0:08 – National politics roundup with Mitch Jeserich, including the latest on Trump’s threats to shut down the government over funding the border wall, new sentencing legislation, and political dynamics on Capitol Hill as the 116th US Congress is set to take power in 2019.
0:34 – The Green New Deal – What is it?
Greg Carlock (@gregorytcarlock) is a researcher in climate action policy and data based in Washington, DC, and senior adviser to Data for Progress. He’s the lead author in a September 2018 policy report titled “A Green New Deal: A Progressive Vision for Environmental Sustainability and Economic Stability.”
1:08 – Trump announces US will pull troops from Syria. We’re joined by reporter and author Reese Erlich (@ReeseErlich) who has spent years covering Syria from on the ground. His most recent book on the topic: Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect
1:34 – Special Report: Why refugees cross the border on foot
So we wanted to take a look at why people do it — especially people who intend to turn themselves in and seek asylum anyway. What is driving refugees away from just getting in line at official border crossings? Our new feature reporter Lucy Kang traveled from a law school in San Francisco to the busiest border-crossing in the Western Hemisphere to find out — here’s her report.
1:46 – KPFA News: In a congressional district rated by political pundits as ‘leaning Republican’, TJ Cox won a Central Valley seat that almost nobody thought he could. California’s 21st District encompasses Fresno, Bakersfield along with the rural towns, farmland and oil fields in between. Incumbent Republican David Valadao was considered a moderate, but he couldn’t overcome the stain of Donald Trump and the Valley’s changing demographics. Pacifica’s Vic Bedoian (@VicBedoian) met with Cox this week and reports from Fresno.
1:55 – KPFA’s Richard Wolinsky reviews “Tuck Everlasting” now playing at TheaterWorks Lucie Stern Theater in Palo Alto through Sunday December 30.
Photo: Migrant volunteer reads from the list of asylum seekers outside San Ysidro crossing in Tijuana, Mexico. (Credit: Rachel Lark)