America’s oldest park ranger dies at 104 years old in Bay Area home “She led a fully packed life and was ready to leave,” her family wrote.

What a rich legacy

National Parks are now free on Trump's birthday, but not on MLK Jr. Day or Juneteenth The Trump administration overhauled the list of free National Park days for 2026.

Trump eliminated NPS free-free days on Dr. MLK, Jr. Day and Juneteenth but added one for his birthday.

I'm 2 miles away from the pavement. Just behind Little Burro. I'm not planning to build on my land. I just like having something to take care of there

FCCBB Home - Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend Design a comprehensive website for your veterinary practice with Avada. Highlight your services, staff expertise, & attract pet owners with custom designs.

Giving Tuesday post. Are you a frequent national park visitor? If so, please consider donating to an organization that serves the community near a national park. Many of these towns find social services hard to come by. I just sent the Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend a donation: fccbb.org

Also trying to meet others in Terlingua!

I’m in Big Bend about once a year.

How the government shutdown affects national parks The federal government shutdown overnight after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach an agreement to avoid a funding lapse ahead of an Oct. 1 deadline.

“The National Parks Conservation Association warned that national parks will lose up to $1 million in fee revenue for every day the shutdown lasts, and communities outside of the parks could lose up to $80 million in spending from tourists.”

Did a Brooklyn Couple Kill a Neighbor’s Trees for a Better View in Maine?

Did a Brooklyn Couple Kill a Neighbor’s Trees for a Better View in Maine?

“Stephen Antonson, a Brooklyn home furnishings artisan, and his wife, Kathleen Hackett, an interior design writer, are fighting accusations that they poisoned trees on the waterfront property of their 95-year-old neighbor...”

Save Our Signs Campaign Has Amassed Nearly 5,000 Photos Of National Park Signs Tidbits and details of American history, captured in nearly 5,000 photographs, have been amassed in a grassroots campaign launched to memorialize interpretation in the National Park System against the...

Do you have a photo of an interpretive sign you think is at risk for elimination by the Trump administration? If so, please submit it to the Save Our Signs project.

Utah national parks and their gateway towns are feeling a summer tourism slump Visitation is down at all of Utah’s parks, driven by a decline in international visitors. Economic uncertainty and political rhetoric may be keeping them away, with big implications for local economie...

Gateway towns to public lands are feeling the pinch as Trump’s policies scare international visitors away.

“The downturn at Utah’s parks is part of a broader travel trend this summer. It appears to be driven by a dip in international tourism….”

Immigration Agents Arrest Firefighters in Middle of Battling Wildfire Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown is becoming more disturbing by the day.

"For Border Patrol to arrest two firefighters battling a growing wildfire shows once again that President Trump’s immigration crackdown has never been about the dangerous, hardened, criminal murderers he rants about. It’s about keeping America white and free of immigrants from south of the border."

Trump Shrank Staffing of National Parks. See How Many Are Struggling.

The National Park Service has bipartisan support, and yet, the Trump administration has made all these budget cuts and intends to cut even more next year.

'A direct attack': Yosemite employees furious over firing of scientist SJ Joslin is now considering a wrongful termination lawsuit.

NPS employee who hung a transgender pride flag on El Capitan is fired.

The Strange Beauty of New York’s Bodega Ramps

An ode to an everyday object

University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration

University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration

In Joyful Speech, Mamdani Vows to Work for ‘Each and Every New Yorker’

In Joyful Speech, Mamdani Vows to Work for ‘Each and Every New Yorker’

Military Parade Concerns Dissolve With a More Acquiescent Pentagon

"The Army estimates the cost at $25 million to $45 million. But it could be higher because [of]... the cost of cleanup and police.... [I]t comes as the administration seeks to slash funding for education, health and public assistance."

RFK Jr. swam with grandchildren in DC creek with 'high bacteria levels' The NPS explicitly prohibits swimming and wading in Rock Creek, citing health risks from elevated E. coli and other pathogens.

“While the park is enjoyed by millions of visitors each year, NPS encourages them to stay out of the water….

In 2015, the D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment (DEE) found bacteria levels over 2,420 times the most probable number of colonies in 100 milliliters.”

Opinion | Did One of My Students Hate Me So Much They’d Lie to Get Me in Trouble?

“How can I challenge my students to ask hard questions, to follow the research wherever it goes, when I am worried about what might happen to me if I do that? And how can I follow the rules when even university administrators are not always sure of how to interpret them?”

Trump Administration Live Updates: President Denies Posting Image of Himself as the Pope

Top-level gaslighting

What to Know About South Korea President Yoon’s Impeachment Over Martial Law (Gift Article) The country’s Constitutional Court on Friday upheld the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, dismissing him from office four months after his short-lived imposition of martial law.

Great news for South Korea! Hey, U.S... hint, hint.

I opened an account at Hoosier Hills Credit Union. I mentioned to the account manager that I was avoiding corporate banks because they only care about profit. When she heard this, her eyes lit up. She said she used to work for a bank, and credit unions treat their workers so much better, too.

Israelis Take to Streets Day After Strikes on Gaza (Gift Article) Israeli protests are converging over national security and domestic politics amid concerns about the government’s renewed push to reduce the power of state watchdogs.

"Thousands of Israelis gathered on Wednesday outside the Parliament building in Jerusalem to call for a renewed cease-fire deal in Gaza and to protest political moves by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu..."

Federal Cuts Came to Native Schools. Students Are Livid. (Gift Article) As the Trump administration trims the federal work force, students and educators at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas fear for the future of a school that was already facing troubles.

"The student government association president said three of her five instructors had been dismissed.... A senior had wondered whether the university, a sanctum for Native American students shaped by tradition and tragedy, would remain open long enough for him to receive his degree.