Việt Kiểm Tin
In January 2025, the Eaton and Palisades fires burned through Los Angeles and Ventura counties in California. Those who lived in or near affected areas suffered environmental consequences including tap water contaminated by carcinogens, which can increase the risk of cancer. Communities that are predominantly people of color (POC) and impoverished tend to live in the U.S.’s most polluted environments. This issue is recognized as environmental racism.
On July 29, the Environmental Protection Agency announced the Trump administration’s plan to rescind the Endangerment Finding, the landmark scientific declaration that greenhouse gases harm human health and the environment. Repealing it would prevent future administrations from limiting harmful pollution under the Clean Air Act.
On March 1, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14224, “Designating English as the Official Language of the United States.” The Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) plans to provide multilingual emergency alerts have also been halted. This leaves limited English proficiency (LEP) communities vulnerable to future and inevitable natural disasters like wildfires.
When California’s rampaging wildfires strike, we are all vulnerable. But marginalized communities, including the elderly and people with disabilities, are especially affected. Climate change—namely, global warming—is only exacerbating these wildfires, making them more intense and frequent in recent years. As a result, advocates and caregivers for people with disabilities emphasize that prompt action is key.
Claim: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the government agency that provides immediate life-saving assistance to survivors of a disaster, failed to answer thousands of calls following deadly flash floods in Texas.
Rating: This claim is TRUE.
Up in flames and choked with smoke—in a blaze is how Southern California began 2025. Throughout January, weeks of raging wildfires, mainly the Palisades and Eaton Fires, engulfed Los Angeles County and forced many residents to evacuate their homes and seek shelter. Many Californians are used to wildfires, but the 2025 wildfires “rank among the deadliest and most destructive fires in California history”.