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Mountain West News Bureau

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Mountain West News Bureau

Nevada Public Radio is the newest partner in the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration of public media stations that serve the Western states of Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Its mission is to tell stories about the people, places and issues across the region.

From land and water management to growth in the expanding West to the region's unique culture and heritage, the news bureau will explore the issues that define it and the challenges it faces.

The Mountain West News Bureau is a collaboration between Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNC in Colorado, KUNM in New Mexico, KUNR in Nevada, Nevada Public Radio, the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Montana and Wyoming Public Media, with support from affiliate stations across the region.

Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Collection of Stories: 
NPR
wild horses

BLM solicits help in expanding humane wild horse fertility control

May 12, 2022

A wild horse advocate says the move marks “a significant shift towards humane on-range management of wild horses and away from cruel, costly helicopter roundups.”

NPR

The Forest Service has filled as few as 50% of firefighter positions in some areas

May 06, 2022

This fire year is on track to be as extreme as the last few. At the same time, some Forest Service areas have had a hard time hiring enough wildland firefighters.

NPR
Tommy Beaudreau

Interior official highlights investments in drought resilience during New Mexico visit

May 06, 2022

Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau said the New Belen Wasteway, a Bureau of Reclamation project that routes agricultural runoff back to the Rio Grande, is an example of an investment in water infrastructure that has huge impacts on surrounding communities.

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NPR
 Amtrak's Empire Builder at King Street Station in Seattle, Wash.

A nonprofit organization is advocating for the return of passenger rail service in rural regions

May 05, 2022

All Aboard Northwest is advocating for the return of passenger rail service to states in the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, and Midwest that are under or unserved by Amtrak or other passenger rail operators. Many Wyoming communities have not had passenger service for over 50 years.

NPR
Batterman Fire

Wildfire forecasters predict above-normal activity across the Mountain West

May 03, 2022

Federal wildland fire forecasters have issued their summer outlook with a series of maps, showing ominous splotches of red that indicate above-normal fire potential expanding over much of the Mountain West.

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NPR
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Dec. 1 in the case <em>Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Org</em>, which has the potential to pose a serious challenge to <em>Roe v. Wade.</em>

What an overturned Roe v. Wade looks like in the Mountain West

May 03, 2022

The Mountain West is as divided on abortion as the nation, itself. States like Colorado have passed legislation to preserve access to abortion, but several others intend to outlaw the practice as soon as possible. That may be sooner than later, given a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that calls for Roe v. Wade to be overturned.

NPR
 The Cheyenne Depot Clock Tower in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Congress is on the clock as Mountain West states push for permanent daylight saving time

May 02, 2022

Some Mountain West states – like Colorado, Utah and Wyoming – have endorsed permanent daylight saving time. But there’s a catch. States generally say that Congress has to approve it first. And they require that a handful of other states in the Mountain time zone join them.

NPR
Hundreds of sheep graze on a hillside

Flocks of sheep help reduce wildfire risks in Northern Nevada

May 02, 2022

With the bulk of wildfire season on the horizon, officials in the Mountain West region are working to minimize risks. And sometimes they’re getting help from four-legged friends.

NPR

Colorado man first in U.S. to test positive for bird flu

Apr 29, 2022

Health officials detected H5N1 influenza – known as avian flu – in the nose of a 40-year-old man who was culling the chickens in Montrose County as part of a prison pre-release work program.

NPR

Rural hospitals struggling to provide obstetrics care

May 01, 2022

Hospital administrators say they are losing money on their obstetrics programs. But many are keeping these wings open anyway to answer a dire community need.

KNPR
NPR
horses

Equine influenza behind outbreak that's killed 95 wild horses corralled in Colorado, BLM says

Apr 28, 2022

The Canon City facility southwest of Colorado Springs, which is currently holding roughly 2,500 horses, has been under a voluntary quarantine since Monday. Horses rounded up last fall in the West Douglas area near the Utah border have been the hardest hit.

KNPR
NPR
Palms

Palms Casino Resort reopens under tribal ownership

Apr 27, 2022

The Palms Casino Resort closed for two years after the COVID pandemic hit. The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians bought it last year and its reopening makes the Palms the first Las Vegas casino to be fully owned and operated by a Native American tribe.

NPR
The Mullen Fire

Fire managers face daunting challenges despite boost in funding

Apr 26, 2022

New federal funding may help with forest and wildfire management, but there are still hurdles. Increasing firefighter wages still can’t always contend with skyrocketing housing costs and burnout from long seasons. Funds may also help pay for supplies, but supply chain issues still make certain supplies hard to get.

