0:08 – Unemployment benefits may take weeks to arrive; advice for navigating California’s EDD system
Daniela Urban is Executive Director of the Center for Workers’ Rights and special counsel to Legal Aid At Work (@LegalAidAtWork).
0:34 – Author interview: Aya de Leon (@AyadeLeon) is an acclaimed writer of poetry and prose. She is the director of June Jordan Poetry for the People, and teaches at UC Berkeley. She’s the author of several novels, including four books in the Justice/Hustler series. Her new book, published *today* is A Spy in the Struggle.
1:08 – COVID pandemic sweeping CA prisons: Yuba County ICE detention facility at Marysville, CA
Advocates are calling the COVID outbreak at the Yuba facility a “humanitarian catastrophe” – as of yesterday, 86 people have tested positive for COVID in the county jail, and 5 people in ICE custody and 15 staff.
Our reporter Lucy Kang spoke to Jonny, who is not using his full name for fear of retaliation. Jonny is originally from Central America. His daughter is a US citizen, and his other family members also live in the United States. Jonny participated in the hunger strikes earlier this year, for which he says he faced retaliation. Jessica Yamane Moraga, attorney at Dolores Street Community Services, was the interpreter for this interview, which has been edited for time and clarity.
Our reporter Lucy Kang also spoke to Eduardo, who is currently in ICE detention in Yuba County, about the alarming and unhygienic conditions there. Eduardo was part of the hunger strikes that took place in the summer calling for better conditions during the pandemic and says he faced retaliation. He is not using his full name for fear of further retaliation.
Jonny, Eduardo and other people in ICE detention are calling for eight demands from the jail, including providing N95 masks to every in custody, more transparency and communication, an end to transfers between housing units, and allowing for independent inspectors to conduct unannounced visits.
1:22 – Our reporter Lucy Kang spoke with Monique Jimenez and her daughter Kayla about their husband and father, Chris, who is incarcerated at Pleasant Valley State Prison.
1:34 – From the UpFront archives: Brian Fagan is professor of anthropology at UC Santa Barbara, and the author of many books about people and the natural world – the latest is The Intimate Bond: How Animals Shaped Human History.