After Decades of Quiet Rumbling, an Epidemic Is Erupting Among California Stoneworkers - In These Times
Luis Hernandez, then 35, woke to a gray, hazy sky on Feb. 17, 2024. He opted for a warm sweater and cargo pants with pockets just big enough to hold his spare canister of oxygen, but he hoped he wouldn’t need it. It would be a big day out for him and his friends — the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif., was hosting a special Pokemon Go event where some of the rarest Pokemon could be found. When the group arrived, they headed straight to the belly of the bowl, blanketed with bright green turf. Hernandez settled into a rhythm: Walk 50 feet. Pause for 30 minutes. Catch some Pokemon. Walk another 50 feet. Pause another 30 minutes. Catch some Pokemon. Walk another 50 feet. Pause another 30 minutes. When he started gasping for air, he sat down — on a chair if he was lucky, the turf if he was not. Eight hours in, he estimated he had walked no more than half a mile. If he had moved any faster, he would have suffocated. Hernandez had to check the oximeter clamped to his right pointer finger
Labor Investigation After Decades of Quiet Rumbling, an Epidemic Is Erupting Among California Stoneworkers The engineered stone industry is worth nearly $30 billion. But the workers at its core are falling sick and dying from an illness called silicosis. Now these workers—most of whom are young immigrants—are suing manufacturers. Kayla Yup April 20, 2026 The film of a black and white chest X-ray. Courtesy of Radiological Society of North America Share Tweet Copy Link Email Print Published in April 2026 Luis Hernandez, then 35 , woke to a gray, hazy sky on Feb. 17 , 2024 . He opted for a warm s
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