Zorhan Mamdani's Mayoral Surge, Union Victories, and States Unite for Healthcare Justice

In this episode of Good News for Lefties, host Beowulf Rochlen dives into an array of uplifting stories that demonstrate the power of progress amidst challenging times. We start with the remarkable rise of Zorhan Mamdani, a 33-year-old assemblyman and proud Democratic socialist, who is making waves in New York City politics. Recent polling shows him leading the mayoral race with an impressive 50% support, signaling a strong desire for transformative change among voters. His campaign is not just about winning an election; it's a movement redefining what's possible in the nation's largest city.

Next, we celebrate the Safeway grocery workers in Northern California who have successfully negotiated a tentative agreement with the company, averting a strike. This hard-fought victory includes significant wage increases and improved working conditions, underscoring the power of union solidarity and community support in the face of rising living costs.

We also discuss a coalition of nearly two dozen states, including New York and California, that are suing the Trump administration over a controversial provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill act that threatens to defund Planned Parenthood. This legal challenge highlights the ongoing fight for reproductive rights and essential healthcare services for low-income communities.

In a landmark move, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, has forgiven nearly $66 million in jail debts owed by formerly incarcerated individuals, a decision that aims to alleviate the financial burdens that often hinder successful reentry into society. This progressive step reflects a growing momentum for reform in the criminal justice system.

We also feature a listener-suggested story about New York's lawsuit against the USDA, challenging invasive data collection demands on SNAP beneficiaries, which critics argue could lead to discrimination and undermine trust in vital assistance programs.

Lastly, we highlight California Assembly Bill 1127, which seeks to ban the sale of new Glock-style pistols that can easily be converted into fully automatic weapons, a significant step toward enhancing gun safety in the state.

Join us for this empowering episode filled with stories of resilience, hope, and the belief that change is not only possible, but actively happening across America!

If you have thoughts, ideas, or more good news to share, we’d love to hear from you! Call or message us at 202-656-6271 or drop us a line at [e-mail].

More on theses stories here:

https://www.newsweek.com/zohran-mamdani-andrew-cuomo-eric-adams-nyc-mayor-2105971                    

https://www.ktvu.com/news/safeway-worker-strike-deadline-looms      
             
https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2025-07-17/missouri-ends-luxury-tax-on-menstrual-products-diapers                    

https://boltsmag.org/jail-debt-and-pay-to-stay-in-dauphin-county-pennsylvania/                    
https://www.timesunion.com/state/article/new-york-suing-usda-requested-immigration-status-20790292.php                    

https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/07/california-glock-ban-kamala-harris-newsom/                    
More good daily news for democracy on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram.

Thanks to Rosabelle Heine and Aaron Watson for production assistance.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/good-news-for-lefties-and-america-daily-news-for-democracy--6256627/support.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Good News for Lefties and America. Hello, and thank you
for joining yet another episode of good News for Lefties.
I'm be Awolf Rockland, your host, ready to help you
swap out doom scrolling for hope, scrolling with uplifting stories
for democracy defenders, progressives, liberals, socialists, leftists, and anyone who

(00:29):
believes in making America a better place for everyone. It's
no secret that these are challenging times. The disappearing of
immigrants and citizens, some of our most renowned educational and
media institutions, bending the knee to Trump, and the wholesale
destruction of critical government agencies. Today's headlines often overwhelm us

(00:51):
with troubling news, making it all too easy to lose
sight of hope. That's why it's necessary to highlight the positive,
real world progress that is happening every day. Progress the
two often gets drowned out by the negativity. Despite the setbacks,
there's genuine movement toward a better America. So let these
stories serve as a reminder that change isn't just possible,

(01:14):
it is actually happening. Carry this hope with you and
share it with others. Let's kick off today with some
good news headlines. To Brighten your day. Zorhan Mamdani, thirty
three year old assemblyman and proud Democratic socialist, is rewriting
the rules of New York City politics. According to a

(01:37):
new Zenith Research and Public Progress Solutions poll of four
hundred and fifty three city residents, Mamdani not only leads
a crowded mayoral field, he has surged past all other
candidates combined, capturing fifty percent of voter support. His energetic
campaign and progressive message have clearly struck a chord with

(01:59):
New York seeking transformative change in city hall. Mam Donnie's
breakthrough follows his stunning victory in the Democratic mayoral primary
over former Governor Andrew Cuomo, sending political shockwaves throughout the
city and beyond. His coalition grows even stronger in hypothetical
matchups when Cuomo is removed from the race. Mamdanni's support

