United States

Fox News Seems to Think Arizona Looks a Lot Like Arkansas

If you're a Fox News viewer, you may have noticed that the Supreme Court apparently ruled against a voter ID law in Arkizonasas earlier this week.A few people who have seen a map of the United States before noticed that Fox ran a graphic of "AZ" during a segment on Arizona, although that graphic lab ... More >>

Marijuana or Gay Marriage: Which Is More Likely to Be Legalized in Arizona?

Gay marriage and legal marijuana possession are two things that probably haven't stood a chance in hell against Arizona voters over the last few years, but two groups are thinking now's the time for their issues.Last week, a group calling itself "Safer Arizona" filed its paperwork for a marijuana-le ... More >>

Gay Marriage Group Trying to Get "Equal Marriage" on Arizona Ballots in 2014

Proponents of "equal marriage" want Arizona voters to decide if marriage should be defined as a union of two people, instead of one man and one woman.A group of Republicans and libertarians called "Equal Marriage Arizona" has filed the necessary paperwork with the Secretary of State to start collect ... More >>

Marijuana Legalization Campaign Trying to Get Issue on Arizona Ballots in 2014

Arizona may become the next state where the voters can decide to legalize the personal use of marijuana.On Wednesday, a group calling itself "Safer Arizona" filed its paperwork for the marijuana-legalizing amendment to the Arizona Constitution with the Secretary of State's office. The group will nee ... More >>

Top 5 Ways Nature Kills in Arizona

Mother nature caused nearly 600 deaths in Arizona between 2005 and 2011.Even though most injuries sustained from nature or the environment aren't fatal in Arizona -- as more than 22,000 people visited emergency rooms for those injuries in 2011 alone -- you might be surprised to find out what the mos ... More >>

Arizona Watermelon Festival 2013 in Historic Glendale (Video)

Fruit fanatics ventured out to Historic Glendale's Murphy Park to celebrate the revival of the Arizona Watermelon Festival on Saturday. They enjoyed watermelon, of course, but also water games, watermelon slices, and a pageant to name the Arizona Watermelon Queen. See also: - Revival of Arizona W ... More >>

Poisoning Killed More Arizonans Than Guns in 2011

While gun-control advocates have been showing off a report that shows more Arizonans have died from bullets in the last few years than car accidents, that report neglects the number-one cause of injury deaths in Arizona -- poison.A report on injuries released today by the Arizona Department of Healt ... More >>

Ask a Mexican Answers Questions from Brits on Tex-Mex and Authentic Mexican Food

Although Border Crossings and Apprehensions Decrease, Migrant Deaths in Desert Still High

Despite a steep decline in border crossings and apprehensions along the U.S.-Mexico border, immigrant deaths have increased. And over the past 22 years, at least 2,238 migrants died crossing Arizona's southwestern desert, according to a new study. The study released Wednesday by Pima County Office ... More >>

"Arizona History Dinners" Kick Off Wednesday, June 5, at Cartwright's

This Wednesday, June 5, Cartwright's Sonoran Ranch House will serve a special menu in tribute to Legends in Levis: Old Time Cowboys. It will be the first in the Cave Creek restaurant's "Arizona History Dinners" series, scheduled to run biweekly through the end of October. See also: - Eric Flatt of ... More >>

State Health Department Stats Show Hospitals That More People Tend to Leave in a Body Bag

The Arizona Department of Health Services has released a database showing, among other things, which hospitals people tend to leave dead a little more than average.The database shows rates of dying at hospitals around the state, and it's separated by the reason that someone's admitted to the hospita ... More >>

Pro's Ranch Markets Files for Chapter 11

Say it ain't so, Pro's. See also: - Ranch Market in Phoenix: What We Bought, What We Skipped, and What We're Still Lusting Over - A Visual Tour Through Pro's Ranch Market Pro's Ranch Markets, the super-awesome California-based supermercado of Latin foodstuffs with 11 stores in Arizona, Texas, an ... More >>

15 Summer Festivals in Metro Phoenix and Across Arizona

Summer is in full swing -- and so is summer festival season. You might have to drive a bit for strawberries, lavender, and corn, but getting there is half the fun, right? Road trip! Food connoisseurs and amateurs alike can fill their schedules until September with the list of festivals in Arizona we ... More >>

ACLU Tries to Block 2011 Law It Says Targets Minority Women Seeking Abortions

The ACLU is suing to stop a 2011 Arizona law it says targets Black and Asian or Pacific Islander women for seeking abortions based on the race or sex of their baby.The lawsuit claims the law targets minority groups, and is a violation of the 14th Amendment and its equal protection clause, because Ar ... More >>

Arizona Still One of Few States Where More People Die From Guns Than Car Crashes

Arizona is still one of a handful of states where more people die from being shot than die in motor-vehicle accidents.Arizona was one of only 10 states with more deaths-by-gun than deaths-by-car in 2009, and is only one of 12 states in 2010, now the most recent data available. As you can imagine, a ... More >>

MC Magic: Why I Signed Arizona's MOB FAM

This week I'd like to talk about one of the hardest working, up-and-coming hip hop squads from the streets of Arizona: MOB FAM. This three-member group is made up of real-life brothers Arturo, Javier, and Steve Campos, better know as TS, Young Javi, and SC! These boys have been pounding the streets ... More >>

Arizona Teens Not Getting Knocked Up Like They Used to, According to Report

Arizona had the largest decrease of teenagers giving birth over the last few years than any other state, according to numbers released by the National Center for Health Statistics.That's important, since teenagers have a higher risk of low birthweight, premature birth, babies dying in infancy, passi ... More >>

Best Dishes

Will the Joe Arpaio Recall Effort Get Enough Signatures?

