Judge Orders Expedited Process on Epstein Files and Suit to Block Dept. of Education Expanded

In this episode of Good News for Lefties, host Wendy King shines a light on stories that inspire hope and action among progressives, liberals, and all those striving for a better future.

The episode kicks off with a significant legal victory as Judge Tanya Chutkin orders an expedited process for the release of Epstein files, following a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Democracy Forward. This case not only highlights the importance of government transparency but also scrutinizes the administration's credibility and accountability.

Next, we travel to Iowa City, where the city council's decision to eliminate bus fares has transformed public transportation. The two-year pilot program has proven so successful that it is being extended, resulting in increased ridership and decreased emissions. This initiative serves as a model for other cities considering similar measures to promote sustainable transit options.

The episode also addresses a pressing issue: medical debt. In Nevada, a coalition has successfully partnered with Undue Medical Debt to forgive $133 million in medical bills, providing much-needed relief to struggling families. This story underscores the ongoing battle against healthcare costs and the importance of community support in tackling such burdens.

Calvin Duncan's inspiring journey from wrongful conviction to becoming the city’s chief criminal court record keeper is another highlight. His election victory demonstrates resilience and the power of fighting for justice, serving as a beacon of hope for those who have faced similar injustices.

Additionally, the episode discusses a coalition's efforts to challenge the Trump administration's attempts to dismantle the Department of Education. This ongoing legal battle emphasizes the significance of maintaining robust educational policies that serve all students effectively.

Finally, we celebrate National Secondhand Sunday, encouraging listeners to embrace secondhand gifting as a sustainable and community-focused practice during the holiday season. This initiative not only supports local economies but also promotes environmental sustainability.

Join us as we explore these inspiring stories that remind us of the power of collective action and the importance of staying informed and engaged in our communities. Together, we can continue to spread positivity and work towards a brighter future for all.

Story Links:
https://www.newsweek.com/judge-chutkan-orders-expedited-process-epstein-files-11105315
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/climate/iowa-city-free-buses.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2k8.I246.DbjQFRMnmFDL&smid=url-share&ck_subscriber_id=2496857656&utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Disney%20Imagineers%E2%80%99%20next%20project%20-%2019777348
https://nevadacurrent.com/2025/11/26/latino-civic-group-partners-with-nonprofit-to-buy-down-medical-debt-for-128000-nevadans/
https://penncapital-star.com/2025/11/26/repub/suit-to-block-education-department-closure-expanded-amid-agency-transfers-plans/
https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-clerk-calvin-duncan-dc0ca1c86bcc313b4e5af43ed623fa15?link_source=ta_thread_link&taid=691a49f10204a30001653495&utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&utm_medium=AP&utm_source=Threads#
https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-secondhand-sunday-sunday-after-thanksgiving

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

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Good News for Lefties. Hello, and thanks for joining us
on this edition of Good News for Lefties. I'm Wendy King,
ready to help you swap out doom and gloom for
some genuine hope with uplifting stories for democracy defenders, progressives, liberals, socialists, leftists,

(00:28):
and anyone who believes in making America a better place
for everyone. To help spread the positivity, please rate and
review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever podcast platform
you choose. It helps more lefties like you, hear more
good news stories, and stay positive and motivated for the

(00:49):
days ahead. Okay, Our first good news story of the
day is from Newsweek. Judge Tanya Chutkin has ordered expedit
aided process on the Epstein files. A new Freedom of
Information Act or Foyer lawsuit is forcing the Justice Department
to defend its handling of the Epstein files. The suit,

(01:13):
brought by the Democracy Forward Foundation, argues that the government
has sidestepped its legal obligations by delaying responses to requests
that implicate both the administration's transparency promises and ongoing public
concern about the extent of Epstein's ties to influential figures.

