New variant leading to latest COVID surge

S1: The race for vaccines to catch up with variants.
S2: This was unfortunately our destiny to see it become the dominant variant , particularly in California and here in San Diego.
S1: I'm Jade Hindman with Maureen CAVANAUGH. This is KPBS Midday Edition. City employees were let go over their refusal to take COVID test.
S3: I think we have been exceedingly patient with these folks. We have worked on this on an individual basis to understand where they're at and what the concerns are. If folks continue to resist being compliant with our adopted vaccine mandate , we will have to terminate their employment with the city. And that would be regrettable.
S1: A Riverside woman convicted of murdering her trafficker when she was just 16 is pardoned and how climate change is also an economic issue. That's ahead on Midday Edition. In an all too familiar trend. Case numbers , hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise as the U.S. makes its way through yet another summer surge. The rise in cases fueled by the now dominant Bay five sub variant continues to perplex health officials not just with its rapid transmissibility , but also with its potential for causing reinfection. On top of that , growing concern over the effectiveness of available vaccines as the virus continues to mutate has only added to the confusion. Joining me once again with a COVID update is Dr. Eric Topol , director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Hoya. And Dr. Topol , welcome back to the program.
S2: Thanks , Jane. Always good to be with you.
S1: Good to have you , as always. For the third summer in a row , we're being faced with a lot of uncertainties in what we know about the virus.
S2: So this was unfortunately our destiny to see it become the dominant variant throughout the country and certainly particularly in California and here in San Diego.
S1: We hear a lot about the need for a better vaccine to address the current sub variants we're now dealing with.
S2: That's a much better plan than using the original I'm a crime , be a one booster , which we've banned so far away in a matter of months. But the problem really is where are we going to be in November or December.
S1: With variants before and Bay five able to circumvent current vaccines and boosters ? What do you think is a good strategy for immunization right now ? Right.
S2: Well , it's really important that for people who can get it for shot age 50 and older , immunocompromised people and really anyone who wants one , because we're about to be throwing away tens of millions of them in this country , they should get a fair shot because even though it's from the original strain , it enhances immunity is much broader than without that for shot. You know , once you go 4 to 6 months from the first booster , there's a vulnerability. The other thing , of course , is that we have to gear up more with respect to the things we know help like masks , like distancing and high quality masks like filtration and ventilation. But even with all that , there's many more reports of outdoor transmission these days because this is such a hyper transmissible version of the virus. V five is the worst version of the virus we've seen since the beginning of the pandemic. So we really do need to have better armamentarium. Ideally , that would be a pan coronavirus vaccine , which should be in the works right now , but it really isn't at high gear and also mucosal nasal spray vaccine , which would block transmission. So we know the things that we should be doing. We're just not doing that.
S1: And reinfection has been a major concern.
S2: This B.A. five is so different , so distant as a protein genomically from the original monochrome and from anything prior to that alpha beta drama delta. It's so distant that our immune system doesn't see it as it should. And even if we had a bay one infection , you know , back in January of I'm current , which is 40% of Americans , there's not much cross immunity. There's some but not much at all. So that's why we're propensity for reinfection is really quite high. And so this idea , this complacency is , oh , I had our time , I've had vaccination , I'm Teflon coated. Well , that's wrong , because being five is just such a challenge.
S1: And , you know , that leads me to this question. You know , you mentioned it. I think some people really believe there is some immunity built when you have a COVID infection. Talk a bit more about why that might not be true.
S2: You know , we're seeing some slippage not just in the transmission and infections , but also the ability for the vaccines to protect against hospitalizations and deaths. Remember , that used to be 95% , which is extraordinary. And that was with Delta , with even a third shot. But now we're looking at , you know , mid seventies. That's not nearly as good as 95% protection. So this immune escape problem by far because of the properties that I just mentioned , puts us in a slippage of protection. And , you know , people are very reluctant to go back to the tactics that we've used early , like the high quality masks and others than we could do. So that. Why ? We have to we know we can make vaccines that are so much better than what we have today. Not just a B5 strain , because that's just trying to play catch up and that's not good enough. You know , variant chasing is not the right strategy we should learn by now. We need to be variant ahead , variant proof , and there are ways to get better. And let's just hope that we will make that effort and put in the resources like we did in the first year of the pandemic , this operation warp speed. We could do that again and really get ahead , finally contain this virus once and for all.
