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More than half of single parents in Wyoming earn less than $17 per hour, according to an Oxfam America report. (Adobe Stock)

More than 1 in 4 WY workers would benefit from higher minimum wage

More than 80,000 Wyoming workers would benefit from an increased minimum wage, according to a new report. Wyoming is one of 16 states where …

Arts and cultural production employed 4.1% of working Wyomingites in 2022, providing nearly 12,000 jobs. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming’s creative economy is trending up

Wyoming is known for its wild landscapes, cowboy culture, and natural resources. Some are hoping to add the arts to that list. When ranked by the …

The U.S. Department of Defense has known about the existential threat of climate change for decades, and wildfires now cost upward of 394 billion dollars in damages each year. But taxpayers invested just 14 dollars in wildfire management. (Adobe Stock)

2023 tax receipt breaks down nation’s spending priorities

As many Wyomingites await their 2023 federal income tax refunds, a new National Priorities Project report breaks down how the money they won't get …

Women have worked at the historic Wyoming State Hospital as doctors, nurses, administrators, secretaries, security guards, and in departments such as the post office, purchasing, and scheduling. Some families have several generations of women who have worked at the facility. <br />(Courtesy of Save the Old WSH)<br />

Wyoming women’s history rooted in hospital campus set for demolition

The state has plans to demolish 26 Wyoming State Hospital buildings in Evanston, but some local residents believe the site, which dates back to 1886…

One in four Wyoming kids lives in single-parent families, according to Wyoming Community Foundation data. Such children are more likely to live in poverty compared with their peers in married-parent families. (Adobe Stock)

Training, mental health recovery called key for single moms to escape poverty

A Wyoming nonprofit is helping single mothers climb out of poverty by connecting them with the training and support they need to step into and succeed…

In 2020, the arts and culture sector contributed $1 billion to Wyoming's economy, supporting over 10,000 jobs. (Adobe Stock)

New series aims to fuel Wyoming artists, arts-related businesses

Wyoming artists of all varieties will be able to access tools needed to survive as a viable business through artsWORK, a new series aiming to …

Initial cost estimates for adding controversial carbon capture technology to existing power plants range from $500 million to $1 billion per single coal-burning unit. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming’s coal use mandate raising ratepayer utility bills

Starting this month, 145,000 Wyoming ratepayers will make a down payment on what's projected to add up to billions of dollars in additional costs…

Eighty-six percent of rural parents cited lack of child care as the main reason they or their partner were not able to work. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Lack of child care in Wyoming threatens viability of rural communities

Child care is an essential component of strong communities throughout the U.S. - but finding a provider is significantly more difficult in rural …

The Food Bank of Wyoming is asking for help from the public to meet rising food needs during the holiday season. (Food Bank of Wyoming)

Food banks, pantries address rising food insecurity during winter holidays

The number of people in Wyoming who don't know where their next meal will come from is on the rise, according to new U.S. Department of Agriculture …

Many of the companies lobbying for tax breaks have paid very little in taxes. Netflix, for example, has paid federal corporate income taxes equal to less than 1% of its reported profits over four years. (Adobe Stock)

Congress urged to consider business tax cuts, child tax credit

Lawmakers in Congress are facing mounting pressure from corporate lobbyists to pass business tax breaks before the end of the year but new analysis su…

Business leaders have reported workers with disabilities bring a strong sense of positivity and ownership of their work. (Adobe Stock)

Diversifying the workforce can change companies for the better

By Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Wyoming News Service reporting for the WorkingNation-Public News Servic…

Proponents of banning medical debt from credit reports makes the system more fair, since low-income people and people of color are disproportionately burdened by medical bills. (Adobe Stock)

Medical debt could be banned from credit reports

In response to a growing medical debt crisis in Wyoming and across the nation, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed banning …

In 2020, almost half of Wyoming students owed an average of $23,510 in student loan debt. (Adobe Stock)

Over 5,000 Wyoming Residents in New Student Loan Repayment Plan

More than 4 million student loan borrowers, including 5,100 in Wyoming, are now enrolled in the Biden-Harris Administration's new Saving on A …

Scholarship recipients are required to register with the Wyoming Department of Workforce, which will help connect students to job opportunities. (Adobe Stock)

College Scholarships Help Fill WY High-Demand Worker Pipeline

Fall semester is just weeks away, and many adults age 24 and older are tapping up to $72-hundred in scholarships to start or finish a college degree …

Wyoming ranks in the bottom five states alongside South Carolina, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, in children's health. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Wyoming Children Near Bottom Nationally for Health

Wyoming dropped from 14th to 27th nationally in this year's Kids Count Data Book published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which ranks states for …

The EPA admits its new standards for air pollution at power plants could bring small increases in utility bills, but projects the plan would bring a total of $85 billion in climate and health savings. (Adobe Stock)

New EPA Standards Seen as Attack on Coal-Fired Power Plants

The Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to cut pollution from power plants not already set to retire by 90% by 2030 is the most ambitious in ov…

A new Annie E. Casey Foundation report found a 35% increase in the number of kids in Wyoming entering foster care due to abuse. (Adobe Stock)

