U.S. courts rarely favor environmental protections as a right — except when it comes to tribes expressing their treaty rights.
Public health
Posted inMay 13, 2019: Atomic Tourists
Coyote diets; anaerobic digesters; poachers caught on camera
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
Study finds 96% of national parks have hazardous air quality
Popular parks such as Yosemite and Joshua Tree have pollution levels that threaten visitors and wildlife.
Posted inMay 27, 2019: Public Pushback
Why the queer Mormon policy reversal is not enough
Mormon suicide has deeper roots — and demands more change — than the church’s reversal of its exclusion policy.
Posted inApril 15, 2019: Scene of the Crime
As citizen-led ballot initiatives soar, so have efforts to block them
In Idaho, a struggle over Medicaid expansion exposes the limits of forcing change via ballot measure.
Posted inArticles
Humanity is a liability the natural world can no longer afford
What a lifetime of observing nature has taught me.
Posted inArticles
Contamination from an Air Force base devastates a New Mexico dairy
An investigation shows the impact toxic chemicals are having on the community of Clovis.
Posted inArticles
On-the-ground pollution data spurred stricter zoning in Los Angeles
Locals’ efforts prompted buffers for auto shops and air filter rules for new buildings.
Posted inArticles
Why was a study on trafficking in Indian Country canceled?
After the Trump administration transition, the Department of Justice killed a critical needs assessment initiative.
Posted inArticles
A toxic past and present on the Spokane River
In eastern Washington, a push to clean PCBs from its namesake river faces a dirty legacy and global pollution problem.
Posted inDecember 24, 2018: Good news, bad news
No news is bad news for public health
Losing local news sources and public health reporters hampers disease detection and outbreak response.
Posted inArticles
Native Americans are under-reported in opioid overdose data
Misclassification of race on death certificates underestimated opioid and heroin overdose deaths among Native Americans by 40 percent in Washington state.
Posted inArticles
Senate hears stories of Indian Country’s missing and murdered
Data gaps, understaffing and lax investigations have deepened the crisis.
Posted inArticles
What the Violence Against Women Act could do in Indian Country — and one major flaw
Women from 228 tribes in Alaska and four in Maine still aren’t protected by the act.
Posted inFebruary 4, 2019: Nizhoni Girls
Extreme heat hits Tucson’s poor neighborhoods hardest
Where city efforts fall short, activists try to add shade to the heat-stressed south side.
Posted inDecember 10, 2018: Critical Mass
Study of missing and murdered Indigenous women highlights police data failures
Poor data collection by law enforcement creates a significant hurdle to understanding the crisis.
Posted inArticles
A fishing rod stronger than war’s dark legacy
After his father’s suicide, a son seeks solace in the streams.
Posted inArticles
Indian Health Service provider vacancies a ‘never-ending cycle’
A new report reveals that chronic understaffing at the Indian Health Service denies patients quality care.
Posted inOctober 15, 2018: Nature Retreat
Latest: Wildfire smoke deaths could double by century’s end
New research shows fire-polluted air could kill up to 44,000 people per year by 2100.
Posted inArticles
Congress must prioritize Native women through legislation
The critical Violence Against Women Act is set to expire at the end of this month.