S1:
S2: And it is really key that we get our children vaccinated all the way down to six months now that it's all approved. The reason why that helps , even though that's the original vaccine strain , is that it gives added protection. So even if a child had a crime , which is what most a lot of kids got , that that's not good enough against what we're seeing right now or what we'll see likely in the months ahead. So this is a layer of protection. First of all , there's about a 50% reduction in infections for the child. But moreover , the chance of that child getting sick , severely ill with hospitalizations or getting this multi inflammatory syndrome , which is a very serious matter for children , even though it's rare , is that layer protection is provided by the vaccine. So even though it's ancestral strain , it's still helping to a significant degree. And , you know , even with healthy children , who's going to be at risk. So getting that protection is really important.
S1:
S2: And , you know , the exact proportion of people who get it isn't clear whether it's , you know , around 10% or somewhat lesser or somewhat higher even. But still , these are people who really have trouble , you know , with their daily activities and returning to work. You know , what matters for them in their lives. And that's , again , another reason , you know , kids are can get long COVID as well. The problem of having this approach was I'm going to get it or I'm going to get a second COVID infection that discounts this real serious matter of long COVID , because that's our immune systems can go haywire. And that's what is , at least for part of the explanation of why some people get this chronic disabling problem from COVID.
S1:
S2: And it did indeed suggest that this reinfection and two or three infections , it's more to this , whether it's the heart and blood vessels or the brain chance of diabetes , long COVID , these are the problems of just having this laissez faire , complacent position because there's a cumulative issue. It's not that the second infection is worse or the third infection is worse. It's just that having these combined hits , it appears to be linked with other adverse outcomes.
S1: I've been speaking with Dr. Eric Topol , director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Hoya. Dr. Topol , as always , thanks again for speaking with us today.
S2: Thanks to you , and I hope the next time we meet , it's a more sanguine , optimistic chance for discussion.
S4: Months after a vaccine mandate went into effect for San Diego City employees. Those employees who refused both vaccines and COVID testing are starting to get notices of termination. The city confirms that at least three dozen city workers , half of them San Diego police , have been issued the notices. But the letters only begin what can be a lengthy process of actually firing city workers for non-compliance ? KPBS investigative reporter Claire TRAGESER has been following this story and has this update. And Claire , welcome.
S5: Thank you.
S4: Now , you broke this story about advance notices of termination being sent out.
S5: So we got the letters through a Public Records Act request , and they're kind of template letters that then the supervisor would fill in to be either hand-delivered or sent to the employees. And there's two different templates depending on whether it's hand-delivered or sent. And , you know , they're pretty bureaucratic. But I think the the relevant sentence is that the employees refusal to take the COVID tests , quote , amounts to insubordination or a serious breach of discipline. And then that that is just the beginning of the process that employees would go through that could lead to their termination.
S4: Now , Claire , you've done stories about how a small percentage of city employees , most of them in the police department , have asked for religious exemptions from COVID vaccines and some from COVID testing. Remind us about that.
S5: That's right. So back when employees first started requesting these exemptions from COVID vaccines , we asked for their answers , basically because they have to fill in this form that justifies why it is that they want a religious exemption and what exactly their religious beliefs are that prevent them from getting the COVID vaccine. And our first story really found the city is providing these records on a rolling basis. And we found that a lot of them were word for word exactly the same , and that a lot of them come from kind of form letters that you can find on the Internet from different organizations that show employees from across the country basically how they can request religious exemptions on COVID vaccines. And then also in these responses , about 10% of the employees were saying , in addition to my religion , preventing me from getting the COVID vaccine , my religion also prevents me from taking COVID tests with nasal swabs and using some , as one biblical scholar said , kind of far fetched arguments to make that justification.
S4:
S5: But then they had to deal with the employees who said , in addition to the vaccine exemption , I also need a testing exemption because the city's requirement is saying , okay , so you can't get the vaccine for religious reasons , then you have to test weekly. And so then the city had to deal with those employees who also said , I also can't take COVID tests and they have not been granting those testing request exemptions. They've been kind of in the six or seven month process figuring out how to handle that. And these advance notices of termination are kind of toward the end of that process. Now.
