Warehouse fire's impact on air quality, LA County hospice fraud, Amazon workers rally in Jurupa Valley — Evening Edition

0:00Wondering what's happening with those ballot measures you voted on in the last election? We've got you covered with Make It Makes Sense, our elections newsletter. We'll check in on what voters passed and whether elected officials are living up to their campaign promises. Sign up at leas.com slash vote. LAs and the Moth are joining forces for a new live show. Our show in Orange County is sold out, but you still have a chance to see the LA on Wednesday, April 15th. Get tickets now at leas.com slash events. Tonight on the LA Report Evening Edition, air quality is a concern as crews continue to fight an Ontario warehouse fire. LA County moves to crack down on fraudulent hospice operations. And Amazon employees rally to bring a co-worker back to work. It's Tuesday, April 7th. I'm Julia Paskin and this is the LA Report Evening Edition from LAS News.

1:10As of this afternoon, crews are still working to mop up a major fire that broke out at an Ontario warehouse overnight. While it is contained to the building, there's another major concern, and that's air quality. SoCal air quality officials have issued a smoke advisory until 11.59 p.m. Ontario Fire Deputy Chief Mike Woodell says there may be ash raining down as firefighters continue to work. If you are at home, let's close our windows and let's prevent the recirculation of air drawing in with your air conditioning unit. No injuries have been reported. Officials have detained an employee of the warehouse on suspicion of arson. Meanwhile, Eastside residents are invited to a few field trips to learn how air quality sensors will be installed across Boyle Heights and East LA. The nonprofit climate resolve and other partners are hosting the events, the first happening this Saturday, that's April 11th, where residents can see the installation firsthand. Free shuttle service will be available. Then on April 18th, the nonprofit city plans will also hand out free-potted fruit and

2:12shade trees, details on header register at las.com. In other news, today, the LA County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to crack down on hospice fraud. It directs the public health department to report back with recommendations for improving federal and local agency coordination when investigating fraud cases. The county will also send a letter to the state calling for stronger oversight. This comes after the FBI arrested eight people last week accused of running sham hospice facilities, many with ties to LA County. Coming up in a moment, a new play looks at Dolores' where-tas-life and her contributions to the farm workers movement. Support for LAist comes from the Palace Verde's Peninsula Land Conservancy, presenting the Wild and Scenic Film Festival on tour in celebration of Earth Day. The festival features short films highlighting conservation, outdoor adventure, and environmental stewardship, with screenings on April 12th in Redondo Beach and April 25th and 26th in San Pedro. Community members can also participate in an Earth Day volunteer event

3:12on April 18th, and a silent online auction benefiting local habitat restoration running through April 28th. Tickets and details are available at pvplc.org slash earthday. The Black Dolly a murder of 1947 is arguably California's most notorious unsolved case. Its only rival might be the zodiac murders a generation later. Now, an amateur sleuth is attracting attention with the claim that the same killer is responsible for both cases. I'm Christopher Gofford, host of Crimes of the Times. Check out our new season on YouTube and listen to it on Apple's Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to the LA Report Evening Edition on Julia Paskin. Amazon workers in Southern California, picketed outside a Europa Valley warehouse for hours last week. And they're calling on the company to reinstate a warehouse worker. They say it was fired without cause.

4:12Anthony Victoria with our California Newsroom partner KVCR has more. Workers at the Pickett say they rallied in support of Andy Aguayo, a warehouse worker who was allegedly fired for talking to colleagues about labor rights. Aguayo says the company fired him without giving a reason. He believes it was retaliation. They figured I was enough of a problem that they didn't want me working. Amazon did not respond to KVCR's request for comment and time for broadcast. That is KVCR's Anthony Victoria reporting. There is a new play in LA about the life of labor leader Dolores Huerta and the rise of the farm worker movement. Playwright Eliana Pipe says while it is a show for young audiences, there is a message. This piece does have something to say. And it says it loud and proud. And even though it's in an age-appropriate way, we never shy away from acknowledging the injustices that women faced in the movement. You can go to LAs.com to read Mariana Dales' story about how the creators of Sise Puede navigated the news of the sexual assault allegations against Cesar Chavez.

5:15UCLA will celebrate the women's basketball team's national championship with a free event tomorrow at Polly Pavilion. Dolores open at 5 p.m. the celebration gets underway at 6 p.m. The university says fans who get their early enough will score an exclusive championship poster and will also be photo ops with the national championship trophy, more information, and a link to register for that at laest.com. Thanks for listening to the LA Report Evening Edition. I'm Julia Paskin. This podcast is produced by Kevin Tidmarsh. Our engineer is Tui Mal. Check back here tomorrow for the next edition of the LA Report. You can read more at laest.com or listen live anytime on the laest app or on the radio at 89.3 fm. Listeners like you help make the LA Report possible. So please donate at laest.com slash join. The LA Report is supported by Gordon and Donna Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Southern California a better place to live.

6:19I'm Frank Stoltz, the civics and democracy reporter here at laest. It's my job to make it easier for you to understand how to participate in the political process, like voting, which is why I'm pleased to tell you the laest voter game plan is back. We're here to help you navigate your ballot with informed, accurate reporting on the candidates and the issues. Participation and elections makes for a stronger community. Learn more, visit laest.com slash vote.