Biden Criticized for Falling Short on Immigration Issue in State of the Union – In his second State of the Union address and amid boos from some Republicans, President Biden highlighted his economic accomplishments and called on Republicans to embrace a common agenda, but made it clear that he will not allow cuts to Social Security or Medicare. Subsequent polls gave Biden high marks and breathing room for his possible run for a second term. However, “Dreamer” immigrant activists were disappointed by the scant attention he paid to the issue of immigration. José López Zamorano joins us with the details from Washington.
New Mexico Proposes Free, Healthy Meals in its Public Schools – New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is pushing an initiative to ensure that all students in the state’s public schools have access to free, healthy meals. The Healthy School Meals for All bill is currently under discussion. Education official Dr. Peacock Villada shares some details of the proposal, which seeks to help working families with food insecurity. You can listen to the full interview in the archives of Linea Abierta for Thursday, February 9 at radiobilingüe.org.
Could Virtual Alerts Reduce Pesticide Hazards in California’s Fields? – Every year, California sprays millions of pounds of pesticides on its agricultural fields that are harmful to health. Farm workers and rural residents are the most exposed to the chemicals, and primarily Latinos and other ethnic groups. But next year the risks could be reduced when a system of virtual alerts is deployed before spraying. Such a system is the result of activism by affected individuals like farm worker Zaydee Sanchez, whose health was harmed by pesticide exposure. This research report on pesticides is part of the Palabra project and Environmental Health News.
