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TRANSCRIPT

Jane Coaston: It’s Tuesday, November 25th. I’m Jane Coaston, and this is What a Day, the show saying rest in peace to the great Jimmy Cliff, who passed away at the age of 81 on Monday. He starred in the reggae film The Harder They Come in 1972, but you might know him for his cover of I Can See Clearly Now, which you heard in the Disney classic Cool Runnings. [music break] On today’s show, the Pentagon takes retribution to a whole new level by announcing an investigation into Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, and the Trump administration continues to play games with Americans’ health insurance. But let’s start with Congress, otherwise known as the bad place. Congress is not exactly a barrel of fun at the best of times, but after the unexpected exit of Georgia Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene last week, the vibes have reportedly never been worse. According to the Congressional record, the 119th Congress has spent fewer days in session, held fewer votes, and done less procedurally than any Congress in years. One House Republican told reporter Jake Sherman on Monday, quote, “More explosive early resignations are coming. It’s a tinderbox. Morale has never been lower. Mike Johnson will be stripped of his gavel, and they will lose the majority before this term is out.” Meanwhile, many members of Congress are spending their time trying to censure one another. A censure is a form of formal reprimand reserved for unethical or unlawful actions, and it used to be incredibly rare. But last week, Congress members tried to censure their colleagues at least five times. But some people, for whatever reason, still want to join the party. Like Aftyn Behn, who’s running for the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election next Tuesday. She’s hoping to flip a Tennessee district that hasn’t voted for a Democrat since Ronald Reagan’s first term, and she’s focusing on grocery prices and affordability. I spoke to her about why she’s running for office and who she wants to see vote for her. Aftyn Behn, welcome to What a Day. 

Aftyn Behn: Thank you, thanks for having me. 

Jane Coaston: So I think my question, as someone who has never run for Congress, is it doesn’t seem like a great time to be in Congress, no matter your party affiliation, as evidenced by Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation and a bunch of people looking for the exits. Why are you looking to join? 

Aftyn Behn: I feel called to serve in this moment, my country and my state. My community is depending on me um to show up and to fight for them. I serve in the Tennessee legislature, which is one of the most hostile political environments probably in the country. So I know exactly what I’m signing up for, but this is a moment in time where our community is looking for fearless leadership, and that is what I hope to offer. 

Jane Coaston: What makes the Tennessee legislature so hostile? 

Aftyn Behn: [laugh] Uh. Well, we are in the super minority as a Democrat, so there are 22 of us out of a 99 person body. Um. They shut off our mics when they don’t like what we’re saying. This year, they filed rules in the House that if you are censured three times in one day, you’re put in a penalty box where you have to vote remotely. 

Jane Coaston: There’s a penalty box? 

Aftyn Behn: Yeah. For reprimand and censuring, they castigate us to the hallway. But I think it’s it’s emblematic of a Republican supermajority that has codified their worldview and has leveraged the state apparatus to squelch dissent and force the minority legislative party uh into the corner. 

Jane Coaston: A few months ago, I think that your race was really getting missed at the national level, but your opponent, Matt Van Epps, has gotten a ton of money and President Trump even hosted a short tele-rally for him earlier this month. Have you felt extra pressure under the spotlight as a progressive Democrat running in what I think a lot of people would think of as being MAGA country. 

Aftyn Behn: Thanks for that question. To be honest, it is I knew it was coming and it’s felt as aggressive as it seems. The entire Republican national apparatus has me as their focal point and it’s not fun. During the first onslaught, I cried a lot, but I got to a place where I you know I’m willing to step up and and serve my community and deal with the consequences right now. But it does feel like a lot. And I’ll just say, I mean, the reason that they’re spending so much money. This race was not supposed to be competitive, and if they’re spending money assassinating my character, then they’re not talking about their plan to lower health care costs. 