Helping Wyoming Foster Youths Succeed as Adults

The number of Wyoming children in foster care between the ages of 14 and 21 has dropped by 54% over the past two decades, according to a new Annie E…

A federal grant will help Western Wyoming Community College meet the demand for a projected 1,500 local health-care workers in the region over the next ten years. (Adobe Stock)

College in WY Wins $3 Million Grant to Expand Health-Care Worker Pipeline

Western Wyoming Community College has won a competitive $3 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration's task force charged with …

An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people are expected to be dropped from Medicaid rolls in Wyoming. (Adobe Stock)

Keeping Older Wyoming Residents from Losing Nursing Home Coverage

Congress has put an end to a pandemic-era policy prohibiting states from dropping Medicaid recipients from their rolls, and 15 million people in …

In 2011, coal produced 44% of all electricity in the United States. In 2022, it produced just 20% and is projected to drop to 10% or less by 2030. (Creativenature.nl/Adobe Stock)

Report: Half of Nation’s Coal Power Units to Retire by 2026

The U.S. is projected to retire half of its coal-fired power units by 2026, just 15 years after coal use for electricity reached its peak in 2011…

Just 18% of premature deaths from air pollution from coal-fired power plants occur in the states where facilities are located. (Tomas/Adobe Stock)

Report Counts Deadly Impacts of Coal-Fired Power Plants

Thousands of lives are cut short every year because of air pollution from coal-fired power plants in Wyoming and across the United States, according …

GoWest Credit Union Association represents about 16.5 million members across six states. (Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Adobe Stock)

Uncertain Banking Market Puts Local Institutions in Spotlight

The collapse of two banks has put the U.S. financial sector into focus this week. Some are considering the alternative structures of institutions …

Just 47% of Wyoming residents prefer leaders place more emphasis on protecting water, air, wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities over maximizing the amount of land available for drilling and mining. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: Conservation Efforts, Environmental Priorities Remain High in Wyoming

Voters in Wyoming and across the West strongly support protecting water supplies, public lands and migration corridors for wildlife, according to the …

Rural hospitals in Medicaid expansion states are 62% less likely to close, in large part because expansion reduces the burden of uncompensated care, when patients without insurance can't pay for services. (Adobe Stock)

Lawmakers Consider Expanding Health Coverage for 19,000 Workers

A bill that would expand Medicaid coverage for some 19,000 Wyoming workers who earn too much to qualify for standard Medicaid, but can't afford …

Nearly one in five new mothers participating in Wyoming's Medicaid Pregnant Women Program lose their health insurance 60 days after giving birth. (Adobe Stock)

WY Lawmakers Consider Extended Health Coverage for New Moms

New mothers in Wyoming enrolled in the Medicaid Pregnant Women Program lose their health insurance 60 days after giving birth, but a new bill making …

Billionaire wealth has increased by $2.7 billion per day, while more than 1.7 billion people live in countries where their wages, adjusted for inflation, have declined. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Rich Got Richer, Workers Left Behind During Pandemic

The world's richest 1% took home almost twice as much wealth as the bottom 99% combined during the pandemic, according to a new Oxfam International …

In the fall of 2020, among four-year universities and community colleges nationwide, male freshmen enrollment declined 1.3%, while female freshmen enrollment fell 3.2%. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming Bucks National Trend of Women Stopping Out of Higher Education

Wyoming has managed to buck a national trend which has seen female students opting out of college at more than twice the rate of males since 2020…

In the first three quarters of 2022, 24 oil and gas companies made more than $343 billion, a 126% increase from the same time period in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Big Oil Kept Gas Prices High as Crude Oil Prices Dropped

After the price of crude oil plummeted to $75 a barrel, which marked the lowest price since December of last year, big oil companies kept consumer …

Food insecurity among adults ages 65 and older living alone reached the highest rates in 20 years between 2020 and 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Millions of Older Adults Experience Food Insecurity

Some 35 million people in Wyoming and across the U.S. struggle to put food on the table, and older adults experiencing food insecurity face numerous …

Six out of seven occupations identified by the Wyoming Department of Employment as the most in-demand require some form of post-secondary education. (Adobe Stock)

Cost Biggest Barrier for Native Americans to Complete Degrees

The biggest obstacle facing indigenous students completing college degrees is cost, according to a collaborative study by the National Native …

Wyoming's eight community health centers serve some 50,000 patients each year, and contribute $71 billion to the state's economy. (Adobe Stock)

Safety-Net Health Centers Eye ARPA to Expand Care

Wyoming lawmakers are set to distribute $85 million in federal pandemic relief for capital-improvement projects, and Tracy Brosius - the CEO of …

Wyoming has set a target to get 82% of Wyoming's working population ages 25-64 to complete a valuable postsecondary credential or degree by 2040. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming Students Could Help with Unfilled Jobs

Nearly 95,000 Wyomingites have completed some college, but have not earned a degree or credential, according to new data from the National Student …

