Government Shutdown 2025: Congress Gets Paid While Federal Workers Starve
We recorded this episode seven days into the government shutdown, and honestly, we were both furious. Not the performative outrage you see on cable news, though. Actual, bone-deep frustration at watching our government play chicken with people's livelihoods while collecting their own paychecks without interruption. TSA workers are showing up to keep us safe without knowing when they'll get paid. FAA controllers are managing air traffic on empty stomachs and maxed-out credit cards. And Congress? They're posting memes.
I (Nicole) can barely contain my anger at this point. We're watching real people- friends, family members and neighbors scramble to figure out how to pay rent and buy groceries while the people we elected to represent us engage in political theater. This isn't governance, it's a hostage situation where American workers are the collateral damage.
Jolene's equally frustrated, though from a different angle. She points out that Republicans brought a "clean" continuing resolution to keep the government running - a straightforward solution that would reopen the government immediately. From her perspective, Democrats are holding out for a comprehensive bill that addresses broader issues, which sounds noble until you remember that people aren't getting paychecks while they negotiate.
My counter is that the "clean" resolution includes cuts that would devastate programs people depend on. Democrats aren't being obstructionist for fun; they're trying to prevent lasting damage to healthcare and social services. But Jolene's right that the timing is brutal. Can't we fund the government first and fight about policy second?
This is entirely preventable. Every single time. Congress knows exactly when funding expires. They have months to negotiate and compromise. Instead, they wait until the last possible second, fail to reach an agreement, and then act shocked when the government shuts down.
The human cost of this political game is staggering. SNAP benefits are frozen, leaving vulnerable families without food assistance which is more often than not women and children. National parks are closed, devastating small businesses that depend on tourism. Federal employees are working without pay or sitting at home wondering if they'll make their mortgage payment. Meanwhile, members of Congress continue receiving their salaries because apparently they're too important to suffer the consequences of their own failures.
What really gets under our skin is the meme warfare. While Americans are genuinely suffering, politicians are posting snarky graphics and dunking on each other on social media. It's not just tone-deaf - it's cruel. These are people who are supposed to be solving problems, and instead they're treating governance like a Twitter feud where the goal is to get the sickest burn rather than actually help anyone.
Both parties are guilty of this nonsense. Republicans accuse Democrats of playing politics with people's lives. Democrats accuse Republicans of the same thing. And you know what? They're both right. This has become a game where winning matters more than governing, where scoring political points trumps actually serving constituents.
Senator Schumer stepped up back in March to prevent a shutdown, and now he's under pressure from progressive members of his caucus to hold firm on their demands. Is he making decisions based on what's best for Americans, or what's best for his political survival? Probably both, which is exactly the problem. When political calculations override public service, everyone loses.
Most Americans are somewhere on the spectrum between the left and the right. We want reasonable solutions, thoughtful compromise, and leaders who can work together to solve problems. Instead, we get politicians catering to the extremes of their parties because that's where the primary voters and the big donors are. The loudest voices on both sides are driving policy while the rest of us watch in frustrated disbelief.
When we heard that Jay Jones, who’s running for the AG of Virginia had texted to a colleague that he had wished harm on an opponent and their children - yes, this actually happened - and is facing ZERO consequences tells you everything you need to know about where we are as a country. There's no accountability, no standards, no expectation of basic human decency. Politics has become a blood sport where anything goes as long as your team wins.
We keep asking ourselves: who speaks for the people who just want their government to function? Who represents the Americans who don't think every issue is a battle between good and evil, who understand that compromise isn't surrender, who believe that governing requires actually talking to people you disagree with?
Here's our challenge to you: call your senators. Email your representatives. Don't just complain on social media - actually contact the people who work for you and tell them to do their jobs. Demand they stop playing games with people's livelihoods. Insist they remember that their purpose is serving constituents, not scoring points against the other party.
And maybe, just maybe, we need to start voting differently. If your representative treats governance like a game show where the goal is entertainment rather than results, vote them out. If your senator is more interested in viral moments than actual legislation, replace them with someone who takes the job seriously. We keep electing people who prioritize performance over competence and then act surprised when they perform instead of govern.
There's a small glimmer of hope in unexpected places. Bari Weiss taking over at CBS represents a potential shift toward journalism that prioritizes facts over partisan narratives. We desperately need a media that holds everyone accountable instead of cheerleading for one side. Maybe if we had more trustworthy news sources, politicians would feel more pressure to actually solve problems instead of just spinning them.
The government shutdown isn't just about budget negotiations or policy disagreements. It's a symptom of a political system that's fundamentally broken, where the people making decisions face none of the consequences while the people suffering the consequences have no power to make decisions.
