Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Good News for Lefties and America. Hello everyone, Thank you
so much for being here and for joining another episode
of Good News for Lefties. I'm be able for rockling,
your host, ready to help you swap out doom and
gloom for hope with genuinely uplifting stories for democracy defenders, liberals, socialists, progressives,
(00:30):
and anyone who believes in making America a better place
for everyone. It's no secret these are challenging times. The
disappearing of immigrants and citizens, the FBI trying to arrest
democratic lawmakers, and the wholesale destruction of critical government agencies.
Today's headlines often overwhelm us with troubling news, making it
(00:52):
all too easy to lose sight of hope. That's exactly
why it's vital to highlight the positive, real world price
progress that's happening every day, progress that too often gets
drowned out by the negativity. Despite the setbacks, there's genuine
movement toward a better America. So let these stories serve
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as a reminder that change is not just possible, it's happening.
Carry this hope with you and share it with others.
Let's kick off with some good news headlines designed to
Brighten your day. A new study from the University of
Illinois offers a hopeful glimpse into the future of policing,
showing a significant decline in police use of lethal force
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nationwide and in Illinois. According to researchers at the Klin
Center for Advanced Social Research, incidents involving police using firearms
or other deadly measures dropped by about twenty four percent
across the country between twenty twenty one and twenty twenty three,
the sharpest decrease in nearly a decade. Illinois mirrored the
(01:59):
national tree, posting a twenty three percent reduction and ranking
eighth in the nation for progress on this front. The findings,
the product of a meticulous data gathering effort that blends
the power of artificial intelligence with careful human oversight, underscore
a new commitment to transparency and accountability in public safety.
(02:20):
Rather than relying solely on official government tallies, the Client
Center's team uses news reports and other independent sources to
provide a fuller, more accurate picture of police civilian encounters
across the United States. Every case is reviewed by highly
trained analysts, ensuring trustworthy information for both communities and law
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enforcement agencies working to rebuild trust. The numbers from Cook County, Illinois,
where Chicago is reflect the broader change, with police uses
of lethal force plunging from fifty three incidents in twenty
twenty one to just thirty three last year. Center's ongoing
research initiative, known as Spotlight, is designed not just to inform,
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but to empower, making information accessible so that communities and
agencies alike can track outcomes, identify progress, and better understand
the factors driving positive change. While the report doesn't draw
conclusions about what's fueling the decline, its authors emphasize the
importance of rigorous data and open communication as foundations for
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lasting reform. Their work is a testament to how thoughtful,
evidence based approaches and fresh investment in research and public
dialogue can help nurture safer, more equitable communities for everyone.
Susan Crawford was sworn in as Wisconsin's newest Supreme Court justice,
(03:50):
concluding the most expensive judicial race in US history. Her
victory cements a liberal four to three majority on the Court,
a shift that could have far reaching implications for the
state's most intensely debated issues. Crawford, who grew up in Chippewa,
Falls and has deep roots in Wisconsin. Brings decades of
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experience to the state's highest court. Before ascending to the
Supreme Court, she served as a Dane County Circuit Court
judge beginning in twenty eighteen, and previously worked as a
prosecutor and assistant Attorney general at the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Crawford's career has consistently focused on defending fundamental freedoms. In
(04:32):
private practice, she championed voting rights, workers' rights, and reproductive access,
most notably representing planned parenthood in several high profile cases
and publicly opposing efforts to roll back abortion rights. Her
election followed a heated campaign period defined by record shattering
spending and national attention. Elon Musk, you know the guy
(04:57):
who ran Doge bwared tens of billions into supporting her opponent,
Conservative judge Brad Schimmel, only for Crawford to prevail by
a wide margin, a result that reinforced Wisconsin's voters desire
for a fair, impartial, and independent judiciary. In her remarks,
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Crawford emphasized the Supreme Court's responsibility to turn constitutional ideals
like equal protection and individual liberty into real protections for
every wisconsinine replacing the retiring Justice Anne Walsh Bradley Crawford
has pledged to act as a fair and impartial justice,
guided by evidence and the law, not political agendas. With
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key cases on abortion, elections, and civil rights likely to
appear before the Court in the coming years, her presence
ensures that Wisconsin's highest court continues to play an essential
role both in protecting democracy and advancing justice for all residents.