S4: What is the basis that these workers are using to refuse COVID tests ? Right.
S5: So they say a lot of them make the same argument , which is because the tests contain a chemical called ethylene oxide , which is a known carcinogen. The Bible says that they can't put outside chemicals into their body. There's a couple issues with that. First of all , that chemical ethylene oxide is not actually on the swabs. It's used to sterilize them and it's used to sterilize a lot of medical equipment. And , you know , if you're using the the Bible passage that they use a lot is my body is a temple. That's not actually really applicable here. And if you were going to make that argument , then you would also , you know , maybe not drink coffee or not drink alcohol. There's all different kinds of chemicals that that we put in our bodies.
S4: Mayor Todd Gloria spoke to KPBS about the termination notices being sent out to these employees. What did he have to say ? Right.
S5: So the question that that you actually posed to him was these employees , while the city is working this out , have been on the job and vaccinated and untested. And whether what that says to the public about their their trust in the health of of officers. And here's what he had to say.
S3: I think we have been exceedingly patient with these folks. We have worked on this on an individual basis to understand where they're at and what the concerns are. If folks continue to resist being compliant with our exist , our adopted vaccine mandate , we will have to terminate their employment with. City. And that would be regrettable.
S5: I should add , in addition to that , I've asked the police union , the San Diego Police Officers Association , for comment on all of these stories. And they always do not get back to me. But actually , yesterday , they sent out a tweet with kind of a media response , and they said by terminating these officers over a vaccine mandate , which isn't actually true , it's over the testing mandate. But the city will be , quote , pouring gasoline on a fire that is already burning out of control. This is a decision that will not protect public safety and the well-being of San Diegans. It will do just the opposite.
S4: What happens after a city worker gets one of these advance notices of termination ? What are the next steps in the process ? Right.
S5: So it's just the beginning of of a process that involves the employee's department , the city's human resources department and the employees union. And so they have what's called a skelly hearing where they have these negotiations. If the employee still does not come into compliance and they can't reach some kind of agreement , then finally , I think that the city would then actually terminate the employee.
S4: You know , going back to the pouring gasoline on a bad situation comment that the union has sent out. It's been reported that one reason San Diego police are leaving the department at higher rates than last year may be because of the COVID vaccine mandate.
S5: The city has over 90% has over 90% compliance rate among city workers. But when you look at the police department , the numbers are disproportionately lower. However , I think that this is , you know , in some cases , a situation where maybe the the minority is the most vocal. And so then it makes it seem like , you know , everyone in the police department is against the vaccine when that's not actually true. I talked to tons of police officers who are vaccinated and who believe it's the right thing to do. I should also add in that pouring gasoline comment , I think this is resulting in about 25 police officers who are potentially being fired. So it's not that big in a department of about 1800 employees.
S4: I've been speaking with KPBS investigative reporter Claire TRAGESER. Claire , thank you.
S5: Thank you.
S4: This is KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Maureen CAVANAUGH with Jade Heineman. Sarah Cruzan of Riverside has already been living a new life since her release from prison nearly a decade ago. Cruzan has published a memoir and become an advocate for children in the criminal justice system. But her new life just got an extra bonus late last week. Governor Gavin Newsom issued a pardon for Sarah Cruzan , who was tried for murder at age 16 and sentenced to life in prison back in 1995. Joining me is KPBS investigative reporter Amita Sharma , who has been reporting for many years on Sarah Cruzan story. And Amita , welcome.
S5: It's good to speak with you , Maureen.
S4:
S5: She was 11 at the time. Gigi was a very well-known pimp in the area , and he noticed her and then he targeted her. When I interviewed her about eight or nine years ago , she said that he pulled up in his red Mustang and offered to buy her ice cream. She said he molested her and then he started to groom her. He raped her when she was 13. And then he basically pushed her into prostitution. Her lawyers told me that when she was 16 years old , Sara started to date this guy whose uncle had served some time in prison. The uncle said to Sarah , If you do not kill Gigi Howard , I will kill your family. She basically went to a motel room and shot Howard dead.
S4: The criminal justice system at the time we're talking about 1995 showed no real interest in Sarah's history as a child who was trafficked for sex.
