Hot Links: Accused Cop Killer, Obama Tickets, and Sex Spray

He said, she said: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and Attorney General Terry Goddard have butted heads over a U.S. Supreme Court case. Brewer wants Goddard to file a legal brief in support of a 2006 state law on funding for students who are learning English, and Goddard says Brewer has…

Caffiend: Java Monster Loca Moca

Monster is one of the most popular energy drinks on the market. The brand offers a plethora of flavors, including coffee-flavored energy drinks like the Java Monster Loca Moca.  Looks like: A big ol’ can of whoop ass.Smells like: Sugar-laden espresso.Tastes like: Chocolate coffee with an extra sweet kick.Caffeine and…

Hot Links: Marijuana Framed, Canines Cooled, Suspect Shot

The Mesa Unified School District plans to lay off 210 teachers today. The cuts do not include personnel with one-year contracts who may not be hired back anyway. A district spokesperson says the cuts will save the school district “30 to 60 million dolllars”…Rawhide Western Town will get new management…

Hot Links: Cactus League, Chandler Jazz, and Porn Ed

The City of Phoenix purchased 247 acres of land in Ahwatukee at an auction April 2. The city plans to use the land to add 165 acres to South Mountain Park, among other things…Despite the sluggish economy, there’s been record attendance at Cactus League games for the past six weeks,…

Hot Links: Basketball, the Baseline Killer, and Baby Crazes

University of Arizona will hire hire Tim Floyd as the new head basketball coach for the Wildcats, Ktar.com reports. Floyd was most recently head coach at USC…Phoenix Suns General Manager Steve Kerr indicated he’ll bring Alvin Gentry back as the team’s head coach, and that some roster changes might be…

Hot Links: Speeding Cameras, Pot Truckin’, and the CIA

After already cutting budgets by $32.6 million, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted to cut the county budget by another $28.7 million. Programs that will be eliminated include night courts and a youth intervention program…Mesa Mayor Scott Smith says the Chicago Cubs’ demand for better spring training facilities will…

Hot Links: Bombs, Business, and Bar Stools

Eight students were treated for chemical burns after a teenager blew up a bottle filled with cleaning chemicals at J.O. Combs Middle School in Queen Creek. The ninth-grade offender was arrested on charges including aggravated assault and disorderly conduct…The William E. Morris Institute for Justice has filed a class-action lawsuit…

Caffiend: Sucker Punch

Ed Hardy might have tried to corner the rockabilly and hot rod market with his own designer energy drinks, but he’s got some tough competition in Sucker Punch, a new drink made by old school motorcycle and chopper company Sucker Punch Sally’s. Looks like: A vintage soda, with a retro…

Hot Links: Suns, Cash Cab, and Orgasmic Meditation

The jaguar that was captured, collared, and euthanized at the Phoenix Zoo may not have had chronic kidney failure. The jaguar, named “Macho B,” was put down because of a terminal diagnosis, but a pathologist now says tissue samples show the animal may have just been dehydrated…Steve Nash scored 31…

Hot Links: Students Busted, People Shot, and a Horse

Two students from Corona Del Sol high school were arrested in connection to a threatening note found in the hallway that lead to classes being canceled on March 20. Police say the students, seniors Lauren Godson and Lauren Tamburrelli, created the threat to get a day off from school…The Arizona…

Hot Links: Troops at Borders, Bobcats in Bars, and Burgers

At a senate committee hearing Wednesday, senators both praised and poked holes in President Obama’s plan to send more troops to border states to combat Mexican drug cartels and associated violence, but Arizona Senator John McCain lauded Mexico President Felipe Calderon’s efforts to combat the cartels…Despite budget cuts, the Maricopa…

Phoenix’s Latino Rockabilly Set Turns the Beat Around

On a small corner stage at Chopper John’s, Marco Polo’s getting ready to perform with his Mexican psychobilly trio, Curse of the Pink Hearse. Most of the patrons at this biker bar on east Indian School Road in Phoenix are white, blue collar 30-somethings kicking off a late-winter weekend with…

Hot Links: Spy-Cams, Animal Cruelty, and Boob Bandits

Smile, you’re on hidden spy-cam: An anti-abortion group called Live Action is criticizing Planned Parenthood’s legal duties to report sexual abuse of minors, after an adult woman posed as a 15 year-old girl at a Planned Parenthood location in Phoenix and said she was pregnant by an older man. The…

Hot Links: Tax Breaks, Meth Labs, and Stink-Free Undies

The city of Phoenix will offer tax breaks to business owners, giving them a two-month amnesty period between April 15 and June 15 to file delinquent taxes without a penalty. The interest rate for delinquent taxes will be cut from six percent to three percent during the amnesty period…Perhaps business…

Caffiend: Chakra 4’s Cherry Sencha Tea

Tea is a multi-purpose drink — people use it for comfort, healing, and yes, energy. Although tea doesn’t contain as much caffeine as coffee, it does provide more pep than many other drinks. Here we take a look at a tea from local shop Chakra 4 that’s supposed to comforting…

Hot Links: Rabies, Stabbings, and the Potty Pyro

Don’t pet the fox with the foaming mouth: Since January 1, 59 animals in Arizona have tested positive for rabies, prompting officials to issue warnings to Arizonans to stay away from wild animals. So far, the rabid animals have exposed 29 domestic animals and seven people to the virus…Speaking of…

Hot Links: Buses, Bomb Threats, and Bigamy

As temperatures go up in the Valley this summer, so will bus and light rail fares. Valley Metro announced that starting July 1, fares will be raised from $1.25 to $1.75 for a one-way ride, and all-day passes will leap from $2.50 to $3.50. (Or $5.25 if you purchase the…

Hot Links: Taxes, Fires, and Strange Beasts

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s still pushing her budget-rescue plan to state lawmakers, which includes a proposed temporary tax hike. Legislators haven’t exactly received Brewer’s plan with open arms, and she says their reluctance may delay a special spring election which puts approval for the tax hike in voters’ hands. A…

Hot Links: Light Rail, Meth Salon, and Pelosi’s Capitol Cats

A spokesman for APS says the company’s seen a 45 percent increase in power thefts, with people running cables to utility lines or neighbors’ homes. APS says high jacking power is not only illegal, but dangerous, and vows to prosecute power thieves. SRP, on the other hand, reports that power…

Caffiend: 24:7 Coffee Energy

Cold coffee drinks have been a cool commodity since Starbucks introduced its Frappuccino line. Since then, makers of energy drinks like Rock Star and Monster have added cofffee-type drinks to their line of products. The latest energy drink to jump on the iced coffee bandwagon is 24:7 Energy. Let’s see…