This week on Matter of Fact, a look at the growing housing crisis as nearly 10 million people won’t be able to afford rent next month. Jim Parrott from the Urban Institute explains what could happen once the eviction moratorium is lifted. Plus, for the last four years, reporting on Washington and the Trump presidency focused mostly on the game of politics. Media critic Jay Rosen talks with Soledad O’Brien about how that’s hurt the public. Then, how a a hydroponic farm in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is finding new ways to grow during the pandemic.
Vertical Harvest is a hydroponic farm in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that’s creating job security for people with disabilities. We first visited last year as part of a partnership with the Economic Hardship Reporting Project. But, they’ve had to pivot to survive the coronavirus pandemic. Soledad O’Brien talks with CEO and cofounder Nona Yehia about their plan to stay alive.
See how Vertical Harvest is helping empower people with disabilities.
From small mom-and-pop shops to the top businesses in the world, surviving the pandemic has often meant finding a new business model. One business that’s been able to make the pivot is Vertical Harvest. It’s a hydroponic farm in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that’s creating economic options for people with disabilities. We first visited last year as part of a partnership with the Economic Hardship Reporting Project. Special Correspondent Leone Lakhani takes us inside the business that’s growing fresh food and jobs.
Watch full interview with CEO/cofounder Nona Yehia.
Under the Trump administration, the media was vilified as the “enemy of the state.” Even the most, fact-based reporting was labeled as “fake news.” Were there lessons learned? Jay Rosen teaches journalism at New York University and critiques the press. He tells Soledad O’Brien the public wants more from journalists.
Nearly 10 million people in the U.S. won’t be able to afford their rent this coming month. According to a new analysis from the Urban Institute, the average delinquent renter owes $5,6000, and their late fees keep piling up. Yet, home prices and sales are skyrocketing. Jim Parrot is a non-resident fellow at the Urban Institute and co-authored the recent report on unpaid rent in America. Soledad O’Brien talks to him about the pandemic’s unequal financial impact and the uneven road to economic recovery.
This week on Matter of Fact, a look at the historic inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. She’s the first woman, first Black person and first person of South Asian descent to hold the second highest office in the land. Soledad O’Brien talks with Tal Kopan, from the San Francisco Chronicle, about why she says Harris will be one of the most empowered vice presidents ever. Plus, is the U.S. ready for a major third party? Special Correspondent Joie Chen travels to Pennsylvania to see if both parties could be headed for a breakup. Then, President Joe Biden is already untangling much of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. But it will take more than an executive pen to create real reform. Correspondent Jessica Gomez reports from Juarez, Mexico where thousands of asylum seekers are stuck between the policies of two presidents.
President Joe Biden is already working to deliver on his campaign promise to introduce sweeping immigration reform. He’s ended former President Trump’s travel ban, paused construction on the southern border wall, and stopped a move to keep undocumented people from being included in the U.S. census. He also ended new enrollments in the Migrant Protection Protocols policy, also known as the “remain in Mexico” program. That policy has sent nearly 70,000 asylum seekers to Mexican border cities to await court dates. Supporters say it discourages migrants from abusing the U.S. immigration system. But humanitarian and immigration groups call it a human rights disaster. Correspondent Jessica Gomez reports from Juarez, Mexico on the people stuck between the policies of two presidents.
For more than a century, Democrats and Republicans have monopolized the path to the presidency. After each presidential election, you hear rumblings that is it time for a viable third party. This time, some are asking whether the Republican party will hold together or splinter while more moderate Democratic lawmakers are feeling the pressure from progressives. Special Correspondent Joie Chen heads to Pennsylvania to see if both parties could be headed for a potential breakup.
This week on Matter of Fact, a rare interview with federal district court judge. Judge Robert Brack handles criminal immigration cases, saying he has presided over a process that destroys families. He tells Correspondent Jessica Gomez that he wants to help fix the damage by reuniting families separated at the border. Plus, how do you call out lawmakers when they lie? Soledad O’Brien talks with Brown University Political Science Professor Corey Brettschneider about the media’s failures to fact check. Then, how responsible is social media for the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol? Soledad O’Brien talks with Fordham University Law Professor Olivier Sylvain about balancing First Amendment rights and big tech’s influence over what appears online. And, a look at vaccination efforts in the viewfinder.
Democrats are now in control of Congress and the White House for the first time in more than a decade. But power in the U.S. Senate is evenly divided. That means Vice President Kamala Harris will be able to break any ties on legislation, cabinet nominations and other key parts of President Biden’s agenda. Tal Kopan covers Vice President Kamala Harris as the Washington Correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle. She tells Soledad O’Brien Vice President Harris will be one of the most empowered vice presidents, ever.