For the Tohono O’odham Nation, the indigenous inhabitants of southwestern Arizona, the giant saguaro cacti are considered people. Contractors building Trump’s border wall are uprooting them, destroying many other sacred sites and crucial biodiversity along the way. “A bulldozer can destroy in minutes what it took the Sonoran Desert hundreds of years to create,” said Russ McSpadden of the Center for Biological Diversity.
The Tohono O’odham Nation, the Indigenous inhabitants of southwestern Arizona, consider the giant saguaro cacti to be sacred relatives with living spirits. Now, contractors building Trump’s border wall are uprooting them, and destroying many other Indigenous sites along the way. Jacob Soboroff sits down with Russ McSpadden from the Center for Biological Diversity and Verlon M. Jose, the Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation, to learn more.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled Friday that the tribe had not shown that construction would unlawfully change the boundaries of its 2.8-million-acre reservation or amount to an illegal trespass.
AI:U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled Friday that the Trump administration can proceed with border wall construction near tribal lands, dealing a major blow to legal attempts to obstruct the project. The tribe failed to provide substantive evidence proving that construction would result in illegal trespass or unlawfully alter the boundaries of its 2.8-million-acre reservation. This decision clears a significant hurdle for national security efforts as the administration continues to fortify the border against illegal crossings, rejecting arguments that attempted to use tribal sovereignty as a pretext to halt essential infrastructure development.Open
A federal judge has refused to block the Trump administration from taking steps to build 62 miles of international border wall along part of a Native American tribe’s reservation without its consent
Federal efforts to revive uranium mining in the West and decrease reliance on Russian uranium raise concerns about drinking water for tribal communities reckoning with the industry's deadly legacy.
Francesca Hong, a Democrat state representative in Wisconsin and member of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America, criticized Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, and Independence Day celebrations.
Posts by far-left gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong (D-WI) attacking various traditional American holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, have resurfaced and drawn widespread backlash and criticism. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Francesca Hong, a Democrat state representative in Wisconsin and member of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America, criticized Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, and Independence Day celebrations. DETAIL: In previous X (formerly Twitter) posts, Hong called to “Cancel Thanksgiving,” claiming it celebrates “colonialism,” and expressed disdain for fireworks associated with Independence Day. Hong called Valentine’s Day “another day capitalism tells you how to show love” and felt…Open
Robeson County, N.C., where most of the Lumbee Tribe's citizens live, ranks as one of the worst counties in the U.S. for health. The tribe can access the Indian Health Service now, but it's not likely to be sufficient to improve the health of the community.
Opposition has grown against federal plans to allow oil and gas drilling at a more than 1,000-year-old Indigenous UNESCO site, which features the ruins of an ancient New Mexico community.
