politics

As Election Nears, Trump's Call For Watching The Polls Stirs Fears Of Intimidation, Violence

By • Oct 28, 2020

As election day approaches, some states in the Mountain West are preparing for potential voter intimidation and violence following rhetoric from President Donald Trump.

Across The Great Divide: Boomtowns And Ghost Towns

By • Oct 27, 2020
Luke Anderson

Growth and change are two constants in the American West. At least they have been for the past two centuries. Ever since White settlers and the U.S. government grabbed this land from Indigenous tribes. And today, as our region undergoes yet another transformation, some are digging in their heels. Others see opportunity.

Wyoming Revenue Numbers Better But Not Great

By • Oct 27, 2020
Eda Uzunlar

Wyoming's revenue picture looks better than it did in May, but a top state budget analyst told the legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee that it's still not good. 

Wyoming Makes History As It Elects Two Women To Congress

By • Oct 26, 2020
Shannon Smith

Wyoming will witness history this year as it elects two women to Congress. Newcomer and Northern Arapaho tribal member, Lynnette Greybull, will face incumbent Liz Cheney for the U.S. House seat. Cynthia Lummis will face ecologist and scientist, Merav Ben-David, for Wyoming's open seat in the Senate. So, what does this mean for the state?

Live: Final Presidential Debate Between Trump And Biden

By NPR • Oct 22, 2020
Meg Kelly/NPR

President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden are holding a final debate Thursday in Nashville, with Kristen Welker of NBC News moderating. After a haphazard first debate, and a canceled second one, this final debate has new rules established by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Follow live updates and analysis.

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Across The Great Divide: Polarized!

By • Oct 20, 2020
Luke Anderson

In this first episode, the word "divide" is front and center. Journalist Nate Hegyi meets rural Westerners worried that America is headed towards a second Civil War.

Facing West: Season 1 Trailer

By • Oct 20, 2020
Luke Anderson

A new podcast about the ever-changing face of the Mountain West. In our first season we're looking at America's Great Divide. I'm reporter Nate Hegyi with the Mountain West News Bureau.

A couple months ago, I decided to slow the news cycle down and really listen to people grappling with this division. And I did that by riding a bicycle hundreds of miles along America’s continental divide. So grab your helmet, saddle up and come along for the ride.

Idaho's Ammon Bundy Seizes On COVID-19 To Grow His Far-Right Network

By • Oct 16, 2020

Extremism experts say a fast-growing network of far-right activists could threaten the Mountain West and beyond. It’s called the People’s Rights network and, according to a new report, it includes anti-maskers, militia members and conspiracy theorists.


Alleged Harassment In Wapiti Raises Questions About LGBTQ Protections

By • Oct 16, 2020
Shannon Lastowski Monahan

On a crisp late fall afternoon, Colin Monahan and Shannon Lastowski Monahan were about to relax after a nice dinner with friends at their home in Wapiti, about 20 miles west of Cody towards Yellowstone National Park.

Candidates Look For New Ways To Connect With Voters During Pandemic

By editor • Oct 13, 2020

Campaigning in a normal election year can be difficult even for the most seasoned politicians. But campaigning during a pandemic adds a host of new challenges. The biggest might be how does a candidate connect with voters safely.

Idaho Loses U.S. Supreme Court Appeal To Overturn Transgender Inmate Case

By • Oct 13, 2020

The U.S. Supreme Court has officially declined to take up the case of a transgender inmate in Idaho who sued state officials to get sex reassignment surgery.


Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing

By • Oct 13, 2020

Updated at 2:33 p.m. ET

The Senate Judiciary Committee held its fourth and final day of hearings on Thursday on President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.

If confirmed, Barrett, 48, would replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the high court.

Tips For Talking To The Conspiracy Theorist In Your Life

By • Oct 12, 2020
HollyHarry / Shutterstock

Here's a scenario you may have found yourself in recently: You open up Facebook or Twitter, and someone you know is posting about a conspiracy theory. You wonder, Do I say something? Is there any convincing them otherwise?

Pendley Looks To Set Record Straight Over Court Decision

By • Oct 9, 2020
Bureau of Land Management

For 424 days, William Perry-Pendley held the power of director within the Bureau of Land Management. But on Sept. 25, the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana Great Falls Division found he had been holding that power illegally, given he wasn't Senate-confirmed. Cooper McKim spoke with Wyoming-native Pendley about what happened, his efforts to return to his role, and what he's doing now.

Western Fires Have Become Part Of The Political Landscape

By • Oct 9, 2020
Chip Redmond / InciWeb

Every four years there's a near universal complaint that western issues get passed over in presidential elections. Not this year, which is mostly because large swaths of the West have been burning.

Judges Are On The November Ballot. What Are You Voting For?

By • Oct 9, 2020
Wyoming State Bar

As Wyoming residents prepare to vote in November's general election, there will be 28 judges across the state up for "retention." It's up to voters to decide if these judges get to keep their jobs. But how do you sort out who these people are? Wyoming Public Radio's Catherine Wheeler spoke with Executive Director of the Wyoming State Bar Sharon Wilkinson about how this process works.

