Chesapeake Cleanup Efforts and Affordable Backup Power

In this episode of Good News for Lefties, host Beowulf Rochlen shares encouraging election news, ideas that could make life better for workers and families, and stories of people protecting the environment and one another. A new poll gives Michigan Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson a seven-point lead over Republican John James. And as Election Day approaches, Sabato’s Crystal Ball has shifted more than a dozen House races toward Democrats, including Texas’s 15th District, where Democrat Bobby Pulido is challenging Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz. There’s broad, bipartisan support for bringing back the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that Republicans allowed to expire: 76% of voters—including 60% of Republicans—favor restoring them. Meanwhile, Ford says its upcoming Fathom electric pickup will be able to power a home without the costly equipment most vehicle-to-home systems require. Beowulf also shares a listener’s note about the need for progressive news that isn’t all doom and gloom, and highlights a Virginia program that has removed more than 24,000 abandoned fishing traps from Chesapeake Bay waters. The effort has helped support local jobs and documented tens of thousands of marine animals caught in the gear. Plus, new research suggests remote work can help colleagues build stronger connections, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey commutes the death sentence of a man whose conviction has drawn serious questions, and Beowulf recommends This Week Again, a humorous, progressive look at politics and current events. Join us for these stories and more—and share the episode with a friend to help spread a little good news.