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KNPR
NPR
Colorado River

Colorado, Snake rivers rank atop 'endangered' list

Apr 22, 2022

The Colorado River and the Snake River rank Nos. 1 and 2 on a conservation group's list of the 10 most endangered rivers in the country.

KNPR
NPR
Thacker Pass lithium mine

Nevada tribe claims ‘desecration’ as digging begins at site of planned lithium mine

Apr 22, 2022

The planned Thacker Pass lithium mine in remote northern Nevada has drawn protests and a lawsuit from local tribes. One of the tribes, the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, has increased its efforts to stop the project.

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NPR

BLM fire official says work-rest guidelines, collaboration critical over a long fire season

Apr 20, 2022

As wildfire season begins in earnest across parts of the Mountain West, firefighting agencies will also be battling the tightest labor market in decades and a housing affordability crisis.A Bureau of Land Management spokesperson at the National Interagency Fire Center, doesn't expect staffing to be an issue. She says that while fire seasons are becoming "fire years," the real focus is juggling and balancing the teams’ schedules.

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NPR
wildfire

Wildfire smoke and smog make air pollution a growing problem out West

Apr 20, 2022

The Mountain West is known for big blue skies. But several cities here are among the nation’s worst for short-term air pollution levels, according to a new American Lung Association study. Wildfire smoke is an increasing factor, but so is smog from growing cities across the region.

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KNPR
NPR

Interior resumes oil and gas leases on public lands, raises royalty rates

Apr 19, 2022

The Interior Department is reopening lease sales on public lands. However, the agency announced that it was 80% less acreage than the oil and gas industry nominated for leasing. The Interior also increased royalty rates.

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KNPR
NPR
NOW Foods

The pandemic gives Nevada’s vitamin and supplement companies a shot in the arm

Apr 19, 2022

Spending on dietary supplements has jumped dramatically during the pandemic. That’s giving Northern Nevada companies in the supplement industry a big boost. But it’s also raising concerns for healthcare providers.

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KNPR
NPR
 Nnedi Stephens (right) spent a recent Sunday knocking on doors in Sparks, Nev. with Meghan Archambault (left), their campaign manager. Stephens is a candidate for state senate and uses they/them pronouns.

More LGBTQ candidates hit the campaign trail, despite efforts to limit their rights

Apr 19, 2022

Across the Mountain West and beyond, right-wing politicians are pushing a wave of discriminatory laws. But that’s only one of the issues motivating a record number of LGBTQ candidates.

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KNPR
Elk

Scientists map more than 100 big game migration routes across the West

Apr 15, 2022

As the West grows so does its infrastructure, but for elk, deer and other migrating big game, roads and housing developments are barriers. A new U.S. Geological Survey report details these migration routes to help ensure they persist.

NPR

Navajo Nation VP running for Congress in Arizona

Mar 10, 2022
The Navajo Nation’s Vice President, Myron Lizer, recently announced he’s joining the race to represent much of northeastern Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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NPR
 Adrienne Larrew and her pigs at Kiowa Creek Ranch outside Colorado Springs. The ranch is owned by the Audubon Society, which leases it to Corner Post Meats.

Ranching, and birding, amid Colorado’s suburban sprawl

Mar 07, 2022
Across the West, women are changing the ways land and livestock are managed. Ashley Ahearn saddled up for the Mountain West News Bureau to chronicle their big dreams – and daily challenges. This is the second story of a three-part series.
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NPR
Melanie and her father, Glenn Elzinga, watch the herd as the sun sets in the Salmon-Challis National Forest. They’ll move the cows back to camp soon to keep them penned up for the night before another day of grazing the range tomorrow.

How an Idaho ranch family learned to live with wolves

Mar 07, 2022
Across the West, women are changing the ways land and livestock are managed. Ashley Ahearn saddled up for the Mountain West News Bureau to chronicle their big dreams – and daily challenges. This is the first story of a three-part series.
  • Listen Download
NPR

The Mountain West has the nation’s highest inflation rate

Jan 19, 2022

Inflation is the highest the nation’s seen since the 1980s. It’s worst in the Mountain West. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices increased 8.6% in our region, the highest nationally.

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NPR
 Patrick Donnelly takes a photograph of a trespassing cow in Gold Butte National Monument in southern Nevada.

Why won't Biden touch the Bundys?

Jan 18, 2022

The Biden administration has moved to crack down on violent domestic extremists over the past year. But it's given the Bundy family — whose militant actions presaged the Capitol insurrection, and who continue to illegally graze cattle on public lands — a pass.

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NPR
 Zoo Boise staff administering COVID-19 vaccinations to goats at the Zoo Farm.

Zoos continue to vaccinate animals against COVID-19

Jan 17, 2022

Big cats like lions are susceptible to COVID-19. So are mink and some hoofed animals, like deer. So many zoos are using a vaccine specifically made for animals to try and keep their often-endangered residents healthy.