Before we get back to the news, I want to
tell you about an important podcast called This Week Again,
(06:05):
hosted by Suzanne Posel. It takes a humorous look at
politics and current events one week at a time. It's
a funny, angry, progressive, sarcastic, hilarious podcast that drops every Sunday, and,
in my opinion, is the largest single repository of creatively
insulting names for Donald Trump. Mango Mussolini, and Orange Julius
(06:27):
Caesar are just the beginning. So if you want to
recap of the week and you want a laugh into
the bargain, listen to This Week Again with Suzanne Posel
on this platform or wherever you listen to podcasts. That's
This Week Again with Suzanne POSEL s U s A
N N E PO s E L This week again, Listen,
(06:51):
Laugh Repeat. A decade long study presented at the twenty
twenty five Alzheimer's Association International Conference reveals that older adults
participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, experience
significantly slower cognitive decline compared to eligible individuals who don't
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use the program. Researchers found that SNAP participants maintained up
to two to three additional years of cognitive health, with
the overall rate of cognitive decline being point one zero
points slower per year, enough to meaningfully delay the onset
of mild cognitive impairment or dementia for those starting with
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a healthy cognitive baseline. The study, which followed over two
thousand people aged fifty and above from twenty ten to
twenty twenty, found that those who received food assistants scored
better on assessments of memory and executive function. While all
racial and ethnic groups benefited, white SNAP participants saw the
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most pronounced effects, a finding that highlights ongoing to sparearities
and suggests a need for policies reducing barriers to access
among all groups. Experts say these results underscore the long
lasting impact of addressing basic needs like food security for
aging American Sprain health. By facilitating access to nutritious foods,
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SNAP may help counteract food insecurity driven risks such as
poor nutrition and chronic illnesses that can hasten cognitive decline.
As major US cities grapple with rising homelessness and controversial
federal actions, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is charting a path that
stands apart, favoring compassionate practical solutions over criminalization. While President
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Trump's recent executive order authorized more aggressive encampment sweeps and
forced treatment of unhoused individuals, Albuquerque is taking the opposite
approach by seeking to expand its network of Safe Outdoor
Spaces sos, designated parking lots that offer stability, dignity, and
access to services for people experiencing homelessness. These safe outdoor spaces,
(09:06):
which first open in April twenty twenty five, provide sanctioned
areas for tents, RVs, and other vehicles. More than just
a place to sleep, they link residents to restrooms, hand
washing stations, showers, laundry, and a range of wrap around
social services, including connections to housing resources. Recovery groups, and
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educational opportunities. The city's health, housing, and homelessness leaders emphasize
that these sites serve as crucial touch points for support,
filling gaps left by traditional shelters and responding to the
reality that not everyone is ready for formal shelter life.
Mayor Tim Keller and the city Council are moving to
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make it easier and more affordable for willing organizations like
churches and bookstores to open new SOS locations. Amendments under
consideration would relax costly requirements, shifting staffing from twenty four
to seven to business hours, with someone on call overnight,
and allowing smaller sites to serve around twenty people rather
(10:12):
than concentrating people in large encampments. Albuquerque aims to develop
a neighborhood based network of manageable humane camps that reduce
the burden on any one area, prevent substance use issues,
and better integrate unhoused residents into the broader community. State
lawmakers have backed this vision, allocating forty million dollars each
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to Albuquerque and Bernalillo County for homelessness initiatives. The city's
approach is winning praise from advocates who warn that punitive
measures do nothing to create housing, improve health, or make
streets safer. Instead, they hope Albuquerque's experiment in solidarity, incremental reform,
and housing first principles inspires others nationwide. Up next, a
(11:00):
listener suggested story back in a minute, and now a
listener suggested story from Anna. In New York City, chef
Edward Lee is pushing the boundaries of sustainable dining with Shia,
his Korean fine dining restaurant in Washington, DC, built around
an ambitious goal running a professional kitchen without single use plastics.
(11:23):
Backed by his nonprofit, the Lee Initiative, Shia is a
five year experiment to swap out the plastic items found
in nearly every commercial kitchen with durable, eco friendly alternatives.
From the obvious like replacing delic containers and plastic wrap,
to the overlooked, such as trash bags and pens. The
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team is documenting every change and sharing their findings publicly
to inspire change across the industry. Lee is realistic about
the challenge. Completely eliminating plastic is impossible given its role
in appliances and other unavoidable components. Cost is a barrier too,
especially without nonprofit support. But his aim isn't perfection, it's
(12:09):
to prove what's possible and spark broader action. If other
restaurants adopt even ten to thirty percent of Shia's plastic
free swaps, he says that's a meaningful step toward reducing
waste and the culture of disposability. He also sees potential
for a trickle down effect bringing many of these professional
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strategies into home kitchens. Some of the most successful replacements
include stainless steel Yakumi pans and airtight storage containers instead
of plastic tubs, cast iron skillets in place of nonstick cookware,
repurposed oak cutting boards, compostable trash bags, and coconut fiber sponges.
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For cling wrap alternatives, Lee turns to unbleached muslin and
beeswax wraps, and even tiny items like sharpies have been
swapped out for biodegradable pens. Each solution has chosen for durability,
ease of use, and minimal environmental impact, often with the
bonus of being more beautiful and satisfying to work with.
(13:14):
Lee's project shows that sustainability can coexist with high performance
in a professional kitchen and that thoughtful design choices ripple outward,
inspiring peers and diners alike. While the experiment is still evolving,
she stands as a model of how environmental responsibility, food culture,
(13:34):
and creativity can blend one plastic free swap at a time.
