High Country News https://www.hcn.org/ A nonprofit independent magazine of unblinking journalism that shines a light on all of the complexities of the West. Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:59:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.hcn.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cropped-HCN_Logo-Monogram_White_Sq-2-32x32.png High Country News https://www.hcn.org/ 32 32 229054741 Hexing AI slop with queer magic https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-9/hexing-ai-slop-with-queer-magic/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=346674

LGBTQ+ artists showcase alternative spiritualities in an exhibit at the Palm
Springs Art Museum.

The post Hexing AI slop with queer magic appeared first on High Country News.

]]> 346674 Large solar project on Navajo Nation leaves residents skeptical https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-9/large-solar-project-on-navajo-nations-leaves-residents-skeptical/ Tue, 08 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=346617

As renewable energy expands, questions about how renewable the projects are regulated on Diné land emerge.

The post Large solar project on Navajo Nation leaves residents skeptical appeared first on High Country News.

]]> 346617 How Bozeman is preventing human-wildlife conflicts before they start https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-9/how-bozeman-is-preventing-human-wildlife-conflicts-before-they-start/ Mon, 07 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=346602 Noah Starling watches as a man on a lawn mower approaches two fawns in a Bozeman, Montana, neighborhood. Deer-human conflicts often arise because female deer are protective of their young around people, Starling said.

A ’wildlife first responder’ is developing a tool for coexistence.

The post How Bozeman is preventing human-wildlife conflicts before they start appeared first on High Country News.

]]> 346602 On the road with a desert sage https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-9/on-the-road-with-a-desert-sage/ Fri, 04 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=346640 Gary Paul Nabhan admires a cluster of agave plants in the hills near his home in Patagonia, Arizona.

A writer travels the Borderlands with ethnobotanist and author Gary Paul Nabhan.

The post On the road with a desert sage appeared first on High Country News.

]]> 346640 Nuclear power drive boosts southwestern uranium mills — and tribal health concerns https://www.hcn.org/articles/drive-for-nuclear-power-boosts-uranium-and-tribal-health-concerns/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=346920

Havasupai, Ute Mountain Ute, Najavo (Diné) tribes worry that southwestern uranium mills may foul groundwater for generations.

The post Nuclear power drive boosts southwestern uranium mills — and tribal health concerns appeared first on High Country News.

]]> 346920 The GOAT of all goats, a mystery solved, and the rez dog who chose not to ‘stay’ https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-9/the-goat-of-all-goats-a-mystery-solved-and-the-rez-dog-who-chose-not-to-stay/ Wed, 02 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=346679

Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.

The post The GOAT of all goats, a mystery solved, and the rez dog who chose not to ‘stay’ appeared first on High Country News.

]]> 346679 Nevada sues over Colorado River plans, aiming to protect Las Vegas https://www.hcn.org/articles/nevada-suing-to-protect-colorado-river-water/ Tue, 01 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=346901

The state says federal plans to manage the drought-stricken basin would cut the city’s water supply by roughly 71%.

The post Nevada sues over Colorado River plans, aiming to protect Las Vegas appeared first on High Country News.

]]> 346901 The Perseids remind us to shine on https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-9/the-perseids-remind-us-to-shine-on/ Tue, 01 Sep 2026 07:55:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=346586

On endings and new beginnings.

The post The Perseids remind us to shine on appeared first on High Country News.

]]> 346586 HCN farewells https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-9/hcn-farewells/ Tue, 01 Sep 2026 07:40:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=346631

A few staff departures and a HCN road trip.

The post HCN farewells appeared first on High Country News.

]]> 346631 Letters to the Editor, September 2026 https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-9/letters-to-the-editor-september-2026/ Tue, 01 Sep 2026 07:39:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=346590

Comments from readers.

The post Letters to the Editor, September 2026 appeared first on High Country News.

]]> 346590