The number of people experiencing homelessness vastly exceeds the number of available shelter beds in the state.
Law enforcement
Posted inArticles
Supreme Court gives cities and towns power to criminalize homelessness
The Oregon case has been closely watched by Western cities and states.
Posted inJune 2024: The Idea of Wilderness
California’s homelessness and climate crises leave unhoused communities vulnerable to floods
Seeking shelter, people are living in flood control channels and other flood-prone places.
Posted inArticles
Lake Mead’s illegal road network is growing
People have created hundreds of miles of unofficial roads trying to reach the water as levels decline. Federal officials want funds to address the issue.
Posted inArticles
Caminos ilegales alrededor del Lago Mead plantean nuevo peligro para el medio ambiente
La gente ha creado caminos no oficiales para llegar al agua a medida que los niveles disminuyen. Funcionarios quieren fondos para atender el problema.
Posted inMay 2024: A River Returns
How attacks on energy substations play into the hands of extremists
When the West’s electrical grid is targeted, motives tend to matter less than ensuing propaganda.
Posted inArticles
New DNA technique could bring closure for families of missing and murdered Indigenous people
But experts say this risks DNA sovereignty.
Posted inArticles
In Northern California, Asian residents say they are being targeted by traffic stops
The Siskiyou County sheriff’s department has been accused of racial profiling in the past.
Posted inArticles
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How grizzly bear poachers are getting away with it
Investigation finds that Department of Justice rarely prosecutes grizzly bear killers under the Endangered Species Act.
Posted inArticles
Does California’s Friendship Park need a taller border wall?
Advocates protest plans for reconstruction of the barrier at the binational meeting point.
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A year in the Borderlands: The biggest stories from 2022
With a little help from our friends, HCN untangles the complexities of the U.S.-Mexico border.
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How a volunteer trash pickup club tackles housing and climate justice
LA’s Echo Park Trash Club supports its unhoused neighbors by helping them stay in place.
Posted inArticles
How to prevent a hike from resulting in a heist
A new proposal aims to make trailheads near Seattle safe from car break-ins — but some worry it could compromise their own safety.
Posted inArticles
A new investigation reveals depth of skewed policing in Siskiyou County
A staggering percentage of stops by county deputies targeted Asian-American residents.
Posted inArticles
The Supreme Court’s attack on tribal sovereignty, explained
Four federal Indian law experts digest the Supreme Court’s ‘shocking‘ decision to grant state governments the power to prosecute crimes in Indian Country.
Posted inMay 1, 2022: New Ways of Seeing the West
Why is this California sheriff suddenly interested in ‘environmental crimes?’
Law enforcement takes center stage in Siskiyou County’s fight over who can, and can’t, use land and water.
Posted inNovember 1, 2021: The Radioactive Waste Next Door
Hmong Americans in Northern California fight wildfire — and distrust
Wary of local authorities, a community forms an ad-hoc firefighting force to defend its property.
Posted inOctober 1, 2021: In The Graces of Grasses
When public health becomes the public enemy
Far-right extremists are robbing the West of the officials who protect community health.
Posted inOctober 1, 2021: In The Graces of Grasses
In Arizona, a radical change in juvenile detention
How a rural town transformed a juvenile facility into a safe space for teens.