When a controlled burn is better than the alternative

Last week we talked about the settled science of preventing forest fires. Today we hear from one listener, a lung doctor in smoky Seattle, who wants to know how to start that process. We’ll answer as best we can on this Whadda Ya Wanna Know Wednesday. Later, we’ll take a look back in history to see what might drive the federal government to some kind of action. Plus: Police settlements, Square’s profitability and more.

Here’s a list of everything we talked about today:

• “These Changes Are Needed Amid Worsening Wildfires, Experts Say” from The New York Times
• “They Know How to Prevent Megafires. Why Won’t Anybody Listen?” from ProPublica
• “Marketplace Morning Report’s” interview with Marc Morial about the hidden cost of police misconduct.
• “Louisville agrees to $12 million payout and policing changes in pact with family of Breonna Taylor, killed in police raid” from The Washington Post
• “Square surges after reporting 64% jump in revenue, more customers using Cash App” from CNBC
• More on the history of the Dust Bowl
• … And the history of the Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Gretchen Goldman, Ph.D., the research director at the Center for Science and Democracy, shares on Twitter the impossible situation working parents are in right now.
• Finally, we got a few more views of the smoke from our listeners: