“Slut-Shaming” Preacher Harasses Tempe Mosque, Tears Up Quran

Wacko bigot preacher Brother Dean Saxton and a crew of fellow jerks harass the mosque in Tempe I hate giving morons free publicity, but sometimes it’s necessary to spotlight the stupid as a sort of public service. Such is the case with Tucson’s notorious “slut-shaming” street preacher Brother Dean Saxton,…

“Self-Defense” Shooter Arrested for Murder After Changing Story

A man who fatally shot a tenant on his father’s property in Mesa this weekend was arrested Wednesday after recanting his story about shooting the man in self-defense. According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, 39-year-old Scott Stradling initially told deputies that he had tased and shot Bill Harrison, who’d…

Arizona Workers “Fight for $15”

Inside the McDonald’s at 1205 South Rural Road in Tempe, dinner guests sipped on soft drinks, munched on burgers, and surfed Facebook on their laptops. Outside, 600 protesters lapped up against the building, plastering signs to the windows and yelling, “Keep your burgers! Keep your fries! We want wages supersized!”…

Ask a Mexican on Spanish Refugees

Do Mexicans know that if just one of their grandparents was born in Spain, they could emigrate immediately not just to Spain, but also any other country in the European Union? I know this is not an option for a lot of Mexicans, but it certainly seems like a better…

Most Arizonans on Welfare Have Jobs

The majority of federal and state dollars spent on Arizona anti-poverty programs go — not to the unemployed — but to college professors, home-healthcare nurses, child-care specialists, and other low-wage workers. According to a new University of California, Berkeley study, 57 percent of the $6,596 million the federal government spent…

Joe Arpaio’s Jails Deemed a Great Place (For Animals)

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is celebrating Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s jails. Of course, PETA’s not celebrating the jails for its treatment of human beings, but for how Arpaio’s compassionate to animals for implementing a vegan diet at the jails. Never mind the photo at…

Bag Bans Outlawed in Arizona

Arizona cities and towns will not be able to ban or tax plastic bags. Governor Doug Ducey has signed Senate Bill 1241, which declares that regulation of plastic bags is a matter of statewide concern and thus not subject to regulation by local authorities. Some states and cities around the…

Arizona DPS Officer Resigns After Arrest

A Department of Public Safety officer who taught other cops to spot substance-impaired drivers resigned several months after he was arrested for a drunken rampage in Tennessee — where he was attending a national conference on highway safety. Timothy Merrill was arrested on April 29, 2014 for assault, vandalism, and…

New Times Wins Defamation Lawsuit by Lawyer Larry Klayman

Larry Klayman, a lawyer who claimed he’d been defamed by two newspapers, including Phoenix New Times, lost his case in a recent ruling by a Florida federal judge. Quoting frequently from Alice in Wonderland, U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway concluded in her 34-page decision that Klayman’s case failed to…

Video: Raul Castro’s Memories as Governor, Diplomat

Raul Castro, Arizona’s first and only Hispanic governor, died last week at the age of 98. Several years ago, New Times’ Stephen Lemons went down to Nogales to interview the former governor and U.S. diplomat at his home. The video above is essentially the highlight reel of that interview, as…

Jodi Arias Sentenced to Natural Life in Prison; Recalls Stabbing Victim

Infamous boyfriend-killer Jodi Arias was sentenced today to spend the rest of her natural life in prison for the 2008 slaying of Travis Alexander. The sentence handed down by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens comes after two juries deadlocked on whether Arias deserved a death sentence. Stephens could…

Three People Shot in Phoenix Drive-By Shooting

Three people were shot early this morning in a drive-by shooting in Phoenix. According to Phoenix police, the three adults shot were hospitalized, but are expected to survive. Though police haven’t tracked down the shooter, Phoenix Police Sergeant Trent Crump tells New Times the victims know him…