So here’s a giant surprise, Pinal County Sheriff and unannounced candidate for U.S. Congress Paul Babeu is the “honorary chairman,” of a dark money, 501(c)4 non-profit that is pimping….yes, you guessed it, Paul Babeu. Babeu’s new Arizona Security and Prosperity Project’s website promises that the group will pursue “public advocacy for…
Will hiring 425 new Phoenix police officers come at the expense of greater accountability and better civilian-officer relations? Or will more officers mean less violent crime and a safer city? Amid a national conversation about law enforcement’s use of force policies and frightening statistics about the Phoenix Police Department’s record…
When a U.S. District Court judge rejected claims that the so-called “show me your papers” section of Arizona’s controversial 2010 immigration law discriminated against Latinos, DeeDee Garcia Blase’s first thought was: “What the heck just happened? This state clearly has a racial-profiling problem!” Her second: “We have to prove it!”…
The strip-mall computer casino in Phoenix has no business name on its door. The most prominent sign on the glass storefront warns patrons not to loiter. Two heavy blankets hang from the ceiling just inside the front doors, blocking light and any view of the interior from the parking lot…
A group of scientists and activists are coming to Phoenix later this month to talk about the “science” of marijuana in what appears to be another publicly funded prohibitionist political event. The all-day affair, “Marijuana: The Science and the Experiment,” promises to share “true scientific facts” about the alleged harms…
Good job, Arizona? Over Labor Day weekend, 1097 law enforcement agents around the state pulled over 14,212 drivers and arrested 450 of them on DUI charges – that’s 100 fewer arrests than last year despite 1,200 more people getting pulled over. The cops caught about the same number of drunk…
Guadalupe’s vice mayor is pressing for a recall of Mayor Rebecca Jimenez after she pleaded guilty to misrepresenting her household income to obtain food stamps. Vice Mayor Andrew Sanchez blasted Jimenez for bringing the small town of about 6,000 “negative media attention by her choices. “Mayor Jimenez holds others in…
The first practice for the Arizona Cardinals in pads — the one where the hitting begins — seemed for an instant to be the final practice that would matter. Safety Tyrann Mathieu knocked a blocker into quarterback Carson Palmer, who went down in a heap, momentarily stunning players, coaches, and…
The group trying to recall Arizona Superintendent of Education Diane Douglas filed a complaint with the state Attorney General’s Office this week after an educational nonprofit passed on an e-mail it received from Douglas’ chief of staff, Michael Bradley. Members of the Coalition to Recall Diane Douglas contend that Bradley’s…
Self-help guru and ex-con James Arthur Ray is trying not to let the 2009 deaths of three people at his Arizona sweat lodge extinguish his once-promising motivational-speaking career. On Friday, Ray is scheduled to return to Phoenix for a “one night only,” question-and-answer session called: “A Night of Solutions.” “James will…
As the 41st U.S. Senator voiced support for President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran this week, further shrinking the chance any Republic effort to block the deal in Congress will succeed, a different tactic to undermine the negotiations is brewing in Arizona and a handful of other states. The…
The air quality at the Phoenix RV park where 62-year-old Maggie Torres lives is so bad that she bought her dog goggles to protect his eyes when he hangs his head out the car window. “I am afraid he is going to get particulates in his eyes,” she said. It’s…
Dozens of cities across the country have tried to fight overcrowded, mass-breeding operations – i.e., “puppy mills” – with legislation that bans commercial pet sales. These laws usually stipulate that pet stores may only source animals from shelters and rescue operations, and as such, are incredibly controversial. Proponents say they go…
It’s puzzling that in the age of Uber and Lyft, hundreds of Valley residents are expected to get pulled over this Labor Day weekend and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. But it always happens during long holiday weekends, despite the many warnings in the media. Last year, law enforcement…
The Southwest Cannabis Conference and Expo will roll into the Phoenix Convention Center for three days in October, with 300 exhibitors, prominent guest speakers, a job fair, and other events expected to draw thousands. (Full disclosure: New Times is the media sponsor of the conference, along with the title sponsor,…
Jessica Burlew, a Glendale teenager charged with killing a 43-year-old man she met online, signed a plea bargain this morning after spending the last 594 days in jail. In exchange for a guilty plea, the state will charge her with second-degree murder and recommend a 10-year sentence with no possibility…
Phoenix motorists taking the I-10 over the long Labor Day weekend will have more to worry about than just holiday traffic. They face the unnerving prospect that a windshield, a side door or the gas tank of their vehicle could be pierced by a random bullet, fired by an unknown…
Arizona’s medical-marijuana patients now can patronize newly opened dispensaries in Reno and Las Vegas and possess up to 2.5 ounces anywhere in Nevada. Arizona, like some of the other 23 states with medical-marijuana laws, allows people with valid medical cards from other states to legally possess marijuana in Arizona, but…
You can’t fault Sheriff Joe Arpaio for lack of chutzpah. The guy continues to beg for campaign donations while his contempt of the federal court in the ACLU’s big civil rights case Melendres v. Arpaio is costing us beaucoup bucks. Check this recent gimmicky e-mail (below) desperately seeking any cash you’ve…
Moments after bragging about the double-safety feature on his handgun, and then attempting to demonstrate how it works, 23-year-old Phoenix resident Christen Reece shot himself in the head. “You know, there’s not really a lot to the story other than don’t drink and shoot guns,” explains Jim Molesa, chief deputy…
When I first heard the news that Subway’s Jared Fogle had confessed to having sex with minors and possessing child porn, like most sub-sandwich-loving Americans I was shocked. But I also wasn’t entirely surprised that he had a secret sleazy side. That’s because 10 years ago, while he was married to…
On a warm late August afternoon, 51-year-old U.S. Geological Survey research ecologist, Daniel Sarr, and a co-worker were hiking in a remote and rugged area of the eastern Grand Canyon as part of a study of riparian ecology. The two men were supposed to meet up with other researchers at…