(02:23):
rises to fifty five percent. In a one on one
contest against Mayor Eric Adams, he holds a commanding fifty
nine to thirty two lead. In every scenario. Mamdanni's support
never dips below the majority threshold, demonstrating unwavering enthusiasm among
voters for his vision. Of a more equitable and just

(02:43):
New York. What sets Mamdanni apart is not just his lead,
but the breadth of his appeal. He's the only candidate
a majority of respondents fifty eight percent would consider voting
for in the general election, far outpacing his rivals. Even
in a city where seventy percent of residents report being
dissatisfied with its current direction. Mamdani's candidacy offers hope, especially

(03:07):
on urgent issues like affordable housing, rising living costs, and
public safety, priority concerns voiced by Pole participants. With the
general election on November fourth, Mamdani's momentum shows no signs
of slowing down. Energized by grassroots support and a growing
mandate for progressive change, he is positioned as the candidate

(03:28):
most aligned with New Yorker's hopes and a fairer future.
His campaign is not just a political contest, It is
a movement redefining what is possible in the nation's largest city,
and I would argue throughout the nation. The Safeway grocery
workers in Northern California, represented by UFCW Local five and

(03:51):
UFCW Local six forty eight, have reached a tentative agreement
with the company, averting a strike that was set to
begin at mid nineth on July twenty sixth. This deal,
announced early Sunday morning, comes after five months of negotiation
and growing strike momentum, affecting about sixteen thousand workers across

(04:11):
roughly two hundred and forty stores in the region. The
unions characterized the agreement as a hard earned and inspiring victory,
highlighting meaningful wage increases, higher company contributions to healthcare, an
improved pension plan, better scheduling, and stronger job protection language
to ensure safer and more respectful workplaces. Both union leaders

(04:34):
and Safeway expressed satisfaction with the deal, which is now
headed for ratification votes by union members in the coming days,
with full contract details to be released after ratification. This
agreement marks a significant win for Safeway workers, who stood
united and mobilized community support, striving for a contract that
reflects their value and improves their families lives amidst rising

(04:57):
living costs. It also avoided what would have been the
first regional strike against Safeway in nearly three decades. Union
officials remain confident that members will approve the contract, seeing
it as a major step forward after a difficult bargaining process.
Before we get back to the news, I want to
tell you about an important podcast called This Week Again,

(05:20):
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

(05:42):
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 USA, Poseel This

(06:03):
Week Again, Listen, Laugh, Repeat. Nearly two dozen states, including
New York, California, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and the District of Columbia,
have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging a
provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that cuts
Medicaid funding for Planned parenthood and similar health care providers

(06:27):
that offer abortion services. The law prohibits federal Medicaid reimbursements
to any federal employer. The law prohibits federal Medicaid reimbursements
to any provider that performs abortions beyond exceptions for rape, incest,
or danger to the mother's life, effectively defunding Planned Parenthood
for all non abortion health services such as cancer screenings,

(06:49):
SDIH treatments, and contraception. The Coalition of States argues that
this defunding movie is unconstitutional and will cause significant harm
to millions of low income and underserved people who rely
on Planned Parenthood for essential reproductive and preventative health care.
They contend the law will lead to delay diagnoses, increased
unintended pregnancies, and consequently higher public health costs, burdening state

(07:13):
Medicaid programs. Planned Parenthood itself has sued the federal government
on similar grounds, seeking to block the defunding provision. A
federal judge has already issued a temporary injunction ordering Medicaid
reimbursements to continue while the legal challenge proceeds, marking an
initial victory for the clinics. The state's lawsuit requests a

(07:34):
permanent injunction to stop enforcement of the funding cut and
a court declaration that the defunding provision is unconstitutional. The
medicaid funding restriction applies for one year until July fourth,
twenty twenty six, and targets nonprofit clinics that receive over
eight hundred thousand dollars in federal and state medicaid funds

(07:54):
and provide abortions. Bravo to this growing coalition of Democratic
LEDs dates, which is fighting the legal fight against the
Trump Administration's attempt to defund Planned Parenthood and fighting it
on many other issues as well. Dauphan County, Pennsylvania, made

(08:15):
a landmark decision to forgive nearly sixty six million in
pay to stay jail debts owed by formerly incarcerated individuals.
These debts arose from fees charged to detainees for their
time spent in county jail, a practice Daupan County had
ended in twenty twenty two. However, previously accumulated debts remained

