News from around the nation.

More than 6 million in Los Angeles area remain under critical fire threat as high winds last through Wednesday; Anti-hunger groups tackle increased need during the L.A. fires; How Alabama employees can drive climate action in 2025; SCOTUS rejects Utah's attempt to control public lands.

Transcript

The Public News Service Wednesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Powerful winds are prolonging the battle for firefighters combating the LA wildfires, which have killed at least 25 people.

More than 6 million people are under a critical fire threat across a large swath of Southern California, including cities outside of Los Angeles County.

That from CNN.

They report the Eaton and Palisades fires are now the most destructive and second most destructive wildfires, respectively.

In Southern California history.

According to an analysis from UCLA, the fires over the past week were larger and harder than they would have been in a world without planet warming fossil fuel production.

Meantime, food donations are pouring in to help victims of the Los Angeles fires to the point that donors are being asked to hold off a bit so it can all be distributed.

We get more in this sentiment California News Service collaboration.

Anti-hunger advocates caution, there are still hidden needs because people who didn't directly lose their homes are still struggling.

Frank Tamberello with Hunger Action LA says thousands have lost their jobs and may now have trouble feeding their families.

You have a lot of people who didn't lose their homes but are housekeepers, maintenance workers and others who have lost a lot of clients and they live all over the county.

So their food situation has been impacted as they've lost income.

Tamberello predicts these families will need ongoing assistance for months, long after the initial outpouring of aid dries up.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

And a Pew Research study reveals more than half of people in Alabama and across the country believe large corporations and the energy industry holds the keys to combating climate change and that individual actions seem less impactful.

They're encouraging people to take the climate fight to their workplaces.

Drew Wilkinson, founder of the Climate Leadership Collective says that his journey began as a paralegal at Microsoft where he launched the company's first employee sustainability community.

I wanted to work on a climate problem and I wanted to work on ocean conservation issues and plastic pollution.

This small goal led him to working with Ocean Cleanup to build technology that helped remove plastic from rivers.

Later, he says nearly 10,000 Microsoft employees joined him to take on climate initiatives.

Shantia Hudson reporting.

This story was produced with original reporting from Ethan Brown for the Sweaty Penguin.

And the US Supreme Court has opted not to hear a lawsuit brought by the state of Utah, which alleged the federal government's ownership of large parts of the state is unconstitutional.

The decision marks a win for conservation advocates like Olivia Juarez with Green Latinos.

She says folks in Utah now will not have their tax dollars used to fund what she calls the ill-founded lawsuit and disinformation campaign.

We are better set up to fight against some of the biggest challenges that the Trump administration is going to pose to the American public.

Utah had made the effort to seize public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, whereas acknowledges with a Republican dominated Congress, similar efforts may return.

This is public news service.

Advocates for the LGBTQ+ community want Connecticut lawmakers to consider bills that would help address a variety of this community's needs.

They include legislation to ensure LGBTQ+ seniors in long-term care facilities aren't discriminated against and expanding protections under no-fault eviction legislation.

William Aleos with the LGBTQ+ Justice and Opportunity Network notes the group is also looking for funding to update a needs assessment that was first done in 2021.

Every couple of years, because community needs change.

If you're talking about any marginalized community, queer folks, people of color, immigrants, their needs are gonna change year to year.

And especially after COVID, we just really need that updated data to try and inform some of the additional legislation that we're talking about.

The current needs assessment finds 69 percent of people in this community have experienced discrimination.

Aleos says other issues legislators should work on include safe school initiatives that prevent queer kids from being bullied and mental health care.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira.

And after nearly a decade of service in the state legislature, this Colorado lawmaker is doubling down on climate goals.

In 2019, Colorado lawmakers set goals for cutting climate pollution by at least half by the year 2030 and by 90 percent by 2050 compared with 2005 levels.

State Senator Faith Winter says Colorado is not making enough progress.

So she's introduced a new bill that aims to cut fossil fuel emissions by giving Coloradans more transportation options.

Winter says when people have safe and reliable alternatives and leave their car at home, everyone benefits.

And even if you are a person that never wants to get on a bus or a train or ride an e-bike, when others have that easy choice and make that choice, it reduces congestion and traffic for you.

Winter says SB 2530 would also benefit public health.

I'm Eric Galatas.

Finally, Kentucky groups are working to reduce overdose deaths among minority populations, according to state data, overdose deaths are on the decline, but among black residents, there were around 68 deaths per 100,000 people last year.

That's more than 51 percent greater than the overall rate of deaths.

In Franklin County, Matt Johnson with the CARES Coalition says the county is struggling with a lack of emergency shelter and medical services for undocumented individuals.

The coalition's Community Connectors Project aims to go door to door in neighborhoods to help residents access the services they need.

People who don't necessarily have a visa or a green card or even health insurance, we need them to be able to go and receive services for kids to be able to see dentists, especially within our minority population has been a challenge.

The coalition is one of 10 organizations awarded $50,000 grants from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky's Funding for Recovery, Equity and Expansion Program.

Nadia Ramlagan reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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