Erin Wong

Jan 1, 2025 | hcn.org | Erin Wong

This month, hundreds of political electees are settling into agencies and statehouses across the country, eager to wield their fresh power and influence. Their approach to the economy, national security and the environment will determine the quality of life for Americans for years to come. As they take office, it’s important for Westerners to understand their base to gauge how well they are meeting their constituents’ demands.

Dec 28, 2024 | motherjones.com | Erin Wong

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. This story was originally published by High Country News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order on the climate crisis that, among other things, directed the secretary of the Interior to review the potential for clean energy on public lands.

Nov 14, 2024 | ourcommunitynow.com | Erin Wong

Share Last week, voters in half a dozen Western states rejected ballot measures that would have overhauled how elections are conducted. Four states — Oregon, Colorado, Idaho and Nevada — resoundingly rejected ranked-choice voting initiatives. Alaska is still awaiting a final verdict on whether it will keep or repeal its own ranked-choice voting system. And in Arizona and Montana, ballot measures mandating open primaries were also defeated.

Sep 25, 2024 | atmos.earth | Erin Wong

09.25.2024 High altitude communities face an existential threat to their way of life—and they’re doing everything they can to adapt.

Sep 17, 2024 | hcn.org | Erin Wong

In 2018, Solano County, California, realized that a single company, known as Flannery Associates, was quietly buying up a large amount of land. Many of the parcels were zoned for agricultural use, making a purchase of this size unusual. The county reached out to Flannery and received assurances that the company would continue to do business as usual by “entering into long-term leases with farmers.” Five years later, though, its true intentions became clear.