(01:36):
Despite being framed as a routine records dispute, the lawsuit
over files related to Epstein has become a test of
the Trump administration's transparency pledges, the Justice Department's credibility and
public confidence in handling one of the most politically charged
investigations in recent memory. Early in President Donald Trump's second term,

(01:59):
officials publicly suggested a list of Epstein's clients existed, but
the DOJ and FBI declared in July that an exhaustive
review had found none. Democracy Forwards Foye suit presses for
disclosure of the government's internal communications to determine whether political

(02:20):
considerations influenced the shift in the Justice Department stance, With
reporting that Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump his name
appears in the files, recently immunity protected meetings with convicted
Epstein associate Galaine Maxwell, and a DOJ memo asserting that

(02:41):
no further releases were appropriate or warranted. The case now
carries stakes that reach far beyond paperwork. It touches victim's trust,
the administration's accountability, and the public's ability to understand how
and why the government made its decisions. Democracy Forward is

(03:03):
a non profit legal organization based in Washington DC that
litigates for government transparency and accountability. It often uses FOYA
and administrative law challenges to scrutinize any federal actions. On
August eighth, it filed a complaint seeking the court ordered

(03:24):
expedited processing of several FOYA requests that were submitted to
the DOJ and FBI. The organization said in the suit
that the requested records, which concern senior officials, communications about Epstein,
agency review processes, and references to Donald Trump, must be

(03:44):
released quickly because of quote an extraordinary need to inform
the public about the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein
matter unquote. US District Judge Tanya Chutkin agreed that an
expert but added review was warranted. In large part in
an opinion, she found that the subject met the regulatory

(04:07):
standard for issues involving widespread and exceptional media interest in
which there exist possible questions about the government's integrity that
affect public confidence. She ruled that most of the Democracy
Forwards requests qualified for accelerated processing, though portions were deemed overbroad.

(04:31):
The FOYER requests seek clarity on the Justice Department's shifting
public posture toward the Epstein files. During the twenty twenty
four campaign, Trump said he would have no problem releasing
what many believed to be a list of Epstein's alleged clients.
In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared to affirm those expectations,

(04:54):
telling reporters that the list was quote sitting on my
desk right now to review. That's been a directive by
President Trump. In July, the Justice Department suddenly reversed course.
The FBI and the DOJ said in a memo that
after a systematic review of the records, including searches uncovering

(05:17):
more than three hundred gigabytes of data and physical evidence,
they found no incriminating client list and no credible evidence
that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals. The agencies concluded that no
further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted. The sudden shift,

(05:39):
Democracy Forward argues intensified public scrutiny and raised concerns about
political interference. The organization's complaint cited reporting that Pambondi brief
Trump in May that his name appears in the files.
The Justice Department later met with Glaine Maxwell, Epstein's convicted

(06:01):
co conspirator, granting her what outlets described as limited immunity
in exchange for discussions with senior officials. Soon after that,
Maxwell was transferred to a lower security facility. Democracy Forward
says these developments underscore the urgency of public access. The

(06:24):
group argues that pending decisions affecting Maxwell's legal status could
permanently impact her willingness to publicly disclose information on the
government's handling of the Epstein matter. Chutkin emphasized that her
ruling concerned only the process, not the content of the

(06:44):
records at issue. Still, her order ensures that the Justice
Department cannot rely on administrative delay to avoid producing responsive documents.
The dispute reflects broader tensions between the public's demand for
visibility into a high profile investigation and the government's stated

(07:07):
obligation to protect victim identities and sealed material. The FBI
memo underscores those concerns, noting that the files include images
and videos of victims who are either miners or appear
to be miners, as well as extensive sealed evidence. For now,

(07:27):
the court's decision guarantees only that the Foyer requests move
forward quickly. Sky Perryman president and CEO of Democracy Forward said,
this is the first federal court ruling about the Trump
Vance administration's cover up in the handling of the Epstein files,
and the court acknowledged what we have long known. The

(07:51):
Trump Vance administration has been stonewalling in providing the public
with information about how it's handling the Epstein file, else
including communications between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, as well
as communications between federal agencies. We are pleased that the
court granted our motion to expedite the production of records

(08:14):
to the public and will continue to use the courts
to shine a light on what the administration is doing.
Judge Tanya Chutkin wrote in her ruling, the Court is
hard pressed to think of stronger evidence that this issue
has attracted widespread and exceptional media interest. She added, commenting

(08:35):
on the DOJ's attempt to narrow the Foyer requests, Government
Council slices Democracy Forwards requests too thin by attempting to
depict different aspects of the same matter as separate matters.
Judge Chutkin's ruling means the Justice Department and FBI must
fast track Democracy Forwards Foyer requests begin producing internal commmunications

(09:00):
about the government's handling of the Epstein files and justify
any reactions or withholdings Under the FOYA. The agencies must
clarify which parts of the requests they consider overbroad, provide
rolling releases of documents, and report their progress to the court.

