's also why I've had so many people, friends, family members reaching out very concerned to check in on me. I've really appreciated folks checking in on me like that.
What's been frustrating to see is like commentators and influencers who are leaping to blame, you know, why these fires have gotten so bad on one thing or the other. So you know, just be careful with sharing info about these fires, particularly if you're sharing it with someone in LA. You know, think about is this fact based? Are they
citing reliable sources? And also think about like is this something that my friend or family member really needs to see right now, or do they just need to know that I love them and I'm thinking about them and I'm checking in on them, and like keep checking in on them, you know. Besides just taking extra care of myself and checking in with my peeps, one thing that's really helped me get through this is volunteering donating, and we're going to drop some resources in the episode description.
If you guys want to donate or volunteer, if you're in the area, I encourage you to do that.
Well, we're back.
We decided to spend a little time talking about DJ today. There are a few things that I want to put on your radar quickly before I get into the Tulsa Black Wall Street report. I just want to mention that we are in the final stretch down to the wire on a pardon for Marilyn Moseby. We have not heard from the White House, we have not heard from the Department of Justice, We've not heard from the Pardon Office about whether or not she will be pardoned.
There are a number of other folks who are also.
Seeking seeking relief, and just given who Joe Biden has pardoned or sentence disease commuted so far, I would urge you all to once again sign our Color of Change petition, and I'd also urge you to call the White House to let them know where you stand.
A number of our friends are no longer working.
Their last day was on Monday or Tuesday, and so it's going to be harder to get through, but we cannot give up. We need to treat this as if this was one of our own family members, our sister, our friend, Marilyn Moseby, is wanting to maintain her freedom.
It is abundantly important because that is the only way she'll be able to practice law and provide for her two daughters if she does not get a pardon, and perhaps even when on this appeal, she doesn't get to keep the property that she paid for with her own retirement funds. So I'd ask you all to keep justice in mind as we talk about a massive injustice that the community of Tulsa has experienced for well over one
hundred years. Black Wall Street was burned to the ground in May of nineteen twenty one behind an allegation misinformation that now we see run rampant online. And what I think I want to start first with what I believe the Department of Justice got right. What they got right
where the facts the facts are indisputable. Unfortunately, many of our textbooks don't talk to us about these kinds of facts, whether it's Blackwall Street or Rosewood or any other community that was burned to the ground in nineteen nineteen and so forth. We don't hear about these stories, and so often they are suppressed because folks know that if they are told that justice will.
Be on the other side.
Well, the Department of Justice got wrong, is the legal analysis is saying it's unfortunate that they can't prosecute anyone for the crime of what happened in Blackwall Street, given that it was a coordinated attack by their own words. But I also think that they went a little light on civil liability. It's important that the city knows that it has an obligation to make whole the survivors, to make whole the descendants, and I think that it's.
Falling woefully short here.
This is a report that comes on the other side of Joe Biden going to Tulsa himself in twenty twenty one and assuring the at that point there were three that they would see justice in his administration. Now Mother Fletcher, mother Randall, one hundred and ten years old, have yet to see justice served and have yet to be restored and repaired for what was wrong and the many things and many people, many homes, many businesses that they witnessed losing.
This is so terrible, and I mean because it really has felt like they were waiting out the survivors. We lost Uncle Red last year, and it just baffles me that these people will not see any justice on both fronts. To be honest with you, because when you were talking about the pardons. I found myself becoming a lot more in raids, and obviously we want Marilyn to get a pardon. That was one of the questions I was going to ask you, what does it mean for her? You know
she's not going to jail. Why is it so important? So I appreciate you saying this is how she provides for her families, and she stands to lose her property that she paid for with her own money. So as tragic as that is and certainly warrants the attention of this administration, I'm also struck by the people who did lose their livelihood, who lost their liberty, who are in prison.
And as this president was the author of the nineteen ninety four crime bill that was widely supported by a lot of law enforcement or elect luck and officials that happen to look like us, I just think there is a debt ode to society but also our community, because I'm increasingly challenged with taken away a person's liberty the more we talk about what happens inside these prison systems. So it's devastating that this president could leave this office
and leave these injustices unaddressed. It's discussing to see Andrew, Yeah, go ahead.
No, I just want to say quickly on on the Tolsa piece that I think it's important we all understand. And Angela, I know you probably know this better than all of us. Is the precedent that these folks are trying to avoid a hology with financial restitution to make communities quote whole, which you can't be truly whole after
after that kind of terror is visited upon you. But but what these folks are most afraid of, and I think at every level, local, state, and federal, is that there will be example somewhere, Tulsa being frankly the perfect place where it is a known travesty executed against black folks, that the folks who are responsible for putting out fires, your local your local government, by and large, law enforcement, also local government, that at every level the institution failed
and because of their failure, lives were lost, the community ravage, devastated, and disappeared by and large, except for the spirit that stills abound A bounds in there there there there remain remaining ancestors. And and I just I just want to call out capitalism and the government's fear of having the bill come due that is justly owed to black folks justly.
