Linea Abierta Programming: September 16, 2024

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
PROGRAM #10506 11:00 AM PT

Avian Flu Spreads. California is the latest state to confront the virus known as Avian Flu that has infected dairy cows in14 states. California officials confirmed the presence of H5N1 at three dairies in the Central Valley. While only four dairy workers in the US have become infected with mild symptoms, health authorities are advising people who work with or are exposed to cows and other animals to protect themselves.

Guest: Dr. Laura Castro, Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

Talking About Suicide. Calling on communities to “change the narrative on suicide,” public health advocates seek to encourage conversations about mental health and suicide and reduce stigma to prevent suicide. Crisis counselors discuss practical steps to help people deal with the topic of suicide. September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month.

Guest: Karla Zenteno, Bilingual-Spanish Program Coordinator, Suicide Prevention Center, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, Los Angeles, CA.

New Covid Shots. New updated Covid-19 vaccines are now available. How to get a free shot or a free test? Analysts also comment on the current CDC isolation guidelines and other news.

Guest: Dr. Olivia Almendares, Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

PROGRAM #10507 12:00 PM PT

More on the Trump-Harris Debate. As Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he would not participate in a new debate, Democratic contender Kamala Harris, who had a windfall fund-raising after the recent debate, called for a rematch. Analysts comment on this news. They also continue fact checking and discussing takeaways from the first Trump-Harris debate in areas such as health care, climate, and immigration.

Guests: Marissa Franco, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Mijente, Phoenix, AZ; Paula Andalo, Ethnic Media Editor, KFF Health News, Silver Spring, MD; Adelina Nichols, Executive Director, Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights-GLAHR, Atlanta, GA.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
PROGRAM #10508 11:00 AM PT

First 2024 Ballots Are In. Election Day is still weeks away, but many voters have already started receiving mail-in ballots and early voting is starting in some states. On National Voter Registration Day, civic activists step up efforts to register people to vote and provide advice on how to prepare for the upcoming 2024 election.

Guest: Adrian Izaguirre, Interim Texas Director of Civic Engagement. NALEO. Houston, TX.

“Fake News, The Truth and Your Vote.” Misinformation is considered a growing threat for Latino voters, who are the target of constant disinformation campaigns on social media. In an effort to discuss the impact of dis/misinformation and help voters spot some of the most obvious and viral cases of false rumors, Radio Bilingüe is convening a public forum with experts on fake news today in Madera, a city in the Central Valley. Organizers give a preview to the event.

Guests: Rafael Olavarria, Politics and Migration Fact-checker, Factchequeado, Atlanta, GA, today from Fresno, CA; Samuel Orozco, National News Director, Radio Bilingüe, Fresno, CA.

National Latino Heritage Month 2024. On September 15, National Latino Heritage Month celebrations began in the US commemorating the achievements, contributions and stories of Latinos in the nation. On today’s program, Vice President Kamala Harris’ National Democratic Campaign Director, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, explains the historic efforts to reach out to Latino voters with bilingual messages. In addition, as the granddaughter of Cesar Chavez, known worldwide for his dedication to the cause of the rural poor through the United Farm Workers, Chavez Rodriguez discusses her grandfather’s legacy as a voter organizer, voting rights advocate, and leader of the Community Service Organization (CSO) in the 1950s.

Guest: Julie Chavez Rodriguez, National Campaign Manager, Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 Presidential Campaign, Washington, DC, today from Phoenix, AZ, with voiceover translation by Josie Tizcareño Pereira, Radio Bilingüe’s Network News Producer.

PROGRAM #10509 12:00 PM PT

Haitians Stereotyped. Elected officials of Haitian descent in Florida denounce as false, racist, xenophobic, and dangerous statements by Trump and top Republicans blaming Haitian immigrants for stealing and eating dogs and cats. They have been invited to talk about the effects of those statements in the community.

Guests: Rep. Dotie Joseph, D-Florida (of Haitian nationality), Tallahassee, FL; Thomas Kennedy, Communications and Policy Consultant, Florida Immigrant Coalition-FLIC, Miami, FL.

People’s Forum in Colorado. Immigrant-rights organizations are convening a People’s Forum on Immigration in Aurora, a city in Colorado that has become a battleground over immigration. Community members are invited to join a public discussion on the root causes of immigration, the role immigrants play in the economy, the impact of detention and deportations, incidents of hatred, and potential solutions.

Guest: Raquel Lane-Arellano, Communications Director, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition-CIRC, Denver, CO.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
PROGRAM #10510 11:00 AM PT

“Noticias Falsas, Verdades y Tu Voto.” The Latino electorate in California is rapidly expanding, driven by U.S.-born youth reaching voting age. This population will play a crucial role in several key races that could determine control of Congress in November. However, the onslaught of inaccurate, misleading, or false messaging is causing many voters to distrust science, institutions, and even their own democratic participation. In order to address the growing threat of disinformation targeting Latino voters and undermining their participation in the election, Radio Bilingüe and media partners convened a public forum in Madera, CA, with a panel of experts who discussed the impact of disinformation and explore strategies to counter its spread within Latino communities.

