UpFront

How journalists are putting their lives on the line in Mexico, despite intimidation and murder; Plus: Combatting the COVID surge in East Oakland with Dr Noha, Roots Community Health Center

A memorial for Mexican journalist Javier Valdez who was murdered in Culiacán, Sinaloa on May 15th, 2017. An estimated 42 journalists and media workers were killed in Mexico in 2020, according to the Guardian (Photo: Wikipedia)

0:08 – KPFA News: Mexico has the pandemic’s fourth largest overall death toll, and that number is widely understood to be an undercount due to extremely limited diagnostic testing. Even so, over the course of this year, confirmed cases of COVID-19 became Mexico’s leading cause of death. 

Shipments of vaccines began trickling in last week, but the government-s own timetable indicates the vaccination programs will take at least a year to immunize the adult population. In the meantime, Mexico’s federal response continues to resemble -in practice – the so-called “herd immunity strategy” so many international health experts have warned against. Shannon Young reports.

7:16 – Palestinians have suffered a tough four years under the Trump Administration both politically and economically. Palestinian leaders are hoping for some progress with a new Biden Administration. But they don’t expect much movement in ending Israel’s decades long policy of occupying Palestinian lands and building settlements on them. Rami Almeghari reports from Gaza.

7:25 – California’s state prison system is seeing a sharp increase in coronavirus cases. A major coronavirus outbreak is also unfolding at the federal women’s prison in Dublin. KPFA’s Chris Lee reports.

0:34 – The Black Panther Party Legacy Keepers are a community organization aimed at

Amin Cooley is Co-founder of the Black Panther Party Keepers, was born and raised in Oakland California. 

Katherine Campbell is a former Black Panther Party member from 1969 – 1978 and continued working in public service ever since, including counseling, eviction defense, homeless services and more.

1:08 – Mexico is more dangerous for journalists than a war zone

Andalucia Knoll Solloff (@Andalalucha) is a freelance multimedia journalist based in Mexico City. Her reporting focuses on human resilience and dignity in the face of disappearances, state violence, land struggles and gender-based murders in Latin America, for outlets including Al Jazeera, Democracy Now!, VICE News, BBC, the Intercept and others.

1:34 – Community health response to the COVID surge: Roots Clinic

Dr. Noha Aboelata is founder and CEO of Roots Community Health Center, and on the frontlines of the COVID pandemic in Oakland.