Hot days and polluted air may be doing more than making people uncomfortable — they could also affect mental health. A new study from the University of Utah finds that short bursts of extreme heat, combined with certain types of air pollution, are linked to an increased risk of suicide.

Statehouses across the West are considering reforms to respond to the homeowners insurance crisis. While some are hitting headwinds, concern about the issue isn’t going away.

Salt lakes in the American West are shrinking — from Utah’s Great Salt Lake to smaller lakes scattered across the Great Basin. In her new book “Salt Lakes: An Unnatural History,” writer Caroline Tracey explores why these unusual landscapes matter, and what their decline reveals about humans’ impact on the environment.

The heat wave comes in the midst of an already challenging winter for the Rocky Mountains, compounding months of warm and dry conditions.

Using a massive data set detailing some 70 million policies, researchers have found that “credit scores impact homeowners insurance premiums as much as disaster risk.”