In this issue we take a hard look at the on-the-ground impacts of the Trump administration’s slash-and-burn staffing and budget cuts, particularly as they affect the beloved, irreplaceable Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We also ask what “domestic terrorism” really means and why so many notorious bombers have some connection to the Western U.S. Why is the administration’s pursuit of “energy dominance” — combined with its efforts to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act — happening without consultation with tribal nations? A DNA database created to identify missing migrants has somehow disappeared, leaving distraught family members feeling abandoned. Another story examines how intense wildfires can transform a common component of rocks into a carcinogen. One writer discovers the beauty of the common fly, while another finds a unique trans joy in splitboarding in the Colorado mountains. Maybe it’s time to learn to slow down and say “no” to our crazy modern lifestyles.
What a bombing in Nevada reveals about the nation’s appetite for violence
The rise of domestic terrorism in the West.
The government-funded coverup under our noses
History will judge the Trump administration harshly for elevating oil and gas at the expense of everything else.
How HCN is helping fill a growing need for local news
The Western Environmental Reporting Collaborative ramps up in July.
Letters to the Editor, April 2026
Comments from readers.
A DNA archive critical to identifying missing migrants has itself gone missing
The database is no longer accessible after the organization that started it shut down.
How I found trans joy in backcountry splitboarding
Under an administration threatening my existence, I find self-love through movement.