- Slug: CN2GO
- Runtime: 6:54
- Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)
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THIS IS YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2GO BRIEFING.
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I’M ALEXANDRA MORA MEDINA. ( go to story )
HEADLINE: State of the Air
SUMMARY: The American Lung Association released its 23rd annual State of the Air report Thursday. The results revealed that Arizona’s air quality is some of the poorest in the country.
PHOENIX’S AIR QUALITY MAKES IT ONE OF THE MOST POLLUTED CITIES IN THE NATION. THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION.
CRONKITE NEWS’ KIRSTEN DORMAN HAS MORE ON THE LATEST STATE OF THE AIR REPORT.
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JOANNA STROTHER (STRUH-THER), THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION’S SENIOR DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY IN ARIZONA, SAYS THE STATE ALMOST RANKED IN THE TOP 10 FOR EACH CATEGORY IN THE “STATE OF THE AIR” REPORT.
IN TERMS OF GROUND LEVEL OZONE:
JOANNA STROTHER: “We find that Phoenix is ranked fifth most polluted in the country … and, in fact, we had the same ranking last year.”
THE REPORT ALSO MEASURES SHORT-TERM AND ANNUAL AIR PARTICLES, WHICH ARIZONA RANKS 8TH AND 11TH FOR NATIONALLY.
STROTHER SAYS THAT EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT NOT BE VISIBLE, AIR POLLUTION MATTERS TO EVERYONE’S HEALTH.
JOANNA STROTHER: “We want people to check their daily air quality forecasts, and if it’s a high ozone day or a poor air quality day for particle pollution … really minimize their time outdoors as much as possible, and protect themselves.”
KIRSTEN DORMAN, CRONKITE NEWS.
HEADLINE: Colorado River is the most endangered river of 2022
SUMMARY: American Rivers released their list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2022–two Arizona rivers make the list, and one of them is at the very top.
THAT’S NOT THE ONLY REPORT WHERE ARIZONA LEADS THE PACK. AMERICAN RIVERS, A NONPROFIT FOCUSED ON RIVER CONSERVATION, PUBLISHED ITS LIST OF AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS OF 20-22.
CRONKITE NEWS’ EMMA VANDENEINDE [VAN-din-ine-dee] EXPLAINS WHAT THIS RANKING MEANS FOR THE FUTURE OF WATER IN ARIZONA.
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THE COLORADO RIVER, ONE OF ARIZONA’S MOST IMPORTANT RIVERS IS AT THE VERY TOP OF THE ENDANGERED RIVER LIST. MATT RICE, THE SOUTHWEST REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR AMERICAN RIVERS, SAYS IT WAS AN OBVIOUS CHOICE.
“It would have been, from my perspective, tone-deaf, right, if we did not list the Colorado River as the number-one.” (13:12, 6 SECONDS)
THE RIVER WAS PUT AT THE TOP OF THE LIST BACK IN 20-13. IT RESURFACED WHEN LAKE MEAD DROPPED TO BEING 35 PERCENT FULL LAST AUGUST, ACCORDING TO THE U-S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.
KEVIN MORAN WORKS WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND. HE SAYS CHANGE STARTS WITH RECOGNITION OF WHAT HAS BEEN LOST.
“We’re dealing with a smaller river. We’re dealing with less water supply overall, which requires new thinking, new investments and higher levels of collaboration.” (7:05, 7 SECONDS)
THE COLORADO RIVER IS USED BY OVER 40 MILLION PEOPLE FOR AGRICULTURAL AND ECONOMIC REASONS. BUT JULIÁN GONZÁLEZ, A WATER POLICY LOBBYIST FOR EARTHJUSTICE, SAYS THE LOSS OF THESE RIVERS IMPACT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
“These rivers and waterways are really beloved by lots of different people for a whole lots of different reasons, whether it’s cultural, whether it’s birdwatching, whether it’s boating, whether it’s they like to go there with their kids.” (17:08, 12 SECONDS)
WHILE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS TALK ABOUT EMERGENCY RIVER PLANS, MATT RICE SAYS THAT’S NOT ENOUGH, CALLING ON A DEEPER INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
EMMA VANDENEINDE, CRONKITE NEWS.
HEADLINE: Tunnel Fire Update
SUMMARY: A Flagstaff fire leaves thousands of individuals displaced and acres burned.
AS OF THURSDAY, THE TUNNEL FIRE IN FLAGSTAFF CONTINUES TO BURN.
NOW COVERING 30 SQUARE MILES AND DESTROYING NEARLY TWENTY THOUSAND ACRES, FIRE OFFICIALS NOTE THIS VERY WELL COULD JUST BE THE BEGINNING.
THE FIRE HAS NOT YET BEEN CONTAINED AND IT CONTINUES TO SPREAD RAPIDLY THROUGH THE FLAGSTAFF REGION.
A MIX OF HIGH TEMPERATURES AND WIND THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND WON’T HELP EITHER. SO FAR, THE TUNNEL FIRE FORCED 2,000 INDIVIDUALS TO EVACUATE.
