Houston Neighborhoods Contaminated in Flood: Will There be an Environmental Cleanup? – Two weeks ago, Hurricane Harvey slammed the entire metropolitan area of Houston, but its catastrophic floods primarily affected poor areas in the eastern part of the city. In a Latino neighborhood there, water reached the roofs of many homes. This area also contains refineries and petrochemicals plants that flooded, at least one of which exploded, sending more than a million pounds of toxic substances into the air and water. The health impacts of these dangerous emissions for local residents will take time to measure. Rubén Tapia has the details. This report is part of the series, “Speaking of Race.”
Trump Repeals DACA as Young Dreamers Demand Action by Congress – When President Trump ordered Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the DACA program in six months, he delivered on one of his biggest campaign promises, but he also sparked broad criticism from Democratic lawmakers, business people and civil rights leaders alike, as well as school strikes and marches by young Dreamers in front of the White House and around the country. Some conservative leaders lamented that DACA would not be terminated immediately. The day after the announcement, 15 states challenged the decision in a New York court. Jose Lopez Zamorano reports from Washington.
California to Approve Unprecedented Guarantees for Transgender Workers – California is known for being at the forefront of protections for workers’ rights, but tens of thousands of transgender workers complain of harassment and discrimination on the job. Complaints are more frequent among those who are also Latino, immigrants and undocumented. This could change, however, if California approves a pioneering bill that would protect the rights of transgender workers. Manuel Ocaño reports from San Diego.
