Linea Abierta Programming: WEEK OF FEBRUARY 19, 2024

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19
PROGRAM #10285 12:00 PM PT

Medi-Cal for All Low-Income Residents. On January 1, California enacted a new law that expands health care coverage for all low-income immigrants. Under the new law, all undocumented immigrants may qualify for full scope Medi-Cal, California’s version of the federal Medicaid program. Before, they could only get Medi-Cal for medical emergencies. Are the newly eligible people showing up at the clinics? Are they getting enrolled? Do they have any concerns? Have they received the news?

Guests: Ana Ibarra, Health Reporter, CalMatters, Sacramento, CA; Ilan Shapiro, MD Chief Health Correspondent and Medical Affairs Officer, AltaMed, Los Angeles, CA.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20
PROGRAM #10286 11:00 AM PT

Extra Edition: Poultry Work Turned Deadly. Poultry processing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the country due to the risk of amputations from heavy machinery, burns from hazardous chemicals and chronic injuries from repetitive motion, according to OSHA, the federal agency that enforces workplace safety regulations. In a recent case, an employee recently lost his life after falling into a poultry waste pit at an organic processing plant in San Joaquin Valley’s city of Sanger. A reporter followed up and interviewed several workers who complained about “dangerous” working conditions. She shares findings of her reporting..

Guest: Melissa Montalvo, Contributing Reporter, The Fresno Bee, Central Valley News Collaborative, Fresno, CA.

Green Light for a Plan to Reopen Madera Hospital. A federal judge approved a plan to reopen the Madera Community Hospital later this summer after agreeing to a management deal proposed by a Modesto-based firm. This comes after months-long negotiations. What’s involved in this plan?

Guest: Melissa Montalvo, Contributing Reporter, The Fresno Bee, Central Valley News Collaborative, Fresno, CA.

Neonatal Syphilis on the Rise. The number of babies born with syphilis multiplied by ten along tha last decade. This coincides with rising syphilis cases among women of reproductive age, who often face tragic outcomes like miscarriage, stillbirth, infant death, and lifelong medical issues. Newborn syphilis occurs when mothers do not receive timely testing and treatment during pregnancy. An expert discusses the causes, shares CDC recommendations and urges for concerted action.

Guest: Dr. Leandro Mena, Director of the Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

Clarifying Misconceptions About Herpes. Shingles infections are more common than people think. On the eve of Shingles Awareness Week, a medical expert shares information about the consequences of shingles and what to do to prevent it. Who is at risk for shingles? What are its long-term effects? What are the most common misconceptions?

Guest: Dr. Daniel Verdi, Senior Medical Director, GSK, Philadelphia, PA.

PROGRAM #10287 12:00 PM PT

Immigration Edition. As a federal court hears a motion to block Texas SB4, a new state law that allows local and state police to arrest and expel suspected immigrants, civil rights advocates escalate protests as part of a statewide campaign. In other news, Florida’s SB1718 is described by many as an aggression to the immigrant’s life since, among other things, it criminalizes the transportation of undocumented people from outside to inside the state and stipulates that driver’s licenses granted by other states to undocumented people are no longer valid in Florida. Seven months since SB1718 went into effect on July 1, to what extent is it really being implemented? And how much is it affecting the day-to-day activities of the immigrant community in that state? Finally, after the Republican-controlled House impeached DHS’ Alejandro Mayorkas, how will the Democratic leaders of the Senate respond? These and other issues are covered in this program.

Guests: Marisa Limón Garza, Executive Director, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Coalition, Eagle Pass, TX; Gerardo Guzmán, Reporter, Atlanta, GA; Maribel Hastings, Consultant and Columnist, America’s Voice, Washington, DC.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21
PROGRAM #10288 12:00 PM PT

Trump vs Colorado. The US Supreme Court heard arguments over whether Trump can appear on the ballot in Colorado, after the state’s Supreme Court ruled that the former president violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment when he incited violence on Jan 6. What are the signals of the court? How is this case impacting the primaries in Colorado?

Guest: Jesús Sánchez Meleán, Executive Director, El Comercio de Colorado Newspaper, Denver, CO.

Gun Reform Turnaround. A decade ago, Colorado state lawmakers faced a backlash when they proposed background checks for gun buyers and other reforms on the heels of the Aurora and Sandy Hook mass shootings. A decade later, a new generation of Democratic lawmakers is pushing a number of gun-control policies. How are voters receiving the new agenda on firearms? How is this issue playing in electoral debates?

Latino Voter Numbers: Record High. According to new projections, a growing number of Latino voters are expected to turn out to vote in November in the US. The increased voter block could be the deciding vote in key battleground states. Who are the new voters? What are their concerns? What’s expected for Colorado? What are local leaders doing to meet the new expectations?

Guest: Jorge Hernández, Southern Colorado Regional Organizer, New Era Colorado Foundation and New Era Colorado Action Fund, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, CO.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22
PROGRAM #10289 11:00 AM PT

Extra Edition: Fight Over Renaming Yokuts Valley on the Ballot. (Program Repeat). After the state of California renamed Squaw Valley to Yokuts Valley in Fresno County, the County’s political leaders sued and lost the battle in court, when the judge agreed that the term “squaw” is considered a racist and sexist slur, particularly against Native women, and determined that the county lacked standing. Now the county board is using the ballot on March 5, asking the voters to give the board the power to reverse the name change. Local community leaders discuss the issue. This program includes voter information on early voting for the primaries in California, Colorado and Texas. This archival program was originally aired on February 15, 2024.

Guests: Juan Arámbula, Former California State Assemblyman, Civil Rights Advocate, Fresno, CA; Gloria Hernández, Community Activist, Fresno, CA.

PROGRAM #10290 12:00 PM PT

The Opioid Epidemic Hotspots. Opioid addiction and overdose death rates are rising faster among Latinos. This crisis is reaching rural areas, apparently because patients in rural areas were much more likely to receive opioid prescriptions than those in big cities. The Biden administration is urging housing agencies and community development organizations to make naloxone and other life-saving medications available to those most at risk. Where are the hotspots? How to identify opioid use disorder? Are Latinos able to access life-saving treatments? How to prevent and treat the epidemic?

Guests: Dr. Magdalena Cerda, Professor, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Population Health, Grossman School of Medicine at New York University-NYU, New York, NY; Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Founding Director, Centro para Reducir las Disparidades en la Salud, UC Davis, Davis, CA.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23
PROGRAM #10291 12:00 PM PT

Mexico Edition. Mexico’s elections agency extended five days the deadline to register to vote for Mexicans living abroad who want to participate in Mexico’s 2024 elections. In other news, at least three million Mexicans are expected to be displaced and forced to migrate in the next three decades because of disaster emergencies such as floods and megadroughts exacerbated by climate change. These and other news are discussed with policy experts.