Episode Transcript
[00:00:15] Speaker A: Good evening and welcome to the local news. Today is Friday, August 4th and I'm Nat Cardos reporting for KMUD. In tonight's news, Highway 169 closed due to fire and an update on the Orleans complex fire, river safety tips as toxic algae season starts and trespassing found as the cause of the Redway Red fire.
So stay tuned. News on those stories and more coming up.
[00:00:42] Speaker B: Redwood Community Radio acknowledges that its transmitter sites are located on the unceded territory of the Sinkion, Huaylaki, Wiat, Wilkat and Kato people. We honor ancestors past, present and emerging and acknowledge the ongoing cultural, spiritual, spiritual and physical connection these tribes have to this region.
[00:01:01] Speaker A: Today around approximately 12:45pm a vegetation fire was reported off of Highway 169 west of Turor Valley by scanners. A full wildland fire response was sent to the scene and the fire reached 1.5 acres before it was fully contained by 3:30. Due to the fire activity, Route 169 in Del Norte county is fully closed. According to Caltrans District 1's Facebook page, there is currently no estimated time of reopening. For the latest road conditions, the website is quickmat.dot.ca.gov the Big Cliff Fire, part of the Orleans complex, continues to burn in Siskiyou county at 530 acres and is 0% contained. Precipitation over the weekend had a limited effect on fire activity and west winds may impact the fire near the Blake Fork Trail area. Heavy smoke is expected to continue and the weather will continue to be monitored closely. The Pacific Crest Trail remains close between Carter Summit and Aetna Summit. The Butler fire also continues to burn to the west of the Big Cliff fire and is 21,058 acres and is at 93% containment. It has not grown for several days and resources are monitoring, patrolling, mopping up, chipping material and back hauling equipment. Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80s in the valleys with afternoon relative humidity around the mid 20s. Winds will be west to northwest along ridgelines gusting up to 22 miles per hour in the salmon river and South Russian Creek valleys. Northwest winds are expected in the afternoon as upslope and valley winds dominate. Warmer temperatures are expected on Tuesday with slightly drier conditions. No precipitation is expected today through tomorrow. Evacuation orders and warnings are in place for the immediate vicinity of the fire. For current evacuation status, visit facebook.com siskiyoucountysherriff and facebook.com siskiyouCountyoes Additional evacuation information can be found at protect.genesis.com that's protect.g e n a S-Y-S.com Many forest roads and trails in the region are still closed. For updates, check the Six Rivers National Forest website or the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Facebook page. Tune in to KMUD Local News for continued coverage of the 2025 local fire season.
On July 26, Humboldt County Sheriff's Office put patrol deputies assisted multiple fire agencies with the Red Fire, which occurred in a wooded area northeast of Redway. According to a press release sent out by HCSO today, Cal Fire investigators on the scene determined that the fire was human caused and directly related to a large population of people living on a private property in an illegal homeless encampment.
Since the fire, HCSO patrol deputies in collaboration with the private property owner and Cal Fire law enforcement have contacted numerous people living on the property, advised them that they were trespassing and needed to vacate. On August 3, HCSO patrol deputies in Cal Fire law enforcement conducted a follow up inspection to ensure compliance with the vacate order, which resulted in one arrest. HCSO patrol deputies will continue to monitor these camps and anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff's Office Crime Tip Line at 707-268253.
Cayman News reached out to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office for comment but was not ready before news time.
It's summertime, which means it's river season for recreational visitors and tourists. Popular rivers to go visit in the area include the Smith, Klamath, Trinity Eel, Van Dusen and Mad River. While visiting these rivers, it's important to remember to stay safe. As water flow begins to drop and temperatures begin to rise, toxic algae blooms become more of an issue. Cayman News spoke with Pat Higgins, the managing director at the Eel River Recovery Project, about what toxic algae blooms are and what they do.
[00:04:53] Speaker C: People really need to avoid edgewaters that have any algal scums or blooms and oftentimes those are just decaying Cladophora, which is the good algae of the river. But when things get really warm, the cyanobacteria are adapted to super hot water and so then they'll colonize the dead. Could offer us all of a sudden you'll see these dark green or blue green spires and they look totally different and that's toxic algae and then that's not always toxic. But when the cells break open, when they've been in that soupy water for a while, then actually they're quite toxic, they're neurotoxic. And so dogs rolling in algal scums and then licking their fur will get an accumulation of neurotoxins that would kill them. And the same exposure would be very, very bad for humans and for young people. So always avoid algal scums. And the, the river's warming up now and with the hundred degree days, which we've been, you know, blessed by a mild summer up to now, but as the days warm, then the flows drop and then these soupy sidewaters kind of proliferate and spread.
