Public Lands Under Siege: Federal Layoffs, Senate Shifts, and an NBA Letdown

This week’s edition covers stories 
from February 13th to February 19th, 2025.
Today’s issue is 1112 words, a 8-minute read.

Hey Isabella, Mateo here.

I hope you’re all staying warm as we push through another brutal stretch of Minnesota winter. With temperatures barely climbing above zero, the cold isn’t the only thing hitting hard this week. The federal workforce is seeing deep cuts, leaving national parks and wildfire services critically understaffed. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s political landscape is shifting as Senator Tina Smith announces she won’t seek re-election in 2026, setting the stage for a competitive race. And in the sports world, NBA All-Star Weekend reminded us once again that spectacle is winning out over substance. As always, there’s plenty to unpack—and plenty to brace for in the weeks ahead.

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Scaling Back Stewardship: The Impact of Federal Workforce Cuts

It’s hard to put into words the frustration of watching a president disregard environmental protection, but here we are. The Trump administration’s latest round of government cuts has gutted essential staff at the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS), leaving beloved parks and vital wildfire services in crisis. The numbers are staggering, about 3,400 USFS employees and 1,000 NPS workers are being let go under Trump’s push to cut federal spending. These aren’t just numbers on a page; these are the rangers who maintain trails, educate visitors, and protect some of the most treasured landscapes in the country. They are the firefighters who defend communities from devastating wildfires. And now, they’re gone.

The effects are already visible. Popular parks like Yellowstone and Shenandoah are losing staff responsible for trail maintenance, meaning heavy rains could make some areas impassable. Grand Teton National Park lost 16 of 17 supervisory positions in charge of hiring seasonal workers, and places like the Appalachian Trail and MLK Jr.’s birthplace will see fewer rangers and educators. Visitors who came for a once-in-a-lifetime experience may now be met with overflowing trash, closed campgrounds, and unsanitary restrooms due to lack of staff.

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has warned that these staffing cuts will have “devastating consequences” for parks and surrounding communities yet the administration seems unconcerned. And the worst part? We’ve been told for years that we need to protect our environment, that conservation is a shared responsibility, that we must do our part. But how can we, when the very institutions meant to safeguard our lands are being dismantled before our eyes? This isn’t just a budget issue–it’s a clear statement of values. Trump and his administration have made it abundantly clear that they do not care about public lands, conservation, or the people who work tirelessly to protect them. These cuts aren’t just reckless; they’re a direct attack on the future of our national parks, our forests, and the communities that depend on them.

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Senator Tina Smith Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election

Last week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced in an op-ed that she will not run for re-election in 2026, citing a personal decision to spend more time with her family. Smith, who was first appointed to the Senate in 2018 and won a full term in 2020, emphasized that she will continue working for Minnesotans over the next two years, focusing on issues like protecting reproductive rights, lowering housing costs, defending the Boundary Waters, and passing a new Farm Bill. She also expressed confidence that Minnesota has a strong bench of leaders ready to step up in her place.

With Smith’s seat opening up, Minnesota is poised for a competitive Senate race in 2026. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan was the first to announce her intention to run, giving her the potential to be the first Native American woman elected to the Senate. Gov. Tim Walz has not ruled out a bid, while U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Angie Craig are also considering a run. On the Republican side, potential contenders include U.S. Reps. Pete Stauber and Tom Emmer, though the GOP has not won a statewide race in 20 years. Royce White, who ran against Sen. Amy Klobuchar is 2024, has already declared his candidacy. Other Democrats weighing a run include Secretary of State Steve Simon, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul mayor Melvin Carter, and former U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips. With such a broad field of possible candidates, Minnesota’s 2026 Senate race is shaping up to be one to watch.

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NBA All-Star Weekend: A Showcase of… Anything but Basketball

With football season officially over, basketball takes center stage for the next several months as the NBA enters its second half and March Madness looms. This past weekend should have been a celebration of the NBA’s best, with the annual All-Star festivities offering fans a chance to watch elite competition in a more relaxed, but still entertaining setting. Instead, the event reinforced a growing problem: for all the hype, the All-Star Game and its surrounding spectacle have become an afterthought to everything except actual basketball.

For years, fans have complained about the lack of effort in the game itself—no defense, minimal competitiveness, and an overall disinterest from the players. The NBA has attempted to fix this by tweaking the format, introducing a target score, and incorporating more entertainment elements. But this year, it reached a new low. The All-Star Game lasted nearly three hours, yet featured barely 30 minutes of meaningful basketball. The rest? A drawn-out, awkwardly paced production filled with forced celebrity appearances, a painfully unfunny Kevin Hart dominating the microphone, and a general sense that nobody involved—players, fans, or even broadcasters—wanted to be there.

The NBA keeps adding gimmicks to make the weekend more engaging, yet the more they change, the worse it gets. Even the once-reliable events like the Dunk Contest and Three-Point Shootout struggled to deliver. The great irony is that by the end of Sunday night, after enduring the endless filler, fans were actually craving more basketball—something the event is supposed to be centered around in the first place. Instead, they got a three-hour reminder that, at least for one weekend, the NBA is more interested in selling a product than showcasing its actual game.

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Stay informed, stay connected. 

See you next week! 

–
Mateo and the NewPrensa team

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