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NPR

Broadband subsidy slow in reaching much of the rural West

Jan 14, 2022

In Idaho, Utah and Wyoming, less than 8% of qualifying households had taken advantage of a federal broadband subsidy. But an expansion in eligibility may mean an uptick in uptake.

NPR

Housing costs far outpace wage increases across the Mountain West

Jan 11, 2022

“What we’re starting to see is that affordable housing can no longer be ignored,” says Megan Lawson of Headwaters Economics.

NPR

Tips up: After some bumps, Colorado chairlift maker is on the upswing

Jan 07, 2022

Most industries faced a slump at the beginning of the pandemic, and that included the companies that make chairlifts. But they’ve made a big comeback as people return to ski resorts.

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NPR

Westerners condemn the ‘big lie’ as it feeds off the region’s deep-rooted extremism

Jan 06, 2022

Community members and Democratic leaders commemorated the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, while warning that the movement behind it is stronger than ever.

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NPR

Biden pledges $1 billion to help small and mid-size meat processors

Jan 05, 2022

The Biden administration announced Monday it would use $1 billion from the American Rescue Plan to help small and independent meat processors. 

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NPR

Mountain snowpack 'looking promising' after holiday storms

Jan 04, 2022

Recent storms brought mountain snowpack above normal levels across much of the West, but the precipitation only slightly improves the region's long-term drought conditions.

NPR

Some backcountry rescue groups see increase in calls

Dec 22, 2021

More and more people headed into the backcountry this year – and many rescue groups have seen an increase in calls. That puts pressure on volunteers who help respond to emergencies.

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NPR

Rural Westerners more likely to die from COVID-19 than city dwellers

Jan 02, 2022

Data from the University of Iowa show that rural death rates across the region rose sharply from mid-October through November. Residents in non-metro areas were dying at twice the rate of those in cities.

NPR

Census data shows the Mountain West added 351,000 new residents during pandemic

Jan 04, 2022

Population growth in the Mountain West has surged during the pandemic, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

KNPR
NPR

Across the West, racist place names 'tell us we don't really belong'

Dec 19, 2021

Daniel Tom was the target of racism and bullying growing up in Mesa, Ariz. Decades later here in the small mountain town of Buena Vista in south-central Colorado, life is easier, quieter. Still, there are at least a few signs that make him feel unwelcome – actual signs that read “Chinaman Gulch.”

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KNPR
NPR
KNPR News

Nevada, two other states throw Lake Mead a $200 million lifeline

Dec 22, 2021

Three Western states and the federal government have signed a $200 million deal to keep Lake Mead viable. Millions depend on it for water and electricity. It's at a historic low due to climate change.

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NPR

Idaho experiment that showed nuclear power was more than a weapon turns 70 years old

Dec 20, 2021

70 years ago, experimenters first proved that nuclear power could be used as more than just a weapon.

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KNPR
NPR

Wildland firefighters struggle in the sudden silence of the off-season

Nov 23, 2021

"It's the most gratifying job I'll ever have," says a former hotshot. "But it's also a job that made me contemplate suicide and think that my family was better off with a life insurance check than being around what turned into seasonal depression."

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NPR

COVID vaccines for kids are coming – and so is more misinformation

Nov 05, 2021

Experts expect another wave of misinformation from anti-vaccine activists and conspiracy theorists with the FDA's approval of Pfizer's vaccine for kids aged 5 to 11. That could include misleading and graphic articles and videos claiming severe side effects intended to sow doubt.

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NPR

Feds look to bolster Mexican gray wolves' rebound

Nov 02, 2021

Once extirpated, there are now close to 200 wild Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to let the population grow beyond the current cap of 325.

KNPR
NPR
 A bill introduced by Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto would allow Clark County to develop 30,633 acres of public lands in the Hidden Valley south of Las Vegas for affordable housing.

Where can Las Vegas build affordable housing? Cortez Masto eyes public lands

Nov 29, 2021

The idea of selling public lands is sacrilegious in much of the West. In Southern Nevada, the affordable housing crisis may be an extenuating circumstance.

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NPR

In several Colorado mountain towns, Airbnb's on the ballot

Oct 29, 2021

Short-term rentals are great for tourists looking for alternative lodging options, but they're also contributing to housing shortages and sky-high real estate prices.

NPR

Report quantifies the 'camping crunch' on Western public lands

Oct 26, 2021

Data shows that people are seeking spaces beyond the country’s most popular national parks.

NPR

Charles Sams poised to become Park Service's first Native director

Oct 22, 2021

Charles F. Sams III would be the 19th director of the National Park Service – and the first Native American to lead the agency.