And so folks should be aware that there's a public health risk associated with that.
[00:06:21] Speaker A: Conditions during the year typically determine when the algae blooms begin and end. When it is hot out during the middle to end of summer and flows begin to drop, it allows cyanobacteria in the algae to grow. Cooler temperatures in the late fall and early winter and increased water flow make it more difficult for it to grow. Higgins explains more in depth about how this works in the Eel River.
[00:06:41] Speaker C: July 15th is kind of when I look at conditions and assess some with this, with regard to this and it's been stalled a little, but we're, we're getting into the season now. You can see I watch the flows on the USGS website and they're, they're really dropping like a rock. And so this is the time when the algae is really setting up and you know, really through.
It's unfortunate, but you really have to be quite cautious in terms of aquatic recreation at this time and going forward because, you know, that's a fact of life. The eels kind of switched from a cold water river and now it has seasonally warm waters. And in those seasons the cyanobacteria are well adapted. And this isn't just happening in the eel, it's a worldwide phenomena. So it's a climate change type of side effect.
But so folks, you know, generally if there's foam in the water, then that's an indication that you've got water quality problems and the river will become discolored. The South Fork is usually very transparent and and yet as we go further in summer here, you'll notice that the South Fork around Dyerville there, where people use the beach a lot, that when it really gets bad, then that water will kind of take on almost like a tea colored look. And that's kind of an ecological shift, but that's generally associated with drought years.
So we're in a year of robust flow. I'd say the main eel at Fort Seward is still swimmable, the main eel all the way down, but you got to look for the scums. But Scotia, I went into the water there the other day. Rio del up in Mendocino county, you're probably all right at Leggett, but South Fork at Miranda and that reach, it tends to have pretty high concentrations of cyanobacteria.
The Van Dusen, it's similar. There's the conditions are setting up for toxic algae, but reaches like at Swimmers Delight generally are pretty resistant except in severe drought years. So you can usually get into the Van Dusen.
And if people are in like headwater creeks where they have access, the cyanobacteria do not develop in shady areas.
And those areas in headwaters, you know, it's not like jump in and swim, but there's places where people recreate and so that's kind of the rules of the game. The only exception is between the dams up at in Lake county and oh, you know, Potter Valley Project. There's the type of algae that sets up between the dams there that actually grows in cold water and but usually it's like avoid hot scummy waters and cyanobacteria set up in summer and it's pretty much something that happens all the time.
[00:10:02] Speaker A: On August 8, the Eel River Recovery Project will be hosting a Cyanobacteria Toxic Algae Field workshop in Garberville. At 10am The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board staff will be there to discuss toxic algae and how to measure it. More information is available on the Eel River Recovery Project Facebook page. For more information about harmful algae blooms and how to detect them, visit the Eel River Recovery Project and click on the Algae Studies tab in state news. California sues Trump administration over attacks on gender affirming care KPFA's Brooke Helena Kirchner reports.
[00:10:40] Speaker D: California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit Friday against the Trump administration's attacks on gender affirming care, which California recognizes as a fundamental right.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office proclaiming that the United States recognizes two genders only. The order also declares an end to federal support for what it calls gender ideology extremism, laying the groundwork for a second executive order signed days later that guts health care for transgender youth.
In early July, the Department of justice announced that it had issued 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics that offer gender affirming care to adolescents.
Attorney General Pam Bondi's accompanying statement made it clear that these subpoenas subject healthcare providers to the threat of prosecution for providing care protected under California law.
Bonta, joined by a coalition of 16 other state attorneys general, says Trump's executive order has no legal basis and strips states of the right to regulate the health care provided to their residents.
The coalition argues that the order intimidates providers through threats of civil and criminal prosecution.
Anti transgender rhetoric has been on the rise in America in recent years. In the 2024 election cycle alone, right wing politicians spent nearly $215 million on anti trans ads for network TV.
Jorge Reyes Salinas the group Equality California applauded Bonta's lawsuit. He sees Trump's executive order as one part of a coordinated attack on queer people as a whole.
[00:12:16] Speaker A: This is coming from the hatred and the political move of trying to unite his fan base against the humanity of transgender people.