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
News and Media:
Straight Arrow News: https://san.com/
Straight Arrow News Podcast: https://youtu.be/Rda0SSDW0-g?si=LVk42CB2-MC_4ABH
Government Resources:
HUD Website: https://www.hud.gov/#close
US Senate Phone List: https://www.senate.gov/general/resources/pdf/senators_phone_list.pdf
Contacting Congress: https://www.coausphs.org/COA/COA/Advocacy/Contact-Congress.aspx
Good for the Soul:
Honestly with Bari Weiss: https://youtu.be/sqZ7E_Mx-K4?si=H-VNxG2twZPVnNB1
Film Reference:
The Post (Movie):https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6294822/
LINKS:
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[00:00:00]
[00:00:00] Nicole: y'all. We are talking about the government shutdown. And I'm so fired up. I don't even know, like I feel like I have like fire coming out of my eyes and my ears and my hair. I am fired up. to give our listener and our viewer some context, we are recording on October 7th, Tuesday, October 7th. here's the deal, Linda. I'm gonna do my very best not to swear, but I'm really angry about what's going on, and so the f word is my friend. but let's start with you Jolene, because I've got so much fire I need to calm down. What are you feeling about this shutdown? Tell me your thoughts.
[00:00:42] Nicole: Tell me what you're hearing in conservative media. Tell me what's going on It's been, uh, I think seven. days that we've been shut down.
[00:00:52] Jolene: Yes. so one of the most important things that you and I have talked about is how inept congresses, first of all, because there's so much [00:01:00] fighting and so much, backroom deals that are happening so that they can get what they want and, and their special interests, they can adhere to their special interest groups and, and all that.
[00:01:10] Jolene: And I feel like that's exactly what's happened here from my perspective. and what I'm hearing anyway is that the Republicans have put together a clean continuing resolution and said to, to be able to continue to fund the government. And the Democrats are saying, this is our opportunity to, um, reverse the spending cuts to, to Medicaid and the CDC and the NIH, national Institute of Health. And the CD. C, the Centers for Disease Control, and also to, to, um, get those permanent extensions of the temporary a CA, the Obamacare subsidies that will expire at the end of this year. Their only opportunity to get those extended and, and to get those to be [00:02:00] permanent, parts of, of the, uh, of Obamacare is to put it in this bill.
[00:02:04] Jolene: Republicans said no. And so we have shut the government down. Is that your perspective?
[00:02:12] Nicole: yes. Um, when they had the opportunity to shut the, uh, government down back in March, I think it was March, uh, they were completely not ready. And Schumer made the decision, which was unpopular to, uh, the more progressive contingent in the Democratic party, uh, to keep the, uh, the government open. they are getting a lot of, or they were getting a lot of, voicing from the progressive, uh, side of the party that they needed.
[00:02:49] Nicole: This was their chance to stand up and fight back. I think this is ridiculous and I think [00:03:00] that the Democratic party has once again not paid attention to what the people want. I am so incredibly frustrated, um, because this is not going to do anything but hurt Democrats and Republicans, all of us.
[00:03:22] Nicole: It's hurting all of us. I have, and I am so glad that you did the research about what the things that they are concerned about. 'cause I was more focused in my research about what is this affecting? Who is this affecting? What does it look like? And I am not just mad at the Democrats. I am really mad at the Republicans too.
[00:03:45] Nicole: I'm mad at everyone because in my opinion, the entire government is filled with 11-year-old children. I am so tired. Like I read in the New York Times, my [00:04:00] old school paper, this was uh, from Monday, and I'm just gonna read you this, that they were talking about how it used to be when they'd have government shutdowns, that the Congress would feel a real pressure to stay open and like would work through the night to try to figure out how to remedy the situation because they understood that they were putting hundreds of thousands of people at at risk no matter what their party was.
[00:04:31] Nicole: Right. uh, he says,
[00:04:32] Nicole: quote. We've learned since then that shutdowns have pretty minimal political impact and the economy barely feels it, unquote said Mr. Buck, who worked through the 2013 shutdown quote, when it doesn't feel like there's a ton of consequences, it's easy for the theater to displace the urgency, unquote. And then, former representative Patrick McHenry says, quote, it's not goodwill that [00:05:00] brings policymakers together, it's pain.
[00:05:04] Nicole: There's no urgency until the political pain increases. And what I think is crazy, and maybe everybody knows this but me, while this shutdown is happening. All of Congress gets paid,
[00:05:17] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:05:18] Nicole: all of Congress gets paid, ice gets paid. Who doesn't get paid? Hundreds of thousands of TSA workers for strangers. But especially, I'm thinking about the FAA and the strain on it, and I have so much to talk about that, but, and now There's I read today in the free press a leaked White House memo suggests that furloughed federal employees may not receive back pay once the shutdown ends, which is in a direct violation of a 2019 law guaranteeing back pay.
[00:05:55] Nicole: So all of
[00:05:56] Jolene: no way they can do that how can they do that [00:06:00]
[00:06:00] Nicole: I don't, I don't know. I don't know. I listen, it was a, it was a memo that I, I haven't seen the memo, but what, what makes me crazy, is that not only are these people not working through the night, Mike Johnson sent them home. we can't come to an agreement and they are posting memes.
[00:06:23] Nicole: That's what they're doing. The right is posting memes like crazy
[00:06:29] Jolene: when you say that he sent them home, didn't they? Didn't they reconvene this morning? I mean, weren't they meeting again this morning?
[00:06:36] Nicole: correct cor no, they, they, they, no, they, they actually reconvened Monday and they, they voted and, and it was their fifth vote and nothing. It was at a standstill.