Jane Coaston: You know, one of the more recent attacks on you was centered around comments you made in 2020 as a podcast host where you said, uh quote, “that you hate this city and the bachelorettes and the pedal taverns.” So something I was curious to ask you about is that it’s no secret that Nashville has become this huge tourist city. And as anyone who has ever lived anywhere that becomes a tourist city, that can be so frustrating. Like you do not actually live in a bar or at a bachelorette party or on one of those pedal wagons. What do you want to bring to the people of Nashville that tourists who aren’t from there and aren’t gonna stay there might miss? 

Aftyn Behn: Yeah, and obviously those comments were mischaracterized as I was launched into this diatribe about why I decided to get involved in a mayoral race, right? And unlike those that just complain about the issues of our city, I decided to jump off the sideline and run for office. And now I’m the state representative that represents downtown Nashville, which is an esteemed honor and I’m grateful. But as you know innately that when you live in a tourist city, there are things that happen that, you know, you disagree with and um that make your life a little more complicated. But as the next Congresswoman for the city of Nashville, or at least a third of it because the Republicans cut out our district, you know I focus on affordable housing, transit, how are we going to make the lives of people that live in this district better and not those of the billionaires that just come down here and spend money, but how are actually improving the material conditions of people’s lives. What’s often overlooked is that Nashville was the intellectual capital of the civil rights movement. Um. And so oftentimes when people think of Nashville and the fun and Broadway, Black history is often overlooked. And that’s something that I really revere and have committed to investing in our Black communities through this congressional campaign and and should we flip the seat my goal is to make groceries cheaper to decrease the cost of living to increase wages and to improve their quality of life where they live, whether that’s rural Tennessee or Clarksville or Nashville. So look at my track record, look at me as someone who has opted in to serve at this moment in time in a really tough turf and a really political climate, because that is the type of person I am that I step up for big fights and the small fights in between. 

Jane Coaston: In my job, I have a lot of conversations about this big debate on whether or not Democrats need or are already having a Tea Party moment. If you go back to like 2009, 2010, you see something happening on the right where people are starting to challenge establishment Republicans and saying, you’re not focused enough on what really matters to us. Do you see yourself as part of that? And what do you think the Democratic Party needs to do differently if they want the second half of Trump’s term to look different after the midterms?

Aftyn Behn: To be quite frank, it’s not accepting corporate PAC money and moving forward as a coalition of workers who are standing up to corporate greed, period. That is what is required in a state like Tennessee that has been bought and sold to the highest bidder. And just to give your listeners an example, the Tennessee Valley Authority, which is a child brainchild of the New Deal, provides the lowest utility rates in the Southeast. And right now the Trump administration is trying to privatize it. And we’re in the fight of our life and this election has major consequences for that decision. It’s just another example of the billionaire boys club and multinational corporations rigging the system against workers and working families. And that is what the Democratic Party needs to be remade in the vision of is standing up to corporate greed. 

Jane Coaston: Election day is a week away for you. What do you want to say to your voters and to the country at large? 

Aftyn Behn: Tennessee has historically been a state that has been overlooked and under-invested in. And one of my political pet peeves, being an organizer in the state for the past decade, is when people say across the country, across the globe, that you get what you voted for. Well, I didn’t sign up for the highest maternal mortality rate in the country. The most dangerous place for workers. And that is what we’re getting. We’re getting a raw deal. And people are fed up. And so my campaign commitment has been, if you are upset with the cost of living, the chaos of Washington, if you’re tired of begging for crumbs from a state and federal government that give you nothing in return and force you to be grateful for for nothing, then I’m your candidate. We don’t care who you voted for, we don’t care what political party you belong to, but if you want someone who will serve the interests of the people and not the puppet masters, then I am your candidate and this is your campaign. We welcome you with open arms. 

Jane Coaston: Aftyn Behn, thank you so much for joining me. 

Aftyn Behn: Thank you so much. 