So yes, the reparations battle also hangs in the balance here, Andrew.
And Andrew, I appreciate what you're thinking about reparations, and I just want to remind our viewers that Mayor g T buying them, who himself is the descendant of enslavers, and who according to some reporting, had family who could potentially have been a part of the riots and destruction, has been an advocate or an active opponent of reparations and paying out damages to these families. So the hypocrisy runs rampant, Andrew, I know you wanted to get okay.
Sorry just on that point, though, it is important to note that Tulsa this year or last year, sorry at the in the election elected Monroe Nichols, who is a black mayor now, who is actually citing with thinking that the city of Tulsa is responsible for this massacre.
I hope there.
I don't think I realized that there was a new mayor there, so congratulations and.
Big deal.
A little bio piece on him which was just really hometown embracing white folks, black folks. People really wrap their hands around him, and I hope that lasts for him as long as possible, because when you come down on an issue like this, it does tend to divide folks on one side or another. But you know what, brother, writers, writers write all the time, So more power to you. And speaking of writers, writers, right, Jack Smith, who we know as a special counsel who prosecuted began the prosecutions
of Donald Trump on the federal document management case. That was the case that was happening down in Palm Beach with the Miami judge and of course in Washington, d C. January sixth, and the actions he took an association with the attempted to coup there produce a report quite thick.
I think we're up to what one hundred and forty five pages explain the evidence that was collected, the case made against Donald Trump, and then basically saying that the outcome of the election is what stopped this case full stop. They couldn't go any further given d OJ's practice of not prosecuting a sitting pre not prosecuting bringing a prosecution
against a sitting president. I found it interesting they took no real responsibility for the amount of time that it took to go from Trump being out of office four years. Fast forward, fast forward to these case being bought frankly in the in a year out from the next presidential election. I think they owe some accountability to us on this.
But he does part the report by giving some advice around the fact that once investigations have begun, they should be able to continue in earnest by the DOJ, regardless of what elections happened to be going on. I don't know, y'all of that will become new DJ practice or if this just stands out in history as an anomaly. But but I am I have been repeatedly disappointed by this Department of Justice under its current Attorney General, Mary Garland, who I thought would be a stronger ally, but he is.
He has from the very beginning, I think, been a week link in the administration and for the country. And so I'm not looking forward to the next one, uh necessarily which they are right now undergoing confirmation hearings. But but but this is a real disappointment. I appreciate the data of the information, y'all. I'm just not optimistic that this will in any way impact the OJ policy in a positive in a positive way, I'm not sure if y'all have thoughts.
Well, we we've talked about structural violence, Andrew, and I think some of the things with Jack Smith is structural. But I want to switch gears and get into some actual violence on Capitol Hill. I'm sure you guys have seen some of the threats of violence happen this week, but this is not something new, and so I want you to take a list at some exchanges that have happened just over the past year, and then we'll talk about this increasing threat of violence and who it's coming from.
More importantly, on the other side of the sound, let's roll that clip.
The tough Guy Act in the Senate hearings. You know where to find me any place, any time, cowboy. Sorry, this is a time. This is a place. If you want to run your mouth, we can be too consenting adults. We can finish it here.
Okay, that's fine, perfect, you.
Want to do it now.
I'd love to do it right now.
We'll stand your butt up.
Then you stand you up, but um hold stop it. Here.
She is armed with a deadly assault rifle, pointing it toward three Democratic members and some people who wanted to give other people nightmare committed sedition and broke into the House of Representatives and tried to stop us while electing a president of the United States.
America is the greatest country in the world.
The staunch supporter of Donald Trump before she was elected, Marjorie Taylor Green posted unfounded far right non conspiracy theories online. The Georgia representative also harassed high school shooting victims, having claimed and then retracted that the attacks were staged.
I don't even know how we we got there, because I tried to make it clear how many civil rights It doesn't just bail down to one conversation. But I can see that somebody's campaign coffers really are struggling right now. So she gonna keep saying trans trans trans so that people will feel threatened and child listen, I want you. I won't even stay out of those females have selsclaming my time.
You will not do that.
I am in my time.
You want to take it out side chairman.
And committee, so you That was our Texas Congress from Jasmine Crockett in exchanges Congress from Nancy Mays, and you may have heard at the end there she said, if you want to take it outside, we can.
Those were the videos we were able to pull. However, I just want to remind our viewers. In November of twenty twenty three, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, according to the reporting at the time, allegedly elbowed Tennessee Republican Tim Burcheck. He was one of the eight GOP House members who voted to alse McCarthy from the speakership position. In October, he reportedly elbowed him in the hallway of the Capitol.
On the Senate side, you heard Mark Mullen threatened to get in a physical fight with a witness at a hearing. House Oversight Committee chair James Comer called Congressman Jarrett Moscow was a Florida a smurf. Marjorie Taylor Green called Republican Daryl Isa a pussy. So these are the things happening on Capitol Hill while very serious things are going on, And I'm telling you, guys, I think that this is the year we could see.
Two members of Congress come to blows.
