Peter O'Dowd
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Arizona-based senior editor, reporter, and guest host @HereandNow a co-production of @WBUR and @NPR.
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Articles by Peter O'Dowd
Latino voters swing back toward Democrats in the midterms
Latino voters swing back toward Democrats in the midterms Alejandra Gomez, executive director of the grassroots power-building organization LUCHA, at the group's Phoenix headquarters the week of a historic victory for Democrats in the midterm elections. (Peter O'Dowd/Here & Now) Latino voters helped propel Democrats to victory in the midterm elections, a shift from 2024, when President Trump made significant gains with the group.
Arizona voters call for investigations and impeachments after midterms
Arizona voters call for investigations and impeachments after midterms After Democrats' sweeping midterm victories, some Arizona voters are calling for investigations and impeachment proceedings when the party takes control of Congress. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd speaks with voters in Arizona, including Republicans, about their expectations for the new Congress. This segment airs on November 4, 2026. Audio will be available after the broadcast.
Arizona voters react to Democrats' midterm victories
Arizona voters react to Democrats' midterm victories Democrats are celebrating their midterm victories, while some Republican voters are expressing concern about the results. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd reports from Phoenix, where he spoke with voters about their reactions, including a 22-year-old independent who sat out the 2024 election but returned to the polls this year. This segment airs on November 4, 2026. Audio will be available after the broadcast.
Democrats are eager to flip 2 congressional seats in Arizona
Democrats gather in North Phoenix to canvass for candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. (Peter O’Dowd/Here & Now) (Peter O’Dowd/Here & Now) With the clock ticking on the midterm elections, Rep. Greg Stanton recently rallied a group of Democrats in North Phoenix with a straightforward message. “Go win,” he said.
Democrats are eager to flip 2 Congressional seats in Arizona
Democrats are eager to flip 2 Congressional seats in Arizona Democrats gather in North Phoenix to canvass for candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. (Peter O'Dowd/Here & Now) With the midterm elections just days away, Democrats are eager to flip at least two Congressional seats in Arizona. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd visits a key battleground in the party's pursuit to regain control of Congress. This segment airs on October 29, 2026. Audio will be available after the broadcast.
Arizona rancher says double border wall is ‘political folly’
In the borderlands of Arizona, Ross Humphreys’ San Rafael Ranch is 29 square miles of rolling hills and grass. It’s the kind of place where movies are made, and where heifers are free to loll peacefully under the wide open October sky. “All of the cows on our ranch are calm and easy,” said Humphreys. “It’s part of raising quality food. You want every day to be a good day for your animal.” Good days for the cows have been tougher lately for the rancher.
‘It’s coming’: Arizona rancher supports Trump’s new double border wall
Rancher John Ladd’s family has been raising livestock along the U.S.-Mexican border in Arizona for 130 years. (Peter O’Dowd/Here & Now) (Peter O’Dowd/Here & Now) John Ladd’s family has been raising cows in the high desert of Southern Arizona for 130 years. His San Jose Ranch has sweeping views of Mexico. The grass, high after a heavy rain, runs all the way down to the international boundary.
‘It’s coming’: Arizona rancher supports Trump’s new double border wall
John Ladd’s family has been raising cows in the high desert of Southern Arizona for 130 years. His San Jose Ranch has sweeping views of Mexico. The grass, high after a heavy rain, runs all the way down to the international boundary. “It used to be a seven-strand barbed-wire fence,” said Ladd, referring to the barrier between the two countries.
What its like to take a moonlit hot air balloon ride above Albuquerque
What its like to take a moonlit hot air balloon ride above Albuquerque Click here for the original audio and to read more. We revisit Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd's moonlit ride with the Dawn Patrol during Albuquerque's annual Balloon Fiesta from October, 2021. This year's festival ends on Sunday. This segment airs on October 9, 2026. Audio will be available after the broadcast. Peter O'Dowd Host-correspondent, Here & Now Peter O'Dowd is Here & Now’s host-correspondent.
'Grandmother' tree uprooted for border wall construction
Federal agents arrested more protesters on Tuesday in Southern Arizona who had been trying to protect a towering grove of cottonwood trees along the U.S.-Mexico border. The last tree came down Monday to make way for a 30-foot wall. Federal agents, some of them masked, moved in early Monday morning and demanded the protest camp in the San Rafael Valley disperse, said activist Kate Scott. “It was an explosive, horrific scene of cruelty,” Scott said.
