Wufei Yu

Federal authorities announced water restrictions for 2027 and 2028 requiring California, Nevada and Arizona to collectively reduce annual Colorado River consumption by 1.25 million acre-feet, with Mexico cutting another 250,000 acre-feet under its treaty with the United States. Arizona will face the largest reductions, while the upper-basin states are exempt for now. The measures respond to prolonged drought, record-low snowpack, climate-driven warming and decades of over-extraction that have pushed Lakes Mead and Powell to historic lows. State officials welcomed the temporary stability but acknowledged that the agreement is only a bridge while the basin states negotiate a permanent water-sharing framework. The worsening shortages are also threatening agriculture, ecosystems, hydropower, consumers and development around Las Vegas.

Phoenix is expected to host a National Code Talker Day gathering honoring the Navajo Code Talkers, including 101-year-old Thomas H. Begay, one of only two surviving Navajo Code Talkers. More than 400 Navajo Marines used their language to transmit thousands of secret messages during World War II, helping protect Allied troops and achieve victories in the Pacific. The program remained classified until 1968, and formal recognition followed through congressional action and President Ronald Reagan’s 1982 proclamation. The article also highlights the broader participation of at least 20 Native American tribes, recent controversy after the Defense Department removed webpages honoring Native American veterans, and plans for a Code Talker museum in Farmington, New Mexico.

Wildfires in British Columbia have forced more than 20,000 people to evacuate communities around Okanagan Lake, including Summerland and Peachland, while homes have been destroyed and some residents rescued by air. British Columbia declared a state of emergency and requested federal assistance for shelter and accommodation. In Washington state, evacuation warnings remained in effect near Spokane, although alerts for Malden and Rosalia were downgraded. In Utah, two helicopter pilots died while fighting a wildfire in the Fishlake National Forest, and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay a $567 million penalty for harms linked to Facebook and Instagram, bringing the total financial penalty in the case to $942 million. The funds will support youth treatment, prevention and awareness programs. The court also ordered Meta to improve safety disclosures, age-assurance systems, reporting mechanisms and deletion of data from children under 13. Meta denied misrepresenting the facts and said it would appeal. The ruling adds to a growing wave of lawsuits over alleged social-media harms to children, including upcoming federal litigation involving Meta and other major platforms.

Andy Biggs, a close Donald Trump ally who helped challenge certification of the 2020 election, won Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial primary and will face Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs in a closely watched general election. Trump and Turning Point Action backed Biggs, while Democrats are expected to focus heavily on his election-denial record. Other primary results included Trump-backed former NFL kicker Jay Feely winning a congressional nomination, Amish Shah leading in a Democratic congressional contest, Alexander Kolodin winning the Republican secretary of state nomination despite Arizona State Bar sanctions, and Republican nominees emerging for attorney general and Congress. The results set up competitive races over statewide offices and congressional control in a pivotal swing state.

Videos showed two plainclothes ICE agents tackling and attempting to handcuff Phu Nguyen, a 57-year-old Australian citizen, at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. Police identified the pair, found no outstanding warrants, removed one handcuff, and notified ICE. Homeland Security said the airport arrest did not proceed, but Nguyen was arrested the following day while departing Los Angeles. Senator Jacky Rosen and Nevada legislative caucuses condemned the incident and called for a full investigation into ICE conduct and federal law-enforcement accountability.

Pat Oliphant, the Australian-born political cartoonist who won the 1967 Pulitzer Prize and became one of the United States’ most widely syndicated editorial artists, has died at 90 at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Known for sharply caricaturing political leaders and confronting subjects such as church abuse and the Gaza conflict, he was praised for fearless and effective commentary but also criticized for ethnic stereotypes and alleged racism. Glaucoma forced him to retire from cartooning in his 80s, although he continued painting, and his family and friends remembered his creativity, humor and commitment to challenging political orthodoxy.

The Trump administration finalized a rule narrowing the Endangered Species Act’s definition of “harm,” allowing development such as oil and gas drilling, mining and logging in critical habitats as long as animals are not directly killed or injured. Officials, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, say the change restores the law’s original intent and protects property rights, while environmentalists warn that habitat destruction could drive species to extinction. The move follows a 2024 Supreme Court decision limiting federal agencies’ authority to interpret environmental statutes and reverses protections that had been restored under Joe Biden.

A memorial service in Grand Junction, Colorado, will honor Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson and Sydney Watson, three wildland firefighters killed while battling fast-moving fires on the Colorado-Utah border. Barker, Hutcherson and Watson are remembered for their dedication, courage and contributions to their communities and the firefighting profession, including efforts to expand opportunities for women. Two other firefighters were injured, and the deaths highlight the dangers facing crews amid an unusually dry Western wildfire season.