Linea Abierta Programming: August 19, 2024

MONDAY, AUGUST 19    
PROGRAM #10472         12:00 PM PT 

DNC 2024: First Day. Tens of thousands of Democrats from all over the nation convene in Chicago weeks after President Biden dropped out of the presidential race, paving the way for Vice President Harris to become the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket. President Biden is scheduled to address the convention today. Outside the convention center, thousands are expected to protest issues including the bombing of Gaza. What to expect from the Democratic convention? What’s in the DNC platform in areas like the economy, climate crisis, gun violence, reproductive rights and immigration? This is part of our special series Hacia el Voto 2024.

Guests: Marco Frieri, Hispanic Media Director, Democratic National Committee, Chicago, IL; Juan Proaño, Chief Executive Officer, League of United Latin American Citizens-LULAC, Chicago, IL; Tania Unzueta, National Political Director, Mijente, Chicago, IL; Jesús García, Editor and Reporter, La Opinión/El Diario, Chicago, IL.
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 20    
PROGRAM #10473         11:00 AM PT 

Extra Edition: Overcoming Low Vaccination. Latinos are among the least vaccinated groups against the flu, but have 20% higher rates of hospitalization from influenza than other minorities. In response, public health leaders are launching a campaign titled “Risk Less. Do More.” to educate Latinos and tackle misinformation about the flu, Covid-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines. An expert joins this program to discuss myths and facts about respiratory virus vaccines.

Guest: Dr. Trinidad Solis, Deputy Health Officer, Fresno County Department of Public Health, Fresno, CA.

Protecting Against Mutating Viruses. As the viruses that cause Covid-19 and influenza spread, they change or mutate. These mutations help viruses avoid our natural immune response. Because of this, influenza and Covid-19 vaccines are periodically updated to protect against circulating variants of a virus. The best way to reduce your risk of serious illness is to stay up to date on these recommended vaccines. In recent weeks, we have seen a surge in Covid-19 infections across the country, and both Covid-19 and influenza continue to cause thousands of hospitalizations and deaths each year. How and where to get the most updated vaccines? How to plan for the season of respiratory illnesses?
Guest: Dr. Bertha Hidalgo, Epidemiologist and Associate Dean at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.

Back to School Enrollment. Having health coverage can improve students’ academic performance and health. When children have health care, they are less likely to miss school, better able to participate in extracurricular activities, and more likely to finish high school and graduate from college. Still, nearly four million children are uninsured. And many of them can get free or low-cost health coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This back-to-school season, experts remind those families that they can enroll in or renew coverage. How does health influence student academic performance? What types of services do Medicaid and CHIP cover? What services are especially important for students? 

Guest: Carolina Fortin-Garcia, Spokesperson, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-CMS, Washington, DC.

PROGRAM #10474        12:00 PM PT 

DNC 2024 on Immigration. When Kamala Harris was tasked to deal with a rise in border crossings from Central America, she focused on investing in the economy of the region to dissuade migrants from leaving. Political analysts comment on Harris’ approach, and on the Democrats’ agenda, geared to “secure the border, reform the asylum system, expand legal immigration, and keep families together by supporting long-term undocumented individuals, including Dreamers.” On other news, in the face of policy agendas that promise massive deportations and most people in immigration court don’t have an attorney, Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-Illinois) discusses ways to defend communities from deportation and ensure due process. Also, advocates guide new citizens through the voting process and compare views of candidates on issues relevant to newly naturalized citizens.

Guests: Shayna Kessler, Initiative Director, Advancing Universal Representation, Vera Institute of Justice, Brooklyn, NY; Nancy Flores, Deputy Director, National Partnership for New Americans, Milwaukee, WI; Rosalba Piña, Immigration Law Expert, Chicago, IL.

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21    
PROGRAM #10475          12:00 PM PT 

Plan to Tackle Big Oil Price Spikes. Warning that when oil refiners limit gasoline supplies prices spike at the pump and Big Oil reaps massive profits, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an unprecedented plan to mitigate gas prices and save consumers money. What’s in this new, bold bill? On other news, Latino activists in California are holding the big oil industry accountable for the pervasive contamination of entire communities and the high risk of asthma among Latino children. They are ramping up a campaign seeking protections for communities living near refineries and oil wells.