(09:21):
If disputes arise over exemptions or delays, Judge Chutkin can
order further disclosures or conduct private review of the contested records. Okay.
Our second story comes from The New York Times. Iowa City, Iowa,
has completely eliminated their bus fares with the goal of

(09:44):
lowering emissions from cars and encouraging people to take public transit.
The two year pilot program proved so popular that the
city council voted the summer to extend it for another year.
They're paying for it with a one percent in increase
in utility taxes and by doubling most public parking rates

(10:05):
from one dollar to two dollars. Ridership has surpassed pandemic
levels by eighteen percent. Bus drivers say they're navigating less
congested streets. People drove one point eight million few miles
on city streets, according to government calculations, and emissions have
dropped by seven hundred and seventy eight metric tons of

(10:27):
carbon dioxide a year. That's the equivalent of taking one
hundred and sixty seven vehicles off the roads. Free city
buses are relatively rare in the United States. The idea
has been getting a new look recently after Zoron Mamdani
won New York's mayoral race with a promise to make
buses free. However, critics have described the plan as a

(10:51):
pie in the sky, and Governor Kathy Hokeel of New
York recently voiced doubts. But in Iowa City, objections to
free buses and even parking fee increases have been muted.
Betsey Potter, executive director of the Iowa City Downtown District,
said downtown businesses supported free buses because they helped bring

(11:14):
people downtown and decreased workers transit costs. The Iowa City
manager came up with the idea from a book called
Free Public Transit and Why We Don't Pay to Ride
in Elevators. The city wanted to improve its transit system
and increase its use while reducing household expenses. Also, as

(11:37):
a part of the Climate Action Plan, Iowa City wanted
to replace fifty five percent of vehicle trips with sustainable
alternatives like walking, biking, and taking transit by twenty fifty.
Fair free Buses officials decided could help meet those goals.
When the day arrived for the free buses, Iowa City

(12:00):
through a big launch party, artists decorated the bus shelters
with decals of butterflies, bees, and flowers. Jazz bands were
hired to play on downtown sidewalks, and a booth was
set up where people could write thank you cards to
the bus drivers. Sarah Gardner, the city's climate action coordinator, said,

(12:21):
you can make buses free, but it's also important to
make them convenient and appealing. There were concerns that fair
free travel would heap extra burdens on the bus drivers,
drawing homeless or anything goes behaviors, but most of the
drivers say that not having to ask passengers for payment

(12:42):
or transfers has led to a lot less friction with riders.
They say it also speeds up the travel because no
one was delayed rummaging around for money. We'll be back
in just a minute with good news for lefties, gears.

Speaker 2 (13:00):
What you've been missing on the Stephanie Miller Happy Hour podcast.

Speaker 3 (13:04):
I do have a question. I tried to get an
answer out of you on radio Okay. The question is
when did you notice Joe Biden's cognitive decline? And don't
I don't, don't change the subject in the flat. When
did you really notice it?

Speaker 4 (13:17):
Well?

Speaker 5 (13:17):
I think it was true all of the times that
Donald Trump has fallen asleep in public and talked about,
you know, magnets getting wet in the last.

Speaker 3 (13:26):
Few you know, my gosh.

Speaker 5 (13:28):
My mom had to mention, so I recognized it.

Speaker 3 (13:32):
This is not It's a very good deflection. You're a professional.

Speaker 5 (13:35):
You know what else is great about good bid Biden's
couldn't decline is that Trump is all over the Epstein
files and I'm wondering if they're going to release those.
Are you covering that tonight?

Speaker 2 (13:45):
Thank you, Thank you, thank you, thank you those Maybe
this may be the last few words I speak. Bellow
before black block helicopter you know, soops down, Yeah, some
people propelling here and snatched me away to El Salvador.

Speaker 5 (13:58):
Thank you, everybody.

Speaker 6 (13:59):
Good.

Speaker 2 (13:59):
I I have accomplished my ones every ten years ago
of getting thrown off Fox News. I will never ever
be back.

Speaker 4 (14:08):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (14:09):
Subscribe to the Stephanie Miller Happy Hour podcast on Apple Podcasts,
Stephaniemiller dot com or wherever you get your favorite.

