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New Mexico and El Paso Spent Millions on Climate Plans. Three New Data Centers Could Undo Them.
Officials in New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, made plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Neither plan took into account how the construction of three new data centers could upend climate goals in both places.
Reporting From the Southwest
Our Southwest hub, based in Phoenix, covers Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah. Many of these states are among the fastest-growing in the country, and the region is experiencing rapid changes to the climate, economy, demographics and other trends that will shape the nation’s future.
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Featured Stories
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As Trump’s Wall Closes in, DHS Intimidates a Border Tribe With Surveillance, Masked Agents and Drones
For decades, the Tohono O’odham Nation collaborated with DHS to stave off a border wall. Despite their cooperation, the Trump administration is barreling forward with a project that would divide their community.
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An Arizona County’s “Housing Hub” Is a Dead End for Many Homeless Families
Family homelessness in Maricopa County has risen to its highest level in more than a decade. But shelters are full, and it can take months to get in, leaving parents with little to no help.
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Homeless Shelters Around Phoenix Are Full. His Phone Is the Unofficial Hotline for Struggling Families.
Austin Davis, 26, has become a lifeline for some homeless families in the Phoenix area who’d otherwise wait months for shelter. His work has highlighted how the system to care for local families who are homeless is failing them.
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Albuquerque, New Mexico
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More Stories
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Arizona Lawmaker Proposes More Federal Support for English Fluency Services
Three new bills would fund literacy classes, dual-language programs and training for teachers of students learning English in the state, in hopes of remedying gaps highlighted by Arizona Luminaria and ProPublica.
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Colorado Marijuana Company Voluntarily Recalls Dozens of Contaminated Products Amid State Regulatory Delays
After state officials failed to implement stricter testing protocols that were planned to take effect in July, a marijuana manufacturer recalled dozens of products when a third-party lab found contamination by a chemical that can cause cancer.
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Judge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as Racial Profiling of Latinos Persists
Deputies continue to search and arrest Latino drivers at a higher rate than white drivers, echoing the racial disparities that prompted court oversight of the department nearly two decades ago.
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Arizona facilitó la aprobación del examen de fluidez en inglés; expertos dicen que perjudicará el éxito estudiantil.
Al obtener una calificación alta en un examen estatal, se considera que el estudiante habla inglés fluido; expertos dicen que miles de estudiantes se van del programa de enseñanza del inglés de Arizona antes de tener suficiente fluidez para el éxito.
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Arizona Lowered the Bar for Its English Fluency Test. Experts Say It Will Harm Students in the Long Run.
When students score high enough on a state test, they’re considered fluent in English. But experts say thousands of students are leaving Arizona’s program for teaching English before they know the language well enough to succeed.
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Regulators Knew This Marijuana Product Was Harming People. It Stayed on Shelves for More Than a Year.
Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division can take months or even years to issue formal safety warnings about marijuana products even when it receives reports that the products are harming people’s health, The Denver Gazette and ProPublica found.
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New Mexico AG Calls for Reform After Report Finds “Substantial Racial Disparities” in One School District
The state’s attorney general launched an investigation after reporting by New Mexico In Depth and ProPublica exposed high rates of harsh punishment for Native American and Hispanic children in Gallup-McKinley County Schools.
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Investigación judicial denuncia un “patrón preocupante” de violaciones en oficina del sheriff más grande de Arizona
Una investigación judicial sostiene que altos mandos de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Maricopa obstaculizaron los esfuerzos para cumplir con las reformas ordenadas por la corte, derivadas de una prolongada demanda y un acuerdo por discriminación racial.
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Native American Tribes Came Together to Secure Their Rights to Colorado River Water. Four States Are Stalling the Deal.
Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are resisting the deal because it would allow the Navajo and Hopi to lease water to cities downstream, likely the growing towns around Phoenix.
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Court Inquiry Denounces “Disturbing Pattern” of Violations at Arizona’s Largest Sheriff’s Office
A court inquiry alleges that top leaders at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office undermined efforts to comply with mandated reforms brought on by a long-running racial profiling lawsuit and settlement.
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What ProPublica Found in the Genetic Code of America’s Measles Outbreaks
The U.S. eliminated measles a quarter century ago, but to keep its “measles-free” designation, officials will have to make a strong case that the virus isn’t continuously spreading within its borders. Our analysis shows how difficult that could be.
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Esta oficina del sheriff dice que reformas contra el perfil racial son costosas. Auditores encontraron $163 millones malgastados.
Desde 2013, el condado de Maricopa ha aprobado $226 millones en gastos relacionados con un acuerdo destinado a erradicar el perfilamiento racial. Auditores encontraron que más del 70% fue atribuido incorrectamente o utilizado de manera indebida.
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Albuquerque Officials Take Steps to Curb Surge in Citations, Jail Stays Related to Homelessness
The changes come after ProPublica reported that charges for crimes related to homelessness have skyrocketed under Mayor Tim Keller. In 2025, people were charged 1,256 times for obstructing sidewalks — nearly six times the number in the previous eight years combined.
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This Sheriff’s Office Says Racial Profiling Reforms Are Too Costly. Auditors Found It Misused $163 Million.
Since 2013, Maricopa County officials have approved $226 million in sheriff’s office spending related to a settlement aimed at rooting out racial profiling. Auditors found that more than 70% of it was misattributed or misappropriated.
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In a Private Meeting, Colorado Marijuana Regulators Acknowledge the Extent of Illegal Hemp Sales
Their remarks confirm testing done by The Denver Gazette and ProPublica, which found signs of hemp in marijuana vapes sold at dispensaries. One regulator said the extent of suspicious transactions would “explode your minds.”