S5: For starters , her defense lawyer never told the jury that she had been blasted by the man she killed. In fact , the jury had absolutely no idea , other than one mention of a night of being trafficked , that she had been pimped out by this guy for years or that he had been violent with her. Instead , the only witness her lawyer put on the stand was Sarah herself. And at that time , she was she was despondent. She was in a state of shock for over what she had done. And so she was highly medicated. So she obviously didn't make a good witness for herself. At the same time , the prosecution in the case introduced seven witnesses. And then to top it off , the judge in the case sentenced her to life in prison , even though the law allowed the court to give her the possibility of parole. So basically , he ensured that she would never go before a parole board and even have a shot at being released.
S4: Cruzan story attracted a lot of interest from advocates who wanted the state to take into consideration the circumstances of children swept up into the criminal justice system , and previous governors started to whittle away at her sentence. Tell us about that.
S5: That's so true. Maureen and her pardon last week was the result of a very , very hard fought battle. There were so many attempts to get the case reopened. All of those efforts failed. They were rejected by the Riverside trial court. They were rejected by the appeals court. Her lawyers from Perkins Coie , who were working pro-bono on the case , they put a clemency petition into former Governor Schwarzenegger that failed. He did , however , commute her sentence to life with the possibility of parole. Then the California Supreme Court returned the case to Riverside. And that's where that's when , I should say there was actually an opening for her to get. Freedom Cruises lawyers worked out a deal with the Riverside prosecutors to reduce her first degree murder conviction to second degree murder. And then she was freed in 2013 for time served. I do want to add , however , that one of the people who actually argued against Sarah's release was then-Attorney General Kamala Harris , who characterized Sarah's relationship with her pimp as , at best , professional and financial and at worst , criminal. KPBS did a story on Harris's position , and I think within a day or two she did an about. Faced and stood down.
S4: Now , a pardon that , of course , Sarah Cruzan just got last Friday could make it easier for her to get employment and some state licenses.
S5: A pardon , basically , is an acknowledgment by the government that the person convicted of a crime understood the harm the crime caused and has taken responsibility for it. And I also want to say that Newsome was very careful to say in the pardon letter for Sarah that it didn't the pardon didn't forgive the murder , but it recognized the work that she has done to rehabilitate herself.
S4:
S5: You know , she went through it and she saw the fact that she did not get a fair shake for a variety of reasons. And she's also written a book , as you mentioned , in your intro. It's a memoir called I Cry to Dream Again.
S4: I've been speaking with KPBS investigative reporter Amita Sharma being. Thank you.
S5: Thank you , Maureen.
S1: Now we take you to a part of South Los Angeles where every Sunday hundreds of people show up for a free yoga class. But this class isn't just for fitness. It started as a protest against black lives lost to violence. KC Our News Megan Jamison reports that when so many groups that formed after the death of George Floyd are no longer around , this community group is still going strong.
S6: It was June 2020 and Marli Roof's cousin , Etienne Maurice , organized a protest run in memory of Amanda Berry. Marley was helping out. Over 400 people showed up. And then it was right before we were about to start the run and everyone's like. So we do some stretches. You should let us do some stretches. And I was like , Okay , yeah , yeah. Melina This is Stretch. I was a little nervous at first. Within that moment , I looked around and people had a moment of just silence , of just breathing , of just existing. And I think that we all felt what that felt like of having a pause amongst all of this chaos. And then it really moved both of us. And Etienne was like , Yo , we should probably come back tomorrow and do this again. Probably do this again. And so we did. And then we did ten weeks of protesting on Saturdays and yoga on Sundays. And then yoga was the one that kept dying was our form of protest. And now here we are. Two years later , the cousins decided to call their wellness movement Walk Good Ella marley as a yoga instructor. Etienne Maurice is a film producer and his sister , Ivy Coco Maurice , who is a content creator and entrepreneur , is the third founding member of the group. She says all the free activities they host now , including yoga runs and hikes , are rooted in the lessons they learned from their grandmother. Even the name Walk Good. Ella comes from the Jamaican euphemism. She raised them on what good means to go about your day in good stride , to take care , to make sure you look both ways when crossing the street , whatever that means to go about your day in a healthy and safe way. That's what what good means. Know that you have the potential to be a better version of yourself when you leave this space. Maybe you stay right where you are. Or maybe you bring your left hand to your heart and your right hand to your lower belly. Right now , at this space at Kenneth on Park , the hour long yoga class is underway. Lenny Gater has been coming to these free classes since they started two years ago when he learned that they were a response to violence against black lives.
