It was more of a nonsoon than a monsoon. It won’t make anyone’s Best Storms of 2016 list, but Phoenix saw its first rainfall of the summer monsoon season on Monday. One one-hundredth of an inch of rain fell at Sky Harbor Airport, according to the National Weather Service, while Gilbert…
Minutes after Sen. John McCain tweeted that Democrats were putting politics above meaningful action by blocking a $1.1 billion bill that was ostensibly about funding a federal effort to combat the Zika virus, the Twittersphere bit back with a vengeance. Calling McCain a hypocrite, many social-media users pointed out that…
Still frustrated about those long voting lines during Arizona’s March 22 presidential preference vote? Concerned about the state’s response to that and other polling-place fiascos? Worried about similar problems occurring in November’s general election? It seems U.S. Representatives Ann Kirkpatrick and Ruben Gallego are, too. So much so that the…
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a draconian Texas abortion law appears to be more than a symbolic win for Arizona’s pro-choice movement. At a Monday afternoon press conference, Jodi Liggett, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood Arizona, called the ruling a landmark victory that “establishes…
Despite mitigation efforts, a measles outbreak at the Eloy Detention Center in Pinal County keeps getting worse. Over the weekend, the Arizona Department of Health Services announced the 19th confirmed case and expanded the list of potentially contaminated areas in Pinal and Maricopa counties. (See below for full list.) The…
From the tons sold in legal medical-marijuana dispensaries to the tons imported each year from Mexico, Arizona knows its cannabis. Here’s a roundup of last week’s biggest pot news stories that affect the Grand Canyon State… High Times Magazine Endorses AZ’s Legalization Measure The venerable High Times magazine published an…
Grab your umbrellas and get excited, people, because the National Weather Service says the Phoenix area could get some monsoon activity as early as Monday or Tuesday. As the Tucson area experiences thunderstorms throughout the weekend, that moisture will continue to make its way north and increase the chances of…
Sporting sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt, a golden retriever mingles with two furry friends. Lounging in a pink pet stroller, a cat named Coco curls up in a red dress and pearls — one of four costume changes she has come equipped with for the weekend. Not to be outdone,…
The Arizona Board of Regents has approved an Arizona State University plan to lease land for a 20-story, senior-housing project on a high-profile site in downtown Tempe. “Mirabella” is the latest plan for another mini-skyscraper in the college town east of Phoenix, which has seen a construction boom in recent…
According to one local Republican official, it’s time for the Donald Trump camp to dole out some mob-style justice. This past Saturday, during a radio show broadcast from the Old Pueblo, Bruce Ash, a Tucson businessman who is one of Arizona’s two elected Republican National Committeemen, suggested that three political…
A state grand jury has indicted Arizona Democratic lawmaker Cecilia “Ceci” Velasquez for allegedly ripping off the federal food-stamp program. Unsealed on Wednesday but signed on May 23, the indictment charges Velasquez, 42, with one felony count each of fraudulent schemes and practices, unlawful use of food stamps, and theft…
Given the amount of love and attention Donald Trump has heaped on Arizona in the past year, you’d think he’d have the state in the bag come November. Turns out, that just might not be the case. A new poll released this week by OH Strategic Communications and MBQF Consulting…
If there’s one thing Ann Kirkpatrick doesn’t want to talk about, it’s John McCain. On a recent Thursday afternoon, the congresswoman is seated at a long wooden table in a boardroom in Tucson. She’s just finished a round-table discussion with 20 men and women who work with veterans, and managed…
For the second straight year, the epic battle between LeBron James and Steph Curry in the NBA Finals wowed American sports fans. And for the second straight year, Suns fans could only watch with remorse. Both teams have key figures who were jettisoned by Suns owner Robert Sarver. Steve Kerr…
Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego declared his support for an anticipated marijuana-legalization initiative on Monday, saying it would help minorities and the economy. The 36-year-old Iraq War veteran and Democrat who represents Arizona’s Seventh Congressional District has supported legalization for years. As a member of the state House of Representatives in…
From the tons sold in legal medical-marijuana dispensaries to the tons imported each year from Mexico, Arizona knows its cannabis. Here’s a roundup of last week’s biggest pot news stories that affect the Grand Canyon State… Armpits and Bicycle Tubes: “Creative” Marijuana Smugglers Caught by Border Authorities Smugglers bring low-quality…
Once again, Arizona’s searing summer sun has turned deadly. Over this past weekend, record-breaking heat across the state claimed the lives of at least four hikers. On Sunday, temperatures reached 118 degrees, melting Phoenix’s previous record for the date (115 degrees, set in 1968), and making Sunday the fifth-hottest day on record…
Visit sunny Arizona, stay for seven to ten, behind bars. That could be the Arizona Chamber of Commerce’s new slogan for the state, based on a recent analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, which shows that from 2006 to 2014, Arizona’s incarceration…
You know what they say: Fourth time’s…a bust? Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix was perhaps most notable for being nothing special. With promises of protesters and biker-gang militias patrolling the parking lot, the afternoon event seemed poised to become yet another headline-grabbing Arizona…
Social Media 101: If you’re a politician and you say something dumb, Twitter will pitilessly mock you for it. Case in point: U.S. Senator John McCain. While answering questions from reporters Thursday morning, McCain literally blamed President Barack Obama for the horrific events at a popular gay nightclub in Orlando…
Cady Gokey understands the concerns some people have about bottled-water plants in drought-stricken Phoenix. But she also knows what people want: a cool drink of bottled water. As president of Sedona Bottling Company, the 28-year-old oversees a small water factory in a nondescript West Phoenix industrial park. The 20-year-old company…
Arizona’s most liberal Congressman, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, is now endorsing Hillary Clinton for president. Grijalva made headlines this past October when he became the first national politician to endorse Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and since then, the Tucson Congressman has been a vocal supporter and surrogate for his candidate: going…
