News in Brief Archives

Migrants walk toward the El Chaparral port of entry in Tijuana, Mexico, on June 21st, 2018.

Can We Be Sure Only Six Migrant Children Have Recently Died in Government Custody?

We now know of six children who died after spending time in government custody in the last eight months. Advocates and politicians have raised the alarm that there could be more.

Jack Herrera

Woman holding a bunch of money in hundred dollar bills.

As More Americans Are Being Lifted Out of Poverty, the Racial Wealth Gap Persists

An annual Federal Reserve Board report found that more Americans are financially secure in 2018. Most of them are white.

Emily Moon

(Left) A police file photo made available February 6th, 2002, of the "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh. (Right) A February 11th, 2002, photograph of Lindh as seen from the records of the Arabia Hassani Kalan Surani Bannu madrassa (religious school) in Pakistan's northwestern city of Bannu.

News in Brief

Is Law Enforcement Able to De-Radicalize Extremists Like John Walker Lindh?

The "American Taliban," a Californian who joined the Taliban in 2001, will be released today.

Christopher Jones

Viewfinder: Victims and Families Mark the Second Anniversary of the Manchester Arena Bombing

Two women hug while a two-minute silence is observed in memory of the victims of the Manchester Arena Bombing in Saint Anne's Square on May 22nd, 2019, in Manchester, England.

Pacific Standard Staff

Water is pumped into an irrigation canal in Biggs, California.

Washington State Faces a Drought Emergency While Much of the U.S. Is Having a Wet Spring. Is This Normal?

A research scientist explains where to draw the line between normal variability and climate change.

Leah Dunlevy

President Donald Trump speaks with Gavin Newson, who was lieutenant governor of California at the time, as they view damage from the Camp fire in Paradise, California, on November 17th, 2018.

The Federal Government Won’t Pay Back California’s Firefighting Costs. What Happens When the Next Fire Hits?

California says it's owed $9.3 million for fighting fires on federal lands. The Forest Service says the state is overbilling.

Emily Moon

Washington State Legalizes Composting of Human Remains

It's the first state to allow the practice, which is intended to be a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional burial or cremation.

Rebecca Worby

A woman speaks during a protest against recently passed anti-abortion bills at the Georgia State Capitol building in Atlanta, on May 21st, 2019.

Viewfinder: Protesters Across the U.S. Rally Against Abortion Bans

A woman speaks during a protest against recently passed abortion ban bills at the Georgia State Capitol building, on May 21st, 2019, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Pacific Standard Staff

A bunk bed and desks inside a cell are seen at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia, on August 13th, 2018. A former regional jail, the facility has been contracted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house undocumented adult immigrant detainees for violations of immigration laws.

ICE Is Hugely Overspending Its Detention Budget—Again

Immigration advocates argue that ICE detention has exploded because the Trump administration is targeting more immigrants than ever before.

Jack Herrera

Fairmont City, Illinois: A slag pile on the grounds of the old American Zinc plant, which is now designated as a Superfund site by the EPA.

News in Brief

America’s Most Polluting Incinerators Disproportionately Affect Low-Income Neighborhoods and Communities of Color

For decades, the federal government has attempted to better prioritize equity in environmental initiatives. A new report highlights one area in which those efforts have fallen short.

Leah Dunlevy