The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Friday, Sept. 23.
Report: North State communities at risk of breathing unhealthy air
Orange skies choked with soot from wildfires have become more common in the Western U.S. In a new paper, a team based at Stanford University estimates that millions of people now live where this smoke has made breathing unhealthy, including parts of far Northern California.
— Molly Peterson (KQED), The California Newsroom
Wildfire smoke can contain acids, soot and metals
Wildfire smoke is especially harmful because it contains the smallest kinds of inhalable particulate matter. Because those particles are so fine — 50 times smaller than a single grain of salt — they can bring whatever contaminants they are made of directly into your body. That means acids, soot, soil, dust, mold spores and metals such as lead.
— Jamie Jiang, NSPR
Lawsuit alleges Northern California utility targeted Asians
A little over a month after Hmong American residents filed a class action lawsuit against Siskiyou County and its sheriff for discrimination, a Northern California utilities company is being sued for allegedly helping Sacramento police target Asian customers. According to The Associated Press, the lawsuit alleges the Sacramento Municipal Utility District regularly gave the city’s police department information about the power use of its customers in order to target illicit marijuana grows “without requiring a warrant or any suspicion of wrongdoing.”
— Jamie Jiang, NSPR
California updates COVID-19 masking recommendations
Effective today, the state is further easing its masking recommendations and leaving more to personal choice. The California Department of Public Health’s new recommendations are based on the COVID-19 status of a resident’s county.
— Tara Atrian (KCRW), The California Report
Stories from NPR partner stations are edited by NSPR Staff for digital presentation and credited as requested.
In case you missed it
- Search for new Chico police chief underway — NSPR
- Newsom declares emergency for Siskiyou and other counties affected by recent wildfires — The California Report
- More than 3.5 million Californians eligible for student debt relief — CapRadio
- A new study says that low-income households bear the brunt of electricity costs — CapRadio
- Mental health support during fall fire anniversaries — NSPR
- Five state properties could soon become new affordable housing sites — The California Report
- New recommendation aims to reduce deaths from drunken driving — NSPR
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