News in Brief Viewfinder Viewfinder: Mexico City Declares an Environmental Alert as Smog Reaches Dangerous Levels Two women wear face masks on May 16th, 2019, in Mexico City, Mexico. Pacific Standard Staff
News in Brief Unhealthy Air and Hazy Skies: How Pollution Is Affecting National Parks The National Parks Conservation Association's new report recommends mitigating pollution and transitioning to clean energy, with an emphasis on fair solutions. Leah Dunlevy
Key Takeaways News in Brief A Chemical Fire in Texas Has Been Extinguished, but Questions Over Safety Linger Public officials and Texas' environmental regulator maintain that the chemicals released in the fire did not pose a health risk. Emily Moon
Footnotes From the Archives News in Brief Though Wildfire Smoke Threatens Farmworkers’ Health, Volunteers Are Being Blocked From Distributing Protective Masks Amid hazardous air conditions in California, farm management is turning away volunteers attempting to hand out masks to farmworkers. Jack Herrera
Environment California’s Fires Are Affecting Cities’ Air Quality Dozens of Miles Away One idea for a long-term fix: Communities could designate clean air centers where residents can spend time in filtered air for free. Francie Diep
Environment The California Wildfires Could Continue Until Christmas Without rain, high temperatures will keep the smoke coming—and could spur new fire growth. Eric Holthaus
Environment The Hazards of Breathing Wildfire Smoke A conversation with an atmospheric chemist about the health risks posed to Californians by smoke from the Thomas Fire and Creek Fire. Richard E. Peltier
Social Justice This Week in Report Cards A round-up of news and research on rankings mostly pertaining to America. Kate Wheeling