(08:36):
until the commissioners voted to erase them, relieving thousands of
people and their families from the crushing financial burdens. This
move was championed by Commissioner Justin Douglas, who ran for
office on a jail reform platform and argued that the
debt was largely uncollectable and was hampering efforts at successful
re entry for formerly incarcerated people. Many affected individuals faced

(09:00):
exorbitant invoices, such as Chad Levilla, who was built over
fourteen thousand dollars for three hundred and fifty eight days
in jail despite being acquitted of the charges. The debts
made it difficult for people to secure housing, employment, and
basic stability, often pushing them back into cycles of poverty
and crime. Advocacy groups and local leaders, including former detainees

(09:22):
and Harrisburg City Council member Lamont Jones, said that these
debts encouraged recidifism and undermined public safety by creating insurmountable
economic pressures on vulnerable populations. The pay to stay scheme
in Dauphin County is part of a broader national pattern,
with such fees existing in at least forty three states.

(09:43):
These fees, along with numerous other criminal legal finds and surcharges,
disproportionately affect poor and non white communities, contributing to racial
and economic disparities in the justice system. Despite attempts to
recoup the fees. Counties frequently spend as much or mo
more on collection efforts as they receive in revenue, rendering

(10:03):
such policies ineffective and unjust. Though Dauphin County eradicated these
past debts and continues to charge a one hundred twenty
five dollars booking fee at jail entry, with funds often
garnished from detainees accounts for this and other finds, Commissioner
Douglas and advocates aimed to eliminate this fee as well.
The political and physical challenges remain. The debt forgiveness in

(10:25):
Dauphin County, however, signals a growing momentum for reforms that
prioritize humane treatment, economic justice, and public safety over punitive
financial burdens on incarcerated people. Up next, a listener suggested
story back in a minute, and now, A listener suggested
story from John in Buffalo, New York. New York, along

(10:49):
with California and twenty other states plus Washington, d C
is suing the US Department of Agriculture over the agency's
unprecedented demand for states to provide detailed personal data on
individuals enrolled in the supplemental nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
This requested data includes immigration and citizenship status, social security numbers,

(11:12):
birth dates, addresses, and information about household members for all
SNAP beneficiaries over the past five years. States have been
given a deadline of July thirtie to provide this information
or risk losing federal funding for the program. New York
Attorney General Letitia James described the demand as an assault
on the sovereign rights of states and a pretext for

(11:33):
immigration enforcement under the guise of rooting out fraud. She
emphasized that the program serves millions of low income New Yorkers,
many of whom are lawfully present immigrants or US citizens
in mixed status households, and that the privacy of the
participants must be protected. James criticized the Trump administration's effort
as weaponizing SNAP against immigrant communities, undermining trust by using

(11:58):
sensitive data in ways contrast to the program's intent. California
Attorney General Rob Bonta, co lead on the lawsuit, called
the USDA's request a bait and switch, noting that SNAP
recipients provide their data to receive assistance, not to be
placed into government surveillance databases or targeted for deportation. The

(12:19):
states argue that this demand violates federal privacy laws and
breaks trust with program applicants. While the Trump administration frames
the data collection as a necessary step to address waste
and fraud and abuse in SNAP, critics assert that the
program already has rigorous controls in place, probably far too rigorous. Moreover,

(12:39):
immigration advocates and state officials view this as part of
a broader pattern by the administration to share sensitive data,
including medicaid and IRS information, with immigration enforcement agencies to
facilitate deportations. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for SNAP, but
the program does include lawfully present immigrants and city deisens

(13:00):
who could be endangered by data disclosure. The legal challenge
seeks to block enforcement of the data demand and prevent
funding penalties for states that refuse compliance. Thanks for that story, John.
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

(13:23):
to one, or drop us a line at beowulf at
two squared Media Productions dot com, or send it to
us at good News for Lefties on Facebook, Instagram, or
Blue Sky California Assembly Bill eleven twenty seven aims to
ban the sale of new Glock brand handguns and similar
Glock style pistols that can easily be converted into fully

(13:46):
automatic weapons using illegal devices known as glock switches. These switches,
which can be made with three D printers or simple tools,
allow the semi automatic pistols to fire continuously, effectively turning
them into machine guns, which are already illegal for general
civilian ownership under state and federal law. The bills, sometimes

