Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, August 15, 2024…
- Three years ago, as the U.S military completed its pull out, Taliban forces captured Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. In the wake of that change, many Afghan refugees fled to the U.S. and California. They settled in the Bay Area, L.A., San Diego and Sacramento, but some also have found a new home in California’s Mojave Desert.
- The Boise Fire burning in Humboldt and Siskiyou Counties has charred more than 9600 acres, according to fire officials. There’s still no containment as of Thursday morning.
- Some California Democrats have announced a campaign to back a state proposition that would increase penalties for theft and drug crimes. Many opponents of Proposition 36 say the ballot initiative is a Republican-led effort, but the group of Democratic leaders say crime is affecting their communities.
In California’s Desert, Refugees From Afghanistan Make A New Life For Themselves
Nearly three years after the United States pulled out of Afghanistan, more than 150 refugees fleeing Taliban rule have found homes in California’s Mojave Desert.
Mojave makes a lot of sense for refugees, since California is an expensive place to live. About 30 Afghan families call the Santiago Estates of Mojave, a mobile home park, home. Affordable Community Living, which owns the mobile home park, offers three-bedroom mobile homes for as little as $400 a month. Even then, about a dozen units remain vacant.
But Mojave’s remote location presents some challenges for refugees, chiefly, a lack of public transportation and job development programs make it hard to get far. The nearest college is in the city of Lancaster, about 50 miles roundtrip from Mojave. And that can mean about $100 for an Uber ride.
Boise Fire Grows To Nearly 10,000 Acres In Humboldt, Siskiyou Counties
The fast-moving Boise Fire, which started late last week in Six Rivers National Forest, has burned quickly over steep terrain. The fire has nearly doubled in the last day, with zero percent containment as of August 15, sending an impressive smoke plume over the region and threatening isolated communities along the Klamath River.