Thanks so much for that story, Anna. If you have thoughts, ideas,
or more good news to share, we'd love to hear
from you. Call or message us at two zero two
six five six six two seven to one, Drop us
a line at beowulf at two squared Media Productions dot com,
(13:58):
or send it to us good news for Lefties on Facebook,
Instagram or blue Sky. Alaska lawmakers overrode two vetos by
Governor Mike Dunlevy in a joint legislative session, restoring roughly
fifty million dollars in education funding. The forty five to
fourteen vote to overturn the governor's budget veto marked an
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unprecedented assertion of legislative authority, with bipartisan majorities, including ten
House and Senate Republicans, joining Democrats to ensure schools received
their increases approved earlier in the year. This restoration provides
critical relief to school districts statewide that had faced uncertainty
and financial strain after the veto, which came weeks after
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district submitted budgets for the new school year. The override
follows months of tension between the governor and the legislature,
with lawmakers accusing Dunlevy of poor communication and attempts to
undermine legislative priorities by asking Republicans not to as ten
the special session he called. Despite these hurdles, the legislature
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demonstrated unity on this education vote, emphasizing the importance of
stable and adequate funding for Alaska's students and schools. Lawmakers
also overrode a veto on a bill aimed at ensuring
proper collection of oil and gas taxes, addressing concerns that
the state could be losing hundreds of millions in revenue.
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Governor Dunlevy expressed disagreement with the legislature's approach, characterizing the
situation as one of two divergent views on solutions, He
favoring policy changes while lawmakers prioritized funding. However, lawmakers indicated
openness to some of Dunlevy's education proposals, including those supporting
tribal run schools, but preferred to allow a newly formed
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Education task Force to review such ideas before moving forward.
The task force is set to convene later in August,
with the veto overrides secured the special session recess until
mid August, with legislative leaders signaling a preference to address
remaining vetoed budget items, including transportation and school maintenance funding,
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during the upcoming regular session. The bipartisan cooperation seen in
this override reflects a shared commitment to education and fiscal responsibility,
setting a hopeful tone for progress amid ongoing political challenges
in Alaska. That's a wrap for today's edition of Good
News for Lefties. If these stories brighten your outlook, please
(16:32):
help us spread the word. Share this episode on social
media wherever you post. A big thanks to our production team,
Rosabel Heine and Aaron Watson for making all of this
possible behind the scenes. I'm ba Wolf Rocklin, weird name.
Good News for Lefties and America.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Here's what you've been missing on the Stephanie Miller Happy
Hour podcast.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Is Lumour saying that Marjorie Taylor Green down there looks
like a roast beef sandwich. That's why, That's why she
got a divorce.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
I think so or.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
I think she's.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
So like like, I don't know, she's clearly questioning her freshness.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
There's lily.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Yeah, is it an odor or like a No.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
I think it's a I think it's a look. And well,
I mean if you've had.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
That's coming to say from my past, you know, from
my childhood, Arby's sandwich is delicious. I mean maybe that's
maybe that's why I became a lesbian.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
I love an Arby sandwich. However, I think what Lumor
is saying is that Marjorie Taylor Green gets so much
use from that her body that it ends up looking
like a roast beef sandwich.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Oh okay, so she decided not to go with the
hot in the hallway right, Yeah, analogy that we frequently
use for someone who needs, you know, I mean frushenting off.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
But they also have a roastbeef sound, which with like
Milton Cheese on it.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Yeah, so is it that. Subscribe to the Stephanie Miller
Happy Hour podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stephanie Miller dot com
or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
And in case you missed it, here's this good news headline.
Republican Congressman Mike Flood of Nebraska faced fierce backlash at
an August fourth town hall in Lincoln, where constituents repeatedly
heckled him, chanting vote him out, and pressing for answers
on issues ranging from massive Medicaid cuts to the Trump
(18:48):
administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Flood's event, packed
with vocal critics after the state's Democratic Party urged attendance,
became a preview of the mountain challenges Republicans may face
heading into the twenty twenty six midterms. Throughout the event,
Flood was challenged on Trump's historic one trillion dollar cut
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to Medicaid, part of a budget bill that has drawn
sharp criticism nationwide for threatening health coverage four millions. While
Flood claimed the bill was designed to spur economic growth
and secure Medicaid's future, attendees pushed back, highlighting real life
struggles to maintain care for vulnerable loved ones. Flood insisted
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he protected Medicaid and voiced support for future tweaks to
ensure the program serves those in greatest need, but his
reassurances drew jeers and visible skepticism from the crowd. Flood
also contended with pointed questions about the recent firing of
Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erica mcintarver after poor job numbers,
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and about the need for transparency around the Trump administration's
handling of the Epstein's sex trafficking files. While Flood said
he supported releasing the EPSTEIN case files and backing a
congressional subpoena for Galaine Maxwell, he equivocated about macintarfur's dismissal,
saying he didn't know the full situation and would not
(20:16):
have fired her if it was solely over honest reporting
of economic data. The charged atmosphere reflected deep frustration with
the Trump agenda's impact on public programs and transparency, with
some attendees even calling Flood a fascist. Flood, who won
his seat in twenty twenty two, now faces an energized
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and vocal opposition, unafraid to publicly challenge his defense of
policies that critics say harm the public and protect the wealthy.
The scene underscored a larger mood shift in grassroots engagement,
previewing the scrutiny and accountability efforts that could define the
next election cycle.