Western Washington communities are blocking utility-scale battery storage projects even as the state needs them to support renewable energy and grid stability.

Washington Democrats enacted a 9.9% income tax on high earners to fund tax breaks for low-income families and small businesses, but conservative groups are gathering signatures to eliminate the tax while keeping the benefits.

Utah's Parents Anonymous helpline helps young people in crisis feel more hopeful and solution-oriented during brief 30-minute counseling calls, a new study shows.

Elite colleges are recruiting rural high school students more aggressively, with a $170 million initiative now focused on getting admitted applicants to actually enroll and graduate.

Social Security faces a 22% benefit cut by 2032 unless Congress addresses a revenue shortfall affecting millions of Coloradans who depend on the program.

This week on Yonder Radio, we start out with a story from KFF Health News, about the closure of dialysis clinics in rural Nebraska. Arielle Zionts reports that shuttering clinics mean that patients will have to drive several additional hours each way to receive life-saving care. We’ll continue our visit to the Great Plains with Kristy Bly, who manages the restoration of the Black Footed Ferret with the World Wildlife Fund. Then, we’ll head to western North Carolina, to learn about the tradition of ballad swapping, and its special significance in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Finally, reporter Ilana Newman takes us to the Sandhill Crane Festival in Monte Vista, Colorado, to celebrate the annual migration of one of North America’s oldest species. Our featured musical guest is Bill Palmer, a musician and producer out of Terilingua, Texas.

Trump admin defends Iran deal, as GOP and Dems push back. Record numbers of women run for governorships and California voters put a billionaire tax on the midterm ballot.

Janeese Lewis George wins the Democratic primary for mayor of Washington, District of Columbia; Celebrities and former presidents attend the gala for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago; Coloradans could see Social Security benefit cuts unless Congress takes action; A proposed data center at Fisk University faces community pushback; Advocates in New York and the nation rally for a fair North American trade deal.

Colorado's Family Affordability Credit will likely remain off for the next two years unless state revenue growth exceeds 3%, state economists said Thursday.

Late-season storms delivered a half-inch to an inch and a half of moisture across central Colorado over the past week.