Here are the morning’s top stories for Tuesday, April 8th, 2025:
- Firefighter aircraft were cheered on back in January, when they were making headlines as they painted the areas being scorched by the Palisades and Eaton Fires in Los Angeles County with fire retardant. However, scientists are starting to wonder whether the contents of these retardants could impact the health or the environment of the people who have to eventually rebuild these communities that were devastated by wildfires.
- Thousands in California are preparing to demonstrate against President Trump’s efforts to cut funding to the National Institute of Health. He has already stalled about $1.5 billion dollars in medical research funds, which have had wide-ranging effects, impacting studies into long COVID and cancer, among others.
- Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has revoked visas from hundreds of international students that were studying in the United States, including dozens from the Bay Area. Two students in California have decided to push back.
Are Fire Retardants Worth It?
California has become all to familiar with the images of massive wildfires engulfing parts of the state over the years, just as residents have expected the accompanying images of aircrafts dropping streams of bright-colored fire retardant on burn areas.
It was especially the case in January, where firefighter airplanes attacked the fires that were raging through Los Angeles and Ventura counties, where their aerial assaults mitigated fire damage, while painting swathes of land in pink fire retardant.
Although it’s a key tool in the arsenal of fire departments, questions have circulated around what exactly is in these fire retardants, and whether they are safe for the public after they’ve been deployed to extinguish wildfires.