Jane Coaston: That was my conversation with Aftyn Behn, the Democratic candidate for Tennessee’s seventh congressional district. We’ll get to more of the news in a moment but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe, leave a five star review on Apple podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads. [music break]

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Jane Coaston: Here’s what else we’re following today. 

[sung] Headlines. 

[clip of James Comey] I’m grateful that the court ended the case against me, which was a prosecution based on malevolence and incompetence and a reflection of what the department of justice has become under Donald Trump, which is heartbreaking. 

Jane Coaston: Former FBI Director James Comey took to Instagram after President Trump’s prosecution against him hit a significant roadblock. On Monday, a federal judge threw out the criminal cases of Trump’s favorite political enemies, Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The judge decided that Trump’s acting U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Virginia, Lindsey Halligan, who filed the charges, charges that another prosecutor refused to file, was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. The ruling amounts to a real kick in the nuts to Trump’s weaponization of the DOJ to persecute his political enemies, and to the mechanism Trump used, i.e. Installing a highly inexperienced and loyal prosecutor like Halligan who was willing to file said cases. Both Comey and James’ lawyers, and yes it’s confusing because Letitia’s last name is James, I’ll start over. Both Comey and James’ lawyers ask that their cases be dismissed with prejudice, meaning the Justice Department couldn’t bring the same charges against them again. But the judge ended up dismissing them without prejudice. So, technically, the Justice Department could restart this persecutorial lawnmower, but it’s unclear if and how it could do it. Luckily, having a plan isn’t a prerequisite for taking action in the Trump administration. And Attorney General Pam Bondi said at a press conference Monday, quote, “We’ll be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal, to hold Letitia James and James Comey accountable for their unlawful conduct.” 

[clip of Ruben Gallego] Hey, this is Ruben Gallego. I’m traveling through Arizona right now and I just received the news that the Department of Defense is starting an investigation against my seatmate, Mark Kelly. This is fucking insane. We should all point out how fucking insane this is. 

Jane Coaston: That is pretty fucking insane, Senator Ruben Gallego. Thanks for pointing that out. On Monday, the Pentagon announced an investigation into the other Arizona Democratic Senator, Mark Kelly. He’s accused of, quote, “serious allegations of misconduct” after appearing in a video with several other Democratic lawmakers with military/intelligence backgrounds. In it, they implored US military members to defy illegal orders from the Trump administration. In turn, Trump, ever a proportionalist, accused them of sedition, quote, “punishable by death.” Senator Kelly differs from his colleagues in the video in that, as a retired naval officer, he could theoretically be recalled to active duty and disciplined under military law. Secretary of Defense and little boy who wants to be called Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, said on Twitter, quote, “Kelly’s conduct brings discredit upon the armed forces and will be addressed appropriately.” It’s a big deal because the Pentagon historically strived to appear apolitical. Now it’s a political nightmare. But as a former fighter jet pilot, and astronaut who hung out in outer space, Kelly doesn’t concern himself with such terrestrial quibbles. He said in a statement Monday, quote, “if this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work.” The government reopened nearly two weeks ago, but Americans are still waiting for a plan to address the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expiring at the end of the year. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday that the issue was being discussed, quote, “very frequently and robustly inside the West Wing.” 

[clip of Karoline Leavitt] As for the details of those discussions, I’ll let the president speak for himself. As you all know, sometimes you report things, and then President Trump comes out with an announcement, and those things are not always true from what you hear from sources inside the building. So I’ll let the president speak for himself.

