Okay, we know you're busy during the week, so if you've got a little extra time now, here are five stories from New Times that you should have read.
What Arizonans Said to President Trump About Building That Wall
In a snap survey of 500 registered voters in Arizona conducted by the Phoenix-based consulting firm Data Orbital just two days after Donald Trump issued his order jump-starting the construction of a wall across the 2,000-mile U.S. border with Mexico, nearly 50 percent of respondents held an unfavorable view of Trump, and 54 percent said they did not support Trump's wall. Read the entire story.
Can Phoenix Neo-Nazi's French Connection Save Him From Death Penalty?
Does this sound like an HBO miniseries? It's the tale of pseudo-French neo-Nazi Travis Ricci accused of a racially motivated murder, whom the French consulate is looking to save from the death penalty. Add in an as-yet-unverified claim that the defendant’s grandfather fought in the French Resistance, and the fact Ricci has a high-profile attorney — paid for by the taxpayers — who happens to be Jewish and likes to quote the Talmud. Read the entire story.
Guess what these Phoenix Students Did to Show Solidarity With Muslim Classmates?
A number of Maryvale High School students celebrated World Hijab Day this week by wearing hijabs or other head coverings, an idea generated by Noor Alhasany, an Iraqi-American student who wears the hijab, and suggested that Panthertown, the school’s diversity club, sponsor the event. She estimated that roughly 60 students and teachers showed up for the information session where she demonstrated how to tie a hijab. “I was really proud of all of them for being willing to try it,” she said. Read the entire story.
There Won't Be So Many Smiling Faces at the Department of Economic Security. Find Out Why.
Former DES Director Tim Jeffries tried to endear himself to the nearly 8,000 DES employees with videos, e-mails, and personal visits, and made the classic, circular smiley face his mascot. He put one next to his name on the door to his office, and they would often show up in his documents and presentations. He also ordered smiley faces stitched on the backs of 300 uniforms. Now that Jeffries is gone, what has happened to the smiley faces? Read the entire story.
Is Phoenix's Seventh Street Restaurant Bubble About to Burst?
The stretch of Seventh Street between Camelback Road and Glendale Avenue has become one of the fastest-growing dining districts in Phoenix in recent years. Since the Yard opened on Seventh Street in 2013, close to a dozen stylish new restaurants and bars have opened along this stretch of Seventh Street, including cocktail/comfort food-centric Okra. But has the area grown too fast? Read the entire story.