S3: It's just a different way to respond , you know what I mean ? And in a way that uplifts us , builds community , makes us stronger , you know , makes us feel better.
S6: Nearby , Kristine Gomes brought her husband with her to introduce him to the practice of yoga. I was like , Come do yoga with black people. Like , it's all people of color and it's a really cool vibe. Her husband , Joe , likes the idea of making this a weekly couple's outing after noticing how the class made him feel.
S3: And I feel like I feel , I guess , more open minded. I was a little hesitant at first , but then now we're doing yoga. Like , really , I want to say for the first time felt really good.
S6: And that's the simple feeling of relaxation that ATN hopes participants leave with and are able to carry with them throughout the week.
S3: One thing we always say when we were protesting today this is a movement , not a movement , and we've really created a movement out of healing and community.
S1: That was Megan Jameson for The California Report.
S4: For some retirement means traveling the world or spending more time with grandchildren. But for one San Marcos resident , it means connecting with his roots and building a Viking ship. KPBS North County reporter Alexander Wynne brings us his story.
S2: Meet Tom. Meier.
S7: Meier. The next thing we're doing after this is finished , we're going to put the decks in here. It doesn't need to be very precise , but if it's not well fitted , then it doesn't look right.
S2: He's a retired sailor and he's building a boat. And not just any boat.
S7: That's my real motivation.
S2: Customers love for Viking Ships started in 2001 when he and other volunteers helped build a replica Viking ship in Vancouver , Canada. He was that ship's first captain.
S7: I found it such a lovely , excellent sail boat to be on that I thought this would be great to build my own sometime.
S2: After talking about it for decades , Cut , Meyer said , about to finally build the ship when he retired in 2018 , but he didn't have the space needed. In early 2000 , he was able to fulfill his dream when the Sons of Norway large investor , offered to let him build on their property. About a year and a half into the project , Scott Meyer made a presentation at the Lodge to ask for volunteers to help. That's where he met Eva Shawn Meyer , a semi-retired engineer.
S7: I wanted to learn how to build a Viking ship. Yeah , right. And what is a Viking club without a Viking ship ? I've been waiting for this for five years for someone to come around and say , Let's build a Viking ship.
S2: Since then , Shawn Meyer has been driving down from San Juan Capistrano two days a week. Last fall , the Lodge needed the land back to start hosting events again. Cut. Meyer posted on the next door AB to find a new home for the project. It was. Just.
S7: Just. It was amazing. I had 80 responses to the message. And ten of them. Ten of them offered space.
S2: That's how the ship ended up here in this backyard in Vista Cut. Meyer says the family is of Scandinavian descent. The ship is costly near when it's all done. It will seat eight sailors , four on each side. The name came from Norse mythology. Slipper is Odin's eight legged horse. Cut my ribs. The plants in the ship he built in Vancouver , which was a replica of the good start , a 78 foot Viking ship unearthed from an ancient buried amount in Norway in the late 1800s.
S7: This is 33 feet. Some of the Viking ships were 75 and even more long , and they could carry 50 , 60 , maybe even a hundred people on board my long voyages. They carried all the provisions that carried live animals , cattle and whatnot.
S2: It's a scaled down version of the gold standard , which created its own set of problems.
S7: But the problem when you scale something like this , like this is almost half scale , is it's okay lengthwise , but people are not have scale. Yeah. So we are stepping into yeah. We're scale boat and that is why we're sitting up right in in. If we had to be in the real Gold Star ship , these boards would be up here. Right ? And so now we are going to be pretty close to the water. That would be interesting when we launch this. Yeah. To say if we're going to get swamped. No , we're not. No. He's worried about B.C. , but the ship sinking is not going to sink.
S2: The ship is almost ready for prime time.
S7: Oh , yeah. We still got a ways to go.
S2: Cut my hopes to have it ready for its maiden voyage in San Diego Bay this summer after its maiden trip. The ship will be shipped to Norway in 2024. So caught my eye. I can sail into Stockholm Harbor in investor. Alexandrian keeps news. Now.