NPR

Delta surge, misinformation leave rural Nevada reeling

Oct 24, 2021

For the last three years, the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine has been sending its recent graduates to the Elko Family Medical and Dental...

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NPR

In many Western states, the gender pay gap is even wider than the national average

Oct 22, 2021

An annual report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the gender wage gap in the United States held steady during the pandemic, with women working...

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NPR

'Forever chemicals' are commonplace in the Mountain West, EPA data suggests

Oct 20, 2021

PFAS are found across the region in products like rain jackets and firefighting foam. But they can cause health problems, so the Biden administration issued new regulations today to keep them out of drinking water. 

NPR
 A U.S. Forest Service truck drives along a dirt road in the Albion Mountains in southern Idaho.

A prescribed burn in Idaho shows why good fire requires good neighbors

Oct 15, 2021

Wildfire season is winding down across much of the Mountain West as cold weather moves in. But it’s the perfect time to set controlled, or prescribed, fires to burn unwanted dead trees and underbrush that fuel larger wildfires.

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NPR

New maps show pandemic impacts on Indigenous people in the U.S.

Oct 15, 2021

Indian Country Today collaborated with the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health to provide comprehensive data and maps to the public.

NPR

U.S. household growth slows, but it's a mixed bag for the Mountain West

Oct 14, 2021

A Pew Research analysis of census data shows that growth in U.S. households during the last decade slowed to its lowest pace in history.

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NPR

How Indigenous land acknowledgements can sanitize the trauma of dispossession

Oct 13, 2021

Many institutions acknowledge that land they've built upon once belonged to Native peoples, but experts say some well-intentioned statements can actually do harm.

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NPR

Indigenous advocates seek protections for Avi Kwa Ame following Bears Ears

Oct 13, 2021

A coalition that includes the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe is calling on the federal government to declare an area in Nevada the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument.

NPR

The Northern Arapaho Tribe and a Colorado community forge a sister-city partnership

Oct 08, 2021

Many American towns and metropolises have initiated unions with international locales — “sister cities,” where citizens travel to each others' hometowns and build cultural bridges. Rarely have local leaders considered such an arrangement with tribal nations, until now.

NPR

As demand for home care grows, Nevada workers petition for higher wages

Oct 06, 2021

The West is facing a growing shortage of home care workers as the senior population booms and more people stay away from nursing homes as the pandemic drags on.

NPR

A Supreme Court case could have big implications for Western groundwater

Oct 05, 2021

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for a complicated groundwater case this week, which could have implications for the Mountain West. The case involves Mississippi alleging that Tennessee takes too much water from an aquifer that runs beneath both states. Several western states have argued against the suit, not wanting to further complicate water law among the states.

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NPR

Google Maps to show wildfire locations, emergency contacts

Oct 01, 2021

Google Maps will soon launch a new filter that shows the location of active wildfires. Beyond just mapping fires, it will also provide local emergency information when available.

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NPR

A Day To Honor The Indigenous Children Who Died At Boarding Schools

Sep 30, 2021

Thursday marks Canada's first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – a day meant to acknowledge the enduring impacts that residential schools had on Indigenous people.

NPR

With Western Waters Out Of Whack, Algae Blooms Produce A Toxic Stew

Sep 30, 2021

Two separate times over the summer, the city of Reno in Nevada warned residents to avoid contact with local lakes and ponds where the explosive growth...

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NPR

Educators, health experts ask lawmakers to help keep schools open

Oct 01, 2021

Clark County School District SuperintendentJesus Jara explains how the district has navigated the pandemic and what it needs from federal lawmakers going forward.

NPR
The Las Vegas Raiders require that fans show proof of vaccination to attend home games at Allegiant Stadium, or get a shot on the way in.

Vaccine Mandate Pushes Some Raiders Diehards Over The Goal Line

Sep 28, 2021

The Las Vegas Raiders' vaccine mandate is persuading fans to get their first shot – despite some grumbling that it's a personal foul.

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NPR

Amtrak Derailment Sent Patients To Already Packed Hospitals

Sep 27, 2021

An Amtrak train derailment in rural north-central Montana on Sunday killed three people and sent several passengers to far-flung hospitals, further burdening ICUs full of COVID-19 patients.

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NPR

Hydropower Dips During Western Drought

Sep 24, 2021

The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that there was a 14% dip in hydropower in the U.S. this year. The vast majority of that decline is in the West. Less moisture and higher temps meant lower reservoir levels and decreased the ability to get energy from hydro dams. While utilities have long prepared for droughts, they’re becoming more frequent due to climate change.

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NPR

Report Spotlights The Socioeconomics Of Wildfire Risk

Sep 27, 2021

A new report on wildfire risk uses demographic data to highlight counties around the West that may be especially vulnerable.

