Non-Latino Arizonans have a soft spot for immigrant kids, if a new poll commissioned by a children’s advocacy organization can be believed. According to a telephone survey of voters in six states paid for by the non-profit group First Focus, a majority of non-Latino Arizonans support birthright citizenship and have…
The Arizona Diamondbacks are threatening to sue Maricopa County unless they’re allowed to escape their lease because the county won’t pay for $187 million in Chase Field renovations. In a letter obtained by 12 News (below) that was sent from the county to the team’s executive officer, Derrick Hall, County Supervisor Clint Hickman…
The wait times in Maricopa County for voting in Tuesday’s Presidential Preference Election varied greatly in some areas, sometimes between nearby polling locations, a county report shows. The sheer scarcity of polling locations was one problem. Where they were located was another. Eighteen of 60 locations — nearly a third —…
One sentence in federal Judge Susan R. Bolton’s recent decision in the 2014 shooting death of Manuel Longoria by Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputy Heath Rankin neatly sums up the circumstances of Longoria’s unnecessary killing. Halfway through her 11-page order granting summary judgment in favor of Rankin, Pinal County, and Rankin’s boss,…
An 18-year-old girl had to be airlifted off of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix on Tuesday after she fell while rappelling from the Praying Monk formation. “She had some broken bones and couldn’t get down the mountain, and we flew her off,” said Phoenix Fire Department Captain Reda Bigler. The teen,…
Several hundred people, rallying under cries to “boycott racism” and “stand on the side of love,” descended on the Arizona State Capitol to protest a string of legislative proposals they’ve dubbed “anti-immigrant.” Carlos Garcia, director of the migrant rights group Puente Arizona, said he organized the protest, along with a…
Phoenix City Council members have voted to restore prayer at the beginning of their formal meetings, but the invocation will have to be given exclusively by individuals serving as chaplains for the city’s police and fire departments. The vote comes nearly two months after the City Council decided to have…
A group of about 40 people gathered outside of Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell’s Office today, angry at the seven-term Republican politician and demanding change. Some held signs like “Hey Hey Ho Ho Helen Purcell has to go!! Feel the Bern!” and “Stop Voter Suppression.” Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, meanwhile, called…
With less than a month before the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments over a deportation-relief program for undocumented parents that has been on hold for more than a year, a new study finds Arizona is one of the states with the most U.S. citizens living with family members who’d…
Donald Trump destroyed his competition in the Arizona’s Presidential Preference Election on Tuesday to mixed reviews by some in the Republican Party. The race was called for Trump early in the night even as some voters still waited in line at polling places. The controversial businessman and political outsider had…
Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary in Arizona by a sizable margin tonight, bringing her that much closer to winning the party nomination. She was declared the winner about 30 minutes after polls closed, and as of publication time, has about 60 percent of the vote. Steve Timberman, a spokesman…
If you were wondering what caused that huge plume of black smoke in the skies over southeast Phoenix earlier today, it turns out it was from a gargantuan fire that blazed through a local recycling plant. According to officials from the Phoenix Fire Department, an enormous three-alarm blaze engulfed the…
Polling places in Maricopa County were swamped with enthusiastic voters today, spurring gripes and a possible election complaint over party identification problems. While some polling spots experienced wait-times as short as 15 minutes during Tuesday’s Presidential Preference Election, waits of an hour to 90 minutes to vote were typical. Some…
If you’re not registered as a Democrat, Green Party member or Republican, you’re not voting in today’s election. Independents can relax, take a day off, and see what the partisan voters do. That’s the first thing you need to know about today’s important Presidential Preference Election in Arizona. If you are…
Massive environmental destruction promised by the Resolution Copper Mining project at Oak Flat campground near Superior in theory could be halted by findings from an upcoming study. The federal process of producing an environmental impact statement on the project can’t stop the planned mine directly, anti-mining activists admit. But depending…
Ex-Minuteman leader and alleged child molester Chris Simcox has dropped his controversial bid to personally cross-examine two alleged child victims during an upcoming trial, according to attorneys involved with the case. Simcox, who is representing himself, told Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jose Padilla that he was waiving his attempt…
The city of Surprise will pay $40,000 to a battered woman who was pushed out of her home for calling 911 too many times, according to a settlement agreemen. City officials also agreed to repeal the ordinance that nearly got Nancy Markham, a single mother of two, evicted in August…
Hillary Clinton may claim she’s not a natural politician, but her rally this afternoon in a Phoenix high school suggests otherwise. From the moment she walked onstage — “This is my fight song” by Rachel Platten booming in the background — the Democratic front-runner brought a genuine, palpable energy into…
Arizona State University president Michael Crow has proposed a $200 increase in undergraduate tuition for resident students and a $1,000 hike for non-resident students. Under Crow’s tuition plan, which must be approved by the state Board of Regents, students also would be required to pay a $270 surcharge to compensate…
Bill Clinton’s voice was characteristically raspy and the acoustics in Phoenix Central High School’s gymnasium were less than ideal, but the former president had little difficultly bringing a thousand cheering Hillary Clinton supporters to their feet. His message was simple: The political gridlock of the status quo is problematic, but…
Each time Bernie Sanders steps in front of a crowd in Arizona, the line between political rally and rock concert gets a bit fuzzier. We didn’t think things could any more electric after the crowd, freaking out like Justin Bieber fan girls, nearly brought down the risers where the Bernie…
Every time Donald Trump comes through Arizona, his political rallies get larger, his protesters get braver, and the interaction between the two groups gets more intense. Today’s rally in Fountain Hills certainly was no exception. Hours before Trump even arrived, hundreds of protesters stormed the only two roads leading to…