With the May 30 deadline looming, the effort to recall Sheriff Joe Arpaio has stopped its paid petition-gathering, for the second time, due to donors' unwillingness to cough up the cash.Stephen Lemons reported last week that Respect Arizona found "the sticking point [for donors] was the lack of a de ... More >>

Arizona's 20-Week Abortion Ban Is Unconstitutional, Says Federal Appeals Court

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says Arizona's law banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy is unconstitutional, citing just about every Supreme Court case on the subject since Roe v. Wade."The 20-week law is [an] unconstitutional under an unbroken stream of Supreme Court authority, begin ... More >>

Marijuana By Itself Not a Significant Factor in Fatal and Injury Crashes in 2012, DPS Data Shows

Pot by itself was not much of a factor in injury and fatal crashes probed last year by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Fewer than 1 percent of suspected impaired drivers involved in such crashes tested positive for nothing but marijuana. New Times' findings, based on a records request sat ... More >>

Flip-Flopping John McCain Is No Political Profile in Courage

Farmville

Extreme Honeybee Losses Could Threaten U.S. Food Supply

Pesticides, drought, and a dwindling food supply -- just some of the possible reasons for the loss of nearly one-third of the country's honeybee colonies last winter. Living in Arizona, where Africanized honeybees recently stung a man to death, we might be inclined to celebrate. See also: - Emily ... More >>

Marijuana Legalization Supported by More Than Half of Arizonans, Poll Says

It shouldn't be illegal to possess a little marijuana, according to more than half of Arizona's residents.This Behavior Research Center poll, released today, shows that 56 percent of the Arizonans surveyed are in favor of "legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use," wi ... More >>

Nikki's Five Picks for Arizona Restaurant Week (May 18-27)

Arizona Restaurant Week -- the Spring 2013 Edition -- begins Saturday, May 18 and ends Monday, May 27 (which is Memorial Day, when most of us will be grilling burgers and drinking beer at home . . . but never mind). By the end of this week, ARW officially will be upon us: a 10-day eating extravaganz ... More >>

Arizona Has a Higher Percentage of Global-Warming Believers Than Any Other State

People in Arizona are more likely to believe that global warming is a real thing than people in any other state.It may be easy to believe, since a large portion of the state is essentially a Crock-Pot that cooks humans during the summer, but it may also be difficult to believe, given the conspiracy- ... More >>

Sam Pillsbury Answers the Question: Why Arizona Wine?

Why Arizona wine? In 2000 -- the year I planted my first vineyard at the end of a lonely, dusty road in Cochise County, 12 miles south of Willcox -- one of the 10 Best 'How to Lose Money' jokes on Saturday Night Live was: Plant a Vineyard In Arizona. Arizona is all Sonoran Desert, obviously suicid ... More >>

Mother's Day in Metro Phoenix: 12 Recommendations Based on Time, Budget, and Location

Sunday is Mother's Day, and (especially if you don't do it throughout the year) you'd better find a way to honor the woman that gave you life. Brunch is the traditional meal of the holiday, and there are plenty of those in the Phoenix area if your mom loves waffles, omelettes, and bacon. But there a ... More >>

Grab Your Favorite Dining Buddy: Arizona Spring Restaurant Week Is Almost Here

Twice a year, the Arizona Restaurant Association tries to entice us into dining out for 10 days straight by getting more than a hundred local restaurants to offer prix-fixe menus for $30 or $40. And every year, twice a year, it pretty much works. See also: - April Restaurant Openings and Closings ... More >>

Is Arizona's Zero-Tolerance Stance on Pot and Driving a Load of B.S.?

