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Farhad Manjoo: Clean air was once an achievable political goal

(Gillian Flaccus | AP photo) A sign at a Whole Foods in Lake Oswego, Ore., advises that the store is closed Monday due to poor air quality. Another sign said all Whole Foods stores in the Portland Metro area will be closed at least through Thursday due to air quality. People across the West struggled under acrid-yellowish green smog from raging wildfires that seeped into homes and businesses, sneaked into cars through air conditioning vents and caused the temporary closure of iconic locations such as Powell's Books and the Oregon Zoo. And forecasters say the putrid air, measured as the worst on the planet, could last well into the week.