In Detroit, a ‘magic wand’ makes dirty air look clean - and lets polluters off the hook

Across the US, local governments, lobbyists and industry have spent millions to get wildfire pollution excluded from the record. People like Robert Shobe pay the price

• Revealed: how a little-known pollution rule keeps the air dirty for millions of Americans
• What is the exceptional events rule? The loophole letting US regulators wipe air pollution from the record

In south-east Detroit, the Environmental Protection Agency says, the air is clean.

Robert Shobe’s lungs tell a different story.