Laguna Pueblo Gov. Wilfred Herrera, Jr., urges the state to strengthen its proposed air quality rules.
State government
Posted inArticles
The dust-up over California’s off-road beach
COVID highlights conflicts over air pollution, crime and accidents on California’s Central Coast.
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Where the Great American Outdoors Act stands now
After passing with bipartisan support in August, the conservation law hits stumbling blocks. Here’s what may happen next.
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How Indigenous voters swung the 2020 election
In Arizona and Wisconsin, Native turnout — which often leans liberal — made the difference in Biden’s slim but winning margin.
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The Alaska Native village of Kake defends their right to hunt
The state of Alaska sues the Federal Subsistence Board for approving an emergency hunt for the Organized Village of Kake, despite the tribal community’s dire food shortage.
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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
Will Portland’s summer of unrest reshape city politics?
November’s election will test how protests shift political power.
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.’
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.’
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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.