Linea Abierta Programming: WEEK OF JULY 15, 2024

Guest: Juan Carlos, Detainee and Leader who helped organize the labor strike inside the ICE detention, Bakersfield, CA.

Major California Food Plant Closing. A major garlic and onion processing plant is shutting down in a small town in Fresno County, laying off hundreds of workers. Why the closure? Where will the displaced workers go? What’s the expected impact on the economy of rural communities? How are the small towns preparing for this disruption?

Guests: Leonel, Worker facing layoff, Olam Fruits Ingredients, Firebaugh, CA; Felipe Perez, City of Firebaugh Council Member, Firebaugh, CA.

PROGRAM #10439 12:00 PM PT 

RNC 2024: Immigration Promises. Republicans are convening in Milwaukee to nominate candidates for president and vice president. The party adopted a platform that begins with the promise to “seal the border and stop the migrant invasion,” followed by “carrying out the largest deportation operation in US history.” The platform, crafted by operatives of the Trump campaign, also promises to “stop the migrant crime epidemic” and to fight against “giving voting rights to illegal aliens.” In this edition, immigration analysts examine what to expect from a Republican presidency under these priorities and rhetoric. Also, a state legislator thinks that Florida, under anti-immigrant SB 1718 law, is being used as a lab to test the restrictive immigration policies proposed in the Republican platform and the presidential Project 2025.

Guests: Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director, America’s Voice, Washington, DC; Cecilia Esterline, Immigration Research Analyst, Niskanen Center, Washington, DC; Susan Valdes, Florida State Representative, Tampa, FL.

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 17

PROGRAM #10440 12:00 PM PT 

Hurricane Beryl: The Aftermath. It’s been several days since Hurricane Beryl hit, and millions of people in Houston are still without power, internet, and gas. A dangerous heat wave is scorching the area, and it’s clear that power needs to be restored as soon as possible. How long will it take to restore power for everyone? What do we know about the power outages? What are the consequences on people? Who is getting emergency aid?

Guests: Alejandra Martinez, Environment Reporter, Texas Tribune, Austin, TX; Luis Sanchez, Press Secretary, Climate Power En Acción, New York, NY.

Bird Flu Cases Double Up in Colorado. Five workers at a poultry farm in northeastern Colorado have tested positive for avian flu, bringing the known number of cases in the United States to nine. The H5N1 virus has been spreading among poultry farms around the world for nearly 30 years, while in the United States, H5N1 made an unprecedented shift this year, “jumping” to dairy cattle. A reporter explains why this shift represents a major threat, how the H5N1 virus was detected in this recent outbreak, what the aftermath has been among the workforce and other related issues.

Guest: Paula Andalo, News Editor, KFF Health News, Silver Spring, MD.

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THURSDAY, JULY 18

PROGRAM #10441 11:00 AM PT 

Extra Edition: Tackling Surge of Alcohol, Drug Addictions. (Program Repeat). Alcohol consumption and alcohol-related deaths went up during the Covid-19 pandemic, more than in the last 50 years. The opioid crisis also worsened in recent years. How are these maladies impacting Latinos and immigrants? Are they at higher risk for alcohol and drug use disorders? Listeners are encouraged to call in and talk to an internationally-renowned mental health expert. This archival program was originally aired on June 27, 2024.

Guest: Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Founding Director, Center for Reducing Health Disparities, UC Davis, Davis, CA. 

World Day Against Drugs. Communities around the world marked yesterday the World Day to Fight Drug Abuse, pledging to redouble efforts to combat the world drug problem, at a time when the use of fentanyl spreads rapidly in the US and overdose deaths impact young Latinos with a special force. How can families and communities provide and receive harm reduction and effective treatment services to help victims recover? 

Guest: Dr. Cristina Rabadán-Diehl, Bilingual Substance Use Disorder Technical Advisor,  Cristina Rabadan Consulting LLC, Bethesda, MD.

PROGRAM #10442  12:00 PM PT 

RNC 2024: Presidential Nomination. On the final night of the Republican convention, Donald Trump is expected to give the speech to formally accept his party’s nomination as presidential candidate. This edition includes a report on what’s happening in the convention, including the scheduled speech by Trump, fragments of the vice-presidential candidate acceptance speech, and Republican analysts comment on the road ahead for a candidate plagued by legal troubles and felony convictions.

Guests: Abel Maldonado, Former Lt. Governor, R-California, from the Fiserv Forum (Republican National Convention site), Milwaukee, WI; Al Cardenas, Former Chair of Florida’s Republican Party, Former Member of the Republican National Executive Committee, Miami, FL; Israel Ortega, National Spokesperson, LIBRE Initiative, Arlington, VA; also, fragments of Acceptance Speech by Republican Vice Presidential Candidate from the Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI.

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FRIDAY, JULY 19

Mexico Edition. On the day after Donald Trump’s official confirmation as Republican presidential candidate, Mexican analysts discuss the potential impact of policies such as mass deportations, deployment of US special forces to the border, and onerous tariffs on imports on bilateral US-Mexico relations. On other news, Mexico’s Congress is debating constitutional reforms to the judiciary. What’s the content of the proposed reforms? What are the central lines of the political debate?

Guests: Jesus Garcia, Reporter and Editor, La Opinion/El Diario, Milwaukee, WI; excerpts from recent statements by Mexico’s President-Elect Claudia Sheinbaum, and Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.