Five Places to Watch the Final Presidential Debate in Metro Phoenix

Take a deep breath. The end of what may be the strangest, most unpredictable election season in all of American history is in sight, people! Tonight marks one of the final milestones: the third presidential debate.  Chris Wallace of Fox News will moderate, which should make for some very interesting…

Phoenix New Times Seeks Part-Time Layout Editor

Phoenix New Times has an immediate opening for a layout editor. This person will produce sophisticated and vibrant layouts for the print and online versions of the paper, produce and supervise interactive and multimedia features for www.phoenixnewtimes.com, organize and manage digital assets, and assist and support the art director. Applicants…

How Arizona’s Reliance on Local School Funding Hurts Students

Shrinking state funding for schools over the years has meant that local communities have been forced to pay an increasingly higher share of total funding, according to the Arizona School Boards Association. The situation has left schools in a precarious state, says the nonpartisan, nonprofit group, which represents school districts throughout…

13 Best Moments of the Year in Phoenix

The 2016 edition of New Times’ Best of Phoenix is out now, making an argument for our status as a border town. Here’s our list of the most memorable moments of the past year. Best Rescue: GusGus the Goat Little news in the past 12 months was quite as traumatic…

Discount Tire Boycott Movement Grows as Owner Donates $1M to Keep Marijuana a Felony

Phoenix-based Discount Tire Company and its billionaire owner Bruce Halle face a growing boycott movement after making a $1 million donation to help defeat Proposition 205, the ballot initiative to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Arizona. In August, local immigrant-rights groups organized a boycott after Discount Tire stores posted “Re-Elect Sheriff Joe Arpaio” signs in…

Ask a Stoner: Should I Be Gardening with Bat Guano?

Dear Stoner: I was at my neighborhood “gardening” store recently and noticed an ingredient I was not familiar with: bat guano. What is that? L.L. Pot Seed Dear L.L.: The answer is poop. Bat poop, specifically. While bats may be disease-carrying flying rats with poor eyesight, their excrement is like…

Arizona Anti-Pot Lobby Imports Colorado Politicians to Kill Legal Weed

“Don’t repeat our terrible mistake.” These words are delivered in extremely dour fashion by Wellington Webb, former mayor of Denver, Colorado,  in a new 30-second commercial opposing Proposition 205, the measure to legalize limited recreational marijuana sales in Arizona. The proposition is clearly modeled on Colorado’s Amendment 64, which voters in that…

Kratom Ban Dead for Now: DEA Withdraws Schedule I Notice

Earlier today, bending to public backlash and pressure from the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Center’s acting administrator, Chuck Rosenberg, formally withdrew the agency’s August 31 notice of intent to make the head-shop staple kratom a Schedule I drug along with substances that include heroin, peyote, and LSD.  The…

Best of Phoenix 2016: The 10 Best Moments in Sports

The 2016 edition of New Times’ Best of Phoenix is out now, making an argument for our status as a border town. Here’s our list of the top people and accomplishments this past year in the world of sports. Best Rookie Sensation: David Johnson It’s not as though Arizona Cardinals…

14 Best Phoenix Media Follows (You’re Welcome!)

The 2016 edition of New Times’ Best of Phoenix is out now, making an argument for our status as a border town. Here’s our list of the best media in our midst. Best Local to Follow on Snapchat: New Darlings While you can follow along with their adventures in the desert…

Sheriff Joe Arpaio to Face Criminal Charges for Contempt

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the self-proclaimed Toughest Sheriff in America, is about to find out if he’s tough enough to weather a criminal charge and still win re-election. A misdemeanor charge of contempt appears inevitable after today’s hearing in federal court in Phoenix, when officials from the Arizona U.S…