S1: Now. Gotham City may have Batman. Metropolis may have Superman. But Glendora , California has the donut man. People come to Jim Nakano or the Donut Man for what many called the best doughnuts in Southern California. They line up at the window of his small shop. It's open 24 hours a day , seven days a week , and it sits on one of the most historic roads in the country. Peter Gilstrap has more for the California report.
S2: On this commercial stretch of Route 66 at 7:30 a.m. on a monday. There's not a lot of kicks to get unless they involve donuts. And at Donut Man. There is one kick above all others. Definitely.
S3: Definitely. I heard a lot about the strawberry one.
S2: That's like kind of the iconic one if you look.
S3: Them up on line or anything like that.
S2: Jason Abdala is from Chicago. This is his first visit to Donut Man. So that trade just came out. How does that look to you ? Insane.
S3: Absolutely insane. I don't know how you eat that.
S2: The source of this insanity is indeed the strawberry one. A shell of fried dough jammed with fresh strawberries , drenched in a thick strawberry syrup. Since 1974 , it's been the main attraction at Donut Man.
S7: My wife in the seventies , early seventies. She just said we should go for the American dream. And we're thinking , What kind of business ? She says to me , I liked doughnuts.
S2: That's how it all began. Though Nakano has survived a lot more than just 45 years in the doughnut trade. An East L.A. native , he and his family were sent to an internment camp in Arizona during World War Two. During the Vietnam War , Nakano joined the Naval Air Corps. He made it through all of that to make a life in doughnuts.
S6: It's massive.
S2: Employee Caitlyn Johnson is laying out a fresh batch. The doughnuts glisten in the morning sun as customers goggle through the window like they're gazing at newborns.
S6: Just looking at them. You get hungry. So it's kind of like you're happy because , you know , people look at it and they're like , oh , my gosh. Like , I want one.
S3: They don't want a daddy , you know ? And that's always our intrigue. Jelly doughnuts generally don't die so good.
S2: During strawberry season between February and September , Nakano and his crew of 36 are moving doughnuts as fast as they can. Put them out baking around the clock.
S7: And you could eat that in the morning. You cook it as a snack or you creative for lunch because it's so big. Oh , that a lot of people use it for desserts in the evening or so like that. So you can use that strawberry donut for many use.
S2: Including glazed apologies. The strawberries have gotten me out of trouble.
S7: With the wife so many. Times.
S2: Times. Jim , a glendora local , began coming to Donut Man 40 years ago. Donuts are fantastic.
S7: The people are even.
S2: Better for Nakano. The feeling is mutual.
S7: I think that's one of the reasons I'm still here , is that the customers are just so good who are on about third generation of kids sometime. So , you know , you see the grandparents is a godsend here. I'll bring in grandkids now and order and I laugh. But yeah , I remember when you were kind of young to we're both young.
S2: At 77 , Jim Nakano is still at the shop every morning at 630. He says he has no interest in retiring from the business , of making donuts and of making people happy.
S1: That was Peter Gilstrap for the California Report.
S4: This is KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Maureen CAVANAUGH with Jade Heineman. The climate change crisis needs to be looked at through a new economic lens. That's the basis of the recent book by environmental advocate and author Bob Keefe. As the costs from climate related disasters continue to climb , the book makes the case that the battle against climate change is more than an environmental issue , but also an economic one. Along with these challenges , the author also argues that investment in climate solutions presents an unprecedented opportunity to transform our economy. Joining me is Carlsbad author Bob Keefe. His book is called Climate Nomics Washington , Wall Street and the Economic Battle to Save Our Planet. And Bob , welcome to Midday Edition.
S2: Maureen Thank you for having me.
S4:
S2: To be more accurate , last year alone , the United States had nearly $150 billion worth worth of damage. Marine from climate related disasters , according to Noah. Of course , that's wildfires here in the West , but it's so many hurricanes in the east. We ran out of names. For them , it's flooding and drought in our country's heartland. That in turn is driving up prices for everything from cornflakes to chicken. $150 billion is a lot of money. That's more than the gross domestic product of 15 US states in California alone. Maureen We had almost $10 billion in damage from climate related disasters last year , according to Noah. And over the past five years , our state has averaged about $14 billion a year in damage. To give you some perspective on that , I think the city of San Diego , whose entire budget is something like $5 billion. So this is a lot of money.
