How Fragile is Press Freedom in America?
Speakers will discuss whether media and their sources are already self-censoring; and legal recourse and rights for reporters and their newsrooms.
ICE Is Knocking. What Are Your Rights?
EMS News Briefing Podcast | ICE Is Knocking. What Are Your Rights?
More than 200,000 people believed to be #undocumented have been arrested over the past 30 days, according to data from #Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At least 8,000 people have been deported. The majority countries of origin were South and Central America, but ICE data shows a significant number of arrests of Indians, Chinese, and Russians. #ICE has been instructed to arrest at least 1,200-1,500 people per day.
Speakers this week will discuss how immigrants can protect themselves when ICE agents show up at homes, workplaces, and even schools. They will also discuss immigrants’ rights while in ICE #detention. This “news you can use” briefing is vital to your readers and viewers.
Guest Speakers:
- Viridiana Carrizales, Founder, ImmSchools
- Amanda Alvarado-Ford, Deputy Directing Attorney, Immigration Institute of the Bay Area
- Oscar Sarabia Roman, Staff Attorney with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project
- Maru Mora-Villalpando, Immigration Activist with the group La Resistencia and CEO of Latino Advocacy
'Two Sexes Only!’ - Executive Order Attacks Transgender People
EMS News Briefing Podcast | ‘Two Sexes Only!’ — Executive Order Attacks #Transgender People
“As of this day, it will be the policy of the United States: there are only two sexes – male and female,” stated President #DonaldTrump in his inauguration address. Later that day, he signed an executive order recognizing only biological men and women, which – he claimed – would “defend women” and “ensure their safety.”
The President’s executive order has deep, adverse impacts for the nation’s 1.6 million transgender people. It essentially erases transgender people’s existence in legal matters, #healthcare, and education sites. The move comes amid a rise in #hatecrimes against transgender people.
In a roundtable discussion, speakers this week will discuss the policy implications of Trump’s executive order targeting transgender people, the impact on their lives, and attempts to push back.
Guest Speakers
- Jordan Willow Evans, Executive Director at Outsider Media Foundation
- Sailor Jones, Associate Director, Common Cause North Carolina
- Ilan H. Meyer, Ph.D., Williams Distinguished Senior Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute and Professor Emeritus of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University
- Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of the TransLatina Coalition
- Gael Mateo Jerez-Urquia, Project TRANS Services Navigator at the San Diego LGBTQ Center
Could Rebuilding LA Upend Plans to Deport Millions of Immigrants?
EMS News Briefing Podcast | Could Rebuilding LA Upend Plans to Deport Millions of Immigrants?
#Undocumented #immigrants are vital to #disasterrecovery and the #economy, prompting debates on #immigration policies as businesses face worker shortages. Our panel will discuss these issues and workers' rights. #LosAngelesFire #rebuildingla
Guest Speakers
- Pablo Alvarado/Nadia Marín Molina, Co-Executive Directors of NDLON, the National Day Laborers Organizing Network
- Nik Theodore, Distinguished Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Policy University of Illinois Chicago
- Anabella Bastida, Director of Membership and Membership Services, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles CHIRLA
- Jennie Murray, President and Chief Executive Officer at the National Immigration Forum
Exploring How Minority Communities Experience Hate and Can Get Support in Rural California
EMS News Briefing Podcast | Exploring How Minority Communities Experience Hate and Can Get Support in Rural California
The California Civil Rights Department, activists, and community leaders will share perspectives on how different ethnic minorities may experience hate in rural areas, and how the state’s anti-hate initiatives can offer direct support to vulnerable populations.
Guest Speakers:
- Kevin Kish, Director, CA Civil Rights Department
- Kim Stoll, Communications, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
- Gaonou Vang, Communications and Narrative Manager, at Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP)
- Marlene Thomas, Executive Director, Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee
The Public Health Threats the World Faces This Year
EMS New Briefing Podcast | The Public Health Threats the World Faces This Year
#AvianFlu, #Norovirus, Human metapneumovirus, #Oropouche and the continued threat of #Covid-19 are some of the many #publichealth crises the world faces this year. And with lower #vaccinationrates in the US, we are witnessing a corresponding spike in illnesses such as whooping cough.
Experts this week will provide an in-depth analysis of these diseases and whether the US is sufficiently equipped to manage outbreaks.
Guest Speakers
- Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, founding director of the Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases at Boston University
- Dr. Peter Chin Hong, Infectious Diseases Specialist, University of California, San Francisco
- Dr. Benjamin Neuman, Professor of Biology, Texas A&M University
- Dr. Maurice Pitesky, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
- Dr. William Schaffner, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
The Increasing Use of AI to Deny Health Insurance Claims
EMS #NewsBriefing Podcast | The Increasing Use of AI to Deny Health Insurance Claims
The killing of #UnitedHealthcare CEO #BrianThompson in New York sparked a national debate over Americans’ profound frustration with the #healthcare industry. Even while decrying Thompson’s killing, many people fault insurers like UnitedHealth for the high price of healthcare and for denying care to those in need.
