Linea Abierta Programming: September 30, 2024

Special Election Coverage. This week, as part of our “Hacia el Voto 2024” series, Línea Abierta continues offering an expanded two-hour program block to offer news and analysis on the November election, with a focus on the Latino vote, the top issues driving the vote, key races in battleground states, and the most relevant state ballot propositions.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
PROGRAM #10526 11:00 AM PT

Saving Colorado River Water. (Program Repeat). Utah’s water supply faces a precarious future. With less water because of the severe drought and competition for the Colorado River, ranches and farms are struggling to cut their water use to survive. To help farmers and ranchers modernize their irrigation system, the state has created a program to pay for new and efficient equipment. Since agriculture uses the lion’s share of water, Utah is counting on this program to save water for communities and rivers downstream. Local reporters and analysts discuss the future of this effort. This program was originally aired on September 26, 2024.

Guests: Edgar Zuñiga, Program Director, Avanza 88.3 FM-KUUB, Salt Lake City, UT; Alex Hager, News Reporter Covering the Colorado River Basin, KUNC 91.5 FM , Greely, CO; Juan Roberto Madrid, Environmental Advocate, GreenLatinos, Gunnison, CO.

PROGRAM #10527 12:00 PM PT

Helene: Devastating Damage. Hurricane Helene hit Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm, the most powerful hurricane ever to land on the Big Bend region. Helene weakened to a tropical storm over Georgia and other southern states. This program includes a report on the damage caused by the powerful storm and the recovery efforts.

States with Abortion Rights on the Ballot. Voters in ten states will have abortion-related state measures on their ballot this fall, mostly favoring abortion rights and recreating the protections established by Roe vs. Wade. States include Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland and Nevada. How would the measures amend the state constitutions? What’s in them? How are voters, especially Latinas, feeling about it?

Guests: José López Zamorano, News Contributor, Washington, DC; Alejandra Soto, Director of Latino Communications, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York, NY.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1
PROGRAM #10528 11:00 AM PT

California Proposition 35. Proponents of Proposition 35, an initiative in California’s November ballot, plan to create a dedicated and ongoing stream of funding to provide health care for the state’s low-income residents by taxing managed-care health plans and use the money to better pay physicians, hospitals, and community clinics. Opponents feel that the proposition puts at risk millions of dollars secured for patients, workers, and programs in this year’s state budget. What’s in the plan? Both sides air their arguments in this edition of the series “Hacia el Voto 2024.”

Guests: Dr. Ramses Sánchez, Physician Assistant, Camarena Health, Yes on Proposition 35, Madera, CA; Mayra Alvarez, Executive Director, The Children’s Partnership, No on Proposition 35, Los Angeles, CA.

Latino Voters in North Carolina. North Carolina’s Latino population is growing faster than any racial group in the state and now exceeds one million people. However, Latino voter turnout went down in the last election after having increased in the past two midterm elections. Community groups are working to reenergize the Latino vote and are currently touring the state to register new voters.

Guest: Marlene Martinez, Deputy Field Director, Siembra NC, Thomasville, NC.

PROGRAM #10529 12:00 PM PT

Sheinbaum Inauguration. Mexico’s first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is sworn in today in Mexico City. The US delegation attending the inaugural event is led by US First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. What are the key issues ahead in the relations between the US and Mexico? What’s to come in the area of immigration policy, now that Mexico is more and more a transit route for migrants traveling to the US? A news reporter provides an account of the inauguration ceremonies and political analysts give insights on the plans ahead on immigration and border oversight.

Guests: Citlali Saenz, News Correspondent, Mexico City, MX; Leticia Calderón Chelius, Researcher and Professor, Coordinator of the Master in Political Sociology, Mora Institute, Mexico City, MX; Manuel Ortiz, News Contributor, also Founder and Director, Península 360 Press, San Francisco, CA, today from Mexico City, MX; Pamela Cruz and Habs Leguizamo, Social Focus, Mexico City, MX.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2
PROGRAM #10530 11:00 AM PT

Devastation in Beirut. Israel escalates the war launching a massive attack on Lebanon and bombing neighborhoods in Beirut. Amid fears of a devastation similar to Gaza’s, the UN calls for a cease fire and a diplomatic solution. Is the region at the brink of a full-scale war? What are the reactions in the US and the international community?

Adams Indictment. New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted following a federal corruption investigation, the first sitting mayor of New York to face criminal charges. Federal prosecutors charged him with bribery, wire fraud, and taking illegal contributions from foreign nationals. Amid calls for his resignation, Adams denied the charges and said he wouldn’t quit. What do we know about the charges and what’s the impact on the city?

Guest: Marco Vinicio Gonzalez, News Correspondent, New York, NY.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum. This is a report on President Sheinbaum’s acceptance speech and her first day in office / press conference “La Mañanera”.

Guest: Carlos Calzada, Reporter, Radio Educación, Mexico City, MX; excerpts from recent statements by Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum; Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez, Mexico’s the Secretary of the Interior; and Ernestina Godoy Ramos, Legal Counsel.

