November’s election will test how protests shift political power.
State government
Posted inOctober 1, 2020: Democracy's Frayed Western Front
Killing the Vegas Pipeline
Nevada’s attitude toward water is changing.
Posted inOctober 1, 2020: Democracy's Frayed Western Front
Federal boots on city streets
With Congress gridlocked and courts restrained, public opinion confronts authoritarian tactics.
Posted inAugust 1, 2020: Infectious Ideologies
Patriot militia groups mobilize during a deadly pandemic and massive protests
‘That has a real chilling effect on democratic practice.’
Posted inJune 1, 2020: Dissent at a Distance
Report: Indigenous voters face racism and suppression
‘Native Americans just face really unreasonable obstacles when it comes to voting.’
Posted inArticles
Western states lead the way in vote-by-mail elections
As COVID-19 closes most in-person polling locations, will states be able to scale up in time?
Posted inArticles
The Cherokee Nation once fought to disenroll Gov. Kevin Stitt’s ancestors
Documents show the Oklahoma governor’s connections to the tribe may have originated in an act of fraud more than 100 years ago.
Posted inArticles
Oklahoma’s tribes unite against a common foe: Their Cherokee governor
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s demands for more money from Indian casinos have sparked a bitter feud with economically powerful tribes — including his own.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2020: How One Woman Took a Stand Against Tribal Disenrollment and Paid For It
Alaska’s highway of ferries is under threat
What is lost when the floating highway that connects the state’s coastal communities disappears?
Posted inDecember 9, 2019: Party Favors
Why are Govs. Inslee and Brown fighting the youth climate cases?
Settling with the young activists could be an important tool for climate action.
Posted inArticles
In California, more than 340,000 lose wildfire insurance
Residents are left with little to no options in the state’s fire-prone areas.
Posted inSeptember 16, 2019: "We can either wait on Mother Nature – or we can give it a shot ourselves."
Colorado farmers fight to save their water and their community’s future
‘We can either wait on Mother Nature — or we can give it a shot ourselves.’
Posted inArticles
Automakers follow California, not feds, on mileage standards
Obama-era official says companies will reduce emissions rather than deal with regulatory uncertainty.
Posted inSeptember 2, 2019: In Bad Faith
Can Western states afford to break the boom-and-bust cycle?
Climate action on public lands would force a reckoning for fossil fuel dependent states and communities.
Posted inArticles
Climate change research threatened by University of Alaska budget cuts
Gov. Mike Dunleavy slashed university funding by $130 million, alarming Alaskans, scientists and climate specialists.
Posted inAugust 5, 2019: From Prison to Fireline
How partisan politics can make ballot measures undemocratic
A fight over wolf management in Alaska shows how lawmakers can undermine citizen-led initiatives.
Posted inMay 27, 2019: Public Pushback
Trump’s infrastructure order threatens local right to protect the environment
Washington blocked a coal terminal under the Clean Water Act. New rules could subvert that authority.
Posted inArticles
Wyoming Legislature extends lifeline to coal power
As economics challenge coal’s future, Wyoming passes a law to prop it up.
Posted inArticles
Push for renewables vexes Western power supplier
Tri-State’s future looks less than bright unless it can keep up with the times.
Posted inArticles
Supreme Court takes on a case of treaty rights vs. state taxation
The Yakama Nation and Washington state square off over a right to travel without burden.