A More Perfect Union: Latinos, Minority Majorities, and Redistricting
Making Contact · A More Perfect Union: Latinos, Minority Majorities, and Redistricting How will major demographic shifts affect redistricting in 2021? According to the U.S. Census, Asian American & Pacific Islander and Latino populations grew significantly in some parts of country, while the white population decreased for the first time. Whites are still the largest racial group in the country. Nationally, Latinos grew to...
September 11th 20 Years Later: Surveillance, Policing, and Torture
Making Contact · September 11th 20 Years Later: Surveillance, Policing, and Torture September 11th, 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States. In today’s program, we turn our attention not to the tragedy of 9/11 itself, but to 9/11 as an inflection point in U.S. culture and policy in two areas: domestic surveillance in the form of fusion centers, and the government and public regard of the use of...
Life During COVID
Making Contact · Life During COVID The COVID 19 pandemic has transformed all of our lives in some way. But some are feeling the impacts more than others. Take healthcare workers, for example: As the United States surpasses 38 million COVID-19 cases and 637,000 deaths as of August 28th, 2021, many healthcare workers continue to be overloaded by caring for COVID-19 patients. Globally, COVID-19 has presented unique challenges, leading to...
The Response: The Fight for Justice after the Grenfell Tower Fire
Making Contact · The Response: The Fight for Justice after the Grenfell Tower Fire On June 14, 2017, a fire started in a 24-story public housing apartment in West London called Grenfell Tower. The fire raged all night and reduced the building to a shell. Seventy-two people lost their lives, making the Grenfell Tower fire the United Kingdom’s deadliest disaster since World War II. In this episode, we examine the events that led...
70 Million: Where Housing, Not Jails, Is the Answer to Homelessness
Making Contact · 70Million: Where Housing, Not Jails, Is the Answer to Homelessness The national homelessness crisis has reached unprecedented levels and local jails play a direct role in the problem. 15% of all people detained or incarcerated report having been homeless. And roughly 48,000 people enter shelters every year nearly directly from prisons or jails. In California, so-called “quality of life” laws target panhandling,...
Wolves at the Well: The Corporate Grab of Public Water (Encore)
Making Contact · Wolves at the Well: The Corporate Grab of Public Water (Encore) Water is critical to maintaining the balance of all life on Earth. As humans go, the United Nations estimates that each person needs about 50 to 100 liters a day for drinking and washing. It must be safe, accessible, and affordable. Some corporations claim ownership of fresh water sources to bottle and sell for profit. Others use water as a tool to...