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NPR

Loveland, Colorado Splinters Over Racist Sundown Town Past And Increasingly Diverse Future

Sep 27, 2021

Several moments during the last two years have reflected race-based problems in Loveland — at city council, school and library board meetings, during protests and in Facebook groups. Often, a key point of contention for some residents is whether racism even exists in the Colorado city, or ever did.

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NPR

When Misinformation Itself Is A Public Health Crisis

Sep 23, 2021

In Las Vegas, county commissioners passed a resolution calling misinformation a "public health crisis," while Idaho's public health department is cracking down on misinformation on Facebook.

NPR

In Nevada, Sundown Town History Has Cultural Impacts For Washoe Tribal Members

Sep 23, 2021

Prior to World War I, Nevada’s Douglas County adopted an ordinance that prohibited Native Americans from being in the towns of Minden or Gardnerville after sunset — at the risk of jail time or worse.

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NPR

Despite Its Optics, An Idaho College Town Remains A Complicated Place For People Of Color

Sep 17, 2021

Today, Moscow’s brief history as a probable sundown town seems a continent away. The northern Idaho town of 25,000 saw multiple racial justice protests last year. Black Lives Matter signs line the windows of Moscow’s downtown restaurants and cafes. But some people of color still feel uneasy here.

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NPR

Federal Court Strikes Down EPA Permits For Idaho Factory Farms

Sep 21, 2021

The judges found EPA permits in Idaho factory farms didn’t require enough monitoring of waste, and could lead to manure in waterways.

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NPR

Infrastructure Bill Would Pave Path For More Wildlife Bridges, Tunnels

Sep 21, 2021

The $350 million investment would reduce the number of expensive and deadly wildlife-vehicle collisions – an issue that's especially acute in more rural Western states.

NPR

Chinese Miners Faced Racism, Violence As Mountain West Sundown Towns Excluded Them

Sep 14, 2021

Sundown towns once drove out people of color or prohibited them from living within city limits. This practice started in the late 19th century, but the impact continues today. In Colorado, Chinese immigrants flocked to the state to find gold. They were tolerated in some mining camps and run out of others.

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NPR
 Dixie Fire night operations near Taylorsville, California on August 25, 2021

Climate Change Pushes Fires Higher Into The Mountains

Sep 17, 2021

Higher elevations like mountain tops usually have more moisture, and fires historically hadn’t burned there very often. But that’s changing rapidly. The Dixie and Caldor fires in California are the first two wildfires ever recorded crossing the Sierra Nevada crest and burning down the other side.

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NPR

The Unvaccinated Fill ICU Beds Across The Mountain West

Sep 16, 2021

Last week, Idaho health officials activated crisis standards of care for North Idaho, and on Thursday expanded the declaration statewide. Other states and healthcare systems in the region, including the Billings Clinic, are considering similar emergency measures.

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NPR
 A residential neighborhood in Portland, Ore., thick with wildfire smoke.

When Your House Was Built May Determine How Well It Keeps Out Wildfire Smoke

Sep 14, 2021

New research indicates newer homes and those constructed with central air conditioning may be better at keeping wildfire smoke out.

NPR

Idaho Tells Healthcare Workers To Ration Care As Pandemic Surges

Sep 17, 2021

When hospital workers are overwhelmed by a public health crisis and unable to provide standard care, crisis standards of care dictate who gets what kind of treatment.

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NPR

Biden Administration Starts Process To Re-Open Oil And Gas Leases On Federal Land

Sep 09, 2021

The Biden Administration is starting the process of re-opening federal lands to oil and gas leasing. That comes after a federal judge ruled Biden’s across-the-board moratorium on the leases was an executive overreach.

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NPR

Montana, Utah Governors Spread Mask Misinformation As Schools Open And Delta Variant Surges

Sep 03, 2021

As the COVID-19 delta variant drives case counts to their highest levels in months, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte amplifies misinformation about the effectiveness of masks in schools.

NPR
 The National Elk Refuge offers hunting opportunities for both bison and elk.

Interior Expands Access To Hunting, Fishing On Refuges

Sep 02, 2021

The U.S. Interior Department is expanding access to hunting and fishing on about 2.1 million acres of Fish and Wildlife Service land. That’s nearly the size of Yellowstone National Park. While hunters and anglers applaud the efforts, other conservation groups believe that refuges shouldn’t have hunting or angling at all.

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NPR

Rural Vaccination Rates Climb Following Spike In Infections

Sep 02, 2021

An analysis by the Center for Rural Strategies found that many rural communities' vaccination rates are still lagging behind the national average, but some are closing the gap – including Montana’s conservative Flathead Valley.