The Republican Platform on Immigration. This is a look at how the republican approach to immigration has led to some of its members leaving the party.

Guest: Yasser Sanchez, Immigration Attorney, Mesa, AZ.

Vaccine Misinformation in Florida. In what is widely seen as a case of misinformation, the Florida health department is telling older Floridians and others at highest risk from Covid-19 to avoid most booster shots, falsely claiming they are potentially dangerous. The anti-vaccine messages are seen as a politically motivated and dangerous move to scare people. A health care journalist delves into this story and also reports on the new plan by the U.S. government to send out new at-home test kits and how to get them.

Guest: Daniel Chang, Reporter, KFF Health News, Hollywood , FL.

PROGRAM #10531 12:00 PM PT

Vice Presidential Debate: Takeaways. Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz faced off in the vice presidential debate held the night before at CBS’s studios in Manhattan and simulcast on most major TV networks. The expectations are sky high on this event in the race for the White House. This program features highlights of the debate, a report from a fact checker, and comments from analysts on both sides.

Guests: Rafael Olavarria, Politics and Migration Fact-checker, Factchequeado, Atlanta, GA; Jaime Florez, Hispanic Outreach and Communications Director, Republican National Committee, Miami, FL; Maca Casado, Coalitions Media Director, Harris-Walz Campaign, Wilmington, DE.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3
PROGRAM #10532 11:00 AM PT

Julián Castro on Battleground Districts. A prominent philanthropic leader shares his take on Latino voter attitudes toward the 2024 election and the complexity of the battle for highly-contested Latino-majority congressional districts in California.

Guest: Julián Castro, Former US Secretary of Housing, Former Pre-candidate to US President and CEO, Latino Community Foundation, Fresno, CA.

Polling Latinos Opinions on Health Care. A community-based health care organization is launching a tracking poll to better understand the health care concerns of Latino voters. The survey, part of the initiative “My Vote. My Health,” is tracking opinions of Latino voters until the election. What’s driving this project?

Guest: Lizette Escobedo, Vice President of Government Relations, AltaMed Health Services, Los Angeles, CA.

Film Stories that Showcase Latino Power. The 15th annual Fist Up Film Festival takes place October 4-14 at Berkeley’s La Peña Cultural Center and other Bay Area locations. The festival features films that aim to create impact, inspire discussion and foster understanding with an emphasis on uplifting stories that showcase the power of Latinos in the United States. Admission is free or by donation. Their directors add details of the productions and what else to expect from the program.

Guests: Khalil Jacobs-Fantauzzi, Director, 15th Annual Fist Up Film Fest, Berkeley, CA; Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, Director and Producer, 15th Annual Fist Up Film Fest, Berkeley, CA.

PROGRAM #10533 12:00 PM PT

Saving Water in Arizona’s Farms. Faced with a worsening drought, a climate crisis and diminishing resources from the Colorado River, Arizona is promoting federally-funded programs to make water use more efficient and support aquifer recharge. The programs are reducing surface water use in agriculture, but keeping farmland producing. What are the changes promoted in Arizona’s fields? Analysts also comment on the repercussions of the recent termination of a groundwater lease agreement for a foreign-owned company that operated a large, water-intensive alfalfa farming plantation.

Guests: Ylenia Aguilar, Member, Board of Directors, Central Arizona Project, Central Arizona Water Conservation District, Phoenix, AZ; Sylvia Lara Montenegro, Founding Member, Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, Former Board of Directors Member, Coachella Valley Unified School District, and Former Mayor and Councilmember, City of Coachella, Coachella, CA; Masavi Perea, Deputy Director, CHISPA Arizona, Phoenix, AZ.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4
PROGRAM #10534 11:00 AM PT

Bracero Advocate Ventura Gutiérrez Dies. Ventura Gutiérrez Méndez, the veteran social activist best known for spearheading the movement to bring justice to the former Bracero workers, died in Riverside earlier this month. In the 1980s, after working with unionized workers and counseling Bracero workers and their families, he discovered that braceros had not been reimbursed for money deducted from their earnings under binational contracts. He then organized the Bracero Proa Alliance. His widow, a co-organizer in the bracero movement, provides perspective.

Guest: Delia Alma Fraile Barocio, Widow of Ventura Gutiérrez, and Leader, Alianza Bracero Proa, Mexicali, MX; plus other archival interviews.

PROGRAM #10535 12:00 PM PT

Mexico Edition. This week marks the beginning of a historic six-year term in Mexico, with Claudia Sheinbaum taking office as president, the first Mexican woman to hold the seat. Who is in Sheinbaum’s cabinet team? What are the expectations? How does the six-year term begin? What are the challenges? In other news, in Mexico, a constitutional reform against discrimination and for the recognition of the rights of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples is about to become law. An expert explains the content of the bill.

Guest: Dr. Gaspar Rivera Salgado, Project Director, Center for Mexican Studies at the University of California Los Angeles-UCLA and Director, UCLA Labor Center, Los Angeles, CA.