[00:06:46] Jolene: and, then they tried again this morning. I mean, they, they got back together today's Tuesday. They got back together this morning and
[00:06:53] Nicole: I don't think that they have
[00:06:54] Jolene: well, or maybe it was just, I, I guess I saw that some of them maybe individually. I mean, [00:07:00] maybe
[00:07:00] Nicole: Maybe. Maybe. I'm hoping, I'm hoping that they are coming together because, there was a piece in the Atlantic about both sides are doing it. There's this ai, meme, I don't know if you've heard about it. The Republicans put out, uh, blue Oyster cults, the Reaper, and they use Russ Vtt, who is the, um, budget manager and he's the reaper.
[00:07:26] Nicole: And then, Trump plays a cowbell and Vance is. On the drums, and it's about like, you know, you know, beware the reaper, like we're gonna cut everything, blah, blah, blah. And then the, the Democrats post another meme, like that's what they're doing. It's like 11-year-old boys posting. And I'm thinking,
[00:07:50] Jolene: We're paying you. We are paying you to get your butts in there and work.
[00:07:56] Nicole: And this is what you're doing. You're not, you're not doing [00:08:00] anything. And it's all performative. And listen, I understand that it's might be difficult to trust the right when they say, let's, let's get the, the government open and then we'll work on the Medicare stuff and the medical, the oh, forgive me.
[00:08:21] Nicole: Um, help me
[00:08:22] Jolene: and the NIH and the
[00:08:24] Nicole: Yeah. And, and get, and get all that stuff out. You know, there have been many times that they have, um, not been true to their words. So I understand that they might be nervous about it, and I get that, but this is not helping anyone and no one's gonna remember anything except that p hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs.
[00:08:44] Jolene: one of the things that you and I have talked about so much is that, that Congress needs to pass bills that are clean bills. And so the Republicans presented this, you know, Clean, continuing resolution to continue to fund, the government [00:09:00] through the end of the year. and Schumer back in March when they did this, passed to the last one, So the, the Republic, you need 60 votes in order to do this. And the Republicans, there were only 53 Republicans in the Senate. you have to have at least, you know, seven or eight, um, Democrats that have to
[00:09:19] Nicole: to go to the other side.
[00:09:20] Jolene: as well. And so Schumer did last time, along with, I think it was 10 Democrats in March. He voted for it and he got so much crap
[00:09:28] Nicole: Yes,
[00:09:29] Jolene: I think the, the far left part, Of the Democratic Party that, that they were saying he was weak and feckless and, you know, he wasn't, he, he, you know, didn't represent what, what, um, the, the far left part of the Democratic party wanted.
[00:09:45] Jolene: And so one of the things that I heard last night was, and this was on Fox News, and I don't remember who, um, who the guest was, but they said that there's a big rally scheduled [00:10:00] for next weekend, and I think it was like the 18th.
[00:10:03] Nicole: you mean in two weeks
[00:10:04] Jolene: yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry. Yeah. Next, I mean, next, yes. Yeah. On the 18th.
[00:10:09] Jolene: And that it is a progressive rally in DC. And that Schumer is afraid, and of course I'm hearing this from the right, that Schumer is afraid that if he didn't take a stand on this, this rally would fuel the fire for the Democrats and the far left wing part of the Democrats to ous him and as the minority leader. and so he had, he, he had to do something, he had to hold firm on this. Have you, like, what are your thoughts on Schumer and, and him a approving it in March but now
[00:10:51] Nicole: Uh, listen, I know it was a really hard decision in March and I think he should keep the government open. I thought he should keep the government open [00:11:00] then. I think he needs to go. I've all, I've thought he is needed to go the entire time. Like he's, I'm done with him. He needs to go. We need some because he doesn't, to me.
[00:11:15] Nicole: I mean, yes. I appreciated that he, uh, acted like an adult. And kept the government open and said, okay, we, and I understand that this is not popular, but people are so afraid of losing their jobs now that that's like, now he's like, no, we're ready. This is what the Americans want. No, we don't. No, we don't. We don't, we don't want people, hundreds of thousands of people to lose their jobs.
[00:11:45] Nicole: Like, I mean,
[00:11:47] Jolene: Okay. So then do, are you, are you part of the Democratic party that wants someone to replace him that is more progressive?
[00:11:56] Nicole: I want our party to, [00:12:00] sorry, Linda, wake the fuck up. That's what I want. I don't, I don't feel represented right now. We are, we are bending on both sides, Republicans and Democrats. We are bending to what the far right wants and the far left wants. What about the rest of us that are grown ass adults that actually care about coming to the table and, and treating each other with respect?
[00:12:25] Nicole: Learning from each other and actually doing things again for our country?
[00:12:30] Jolene: so you liked the fact that Schumer did that in March
[00:12:33] Nicole: Yes, I did.
[00:12:35] Jolene: but now, um, you want him gone. So do, but you don't want somebody more progressive.
[00:12:43] Nicole: I just want someone that's reasonable. No, I feel like the entire country is Los are losing their minds. I truly do. I think they're losing their minds. We are posting memes. That's what we're doing. That's the solution. [00:13:00] That's funny. It's clever. Do your fucking job. Why are, what are we paying you for? You're not feeling any pain, but the, but you know, you and I flew the other day, right?
