KFBK Morning News Show Recap - Tuesday November 2nd

Leads:

1. At least two dozen Sacramento-area students remain trapped in Afghanistan. San Juan Unified School District spokesperson Raj Rai reports that sixteen local students were rescued from the war-torn country. Back in September, the District reported 40 students were still there. Meanwhile, the Sacramento City Unified School District reported a month ago it had eight students still in Afghanistan, but there's been no updates on that front. Sacramento has one of the largest Afghan communities in the United States.
2. The Sacramento City Unified School District has put their staff and families with students ages 12 and up, on notice. They must provide proof of at least one COVID vaccine dose by the end of the month unless they get an approved exemption. A mother who spoke to KFBK has an 8th grader, and is seeking a personal belief exemption, which still requires a doctor to sign off. She says the school district is implementing the mandate early before FDA licensing, and she feels the vaccine is being forced.
3. A California court says drugmakers aren’t liable for fueling the state’s opioid epidemic. The judge ruled the governments hadn’t proven the pharmaceutical companies were responsible. This marks the first win for any of the companies blamed for the crisis. There are more than 3300 lawsuits filed by states and local governments across the country seeking billions of dollars to deal with an epidemic they say led to nearly 500,000 opioid overdose deaths over two decades.
4. Local drivers on Highway 99 will be subject to changing speed limits for the next six months. Caltrans began using variable speed advisory signs yesterday between Sacramento and Elk Grove, as part of a pilot project aiming to reduce traffic congestion. The VSA signs will change speed limits based on current conditions. Also, many on-ramps will have metered lights to control the number of vehicles entering the roadway during commute hours. In addition to reducing stop-and-go traffic, Caltrans is also looking at the VSA signs' impact on collisions and vehicle emissions. Experts say Highway 99 is one of the most dangerous freeways in California.