MONDAY, OCTOBER 22.

PROGRAM # 6802 12:00 PM PT

KEEPING KIDS HEALTHY. California is eliminating its medical insurance program for kids Healthy Families and moving those children from low-income families into the state's Medicaid program. What's being done to ensure children continue having access to care? Also, as the Affordable Care Act rolls into full effect, this program answers frequently asked questions: How to get affordable family health insurance plans? Are there additional charges for children with pre-existing conditions? What are the penalties for families who do not insure their children?

Guests: Mayra Álvarez, Director of Public Health Policy, Office of Health Reform, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Washington, D.C., www.healthreform.gov/; Nancy Marisa Gómez, Southern California Program Director, Health Access, Los Angeles, CA, www.health-access.org/. 

ALSO, A CALL TO REGISTER. On the last day to register to vote in California, the director of Mi Familia Vota calls on Latino voters to register to vote in November's elections.

Guest: Ben Monterroso, Executive Director, Mi Familia Vota, Phoenix, AZ, www.mifamiliavota.us.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23.

PROGRAM # 6803 12:00 PM PT

FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. Two weeks before the election, President Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney come together again for a final debate, this time on foreign policy. This edition features segments of the debate and brings on representatives from both parties to analyze the positions of the candidates. Listeners call in to discuss their perspectives on the candidates.

Guests: Gabriela Domenzain, Director of Hispanic Press, Obama for America campaign, Chicago, IL, www.barackobama.com; Sharon Castillo, National spokesperson, Mitt Romney campaign, Washington, D.C., www.mittromney.com.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24.

PROGRAM # 6804 12:00 PM PT

CHIPOTLE AGREEMENT. A groundbreaking coalition of farmworkers from Florida has once again made history by signing an agreement with a major fast food chain to pay a penny more for every pound of tomatoes, directly to the workers. Chipotle is the newest signer to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Fair Food Agreement, which also includes a code of responsible conduct.

Guest: Lucas Benítez, Co-founder, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Immokalee, FL, www.ciw-online.org.

ALSO, SUING FOR SHADE. The United Farm Workers filed a lawsuit against California authorities for failure to enforce laws that require shade, water, and rest for workers to prevent heat stroke. The president of the union joins this edition to discuss the lawsuit.

Guest: Arturo Rodríguez, President, United Farm Workers (UFW), Keene, CA, www.ufw.org.

ALSO, LISTENER FORUM. Listeners call in to the show to discuss recent news developments, including the elections, healthcare reform, foreclosures, and more.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25.

PROGRAM # 6805 12:00 PM PT

REFORMING SENTENCES. Two propositions on the California ballot this November attempt to reform the state’s sentencing and corrections system. Prop 34 would abolish the death penalty in California, while Prop 36 would reform the Three Strikes Law, that subjects individuals with three or more felonies to life sentences, even when those felonies are nonviolent. The program includes an interview with a man who was freed after spending 20 years behind bars, wrongly convicted for murder. He is now a justice advocate who educates about the dangers of incarcerating and executing innocent people. Other points of view are also featured in this edition.

Guests: Francisco “Franky” Carrillo, Exonerated inmate, Student at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA; Miguel Valdovinos, Assistant District Attorney, Madera, CA; Margarita Ibarra, Mother of inmate, El Monte, CA.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26.

PROGRAM # 6806 12:00 PM PT

MEXICO EDITION. The labor reform proposed by Mexico's President Calderón was suspended and will have to be taken up again by the lower House of Mexico's Congress, after the Senate introduced changes that require union leaders to make public the fees they receive and to be elected by free and secret votes. President Calderón had introduced the bill as a "preferential initiative", and in order to become law immediately, the bill had to have been voted on by both houses without modifications. Also, in this edition, the journalist Arturo Cano from La Jornada shares his experiences about the recent elections in Venezuela. Why did Chávez win? Who supports him? Is the election process trustworthy? What does it mean that the opposition candidate won 44 percent of the votes? Martha Elena Ramírez hosts Voz Pública from Mexico City.

Guest: Arturo Cano, reporter, La Jornada Newspaper, Mexico City, Mexico.

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Funds for Línea Abierta are provided in part by The National Endowment for the Arts, The California Endowment, the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, The Ford Foundation, The California Wellness Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.