Speaker 1 (14:16):
Podcasts and now a story from nevadacurrent dot com. The
Latino engagement group Somos Votantes Education Fund has partnered with
the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt to write down one

(14:38):
hundred and thirty three million dollars of existing medical debt
for the people in Nevada. Undue Medical Debt uses funding
provided by donations to buy medical debt from health providers
and collection agencies at steep discounts. The one hundred and
twenty eight thousand people who qualified are ex expected to

(15:00):
get letters this week informing them which medical debts have
been eliminated. The move will give people in Clark and
Washaw Counties much relief as the cost of healthcare continues
to rise and health insurance premiums are expected to increase,
said Emmanual Lele, the national Communications and media director with

(15:23):
Somos Fatantes. Individuals with medical debts that are more than
five percent of their annual income or those earning at
or below four times the federal poverty level qualified for
the relief. Medical debt carries a very heavy burden on
the shoulders of working families that often traps them in

(15:45):
this sort of endless cycle of financial difficulty in stress.
According to Lel, the group is hoping to secure additional
relief in the coming months. The high cost of health care,
which will be exacerbated by the expiration of the Affordable
Care Act. Health insurance premiums were a central part of

(16:06):
the recent forty three day federal government shutdown. Nevadans who
get insurance through Nevada Health Link are facing a projected
average twenty six percent premium rate hike. The majority of
Democrats refused to sign a continuing resolution to fund the
government without a vote to restore the premiums or reverse

(16:27):
medicaid cuts from President Trump's massive tax and immigration bill,
which was past the summer. Nevada Democratic US Senator Jackie
Rosen and Catherine Cortes Masto were among the eight Democratic
senators who broke with the majority of their caucus earlier
this month to reopen the government in exchange for a

(16:49):
promised future on healthcare costs, not a guarantee that the
premiums would be extended. An estimated one hundred seventy seven
thousand people in Nevada have medical debt, according to a
report from Kaiser Family Foundation. As the cost of living increases,
people are often faced with a choice between paying for

(17:11):
health care or paying for rent or food. Leal said
removing the medical debt would give them one last bill
to worry about, all right. This next story is from
the Associated Press. A New orleansman who spent three decades
in prison before his murder conviction was vacated has one

(17:34):
election to serve as the city's chief criminal court record keeper.
This despite the state challenging his past. The city's newly
elected Clerk of Criminal Court, Calvin Duncan, fought for decades
to clear his name after being convicted of carrying out
a nineteen eighty one fatal shooting. Duncan, a Democrat, later

(17:58):
uncovered evidence that police officers lied in court and had
his conviction tossed by a judge. In twenty twenty one,
Duncan won with sixty eight percent of the vote, according
to unofficial returns from the Louisiana Secretary of State's office.
Tonight is a dream that's been forty years in the making,

(18:18):
Duncan said in a statement, I hope that All of
those people who died in prison because we couldn't get
their records are looking down now. I hope they're proud
of me. We never stopped fighting for each other's rights,
and I will never stop fighting for yours. Thank you
for this privilege. Duncan is now listed in the National

(18:40):
Registry of Exonerations. Coming up next, a listener suggested story
will be back in just a minute with good news
for lefties.

Speaker 3 (18:57):
Hi.

Speaker 6 (18:57):
I'm John Feugelsk and I'm Professor Corey Bretschneider.

Speaker 4 (19:00):
And we are here to tell you about The Oath
and the Office, an essential new podcast about the extremely
strange times we find ourselves in.

Speaker 6 (19:06):
In the first few seconds in office, the President of
the United States is required to take an oath to preserve, protect,
and defend the Constitution, and we're going to hold him
to that pledge, despite the fact that he has threatened
democracy and even the law itself.

Speaker 4 (19:19):
It's all about hope for what democracy should look like
and getting real about what our democracy does look like.
From an esteemed constitutional scholar and a deeply unqualified comedian.

Speaker 6 (19:29):
Subscribe to The Oath in the Office wherever you get
your podcasts.

Speaker 1 (19:35):
All right now, We have a story that was sent
in by Emmanuel Garcia from Pittsburgh. This story is from
the Pennsylvania Capital Star. A coalition suing to block President
Donald Trump's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education expanded
its lawsuit to include objections to recent interagency agreements to

(20:00):
shift the Department's responsibilities to other cabinet level agencies. The
Alliance of Unions and School Districts also added a major
disability rights advocacy group to its ranks. In the amended complaint,
it details how the department's announcement of six interagency agreements

(20:21):
could actually harm students. The agreements to transfer several education
responsibilities to four other departments drew swift backlash from Democratic officials,
labor unions, and advocacy groups, who questioned the legality of
the transfers and expressed concerns over the harms that would