And my question to you, Angela, really is if that happens, like, how do we, like, what is the protocol, Like, how do we anticipate the Capitol police would handle that? How do we anticipate. I mean, look, I would imagine if the CBC, the CBS have a ride for mine, if I'm a member of Congress, if you put your hands on Daz with krage, if I'm a member, I'm it's a melee.
We all we all running.
It's so ridiculous to be having these conversations, like you know, we on Capitol Hill talk about World Star. But this is the reality that.
We're in right now.
And if you know, it is the Republicans threatening by They're saying, you want to catch me outside, then let's do that.
I don't know where we go from here.
I'll tell you where we go from here. Tif Okay, listen here, listen, listen.
Here, what we're doing, what we're doing now, we're we're doing that. I'm yeah, if you didn't do anyway, I don't.
I don't really know. I ain't got nothing on this.
It is really a no for them. I mean, I'm just watching the congressman. The senator started, you know, interviewing a panelists before a Senate hearing, you know, telling about something you want to think you want to stand up then, I mean, do you where do y'all think? Y'all at we know how you act at home now, but you should keep it at home, and I do.
I tell you, I think, please don't take that nowhere.
No. I mean, if you want to be big boy and go do that out on the ranch, you know, go have your you know, your your whatever. But I just I think Jasmine was under something around on the right. The more violent your rhetoric, the more ridiculous your claims and comments, the higher your trajectory is for not just campaign cash but looking at this administration for appointments, two offices. The more violent you are, the more accusations you have
against you. Used to be a deficit these folks. Oh, no, badge of honor. Why don't you become Attorney General of the United States? That's what you get get, you get elevation. So Tiff, I think the incentive, unfortunately, is on the opposite side of decorum and truth, accountability and responsibility for the office you hold, not for yourself, but on behalf of the people who elected you to represent them all. That is secondary.
Why you know, there's a I'm embarrassed. I'm so embarrassed. Oh Stacy fight, That's what it was. I was trying to remember who I interviewed someone on my show and it was Congressoman Stacey Plaskett, and I asked her about the threats that Marjorie Taylor Green had been issuing. It just all this gully talk that they have, you know, Twitter fingers like to talk a lot. And I asked her, how do you anticipate like handling that kind of potential violence,
And she gave the best answer. Congresswoman Stacey Plaska, who represents the US Virgin Islands and in Congress, said, Marjorie Taylor Green may.
Be dumb, but she's not stupid.
And I just teak, that is the attitude that you have to deliver. Look, this is there are serious things happening right now, and we have elected the Angry Comments Section to be responsible for legislating what is happening in our country. And I just think some of them might be on a fat FO mission.
Wait, can you please just just do just just real quick please.
I don't even know where to be what we can start with the fact that Marjorie Taylor Green was harassing a survivor of a high school shooting. Like literally, for our listeners who are listening, don't watch, She's literally following these.
They're not kid, I hear you.
But it's all like it is all sad and funny at the same time, and ridiculous, utterly ridicul list. But on a serious note, my serious question is, and I don't even think the three of us have an answer.
I do wonder how might the Capitol Hill Police handle a melee like that when there are members Because they're there to protect members of Congress, so aid right, So if two members and you are supposed to be impartial, if two members of Congress are in fisticuffs, then yes, obviously you're gonna break it up.
But what if someone gets violent with you?
What if you're telling you right now, let me tell you, no, no, I'm gonna tell you about the Capitol Police right now. There is one group of police officers who I will always love and cherish.
It is the Capitol Hill Police.
Now it's a it's a rogue one every now and then, but most of these folks are so down for the cause. There was a sister had Lisa Blo Rochester, swearing in black woman officer and I was just like, I said, I just want you.
To know I love you and I see you. Since she was like I appreciate. They're just down for the cause. So I'm gonna tell you right now, if it goes down and you.
See the tape, Okay, Harry done, if Harry done in the room, if he got back in the room. He is riding with the CBC all day, so they don't get in trouble for that. But I'm telling you they ride for us and the members for sure, for.
Sure, shout out to Harry Dunn, a real ass American hero, and yes and all his officer good good, And we saw on January sixth, So I don't know. I had shuddered to think that we might actually see what will happen if two members come to blows. So we'll see. Hopefully we won't find out. But I the the way things right, I think the way things are going, I could see this happening.
All right.
Well, it's a lot more on Capitol Hill. I want to get into these confirmation hearings.
Also, I do.
Want y'all to know, yes, we know forever flows Michelle Obama is not going to inauguration, yes, and we.
Have a lot of thoughts on that we have.
We definitely are going to talk about that, but you will be able to hear us talk about that.
We're doing a very special MLK show.
Yes, you know, it happens to be Inauguration Day, but we the only day we are acknowledging that day is MLK and we will discuss in detail a lot of things around inauguration, a lot of things around MLK Day, and we will definitely get into why Forever flows. Michelle Obama is not going to inauguration, so that is gonna drop on Monday.
Be sure that you guys tune in to that.
But on the other side of this break, I want to get into some of these confirmation hearings and some of the that shit crazy things that I've heard come out of Capitol Hill. So don't go anywhere. We'll be right back.
