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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 25 april 2022
Emergency declaration for multiple wildfires in New Mexico

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New that studies link to human-
Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan caused climate change.
Grisham has signed emer- In Arizona, two large wild-
gency declarations as 20 fires continued to burn Sun-
wildfires continued to burn day 10 miles (16 kilometers)
Sunday in nearly half of the south of Prescott and 14
state's drought-stricken 33 miles (22 kilometers) north-
counties. east of Flagstaff.
One wildfire in northern Coconino County authori-
New Mexico that started ties lifted the evacuation
April 6 merged with a new- order Sunday morning for
er fire Saturday to form the residents living in neighbor-
largest blaze in the state, hoods along Highway 89
leading to widespread after fire management of-
evacuations in Mora and ficials determined the Flag-
San Miguel counties. That staff-area wildfire no longer
fire was at 84 square miles posed a threat.
(217 square kilometers) Sun- The fire near Flagstaff was
day and 12% contained. at 33 square miles (85
An uncontained wind- square kilometers) as of
driven wildfire in northern Sunday with 3% contain-
New Mexico that began ment. It forced the evacu-
April 17 had charred 81 San Miguel County Sheriff's Officers patrol N.M. 94 near Penasco Blanco, N.M. as the Calf Fire ation of 766 homes and
square miles (209 square burns nearby Friday, April 22, 2022. burned down 30 homes
kilometers) of ponderosa Associated Press and two dozen other struc-
pine, oak brush and grass tures since it began a week
by Sunday morning north more moisture. But they areas where most homes New Mexico," she said. "It's ago, according to county
of Ocate, an unincorpo- added that the interior por- made it through the fire, going to be a tough sum- authorities.
rated community in Mora tions of the fires could show where homes haven't been mer. So that's why we are Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey
County. moderate to extreme be- damaged or anything like banning fires. And that is declared the fire a state of
Meanwhile in Arizona, havior, which could threat- that," said operation sec- why on Monday I will be emergency Friday for Co-
some residents forced to en structures in those areas. tions chief Jayson Coil. asking every local govern- conino County to free up
evacuate due to a wild- More than 200 structures Some 1,000 firefighters ment to be thinking about recovery aid to affected
fire near Flagstaff were al- have been charred by the were battling the wildfires ways to ban the sales of communities.
lowed to return home Sun- wildfires thus far and an ad- across New Mexico, which fireworks." The wildfire near Prescott
day morning. ditional 900 remain threat- already has secured about Wildfire has become a began last Monday and
Winds and temperatures ened, Lujan Grisham said. $3 million in grants to help year-round threat in the was at 4.8 square miles (12.4
in New Mexico diminished Fire management officials with the fires. West given changing con- square kilometers) and 15%
Saturday but remained said an exact damage Lujan Grisham said she has ditions that include earlier contained as of Sunday
strong enough to still fan count was unclear be- asked the White House for snowmelt and rain com- morning as helicopters and
fires. Dozens of evacuation cause it's still too danger- more federal resources ing later in the fall, scientist air tankers dropped water
orders remained in place. ous for crews to go in and and she's calling for a ban have said. The problems and retardant to slow the
Fire officials were expect- look at all the homes that of fireworks statewide. have been exacerbated fire's growth.
ing the northern wildfires to have been lost. "We need more federal by decades of fire suppres- The cause of the wild-
slow Sunday as cloud and "We do not know the mag- bodies for firefighting, fire sion and poor manage- fires in New Mexico and
smoke cover moves in, al- nitude of the structure loss. mitigation, public safety ment along with a more Arizona remain under
lowing the forests to retain We don't even know the support on the ground in than 20-year megadrought investigation.q

Mississippi set to become final state with equal pay law

work by women and men. lower-paid worker rather other than sex," including
Republican Gov. Tate than decrease wages of salary history and whether
Reeves signed House Bill the higher-paid one, said there was competition to
770 on Wednesday, and it House Judiciary A Commit- hire an employee.
will become law July 1. tee Chairwoman Angela Cassandra Welchlin, lead-
A 1963 federal law requires Cockerham, an indepen- er of the Mississippi Black
equal pay for equal work, dent from Magnolia who Women's Roundtable, ad-
but Mississippi has the only pushed for the legislation. vocates for equal pay but
state without its own law The law says businesses with said the new law is "harmful"
since Alabama enacted at least five employees because it would allow an
one in 2019. must pay equal wages to employer to pay a woman
The Mississippi law says a women and men who work less than a man based on
lawsuit must be filed within full-time jobs that require the pay history that workers
two years of when a work- "equal skill, education, ef- bring into new jobs.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch speaks during a news er "knew or should have fort and responsibility" and A 2017 report by the Mis-
conference in Jackson, Miss., Tuesday, April 6, 2021. known" about pay discrep- that are done "under similar sissippi University Research
Associated Press ancies. working conditions." Center showed women
If the pay discrimination Several exceptions are al- earned 27% less than men
By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS sissippi will become the fi- lawsuit is successful, the lowed, including seniority, for full-time work in Missis-
Associated Press nal state with a law requir- employer would have to merit, quantity or quality of sippi, compared to a 19%
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mis- ing equal pay for equal increase wages of the production and "any factor wage gap nationwide. q