Spend a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner listening to the 4th Annual Smoggies, Fresno’s only awards ceremony for political malfeasance and climate avoidance. Journalists will be honored for capturing 2024’s worst quotes and votes by local politicians and community leaders in the year that global average temperatures crossed 1.5°C for the first time in human history.
Award winners will receive the prestigious Golden Inhaler, symbol of all that is unhealthy yet profitable in the nation’s dirtiest air basin. Audience members are invited to dine and drink at home, cuddled up next to their favorite OG radio.
Local lowlights of the hottest year on record include the Fresno City Council’s full embrace of the MAGA Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling to criminalize homelessness, the County of Fresno’s backward General Plan update, the city-county tax-sharing agreement for new sprawl in the city’s Southeast Development Area, state approval of a fatally flawed low carbon fuel standard and extension of air pollution cleanup deadlines in the San Joaquin Valley, and much, much more.
The Smoggies will be broadcast live from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 14 on KFCF 88.1 FM and streamed at kfcf.org. Nominations are still open and news links can be submitted to hosts Kevin Hall and Lars Maischak via carrier pigeon or Bluesky @kevinhall.bsky.social.
Current nominations include the following:
- How “boy math” is dividing California environmentalists: Blanca Begert, Politico
“‘Girl math’ is like when you return something and you have a gift card, you ‘made’ money,” said Leslie Martinez, an organizer with the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability. “‘Boy math’ is you basically find ways to justify shitty things you’re doing…The actual math of the LCFS [low carbon fuel standard] is like boy math in terms of how it only includes what it wants to include. It doesn’t include the full picture.”
- Fresno County’s new General Plan blows past California climate goals by 300%: Gregory Weaver, Fresnoland
“Fresno County supervisors unanimously approved a controversial update to the county’s General Plan on Tuesday, setting the stage for a development boom on the Kings and San Joaquin River that could worsen air quality, accelerate farmland loss, and potentially blow past the county’s state-mandated climate emissions budget by 300%.”
- A sensible protest? Pro-Palestinian students at Fresno State show it’s possible: Marek Warszawski, Fresno Bee
“‘I think there is something to be said for what you might call the luxury of being able to demonstrate,’ [CSUF Professor John] Beynon said. ‘It’s a feeling of, I know that if I go to jail my parents are going to bail me out or I know I can afford an expensive lawyer. I’m not trying to downplay anyone’s activism, but it’s a different situation when you know you have to show up to a job or watch your sister’s kids.’”
- This is how Fresno helps its homeless—especially in triple-digit heat: Wealthy Gener, CentralValley.com 24/47
“The Fresno Mission’s CEO says the searing heat can have an unintended positive impact on those experiencing homelessness. ‘So, we do appreciate that when the weather starts turning bad,’ said Matthew Dildine, the CEO of the Fresno Mission. ‘The heat causes people to say I don’t want this life anymore. I don’t want to live when it’s 110 on the street, and so we see increased demand for our life transformation services.’”
- Tom Steyer on how to win the war against climate change: Major Garrett, CBS News
“Can the climate crisis be won as temperatures soar, oceans rise and air quality deteriorates? Former presidential candidate Tom Steyer thinks it can. The climate investor joins America Decides to discuss his new book, Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We’ll Win the Climate War.
“‘We have an ability to actually witness in the marketplace—that’s why I call it ‘cheaper, faster, better’—products. That’s how we’ll actually solve this problem by producing products that people want to buy that are clean, and that the United States should be leading the way on this.’”
- Fresno County moves toward anti-camping ordinance they say doesn’t target the homeless: Pablo Orihuela, Fresnoland
“Jacob Zalian is a pastor at Set Free Church in Sanger. Zalian said his church goes out into the community to help homeless residents reach supportive services. ‘It’s so easy to stay [outdoors] because they’re comfortable there,’ Zalian said. ‘We have to make it uncomfortable so that they’ll want to change.’”
- Fresno County leaders urge Governor Newsom to veto warehouse regulation bill: Hannah Gonzales, KSEE 24 News
“Central Valley leaders believe that if AB 98 became law, it would jeopardize the future growth of our area. ‘This legislation imposes a one-size-fits-all solution on a state as diverse as California.’ Fresno City Council President Annalisa Perea says AB 98 will hit businesses where it hurts the most, ‘not to mention the $50,000 fine for cities that do not comply with AB 98.’”
- Finger-pointing and frustration fuel debate over Fresno County’s sunsetting regional road tax: Pablo Orihuela, Fresnoland
“To give that power away to unelected people with an agenda that we now learned get money, get funded from the Kresge Foundation, the California Endowment, and money from out of town to sue us into submission…I’m open to any community organization that wants to come to the table and negotiate in good faith, but if you’re gonna basically practice economic terrorism, I’m gonna completely shut you out.”—Fresno City Council Member Michael Karbassi
“Olguin Jr. posted a long letter on X on behalf of herself and Soberal. They admit to lying to keep the company running and acknowledge they will owe many people quote millions upon millions of dollars. ‘We are sorry to have abused and broken the trust you placed in us, and we are sorry for the money that you entrusted in us that you may never get back.’”
- “Tough love” for homeless: How Fresno leaders will enforce new no-camping law: Tim Sheehan, Fresno Bee
“‘We’re not trying to be…out there arresting people and taking away their freedoms and being unmerciful,’ Dyer told reporters Monday in a press conference. ‘Just the opposite. We want to help people, but in order to help people, sometimes there has to be some tough love, and that’s what we’re trying to incorporate here.’”
- Did political connections shape coverage of Fresno police chief’s affair?: Omar S. Rashad, Fresnoland
“While GV Wire’s coverage does not disclose that its publisher, Assemi, or its affiliate, Granville Homes, donated to Wamhoff’s campaign, Assemi said the two are separate. ‘We’re an award-winning news site that is separate and independent of my political thoughts,’ Assemi told Fresnoland. Assemi added that for most of the stories published on GV Wire, ‘I don’t even see or read until a day or two after they’re published.’”
- As Fresno’s housing crisis deepens, the city considers another extension for zombie southeast megadevelopment: Gregory Weaver, Fresnoland
“Beyond the market contradictions, the project faces mounting environmental challenges. SEDA would generate 510,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, according to the city’s environmental review for the project, nearly canceling out the 559,000-ton reduction the city committed to in its 2021 climate plan.”