[00:13:12] Nicole: And we're going through TSA and those people are working to keep us safe for free. that's okay. That's okay. We already have traffic air. We already have a shortage of air traffic controllers. Just yesterday, Burbank, the, they had no, I,
[00:13:31] Nicole: they had to shut
[00:13:32] Jolene: I was just gonna
[00:13:33] Jolene: talk about that. So, because what ha is happening is they continue, so, so the essential employees will still work, but they won't get paid until the government comes back and then they get paid for, for back pay, for continuing to work during the shutdown and
[00:13:50] Jolene: one of
[00:13:50] Nicole: hope if that I'm, I'm, I'm hoping that memo is not correct.
[00:13:54] Jolene: Right.
[00:13:55] Jolene: Uh, yes, I hope so too. Um, but what [00:14:00] happens is a lot of the air traffic controllers then are calling in sick, because they don't want to work if they're not going to get paid right now. And so they'll take their sick leave, um, at this point. And, um, yeah, Burbank had had zero air traffic
[00:14:19] Jolene: controllers
[00:14:20] Nicole: Yeah. They had regional airports help without towers. they also from Straight Arrow News, who I shout out to them, I just think they're fantastic. Uh, they were talking about how it's such a stressful job anyway, hands down, stressful job. Then you have, uh, uh, a shortage of air traffic controllers.
[00:14:43] Nicole: Now you have a shutdown, and they were saying that, that these air traffic controllers are working from equipment. That were created in the sixties, the eighties and the nineties. the bottom line, Jolene, is hundreds of thousands of us, millions of us fly every [00:15:00] single day.
[00:15:01] Nicole: So if crashes start to happen, that's okay.
[00:15:05] Jolene: Right. Okay, so, um, would you be in favor then of the Democrats, um, saying, okay, we'll pass this, this clean cr and then, but we've gotta have a, we've gotta have conversations to, you know, making permanent, the temporary a CA provisions, the Medicare cuts, all that
[00:15:30] Nicole: I mean, I mean, here's the thing,
[00:15:31] Jolene: I'm sorry, I should have said Medicaid cuts
[00:15:34] Nicole: well also there's, well, actually Jolene, there are two, there are two Medicare benefits that have been really affected already from this with the shutdown. And they were actually very popular bipartisan programs during Trump won. During his first term, and one is, um, telehealth benefits and in-home hospital care, [00:16:00] and who do they affect the most?
[00:16:01] Nicole: Rural, rural communities, older people and disabled people. And now there's, it's very limited, uh, telehealth benefits where you have to prove that you live in a rural community and you have to go to a designated Medicare facility for your telehealth. when the pandemic hit and they, and they created these programs, it really helped rural communities who didn't have access to hospitals or doctors, like within, you know, 20, 30, 40, 50 miles. And, and they like, were able to not only get, um, telehealth care, but they had these, um, in-home hospital care where making sure that they're taking their me medications, blah, blah, blah. Now they're flooding hospitals that are already overrun. Like it's only been seven days and it's a huge mess. I'm guessing you're asking me am I [00:17:00] against the progressive end of our party? I am not. do I think Schumer, it's time for him to go? Yes, I do. I think we need new energy and it's not necessarily like I see someone there that I want. and I think it's a bigger issue, and we've talked about this in so many, um, episodes, is that we're in this culture of, no,
[00:17:26] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:17:27] Nicole: the right might have a good idea, the left is not allowed to say you. That was a good idea. And the left might have good ideas and the right's not allowed to say, Hey, that's a good idea.
[00:17:38] Nicole: So we're in this standstill that if, if like me as a liberal and here we're having this, this episode, am I gonna get backlash? Because I'm like, this is fucking stupid. Open the government. You're not helping anybody. You are hurting all of these people. And I care about these people. I want them Now do I want, [00:18:00] um, the a CA to be extended?
[00:18:02] Nicole: Yes. And I think a lot of Republicans and Democrats all do. but I don't think the Republicans are allowed to say it. And I think that the Democrats are performing like, if we don't do this, then we're not true Democrats
[00:18:17] Jolene: What I I do think though, that Mike Johnson has said, listen, I am willing to have the conversation about the, the a CA, um, benefits and Medicaid and all that. It just, it, it's gotta be outside of this bill. And I think that, uh, because this bill is about funding the government period, and I, I think the, the problem is this is the only leverage the Democrats feel like they have. again, this is a congressional problem. And, and when they're holding the American people hostage because, uh, you know, they're stomping their, their feet like, you know, toddlers, I mean, I said toddlers. You said 11-year-old. [00:19:00] I'm going,
[00:19:00] Jolene: I'm
[00:19:00] Nicole: May I may. Maybe we should go younger. I mean, listen, Jolene, and it's ironic or it's interesting because you and I, the, for the last eight months have said, Congress, get your shit together. Congress, do your job. Congress, Congress, Congress. This is the first time they're they they all in my, I'm like, you all need to go.
[00:19:21] Nicole: You just all need to go or you need to start understanding that we don't like this as Americans. This is not helpful, this is not helpful.
[00:19:30] Jolene: I am, I'm wondering though, you know, I always think that there's a deeper meaning in all of this. and, and so I'm wondering if, the Democrats are being, um, swayed by the more progressives in their party than they are the moderates like you
[00:19:52] Nicole: I don't know if I would even consider myself a moderate. this is what I think Jolene and it's been happening with the Democratic Party for years, is that we [00:20:00] don't have a plan. We don't have a direction, we don't have a purpose. which is a problem basically since Trump, uh, sc you know, floated down that escalator, all we have done is reacted to him.