If you smoked a joint a couple days ago, you are too stoned to drive right now in Arizona.The state's zero-tolerance law on the combination of marijuana-smoking and driving is the subject of this week's cover story by our colleague Ray Stern, a law that's even worse considering the state has a legal ... More >>

How to Avoid a Marijuana DUI in Zero-Tolerance Arizona

For the millions of people who now use marijuana legally under their states' laws, driving in Arizona is a technically a crime. Motorists with pot metabolites in their bloodstreams who want to avoid a marijuana DUI -- which comes with nasty fines and a one-year suspension of driving privileges, in ... More >>

Arizona Farmer Chef Connection Conference on June 10 at Desert Botanical Garden

Local and slow-food proponents have teamed up for a tete-a-tete on all things Arizona and farm-to-table. Local First Arizona, along with Edible Phoenix, Slow Food Phoenix, Good Food Finder, and the Desert Botanical Garden, will host the Arizona Farmer Chef Connection on Monday, June 10. See also: ... More >>

Tom Swoon Is Ready To Play Cinco de Mayo (And Learn What Cinco de Mayo Is)

Polish DJ Tom Swoon will help El Santo in Scottsdale celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Sunday, taking to the DJ booth prior to Porter Robinson. From the beginning of his career, only a few years ago, Swoon has emerged rapidly into the EDM scene and is now making himself known throughout North America. We ... More >>

Arizona's Well Above the National Average! (For Middle-Aged Suicide Rates)

In only a handful of states are middle-aged people killing themselves at a higher rate than Arizona.The Centers for Disease Control and prevention released a report today on Americans between the ages of 35 and 64 committing suicide, Arizona's 24 suicides per 100,000 residents in 2010 was well above ... More >>

Revival of Arizona Watermelon Festival in Historic Glendale on June 8

This summer, one of Arizona's oldest food festivals is back after lying fallow for several decades. First held in 1949, the Arizona Watermelon Festival is an old-timey Glendale tradition that once brought together up to 40,000 people each year to celebrate local agriculture. The revived version will ... More >>

A Twist of Fete

Rick Phillips of EATERAZ to Open Casual Restaurant with BBQ Component Moonshine -- and Guess Who's Consulting for Him?

As the likable smart-ass behind the food scene blog EATERAZ and the guy who puts on both the Arizona Taco Festival and the Arizona BBQ Festival (all with considerable help from his equally likeable and possibly more smart-ass partner Dave Tyda), Rick Phillips is known for being a magazine publisher ... More >>

Arizona Ranked Second-to-Last in the Nation in "Bachelor Party Freedom"

Arizonans have less freedom to engage in activities that may be related to bachelor parties than the residents of 48 other states.According to a study from George Washington University, Arizona gets its poor ranking from laws on gambling, victimless crime, tobacco, beer, kegs, fireworks, prostitutio ... More >>

Boston Marathon Explosions: 259 Arizonans Entered the Race, 186 Finished

There are varying counts of people dead and injured from the explosions this afternoon at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, but the initial count from a police spokeswoman was two people dead, and 23 injured.Of the 26,839 people entered in the race, 259 of them are from Arizona. One of those A ... More >>

Grand Canyon Caverns to Adopt Cheesy Dinosaur Statute Booted Out of Historic Neighborhood in Orange County

A $12,000 dinosaur statue installed at an Orange County petting zoo last year is moving to Arizona after being evicted by snooty residents of a historic mission neighborhood. Our state has long been a friend to cheesy dinosaur statues, from Holbrook to the Flintstones Bedrock City in Valle. Now we' ... More >>

Are "People Who Want to Secure the Border and Prevent Illegal Immigration" Racist?

According to poll results released yesterday by Rasmussen Reports, 11 percent of U.S. voters think that "people who want to secure the border and prevent illegal immigration" are racist.An additional 22 percent said they didn't know if these people are racist.See also:-Poll: One-Third of Voters Not ... More >>

Poll: One-Third of Voters Not Convinced People Who Want to "Secure the Border" Aren't Racist

Good news for people who talk up their desire for the country to "secure the border" and try to prevent illegal immigration -- most American voters don't think you're racist.The problem is, according to poll results, that still leaves one-third of American voters who still think you might be racist.

Here Are the Winners of the 2013 Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame

Hold on to your apron strings, folks. The Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame has announced its 2013 winners. See also: - Top 5 Favorite Events at the 2013 Scottsdale Culinary Festival - Crudo Chef Cullen Campbell Invited to Cook at the James Beard House Presented by the Scottsdale Culinary Festival an ... More >>

Ask a Mexican on Nuclear Families and Criticizing Gabachos

Arizona's Lands on the Daily Show Yet Again, This Time for "Protecting Guns From People"

Yet again, the state of Arizona is the subject of one of Comedy Central's news programs, this time thanks to Tucson gun advocates who are "standing up for guns."This time, the Daily Show with Jon Stewart profiled the gun-worshipers who are protesting the gun-buyback programs in Tucson, as well as Re ... More >>

Arizona Ranked Fourth in the Nation! (For "Highest Levels of Gun Violence")

Only three other states in the U.S. of A. have higher "levels of gun violence" than Arizona, according to one report.Although magazines like Guns & Ammo congratulate Arizona for being "the best" state for gun owners -- despite the fact that the magazine's former editor shot and killed a man in Arizo ... More >>

Should Arizona Adopt Bisbee's Pending Civil-Union Ordinance for Same-Sex Couples?

As the Bisbee City Council prepares to adopt an ordinance tonight that would give same-sex couples the right to a civil union that provides the same legal benefits as a marriage, we can't help but wonder why the rest of the state isn't doing this. After it passes as expected, the city will acknowle ... More >>