Government Shutdown Intensifies Amid H.R. 5371 Stalemate Read More »
PoliticsAs of October 16, 2025, the United States finds itself in the midst of a government shutdown, now stretching into its 16th day, following repeated failures in the Senate to advance critical stopgap funding. Central to this impasse is H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026, a temporary spending bill intended to fund
Interior Department Cancels Largest Solar Project in North America Read More »
Climate, Politics, SAN NewsIn a startling setback for clean energy and climate progress, the U.S. Department of the Interior has canceled what would have been the largest solar project in North America. The move represents the latest in a series of actions under the Trump administration aimed at slowing or blocking major renewable energy initiatives, raising serious concerns
On Tuesday, Florida faces what may be the 14th state-sanctioned execution this year — an unprecedented number in the state’s history. Samuel “Sammy” Lee Smithers, a 72-year-old man showing signs of dementia and severe cognitive decline, is scheduled to die. His case has become a powerful focal point for advocates of human dignity, justice, and
The United States Senate has officially passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 (S. 2296), marking a major milestone in setting the country’s defense and security policies for the year ahead. The bill cleared the Senate with a 77–20 vote on October 9, 2025, demonstrating broad bipartisan support.
A Broken Path to Freedom: New Report Reveals Deep Flaws in U.S. Parole Systems Read More »
PoliticsA newly released report titled Parole in Perspective is sparking critical conversations across the criminal justice reform movement. Drawing on data from 35 states, this report offers a rare and comprehensive look into the inner workings of parole boards—who sits on them, how decisions are made, and why the system is increasingly failing to offer
In a rare moment of unity, Republicans and Democrats alike are finding common ground in their shared desire to keep America’s national parks open and accessible—even as broader budget battles threaten to derail other critical environmental protections. As partisan tensions escalate over funding and climate policy, our national parks remain one of the few things
National Parks Stay Open Amid Shutdown as Senate Cloture Vote Fails Read More »
Politics, SAN NewsThe U.S. Senate recently faced a critical vote on the Eliminate Shutdowns Act (S 2806), aimed at preventing government shutdowns in the future. The cloture vote, however, failed, leaving the country without the legislative fix that proponents had hoped for. Despite the setback, many of America’s national parks will remain largely open, thanks to plans
Ten Years of Justice for Youth in Juliana v. United States Read More »
Climate, Our Youth, Politics, SAN NewsFor over a decade, 21 courageous young people have stood at the forefront of a historic legal battle—Juliana v. United States—fighting for the most fundamental of rights: the right to live, breathe, and grow up in a safe, healthy climate. These youth were just children when they first sued the federal government, challenging decades of
Vermont’s Redistricting Crisis When Census Policy Undermines Democracy Read More »
SAN News, Politics, Private Prisons, VotingWhy Vermont’s Democracy is Being Distorted—And How Lawmakers Can Fix It Before 2030 In a nation that prides itself on “one person, one vote,” an obscure federal policy is quietly undermining democracy in Vermont—and across many parts of the country. The 2020 Census once again distorted Vermont’s legislative redistricting process, creating imbalanced voting districts due
For more than two decades, the heartbreaking reality of bear bile farming in Vietnam has cast a shadow over animal welfare. Bears, often confined to cramped cages and subjected to unimaginable cruelty, were kept alive only for the extraction of bile—a substance used in traditional medicine despite the existence of humane alternatives. Yet, amid the