[00:20:17] Nicole: All we have done is, you know, he's a bully. He's a this Now I personally think he is, but okay, so what are you gonna do about it? Let's have a plan. What are we about? What do we want? What do we think instead? It's just, it's just constant reaction. Maybe like a toddler,
[00:20:37] Nicole: I just want people to wake up and really start doing the work. I mean, I just am, am am very frustrated with the state of our government, cause what I'm also hearing from you, Jolene, is that the way that Fox is portraying, it's like this is the Democrat's fault. And [00:21:00] I had heard that if you call a government office, um, that the auto message says this is the go, this is the Democrat's fault. I was like, wait, what? And so then I looked, on the HUD website,
[00:21:18] Jolene: the radical left, I can't even say it without laughing. The radical left in Congress, shut down The government. HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need. Wow.
[00:21:32] Nicole: And so I show that to you as my li as my Republican conservative friend, and go?
[00:21:42] Nicole: I feel like we've lost our minds here's the deal, Congress. You both Are the problem you both have. Shut down this government, get off of your cell phones, stop posting the memes and get to work.
[00:21:57] Jolene: did you send me the Instagram of [00:22:00] the two guys talking? Oh, yes you did. And you, um, and they were like, it politics is like a sports, it's, it, it's
[00:22:07] Jolene: like a, a,
[00:22:08] Jolene: sports compare. Like you are cheering for one team and even if the other team does something good, you're like, nah, nah. I mean, you're, you can, you're so focused on your team that, um, you can't recognize when the other team, because you just want to win.
[00:22:25] Jolene: Like you
[00:22:25] Jolene: want to win at all costs.
[00:22:28] Nicole: and you're, in this irrational head space, right? Like one of 'em even said, you're like, I want you to die. Well, this is not sports. These are human beings. This is real. And we all
[00:22:40] Nicole: are on the same team.
[00:22:42] Jolene: yeah, it's kind of like, okay, offense and defense. Because
[00:22:48] Nicole: yeah, you are football, you tell, you tell us
[00:22:50] Jolene: well, so if you were, if, if you are an offensive player, then you don't wanna be out on the field the whole time. You want the defense to [00:23:00] do their job so that you can rest and then go back out and run your plays and score and vice versa.
[00:23:05] Jolene: And the defense doesn't wanna be out there all the damn time because, and you know, if the, if the offense is going three and out and you know, then the defenses have to go back out there. And, no, we're all, because we're all on the same team, let's, instead of being opposing teams, let's be on the same team.
[00:23:25] Nicole: they are taking this opportunity to, like they have, they've canceled this $18 billion New York City infrastructure bill. Um. And they've canceled green energy bills the people that are supposed to negotiate are basically getting a paid vacation.
[00:23:44] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:23:45] Nicole: Right. And ice agents are still getting paid, but are, um, like our amazing TSA TR traffic controllers, all these people that keep us safe every day, too bad. you you just have to come to [00:24:00] work, be totally stressed out. And not get paid.
[00:24:02] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:24:03] Nicole: and I know TSA doesn't get paid very much, so they are living paycheck to paycheck. And so who's hurting here? Not, not Congress, not
[00:24:13] Jolene: Well, when you look at, at SNAP benefits, I mean, they, they're going to, I mean, you're talking women and children. I mean,
[00:24:20] Nicole: Yeah,
[00:24:21] Jolene: what, how, how in the world do you justify that? How do you sit as a congress person and sit in your cute little condo in DC and going, ah, yeah, we can't do anything about it.
[00:24:34] Nicole: Or, or I have to show to the, my democratic base that I am standing
[00:24:38] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:24:39] Nicole: I want us to find humanity again. I want us to stand up for being decent. Just being decent. I, I have two things to, to say about that one. Um, 'cause everything is smoke and mirrors and there's so much stuff is happening so fast all the time that we, [00:25:00] and I'm.
[00:25:01] Nicole: So furious at the media, but they can only do what they can do. But I have to give a huge shout out to Straight Arrow News, because remember when I sent you that video of, the ice agent that threw, it.
[00:25:14] Nicole: was in New York that threw the woman down on the
[00:25:16] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:25:17] Nicole: And he got suspended. He got suspended September 26th.
[00:25:24] Nicole: He was reinstated September 30th. I did a deep dive. The only news organization that reported his the reinstatement was straight hour news. Everyone else you can Google and everyone reported that he was suspended, but no one except one media company said he's, he's reinstated. And nobody got mad. Nobody like, we're just like onto the next thing onto, you [00:26:00]
[00:26:00] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:26:00] Nicole: because we're, we're all exhausted and we are all, you know, what other nutty thing is gonna happen today or tomorrow or whatever. and there was one more thing. Jolene. I wanted to, oh, this, this is important. Republicans, the data blackout continues leaving markets without the jobs report.
[00:26:24] Jolene: oh, I did see this. Yeah.
[00:26:26] Nicole: I mean, that should matter. That should not matter. Everybody. That should matter. Get in the rooms and act like grownups and talk to each other and get the shit done. And don't worry about what it looks like to us.
