Mountain West

When Julie Burkhart learned about the Supreme Court draft opinion that would end abortion protections, she let out an involuntary shriek from her airplane seat. “Because it felt like such a gut punch,” Burkhart said. “And then after that, getting into the opinion and reading that — it was chilling.”

May 25 was National Missing Children’s Day, and advocates are calling attention to the rising number of missing children around the country, including in parts of the Mountain West.

The money targets at least 277 high-priority polluting wells on federal public lands in nine states, including Utah.

A new report shows Americans have more equity in their homes than ever, and some of the highest levels of equity-rich property owners are in the Mountain West.

Across the Mountain West and beyond, right-wing politicians are pushing a wave of discriminatory laws. But that’s only one of the issues motivating a record number of LGBTQ candidates.

The U.S. The Department of Agriculture granted $500,000 to a group recently to help build a maple syrup industry in the Mountain West. At least one business is already doing this in Montana, but organizations across the region are working together to spread awareness and research a possible syrup industry in our own backyards.

About 96% of people now live within an hour of life-saving stroke care, but the Mountain West has the worst access in the country. That’s according to new research from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Omicron cases are surging across the Mountain West. In several states, more than 80% of ICU beds are filled. While these COVID-19 infections tend to have milder overall symptoms for individuals, they’re still landing people in the hospital and stressing health care systems and workers.

Inflation is the highest the nation’s seen since the 80s. It’s worst in the Mountain West. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices increased 8.6% in our region, the highest nationally.

Parts of the Mountain West are still seeing snow and frost and sleet – but there's one sure sign that spring is actually here: the songs of migrating…