We know that no young person should ever be denied medical necessary care because of this hate fueled political agenda and that is what's happening here. We know that the Trump administration is is not only trying to ensure that transgender youth don't have access to health care, but also get rid of their participation in sports, get rid of their visibility, get rid of their mental health services by cutting off the LGBTQ hotline.
[00:13:01] Speaker D: The American Medical association says gender affirming care is medically necessary for the well being of individuals suffering from gender dysphoria, and it says it's joined by every other major medical association in the country.
Denying this care demonstrably worsens mental health outcomes, leading to increased rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Fearing federal retribution, providers in some states, including California, have already begun withdrawing services, leaving transgender patients and their families scared and confused about the future of their treatment.
The lawsuit asks the court to block the enforcement of Trump's executive order, arguing that it exceeds federal authority, undercuts state laws and violates the Constitution.
This suit joins 19 of Bonta's other lawsuits still awaiting an injunction or resolution.
For KPFA News, I'm Brooke Helena Kirchner.
[00:13:57] Speaker A: In national news, Texas Democrats blast GOP redistricting plan as a power grab, disenfranchising voters of color KPFA's Christopher Martinez reports.
[00:14:09] Speaker E: With midterm elections looming, President Donald Trump asked Texas to find him five new congressional seats. And on Wednesday, Texas Republicans unveiled their proposed map to do just that by redrawing congressional districts ahead of the election.
On Thursday, Texas Democrats responded with a news conference at the state Capitol in Austin. They called the redistricting plan an illegal power grab that would dilute the vote of the state's fast growing black and Latino Community Congressmember Silvia Garcia of Houston says Republicans are trying to silence the voices of people who need to be heard.
[00:14:44] Speaker A: Donald Trump, what I call the felon in the White House, is wanting to stay in power. This is a pure power play.
And I can tell you that I am so proud of all these Democrats behind me who are doing what great Texans do as state stand up and fight for Texas.
And I can tell you that I for one, as a Texan would never, ever want a con man from New York telling a Texan what to do. We need to fight back and fight back hard. We must press on.
[00:15:18] Speaker E: Under the Republican plan, the state's four major Democratic leaning metropolitan areas would be sliced up and added to other congressional districts, creating new Republican majority districts. Congressmember Lizzie Fletcher is chair of the Texas Democratic Congressional delegation. She says Trump knows that people are seeing what his administration and congressional Republicans are doing and they hate it.
[00:15:40] Speaker A: President Trump can see the writing on the wall, so he's demanded a rigged map and he told Governor Abbott to make it happen.
Texans are in an ongoing crisis filled with grief and loss, and instead our leaders are focused not on relief, but on redistricting.
[00:16:01] Speaker E: She says under the proposed maps, more than one third of all Texans would be in new congressional districts, and two thirds of the people moved are voters of color. Democrat Al Green says President Trump is using race and we are responding to it.
[00:16:16] Speaker F: And the truth of the matter is.
[00:16:18] Speaker C: Somebody has to have the courage to.
[00:16:20] Speaker A: Say that it's really racism.
Unfortunately, we have grown to the point in this country where you can use racism against people of color, but people of color can't respond and say that's racism.
[00:16:34] Speaker E: Congressmember Greg Casar of Austin says the bad news for Trump is that Texas Democrats are not scared of a fight. Under the new map, his district would be merged with one held by another Democrat, a merger he calls illegal voter suppression.
[00:16:48] Speaker A: Donald Trump is the most corrupt president in American history, and Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in Texas history.
And this is these two men teaming up to try to ram through this ridiculous and illegal gerrymandering plan.
It's the same old bs.
Corrupt politicians having a scheme to rig the rules of our elections so that they can drown out voters voices and remain unaccountable.
We're not going to have it.
[00:17:23] Speaker E: The district Kosaris would be merged with is currently held by Democrat Lloyd Doggett, dean of the state's congressional delegation.
[00:17:30] Speaker C: When we place all the power in one man and claim that he has a monopoly on truth and that we no longer need checks and balances, then we have surrendered our democracy to autocracy, the weight of the future of our country.
The lives of Texans is on the shoulders of these Texas legislators, and we thank them for all they're doing to put a stop to this attempt to fix the election.
[00:17:57] Speaker E: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York was in Austin to voice his support for the Democrats. Houston Congressmember Garcia thanked him, saying she feels like it's a reunion.
