In some Arizona cities, calling 911 several times a month may be grounds for eviction. City policymakers push such policies, often called nuisance ordinances, hoping to promote crime-free neighborhoods. But state Representative Celeste Plumlee (D-Tempe) argues they have an “unacceptable” side effect: They discourage victims of domestic violence and sexual…
Does a marijuana-legalization initiative expected to be on the ballot this November allow cities and towns to ban adults from growing their own marijuana? Under the initiative, adults 21 and older could grow up to six plants, with a 12-plant-per-household maximum. Ryan Hurley, a lawyer for the Campaign to Regulate…
In this weeks’ cover story, Sugar U., New Times writes about the growing number of Arizona college students dating sugar daddies (older wealthy men) to cover the exorbitant cost of tuition. In some ways these “mutually beneficial relationships” are like traditional romantic relationships, but in other ways, they’re quite different. …
There are quite a few roads in Phoenix that are beautiful, relaxing, and just plain fun to drive. The streets we’re about to mention are NOT these streets — in fact, the thorughfares around Phoenix that we’re about to describe are no fun to drive. Indeed, they’re just plain terrifying! 10.) Seventh…
Anyone remember Tom Horne? You know, the Republican political zombie and onetime Arizona Attorney General who hired his girlfriend, Carmen Chenal, as an assistant attorney general, got himself investigated by the FBI, and was witnessed riding around town with Chenal, wearing a trucker hat as a disguise, as he pulled…
The latest poll numbers are in, and even though Donald Trump is still maintaining his lead in Arizona, it appears U.S Senator Marco Rubio is rapidly gaining momentum. The political consulting firm MBQF, which has been tracking Republican voter preference in Arizona trends since July, reports that Rubio jumped 11.3…
A Canadian man who tried to sell high-quality dinosaur fossils smuggled out of China to undercover agents at a Tucson gem show last year is getting booted out of the country and fined $25,000. Jun Yang of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, was caught hawking a rare, scientifically valuable fossil of…
When Victoria was 15, her father took her to the Red Light District in Amsterdam. “Vicky,” he said, pointing to the women dancing behind the glass of a shop window, “if you don’t go to college, you’ll end up like this.” More than a decade later, Victoria sits in a…
One of Arizona’s most prominent Latino-rights organizations has thrown its support behind Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. It is the first time Living United for Change in Arizona, or LUCHA as it is more commonly known, has publicly backed any politician since its’ 2009 founding, said Tomas Robles, the nonprofit’s…
Six people are dead following a horrific scene in Phoenix early this morning in which police drew gunfire as they tried to rescue people inside a burning home. “You know, I heard things this morning and saw things as I’m down here that I haven’t seen in 30 years. I’ve…
Flying in the face of those who claim it would be unpopular to give the greater Grand Canyon watershed national monument status, a new non-partisan poll finds that not only is there tremendous support for it but that it cuts across geographical and political lines. “The results were overwhelming, and…
Karen Williams, former superintendent of Phoenix’s Alhambra Elementary School District, claims in a lawsuit filed this week that the district’s governing board fired her because she’s not a Latina. Williams, who’s African-American, served in the position from July 2010 until March 2015, when the district’s five-member governing board voted 3-2…
Arizona State University has partnered with Cisco Systems, Inc. to launch a project aimed at teaching minority youth how to become entrepreneurs. The grant-funded project plans to help an estimated 1,000 high school students and about 300 community college students create solutions to problems they see happening in their communities…
Arizonans for Mindful Regulation, the lesser-known marijuana-legalization campaign staffed mainly by volunteers, has reportedly gathered nearly 100,000 signatures. While it’s still a long shot, the effort’s leader, Jason Medar, is rousing his troops for a big push over the next five months to double that number. And he’s still vowing…
Feel left out of the Arizona medical-marijuana business? The Arizona Department of Health Services just announced that it will begin taking applications for new dispensaries this summer. This is the first time the state will be reviewing new applications for dispensary operating certificates since a lottery was held in 2012…
Arizona State University recently released more than 4,500 photos chronicling the Phoenix area’s development from a cowtown in 1884 to an emerging metropolis in 1947. The collection, available for perusal and download online, is one of largest collections of Phoenix photography documenting this time period. Some of the photos, recovered…
There must be 50 ways to leave your lover, goes the old Paul Simon tune, but most of them do not involve murder, mayhem, and the occasional car bomb. Here are 15 that we do not recommend you imitate, performed in various violent ways over the years by Arizonans. …
Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye approved a power-line hookup for the father of an alleged mistress in January, sparking outrage among political observers and the 32 nearby households that remain in the dark. The issue blew up up in social media last week after Begaye failed to show up at…
Uber’s and Lyft’s independent drivers may soon be able to pick up passengers arriving at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport just like they do at airports in several other cities across the United States. The Phoenix Aviation Advisory Board voted 5-4 Thursday night to approve a new policy that…
Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk was the only one of four panelists at a Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce marijuana event who wouldn’t say if she’s ever used cannabis. The morning panel discussion, “Breakfast with a side of … Marijuana?” was hosted by the chamber for a group of about 75 of its…
Arizona’s favorite Pope-boycotting congressman, Paul Gosar, had harsh words for employees of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, headed by probably his favorite Obama administration target. Apparently lumping all 15,000 EPA employees across the country together, he charged that they are a “collection of porn addicts, office thieves and drunk drivers… not fit to…
Those familiar with the history of the Vietnam War may recall that infamous line reputedly uttered by a U.S. Army major about the bombed-out South Vietnamese city of Ben Tre, to the effect that American forces had to “destroy the town in order to save it.” Same could be said…