Letters announcing medical-debt relief arrive as a welcome surprise
Americans owe $220 billion in medical debt, according to . It’s one reason health care and affordability are key issues in the upcoming midterm elections and top of mind for people like Brittany Gurney. In September of 2020, her 14-month-old son Jaxon was rushed to the hospital with a bowel obstruction that required nine surgeries in three months and a lengthy stay in the hospital. “To this day, the surgeon has no idea why it happened,” said Gurney, a divorced mother of two from Mesa, Arizona.
Trump weakens fuel efficiency standards. And, Cornell fraternity rape case reopened
Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and 🎧 Automakers praised the new standards, saying they better reflect current market demand. NPR's Willa Rubin tells Up First that critics warn lower fuel efficiency could raise long-term fuel costs and pollution, while U.S. automakers also risk falling behind competitors in markets moving faster toward electric vehicles. Warning: The next story describes sexual violence.
On a melting glacier in Alaska, there’s 'something most people will never see'
The fourth-largest outburst flood in Juneau’s history crested in August. Soon after, Eran Hood stood at the edge of an enormous empty basin in the mountains above the city. Just a day or so before, the basin had been full of 16-billion gallons of water.
Juneau races to find ‘lasting solution’ to annual glacial floods
A torrent of icy water poured into the basement of Diane and John Lohrey’s home in Juneau, Alaska, in the early morning of Aug. 6, 2024. It entered with such force that it floated the piano across the room and overturned bookshelves. “That water was cold,” Diane Lohrey recalled this August, a day before the annual flood was set to flow once again through Alaska's picturesque capital city.
Exploring the sights and sounds of Alaska's Eagle Beach
Exploring the sights and sounds of Alaska's Eagle Beach A bald eagle at Alaska's Eagle Beach. (Chris Bentley/Here & Now) Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd and Chris Bentley visit Eagle Beach outside of Juneau, Alaska, where the ecosystem is teeming with wildlife. Spawning salmon, bald eagles, dragonflies and signs of bear are everywhere. O'Dowd and and Bentley invite naturalists and wildlife experts along to learn more about the sights and sounds of this special place.
This squirrel only lives on one mountain. It's one of the most endangered species in North America
This squirrel only lives on one mountain. It's one of the most endangered species in North America Click here for the original audio and to read more. The Mt. Graham red squirrel is one of the most endangered species in North America. About 230 of them remain in the wild, and as the name suggests, they only live on one mountaintop in Southern Arizona.
Rising tides, changing seas: Oceans in a warming world
Emily Jankowski Sound Designer Emily Jankowski is a sound designer for WBUR’s podcast department. More… Grace Tatter Producer, WBUR Podcasts Grace Tatter is a producer for WBUR Podcasts. More… Peter O'Dowd Host-correspondent, Here & Now Peter O'Dowd is Here & Now’s host-correspondent. When the full-time hosts are off air, Peter steps in to cover the day’s most important stories. More… Candice Springer Associate Director, WBUR CitySpace Candice Springer is assistant director of WBUR CitySpace.
Arizona cities brace for big cuts to water supply
The Colorado River flows beneath the Glen Canyon Dam at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, near Page, Nev. (John Locher/AP) (John Locher/AP) Large Southwestern cities are bracing for cuts to their water supplies after the federal government stepped in last week with a 10-year plan to save the reservoirs on the Colorado River from crashing. Of the seven states that draw water from the river, none is likely to feel the impact more than Arizona.
Amid blistering drought, feds tap New Mexico aquifers to build border wall without permits
Updated July 10, 2026 at 11:57 AM PDT In its dash to build President Trump’s signature border wall, the federal government is drilling unpermitted wells into already-depleted aquifers in New Mexico, according to state officials. The New Mexico Office of the State Engineer told Here & Now it counted at least six wells under development along the border, but none have the necessary permits required by state law.
Feds tap aquifers to build border wall without permits from New Mexico
In its dash to build President Trump’s signature border wall, the federal government is drilling unpermitted wells into already-depleted aquifers in New Mexico, according to state officials. The New Mexico Office of the State Engineer told Here & Now it counted at least six wells under development along the border, but none have the necessary permits required by state law. One of the wells is on Russell Johnson’s cattle ranch, which shares an 8.5-mile border with Mexico.
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