The problem is our electoral system is hardwired for two parties max. To make a multiparty system viable we’d need to get rid of first-past-the-post in favor of ranked, or instant runoff, voting and some kind of proportional representation. Without that, minor parties will only be successful in a tiny handful of districts acting as spoilers elsewhere. Unfortunately, unrigging the system looks to be impossible as things stand now as keeping this way is in the interest of both major parties and they’d need to support any such changes. Democracy may be boned in the US, sad to say.
I went to high school in El Lay in the 70s, and I do remember smog days at school. I had asthma, so I would get to skip PE in favor of the library. I think the rest of the class was moved into the gym. I don’t remember the school ever being closed though. That did happen because of fires a couple times though. I’d be surprised if smoke days weren’t still a thing.
At this point, a bowl of petunias would be an improvement.