The Daily Beans – "Fascist Permission Slip"

Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Allison Gill (AG) & Dana Goldberg (DG)
Special Guest: Martha Barnette

Episode Overview

The episode focuses on escalating anti-democratic actions in U.S. politics—spotlighting voting rights crises in Texas and California, disturbing back-room federal moves, and the human toll at ICE detention centers. The hosts inject their trademark sharp wit throughout, before interviewing wordsmith Martha Barnette on the evolution of internet-driven language and slang newly added to the Cambridge Dictionary. The episode closes with listeners’ “good news,” resistance highlights, and jubilant dog-pet taxes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Texas Redistricting & Nicole Collier's Stand [03:07]

• Topic: Texas Democratic Rep. Nicole Collier remains locked inside the Texas statehouse, refusing GOP demands to sign a "permission slip" to be under DPS escort following a Democratic walkout to block redistricting.
• Collier’s Resolve:
  "I have a right to resist, I have a right to oppose, just like my voters do, just like Texans have a right to challenge government. And that’s what I’m doing. I'm challenging these decisions that are being made. I don't agree with them." [04:11]
• The Democratic strategy has shifted from legislative defiance to a legal battle.
• The GOP is pushing new congressional maps likely to create five more Republican-leaning seats.

2. California GOP Challenges Redistricting [11:01]

• California Republicans, fearing the Democratic-led mid-decade redistricting, file an emergency petition with the state Supreme Court to halt the process.
• AG’s Sharp Take:
  "No, what Texas is doing does that. They aren’t asking the voters shit. We want to put it on the ballot so that the voters have a say. We are seeking the consent of the voters here in California, because that’s what we do." [14:23]
• AG notes the irony of GOP rhetoric about “democracy” while actively suppressing votes in other states.

3. Trump's 'Peace Negotiation'—Putin and Zelensky [05:14]

• Trump seeks to coordinate a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky—bizarrely suggesting Ukraine “show some flexibility.”
• DG’s Outrage:
  "He [Zelensky] was fucking invaded and they're holding Russia in a way that they never thought the world never thought would happen." [06:05]
• Location options for a summit involve Hungary, highlighting authoritarian overtones.
• Marjorie Taylor Greene publicly warns Trump against security guarantees for Ukraine, and DG quips:
  "I don't know why the fuck she's a deciding factor in this. But apparently they still listen to her." [07:34]

4. Human Rights: Doctors Blocked at NYC ICE Facility [08:01]

• Physicians from New York Doctors Coalition denied entry to inspect reported “inhumane” ICE conditions at 26 Federal Plaza.
• References previous court orders demanding access and adequate treatment, underscoring inhumane practices.
• AG: "You’re being processed here for three weeks with no food or water and have next to a poopy toilet and sleeping on the concrete floor with your children..." [08:40]

5. Texas Measles Outbreak Ends—But Not Due to Science [09:27]

• Texas health officials declare the deadly outbreak over, but not from vaccination—rather, the virus "ran out of vulnerable people."
• DG notes this is a preview of coming public health crises due to disinformation and funding cuts.

6. Sweeping Revoking of Security Clearances [15:08]

• Director of National Intelligence (now Tulsi Gabbard) revokes clearances of 37 former intelligence officials, accusing them of political weaponization.
• DG: "I can't believe we are living in this fucking world right now." [15:13]
• The officials targeted had roles in investigating Russian interference in 2016.

7. DOJ, Epstein Files, and Bill Barr's Deposition [16:58]

• House Oversight demands unredacted Epstein files; DOJ plans to respond in batches, which some call a “cover up.”
• Former AG Bill Barr's deposition is at issue, with conflicting GOP and Democratic accounts about whether Barr 'cleared' Trump.
• AG clarifies: Barr’s legal phrasing is slippery—he may have said Trump wasn’t implicated specifically in crimes Epstein was convicted of, a very limited statement.
  "...even if Bill Barr saw a video of Donald Trump raping a minor, he would still be legally correct in saying he didn't see anything that implicated Trump in Epstein's crimes." [19:24]

8. GOP Representatives Face Public Anger [20:38]

• Elise Stefanik is booed and heckled at a memorial event in her district—shouts include “unseal the Epstein files,” “traitor,” and “Nazi.”
• Protester Mavis Agnew:
  "Elise has not shown up in our district for months and months. She won't hold a town hall. She won't take questions. She's never in her office. So this was the first appearance, the first opportunity we had to let her know we're unhappy." [21:51]

Interview Segment – Martha Barnette on Language & Slang

Start: [25:01]
Main Topics:

