In CA: The world’s worst air quality, a $2 trillion Apple milestone and the new ‘Free Britney’ movement
As historic lightning storms ignite blazes across the Golden State, the Bay Area suffers the world’s worst air quality. Plus, Apple has its day in the (currently-not-so-visible) sun as the tech giant's earnings top $2 trillion (How many iPhones that could buy? Keep reading).
It’s Alayna Shulman, compiling your Wednesday roundup from one of the many hazy corners of the Golden State this Wednesday.
But first: The latest liquid wellness trend? Of course it would be from California. Specifically, Santa Barbara, where one company is harnessing mushrooms into “wellness shots” that it says have health benefits.
In California brings you top Golden State stories and commentary from across the Paste BN Network and beyond. Get it free, straight to your inbox.
Smoke, lightning, evacuations: What 367 fires mean for California
Wildfires are par for the course in California summers, but this year is still...something. I mean, there are currently enough fires burning for every day of the year and then some (to the tune of almost 11,000 lightning strikes in three days).
What does that mean? The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says all residents should be “ready to go,” even if their area is one of the few currently isolated from the constellation of fires, the Mercury News reported.
Then there’s the smoke. It’s not just bad in the Bay Area, it’s the worst – anywhere.
And with so many fires to put out, crews throughout the state are dangerously “stretched thin.”
Things got worse Wednesday as the city of Vacaville saw mass evacuations over what started as a grass fire. Fires near there had already destroyed 50 structures as of Wednesday afternoon.
A helicopter pilot died Wednesday while flying to help fight fires near Coalinga.
In a strange twist, the crash reportedly led to another fire that merged with the Hills Fire, the chopper's original destination. There aren't a whole lot of details out yet, but officials do know the pilot was the only person on board. They haven't identified him or her.
Officials are investigating the incident.
Apple's market cap doubled to $2 trillion. What does that even look like?
But onto the second-most ubiquitous subject in California: ridiculously profitable tech companies.
Specifically, Cupertino-based Apple, which is now worth $2 trillion.
That probably sounds like a lot of money even without context, but consider this: That’s more than twice what the company was worth just two years ago. And even that was a record at the time, making the company the first publicly traded one in the country to hit the trillion mark.
So what could $2 trillion even get you? Well, you could buy 300 iPhone 11s for $300,000 (er — someone who works for Apple could, at least). Paste BN did the rest of the math for you.
The latest voice in the ‘Free Britney’ movement? Britney herself
The legal saga around Britney Spears’ conservatorship has been unfolding for over a decade.
Fans and supporters have pushed for the courts to “Free Britney” the whole while, but now the singer herself is requesting to have some legal independence from her father and conservator, Jamie.
Meanwhile, supporters held a rally pushing for the singer’s independence, and even the American Civil Liberties Union stepped in to offer help.
Other highlights from around the Golden State:
- How COVID-19 bloomed in the Central Valley thanks to misinformation and government mistrust.
- One of the Golden State’s district attorneys has been identified as a victim of a fiery double-fatal crash.
- Kamala Harris was scheduled to deliver her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention as Joe Biden's running mate.
- The strange, true story of Hollywood's origins as a chaste utopia.
- Confused about those rolling power blackouts? An explainer.
In California is a roundup of news from across Paste BN Network newsrooms. Also contributing: The Santa Barbara Independent, The New York Times, The Reporter, The Guardian, The Mercury News, KABC-TV, CalMatters, CNN, Associated Press, LAist, Newsweek and Los Angeles Times.
Alayna Shulman covers a little bit of everything for the Record Searchlight. In particular, she loves writing about the issues of this community through long-form storytelling. Her work often centers on local crime, features and politics, and has won awards for best writing, best business coverage and best investigative reporting in the California News Publishers Association's Better Newspapers Contest. Follow her on Twitter (@ashulman_RS), call her at 530-225-8372 and, to support her work, please subscribe.