(20:43):
be imposed on students, families, and schools as a result.
Scattering Department of Education programs among agencies with no expertise
in education or lacking key agency infrastructure will reduce the
affair deficiency and effectiveness of these programs and will prevent

(21:04):
the type of synergy that Congress intended to achieve by
consolidating federal education activities in one cabinet level agency, the
coalition wrote in the amended complaint. The expanded suit asks
for declaratory and injunctive relief against what is described as
the administration's unlawful effort to dismantle the Department of Education,

(21:30):
pointing to the interagency's agreements, mass layoffs at the department
earlier this year, and the implementation of an executive order
that called on Education Secretary Linda McMahon to facilitate the
closure of her own department. The Education Department clarified in
fact sheets related to the agreements with the Departments of Labor, Interior, Health,

(21:55):
and Human Services and state that it would maintain all
statutory irresponsibilities and will continue its oversight of these programs.
Trump has sought to take an acts to the forty
six year old department, saying he wants to send education
back to the states. Much of the funding and oversight
of schools already occurs at the state and local levels.

(22:19):
The original lawsuit, filed in March in Massachusetts federal Court,
was brought by the American Federation of Teachers its Massachusetts chapter.
The American Association of University Professors, the Service Employees International Union,
and two school districts in Massachusetts. The new filing adds

(22:40):
the ARC of the United States, which is an advocacy
group for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as a plaintiff.
Earlier this year, the case was consolidated with another March
lawsuit from Democratic Attorneys generals in twenty one other states.
Big thanks to am Manuel Garcia from Pittsburgh for sending

(23:02):
in that good news story. And finally, our last story
is from National Day calendar. Today is National Secondhand Sunday,
the first Sunday after Thanksgiving. We celebrate National second Hand
Sunday to embrace second hand gifting while supporting second hand

(23:23):
sellers and circular fashion during the peak holiday shopping season,
National Secondhand Sunday offers consumers a chance to embrace and
reshape the perception of second hand gifting. Today, we're encouraging
everyone to consider a secondhand gift for Christmas. Now more
than ever, there's both a need and a willingness to

(23:46):
embrace the power of secondhand gifting. In a recent twenty
twenty two survey conducted by Morning Consult, more than ninety
percent of adults are open to receiving a second hand
or resale gift this Hallday season. In addition, more than
half of those say they're very open to receiving something secondhand.

(24:07):
The environmental benefits of shopping secondhand are so undeniable replacing
just one new gift with a second hand item actually
has an impact on the environment. For example, gifting a
vintage leather tote bag instead of purchasing a new one
could save as much as seventeen thousand liters of water.

(24:29):
That amount is what a single person would drink over
twenty three years. Environmentalists are encouraging people to join the
national movement to make secondhand shopping a regular practice. In
doing so, you'll make choices that support individual economic empowerment,
social connection, and environmental sustainability. Two out of five consumers

(24:54):
are concerned inflation will make holiday shopping more expensive this year. Dently,
the notion of shopping, selling, and gifting secondhand is gaining
in popularity and for undeniable reasons. Some of the top
reasons people choose secondhand gifts are it supports local communities

(25:14):
and individual sellers. It promotes environmental sustainability. You can access
great deals. It allows you to find unique items that
may not be available in store shelves, and it also
provides an opportunity to connect on a more personal level
when you shop from individual resellers and national secondhand Sunday

(25:37):
is not just for shoppers, the days for sellers too.
Secondhand sellers range from the casual side hustler who wants
to supplement their income to individuals who have turned reselling
into a full time business. Regardless of where you fall
on the reseller spectrum, the opportunity to earn extra money

(25:58):
to pay for your holiday gifts brings this movement full circle.
Secondhand shopping helps to minimize the fast fashion cycle, and
it betters the planet. It gives you the ability to
find unique, one of a kind items across multiple different categories.
It makes luxury and high end items more accessible and

(26:20):
affordable to shoppers. It gives greater variety of sizes and fits,
styles and options. Plus, it's an opportunity to support individual resellers,
and it's fun. Online resale companies and platforms are more
popular than ever, which makes it easy to browse, ask questions,

(26:41):
and even negotiate a better price. That's all for today.
Remember to share this podcast with your friends, family, and
anyone else who needs a dose of optimism. Rate and
review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you tune in.
Can also find us on Facebook, Blue Sky, and Instagram,

(27:04):
because good news deserves to go viral. Until next time,
I'm Wendy King reporting this is good news for lefties
and America.