Jane Coaston: MSNOW had reported that Trump was going to present a plan, quote, “aimed at halting ACA premium spikes on Monday,” but according to two White House officials who spoke to the network on condition of anonymity, the big reveal was put on pause. Why? Apparently the proposal, which would have extended subsidies, wasn’t received well by Republicans in Congress, which is the least surprising news of the week. One House Republican straight up told MSNOW, quote, “I wasn’t expecting the proposal to be Obamacare light.” The source also said that they aren’t supportive of extending the ACA subsidies. So the administration reportedly pumped the brakes to amend the plan. A new announcement is supposed to come soon, which means Trump will probably have something ready for us in what is it? Two weeks? From many of the organizers that brought you the No Kings rallies comes a new grassroots event this Thanksgiving weekend, We ain’t buying it. The campaign asks Americans to use their wallets to protest three massive companies that failed to stand up to Trump’s policies, specifically around anti-immigration and DEI rollbacks. We’re talking Target, we’re talking Home Depot, and we’re taking Amazon. The organizers are asking consumers not to shop at these vendors during Black Friday sales. One of the busiest shopping events of the year. The We Ain’t Buying It campaign says that this goes beyond boycotting individual companies. It wants people to reinvest in their own communities, make more deliberate purchasing choices, and spread the word on social media. LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Votes Matter, one of the groups organizing the event, says that since the campaign launched earlier this month, more than 80 groups, including labor unions, have signed on. She told The Guardian, quote, “We are reclaiming our power. We are redirecting our spending. And we are resisting this rise to authoritarianism.” And that’s the news. [music break] One more thing. The government shutdown has been over for a few weeks, but the bill that ended the longest shutdown in history has a tiny provision that could devastate an entire industry, the legal hemp industry. See, back in 2018, the federal government sort of legalized a type of THC, making it legal for you to get weed gummies through the mail. And now the federal wants to un-legalize it. Here’s Dallas’ ABC affiliate explaining the dilemma. 

[clip of unnamed ABC news reporter] Congress has approved a federal ban now on hemp products containing high levels of THC. The ban criminalizes most consumable hemp products and closes a loophole from a 2018 farm bill that allowed the hemp industry to take off without federal regulations. 

Jane Coaston: Let’s back up a second. Cannabis is illegal at the federal level and has been for decades. Cannabis contains Delta-9-THC, the chemical that gives one the urge to eat a lot of Cheez-Its and watch planet Earth for six hours at a time. Hemp is, as of the 2018 Farm Bill, totally legal, though it comes from the same plant. You can use hemp for everything, from clothing to making plastic. And hemp contains very low amounts of Delta- 9. But hemp also contains a chemical called Delta-8-THC. Which is less potent than Delta 9 but still psychoactive. And because of the 2018 Farm Bill, products that include Delta 8, from gummies to seltzers to chocolate, are totally legal to ship across state lines and are available, well, pretty much everywhere, even in states like Texas where cannabis is still illegal. Basically, where cannabis can’t go, Delta 8 can or could. Delta-8 products are a multi-billion dollar industry, and the industry is not taking the loophole closure lying down. The 2018 Farm Bill was supposed to force the FDA to create a regulatory framework for Delta- 8 products, but that never happened. So lobbyists for the hemp industry want a framework to ensure that Delta-8 products stay legal with proper labeling and age restrictions. So as you enjoy your holidays, give a thought to the hardworking hemp lobbyists. They know that you enjoy taking an edible before watching Emily in Paris, a show that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Why hasn’t she learned French yet? And they will support you to continue doing so. [music break]

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Jane Coaston: That’s all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, start a fight at your dinner table this week that isn’t about politics, and tell your friends to listen. And if you’re into reading, and not just about how there’s so much discussion about how to talk about politics on Thanksgiving, and not enough discussion of how to start fights about things like Return of the Jedi is the best Star Wars movie, or Britney Spears’ Gimme More was the best song of the 2000s, like me, What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at Crooked.com/subscribe. I’m Jane Coaston, and remember, there are so many things to fight about that have nothing to do with politics. [music break] What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It’s recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producers are Emily Fohr and Chris Allport. Our video editor is Joseph Dutra. Our video producer is Johanna Case. We had production help today from Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Caitlin Plummer, Tyler Hill, and Ethan Oberman. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison, and our senior vice president of news and politics is Adriene Hill. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East. [break]

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