Hey, everybody, welcome back.
We are really excited still about being nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the Podcast category for News and Information. We hope that you will vote for US at NAACP Image Awards Dot and that only one vote per email will be counted. If you got fifteen emails, sound like you can vote fifteen times. Just use a different email address. Andrew, I know you got seventy five emails. TIF I know you got about one hundred and thirty seven thousand, so please use all of your emails to cast those ballots.
Now, it's more important things.
No, I appreciate that. Don't forget folks, vote, vote, vote often, but only for the NAACP awards. Voting often in elections is illegal, so don't do that. But to some some information, and what's going on Capitol Hill, y'all, it's a rat race up there. I'm not even sure how these committees
are like getting it done because confirmation, confirmation, confirmation. We are a couple of days out from the shifting of administrations, and when a new president and vice president come in, yes, a whole new cabinet, a whole new staff and all
the other comes in with it. But of course, as y'all know because we've talked about it on this podcast before, that this is a particularly special time with this Trump administed transition, because these folks are also going to be trying to deepen into the government infrastructure, the employee employment infrastructure, to make sure that they have loyal people at every level of the government. We ought to keep our eyes
out for that. But right now, let's check out some of the heads of agencies and departments who are undergoing confirmation. We began the week week with Keith Hegsef Pee Pee Pete. I don't know what I said. I think it's a key Keith, but Pete Hegseth, who is up for Secretary of the Department of Defense of these United States, And I'd love for you to take a quick quick look at how he was handled during one of those questioning periods.
Here we have hundreds hundreds of women who are currently in the infantry, lethal members of our military serving in the infantry, but you degrade them, you say we need but not in the military, especially in combat units. You will be in charge of three million personnel.
It is a big job.
And when you make these public statements, and I get you are not Secretary of Defense, then I get you were on TV. I get you were helping veterans. I get it was a different job. But most recently, you said this in November of twenty twenty four, knowing full well you might have been named.
As Secretary of Defense.
Defense.
So please explain these types of statements because they're brutal, and they're mean, and they disrespect men and women who are willing to die for this country.
I spent months talking to active duty service members, men and women, low ranks, high ranks, combat arms and not combat arms. And what each and every one of them told me, and which personal instances have shown me, is that in ways direct, indirect, overt, and subtle, standards have been changed inside infantry training units, ranger school, infantry battalions to ensure the example.
Please give me an example. I get you're making these.
Generals quotas to have a certain number of female infantry officers or infustry enlisted, and that disparages those women.
Commanders do not have to be a quotas for the infantry. Commanders do not have to have a quota for women in the infantry.
That does not exist.
It does not exist.
Yeah, we just that's a brief preview of what yesterday looked like. So that was a New York State senator, New York senator representing obviously the state of New York, Kirsten Gillibrand, who I have to tell you, I felt like she and the women on that committee yesterday, Mazie Harano and many others, even even former vice presidential nominee and senator from Ware Virginia.
Timmaavor that watch day.
Yeah, well either way, all I want to say is I thought that one it was clear no Republican defected and hec seth is you know, probably going to get the votes that he needs. But that was him being taken to task over his comments about women moms not being in the military, so on and so forth, and them members of the Democratic Party holding him accountable to some of them, and it got fiery yesterday. If you didn't see that, I hope folks are able to check
it out. Tiffany and Angela. I know'll y'all monitored it as well.
What were your highlights from I just want to just one our our listeners and viewers to know who is getting confirmed and for what this week. So uh this week on Tuesday, we just talked about Pete Hesath, who faced the Senate and as Secretary of Defense.
On Wednesday. Pam Bondi out of.
Florida is uh in confirmation hearing for Attorney General, as is Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, as is former Congressman Sean Duffy of Wisconsin. He will know the real world confirmed, yes, real world fame. He will be in confirmation hearings for Secretary of Transportation John Ratcliffe for CIA Director. This is a big deal because, as you know, Chris Ray the outgoing Uh, I'm sorry, Chris raised FBI,
I'm the CIA director. Is uh very important because if you watch Lions, there are a lot of issues facing our facing our our country. Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy. He's an executive of a natural gas company based in Denver. Russell Valt Director of Office O and B, Office of Management and Budget. Which is a big deal. Scott Turner on Thursday, which is HUD. He is a former football player who served as a mid level official in the
first Trump administration. He's been elevated to lead a cabinet position. Lee Zelden for the e P a environmental protection AG. Doug Bergh, I'm another Trump loyalist for Interior Secretary, Scott Bestnett Treasury you and imagine that is a huge deal. A huge deal, Bescent, I'm sorry, I said, Bescent. And Christy Nome, infamous who infamously wrote about shooting her dog, her puppy. She will be facing the Senate on Friday for Homeland Security. So things are moving quickly on Capitol Hill.
We obviously by the time some of you all may listen to this, we have already we have not talked about it because it wasn't happening at the time that we had this discussion. But play keen attention to what's happening on Capitol Hill because this these are the people who will be leading government.
