State prison inmates and dead people received food stamps and welfare benefits paid out by the Arizona government, according to state auditors.The Department of Economic Security’s Division of Benefits and Medical Eligibility is tasked with assessing eligibility of Arizonans for the federal programs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary…
Phoenix Suns majority owner Robert Sarver says he “applaud[s] the actions taken” against Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was recorded making racist comments.NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced Tuesday that Sterling would be fined $2.5 million and banned indefinitely from games or team activities, and he announced the league’s…
Another Venezuelan is going to prison for an airplane-parts deal that violated an arms embargo — and netted a fortune for the former owner of a Mesa aviation firm. Roy Roby, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Venezuelan Air Force, was sentenced today in Phoenix federal court to 18 months…
A Phoenix woman is accused of throwing a kitten off the balcony of her third-floor apartment, killing it.According to court documents obtained by New Times, neighbors heard 49-year-old Patricia Gaffin arguing loudly with her children before tossing the kitten over the balcony…
Three Republican congressmen from the Phoenix area are calling for the resignation or removal of everyone in a leadership position in the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System (PVAHCS).Congressmen David Schweikert, Matt Salmon, and Trent Franks signed a letter to the Phoenix VA director asking for leadership’s resignation and another…
After years of litigation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services designated over 700,000 acres in Arizona and New Mexico as “critical habitat” for jaguars.Jaguars have been on the endangered species list since 1972, but only as a foreign species, meaning the U.S. government did not need to come up with a…
Only five other American cities had more pedestrian deaths than Phoenix in 2012, according to a new report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.It’s remarkable, considering walking and jogging aren’t common activities when it’s 120 degrees outside during a Phoenix summer…
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona claims the Department of Homeland Security simply ignored requests for public records on Border Patrol activities that took place well within the U.S. border.The ACLU previously has alleged that such patrols amount to harassment of southern Arizona residents. The organization has claimed that…
President Obama says he immediately ordered an investigation of the Phoenix VA system after his administration heard the allegations that 40 veterans died while awaiting healthcare treatment.Obama, who currently is in the Philippines, told reporters his administration takes the allegations “very seriously,” according to a White House transcript…
It’s not exactly common for a congressional candidate to openly embrace his lack of religious belief, but Democrat James Woods has done just that.Sometimes Democratic Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema is called the only atheist in Congress, and although she was sworn in on the Constitution instead of the Bible, she rejects…
The Arizona Legislature adjourned last week, and despite more than 200 bills being signed into law, very few will have any effect on most people.There were some very good proposals that didn’t pass, which probably would have made Arizona a better place to live and do business. Check out our…
In case you missed any news action this week, we’ve got you covered.Here’s our recap of the most-read news stories of the week:…
Do Sheriff Joe Arpaio, his top brass and his lawyers all suffer from brain damage, or perhaps some form of what now is politely referred to as “intellectual disability”? If I didn’t know better, I’d swear the answer was, “yes.” That’s because the MCSO is, again, objecting to the full…
If you’ve followed the saga of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy at all, you’ve undoubtedly heard his horrible suggestion that black people may have been better off as slaves.While Bundy’s being blasted by most this week, his comments are remarkably close to comments made several years ago by Arizona Republican Congressman…
The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will hold a hearing on allegations that as many as 40 veterans died while waiting for care at the Phoenix VA healthcare system.Both a former VA doctor and a U.S. Congressman have claimed that VA employees either manipulated or otherwise obfuscated the true wait…
Once again, deputies from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office have busted someone who went to Craigslist looking for sex with an animal.This time, a 22-year-old Phoenix man went to the “Missed Connections” section of Craigslist seeking a male horse “on which to commit the act of fellatio,” according to the…
At the end of the week, we bring you a roundup of visitors to the desert’s own Fourth Avenue Jail. To be considered for our Maricopa County mugshots of the week, get arrested, strike a pose, and we’ll take care of the rest.This week, it seems pretty clear how the…
Governor Jan Brewer has now acted on all six gun-related bills passed by the Legislature this session — and vetoed half of them.Earlier this week, Brewer vetoed two of the bills, one that would have allowed guns in more public buildings and another that would have created more restrictions against…
Sometimes I hate to be right. For instance, in a recent blog post about Sheriff Joe Arpaio traveling to Los Angeles for a Hollywood screening of producer Randy Murray’s documentary The Joe Show, I noted that Murray’s idea of inviting Joe along for the ride was a bad one, unlikely…
One of the most memorable lines from Office Space would be a pretty good question for your state lawmakers: “What would you say you do here?”The Arizona Legislature adjourned at 1:46 a.m. today, and more than 200 bills have been signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer, while still more…
By now, you’ve probably heard about the case of Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who refuses to pay grazing fees and who is backed by an armed militia.The story took an interesting twist Wednesday when Bundy made racist remarks against black people, causing some people who previously had treated him…
Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake are requesting that the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee investigate claims that as many as 40 veterans died while waiting for care at the Phoenix VA healthcare system.Florida Congressman Jeff Miller, the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has claimed it appears that Phoenix…
