Linea Abierta Programming: WEEK OF JUNE 24, 2024

MONDAY, JUNE 24
PROGRAM #10416 12:00 PM PT

Should Extreme Heat Be Declared Disaster? Scorching heat waves are hitting tens of millions in much of the US in what could be the longest heatwave in decades for some areas. The early arrival of this much heat, as well as the duration and the lack of overnight relief worry scientists, who call this a “Danger Season” and a “Killer Heat.” Some call on FEMA to declare extreme heat and wildfire smoke “major disasters.” Who is most at risk? How are cities and states preparing for extreme heat disasters? How to stay safe? What would it mean to have extreme heat declared a disaster? How is climate change worsening heat waves?

Guest: Dr. Juan Declet Barreto, Senior Social Scientist for Climate Vulnerability, Union of Concerned Scientists;  Silver Spring, MD. 

Emergency Disaster Aid for Farm Workers. US lawmakers introduced a bill to provide compensation for farm workers who lose out on work and pay due to extreme weather, public health emergencies and other climate-fueled disasters. Farm worker leaders comment on this plan, called the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. They are also urging Congress to include disaster assistance for farm working communities in the upcoming Farm Bill.

Guest: Antonio De Loera-Brust, Communications Director, United Farm Workers-UFW, Sacramento, CA. 

Heat Protecting Laws Benefit Workers and Help Students. California and other states are establishing rules to protect workers in hazardous environments against triple-digit heat. These same laws would be extended to schools, which have activities in the summer and often obsolete air conditioning systems, for the benefit of students too. KFF Health News reports on the new rules.

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

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TUESDAY, JUNE 25
PROGRAM #10417 11:00 AM PT

Extra Edition: Helping English Learner Students. (Program Repeat). California has made considerable progress over the past decade in improving the state’s public education system and recognizing the gifts that English learner students bring to school. But there is much more work to be done. To shed light on the road ahead, an education advocacy coalition is releasing a report that reveals data about who English learners are, how they are being served in the education system, and what state and local leaders can do to better serve their needs. This archival program was originally aired on June 20, 2024.

Guest: Manuel Buenrostro, Author of “The State of English Learners in California Schools” and Policy Director, Californians Together, Sacramento, CA.

Tackling Teacher Shortages. As fewer people go into teaching careers and a severe shortage of pre-school and K-12 teachers hits the schools of low-income, Latino communities around the nation, US lawmakers propose a bill to provide incentives to retain educators in high-need schools. Authors of the plan are invited to discuss the incentives.

Guest: Noel Candelaria, Secretary-Treasurer, National Education Association-NEA, Washington, DC.

Student Loan Relief Deadline. Millions of student loan borrowers have just a few days to apply for lower payments or faster debt forgiveness by applying for federal loan consolidation. What are the details of the federal student debt relief plan? How to apply for student loan forgiveness?

Guest: José López Zamorano, Contributing Reporter, Washington, DC.

PROGRAM #10418 12:00 PM PT

One on One with VP Kamala Harris. On the second anniversary of the Dobbs decision, VP Kamala Harris speaks by phone from Phoenix about reproductive rights and the economic measures impacting working-class Latinos. She also calls on potential immigrant beneficiaries of President Biden’s recent executive actions to apply and beware of disinformation. On that note, Biden announced two new executive actions to grant work permits to immigrant spouses of US citizens, and creating a possible path to citizenship through “parole in place.” The other action would fast-track work visas for some DACA recipients and Dreamers. This plan would protect more than half a million people from deportation. Long-term undocumented immigrants have lived on average for 15 years in the US. What’s known so far about the plans? Who stands to benefit? How and when to apply? A legal expert explains these questions. Also, the top campaign manager for Biden’s presidential bid talks about how the decision was made and how the administration is preparing to deal with the expected legal disputes from conservative opponents.

Guests: Kamala Harris, Vice President of the US, Vice Presidential Reelection Candidate, Washington DC, today from Phoenix, AZ; Marielena Hincapié, Immigration Law Attorney, Visiting Professor, School of Law, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; Julie Chávez Rodríguez, National Campaign Manager, Biden-Harris Presidential Campaign, Washington, DC.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26
PROGRAM #10419 12:00 PM PT

Colorado Primary Results. On the day after the primary elections in Colorado, analysts comment on the results. Voters went to the polls to choose candidates for all eight of Colorado’s U.S. House member seats, all state representatives and half of the state senators’ seats. Latinos are expected to play a key role in deciding congressional races that may reshape Congress in the fall. U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a Democrat running for re-election and the first Latina elected to Congress in Colorado, won her seat in 2022 thanks to Latino support and Latinos will be critical again in this race, considered among the most competitive in the country. A state measure enshrining abortion in the state’s constitution was also expected to drive Latino voter turnout. Did higher voter registration translate into larger turnout? What were the top issues driving voters to the polls?

Executive Relief for Immigrants. US Congresswoman Delia Ramirez discusses President Biden’s new executive orders giving legal protections to immigrant spouses of US citizens and DACA recipients. Being the only member of Congress in a “mixed-status” family, Ramirez attended Biden’s ceremony with her husband and gives a deeply personal opinion about the impact of the new benefit.

Guest: US Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, Washington, DC.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 27
PROGRAM #10420 11:00 AM PT

Extra Edition: Tackling Surge of Alcohol, Drug Addictions. 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.

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?

PROGRAM #10421 12:00 PM PT

Historic River Restoration Feat. The Klamath River dam removal project, the largest river restoration project in US history, will remove four hydroelectric dams in California and Oregon and rehabilitate hundreds of miles of historical salmon and steelhead habitat. Water will flow through the riverbed for the first time in 100 years. What are the plans to restore salmon populations? What are the benefits for communities and indigenous cultures along the river basin? How to restore the river’s health? How is the climate crisis impacting these plans?

Northwest Dams Devastated Native Tribes. The U.S. government acknowledged, for the first time, the harmful role it has played over the past century in building and operating dams in the Pacific Northwest in its drive for industrial development. The dams inundated Native American villages, destroyed sacred sites, and decimated salmon runs while bringing electricity, irrigation and jobs to nearby communities. They devastated Native tribes, which consider salmon to be part of their cultural and spiritual identity, as well as a critical food source. The wealth of the tribes was transferred to the wealth of non-Native people. Analysts examine these and other conclusions of the federal report. What does the report mean for the tribal communities?

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FRIDAY, JUNE 28
PROGRAM #10422 12:00 PM PT

Mexico Edition. In August 2014, a huge spill of toxic leachate from the Grupo México company devastated the Sonora River region and affected the health of thousands of residents. Almost a decade after the worst environmental disaster in the history of mining in Mexico, residents of riverside towns continue to report contamination with heavy metals, serious health problems and impunity. This and other news are analyzed in this weekly edition.