NPR

Missoula Health Board Challenges State Law That Contradicts CDC Guidelines

Sep 01, 2021

A local health board in Montana voted this week to continue to follow the CDC's COVID guidelines on who needs to quarantine after a close contact. But that could violate a new state law that prohibits discrimination based on vaccination status. 

NPR

FDA's Pfizer Approval Could Boost Mountain West Vaccination Rates

Sep 01, 2021

Public health officials hope the FDA's full approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine will encourage residents who are hesitant or unwilling.

NPR

Mountain West States Slow To Aid Tenants As Evictions Resume

Sep 01, 2021

The stakes have risen sharply to get rental assistance aid to struggling Americans on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ends the national eviction moratorium.

NPR

Feds Rounding Up Thousands of Wild Horses Threatened By Drought

Aug 27, 2021

An adoption program could spare 6,000 wild horses suffering extreme drought. Opponents fear some will meet a worse fate at slaughterhouses.

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NPR

Fentanyl, Cops And Courts: How We’re Addressing The Growing Overdose Crisis

Aug 24, 2021

In the high-stakes fight against fentanyl-induced drug deaths, one remedy is fairly simple: blue and white strips of paper. Fentanyl test strips work like a pregnancy test. One line shows up if there’s fentanyl in a solution. Two lines if there’s none. But where are they needed most?

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KNPR
NPR

Fentanyl Has Made It To The Mountain West And The Death Toll Is Rising

Aug 24, 2021

Fatal drug overdoses are skyrocketing, driven by synthetic opioids like fentanyl. And that potentially deadly drug has made it to the Mountain West – the last part of the U.S. to face the brunt of the opioid crisis.

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NPR

Some Solutions To The West’s Overdose Crisis: Test Strips And Data

Aug 24, 2021

Fentanyl test strips and better data may be a few of the many solutions to the opioid epidemic and the Mountain West's spike in overdose deaths.

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NPR

Nevada Judge Strikes Down Law Detaining Immigrants Over Its Racist Roots

Aug 23, 2021

A federal judge in Nevada has ruled that a law that further penalizes those who re-enter the U.S. after deportation is unconstitutional.  Section 1326 says if you were denied entry to the U.S. or were deported at some point, that law makes entering the U.S. a felony. The Nevada judge says it violates the U.S. Constitution because of its racist, anti-Mexican origins. The U.S. Department of Justice is appealing this decision.

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NPR

Boost In Food Stamp Benefits Doesn't Tip Scales Of Inequality In Mountain West Resort Towns

Aug 23, 2021

The move is not enough to ease widening disparities in certain parts of the region, resort towns in particular, where service workers comprise the backbone of the economy as a constant stream of tourists and wealthy second-home owners drive up the cost of living.

NPR

Federal Wildland Firefighters Get Pay Boost

Aug 20, 2021

The pay initiative is part of the Biden administration's plans to improve working conditions for federal wildland firefighters.

NPR

National Parks Requiring Masks For All Visitors Again

Aug 19, 2021

As of this week, the National Park Service is requiring masks in crowded parks again. The new mask mandate will require everyone, regardless of vaccine status, to wear masks in National Park facilities and in crowded outside areas. That means you’ll need a mask wherever you can’t adequately distance outside.

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Deaths In Tribal Jails Continue Despite Promises Of Improvement

Aug 23, 2021

For years, poor conditions in tribal jails have led to investigations and promises to improve.

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NPR

When Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: Wildfires Stymie Stargazing

Aug 17, 2021

People often love the night sky in our region. There’s less light pollution and you can see more stars. That is, until wildfire season. The smoke from those fires filters starlight and sometimes blots it out completely. That could mean fewer stargazing tourists venture into our region to take in a nighttime view of the galaxy. 

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NPR

Fans Must Be Vaccinated To Attend Las Vegas Raiders Home Games

Aug 18, 2021

“It’s not just about you. It’s about the person sitting next to you,” said Raiders owner Mark Davis.

NPR

As Delta Variant Spreads, Conservative Leaders In The Rural West Continue To Sow Distrust

Aug 16, 2021

“Eroding trust takes minutes. Building trust takes years,” says Christine Porter, a public health professor at the University of Wyoming.

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NPR

Gun Owners And Non-Owners Share Support For Background Checks

Aug 09, 2021

It’s obvious that gun owners and non-gun owners often disagree on gun policy, but recent Pew Research surveys show they share some opinions, too.

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NPR

Worst-In-World Air Quality Takes Page From Grim Climate Report

Aug 11, 2021

Two Western cities registered the poorest air quality in the world over the last week as smoke from wildfires in northern California turned the skies over the Rocky Mountains into a chalky white abyss.

