Books Beat Bans, FEMA Freeze Foiled & Alabama's Math Miracle – Good News For Democracy!

This week on Good News For Lefties, host Beowulf Rochlen delivers your dose of progressive victories with trademark wit and razor-sharp analysis. First, we celebrate a federal judge smacking down Iowa’s GOP book ban for the second time – proving the First Amendment and democracy still matter. Then, we expose how 23 Democratic AGs are fighting Trump’s cruel FEMA freeze that’s denying wildfire survivors aid. In labor news, Off-Broadway workers win a historic union contract after a months-long strike, while Alabama schools (yes, Alabama!) become a national model by replacing math drills with toy bears and skyrocketing test scores. Plus: How autistic job seekers are beating bias with neurodiversity training The Seattle dad who built a recycling empire from dead batteries Why banned classroom posters sparked a 15,000-shirt protest movement Each story comes packed with historical context, grassroots voices, and actionable takeaways – because democracy matters. Tune in to remember why we fight… and why we win.Positive, daily news for democracy lovers! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try and get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/Lefties Listen to Love Doesn't Pay The Bills with Lisa Tschudi. Listen to our friends Jennifer and Dan of the Banned Camp podcast at BannedCampPodcast.com Listen to This Week Again with Susanne Posel . And listen to The Good Government Show with Dave Martin 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 beowulf@twosquaredmediaproductions.com You can find out more about GNFL 's daily news stories here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/mar/26/iowa-law-banning-books-including-1984-and-ulysses-blocked-by-us-federal-judge https://pluribusnews.com/news-and-events/dem-ags-urge-judge-to-enforce-ruling-blocking-fema-grant-freeze/ https://news.vcu.edu/article/2025/03/two-factors-could-help-close-the-hiring-gap-for-autistic-job-seekers-vcu-researcher-finds https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/ridwell-recycling https://deadline.com/2025/03/atlantic-theater-iatse-1236348882/ https://www.npr.org/2025/03/17/nx-s1-5328723/alabama-math-learning-teaching-test-scores More good daily news for democracy on Facebook , Bluesky , and Instagram . If you like Justice Matters with Glenn Kirschner, IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, The MeidasTouch Podcast, and Pod Save America, you'll LOVE Good News For Lefties! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/good-news-for-lefties-daily-news-for-democracy--6256627/support .