Some congressional Republicans think U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius seems to have a lot of reasons to delay testifying before Congress on problems with the healthcare.gov website.Republican Congressman David Schweikert suggests Sebelius answer some questions during her visit to Phoenix…
Although it was just a month ago that Senator John McCain hinted that this might be his last term, he’s walked back on that one (of course).McCain, who made his first trip to Congress in 1983, now says he’s “seriously thinking about maybe” running for reelection in 2016…
I was surprised, on a trip to Mexico earlier this month, that I only ever found the holiday referred to as “Día de Muertos,” whereas in the States, I’ve only ever heard it referred to as “Día de los Muertos.” I’m really curious as to why there’s a difference north/south…
When it comes to duplicity, Lance Armstrong, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, and the Roman god Janus got nothin’ on Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Here’s a for-instance: State Senator Steve Gallardo, a Democrat and fierce critic of Arpaio’s, tells me that since April, one of the sheriff’s latest hires, Miryam Gutier-Elm, has…
Editor’s note: This is Michael Lacey’s second freelance article since selling his interest in New Times about a year ago. The names of the students quoted below have been changed. COMMENTARY Athletic fields throughout the Valley are reconfigured as soccer pitches on Saturday mornings in September. It may be fall…
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will be in Phoenix today to promote Obamacare.Sebelius isn’t exactly in everyone’s good graces right now, since her agency is responsible for rolling out the health insurance exchange website that’s been a world-famous failure so far…
A guy who offered to “crop” the ears of a dog-owner’s pit bull ended up hacking off the puppy’s entire ear flaps with scissors and a box cutter, police say.Police haven’t been able to identify the man, but a reward of up to $1,000 is being offered…
So what do you do if you’re in law enforcement and you want someone’s help catching and prosecuting bad guys? If you’re Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, you start off with an insult. That’s what Monty does in new public service announcements he’s rolling out in Spanish and English, aimed…
A man convicted of seven murders was executed today at the state prison in Florence.Robert Jones, 43, is the second inmate to be put to death in the state this year…
Senator John McCain’s not too eager to go away.McCain said on a KFYI show that he’s “seriously thinking about maybe” running for reelection in 2016 — the year he turns 80 years old…
Sheriff Joe Arpaio almost performed actual police work during his office’s questionable sweep last week.Instead, as seen in a video released by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Arpaio rode along on traffic stops, which turned into photo-ops…
It’s not even the election year yet, but the campaign of former Go Daddy lawyer and GOP candidate for governor Christine Jones is not going well.Yesterday, our colleague Ray Stern reported Jones’ 2004 DUI conviction, although history (Governor Glug-Glug) shows that’s not the end of the world…
Tuesday afternoon, U.S. District Court Judge G. Murray Snow unsealed the operations plan for Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s “crime suppression” sweep, which took place this weekend in the West Valley. Significantly, the document, which was filed last Thursday under seal by Arpaio’s attorney Tim Casey, does not identify any “exigent circumstances”…
A teenage girl and a young man were shot and killed Monday night in Phoenix, and police are still looking for the suspect.Phoenix police are searching for 24-year-old Hector Taner Karaca, the man suspected of shooting Kristen Furgeri, 17, and Jose Villa, 25, at a Phoenix home Monday night…
Christine Jones, a GOP candidate for governor in 2014 and former lawyer for Go Daddy, was popped for DUI in 2004, records show. That’s right; the woman who was singing for Sheriff Joe Arpaio at a charity event a few days ago was singing the blues in his jail a…
A company based in Tucson announced today that it’s going to be selling trips to space — well, “nearspace.”World View Enterprises, whose CEO and chief technology officer are both former residents of the Biosphere 2 near Tucson, announced that it will offer rides in a capsule that is lifted by…
An 85,000-square-foot Mormon temple being built in Gilbert will be open for public tours early next year.Construction of the temple started nearly three years ago, and according to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it’s the largest temple the church has built in 17 years…
Back in July, Arizona Public Service denied funding an ad campaign that attacked a coalition of rooftop-solar installers battling the utility for ratepayers’ money. But now the company’s confessing that it is, in fact, funding the campaign. Jim McDonald, APS spokesman, tells us he “had no intention of telling a…
There have been at least 13 people “accidentally” shot and killed in Arizona this year.Just last week, 27-year-old Florence resident Robert DeArman III was killed after he was checking out a friend’s gun, and handed it back. One of the men accidentally pulled the trigger during the exchange, and DeArman…
Attorney General Tom Horne does not seem the least bit interested in dropping his lawsuit against the Maricopa County community colleges, in Horne’s bid to keep DREAMers from getting in-state tuition rates.Horne agreed to meet with a dozen activists at his office yesterday, and after he refused to budge, the…
The estimate of the taxpayers’ tab in the Melendres v. Arpaio lawsuit is more than $7.3 million, the Feathered Bastard reported yesterday.While thinking of a more judicious use of $7.3 million in taxpayer money, we found these really badass jetpacks…
Please see update below with Tim Casey’s whiny objection to the legal fees caused by the bad behavior of his client. Who better to help me inaugurate a new category in this blog, entitled “Bigotry Is Expensive,” than the man known for sucking all of the air out of the…
