Trump Visits California, Takes Aim at State’s Clean Air Authority
On Tuesday, President Trump arrived at Moffett Field, kicking off two days of fundraisers in California, meeting with wealthy donors in the Bay Area and Southern California to raise millions of dollars for his re-election bid and the Republican National Committee. But he also raised the ire of top state officials by announcing that his administration would revoke California’s ability to set its own tougher fuel emissions standards. Since 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency has granted California a waiver to enforce aggressive air pollution standards that are today followed by 13 other states. Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened legal action and tweeted that the move was “a continuation of a political vendetta against California.”
Guest:
- Michael Wara, senior research scholar, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
Investigators and Officials Grapple with Vaping-Related Illnesses
Earlier this week, state health officials confirmed that a man in Tulare County died from complications linked to the use of e-cigarettes. There are now two deaths and more than 80 potential cases of acute lung disease linked to vaping in California. Nationwide, nearly 400 cases of sudden lung disease linked to the use of e-cigarettes and vaping products have now been reported in 38 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, on Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a crackdown on illicit vaping products in the state and the launch of a $20 million marketing campaign to curb the use of e-cigarettes by teens, and retail giant Walmart announced today that it would end the sale of e-cigarettes at its stores in the U.S., citing “regulatory complexity and uncertainty” of the devices.
Guests:
- Laura Klivans, KQED health reporter
- Dr. Erica Pan, interim health officer, Alameda County Department of Public Health
Transgender Singers Bring New Voices and Diversity to Opera Stage
Making it as an opera singer is tough enough as it is. But try breaking into this competitive and elite artistic world as a performer who happens to also be transgender. Elliot Franks, Lucia Lucas and Breanna Sinclairé are classical vocalists blazing new trails in the world of opera. A new KQED radio documentary reveals their courageous quest to find a voice and acceptance on a stage where diversity has traditionally not taken a starring role.