CNN: NYC’s Air Among the World’s Worst Due to Canada Fires

TAPPER Welcome to The ░░░░░░░░ I m Jake Tapper ░░░░░░░░ re going to begin ░░░░░░░░ with our health lead ░░░░░░░░ much of the eastern ░░░░░░░░ States is being choked ░░░░░░░░ now by a dangerous ░░░░░░░░ of smoke caused by ░░░░░░░░ than 400 raging wildfires ░░░░░░░░ Canada Air quality alerts ░░░░░░░░ out for more than ░░░░░░░░ million people across the ░░░░░░░░ Midwest and Mid Atlantic ░░░░░░░░ air is so unhealthy ░░░░░░░░ New York City right ░░░░░░░░ that an actor stopped ░░░░░░░░ Broadway matinee performance this ░░░░░░░░ because she had difficulty ░░░░░░░░ Throughout the Eastern Coast ░░░░░░░░ s eyes sinuses throats ░░░░░░░░ from the exposure schools ░░░░░░░░ outdoor activities Health experts ░░░░░░░░ those in affected parts ░░░░░░░░ the country to wear ░░░░░░░░ if people have to ░░░░░░░░ outside If you ve ░░░░░░░░ checking your phone s ░░░░░░░░ app you ve been ░░░░░░░░ the alerts and seeing ░░░░░░░░ unhealthy and in some ░░░░░░░░ hazardous hazardous air quality ░░░░░░░░ impacting cities from New ░░░░░░░░ to North Carolina The ░░░░░░░░ of orange smoke swallowing ░░░░░░░░ major cities such as ░░░░░░░░ York City making high ░░░░░░░░ disappear in the haze ░░░░░░░░ looks like a Star ░░░░░░░░ movie there Officials say ░░░░░░░░ s air quality in ░░░░░░░░ York City was the ░░░░░░░░ since the 1960s before ░░░░░░░░ EPA was created Right ░░░░░░░░ it s currently among ░░░░░░░░ worst in the world ░░░░░░░░ s Athena Jones is ░░░░░░░░ New York for us ░░░░░░░░ tell us what you ░░░░░░░░ seeing and experiencing right ░░░░░░░░ Jones Hi Jake Well ░░░░░░░░ is remarkable We ve ░░░░░░░░ reporting on this all ░░░░░░░░ and several hours ago ░░░░░░░░ were along the Hudson ░░░░░░░░ the west side of ░░░░░░░░ It didn t seem ░░░░░░░░ bad You can see ░░░░░░░░ haze Now it feels ░░░░░░░░ though we re living ░░░░░░░░ working in a giant ░░░░░░░░ of smoke Yes you ░░░░░░░░ see a few yards ░░░░░░░░ front of you but ░░░░░░░░ much beyond that Let ░░░░░░░░ just show you this ░░░░░░░░ the southern direction We ░░░░░░░░ on the east side ░░░░░░░░ Manhattan You can see ░░░░░░░░ buildings a few hundred ░░░░░░░░ in front but see ░░░░░░░░ big tall building on ░░░░░░░░ right Usually you can ░░░░░░░░ a lot more skyscrapers ░░░░░░░░ that This is Manhattan ░░░░░░░░ s a city known ░░░░░░░░ all of its tall ░░░░░░░░ Moving over here to ░░░░░░░░ 57th Street along East ░░░░░░░░ Street this street goes ░░░░░░░░ to West 57th Street ░░░░░░░░ s something some people ░░░░░░░░ billionaire s row tons ░░░░░░░░ tons of skyscrapers or ░░░░░░░░ can t see any ░░░░░░░░ it And then finally ░░░░░░░░ want to show you ░░░░░░░░ of the most dramatic ░░░░░░░░ we have We re ░░░░░░░░ near the East River ░░░░░░░░ and you can still ░░░░░░░░ out the 59th Street ░░░░░░░░ Here s the East ░░░░░░░░ You can see Roosevelt ░░░░░░░░ but just past that ░░░░░░░░ can only see a ░░░░░░░░ of the buildings in ░░░░░░░░ Queens Usually you can ░░░░░░░░ a lot more buildings ░░░░░░░░ that And so that ░░░░░░░░ you a sense of ░░░░░░░░ New Yorkers are dealing ░░░░░░░░ here and if you ░░░░░░░░ mentioned the phone My ░░░░░░░░ shows me that the ░░░░░░░░ quality index is at ░░░░░░░░ That is way higher ░░░░░░░░ it was last night ░░░░░░░░ officials were freaking out ░░░░░░░░ this being the worst ░░░░░░░░ of air quality we ░░░░░░░░ seen in decades in ░░░░░░░░ city And it is ░░░░░░░░ as very unhealthy and ░░░░░░░░ s very important Jake ░░░░░░░░ own company Warner Bros ░░░░░░░░ sent out an alert ░░░░░░░░ any employees who may ░░░░░░░░ to go outside to ░░░░░░░░ wearing a mask and ░░░░░░░░ s because of the ░░░░░░░░ matter in the air ░░░░░░░░ is among the tiniest ░░░░░░░░ dangerous kind of pollutants ░░░░░░░░ it s the kind ░░░░░░░░ thing found in these ░░░░░░░░ smoke These particles are ░░░░░░░░ small they can get ░░░░░░░░ your lungs when you ░░░░░░░░ them in Get into ░░░░░░░░ blood stream and cause ░░░░░░░░ kinds of health issues ░░░░░░░░ is why we re ░░░░░░░░ all the precautions taking ░░░░░░░░ In Chappaqua that s ░░░░░░░░ Westchester County north of ░░░░░░░░ city here they just ░░░░░░░░ school early So those ░░░░░░░░ the kinds of precautions ░░░░░░░░ expect to see more ░░░░░░░░ as we deal this ░░░░░░░░ the next few days ░░░░░░░░ Jake TAPPER All right ░░░░░░░░ Jones in New York ░░░░░░░░ thank you so much.”