Former Arizona state Sen. Jack Jackson Jr. knew his job with the State Department would be a balancing act between representing the federal government and serving tribal communities. But five months into the job, he is finding that he also faces another balancing act, the same one that challenges tribes across the country – how to weigh economic growth against and cultural and environmental concerns. Read more»

The National Park Service is not interested in coming up with plans to let states pay to keep parks open should another government shutdown occur, a service official testified Thursday to a House subcommittee. Read more»

San Carlos Apache Chairman Terry Rambler told a Senate committee Wednesday that a massive copper mine proposed for Southeast Arizona would desecrate land his tribe considers sacred. Read more» 1

Arizona Reps. Kyrsten Sinema and Ron Barber joined 37 other Democrats who crossed the aisle Friday and voted for a GOP-backed bill to let people keep their current insurance policies under the health care reform act. Read more» 1

The effect of climate change on tribes in the Southwest was just one of the topics at the wide-ranging White House Tribal Nations Conference, which featured the president and much of his Cabinet. Read more»

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell cited the Colorado River and Lake Mead as examples of the water conservation problems that she called one of the top issues facing her department. Read more»

Arizona is the 12th-most energy-efficient state in the nation this year, the same position the state held last year, according to rankings released Wednesday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Read more»

For every dollar the government spends preventing wildfire damage, it could save cash-strapped agencies like the Forest Service another $5 on fighting increasingly large fires, a Senate committee was told Tuesday. Read more»

A federal appeals court Friday reaffirmed its decision to overturn the death sentence of convicted murderer Steven James, saying lower courts were wrong not to consider claims that his lawyers were ineffective. Read more» 1

Shipbuilding may not seem like a vital issue for arid, landlocked Arizona, but Rep. Trent Franks, R-Glendale, joined the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus – along with 23 other caucuses and working groups. He’s not alone. When it comes to caucuses, Arizona lawmakers seem to err on the side of involvement. Read more»

This month’s federal government shutdown caused a backup in seasonal farmworkers’ visa applications that some groups say could lead to a labor shortage during the coming winter vegetable harvest. Read more»

In the first 10 days of the shutdown, Grand Canyon National Park lost 120,000 visitors and the roughly $11.8 million they would have spent, by one estimate. The impact has been felt at hotels, restaurants and outdoor guides. Read more»

Arizona and other states are able to reopen their national parks like Grand Canyon National Park during the federal government shutdown, the Interior Department announced this week. Read more»

Some members of Arizona’s congressional delegation hoped to show solidarity with furloughed federal employees by cutting or suspending their pay during the government shutdown. “Hoped” being the operative word. Read more» 1

Other parts of the government were shut down, but it was still a workday Tuesday for many Arizona congressional office staffers - even though there's no guarantee they will get paid. Some lawmakers brought in the whole office, others kept only a bare-bones staff. Read more»