[00:18:07] Speaker A: He and I had the distinct honor of serving as impeachment managers in Trump. Impeachment 1 and they should have just listened to us.
We could have avoided all this.
[00:18:18] Speaker E: Reporting for Pacifica Radio News, KPFA, I'm Christopher Martinez.
[00:18:25] Speaker A: Activists sue to block termination of TPS deportation protections for migrants fleeing dangerous homelands KPFA's Dalia Lozier and Sofia Reis Elfeni reports.
[00:18:36] Speaker G: District Court Judge Edward Chen heard arguments from an advocacy group suing the Trump administration over its decision to end temporary protected status for Haitians and Venezuelans.
Before the hearing, the national TPS alliance held a rally outside the courthouse where advocates shared personal stories and called on lawmakers to extend the program. Temporary protected status is a program that bars people from certain countries from being deported back to where they face violence or natural disasters.
The Trump administration has been aggressively seeking to remove the protection for immigrants from certain nations like Haiti and Venezuela.
It's part of a wider effort by the administration to carry out mass deportations of immigrants.
The protections for Haitians are set to expire on September 2, while for Venezuelans the date is set for September 10.
Luis Padilla, a Honduran TPS holder, describes how the program allowed him to live out the American dream.
[00:19:40] Speaker A: Twenty years ago I had the opportunity to apply to tps and I knew even if it was a temporary, even if it was only 18 months, I knew that opportunity was my key to be successful in this country country. And now after 28 years, I still have TPS, what TPS is giving me and what have given to our communities. I'm going to explain a few words. I have an education. I'm first generation, my family getting a college education.
[00:20:17] Speaker B: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has the authority to extend TPS if conditions in a person's home country, like natural disasters or political unrest, make it unsafe to return.
But she moved to end protections for tens of thousands of immigrants, saying the situation there no longer justified the special status. On Thursday in San Francisco, Federal Judge Trina Thompson blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary protected status from people from Honduras Nepal and Nicaragua. A lawyer for the plaintiffs, Eric Crew, explained the significance of Thompson's decision.
[00:20:58] Speaker C: The court yesterday, it recognized in its decision the United States long history of transporting individuals against their will to places unfamiliar to them.
It recognized its active participation in the transatlantic slave trade.
And it recognized the anti immigrant, anti refugee sentiment all across the nation in response to emancipated Africans who are internally displaced from the south and trying to find home and places in this land.
It referenced this strand in the United States that this administration is picking up of people being uncomfortable with the idea of free non white people in their communities.
[00:21:43] Speaker B: Judge Thompson said plaintiffs will likely prove the TPS program was ended due to racial bias and a predetermined plan, not a good faith review of the country's conditions. The lawyer for the plaintiffs, Jessica Bunsell, made the same argument in support for Haitian and Venezuelan TPS recipients.
[00:22:04] Speaker H: Our argument is pretty straightforward.
What Secretary Noem did was to take back a period of protection that had already been given under the Biden administration. That's not happened in the 35 year history of the program. And we argue she didn't have authority to do that.
Second, we argue that her own statements unfortunately show her motivation, that her motivation was animus towards Venezuelan immigrants, towards Haitian immigrants. Her statements and the statements of President Trump, that's unconstitutional. You can't take away people's immigration status out of animus and out of racism.
And the third claim is that the reasons that the Secretary gave for her decision, the official reasons, are pretextual.
They're not the real reason. And that violates the rule for a reasoned agency decision making.
[00:22:44] Speaker B: The lawyer for the Trump administration says that review of the country's conditions were considered in the decision.
Their argument is in line with the Trump administration's tendency to prioritize national interest over existing policy or constitutional precedent. Lawyer Jessica Bunsell is hopeful about Judge Chen's upcoming ruling.
[00:23:07] Speaker H: There's no timeline, but I think he understands the urgency. You know, we started off the hearing, he started asking about how Venezuelan TPS holders were being impacted by the termination.
And so he clearly understands the real world impact and we're hopeful that we'll receive a decision soon.
[00:23:21] Speaker B: With no official decision after today's hearing, Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants temporary protected status remain in jeopardy.
For KPFA News, I'm Sofia Raeeselfeni.
[00:23:33] Speaker G: And I'm Dahlia Lozier.
[00:23:36] Speaker A: In National Native News, Brian Bull reads today's headlines.