An investigation by ProPublica this year revealed that insurers now routinely deny millions of claims with the use of #AI. Critics note healthcare AI is often riddled with racial and economic biases, which increasingly determines who gets treated versus who does not. Millions of claims are increasingly rejected without a doctor ever opening a patient’s file.
Speakers this week will discuss growing consumer dissatisfaction with health insurance providers, and the impact of AI on health #insurancecoverage and the high rate of denials.
Guest Speakers:
- Dr. Katherine Hempstead, senior policy officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Dr. Miranda Yaver, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Yaver’s new book “Coverage Denied: How Health Insurers Drive Inequality in the United States” will be released in the spring of 2026
- California State Senator Josh Becker, author of SB 1120, the Physicians Make Decisions Act, which limits the scope of AI by requiring doctors to make final decisions
What’s Next for Education under a Trump Presidency
EMS News Briefing Podcast | What’s Next for Education Under a Trump Presidency
The new administration aims to cut the Department of #Education, promoting school vouchers for private institutions. In higher education, experts foresee efforts to dismantle #DEI programs, while stricter #immigration policies may reduce international students.
Guest Speakers
Pedro Noguera, Dean, USC Rossier School of Education
Thomas Toch, Director, FutureEd, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy
Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel, MALDEF, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Federal Health Safety Nets Are at Risk Under Trump
EMS News Briefing Podcast | Federal Health Safety Nets Are at Risk as New Administration Leads White House
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, several federal health programs may face budget shortages as the new administration aims to reduce inflation and debt. The cuts are likely to take aim at #Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program — CHIPS — and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. These programs collectively serve over 85 million people in the US.
Speakers this week will discuss the impact of budget cuts to these critical health safety nets. They will also discuss the consequential #impoundment process, which allows the President to simply stop the flow of funds to programs authorized by Congress.
Guest Speakers:
- Joan Alker, Executive Director of the Center for Children and Families and Research Professor at the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy Foundation
- Mayra Alvarez, President of the Children’s Partnership
- Richard Kogan, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
The California Forestry Sector Jobs Initiative--Cultivating Diverse Leaders and Environmental Sustainability
EMS News Briefing Podcast | The California Forestry Sector Jobs Initiative — Cultivating Diverse Leaders and Environmental Sustainability
The #California #Forestry Sector Jobs Initiative is dedicated to promoting careers in forestry, with a focus on forest management, wildfire prevention, and sustainability.
This initiative not only aims to address workforce gaps but also actively works to engage traditionally underrepresented communities, including women, minorities, and veterans. By providing resources on education, training, and career pathways, the initiative ensures more equitable access to forestry jobs, contributing to both community resilience and environmental stewardship across California. This initiative is funded by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Learn more at caforestryworkforce.com.
Guest Speakers
- Matt Dias, President and CEO, California Forestry Association (Calforests)
- Chief Matthew Reischman, Deputy Director of Resource Management, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
- Brita Goldstein, Community Affairs and Communications Representative, Green Diamond Resource Company
- J. Lopez, Public Member, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Ballot Measures Are a Key Tool to Achieving Health Equity--But They’re Under Attack
EMS News Briefing Podcast | Ballot Measures Are a Key Tool to Achieving Health Equity — But They’re Under Attack
#Ballotmeasures have proven themselves to be a powerful way for voters to make decisions about improving their #health, from #abortionrights and #paidsickleave, to #minimumwage and #cleanwateraccess.
It is no coincidence that efforts to restrict ballot measure access are increasing at the same time that advances for equity are passing at the ballot box. Seventy-five bills were introduced in state legislatures in 2023 to change the rules and make the ballot measure process harder for voters to use to make progress on the issues they care about. So far in 2024, there have been 103 bills attacking the ballot measure process, and we expect more bills to come in the next year.
Join us as speakers discuss how we protect this vital form of direct #democracy and build toward a future where health is not just a privilege for some, but a right for all.
Guest Speakers
- Avenel Joseph, Interim Executive Vice President, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, Executive Director, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center Foundation
- Richard Von Glahn, Political Director, Missouri Jobs for Justice
What a Trump Win Means for Immigrants—and What Could Happen Next
EMS News Briefing Podcast | What a Trump Win Means for Immigrants — and What Could Happen Next
President-elect Donald #Trump's early cabinet appointments signal that #BorderSecurity and #immigration restrictions will be a central focus of his administration. But what does this mean for #immigrants and the families of immigrants, their communities? What could “#massdeportations” look like? And what is the potential effect of some of his policies on legal immigrants and naturalized citizens?
In this discussion, immigration experts will break down Trump's immigration priorities and explore the potential consequences for immigrants and the nation as a whole.
Guest Speakers
- Jeremy Robbins, Executive Director, American Immigration Council
- Greg Chen, Senior Director of Government Relations, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
- Elizabeth Taufa, Policy Attorney & Strategist, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)
- Julia Gelatt, Associate Director of our U.S. immigration policy program, Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
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