Guests (All of the attending the “Fake News, Truths and Your Vote” event in Madera, CA.): Alma Martínez, Executive Director, Central Valley Journalism Collaborative, Fresno, CA; Ricardo Sandoval-Palos, Public Editor, PBS, Washington, DC; Alfredo Corchado, Executive Director, Puente News Collaborative, El Paso, TX; Rafael Olavarria, Politics and Migration Fact-checker, Factchequeado, Atlanta, GA.

PROGRAM #10511 12:00 PM PT

“Fake News, Truths and Your Vote.” Voting citizens interested in the 2024 election and representatives from student and faculty groups and community-based organizations are invited to share stories about specific cases of election misinformation, the dangers these false narratives pose, the way they recognize fake news, and how they counter the misleading rumors.

Guests (All of the attending the “Fake News, Truths and Your Vote” event in Madera, CA.): Alma Martínez, Executive Director, Central Valley Journalism Collaborative, Fresno, CA; Ricardo Sandoval-Palos, Public Editor, PBS, Washington, DC; Alfredo Corchado, Executive Director, Puente News Collaborative, El Paso, TX; Rafael Olavarria, Politics and Migration Fact-checker, Factchequeado, Atlanta, GA.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
PROGRAM #10512 11:00 AM PT

California Proposition 4. This initiative is a climate bond to protect water quality, help communities access safe drinking water and green spaces, prevent wildfires, prepare for the drought, and clean air. Analysts examine the plan.

Guest: Dr. Angel Fernández-Bou, Western States Senior Climate Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists, Merced, CA.

Historic Donation to Radio Bilingüe. A decades-old cheese company from California’s Central Valley announces plans to donate a building and land to Radio Bilingüe in what is considered a historic, one-of-a-kind donation. This planned donation has the support of local government leaders from the City of Fresno.

Guests: Miguel Arias, Councilmember, City of Fresno District 3, Fresno, CA; Hugo Morales, Co-director and Co-founder, Radio Bilingüe, Fresno, CA; Daniela Rodríguez, UC Berkeley Fellow Reporter at Radio Bilingüe, Fresno, CA.

PROGRAM #10513 12:00 PM PT

Latino GDP Grows Fast. The US Latino GDP has surpassed even last year’s historic high and it grew faster than the GDP of any of the world’s top 10 economies, including China. US Latinos are again placed as the fifth largest economy in the world. These findings on the tremendous growth and economic output of Latinos are part of the latest US Latino GDP report conducted by a distinguished research team.

Guest: Dr. David Hayes-Bautista, Chief of Demographics, Latino GDP Project and Director, Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture, University of California Los Angeles-UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.

Latino Conservation Week. After 2024 saw the hottest summer on record, Latinos are encouraged to go out to parks, mountains, deserts and beaches and raise their voice to protect the environment and wildlife. During Latino Conservation Week, community organizations nationwide encourage Latinos to connect with mother nature and their ancestral roots.

Guests: Arturo Ángeles, Conservation Communications Associate, Hispanic Access Foundation, San Diego, CA; Luis Cruz, Community Navigator, Hispanic Access Foundation, San Jose, CA.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
PROGRAM #10514 11:00 AM PT

“New Majority Voters.” Announcing itself as The Million Voters Project, a new coalition in California is launching a large field campaign to reach “new majority voters” in the state to get the vote out for the November 5th election. Organizers are focusing on two ballot propositions: they will promote Proposition 5, which will make it easier for local governments to fund affordable housing projects, and stop Proposition 36, an initiative that will eliminate vital mental health services and crime prevention programs approved by California voters a decade ago.

Guests: Mariela Vasquez Herrera, Field Organizer, Power California, and Member, Million Voters Project, Madera, CA; Claudia Yoli Feria, Executive Director, MOVE Texas Civic Fund and MOVE Texas Action Fund, Austin, TX.

Housing Broken Dreams. California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed undocumented immigrants to apply to the state’s assistance program for first-time homebuyers. The program offers no-interest loans of up to $150,000 to cover down-payments and fees to eligible first-time buyers. Donald Trump made this issue part of his campaign after he said that he would ban undocumented immigrants from receiving home mortgages if he was elected president. Why the veto? What’s the future of this program?

Guest: Eusevio Padilla, Chief of Staff, Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula’s Office, Sacramento, CA.

PROGRAM #10515 12:00 PM PT

Mexico Edition. Mexican President López Obrador is preparing to sign a sweeping constitutional reform that will restructure the judiciary and make all judges elected officials chosen by voters. Supporters of the changes say the system has been plagued by corruption, influence peddling and nepotism. What’s in the law? When will it be implemented? What are the challenges ahead? On more news: after being devastated by an 8.1 earthquake on September 19, 1985, Mexico City has been hit by two powerful earthquakes after that: in 2017 and 2022, coincidentally on September 19, moments after the drills in commemoration of the victims of the 1985 earthquake. As the date approaches, many react with fear as others take it with humor.

Guest: Eduardo Huchim, journalist and former electoral advisor, Mexico City, MX; excerpts from recent statements by Carlos Omar Jiménez, director of Property and Casualty and Auto, Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions-AMIS, Lucía Domínguez and Aurora Alcalá.