Angela have you.
Because the House doesn't really deal with confirmation hearings. What has traditionally been the role I think a lot of people wonder this of the Congressional Black Caucus, who serves in the lower chamber of the House, what has just traditionally been their role with helping confirm people or trying to stop people from confirmation since they're not on the Senate side.
Yeah, so I'll say, gone the ladder because that's the day and adri we are in now. I think that their role really is to help people understand and folks records. They'll go on air, They'll talk to their colleagues and their state delegation. They will meet with people that they have friendly relationships with, such as if they share views of the Progressive Caucus or if they're in the Blue Dogs or whatever. They will meet and talk about things
that they know about these individuals. Some of them have worked with these nominees. We know Pam Bondi and her role with some really tragic events in Florida. Some of the Florida delegation is certain to speak out against some of those things that she's done, including some of the ways in which she's massive been responsible for some massive injustice, including saying that Donald Trump actually won Pennsylvania in twenty twenty. So you can expect to hear the Pennsylvania delegation speak
out against that. They will write letters to senators and again talk to their friends, but there's not a formal role. They don't have any voting procedures, any hearings that they conduct on those actual nominations themselves.
And it doesn't sound like anybody can stop it. I mean, you don't. You have Senator Joni Ernst.
Who is herself a survivor of abuse and sexual assault, who is willing to vote for Pete Hegsath as Secretary of Defense, who will be in charge of three million people and a massive budget, who has never managed more than eighty people, and she and he's also been accused of sexual assault, and she is voting for him, Andrew, I just I don't know what it will say. Like, this is not a Senate, it is a cult. These are people who are there. Every question they ask it
is on some level. Are you a Trump loyalist? You know Democrats keep asking will you say no? And that was one of the questions. We should play this clip of Bondi Pam Bondi, because you and I disagree on how she handles this question. So let's hear from Pam Bondy, who is being in confirmation hearing to become the next Attorney General.
Let's take a listen.
Would you have hired someone into the Florida Attorney General's office who you knew had an enemy's list?
Senator to cut to the chase, clearly talking about Cash Pattel, I don't believe he has an enemy's list.
Cash Battel has a published enemies list. So she has perjured herself as the next Attorney General lying to Congress when she knows full damn well that Cash Patael has.
An enemy's list. Not only does he have his enemies list, it is published. We gonna put it up on the screen right now. Run that thing back. What does that say, Pam? You know better, Pam, stop lying, Pam. That's all I got to say about that.
I just like to tell of yours.
Cash Hotel is who Trump has tapped to run the FBI, and he has called members of the FBI people employees of the FBI is a deep state.
He is a person. These are all people who are out.
Pambondi herself has said, we're going to prosecute the prosecutors, We're going to investigate the investigators. They are all trafficking on an enemy's list. I am curious from a legal perspective. Can she plead ignorance? Can she say, well, I didn't know he had this published enemies list? And what's important to know about this, This Cash Hotel will be reporting into the d l J. He will be Pam Binni
will essentially be one of his bosses. They all serve with the pleasure of the President, but the FBI falls under the DLJ.
I also think she said I don't I don't believe, I don't believe, and yeah, and she did. And quite frankly, the reason why I said she had done well or what was doing, was because she was able to back out of basically everything she said, leading up to this.
Are there questionings crappy?
Well, well, I've seen she's very crafty. Answer she has been answering, Well, she is giving them. She is giving Democrats and certainly the Republicans the cover they need by saying, I will be the who's your Who's for instance, who's your client? As you change a constitution? And the American people are my client? Right, So they're trying to say you're gonna work for Donald Trump and she says, no,
the constitution and the American people love my client. I may be asked to advise him, and then in other areas it will was Joe Biden win the presidency. Joe Biden is the president, the forty six president, and Donald Trump will be the forty seventh president. So just these obfuscations that that was a good answer, it wasn't a good answer.
I'm well, she refused.
What I took away from that, she refused to say that Joe Biden got a majority of the votes.
We agree, Still an apology.
Also, how do we define good?
Like?
Are we saying good and we don't like it? Are we don't get to shift this so much? But saying so, here's my question, how are we defining is it a good answer? Are we saying good by the standards of integrity and what is moral and what is right?
Are we saying good? And that it was effective?
Effective? And to affect it to this end, yeah, affected to the end that it causes no Republican senators to then jump on the line of questioning that creates what looks like an opening on the right for her to be defeated. And so far just as it and hex a confirmation, not one single Republican senator chased down a line of questioning that would have in any way held
him accountable. Not none, whatsoever. Ernest was was gonna be the one who probably got closest to opening the door, didn't even open it, closed it, you know, right shut. So what I mean by good is no, I think the answer is disingenuine. I think there's some credibility issues there, and you know, I wish there was a way to hold it a greater account But to the point of effectiveness is will it cause any Republicans consternation? And right now, as the American people.
Were to hear there the nation bar is very.
No, not in mine.
But there no I sat there, I didn't say there, So I don't know like they was she would have to go in there and like light herself on fire and roll around for them to have any consternation.
