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Fire victims trustee resigns | ‘Wildfire Prepared’ in Paradise | Dry lightning fire watch

The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Friday, June 24.

The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, reversing Roe v. Wade, the court’s five-decade-old decision that guaranteed a woman’s right to obtain an abortion. Read the full story

Trustee for PG&E wildfire victims announces departure

The trustee for a more than $13 billion fund set up to compensate Pacific Gas and Electric wildfire victims is stepping down.

Retired Judge John K. Trotter said in a public statement he only ever intended to oversee the Fire Victim Trust for two years and that he'll be leaving the post next week.

Trotter has faced frequent criticism for the performance of the trust, which was set up in 2020 as part of PG&E's exit from bankruptcy. The biggest complaint: The trust's payouts have been slow and its expenses have been high.

Trotter has pointed to the complexity of processing claims filed by nearly 70,000 fire survivors as a major factor in delaying payments.

The trust faces an ongoing challenge turning PG&E stock it holds into the cash needed to pay the fire victims.

Dan Brekke (KQED), The California Report

Paradise resident honored for having 1st ‘Wildfire Prepared Home’

Safety experts have unveiled a new standard for hardening California homes from fires.

The standard is a collaboration between insurance industry groups, Cal Fire and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Standing in front of her newly rebuilt home in Paradise, which was devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire, Casey Taylor held a framed certificate honoring her for having the first certified “Wildfire Prepared Home.”

“I’m a longtime Paradise resident. I love this community so much, and I’m so happy to see it be able to build back safer,” Taylor said.

To meet this designation, Taylor’s home — including its roof, windows, deck and vents — is resistant to flames and embers. Nothing flammable is within 5 feet of the home.

Listen to the full story in today’s Headlines.

Danielle Venton (KQED), The California Report

Lightning strikes can smolder for days or weeks before turning into a wildfire

Dry lightning over the Sierra Nevada the last few days — including a slight chance for thunderstorms in the northern Sierra Saturday — is causing concern for new fire starts, which can take days to ignite after a strike.

“What’s interesting about thunderstorm ignitions is they can sometimes dwell and hold over for multiple days,” said Matthew Elliot, warning coordination meteorologist for NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center.

While all thunderstorms don’t lead to ignitions, Elliot said when they do, it can be surprising how long lightning strikes can smolder.

“You can have a holdover that’s 10, 14 days from when the ignition occurred,” he said. “Then all of a sudden you have a windy, low relative humidity day come up and all of a sudden you have a fire that develops.”

North State residents should always be wary after thunderstorms, Elliot said, especially when conditions are dry.

Sarah Bohannon, NSPR

California lawmakers respond to Supreme Court gun decision

Some elected officials in California issued a strong response to Thursday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a New York gun permit law, which required what is called “proper cause” to obtain a permit to carry a concealed firearm in public.

“Instead of upholding a law that has kept our communities safe, the U.S. Supreme Court has opted to expose our communities — our communities in California and across the nation — to further violence and fear,” said Assemblymember Mia Bonta, who represents Oakland and other parts of the East Bay.

The Supreme Court’s decision does allow states some latitude. California legislators are working on a measure to be heard next week that will specify where concealed firearms cannot be carried and also clarifies qualifications for getting a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Read more about the decision.

CapRadio Staff

Stories from NPR partner stations are edited by NSPR Staff for digital presentation and credited as requested.

In other news

  • Chico PD releases annual report: “After a two-year hiatus, the Chico Police Department is back to publishing an annual report on the city’s crime statistics as well as information on the department itself.” — Chico Enterprise-Record

  • Legal Services gets $154,032 to help wildfire victims: “Redding-based Legal Services of Northern California has been awarded $154,032 to deliver legal services to low-income people who continue to be haunted by legal challenges years after being impacted by wildfires in 2020 and 2021.” — Redding Record Searchlight

In case you missed it

Headlines is published every weekday morning at 8:30 a.m. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and NPR One. Theme song Borough is courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions

Sarah has worked at North State Public Radio since 2015 and is currently the station’s Director of Operations. She’s responsible for the sound of the station and works to create the richest public radio experience possible for NSPR listeners.
A graduate of California State University, Chico, Andre Byik is an award-winning journalist who has reported in Northern California since 2012. He joined North State Public Radio in 2020, following roles at the Chico Enterprise-Record and Chico News & Review.
Angel Huracha has been a part of the journalism field since 2006 and has covered a range of topics. He is a graduate of Chico State with a Bachelor's degree in news-editorial and public relations with a minor in English.