skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Canada and Mexico agree with Trump to postpone tariffs by at least 30 days; Indiana steps up to get the lead out; UW study: Rural women have it harder with menopause; Cost of living tops Denver lawmaker's priorities.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Democrats protest Elon Musk's meddling in federal payment systems, Trump directs Cabinet secretaries to funnel federal dollars to private and religious schools and Virginia lawmakers aim to restore felon voting rights.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

As bird flu spreads, egg prices continue to soar, wildfires aren't stopping Americans from moving to wildfire-prone states, and post-pandemic infrastructure isn't just roads and bridges but also education, healthcare and economic opportunity.

Wildfire toolkit helps CA Hispanic families prepare

play audio
Play

Tuesday, November 26, 2024   

Low-income Latino communities often bear the brunt of wildfires, so the Hispanic Access Foundation offers a wildfire management toolkit and video series to help families and policymakers prepare.

So far this year, more than 1 million acres have burned in wildland fires in California, more than three times what was lost in 2023.

Hilda Berganza, climate manager for the Hispanic Access Foundation, said Latinos who work outside in agriculture or construction are at high risk from the smoke.

"When there's a wildfire near, they don't stop working, either because they're not allowed to or because they don't know," Berganza explained. "Lung cancer, asthma rates are going up. There are now links to neurological disease and cardiovascular diseases, all from the wildfire smoke and different air pollutants."

Latinos are also less likely than their white neighbors to have home or renter's insurance, so losses hit harder. They are less likely to have a car to make a quick escape, and may not be able to afford a hotel in case of an evacuation.

Berganza argued agencies should partner with trusted local community groups and Spanish-language radio stations to make sure the language barrier does not delay crucial information.

"The Red Cross has an application on the phones where they're sending out alerts," Berganza observed. "While that is a good thing to use technology, a lot of Latinos actually don't have access to internet and or don't have smartphones because they're more expensive."

The toolkit's authors encouraged lawmakers to fully fund programs to allow low-income communities to reduce wildfire risk and programs to help families recover after a natural disaster.

Disclosure: The Hispanic Access Foundation contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Environment, Human Rights/Racial Justice, and Livable Wages/Working Families. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Rental application fees alone create $276 million in profits for landlords each year, far above the actual cost of background checks and processing applications, according to a Biden-era report. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver, recently introduced House Bill 1090 to regulate so-called junk fees charged by landlords. The bill would protect …


Social Issues

play sound

A bipartisan nonprofit group in Michigan is opposing pending legislation which would reverse a Michigan Supreme Court ruling, stripping paid sick …

Social Issues

play sound

Arizona's largest high school district has stated it will not voluntarily help the Trump administration with its immigration promises by declaring its…


Health and Wellness

play sound

New York disability rights advocates want state lawmakers to focus on issues such as housing and health care. In the budget, they want more funding …

A University of Washington study found knowledge of treatment options for menopause was lower in rural areas. (loran4a/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Women in rural areas struggle more with menopause than their urban counterparts, according to a study from the University of Washington. Rural women …

Environment

play sound

The Eastern hellbender, North America's largest salamander and Pennsylvania's state amphibian, is one step closer to receiving federal protection…

Social Issues

play sound

States like North Dakota could see unique effects under President Donald Trump's approach to tariffs. Uncertainty lies ahead, but one expert said …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021