NPR

Glimpsing National Parks From The International Space Station

Aug 10, 2021

Astronaut Megan McArthur grew up visiting national parks like Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Zion. Now she’s photographing them from 250 miles above the surface of Earth.

NPR

'The Crumbs': Federal Neglect Leaves Tribal Jails In Disrepair—If They're Open At All

Aug 06, 2021

After months of repeated written questions and public records requests from NPR and the Mountain West News Bureau, Interior Department officials said they now plan to contract with an outside agency to examine the troubles plaguing tribal detention centers.

NPR

A Mother’s Death In Tribal Jail Highlights Need For Medical Care On Site

Aug 06, 2021

The National Congress of American Indians has urged the federal government to place medical personnel in its tribal jails, arguing that the current situation "exacerbates the already challenging problem of health disparities for American Indians."

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NPR
 Carlos Yazzie’s brother, Chris, stands next to the remains of their childhood home on the Navajo Nation.

Carlos Yazzie Needed A Hospital. Instead, He Ended Up Dead In A Tribal Jail

Aug 05, 2021

"The corrections officers are basically holding these lives in their hands with their decisions."

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Wilma Fleury sits in her home in Browning, Montana on April 24, 2021.

'A National Disgrace': Years After Promised Reforms, People Keep Dying At Federal Tribal Jails

Aug 06, 2021

Willy Pepion had a cracked skull, and guards at the federal jail on the Blackfeet Reservation dismissed his pleas for help. He died in his cell. Three hours went by until anyone noticed.

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NPR

Perfect (Ice) Storm: Unfilled Jobs, Heat Waves Creating Ice Shortages

Aug 06, 2021

There’s an ice shortage in parts of the Mountain West, so you may not be able to buy as much as you need for that backyard gathering. The shortage is due to a big increase in events, the heat wave and a worker shortage. Distributors say it’s especially hard to find truck drivers to deliver the ice.

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NPR

Smoke Does Little To Scare Off Campers On Public Lands

Aug 05, 2021

A study found that average occupancy rates at campgrounds in the West dropped by 1.3 percentage points when smoke was bad — driving concerns about public health.

NPR

Two Years After Declaring Climate Emergency, Scientists Say It's Even Worse

Aug 04, 2021

An updated version of a 2019 report published in the journal BioScience on Wednesday includes an additional 2,800 scientists’ signatures.

NPR
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Biden Promises Western Governors Long-Term Fire Help On The Way

Aug 04, 2021

As Western states battle thousands of acres of wildfires that are fouling air across the country, President Biden told Western governors that his infrastructure plan provides needed relief.

NPR
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Navajo COVID Cases On Rise As Tribe Pushes Vaccine, Masks

Aug 04, 2021

States around the Mountain West are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases, and it’s started to affect some tribes, too.

NPR
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Study Finds Heat Takes Toll On Mountain Trees In West

Aug 02, 2021

Another heatwave gripped much of the country last week, including areas in 

NPR
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Some States Limit Their Own Pandemic Response

Jul 30, 2021

Cases of the COVID delta variant are surging nationwide, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week to

NPR
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Region's Federal, State Workers Face Vaccine Edicts

Jul 30, 2021

Low vaccination rates make many counties in the Mountain West especially vulnerable to the COVID-19 delta variant right now, according to data from the public health research group PHICOR.

NPR

Interior Secretary Advocates For Big Budget Increase On Capitol Hill

Jul 27, 2021

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland faced lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday as she advocated for an $18 billion budget increase for her department next year. The money would go towards advancing renewable energy projects, expanding wildland fire programs and boosting public safety on reservations.

NPR
A single-engine tanker makes a water drop on a wildfire in central Washington as firefighters from numerous agencies watch and fight the blaze, Aug. 9, 2018.

Jet Fuel Shortage Is A Headache For Air Travelers And Firefighters

Jul 27, 2021

The U.S. is facing a jet fuel shortage this summer. It’s causing long delays at airports across the West as well as some concern among aerial firefighters.

NPR
Timber Haulers

Timber Haulers, Harvesters To Get Federal Pandemic Aid

Jul 23, 2021

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is spending up to $200 million to help loggers and timber haulers recover from the pandemic.

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DACA protester Statue of Liberty

Uncertainty Deepens For DACA Recipients On Heels Of Federal Ruling

Jul 23, 2021

Life for DACA recipients in the U.S. is anything but assured, and a recent federal ruling has unleveled the shaky ground they walk on and drawn sharper curves into their paths.

NPR
 Shannon Santos and Greg Daly prepare for themed wedding photos at a chapel in Las Vegas on July 21, 2021.

