AltWeeklies Wire
Some in Congress Push DHS to Review the Border Fence's Environmental Destructionnew
Cutting a daunting swath from California to Texas, the border wall has degraded waterways, chopped up private property and wreaked environmental havoc by severing wildlife-migration routes and pummeling habitat. Now, Rep. Raul Grijalva is pushing for a fresh -- some would say first -- look at the environmental fallout from the Secure Fence Act of 2006.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
08-12-2009 |
Environment
Tensions Between Humanitarians and Federal Officials Rise Along the Bordernew
The humanitarians provide assistance, food and water to migrants. The feds mostly leave them alone to do so -- until recently, that is. Over the past couple of years, federal agencies have been putting more activists under the gun.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
07-08-2009 |
Immigration
A Moth that Devastates Prickly Pear Cactus May Be Headed to Tucsonnew
If Cactoblastis cactorum -- a wee but voracious South American moth whose larvae devastate the prickly pear cactus -- reaches Arizona, the consequences for the ecosystem would be dire.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
05-20-2009 |
Animal Issues
Mexico's Just Coffee Raises the Bar for Free Tradenew
The simple idea of Just Coffee was to help farmers in at least one Chiapas village make enough money so that they could stay on their land. Today, that idea is a success story; the community of Salvador Urbina is thriving rather than just surviving, and Just Coffee's concept promises to revolutionize the free-trade movement.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
04-16-2009 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
Congress Votes Down a NAFTA-Mandated Trucking Programnew
After years of political shell games on Capitol Hill, yet another push to unleash Mexican trucks across the United States has been quashed.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
04-08-2009 |
International
Does the Border Patrol Deserve More Respect From the New Administration?new
As the Border Patrol settles into the 21st century, it does so with plenty of baggage, from a reputation for ethical haphazardness to being viewed as a lesser partner in federal law-enforcement huddles. Add to that a persisting stove-pipe management structure that straitjackets reform, and you'll find an agency that often seems more anchored in the past than the present.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
02-05-2009 |
Immigration
Tags: Immigration, U.S. Border Patrol
What Changes Will Obama Bring to the Border?new
As administrations change, many wonder whether a corresponding shift will occur within the Department of Homeland Security. There's plenty of speculation about whether that department's likely new leader, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, will pursue a change in border policy.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
01-15-2009 |
Environment
Arizona Leaders Dish Up a Homeland Security Wish Listnew
Many wonder whether even the politically facile Janet Napolitano can master the bureaucratic beast known as DHS.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
01-15-2009 |
Immigration
Metal Barriers Are a Southern Arizona River's Newest Inhabitantsnew
Conservationists say the public has a right to know specifically how the San Pedro River is being impacted by border security. They also know that public pressure is the only way to make that happen.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
01-02-2009 |
Environment
Conservationists Hope Stimulus Efforts Get Directed Toward National Landsnew
The National Parks Conservation Association is trying to steer economic-stimulus efforts toward the parks, through back-to-work and service programs.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
12-04-2008 |
Environment
Many Park Service Officials Say the Bush Administration Devastated Their Agencynew
The Bush administration has weakened air-quality standards in federal preserves, and has overseen a diminishing science program. But even more insidiously, the administration has employed a political screening process for civil-service managers, attempted to outsource many positions, and maneuvered to fundamentally reconstruct management policies.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
11-20-2008 |
Environment
Congressman Quantifies Bush's Anti-Environmentalismnew
U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva released a report, compiled by his staff and subtly titled, "The Bush Administration Assaults on Our National Parks, Forests and Public Lands (A Partial List)."
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
10-30-2008 |
Environment
Sustainable Straw: A Charming House Displays Eco-Ingenuitynew
Carolyn Roberts' warm and cozy home only cost about $50,000 to build and generates a measly $35 monthly in utility bills.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
10-24-2008 |
Housing & Development
Tucson Lifeguards Take Skills and Goodwill to Indianew
Financed by its own fundraisers and car washes, the 15-member Swim India team will fan across that country's southern reaches, teaching everything from basic safety-and-rescue techniques to CPR in orphanages and schools.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
10-09-2008 |
International
Charges Against Border Activist are Mysteriously Droppednew
As the judicial dust settles in the Kathryn Ferguson case, one thing has become abundantly clear: This crude affair amounts to little more than a shameful, low-brow, law-enforcement bullying, followed by an appalling lack of accountability from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
10-09-2008 |
Immigration