What's The Constitutional Amendment On Wyoming's Ballot About?

By • Oct 8, 2020
Wyoming Secretary of State's Office

Along with voting for president, U.S. Senate and House Representatives, as well as state and local officials, this November's ballot will also ask Wyoming voters to consider an amendment to the state's constitution.

Live: The 2020 Vice Presidential Debate

By • Oct 7, 2020

Vice President Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris are in Salt Lake City for their only debate of the 2020 campaign. The face-off comes at a time of turmoil for the current administration, with President Trump continuing treatment for the coronavirus.

Follow live updates and fact checks throughout the night.

Western Senators Push Bill Intended To Reduce Wildfire Risk

By • Oct 2, 2020

A bipartisan group of Western lawmakers have signed onto a new federal bill that aims to reduce the damages of wildfire.


Watch Live: 1st Presidential Debate Between Trump And Biden

By editor • Sep 29, 2020

President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have their first debate Tuesday night in Cleveland.

Fox News' Chris Wallace is moderating the event, scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET. Debate topics will include the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and the Supreme Court.

Follow NPR's live coverage, including updates and fact checks.

Trump Announces Amy Coney Barrett As His Supreme Court Nominee

By • Sep 26, 2020

Updated at 6:20 p.m. ET

President Trump says he will nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court, spurring what's likely to be a bitter confirmation fight just weeks before the presidential election.

If confirmed by the Senate, the 48-year-old judge will solidify the court's conservative majority, shaping the trajectory of health care law, abortion rights and many corners of American life for generations to come.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Made An Impact On Some Women In Wyoming

By • Sep 25, 2020
Joe Ravi, CC-BY-SA 3.0


The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg certainly has some political repercussions, but for many women who followed her career, her impact will be long lasting. That's the case for many women who practice law in Wyoming.

Governor Gordon Supports Barrasso Effort To Reform The Endangered Species Act

By • Sep 25, 2020
Bob Wick, BLM

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon was in the nation's capital this week testifying about his desire to overhaul the Endangered Species Act. Correspondent Matt Laslo has the story on his testimony calling to upend that act - a message he delivered before Wyoming Senator John Barrasso's Environment and Public Works Committee.

Early Voting Begins In Wyoming, Absentee Ballots Available In Every County

By • Sep 24, 2020
JoyPixels via Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Election day is still more than a month away, but voting has already started in Wyoming.

State residents can vote by mail or in-person ahead of election day by requesting a ballot from their local county clerk.

Day 24: The End Of The Road

By • Sep 23, 2020

Nate Hegyi, rural reporter for the Mountain West News Bureau, is embarking on a 900-mile cycling trip crisscrossing the continental divide in August and September, interviewing and listening to Americans ahead of the 2020 election. You can follow along on social media, an online blog and this "Where Is He Now?" map.

Day 23: In A Skiing Boomtown, A Different Kind Of Bust

By • Sep 23, 2020

Nate Hegyi, rural reporter for the Mountain West News Bureau, is embarking on a 900-mile cycling trip crisscrossing the continental divide in August and September, interviewing and listening to Americans ahead of the 2020 election. You can follow along on social media, an online blog and this "Where Is He Now?" map.

Public Health Leaders Vow Science, Not Politics, Will Guide COVID-19 Vaccine

By • Sep 23, 2020

Updated at 1:37 p.m. ET

Amid criticism from Democrats that politics may be guiding decisions at the nation's top health agencies, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration told Congress on Wednesday that a coronavirus vaccine would not be approved until it met "vigorous expectations" for safety and effectiveness.

Ginsburg, Role Model And 'Rock Star,' Lies In Repose At Supreme Court

By • Sep 23, 2020

Updated at 11:01 a.m. ET

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is lying in repose at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday and Thursday, a two-day event honoring a justice who was both a cultural and legal icon.

As Ginsburg's casket arrived at the high court, former law clerks lined the Supreme Court steps. Supreme Court police officers served as pallbearers. Then the justice's family, close friends and members of the court held a brief ceremony in the court's Great Hall.

Days 21 & 22: America Is A Quilt Being Pulled Apart

By • Sep 22, 2020

Nate Hegyi, rural reporter for the Mountain West News Bureau, is embarking on a 900-mile cycling trip crisscrossing the continental divide in August and September, interviewing and listening to Americans ahead of the 2020 election. You can follow along on social media, an online blog and this "Where Is He Now?" map.

Day 20: If You Live In The Rural West, You Better Fit The Part

By • Sep 21, 2020

Nate Hegyi, rural reporter for the Mountain West News Bureau, is embarking on a 900-mile cycling trip crisscrossing the continental divide in August and September, interviewing and listening to Americans ahead of the 2020 election. You can follow along on social media, an online blog and this "Where Is He Now?" map.

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