An excessive-heat warning is predicted for metro Phoenix on a day in early August, with a high of 111 anticipated. At noon, only a few people are strolling the residential streets of Tempe near Arizona State University. Yet in spite of the intense heat, and in seeming defiance of the…
Images of a mustard-orange river in Colorado shocked the nation last week after the Environmental Protection Agency accidentally released 3 million gallons of waste water and sludge from the inactive Gold King Mine into a tributary of the Animas River near Silverton, Colorado, on August 5. As of late Monday…
An inmate accused raping a teacher at an Arizona prison pleaded guilty Monday. Jacob Harvey, 21, did not take a plea agreement. Prison time for his crimes, rape, kidnapping, and assault with a deadly weapon, won’t begin until after he finishes he current term in 2041, according to the Pinal…
When a reliable source sends photos of a recycling firm loading up computers in front of Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s downtown headquarters at Jackson Street and 5th Avenue — given past events — it’s cause for concern. Though county officials maintain that everything is on the up and up, federal Judge…
A new study comparing the best and worst states for underprivileged children ranks Arizona 49th in the nation. Only Mississippi and the District of Columbia received worse scores. (In sub-categories, we ranked 50th out of 51 in early-foundations and economic well-being, 37th in health, and 48th in education.) The study…
A city of Phoenix effort to encourage safe hiking in mountain parks is expected to continue at least through the fall. The “Take a Hike, Do It Right” program was launched after several recent heat-related tragedies in Arizona, including the July 7 death of a British visitor last month on…
Several Arizona politicians at a town hall meeting Sunday tried to commandeer the plight of a beloved herd of wild horses to fuel the states-rights movement. But the approximately 350 people who gathered at Mesa’s Love of Christ Lutheran Church to protest a federal proposal to remove the horses from…
Liberals in metro Phoenix, much like their counterparts on the right, have sacred cows ripe for slaughter. Here are 10 of them: 10. Private prisons are 100 percent evil. Never mind the death, rape, and mayhem in public prisons and jails. 9. The ultra-conservative Koch bothers rule the nation, even…
Phoenix resident and de facto leader of the Arizona anti-Islam movement, Jon Ritzheimer, is planning another big “protest against radical Islam” — so big, he claims, that it’s going to span the globe. “I got contacts in Canada, Australia, and all across Europe – everybody’s on board,” he says in…
Twelve adults and three minors were arrested inside of a west Phoenix Walmart Friday night after approximately twenty protesters took their anti-police brutality message into the crowded store. The group entered the building around 8:30 p.m. while chanting “stop police brutality” and “cops, pigs, murderers,” and were followed by a…
Following widespread public incense, the Tonto National Forest Service is “taking another look” at a plan to roundup a famous herd of wild horses that lives along the Salt River in Mesa. “At the current time we do not have plans to remove the horses,” said Carrie Templin, a public…
According to a letter sent by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and 15 other state AGs to the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal agency has until 1 p.m. PST today to respond to a request for a stay on a section of the finalized Clean Power Plan it released earlier…
About 40 men and women from the local Latino community gathered in the Mi Familia Vota Phoenix headquarters last night to watch the first Republican Presidential debate, concluding at the end of the night, as one young woman so succinctly put it, that “none of the candidates are ready to…
A federal judge declined to issue an emergency order Wednesday restraining the Tonto National Forest Service from ousting a famous herd of wild horses from its home along the Salt River in Mesa. While U.S. Forest Service officials originally announced plans to begin rounding up the horses Friday, in response…
Whether you’re a Jeb Bush supporter, a Donald Trump enthusiast, a die-hard Marco Rubio fan, or none of the above, tonight’s Republican presidential primary debate is bound to be full of surprises. Unlike in some election seasons, no one quite knows what to expect from the candidate lineup — will…
Phoenix New Times has an opening for a part-time social media editor. This 20-hour/week position combines journalism with social-media skills to increase the paper’s audience and serve as its public face. The social media editor manages New Times’ Facebook and Twitter accounts, among others, with the expectation of continued engagement…
Last week, local resident Aaron Borders portrayed himself online and to the media as the Arizona State Director for the Donald J. Trump presidential campaign, and he said he was traveling to Cleveland to help the Trump crew with the first Republican presidential debate. But according to campaign officials and…
Using the popular hashtags #SayHerName and #BlackLivesMatter, people across the country are expected to take to the streets this weekend and demand accountability for, and attention to, the all-to-frequent instances of police violence against black Americans. Rallies will be held in many cities all weekend as citizens demand a response…
The sun is slipping down in the sky on a 112-degree day in Tonto National Forest, casting long shadows over a small herd of horses. A dappled gray, a bay, a dun, and a knock-kneed colt with a star on her forehead snuffle through the underbrush, enjoying dinner to the…
Arizona Senator John McCain was an outspoken critic of the 16-day October 2013 federal-government shutdown, vowing after it was over that it wouldn’t happen again. Seems he’s had a change of heart: he told NPR that he would support holding the 2016 federal-spending bill hostage over this funding issue. “I don’t…
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey formally unveiled his plan to “modernize” Arizona’s Medicaid System so it becomes a “bridge to independence” this week. A press release from his office states that the plan is all about “increasing personal responsibility, encouraging wellness, expanding health technology, protecting taxpayers, and promoting quality health care at an…
Seventy-two percent of Arizona fourth-graders can’t read proficiently, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, nearly 10 percent less than the national average. Mastering reading by fourth grade is critical because at that age children begin reading to learn other subjects, such as social studies, science,…