Yeah, I mean, in truth, her predecessor nominee for that office, gave them consternation and he dropped out right, he had to withdraw, uh uh. And of course I'm costing my Congressman, Matt Gates had to withdraw from from that position.
So there are some people that's because there was a report coming out about his alleged But.
The report was always coming out, and we always knew that the man was truly thought.
That they were going to be able to hold it up. Remember, they thought that they.
Were I personally did not believe that they would have success at keeping from one hundred US senators detail. But but but I don't think that detail mattered to them at all.
Right, what does matter to them? I mean, the only thing that matters on the Republican side of the vide is how loyal will you be Donald Trump?
That's it. Yeah, that's that's it.
I agree, Yeah, even at risk of national security? How loyal will you be to Donald Trump? Pan BONDI was also she lobbied for the country of Cutter. I mean, there there are so many pete he seths, like we didn't see a full FBI background check on him, and they still.
And they're not going to the Other thing is you were talking about that FBI background checks. They're also not going to have to go through the traditional security clearance process. They didn't hire a firm to make it okay for all these folks to get security clearances, whether they've had issues with the law or not. Even the president will have top secret and classified information available to him as a convicted felon.
That is unheard of. There's so many to.
Ask you about that because you've gone through the security clearance process and I'm struck by that.
What is the process?
Like, what are some things that they're looking for that you went through that these people might be able to buy pass.
Yeah, they're looking for any issues with finances, like if you have significant debt, because if you have significant.
Debt, shut up, I'm not confirmed.
I'm not talking in a conversation. I was talking about the.
Security security player, Okay, But I will just say like they're looking for some significant debt because they think that folks who have significant debt are more easily bribed. They are looking for whether or not you have any felony or any significant character issue. So that's why I'm saying it is a amazing to me that even to get a freaking pre check, to get tsa pre check, there are certain things that you can have to get global entry.
You cannot have had a DUI on your record. All of that stuff is out the window for Trump and his cabinet picks, and arguably some of the folks that he is hiring to work in the White House that don't have to be sentate confirmed. So the bar and the standard is significantly shifting. And I wonder what happens when the proletariat realizes that the bar and shifted for some but not for all.
Well, while just say this, the high point for me is, and I know we're going to break after this, is simply that one of the Foxes are in charge of the Henhouses. In every department, every secretary, every appointee, there is antithetical by and large to the mission and even in some cases education i e. The existence of certain departments that they are now in charge of. And so what that leads for the rest of us. One know, there's not gonna be a lot of shock and awe.
It's going to be pretty awful their efforts. But too, they still have to be held to account at every turn. We still have to make noise about it. We still have to make sure people are aware. And I think more importantly, our vigilance, our eternal vigilance, is really going to be needed on the stuff that they don't talk about out loud, the you know, the little break trails they're not leaving behind. We know enough about heatstaf to know that the man don't like women, he don't like
black people. He's questionable people of color, and if he had it his way, it would be an all white male, one US military that basically bends to the whims of him and Donald Trump.
He will politicize the military.
It's already done. His answers yesterday were sol I mean, this week, we're incredulous.
That Tim kne clip.
All right, I want to break. Let's let's play going to break.
We're gonna play the Tim Kane clip so you guys can hear the back and forth between he and Virginia Senator Tim Kane, who has you all will remember, was Hillary Clinton's running mate in the twenty sixteen race. So take a listen to this and we will see you on the other side of the break when we're going to get in the calls to action. Anything else we didn't get to touch on, so we'll see you when we come back.
That occurred in Monterey, California, in October twenty seventeen. At that time, you were still married to your second wife, correct.
I believe so, And you had just fathered a.
Child by a woman who would later become your third wife.
Correct, Senator, I.
Was falsely charged, fully investigated, and completely cleared.
So you think you are completely cleared because you committed no crime, that's your definition of cleared. You had just fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife. I am shocked that you would stand here and say you are completely cleared. Can you so casually cheat on a second wife and cheat on the mother of a child who had been born two months before, and you tell us you are completely cleared?
So how is that a complete clear? Senator?
Her child's name is Gwendolen Hope heg Seth, and she's a child of God and she's seven.
Years old, and she was and you cheated on the mother of that child less than two months after that daughter was born, didn't you those were false charges?
Well, no, Jullie investigated and I was completely cleared.
And I am so youthful, and you're in the marriage.
I have to this.
No, you've you've admitted that you had sex at that hotel in October twenty seventeen. You said it was consensual. Isn't that correct?
Anything?
Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome.
Welcome back.
So you just heard that grilling from Senator Tim Kaine talking to Defense Secretary nominee Pete Heg Sath about his extracurricular activities, his affair.
His baby, mama's all of it. And you know, I'm I ask y'all might just give me here do we think?
First of all, I'm struck by what you were saying, Angela about the security process, because that debt that somebody could, Oh, we don't know if you have debt to a foreign agency, a foreign country, a company with nefarious intentions.
You know, if you have this.