[00:23:41] Speaker F: This is National Native News. I'm Brian Bowles. Sit in. Frantonia Gonzales. A lack of reliable infrastructure is tied to worse health and economic outcomes for kids in rural Alaska. That's according to panelists at the final day of Arctic Encounter, a conference that just wrapped up in Anchorage last week. Francine Moreno of Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium says Alaska has the lowest rates of in house plumbing in the which directly leads to health issues in communities without plumbed water.
[00:24:10] Speaker H: Alaska Native children are hospitalized with RSV five times higher than the United States. The hospitalization for pneumonia is 11 times higher.
[00:24:21] Speaker F: Moreno says her organization is working to close the water access gap in local villages. She says it's easier to find solutions by partnering with community leaders.
And, she says, because services like water, sewer, heat and energy are connected, utility providers have to coordinate to prevent service interruptions.
Aaron Devereux is the president and CEO of the Nunavut Housing Corporation in Canada. He says that in his region, aging housing and a growing population has created a dire need for thousands of new homes, something that many Alaskan communities can relate to as well.
[00:24:57] Speaker C: We have such a prevalence of overcrowded housing in Nunavut, and so much of it was you could tie back to that. It's more challenging for kids to get up in the morning and go get an education if they don't have a place to sleep at night or if.
[00:25:09] Speaker F: They'Re bouncing from one coach to another, devereux says. The housing corporation has built almost 1,000 new homes in three years. To address the issue, he says they did it by expanding the list of construction companies they work with, mitigating costs and moving away from relying on outsourced labor.
Panelists on Friday also discussed how building in the Arctic, where permafrost is quickly melting, goes hand in hand with climate research and how keeping this research updated can be a challenge in light of recent funding and research freezes.
After years of temporary sights, the Northern Cheyenne Food Pantry in Montana now plans to establish its own headquarters. As Yellowstone Public Radio's Kayla Desroche reports, operators hope to expand not just food access but but food independence.
[00:25:56] Speaker C: Here's some cookies over there.
[00:25:58] Speaker I: It's a weekday breakfast service at the pantry in Lamedeer, the Northern Cheyenne tribal seat, people chat and pour themselves coffee.
The pantry is one of the only food options here. It operates out of an auto garage next to Lamedier's 1 grocery store. Locals either pay local prices or drive nearly two hours to the closest big city. The pantry estimates it distributes 100 boxes monthly, many to multi family households and elders. Without transportation, the staff is small. Raymond Holmes returns a pantry's support by pitching in.
[00:26:32] Speaker C: It's really helping the people, helping the.
[00:26:35] Speaker A: Elders, the ones that can't get around and the handcuffed ones.
[00:26:39] Speaker C: It helps me and I help them.
[00:26:41] Speaker I: Pantry founder and board chair Emma Harris leads the pantry's funding efforts.
She says they're planning their own building, not just a permanent home base, but also an expansion of traditional foods and practices. The field they want to build on is just a couple of minutes away by car, east of the roundabout at the center of town.
[00:26:59] Speaker A: So this is our land.
[00:27:01] Speaker I: The property needs funds, Harris says. That's why the pantry is doing a feasibility study to analyze costs and show potential funders what they would be bankrolling. That would include a public garden where members can grow their own plants and herbs, and a space to share knowledge about traditional food systems.
[00:27:18] Speaker A: I think the creator kind of looks out for this place because it's a much needed benefit for the people.
And so the people that are here make it. They're the ones that make it successful.
[00:27:32] Speaker I: Reporting from Lame Deer, I'm Kayla Daroche for National Native News.
[00:27:36] Speaker F: And I'm Brian Bull in the KLCC Studios of Eugene, Oregon.
[00:27:45] Speaker A: Native Voice 1.
[00:27:46] Speaker F: The Native American Radio Network.
[00:27:53] Speaker A: And that's all for tonight's broadcast. Thanks for listening. Thanks to our engineer, Javier Rodriguez, and thanks to our reporters, Brooke Helena Kirchner, Christopher Martinez, Dalia Lozier, Sofia Reis Alfeni and Brian Bol? K. KMUD News is online, and you can find us on kmud.org and now streaming on most podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where you can download our stories and newscasts for offline listening during your rural commutes. You can also follow us on social media. If you have questions or suggestions, you can give us a call at 707-923-2605 or send an email to newsmud.org Redwood Community Radio, Inc. Is funded by Press Forward, the national movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news. Learn more at PressForward News. Reporting for KMUD, I'm Nat Cardos.