[00:26:41] Nicole: You know, what it looks like to us. That you all suck. That's what it looks like to us.
[00:26:46] Jolene: Yeah. that you're stomping your feet like, like children and, uh, not doing your job of, of what we paid, like we sent you there to work
[00:26:55] Nicole: I don't think this is a non sequitur, but talking about like [00:27:00] wanting our congress, wanting the people in our government to do what we paid them to do and to act like adults and to be decent to each other. Or how do we undo this nonsense of stomping our feet and posting a meme instead of acting like a grownup, uh, tangle today reported on a Democratic man.
[00:27:25] Nicole: Let me make sure that I get his name right. I think it's j Jones. Hold on one
[00:27:30] Jolene: yes, it
[00:27:31] Nicole: sure I know. Okay. J from Virginia.
[00:27:34] Nicole: and he's a Democratic, person, uh, running for ag and I guess he, uh, some text threads came up from 2022 where he, wanted his opponent's death and the death of his children because it was, the only way, uh, that, uh, things get done is when things are [00:28:00] personal. And he has said that he's really sorry and he apologized to them and he's embarrassed and he didn't mean it. And, and I, and at first I'm listening to this. Story. And I'm like, is it a democrat? Is Republican? I can't hear it. Like, I'm like, who is this J Jay Jones guy? And then it's a Democrat. And I've just, and I'm like, and then, then he's, he's, he's reporting like, what does the right say and what does the left say and the right's like he should be, uh,
[00:28:29] Jolene: he should drop out.
[00:28:30] Nicole: he should stay, he should drop out.
[00:28:31] Nicole: And the right and the left is going well.
[00:28:37] Jolene: I.
[00:28:37] Nicole: And I'm sorry. I am sorry again. What is happening? We are, we have lost our minds. This is where I.
[00:28:45] Nicole: am. We have lost we minds. We have lost our minds because guess what, Jay Jones stepped down, like, start here. And, and people are like, but, but what about Trump? He acts like this. He acts like that. [00:29:00] Who's gonna start acting like human beings?
[00:29:02] Nicole: Who's gonna start being decent? Who somebody asked to.
[00:29:05] Jolene: The and, but isn't it
[00:29:06] Nicole: Besides you and me. Besides you
[00:29:08] Nicole: and me,
[00:29:08] Jolene: for you and I, uh, um, the, the fact that they're a month away from the elections and the Democrats are going, well, we're screwed. We don't have anybody that could step in for 'em,
[00:29:19] Nicole: And you know what? Oh, well. So you're gonna lose. You're gonna lose because you have a totally sick, disgusting human being running for ag.
[00:29:31] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:29:31] Nicole: has set, has taken pride in killing his opponent and his children.
[00:29:38] Jolene: Yeah. I, I, that's, it's unbelievable. And, and so Democrats have said, um, you know, gosh, he, he, you know, he shouldn't have said, boy, that was bad that he said that, but he, no, he doesn't need to drop out the fact that that is where we are. You're right. It's, it's sad. It's sick.
[00:29:58] Nicole: I mean, Jolene [00:30:00] like, have we lost our
[00:30:01] Jolene: Yes, we have, we have absolutely put so much emphasis on our political system that we have completely, um, forgotten how to be human beings.
[00:30:14] Jolene: And so we are, we are win at all costs. We are, well, you said that. Yeah, but I, I'm sure that you've said worse or, you know, our side said that. Yeah. But your side I'm sure has said worse. I mean, that's what we're Is that the, is that the litmus test now for being a politician is, you know, ah, I feel like the others, I feel like somebody else has said something worse, so no, we're still gonna stand behind this, this,
[00:30:38] Jolene: person.
[00:30:38] Nicole: That's right, That like there's no more integrity, there's no more ethics. We're not allowed to say, Hey, you have a good idea over there or, or the right say to the left, you have a good idea over there. Let's work together like. You gotta see this blue oyster cult meme. I'm gonna post it. I'm gonna put in the show notes [00:31:00] because it's ridiculous.
[00:31:02] Nicole: It's ridiculous. Or maybe I shouldn't put in the show notes 'cause maybe I'm perpetuating
[00:31:07] Jolene: that's true. No, don't put it in there.
[00:31:09] Nicole: I'm not gonna, you know what? You look it up. I'm not putting it in our show notes.
[00:31:13] Jolene: fact, in fact, we're not even gonna talk about it
[00:31:15] Nicole: Talk about, yep, we're done. We're done. We we're not talking about it.
[00:31:21] Jolene: I will be interested to see if, if, if it truly is what Fox News said that on October 18th there is a rally and, um, the government will not open before then because, um,
[00:31:38] Nicole: Because Chuck's Schumer wants to save face.
[00:31:42] Jolene: Yeah. Let's see.
[00:31:48] Nicole: Mm mm mm. Um, I'm not going to apologize for my fire, but I, it does feel a little bit vulnerable that I've been like screaming the whole time.
[00:31:58] Jolene: I love
[00:31:58] Jolene: I love that you're
[00:31:59] Nicole: [00:32:00] screaming, screaming and sweating. it's funny because we aren't, we aren't on opposites here.
[00:32:05] Jolene: right? No, we're on the same, we we're saying the
[00:32:07] Nicole: We, we,
[00:32:08] Nicole: yeah. Yeah. We,
[00:32:09] Jolene: a stupid little baby.