S4: Now , early in your book , you mentioned last year's Dixie Fire in Northern California as an example of how destructive climate change can be , both in real and economic terms.
S2: Of course , that was one of the most devastating fires in terms of property losses that we've ever seen. But that's just kind of the tip of the iceberg , so to speak. Unfortunately , last year , the federal government spent $4.4 billion fighting wildfires. That's double the year before. In California alone , we're talking about $1,000,000,000. And I say last year the federal government spent cent that. But more accurately , that's what taxpayers spent. That's what you and I and everybody listening spent because the costs are coming down to us. But you have to look further than that. Look at homeowners insurance rates , for instance. More homeowner's insurance rates are up 40% in a decade's time , in part because of huge losses by insurance companies. When we have destructive wildfires in the West or hurricanes in the east , food prices , commodity prices are doubled in part because of drought and flooding. And look at just what happened in the Bay Area a couple of weeks ago. Morning temperatures hit 140 degrees on the rails of BART. The Bay area transit authority so hot that there was a train derailment outside of Concord. Fortunately , there were no major injuries or lives lost , but we have to pay to repair that.
S4: You write that the United States is suffering greater economic costs from climate change than the rest of the world.
S2: And if you look at what those are , we've had three of the most expensive wildfires in America , four of the most expensive hurricanes in America in the past five years alone , the most expensive freeze Texas , $200 billion worth of property losses from the winter storm there. And the most expensive thunderstorm of that that happened in Iowa and Indiana with the great show that costs $7.5 billion worth of damage ruined about 40% of the corn crop and soybean crop in those states. The reason the United States is facing these disasters are paying the most for these disasters , I guess , if you will , is partly just because of the makeup of our country. We have obviously lots of forests in the West which can lead to wildfires if we are in prolonged drought conditions like we are , of course , on the Eastern Seaboard. We're facing hurricanes. And as climate disasters continue to increase and we know that they are , as climate change continues to grow worse due to our inaction , the United States is going to continue to suffer , unfortunately.
S4:
S2: And unfortunately , climate change has somehow become a political issue , even though it is not in any way , shape or form. Look , I don't care if you love polar bears. I don't care if you believe in science. I don't care if you drive a pick up truck or a Prius. The fact of the matter is , climate change is hitting us all square in the pocketbooks and it's impacting our economy. The good news is , by doing something about it , we can actually drive economic growth , create jobs , and make a more secure country , both environmentally and economically.
S4: Now , even with all the signs that climate change is becoming an economic drain , the first time gas prices go up , people start calling for more drilling.
S2: We've got to get off of it. We can't bring gas prices down by continuing to shackle our economy to the fluctuations in gas prices and the whims of foreign dictators that control the world's oil supplies. You know , Maureen , I spent about 20 years as a as a journalist , a technology journalist for a lot of that time here in California and elsewhere. And I have to say that , fortunately , the technology , when it comes to climate change and clean energy , the technology is finally catching up with the problem.
S4:
S2: But what it does at its core is makes it even more imperative for the other two branches of government , Congress and the executive branch to act. As a matter of fact , the court said that the EPA needs clear congressional authorization to act at the levels that it wanted to act at. Fortunately , we have policy sitting in the Senate right now in the budget reconciliation bill and other pieces of legislation in Congress that can do that. We need to get that passed. But here's the other thing about the Supreme Court ruling. Fortunately , the court can't overrule the realities of economics. And as I mentioned , right now , we know that the cheapest power available is clean , renewable energy , solar and wind. Every carmaker is shifting to EVs and advances in energy efficiency. Things from heat pumps to high efficiency HVAC systems to simple LED lighting and better windows and doors can save consumers money , can save businesses money , and can do something about the climate crisis. But we need to make those things more available , more affordable to more Americans. And that's where policy comes in , both at the federal level and at the state level.
S4: I've been speaking with author Bob Keefe. His book is called Climate Nomics. Washington , Wall Street and the Economic Battle to Save Our Planet. Bob , thank you so much.
S2: It's great being with you. Thank you.