Big debt with byte Dance, how might you treat the TikTok issue? Like, we just have no idea, But I want to talk about this exchange with Tim Kaine, because look, these things happen on both sides. DC is considered one of the most unfaithful cities in the country because exactly is definitely bipartisan, so it crosses all liness. So my question is, is it fair to you guys that you can bring up someone's personal life because really their marriage doesn't have anything to do.
With the job.
Or do y'all think no, it's fair game because y'all out here trying to be the party of fan values and morality.
So we gonna ask you ask about it. What do y'all say?
So here's the thing I would just say.
I think in the context in which Tim Kine raises this masterfully, it is fine. I think that when you have questions about whether or not someone can keep an oath, particularly when they are charged with protecting and defending the United States of America at the Department of Defense, Yes, your ability to keep an oath matters. You couldn't keep the oath the first time, you couldn't keep the oath the second time, and in the middle of the second time you was getting pregnant your third time.
And cheated on her before you was even married to her.
So I think what's hard about that, though, is as a daddy's girl. He references this seven year old daughter he has now, and so this is something that the child will one day grow up and see or even will get teased about it now or in a little while. That's hard, and I don't ever wish that on any child. But I do think that parents when they decide that they want to dive into public service.
We know Andrew.
Firsthand from campaign, and it is all fair game, or it's not fair game, but it's all game.
And it's definitely a game.
It's all game, and so that's a part of it. I wish that he would have more pointedly answered the question. He was asked about the incident because it was an alleged sexual assault. He says that he was cleared from it, and Tim Kaine's point was, you were cleared from the assault, but you weren't cleared from cheating on your wife with
your baby mama, who is now your third wife. And I think it's fair to ask that given the precarious position he's in, given the fact that his experience being a military leader is a Fox News host, and given the fact that he served, but not for long, So I think it's all fair. We have to base this on your experiences, and it sounds like, friend, you have more experience and being a hole and then being a military leader.
I would like that.
I'll just say I think first of all, with these Republicans in US and converse, everything is fair game. They don't take anything off the table. If you breathed the wrong direction, it is it's a cardinal sin. And I also know that if if hexth we're a Democrat and appointed by a Democratic president, that all hell would have been broken loose on the Republican side of that panel and they would have shredded to him over his demonstrated record.
Quite frankly, I think there is enough to to totally snatch this guy's head just on the legitimate stuff is work stuff, even the sexual assault stuff that I don't draw the conclusion that a person who has had personal indiscretions can't keep an oath. I don't think that you go naturally to that conclusion, but it appts absolutely shows something about an individual's character at that point in time.
But it is a matter that's probably left to the family to deal with, especially if you're a US Senator. I probably wouldn't be up there throwing any stones if I were one of those people. But I do think what is fair is what this man has done to transgress onto women unwantingly without their permission, the way in which he views women by and large, that they can have babies, but they cannot serve their country in the
US military. His position on every black person who has ever had a position of any import only got there because of the color of their skin, not the content of their character or the quality of the work in which they have had to do and then have done. So there's just so many ways to level this dude. That probably would be an avenue that I would have taken. But I do think, frankly, with these folks, everything's on the table.
I mean, I think it's on the table because Republicans are, you know, this hypocritical party of family values, and literally nobody in this party has any family values, right exact, That's the only reason I think it's on the table.
I'll say, their values only apply to the opposition, right exactly, if.
They have they have the talking points.
He references his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this hearing, and it almost for me, I'm a Christian. When he says, you know, well I've been Basically the argument is I've been redeemed.
Well, that's hard to argue with. I can't. I can't make that case.
What I can say is that you've had consistent lapses in judgment, and those are the kinds of things that we should call into question for someone leading accountant.
Certainly the defense of the United States of America, right, this is in the Preamble providing for the common defense. And if the guy is compromised, that's a problem, and the need to make sure that his skeletons are out is pretty pre eminent for this Senate because, as you already pointed out, Angela, the purpose behind that is not to make sure that you are a perfect person. It is simply to ensure that something you've done cannot be
held over your head. And you basically use the full weight and power of the defense of the United States as a negotiating or bargaining tool to keep your secret secret.
Yeah, you know, I.
We talked about this before when we were talking about who would be our Scotis pics, and Angela was like, don't put me on Scots. I don't want to be on Scots. But she did say she would love to do the confirmation hearing. I think I would like to do a confirmation here.
I rat for one of those.
With Democrats in charge.
Though, let's practice, let's pragup for one.
I want Nancy Mays to ask me a question.
Because she's not a senator.
Oh that's true. That's the how, that's true. Okay, on the Senate side, do I want to come for me? Joey Earns, Let me be Johnny Art, Let me be Johnny Urt. I couldn't practice now because I don't know what the Senate is. I mean, I don't know what the position is.
About.
You be, You're gonna be nominated for the Secretary of Agriculture.
You ready, I.
Don't know anything about it.
Okay, Secretary of Education. Okay, here we go, Secretary of Black people?
Are you ready?
You got this one? You got this one? Secretary hip hop you ready?
Uh? Definitely of sports?
Here?
No?
Here, ok that's better, Okay, here we go.
