Justice, power and environment: The 2020 elections were defined by grassroots organizing and deep partisanship.
Public health
Posted inArticles
Are wildfires contaminating your drinking water?
Manufactured substances known as volatile organic compounds pollute water around the U.S., and they’re heightened in the aftermath of fires.
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Wilderness rescuers brace for a busy winter
Snow is on the way — and amid COVID-19, recovery missions are on the rise.
Posted inDecember 1, 2020: A Community Divided
How conservation groups confront distrust from communities of color
In order to attract a broader constituency, organizations must first address a history of missteps and exclusion.
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Should you recycle your disposable mask?
How masks are manufactured is important for the environment, too.
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Colorado’s wildfires require a drastic and collective fix
Climate change should be seen as a number one priority.
Posted inNovember 1, 2020: When the Smoke Clears
In Las Vegas, the burdens of remote learning rest heavy on working parents
One of the nation’s largest school districts is trying to provide laptops and Wi-Fi to more than 300,000 students.
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COVID-19 makes it harder to know when to harvest sugar beets
Decisions depend on the weather, but accurate long-term forecasts are another casualty of the pandemic.
Posted inNovember 1, 2020: When the Smoke Clears
How a pandemic-related drop in Oregon Lottery revenues could lead to a rise in invasive plants
Spiky-stemmed gorse pushes out native plants — and COVID-19 is imperilling measures to keep it in check.
Posted inNovember 1, 2020: When the Smoke Clears
Indigenous data sovereignty shakes up research
In the COVID-19 era, tribal nations want research in service of their people.
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Tribes defend themselves against a pandemic and South Dakota’s state government
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe’s COVID-19 checkpoints are at stake.
Posted inOctober 1, 2020: Democracy's Frayed Western Front
COVID-era lessons from homeschool
Don’t be terrified. Be ready.
Posted inArticles
Colorado public schools turn to outdoor instruction during COVID-19
These classes have become a key safety tactic as in-person learning returns.
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Ellen Kuwana’s quest to feed Seattle’s frontline workers
The founder of We Got This Seattle on what keeps her going, six months into the pandemic.
Posted inOctober 1, 2020: Democracy's Frayed Western Front
What sewage can tell us about the spread of COVID-19
More cities are testing wastewater, but a poor federal response keeps efforts scattered.
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The erasure of Indigenous people in U.S. COVID-19 data
‘The United States had no idea what was going on in Indian Country. They have no idea.’
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The Navajo Nation and White Mountain Apache Tribe chase down a virus
Contact-tracing programs in two areas hit hardest by COVID-19 are working.
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Seattle is now providing drug treatment over the phone
Experts support the change and hope it will endure past the pandemic.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2020: The Next West
Marlon’s hustle to survive
The unforgiving economy left by the pandemic leaves many undocumented people without a safety net.
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Essential transportation in rural Alaska is up in the air
Since Alaska’s largest regional airline went bankrupt in April, roadless communities have been searching for ways to restore service.