Savannah Maher

Reporter

SHORT BIO

Savannah is a reporter based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her reporting centers on Indigenous communities and rural economies.

Latest Stories (269)

Summer EBT will help families buy groceries. But 14 states are opting out.

Apr 12, 2024
Administrative costs and a lack of political will are leading some states to turn down a new food aid program for children.
While $40 per child per month may not solve child food insecurity, it could help families that struggle with grocery costs.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

In Indian Country, federal budget dysfunction takes a toll

Apr 9, 2024
A long, drawn out budget cycle marked by stopgap spending and the threat of a shutdown takes a toll, says Justin Barrett, treasurer of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. 
Participants line up to check in for the first day of the 2024 Reservation Economic Summit. Just two days earlier, Congress passed the first of two packages to fund the government — including many services to Native nations — through September.
Courtesy NCAIED

"Green bank" funding could help renewables be more profitable for investors

Apr 5, 2024
The government will route $20 billion through community lenders and nonprofits that are geared to clean energy and climate solutions.
The hope behind green bank grants is that government backing will mobilize private investment in climate-friendly projects.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Affordability is key for the latest wave of car shoppers. Can carmakers keep up?

Apr 2, 2024
Many companies have focused on building more expensive SUVs and fewer affordable compact cars. That's causing a mismatch with current demand.
“Even now, though, a monthly car payment can be well over $700. Which is obviously a pretty large monthly expense for a household,” says David Whiston, an auto analyst with Morningstar.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Most of the Colorado River's diverted water goes to agricultural uses, study finds

Apr 1, 2024
A whopping three quarters of the river's water that is used by humans goes to irrigation for farms and livestock, according to the journal Communications Earth & Environment.
Water flows from irrigation pipes for cattle grazing land near Whitewater, Colorado.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

2030 census will include "Middle Eastern or North African" box for the first time

Mar 29, 2024
One outcome of the “Middle Eastern or North African” (MENA) box will be a clearer picture of economic conditions in Arab American communities.
A poster advertising the 2020 Census in Arabic is seen in Los Angeles. The 2030 Census will be the first time that Arab Americans have their own box to check.
Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images

Online sports betting operators form organization to promote responsible gambling

Mar 28, 2024
Sports betting has had a surge of popularity in the U.S., even as star athletes have been implicated in gambling scandals.
Seven of the largest U.S. sportsbooks, including DraftKings, are forming the Responsible Online Gaming Association to share best practices for sports betting.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Hydropower production took a hit in 2023

Mar 28, 2024
Regions that depend on it are having to look to other sources of energy — which can cost more.
In May 2023, California's Lake Oroville reservoir rose to 100% capacity due to record-setting rains and heavy snowfall. Early, rapid runoff can make it harder to store water and generate hydroelectricity year-round.
George Rose/Getty Images

Government contracting helps tribal economies diversify

Mar 26, 2024
The pandemic shut down some Native gaming and tourism enterprises. But federal contracting has been growing.
Government contracting became attractive to tribes that were struggling as their traditional revenue streams dried up during the pandemic, says Lillian Sparks Robinson, CEO of Wopila Consulting. 
Courtesy NCAIED

What unburied federal data tells us about Indigenous households' finances

Mar 26, 2024
Nine years of unpublished data show that American Indian and Alaska Native households report greater financial stress and less security.
“American Indian and Alaska Native identifying households are reporting greater financial stress and lower security than other households,” said Vanessa Palmer of the Center for Indian Country Development.
RichVintage/Getty Images