USA Today

Gray whale die-off in California signals wider Pacific crisis

by PEER | July 9, 2026
Pacific gray whales are facing a “catastrophic mortality event,” with 145 fatal strandings reported along the West Coast this year — including at least 20 in California so far — environmentalists warned this week, citing NOAA‑linked data. The organization Public Employees for ...

Exclusive: Trump-tied Freedom 250 sent ticket seekers to GOP fundraising site

by PEER | July 2, 2026
Tony Irish, a former associate solicitor for general law at the Interior Department who left government in 2025, told USA TODAY that the effort to capture Americans’ personal data is concerning, especially since the Freedom 250 events are using considerable U.S. government civilian and ...

Critics: Trump’s Freedom250 is ‘pay-for-play,’ lacks transparency

by PEER | February 12, 2026
Tim Whitehouse, the executive director of the group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, said during the congressional hearing that he’s concerned about the way Freedom 250 accepts donations. “The issue is there’s no accountability. There’s no transparency ...

Is DOGE risking the government’s cybersecurity? Some have lost their jobs to block them.

by PEER | April 28, 2025
Ultimately, Irish, an 18-year veteran of the department, and two other career employees were placed on leave. Irish was notified on April 4 that he would be removed from his job. The case is particularly troubling because it’s a “significant, significant cybersecurity risk with ...

An electric bike rode into the backcountry. Now there’s a nationwide turf war

by PEER | May 30, 2022
FOUNTAIN HILLS, Arizona – A gray-haired dude jumped on his mountain bike and began pedaling into the Sonoran desert along a rocky, single-track path. The trail at McDowell Mountain Regional Park wound past towering saguaros, around paloverde trees in blooming splendor and through sand- ...