Congress is currently working on a $3.5 trillion, 10-year spending bill that looks to expand education, health care, childcare support, tackle climate change and update the country’s infrastructure. To discuss, we SPOTLIGHT Elise Gould. Gould's research areas include wages, poverty, inequality, economic mobility and health care. She is a co-author of The State of Working America, 12th Edition. Gould authored a chapter on health in The State of Working America 2008/09; co-authored a book on health insurance coverage in retirement; published in venues such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, Challenge Magazine, and Tax Notes; and written for academic journals. Media includes: The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR.
The Senate parliamentarian has ruled against an immigration measure in the budget bill. The measure would grant a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants. To discuss, we FEATURE Pamela Chomba, Director of State Immigration Campaigns at FWD.us. Chomba is a Dreamer and activist, born in Lima, Peru. While working in Texas (2014) for an electoral campaign, she realized she could not fix the electoral process if 11 million undocumented immigrants lived without status, including families with U.S. citizen family members, like her own. Through story-sharing trainings and advocacy, Chomba mobilized support for Dreamers in the Northeast to speak to Congress and demand a legislative process that will also grant her a pathway to citizenship. Media includes: ThinkProgress, Bustle, CUNY TV.
Pfizer has announced that their coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective to use on children ages 5 to 11. The company will be applying for FDA approval with the hopes that children can start being vaccinated by the end of October. To discuss, we FEATURE Sophia Yen, MD MPH. Dr. Yen is an adolescent medicine specialist and reproductive rights advocate. She graduated UCSF Medical School, did her pediatrics residency at Children's Hospital Oakland, adolescent medicine fellowship at UCSF, MPH at UC Berkeley in Maternal and Child Health. Media includes: San Jose Mercury News, Good Housekeeping, Ms. Magazine, Oprah Radio.
The U.S. has begun sending Haitian refugees back to Haiti, many of whom were staying at a camp under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. To discuss, we FEATURE Johanna LeBlanc. LeBlanc is a foreign policy and national security legal professional. Currently, she serves as a Senior Advisor to both Haiti’s Ambassador to the United States and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She is responsible for influencing foreign policy before Congress and other institutions, and advising the government on immigration, foreign investments, and national security-related matters. Media includes: Voice of America, Fox.
Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, has announced plans to limit children's access to the app to 40 minutes a day in order to protect children from harmful content. To discuss, we FEATURE Yalda T. Uhls. Uhls is an award-winning child psychological researcher and an expert in how media affects children. Uhls’ research with UCLA focuses on how older and newer media impacts the social behavior of preadolescents. Her book, Media Moms & Digital Dads, distills peer-reviewed academic research focused on the impact of technology on children, breaking down the complex issues in a friendly, accessible fashion. Media includes: Time Magazine, The New York Times, HuffPost, NPR.
Michaela Coel won the award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie during Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards. In her acceptance speech, she dedicated the award to "every single survivor of sexual assault." To discuss, we FEATURE Jaclyn Friedman. Friedman is the author of Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape and What You Really Really Want: The Smart Girl’s Shame-Free Guide to Sex & Safety. As an undergraduate, Jaclyn thought she was too smart to become a victim of sexual assault – until another student proved her wrong. Since then, she has become a tireless anti-rape activist, changing the conversation by insisting that authentic sexual liberation is a necessary condition to end the systemic sexualization and violation of women. Media includes: The Washington Post, Today Show, Nightline, Time, BBC.
National Hispanic American Heritage Month continues until October 15th. To commemorate, we FEATURE Liz Alarcón. Alarcón is the Founder & Executive Director of Pulso, a non-profit digital media startup that reaches more than 2 million Latinos in the US with the mission of increasing this community's political power. She comments and writes on Latino issues in the US, US-Latin American relations and the state of democracy around the world. Media includes: The New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, Time, The Miami Herald.
Liz Theran