HEADLINE: Suns Reader on Devin Booker
SUMMARY: The series between Phoenix and New Orleans will look different in games 3 and 4 with star Devin Booker out with an injury.
THE PHOENIX SUNS LOST TO THE NEW ORLEANS PELICANS ON TUESDAY, BUT THE BIGGEST LOSS FOR THE SUNS WAS NOT THE GAME. INSTEAD IT WAS THE LOSS OF ALL-STAR GUARD DEVIN BOOKER. CRONKITE NEWS’S JUSTIN TORRES HAS MORE.
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{It’s Paul, Booker, Aims. Shoots. Scores! :38 seconds into the CNN audio file**}
THOSE ARE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE GAME ON T-N-T. BOOKER SCORED 31 POINTS IN THE FIRST HALF OF TUESDAY’S GAME. HE LEFT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE THIRD QUARTER BECAUSE OF HAMSTRING TIGHTNESS IN HIS RIGHT LEG.
WITH THE SERIES NOW TIED UP AT ONE A PIECE, THINGS LOOK A LOT DIFFERENT FOR THE SUNS AS THEY HEAD TO NEW ORLEANS. ON THURSDAY, ESPN REPORTS BOOKER WILL BE OUT FOR THE NEXT 2-3 WEEKS FOLLOWING FURTHER EVALUATION FROM THE TEAM’S MEDICAL STAFF.
THE SUNS HAVE GONE 8-6 SO FAR THIS YEAR WITH BOOKER OUT OF THE LINEUP.
STILL, THE SUNS ARE NO STRANGER TO INJURIES HAVING JUST DEALT WITH CHRIS PAUL’S BROKEN WRIST FOR NEARLY A MONTH AND A HALF.
THE TEAM WILL NEED TO RELY ON PAUL AND OTHER KEY PLAYERS IF THE TEAM WISHES TO KEEP THEIR SERIES HOPES ALIVE TONIGHT. JUSTIN TORRES, CRONKITE NEWS.
HEADLINE: What the return of federal climate laws mean for Arizona
SUMMARY: The Biden Administration announced Tuesday the restoration of three community safeguards in the National Environmental Policy Act.
PRESIDENT BIDEN ON TUESDAY ANNOUNCED THE RESTORATION OF COMMUNITY SAFEGUARDS IN THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT. FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CHANGED THE 50-YEAR-OLD LAW BECAUSE OF ITS SLOW-MOVING DEVELOPMENT OF MINES, ROAD EXPANSIONS AND SIMILAR INFRASTRUCTURES.
A STATEMENT FROM THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS THAT FEDERAL AGENCIES MUST EVALUATE RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. THAT INCLUDES CLIMATE CHANGE. BUT SOME ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ARE WARY ABOUT THIS NEXT PHASE.
It’s always important to be cautious a little bit because an idea and its implementation are two very different things right.”
THATS ALEX ROSS, THE ARIZONA PROGRAM MANAGER FOR DEFEND OUR FUTURE. HE SAYS WHAT MATTERS MOST IS HOW THE RESTORATION WILL UNFOLD FOR THE FUTURE.
“There has been a lot of pressure from all of the green groups, really, in pushing the administration forward.”
RESTORED PROTECTIONS INCLUDE ACCOUNTING FOR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS THAT OCCUR FROM GOVERNMENT ACTIONS AS WELL AS IMPACTS A PROJECT MIGHT HAVE ON WILDLIFE AND COMMUNITIES. BRETT HARTL IS THE GOVERNMENT AND AFFAIRS DIRECTOR AT THE CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY. HE SAYS IT’S STILL TOO EASY FOR AGENCIES TO IGNORE PUBLIC COMMENT AND TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CONSTRUCTION.
“If a community objects, and the agency says, well, we checked the box, and we heard your objection, so we’re going to do it anyway. Tough luck. That’s not particularly satisfying.
HARTL SAYS HE WANTS TO SEE FEDERAL AGENCIES TAKE THESE CONCERNS TO HEART AND IF THE IMPACTS ARE TOO HARMFUL ON COMMUNITIES THE PROJECT SHOULD STOP.
GRAND CANYON CHAPTER DIRECTOR SANDY BAHR HOPES TO SEE THESE SAFEGUARDS IN ACTION WITH ARIZONA’S NEWEST HIGHWAY PROPOSAL I -11.
“We have argued against that freeway, and one of the arguments that we made is that it would contribute significantly to climate change.”
SHE SAYS PROPOSALS LIKE I-11 AFFECT VULNERABLE GROUPS LIKE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES. BAHR SAYS GOVERNMENTS WILL HAVE TO CONNECT WITH THOSE COMMUNITIES, LOOK AT THE IMPACTS AND LISTEN TO THEM TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.
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WE HAD HELP TODAY FROM EMMA VANDENEINDE AND JUSTIN TORRES. OUR SHOW WAS PRODUCED BY KIRSTEN DORMAN .
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YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORIES YOU HEARD IN TODAY’S NEWS UPDATE, BY GOING TO CRONKITENEWS-DOT-AZPBS-DOT-ORG.
THAT’S ALL FOR YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2 GO. I’M ALEXANDRA MORA MEDINA .
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