Guests: Araceli Martínez, Reporter, Los Angeles, CA; César Aguirre, Associate Director of the Climate Team, Central California Environmental Justice Network, Bakersfield, CA.

“El Chisme 2024”: Meaningful Discussions at a Critical Election Time. A leading progressive Latino organization is mobilizing Latino voters in key U.S. swing states by holding mass events as part of the “El Chisme 2024” tour, which covers more than 20 cities in the United States and Puerto Rico. The tour is designed to engage Latino communities through cultural events, grassroots organizing and political dialogue. A spokesperson explains details and objectives of the campaign.

Guest: Jorge Gutiérrez, Director of Membership, Mijente, Chicago, IL.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22        
PROGRAM #10476        11:00 AM PT 

Extra Edition: “Hope and Dignity.” The Museum of Social Justice in Los Angeles is opening the exhibit “Hope and Dignity: The Farmworker Movement,” a collection of pictures curated by the Tom & Ethel Bradley Center at California State University, Northridge, that captures the faces of hundreds of men and women who made up the labor and civil rights movement. The exhibition includes images of marches, pickets, boycotts, elections, union meetings, and musical and theatrical performances during the early years of the farm workers’ struggle.

Guest: Dr. José Luis Benavides, Professor, Department of Journalism, Director, Tom and Ethel Bradley Center, California State University at Northridge-CSUN, Los Angeles, CA.

The Continuing Bombing in Gaza. More than 40,000 people, most of them women and children, have been killed after ten months of bombing in Gaza. Meanwhile, the US approves 20 billion more in weapons for Israel. What conspires against a ceasefire? Peace activists in Fresno convene a community hearing to seek answers.

Guest: Stanley Santos, Community Activist, Raza Against War, Fresno, CA. 

PROGRAM #10477          12:00 PM PT 

DNC 2024: Vice Presidential Nomination. On the final night of the Republican convention, Kamala Harris is scheduled to give the culminating speech, formally accepting her party’s nomination as presidential candidate. This edition includes a report on what’s happening in the convention, including highlights of the vice-presidential candidate acceptance speech the night before. Democratic analysts comment on who Tim Walz is, what he is bringing to the ticket, how Latinos feel about Harris and Walz, and how Walz may play out in Southwestern battlegrounds.

Guests: Fabiola Rodríguez, Deputy Hispanic Media Director, Harris for President Campaign, Chicago, IL; Olivia Troye, former National Security Advisor to former vice president Mike Pence, Member of Republicans for Harris, Chicago, IL; Antonio Zavala, Reporter, La Raza Weekly Newspaper, Chicago IL.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 23    
PROGRAM #10478        11:00 AM PT 

DNC 2024: Presidential Nomination. Kamala Harris, the first woman elected US vice president, is expected to address the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, accepting her party’s nomination as a presidential candidate, another historic milestone. This special edition features highlights of Harris’ speech, as well as the three Democratic presidents who are expected to speak during the convention. Political analysts also discuss the road ahead to November.

Guests: Emmanuelle D. Leal-Santillán , National Communications and Media Director, Somos Votantes, Chicago, IL; Dolores Huerta, Co-founder, United Farm Workers-UFW, and Founding President, Dolores Huerta Foundation, Chicago, IL.

PROGRAM #10479         12:00 PM PT 

Mexico Edition. On the day after Kamala Harris’ official confirmation as Democratic presidential candidate, Mexican analysts discuss the takeaways for Mexico. When they recently talked as Vice President and President-Elect respectively, Kamala Harris and Claudia Sheinbaum discussed the importance of women holding positions of leadership, the global climate crisis and renewable energy, and the root causes of migration. What can Mexico expect from a possible Harris administration?

Guests: Jesus García, Editor for politics, immigration and national affairs, La Opinión-El Diario, Chicago, IL; David Brooks, US Correspondent, La Jornada, Nueva York, NY.