Getting Colorado River water from California farms will take more than just money
The Imperial Valley produces $2.9 billion in crops and livestock each year. That’s because the valley’s Imperial Irrigation District holds the largest single allocation of Colorado River water – bigger than any other farming district or city between Wyoming and Mexico. But now, that water allocation is under increasing scrutiny from water managers looking to cut back on water use and correct[...]
How Trump fake electors scheme became a ‘corrupt plan,’ according to the indictment
The role that fake slates of electors played in Donald Trump's effort to cling to power after his defeat in the 2020 election is at the center of a four-count indictment released against the former president Tuesday.
Masks are out at In-N-Out after burger chain bans employees from wearing them in five states
The In-N-Out burger chain will bar employees in five states from wearing masks unless they have a doctor's note, according to internal company emails leaked on social media.
US Southwest swelters under dangerous heat wave, new records on track
A dangerous heat wave threatened a wide swath of the Southwest with potentially deadly temperatures in the triple digits on Saturday as some cooling centers extended their hours and emergency rooms prepared to treat more people with heat-related illnesses.
Interior Department official with key role in Colorado River talks is stepping down
A senior Interior Department official who has had a key role in negotiations over the shrinking Colorado River plans to step down from the job next week.
Across Southwest, residents in desert cities like Phoenix are experiencing extreme heat wave
Even Southwestern desert residents accustomed to scorching summers are feeling the grip of an extreme heat wave smacking Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Southern California this week with 100-degree-plus temps and excessive heat warnings.
Experts say extreme heat takes toll on mind and body
The Southwestern U.S. is bracing for another week of blistering temperatures, with forecasters on Monday extending an excessive heat warning through the weekend for Arizona's most populated area, and alerting residents in parts of Nevada and New Mexico to stay indoors.
Analysts: Arizona will be ‘one of the keys’ to presidency, Senate in 2024
Two recent reports identify Arizona as one of four or five battleground states for the 2024 election, with one analyst saying the state could be “one of the keys to the presidency.”
Court to hear appeal over Biden-backed lithium mine opposed by tribes, environmentalists
A U.S. appeals court will consider challenges Tuesday to a huge lithium mine in Nevada in a case that pits environmentalists and Native Americans against President Joe Biden's plans to combat climate change and could have broad implications for mining operations across the West.
US push to lower wildfire risk across the West stumbles in places
Using chainsaws, heavy machinery and controlled burns, the Biden administration is trying to turn the tide on worsening wildfires in the U.S. West through a multi-billion dollar cleanup of forests choked with dead trees and undergrowth.
Climate adaptation in Arizona will require more than just federal funding, luck
The federal government just reached a historic deal with California, Arizona, and Nevada to provide cities, irrigation districts, and tribal governments with around $1.2 billion to temporarily use less water from the Colorado River. In Arizona, these solutions will require unpopular political decisions – and there isn’t much time to enact them.
Supreme Court rules against Navajo Nation in Colorado River water rights case
The Supreme Court ruled against the Navajo Nation on Thursday in a dispute involving water from the drought-stricken Colorado River.