Thousands turn out for Melon Days, but the future looks uncertain.
People & Places
Posted inArticles
Western states saw increasing poverty and lower incomes in 2022
From Alaska to Wyoming, cash assistance can pull families out of income hardships.
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An Indigenous slur persists in Fresno County despite renaming efforts
When the feds remove offensive names, local jurisdictions don’t have to follow along.
Posted inNovember 1, 2023: November 1, 2023
As DACA falls again, what does it mean to be American?
Tony Valdovinos was brought to the U.S. at the age of 2. The challenges of not having citizenship haven’t stopped his success.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
A Hxstory of Renting
Using art to preserve what gets lost when a community gentrifies.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
‘This is when I feel the most alive — the most me’
#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
The dark side of America’s sheep industry
Sheepherders face wage theft, isolation, hunger and alleged abuse.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
The dangerous consequences of wildland fire dispatcher burnout
An internal Forest Service survey shows a critical link in the wildfire fighting apparatus is struggling.
Posted inArticles
Myth and mending in the true West
People in the region are willing to take time for self-reflection, support and tolerance of differences.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
Slowing down the pace of childhood
How can you teach kids to appreciate slowness in a speeded-up world?
Posted inArticles
Remembering Charles Wilkinson, a true friend to Indian Country
The professor and leader leaves a legacy in Indigenous advocacy.
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Farmworkers fight for higher pay, better hours and fair treatment
Labor advocates rallied in Seattle to demand a union contract from Windmill farms amid allegations of poor treatment and retaliation.
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What are the real impacts on Burning Man’s playa?
Viral attention on Black Rock City’s annual festival highlight environmental consequences.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2023: Food Justice
What the gray jay taught me about myself
The authenticity and playfulness of the naughty, queer bird is something to celebrate.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2023: Food Justice
‘I want people to know me for the good that I do in my life’
#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.
Posted inArticles
Washington to adopt rules protecting farmworkers from wildfire smoke
Some labor advocates say they don’t go far enough.
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What downwinders inherited at Trinity
In the days of ’Oppenheimer,’ an exhibition advocates expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
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People are starting a lot of fires in the Pacific Northwest
The Forest Service reports 197 human-caused or undetermined starts since the beginning of June.
Posted inArticles
How a mobile-home park saved its community from a corporate buyout
In southwest Colorado, a cooperative and a land trust partnered to preserve affordable housing.
Posted inAugust 1, 2023: In the Line of Fire
The Tractor Princess
Memories from California’s Pajaro Valley.