Nevada

Lake Mead.

Feds’ cash stream supports Colorado River conservation — but the money will dry up

BY: - September 20, 2023

Read more Stateline coverage of how communities across the West are grappling with drought that’s worsening because of climate change. Despite a megadrought, states in the West have been able to avoid drastic cuts to their allocations of Colorado River water this year not only because of surprising storms but also thanks to generous financial incentives from […]

Voters in Idaho in 2022.

As ranked choice voting gains momentum, parties in power push back

BY: - August 21, 2023

Over the past decade, ranked choice voting has become increasingly popular. From conservative Utah to liberal New York City, 13 million American voters in 51 jurisdictions — including all of Alaska and Maine — now use the system, under which voters rank candidates based on preference, leading to an instant runoff in a crowded race. […]

A playground outside a boarded-up building.

Couch, car or curb: Defining which young person is ‘homeless’ affects aid state by state

BY: - August 17, 2023

The spectrum of youth homelessness is vast. It includes young children sleeping with their mothers in crowded shelters and families living in tent encampments in public parks. There are teenage runaways who have fled abusive homes to live on the streets and kids who spend their nights hidden in cars or abandoned buildings. But youth […]

A marijuana dispensary in Minnesota.

Pot smell and safety concerns ignite disputes over public smoking

BY: - August 9, 2023

Carl Sack is no fan of marijuana. He tried smoking once in high school and hasn’t touched it since. And he doesn’t just dislike the clouds of pot smoke he encounters around Duluth, Minnesota — he hates them. “I can’t stand to be around the stuff,” he said. But he’s still adamantly opposed to local […]