• Influence of social media (especially TikTok) on language.
• Delulu, mouse jiggler, tradwife, and doomscrolling make it into Cambridge Dictionary.
• Barnette on “delulu”:
  "It started out in K-pop forums... people started making fun of people in the forums who were delulu, that is, they were delusional about their parasocial relationship with the singers." [26:26]
• “Tradwife” and the resurgence of retrograde gender roles discussed.
  Barnette: “It’s a portmanteau of traditional and wife. There are plenty of people who are embracing that, particularly in Gen Z.” [30:45]
• “Mouse jiggler”—a device or software to fake activity at remote jobs.
• On the process of getting a word into the dictionary:
  "Actually, it is super, super hard...there are professional dictionary editors, lexicographers, who are constantly monitoring the Internet... looking for evidence that a word is used really frequently..." [33:00]
• The lifecycle of slang and enduring terms, like “mansplain.”
• Skibidi—a term children love, enters the dictionary; even as older folks don’t use it, its wide recognition signals pop culture permeation.
• Lexicographers monitoring emerging slang—viewer submissions & internal monitoring both matter.
• “QuitTok” and “Conscious quitting” as next possible additions.

Memorable Quote:
Barnette:
"People are just endlessly creative with language. And this is one of the wonderful things…seeing these little linguistic snapshots that pop up like that." [28:33]

Good News & Listener Submissions [41:41]

“Good Trouble of the Day”

• Listener Chris A. nominates Dana Goldberg to the out100 LGBTQ list, prompting heartfelt thanks and visible emotion from DG. "Dana Goldberg stands out as a bold, brilliant force for good. She embodies the spirit of the out 100. Resilient, unapologetic, and deeply committed to making the world better for all of us." [43:31]
• Listener photos and happy updates: new jobs, birthdays, proud rescue dog stories, a shoutout to Play It Again Sports, and resistance efforts in conservative locales.

Community Solidarity

• CDC employee shouts out colleagues targeted in a terrorist attack:
  "We are all very much not okay. I see you all busting your ass to keep people alive, only to become the bullseye for people radicalized by politicians..." [51:04]
• Tip: usafacts.org recommended for straight data as a bastion against Trump’s misinformation.

Listener Activism

• “Wake up notes” inspired by Resistance Kitty – analog social media, leaving anti-Trump facts in physical notes around red-state stores [54:18].
• Adoption promotion for rescued and foster animals (photos galore).

Notable Quotes

• AG on Texas/California GOP maneuvering:
  "Here in California... we are seeking consent of the voters, because that’s what we do. And Democrats know more about consent than Republicans, according to every fucking news story I’ve seen on consent." [14:23]
• Barnette on the politics of “tradwife”:
  "The political idea to force it upon others or to look down upon others who are not trad wives, I think, is kind of part of being one of these content creator tradwives." [31:18]
• DG’s snark:
  "You know the gavels the least of what she's banging. But anyway, next door. Hey." [07:54]
• Listener submission (CDC):
  "Here’s to you, my colleagues, still showing up, still standing up, and still holding a moral line. You’re the backbone, they're the infection. Hold the line." [52:24]

Notable Moments & Tone

• Snark and Satire: AG & DG riff on Republican logic, generational slang, and the absurdity of modern right-wing “democracy” talk.
• Generational Language Play: Warm nostalgia as hosts reference 80s/90s slang—“rad,” “tubular,” “gag me with a spoon”—contrasted to current TikTok-fueled neologisms.
• Emotional Resonance: DG is moved to tears by a listener’s nomination, and the hosts build solidarity with public health and resistance workers facing real risks.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Texas Political Crisis: [03:07 – 05:14]
• Trump and the Zelensky/Putin Deal: [05:14 – 07:54]
• ICE Facility, Public Health, and CA Redistricting: [08:01 – 14:40]
• Security Clearances & Epstein Files: [15:08 – 20:38]
• Barnette Interview: [25:01 – 41:41]
• Good News & Listener Submissions: [41:41 – end]

Conclusion

This episode juxtaposes pressing democratic crises and growing fascism with both caustic wit and resilient hope—from exposing GOP power grabs and public health setbacks to celebrating new words that capture our moment. Martha Barnette’s appearance offers a timely look at how language reflects and shapes culture. The robust “good news” segment champions listener resistance, mutual care, and canine companions—making politics personal, accessible, and unflinchingly honest.

Hosts:

• Allison Gill (“AG”): Lead host, news analyst, snark specialist.
• Dana Goldberg (“DG”): Co-host, comedian, activist; brings relatable humor and punchy commentary.
• Guest: Martha Barnette, author and language expert.

Quote to Ponder:
"People are just endlessly creative with language." – Martha Barnette [28:33]

Find the full episode and more at DailyBeansPod.com