Here we go.
Tip, miss Cross, you have repeatedly said that you are a sports expert. When I reviewed your resume, I see no uh sports employment history. I see no internship. I haven't even seen where this is my best Johnny accident.
I'll not, she said, I.
Haven't even seen where you have watched any programs for sports. I'd like to know what you would do for this country. You'reclaiming my time, black man, who I don't even think you should be here in this.
Can be a little bit reclaiming time, Senator.
I'm trying to get to my question, Chairman, that's my question, Please mute.
Is my miscross you my answer?
I think if she asked me something like that, honestly, I would point out her own hypocrisy and how she has handled.
Yeah, every every.
Yeah, And I would punctuate the point that I would sarcastically say, I know how important qualifications are to you, given that you voted to confirm Pete Headsats and accuse.
Somebody accused of sexual assault.
I know how important this is you, given that you voted to confirm Jeff Sessions, somebody who was a known racist.
You know I would go through their own record each.
Time, and sports events that have women.
Well, honestly, honestly, but.
STONE think that people would come at me with sports because they know I would level them on.
Anything they want to. They don't want to. They don't want to do that.
Good, but they don't want to come for you.
Yeah you would work for.
Yes, yes, yes, Okay, I'm gonna go first because y'all people not gonna like mine, and I'm gonna go with mine anyway.
I do.
I am so disheartened by what is happening in LA and the fires, and I have to say, you all know I love animals, and I have seen people fight through firemen to get their dogs, their pitbulls, their cats, like all their animals out, and I'm thinking about all the little creatures who lost their life in the trees and whatnot.
And I've seen so many animal rescues.
So I just want to say, for the people who are pet owners and those of you who are, you know they're your fur babies. You care about them. I follow black people pets. It is the best thing online. The way these black folks were talking to them dogs like they birth them. I just want to say, let's not forget about people's fur babies. Because people are without dog food, cat food.
Some people lost their for babies.
And I know that human life is the most important thing, but I am my heart goes out to people who are struggling with their horses, their animals. I don't want to see animals burned in a fire or just left stranded. So if you would be willing to consider donating, if you know people with pets sending them whatever you can to make sure they're for babies, are okay.
Well, my quick call to action is, folks, we have given you grace. We are now at week two January, the new year, and I know all of us would love to bury our heads for a little bit longer, at least past inauguration. But once we get past inauguration, I want to just re extend an invitation to come back home. We need you in this fight. We need you in the know. We want to be one of the resources that helps to keep you informed, engaged, and active and also, you know what, a little humored along
the way. So we've had our break and now it's back to the real world, back to the grind. We can sleep in shifts, but the work has to be done. So I want to welcome you back home here to native lampod pick back up listening. Right after we get this dunstant office, we'll get back to doing the real work.
I am going to cheat slightly. I have too.
I just wanted to say thank you to Nick, our producer, for sharing his story with what happened, happened to him and what he's seen on the ground in La. I also want to shout out when with Black Women who launched a relief fund for black victims, specifically for the Altadena area in coordination with the Flintridge Center, which is a foundation dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence and poverty in the Altadena and Pasadena areas.
So far, since Sunday.
We've raised over eighty three thousand dollars for those victims. I want to shout them out. Please make sure you donate on go fund me. Please also make sure that you sign the petition for Marylyn Moseby's petition, a petition for a pardon. We are not giving up in the fight. We want to make sure that we see this thing through to the very very end. Please join us in
that fight. And lastly, make sure that you tune in to our inauguration special where we talk about are you more BARAQ, Andrew Gillip or you are Michelle Tiffany Cross on this inauguration, whether or not you would attend Okay, tune in, Jacky.
I'm looking forward to that discussion on Monday.
All right, this was a good show, guy.
I know we moved through a lot of topics quickly, but it's a busy news week and we'll be back later in the week, like Angel said, on Monday, to talk all things inauguration. But as always, before we go, we want to remind everyone please please please leave us a review, Subscribe to Native Lampod wherever you get your podcasts. We're available on all platforms and YouTube. I do want you all to know I read the YouTube comments.
I see you on.
You all ride so hard for us, so I appreciate you. I would love to get us to one hundred k subscriber. We're so close, so I would love to get us to one hundred k subscribers by mlkday, by inauguration. As you know, episodes drop every Thursday, and we have mini pods that drop every Monday. Please tell your friends to listen to the mini pods, and that's often some of
our best work is on those mini pods. And we also answer your questions sometimes on those mini pods, So you guys don't want to miss out on those Every Monday. Don't forget to follow us on social media. We are Tiffany Frost, Angela Rye and Andrew Gilliam.
Welcome home, y'all.
There are six hundred and fifty six days until midterm elections.
Welcome home, last morning plea.
Thank you for joining the Natives. Attention to what the info and all of the latest rock gillim and cross connected to the statements that you leave on our socials. Thank you sincerely for the patients reason for your choices clear.
So grateful it took to execute.
Roles than for serve, defend and protect the truth. Even in pace we well walking home to all of the natives wait.
Thank you.
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