[00:32:11] Nicole: yeah, we want you to get to work, get to work people.
[00:32:14] Jolene: James Teleco wouldn't do that.
[00:32:16] Nicole: No, he wouldn't
[00:32:18] Nicole: you guys don't have to stand for it, honestly. Call your Congress people, call your senators, speak out if you, if this, if this episode airs and we are still shut down, call your senators and get them to demand them to get back at the
[00:32:33] Jolene: you know what, that's what we need to do. We should put in the show notes, the, uh, the main, uh, switchboard to the House of Representatives and the main switchboard number to, um, the, to the Senate.
[00:32:48] Jolene: And I'm assuming they still do that. I, I, I, I mean,
[00:32:52] Nicole: unless there's a big red and there, unless there's a big red thing that says the lefties, those radical lefts, [00:33:00] those radical democrats have have closed down the, the switchboard ing. Like you mean when they, like they put
[00:33:06] Nicole: the
[00:33:07] Jolene: am sorry. Your, your call, your call cannot be completed. It's dialed.
[00:33:11] Nicole: Yeah.
[00:33:13] Jolene: Um,
[00:33:13] Nicole: Yeah. No, that's a good idea, Julian. That's a very good idea. on that note, it was some interview, and forgive me that, I can't remember. I heard it this week, but, but it was talking, oh, it was a Utah thing actually. But it was, they were saying how don't cut And paste when you get those petitions to like, send to your senator or send to your congressperson.
[00:33:37] Nicole: They're like, do not cut and paste. Write something from your heart like, it doesn't even, it doesn't have to be long. just say what you need to say. Call and say what you need to say. Email. Say what you need to say. Don't worry about this. Cut and paste nonsense. 'cause it's not, it's not real like.
[00:33:58] Nicole: Demand your [00:34:00] senators, demand your Congress people to work for you. That's what they're there for. We forget We voted them in and we can vote them out. do you have a good for your soul, my darling?
[00:34:10] Jolene: Hmm. I do not.
[00:34:12] Nicole: Okay,
[00:34:13] Jolene: I know you
[00:34:13] Jolene: do.
[00:34:14] Nicole: I do.
[00:34:16] Nicole: You ready?
[00:34:17] Jolene: Yes.
[00:34:21] Nicole: So, um, Bari Weiss, she left the New York Times in 2020 and she created a media company, uh, called The Free Press, and she's been, um. Working her tail off for five years and creating a truly independent news source, uh, where she has also staff of right and left together. And they are about bringing the truth back to the news and having all of us be able to trust again.
[00:34:57] Nicole: What I thought was interesting is that she's been in [00:35:00] talks and it is official that she is, uh, joining Paramount and will be heading CBS news. And I saw coverage from the left screaming that she was a conservative, which she is not.
[00:35:16] Jolene: Wow.
[00:35:17] Nicole: And I, and I thought that was very dangerous because what is exciting is that the free press will still stay as the free press, but then she will be running CBS news. will it be as left? No, because she runs it from not even a centrist point of view. She runs it as a news organization, an independent news organization. So I think there's a real opportunity here, uh, for all of Americans to have a legacy media news source that comes from an independent lens again.
[00:35:53] Nicole: And so my good for the soul is she has a podcast called, honestly, with Barry Weiss. And [00:36:00] this episode I will put in the show notes. It's nine minutes and she explains what she's about to do
[00:36:06] Jolene: Oh, yay. I'm so excited for her. I, I just think as you know, I, I
[00:36:11] Jolene: absolutely love her. Yep. I think it's amazing 'cause she's a young mother, you know, she and her wife, um, have just had a baby. Uh, I mean, less than a, has it been a year? Maybe it's been a year right now. No, I think it's even less than a year.
[00:36:25] Jolene: And I think what
[00:36:28] Nicole: I can't believe she's done
[00:36:29] Jolene: right, what an incredible journey she has been on as a female young mother. Um, uh, yeah. I just think this is fantastic. So I hope it, I hope it is a great experiment. Experiment and experience.
[00:36:47] Nicole: Yes. And I hope it really brings integrity back to, uh, legacy news. 'cause we need it. 'cause we're in such a state of not trusting anything and we need that. We absolutely need that. And, and we [00:37:00] have no idea how to handle it anymore. Like, as a culture, it'll be interesting to see if people are like, you know, on the right, maybe, maybe she'll get some Fox News people and maybe she'll get some M-S-N-B-C people who are, who can actually, uh, consume the same news and maybe have a similar experience and create their own. Thoughts from a, an independent source, which would be very exciting.
[00:37:29] Jolene: And what a Freaking novel idea.
[00:37:33] Nicole: novel idea.
[00:37:33] Nicole: Yeah.
[00:37:34] Nicole: Right.
[00:37:34] Jolene: Wow.
[00:37:36] Nicole: Wow.
[00:37:38] Jolene: Crazy. Walter Cronkite.
[00:37:40] Nicole: Yeah. Weird, weird, weird, weird.
[00:37:42] Jolene: do you have a, would you rather
[00:37:44] Nicole: I do, do you,
[00:37:46] Jolene: Yes.
[00:37:51] Jolene: would you rather read your news from a newspaper [00:38:00] or from a computer?
