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GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome
to the "NewsHour."

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A heavy pall of polluted air
still blankets much of the
Eastern U.S. tonight. It may

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not dissipate for days, as fires
in Canada send vast curtains of
smoke drifting south.

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AMNA NAWAZ: The bad air has
officials warning, in effect,
that breathing can be hazardous
to

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your health. It's also
scrambling schedules, from
airports to schools to the White
House.

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Stephanie Sy has our report.

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STEPHANIE SY: A huge swathe of
the country spent another day
shrouded in haze. This morning,

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smoke still obscured parts
of the Manhattan skyline.

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JOHN CHAN, New York City
Resident: The smoke obliterated
the island yesterday. So,

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it is obviously not a passing
phase of wind changes, but it's
serious pollution in the air.

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STEPHANIE SY: As hundreds of
wildfires rage out of control in
Canada, winds have carried the

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smoke farther south, all the way
to Raleigh, North Carolina,
which woke up to hazy skies.

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And in the nation's capital, a
blanket of smoke lay over the
White House,

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blurring the Washington
Monument in the distance.

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White House officials postponed
today's outdoor Pride
celebration until Saturday.

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Millions of people were under
hazardous air quality advisory
today from the Northeast

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to the South and parts of the
Midwest. Authorities advised
people to stay indoors,

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especially young children, the
elderly, and those with
respiratory issues.

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Allergy and immunology
specialist Dr. Purvi Parikh
described the health risks.

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DR. PURVI PARIKH, Allergy and
Asthma Network: Wildfire smoke
has particulate matter. It's
very,

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very small. And that small
particulate matter can really
get lodged deep into your lungs.

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So it can cause a lot more lung
damage in the short term and
long term. And in addition to

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these particles, wildfire smoke
has a variety of gases too that
can be harmful to breathe in.

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STEPHANIE SY: New York state is
making a million N95 masks
available to the public,

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including 400,000
for New York City.

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MAN: Just want to make sure that
we are being a safe as we can to
protect our health.

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STEPHANIE SY: The city's mayor,
Eric Adams, has gone door to
door

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disturbing masks to residents.
He says the worst of the air may
be behind the city.

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ERIC ADAMS (D), Mayor of New
York: The smoke models are not
indicating

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another large plume over the
city, so there is a chance for
significant

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improvement by tomorrow morning
and throughout the day tomorrow.

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STEPHANIE SY: Even so, New York
City announced public schools
will teach remotely tomorrow.

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Meantime, poor visibility
prompted the Federal Aviation
Administration to cancel

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or delay flights into New York
area airports and Philadelphia's
international airport.

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The dangerous air quality also
canceled or postponed more
sporting events,

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from racing at Belmont Park in
New York to the Washington
Nationals' home baseball game.

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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
says the harmful impact of the

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fires is further proof we must
do more to tackle the climate
crisis.

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GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): Climate
change is here. And,
unfortunately,

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this is our reality. That
disturbing orange haze in the
sky, the smell of smoke and that
burning

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in our throats, those are clear
warning signs that the status
quo cannot continue.

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STEPHANIE SY: Paul Ullrich, a
professor of regional climate
modeling at U.C. Davis, agrees.

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PAUL ULLRICH, University of
California, Davis: We are
experiencing warmer conditions
and more

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extremes every year. We have
some manifestation of that,
whether it be an extreme
tropical cyclone,

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an extreme wildfire, tornado
outbreaks or other forms of
extreme weather.

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So the evidence is continuing to
pile up that we are having a
clear impact on the climate
system,

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and, as a consequence, the
climate system is having an
impact on us.

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STEPHANIE SY: With more than
400 wildfires still burning

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in Canada, forecasters worn the
smoke could linger over the
Eastern U.S. through the
weekend.

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For the "PBS NewsHour,"
I'm Stephanie Sy.