Wyoming-based Chelsea's Fund provides financial support for women seeking an abortion, and also is accepting donations. (Adobe Stock)

Post-Roe Resources Available for Wyoming Women

Abortion is on course to be illegal in Wyoming after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade Friday. Justices ruled the 50-year …

The Wyoming Hospital Association estimated expanding Medicaid would cut uncompensated-care costs by more than $100 million a year. (Adobe Stock)

Medicaid Expansion Proponents Not Backing Down

Supporters of expanding Medicaid in Wyoming said they will regroup after lawmakers once again blocked an expansion proposal late last week. Jeff …

Even though Wyoming officials have tried to prioritize mental-health care for youths, many facilities are having difficulties keeping their doors open due to budget cuts. (Adobe Stock)

Holiday Poses Challenges for Foster Youths Aging Out of System

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Young people in Wyoming who have not been adopted officially age out of the foster-care system when they turn 18, joining 24,000 …

According to a recent poll, 65% of Wyoming voters say they want their state legislator to support Medicaid expansion. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: WY Lawmakers Out of Sync with Majority of Voters on Medicaid

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Advocates for expanding Medicaid are regrouping after Wyoming lawmakers voted against an expansion bill during last week's special …

In a new poll, 71% of all registered voters support strengthening rules to reduce oil and gas methane pollution, including 73% of Independents and 50% of Republicans. (Adobe Stock)

Survey: Voters Want Methane Rules to Include Smaller Wells

CASPER, Wyo. - A strong majority of voters across party lines say they want national rules similar to those passed in Wyoming to reduce methane …

Social Security lifts more than one million U.S. children out of poverty, along with some 26,000 elderly residents in Wyoming. (Adobe Stock)

Economists Challenge Warnings of Social Security's Demise

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Social Security, the program credited with lifting 15 million older residents in Wyoming and across the U.S. out of poverty…

This summer's unprecedented heat waves, droughts, fires and severe storms are occurring now, where global temperatures have only risen 1.2 degrees Celsius. Scientists project that average temperatures will rise by 2 degrees Celsius in the next two decades. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming Business Leaders Urge Feds to Take Action on Climate

LANDER, Wyo. - Less than a decade remains to avoid potentially catastrophic impacts of a warming planet, according to the latest scientific reports…

Most Wyoming residents who would gain health coverage under Medicaid expansion are employed, and all earn below 138% of the federal poverty level - about $1,500 a month for an individual or $3,000 a month for a family of four. (Adobe Stock)

Health Professionals Urge Lawmakers to Expand Medicaid

RIVERTON, Wyo. -- Wyoming medical professionals are urging state lawmakers to act before it's too late to take advantage of a pandemic-related …

Raising women's hourly wages to match those of Wyoming men would add $153 million in labor income in a single year, a report says. (Adobe Stock)

Report Cites Economic Power of Wyoming Women

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Women left the workforce during the pandemic at higher rates than men, and a new report suggests full economic recovery won't be …

Wyoming lawmakers recently allocated $1.2 million for a legal fund to sue states that block coal exports or retire coal-fired power plants. (Adobe Stock)

SCOTUS Coal Decision Prompts Calls for WY to Invest in Transition, Jobs

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - After Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon's legal strategy to export Powder River Basin coal to Asian markets was shot down by the U.S…

Nearly one in three Wyoming adults with children reported feeling down, depressed or hopeless in March. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Wyoming Still Far Behind on Children's Health Care

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Wyoming ranks 45th nationally for child health, and an estimated 15,000 Wyoming kids do not have health insurance, according to The …

Accessing health insurance has been a major barrier for small businesses during COVID-19. (Adobe Stock)

Consumers, Employers and Small Businesses Say Health Reform Needed

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Consumers, employers, and small business owners in Wyoming and across the U.S. agree that it's time to go big on health care reform…

Wyoming has the second lowest-tax rates for a family of four in the nation. (Ken Lund/Flickr)

Study: Wyoming Has Capacity to Raise Taxes

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As Wyoming lawmakers grapple with mounting budget deficits due to lost oil, gas and coal revenues, a new report by the Wyoming …

Children in states that expanded their Medicaid programs are almost twice as likely to have health coverage than children in the 12 non-expansion states, including Wyoming. (Depositphotos)

WY Medicaid Expansion Could Advance in Joint Revenue Committee

RIVERTON, Wyo. -- Wyoming lawmakers are giving Medicaid expansion a second look at today's Joint Revenue Committee meeting in Riverton, after …

A majority of women are breadwinners in their families. (Pixabay)

Survey: Moms Want More Than Breakfast in Bed This Mother’s Day

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As Mother's Day draws near, a new survey conducted by the Institute for Women's Policy Research offers a clearer picture of what …

During the Trump administration, oil and gas companies acquired more than 7,000 federal drilling permits and stockpiled more than 13 million acres of oil and gas leases on public lands. (Nicholas A. Tonelli/Flickr)

Legal Battle Expands Over Oil/Gas Lease Pause

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- A legal battle is unfolding over the Biden administration's pause on oil and gas lease sales on public lands. Wyoming and industry …

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