Weddings Surge In Las Vegas As Pandemic Eases Across Nation

Jul 23, 2021

The pandemic made us press pause on a lot of life’s special moments. Vacations. Graduation parties … and weddings. But as the country continues to reopen and more people get vaccinated, marriages and ceremonies are surging this summer … including in America’s wedding capitol… Las Vegas.

NPR
Pumpjacks in Wyoming.

Energy Job Numbers Slumped Last Year, But Are On The Rebound

Jul 22, 2021

The U.S. Energy and Employment Jobs report came out Tuesday, showing an overall decline in energy jobs around the nation.

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Rimrock Junior/Senior High School in Bruneau, Idaho. Despite recent outbreaks that forced temporary closures, the Bruneau-Grand View school board in Idaho voted down a mask mandate in November.

Schools Get Mixed Messaging On Mask Policies

Jul 20, 2021

Experts largely agree that schools should open to in-person learning this fall, but there’s disagreement on masking policies.

NPR
 Smoky conditions at Priest Lake in northern Idaho.

Smoky Skies Could Linger Until Snow Flies

Jul 20, 2021

Air quality specialists say the smoky conditions that showed up earlier than usual this year, could stick around until October for some parts of the region.

KNPR
NPR
The Colorado River is at historic lows as a severe drought deepens across the West this summer.

Coalition Calls For Moratorium On New Pipelines, Dams Along Colorado River

Jul 16, 2021

A massive new infrastructure bill is slowly moving its way through Congress this summer. But a coalition of elected officials, farmers, conservationists and tribal leaders want to make sure it doesn’t include new big pipelines or dams along the parched Colorado River.

NPR
Johnson and Johnson's Janssen Vaccine

"There's A Lot Of People Out There Like Me." Immunosuppressed May Not Get Same Protection From COVID

Jul 19, 2021

Those living with compromised immune systems are facing a double whammy with the region's low vaccination rates and the possibility that the COVID-19 vaccine may not offer them the same protection as their peers.

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Cash From Child Tax Credit Lands In Family Bank Accounts Across Mountain West

Jul 15, 2021

Advocates and social scientists say the extra money will help low and middle-income families recover from the economic impacts wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic and lift millions out of poverty.

NPR
Luke Runyon

Colorado River Basin Reservoirs Begin Emergency Releases To Prop Up A Troubled Lake Powell

Jul 15, 2021

Emergency water releases from reservoirs upstream of Lake Powell have begun to preserve the nation’s second-largest reservoir’s ability to generate hydroelectric power.

NPR
NPR
 The Bootleg fire in Oregon is the largest wildfire currently burning in the United States.

‘All Hands On Deck’: National Fire Preparedness Level Reaches Highest, Most Critical Tier

Jul 15, 2021
Severe wildfires across the West have prompted the nation’s top fire agency to increase its preparedness level to the highest and most critical stage — the earliest the agency has done so in a decade.
NPR
Ice

STUDY: ICE Ignores Protocols, Possibly Resulting In Detention Center Deaths

Jul 15, 2021

New research shows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hasn’t been following its own health protocols, possibly resulting in detention center deaths. ICE's own documents revealed that medical aid was slow, inadequate or completely lacking in some cases.

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NPR
PFAS are substances found in firefighting foams and protective gear.

EPA Proposes Listing PFAS As Drinking Water Contaminants

Jul 14, 2021

A group of chemicals called PFAS are common in many household items, and potentially causing health problems. Monday, the EPA included them in the draft of its latest list of water contaminants, setting the groundwork for potential regulation.

KNPR
NPR
Oil Production

Approvals For New Oil Drilling Projects Surge Under Biden Administration

Jul 13, 2021

Oil production is ramping up on federal public lands despite President Biden’s promise to end new drilling. Approvals for new projects are on pace to hit their highest levels since the Bush administration. Environmentalists are objecting to the approvals saying it exacerbates climate change.

NPR

Mountain West News Bureau Hires New Managing Editor

Jul 13, 2021

Managing Editor Dave Rosenthal has been hired to guide the Mountain West News Bureau.

KNPR
NPR
Two veteran firefighters died in a plane crash Saturday while surveying the Cedar Basin fire in northwest Arizona.

Two Firefighters Die In Plane Crash While Surveying Arizona Wildfire

Jul 12, 2021

Severe weather may have played a role in the deaths of two veteran firefighters in a plane crash in northwest Arizona over the weekend.

KNPR
NPR
The Wheeler Mountain Fire near Bozeman, Montana was one of the hundreds of wildfires that broke out across the West in recent days.

Wildfire Conditions Become More Severe As Drought Deepens

Jul 12, 2021

At least 100 new wildfires broke out across the West Thursday as the region’s severe drought continues to deepen.

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