MLB All-Star Game Boycott Bad Idea Says State Representative Ruben Gallego

Ever since Governor Jan Brewer signed Senate Bill 1070 into law, pro-immigrant activists and politicians have had different perspectives on how to best show disapproval of the controversial immigration statute.         Organizations such as the Phoenix-based human-rights organization Puente have called for a boycott of the state. U.S. Representative…

Scottsdale Police Retirees Sue City Over Medical Leave Pay Foul-Up

Ten retired Scottsdale police officers are suing in federal court over tens of thousands in medical-leave pay they claim to have been shorted.The employees include: former Scottsdale police public information officer Sam Bailey; Bill Zeller (who once made the news for arresting a Scottsdale high school student because he disobeyed…

Russell Pearce and Sonoran News Slammed by Recall Group

In his June 22 editorial on the effort to recall state Senate President Russell Pearce, Don Sorchych, publisher and editor of the right-wing Cave Creek pub Sonoran News, erroneously referred to Mesa resident and petition-signer Benita Lantigua as “a Mexican woman,” who is “likely an illegal.”Today, Lantigua showed up to a…

Phoenix DREAM Activist Recognized on Capitol Hill

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held its first DREAM Act hearing since the legislation was first proposed a decade ago. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat, announced the hearing last week. Durbin was looking to convince Senate Republicans to support the proposed legislation, which would create a pathway to…

Russell Pearce’s Supporters’ Claims of “Massive Voter Registration Fraud” Contradicted by Elections Officials (w/Update)

As of Monday morning, Maricopa County Elections Director Karen Osborne said the county had validated 10,356 signatures from petitions seeking the recall of state Senate President Russell Pearce. That’s 2,600 more than the 7,756 signatures required by statute from Pearce’s Legislative District 18.But if a recall election is now inevitable, so…

New Times Files Appeal with Ninth Circuit in Lacey v. Arpaio

On Thursday, New Times filed a challenge to a recent 2-1 decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Lacey v. Arpaio, the lawsuit seeking damages for the wrongful 2007 arrests of Village Voice Media Executive Editor Michael Lacey and VVM CEO Jim Larkin by Maricopa County sheriff’s…

Phoenix DREAM Activists Will Attend D.C. Hearing on Immigration Proposal

Even though Angelica Hernandez graduated as valedictorian from Arizona State University’s mechanical engineering school this past May, she won’t be rewarded with a career or a good job. This, because she is an undocumented immigrant. However, she will be recognized in U.S. Congress for her hard work.Hernandez, along with another member of the…

John McCain’s Racist Wildfire Statements Mocked by Jon Stewart

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon – Thurs 11p / 10cAliens vs. Senatorwww.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical Humor & Satire BlogThe Daily Show on FacebookAs I suspected, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart couldn’t resist slapping U.S. Senator from Arizona John McCain around for his ignorant, hillbilly-esque statements blaming Sand Land’s…

Dennis Burke Won’t Prosecute Sheriff Arpaio or His Employees Over “Exorbitant” Extradition Costs

Extraditions performed by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office were “inexplicably exorbitant” but not a criminal misuse of public funds, U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke has decided. At the request of County Manager David Smith (see below), Burke’s office conducted a review of how Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s employees brought suspects to the Valley from locations all…

Arizona Department of Public Safety Hacked by LulzSec

Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve Harrison has just confirmed that DPS computers have been hacked by the Internet pirates and keyboard anarchists of LulzSec.(Currently, AZDPS.gov is down.)LulzSec, which stands for “Lulz Security” (Lulz being a slang version of LOL, “Laughng Out Loud,” or doing something just for kicks), posted…

Joe Arpaio, Help a New Documentary Put Him on Blast

Filmmakers Valeria Fernandez and Dan DeVivo talk about Two AmericansWant to help tell the world what a sadistic, bigoted power-mad nut Sheriff Joe Arpaio is? Well, here’s your chance, by ponying up the dough to help local journalists/filmmakers Valeria Fernandez and Dan DeVivo complete their documentary Two Americans.The film has…