Central Valley entrepreneurs face a health care dilemma

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24

PROGRAM #11060 12:00 PM PT 

Central Valley entrepreneurs face a health care dilemma. 

In California, self-employed workers rely on the state insurance marketplace, Covered California, for health coverage. After subsidies expired, premiums rose sharply, leaving many—especially Latino small business owners—forced to choose between continuing to pay or going without coverage. What does this mean in practice? What happens in the case of catastrophic illness? Are there viable alternatives? This is the first in a series of special reports produced with support from the Ethnic Media Collaborative and the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism.

Guest: Daniela Rodriguez, Reporter at Radio Bilingüe, UC Berkeley Fellow, Fresno, CA.

Anti-crime Campaign or Misuse of Money? Thousands of federal agents and millions of dollars have been deployed in ICE raids purportedly targeting violent criminals. Yet a recent study shows that those ultimately arrested are immigrants with no criminal records. Is this an expensive misuse of resources? How does this strategy affect public safety?

Guest: Kira Romero-Craft, Attorney, Brennan Center for Justice, Orlando, FL.

Protecting Immigrant Students—or Not. After complaints from parents, a school district in California’s Central Valley reversed course on plans to roll back policies protecting immigrant students and families from ICE operations. What is it like to live under heightened ICE enforcement in schools across conservative rural counties? This report is produced in collaboration with the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.

Guest: Ximena Loeza, Reporter, The Modesto Focus / Central Valley Journalism Collaborative-CVNC, Modesto, CA.

Photo: IgnasiusIMade/Adobe Stock

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