A study has found nearly 1,700 state child care facilities have exceeded the allowable amount of lead in drinking water. A Placer County LGBTQ+ youth group faces threats following a controversial video. The Sacramento Zoo welcomes a critically endangered orangutan.
Toxic lead levels
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates there are more than 9 million lead pipes (which is a significant source of lead contamination) in drinking water across the United States. It’s a problem that gained a national spotlight after the Flint, Michigan water crisis which began in 2014. Shortly after, California became the first state in the country to make a commitment to remove all of its lead service lines. But the lead pipe problem still persists. That problem is highlighted in a new report mandated by state law and focuses on potential lead contamination in the drinking water of state-licensed childcare facilities. The report revealed that drinking water at almost 1,700 childcare facilities across California (roughly 1 in 4) exceeded the amount of lead the state allows in drinking water. It suggests some of California’s youngest may have been exposed to contaminated water for decades. To gain a better understanding, Insight invited Susan Little with the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit that sponsored the report, onto the program.
The Landing Spot
Pastor Casey Tinnin created The Landing Spot a decade ago as a non-religious safe space for LGBTQ+ youth when there were few resources in Placer County. This year, the organization came under intense controversy, following an edited undercover video painting Pastor Tinnin’s work as dangerous for children. The video is from Project Veritas, a group that calls themselves activists known for undercover stings. The civil rights non-profit Southern Poverty Law Center describes Project Veritas as a far-right propaganda group. The video’s release led to death and bomb threats to The Landing Spot and Pastor Tinnin’s home, as well as being disbanded from collaborating on school campuses. Insight previously had Roseville Joint Union High School District to explain their decision in cutting ties with The Landing Spot. Pastor Tinnin now joins Insight to explain his side, and how the aftermath has shaped the work that The Landing Spot continues to do today.
A baby orangutan is born
Big news from the Sacramento Zoo! Earlier this month, the Zoo celebrated the birth of a critically endangered Sumantran orangutan. It’s the first birth of an orangutan at the Zoo since 1981. This historic birth was the culmination of a lot of planning, preparation and round-the-clock care. Melissa McCartney, Sacramento Zoo’s Senior Manager of Animal Care and Veterinary Health Services, joins us to discuss the importance of orangutan’s birth, the team of experts and volunteers involved and the worldwide effort to keep the Sumantran orangutan’s existence alive.