[00:38:01] Nicole: listen, we get the newspaper and I rarely read it from the newspaper, but I really like it.
[00:38:08] Jolene: Oh, I do too.
[00:38:10] Nicole: Right. Don't tell anybody. I
[00:38:12] Nicole: really like it. I like, I like, I like reading books. I like the newspaper. I like how it feels in my hands. It just, and it also like, it kind of forces you to slow down in a way that a computer, you've got all this other stuff happening on the page, popups or whatever, nonsense, and I just, it's like, this is my time to read the paper.
[00:38:36] Jolene: Oh God, yes. Um, we have not had a paper paper. In probably four years. And now I, I will say I didn't like the print on my hands and I didn't, I, so I don't like the way it feels on my hands. I do like actually holding something though and reading it and um, being able to go back [00:39:00] and forth and, oh,
[00:39:01] Nicole: I just had a flashback actually, of first moving to New York City and being on the subway and it was pre cell phones and people would read the newspaper on the subway and I would always, I would always marvel at the people that were really good at folding it, folding it while they're standing wa reading.
[00:39:20] Nicole: I was like, wow. And then you'd see like the crazy headlines from the Daily News and The Post, and I thought that they were like The Inquirer. I didn't really understand those newspapers, like what is this place? But, um, yeah. Anyway,
[00:39:34] Jolene: Mm. I wonder if we'll get back to that. I mean, we've gotten back to vinyl. Don't you think that we'll get back to newspapers?
[00:39:42] Nicole: Yes.
[00:39:43] Jolene: I do too.
[00:39:44] Nicole: there's gotta be something you can do about the, The print on your hands? Yeah, maybe there are, uh, newspaper reading gloves. Can you imagine that would [00:40:00] work?
[00:40:00] Jolene: No, but couldn't somebody come up with a digital? 'cause that's the thing, like those printing presses were so huge. Do you remember seeing like a, a newspaper you'd walk by, I'm sure.
[00:40:10] Jolene: I remember downtown Des Moines. You could walk by the Des Moines Register and see it being printed. It was such a cool thing
[00:40:17] Nicole: Oh, that's cool. That's cool.
[00:40:18] Jolene: And so now I'm sure they could do it digitally of, of, and create a digital version of a newspaper. So you don't actually get the, the ink.
[00:40:27] Nicole: maybe you should try it. I, when I on the plane, actually, I watched it's, it's now kind of an old movie, the Post, and it was, um, Meryl Streep
[00:40:37] Nicole: and Tom Hanks and it was really good about, the Pentagon Papers and Catherine Graham, who owned The Post, having the courage to be able to print them.
[00:40:50] Nicole: And it's a really good movie. And they would show scenes of, of those crazy print rooms with where they would type set and
[00:40:59] Nicole: I mean, it [00:41:00] seemed like such an art form and so stressful.
[00:41:03] Jolene: Oh,
[00:41:03] Nicole: What, how did they get it right? I mean, it's amazing. alright. You ready?
[00:41:07] Jolene: Yes.
[00:41:09] Nicole: Yeah. Would you rather look strong and be weak or look weak?
[00:41:18] Nicole: Be strong.
[00:41:20] Jolene: oh,
[00:41:24] Nicole: I'm thinking about our government, y'all.
[00:41:28] Jolene: oh. I was thinking about my arms.
[00:41:32] Jolene: Oh, that's not what you meant. You didn't
[00:41:35] Jolene: mean,
[00:41:35] Nicole: no. You can be, it could be whatever you interpret it. It could be whatever you interpret it.
[00:41:40] Jolene: I would rather be strong, so I guess I have to look weak.
[00:41:45] Nicole: I'm with you.
[00:41:46] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:41:46] Nicole: you will always be underestimated and you will always overachieve,
[00:41:51] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:41:53] Nicole: which I like. I like that advantage
[00:41:55] Jolene: true. like yeah. Go ahead and underestimate me
[00:41:59] Jolene: and then let me [00:42:00] show you. Okay. Okay. Yeah.
[00:42:02] Nicole: Like your first years out of college in the medical sales. That's what you said.
[00:42:07] Nicole: You're like, fine,
[00:42:08] Jolene: What is this dumb? What does this dumb girl
[00:42:10] Jolene: know?
[00:42:12] Nicole: Exactly. And you're like, I know a
[00:42:14] Jolene: Oh, let me tell you. I don't know a lot more than you think that I know, but I'm gonna fake it and let you think that I
[00:42:24] Nicole: That's right. Fake it too. Make it,
[00:42:26] Jolene: Absolutely. All right, government, I hope you're back in session soon.
[00:42:32] Nicole: and if you're not, call your senators. Get them to work. Thank you Jolene, for having this conversation and having all of our conversations. please like, subscribe, uh, wherever you get your podcasts. And do us a favor and let us know what you think and share it with a friend. Uh, we are trying to build this community one.
[00:42:56] Nicole: Human being that wants to act decent and kind at a time. [00:43:00] Um, 'cause I truly believe, I think we both believe that there are more of us out there than the other.
[00:43:06] Jolene: absolutely. Thank you
[00:43:09] Nicole: Thank you. Bye bye.
[00:43:10] Jolene: Bye-Bye.
[00:43:11]