(14:07):
called the Glock Ban Bill, passed the California State Assembly
and the Senate Judiciary Committee with strong Democratic support and
now awaits final votes before going to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk.
It would take effect January first, twenty twenty six. Licensed
firearms dealers would be prohibited from selling, transferring, or delivering

(14:28):
new pistols defined as machine gun convertible pistols, targeting nearly
all Glock models as well as popular clones sharing the
same internal trigger bar design. Those manufacturers unwilling or unable
to modify to their designs to prevent conversion would effectively
have their guns banned from new sales in California. Law
enforcement agencies and gunsmiths conducting repairs would be exempt. Current

(14:53):
owners of these pistols, including those legally possessing blocks, would
not be required to surrender or forfeit their firearms. BI
bill also allows private party sales of used guns supporters,
including gun safety groups In California, Attorney General Rob Bonta
maintained the measure is a necessary step to close a
loophole that has led to the use of converted glocks

(15:14):
and violent crimes such as the twenty twenty two gang
shooting and Sacramento that killed six people. And that's a
wrap for today's edition of Good News for Lefties. If
these stories brighten your outlook, please help us spread the word.
Share this episode on social media wherever you post. Thank
you so much to our production team, Rosabel Hine and

(15:35):
Aaron Watson for making all of this possible behind the scenes.
I'm Beowulf Rocklin, weird name Good News for Lefties and America.

Speaker 2 (16:02):
Are you tired of the same old, boring political chatter.
Are you craving some smart, insightful, and hilarious takes on
the day's news, Then get ready for America's original sexy liberal,
Stephanie Miller. She's now delivering her signature blend of politics
and pop culture five days a week in podcast form.
Dive into the day's headlines with Stephanie Miller Out of
the Gate and unwind with hilarious conversations on Stephanie Miller's

(16:23):
Happy Hour podcast. Don't miss a single laugh or incredible moment.
Subscribe to Stephanie Miller Out of the Gate and Stephanie
Miller's Happy Hour podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stephanie Miller dot com,
or wherever you get your favorite.

Speaker 1 (16:34):
Podcasts, And in case you missed it, here's this good
news headline. More than two hundred ten thousand Michigan residents
are seeing a life changing burden lifted off their shoulders,
as over one hundred and forty four million dollars in
medical debt is being erased across the state. The relief,

(16:57):
announced in July twenty twenty five by Governor Gretchen Whitmer,
marks the launch of a transformative initiative made possible through
a partnership between the state and the national nonprofit Undue
Medical Debt. Using a four point five million dollar allocation
from Michigan's twenty twenty four budget, the program aims to

(17:19):
provide low income residents with financial breathing room by clearing
medical debt they would otherwise struggle to repay. Undue medical debt,
formerly known as RIP medical debt purchases past due medical
bills from hospitals and collection agencies for pennies on the dollar.
We saw them involved in an effort in Arizona that

(17:41):
we talked about earlier this week. The nonprofit then abolishes
the debt, no strings attached. On average, one dollar contributed
eliminates one hundred dollars in medical bills, allowing public and
philanthropic funds to go to an incredibly long way. This
next wave of debt forgiveness is focused largely in Southeastern

(18:03):
counties like Makeham, Jackson, Kenton, Genesee, where tens of thousands
of residents are receiving letters letting them know their debts
have been cleared without the need to apply or take
further action. The program targets families and individuals most at
risk of financial instability. Eligible recipients include those earning four

(18:25):
times or less the federal poverty line, or whose medical
debts exceed five percent of their annual income. For many,
this debt forgiveness resolves difficult choices between paying off hospital
bills and covering basic needs like rent or groceries. Governor
Whitmer framed the initiative as both an economic and moral imperative, saying,

(18:48):
we believe being sick or getting injured shouldn't mean going broke.
The initiative also comes as Michiganders face rising costs and
fewer safety nets due to federal Medicaid cuts under the
Trump Administration's Big Beautiful Bill. This effort builds on successful
local programs across Michigan. In recent years, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, and

(19:12):
Wayne Counties have each partnered with undue medical Debt to
erase millions in medical bills for residents. By scaling the
program statewide, Michigan is leading the way in rethinking how
public resources can be used to tackle one of the
country's leading causes of bankruptcy. With additional waves of debt

(19:33):
forgiveness expected and momentum growing nationally, this public private model
offers a path forward for other states looking to turn
medical crisis into community relief. Good job, Michigan. Now, the
next step, what would say even more money is making
medical debt illegal in the first place.