If there was any question about whether Senator John McCain would endorse Republican front-runner Donald Trump now that his long-time BFF Lindsey Graham dropped out of the race, the answer is loud and clear: absolutely not. In the latest back and forth between McCain and Trump, the Arizona Senator called…
New Times has forced two more law-enforcement officials to follow a little-known state law, but it’s likely that many other elected officials in Arizona still aren’t following it. In an article last week, New Times revealed that a statute passed by the Arizona Legislature in 2010 requires local governments to…
Granite Mountain Hotshot Superintendent Eric Marsh did not make or receive cell phone calls in the three hours leading up to the burn-over that claimed his life along with 18 other members of his crew during the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, 2013, his wife Amanda Marsh tells New…
Arizona is the second worst state in the country at addressing mental-health issues, according to a new study from the nonprofit Mental Health America. To determine the ranking, Mental Health America analyzed the prevalence of mental illness in each state and the District of Columbia using statistics on adults and…
This year was the most historic in history for Arizona’s cannabis culture. One of the pioneering states for marijuana freedom in the country, Arizona has a well-established medical-marijuana program that includes nearly 90 retail outlets. Advocates worked hard in 2015 to collect signatures for a legalization measure expected to be…
Simon Kunesh arrives at his physical therapy appointment hanging from his mother’s neck, arms locked, swinging back and forth like a pendulum. She’s prying at his fingers, trying to put him down, but he stubbornly has retracted his long, spindly legs and flexed his feet to avoid touching the floor…
Once again, the facts have gotten in the way of arguments by cannabis prohibitionists. Echoing the messages of anti-pot warriors like Kevin Sabet, local cannabis critics Sheila Polk and Seth Leibsohn wrote in a widely published op-ed just last month that legalization would lead to more teen use of the…
Well, 2015 was an exciting year! From the horrific murder-suicide in Tempe Town Lake to the anti-Islam protests and the Salt River Horse drama, Arizona produced quite a few headline-grabbing stories. So get ready to go down memory lane because here’s our roundup of the ones that will always remind…
Videos of “Stoner Sloth,” a cute-but-pathetic character created by the Australian government who can’t handle life because of marijuana, are bringing in more laughs than self-reflection by cannabis advocates. Stoner Sloth is portrayed as both male and female in the ads, which were produced by the New South Wales Department of…
Two days after comedian Tina Fey reprised her role as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live, the former Alaska governor and one-time vice presidential hopeful shot back with her own impersonation of Fey. Palin plays “Lynn Melon,” a la Fey’s Liz Lemon from theTV show 30 Rock, in a fake…
“We’re not going to let them get away with it,” is the message Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton has for a group of Arizona state legislators trying to defund Planned Parenthood. “This is the sort of same old tired playbook we’ve seen nationally from Republicans,’ Clinton’s Director of Women’s Outreach,…
Who says all the good fights happen on Black Friday? With Christmas less than a week away, the benevolent spirit of the season failed to stop a fight from breaking out during a Saturday morning protest at a Phoenix shopping center shared by a Home Depot and a Walmart, near…
Richard Anthony “Cheech” Marin, best known as Cheech in the legendary comedic duo, Cheech and Chong, and America’s most public “stoner,” says he still smokes as much as always and doesn’t differentiate between medicinal and recreational. “I don’t do it medicinally,” said Marin, “I don’t think it makes a difference…
Come shop at Walmart and Home Depot, stay for the fisticuffs. That could be the pitch for the shopping center at 37nd Street and Thomas Road in Phoenix, where each chain has a store. Its parking lot has recently been the site of angry confrontations between heavily-armed nativists and a…
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve certainly seen the hilariously nerdy highway signs throughout Arizona — “Aggressive Driving is the path to the dark side” and “Trust the force, but always buckle up.” State employees over at the Arizona Department of Transportation have been channeling their inner-child as hype…
A right-wing Sedona group is advertising what promises to be the throw-down of the year: A debate on the merits of marijuana legalization between staunch pot-prohibitionist Sheila Polk on one side and fellow anti-marijuana activist Seth Leibsohn on the other. Yes, you read that right: the group says Leibsohn will take…
Ever one to exploit an opportunity for attention, Sheriff Joe Arpaio is celebrating the arrest of a man he says has been stalking him for weeks. According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Ruben Pena, 43, was a frequent visitor to MCSO headquarters. He claimed to be “Jesus Christ” and…
Vaccines approved recently for a new strain of dog flu might take away some of the worry for some pet owners, but could do more harm than good, says a local veterinarian. “It’s not appropriate for every patient,” says Dr. Billy Griswold, who owns Priority Pet Hospital in Gilbert with…
One day after filing a response to Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s petition seeking her removal from office, Arizona Corporation Commission Chairwoman Susan Bitter Smith resigned from the powerful regulatory body, effective January 4. In a statement issued today, Bitter Smith, a Republican, defended herself against allegations of a conflict of…
Sometimes it’s hard to tell a master from his students – or a celebrity from his fan boys. While at the Donald Trump rally in Mesa yesterday, a lot of one-liners could be heard from his supporters that sounded as though they came straight from the Republican front-runner’s mouth. So…
LifeLock, the scandal-plagued, anti-identify-theft company based in Tempe, has been ordered to pay $100 million and agree for violating terms of a 2010 settlement agreement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The company, which charges customers a monthly fee for services it claims can protect against the crime of identity…
The two biggest firefighting organizations in the state are alerting the public that a sketchy non-profit is targeting Arizonans with a telemarketing campaign that claims to raise money for burn victims. “Beware of scammer telephone solicitors who claim they’re affiliated with fire fighters groups,” warn the Professional Fire Fighters of…
