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PHOENIX – With summerlike heat already here and triple-digit temperatures around the corner, Arizonans are cranking up the air-conditioning in April. As electricity use increases, some Arizona residents who struggle to pay their power bill risk being disconnected. Last week, the Arizona Corporation Commission took further steps to avoid a tragedy like the one that.

PHOENIX – Alcohol consumption over the past year is up as Americans turn to the bottle to cope with anxiety or stress. This is especially true among some older adults, experts say. Sunshine Dean is with Spectrum Healthcare Group, which provides outpatient behavioral and physical health care in Yavapai and Maricopa counties. “I would say.

Vaccinations are on the rise in Arizona, and requirements for safety protocols at businesses, in schools and restaurants are being lifted. While health experts continue to counsel wariness, some Arizonans are taking cautious, relieved steps after more than a year of illness, loss and restrictions because of COVID-19. Over the course of the pandemic, safety.

WASHINGTON – Education officials rebuffed Gov. Doug Ducey’s decision this week to lift the mask mandate for state schools, with many districts planning to ignore what they called an “irresponsible” decision in a state where COVID-19 cases continue to rise. “As soon as the governor released it, right away our locals went and met with.

PHOENIX – An Arizona researcher is teaming up with artists and advocates in Arizona and California to help educate the Latinx community about COVID-19, using animated public service announcements and neighborhood murals to better connect with this hard-hit population. The aim is to battle misinformation and get facts about prevention, testing and vaccinations to the.

PHOENIX – The city is partnering with health care companies to send vans into underserved communities to provide free, on-the-spot COVID-19 tests for people who might not otherwise have access. Even though about 1.5 million Maricopa County residents have been vaccinated with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, health advocates warn that now.

PHOENIX – Nicole Minnick had been a firefighter for seven years when she gave birth in 2008 to her first child, a girl named Kyndal. A few months later, when she returned to work, one thought was foremost in her mind: Would it be safe to breastfeed? “My second or third shift back to work,.

PHOENIX – The state health director said Friday that a “very, very small” increase in COVID-19 numbers is cause for concern but not alarm, and should serve as a reminder that people still need to observe health protocols. Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, said that overall progress against the.

PHOENIX – As Arizona cities and counties debate mask mandates, a leading health expert warned Wednesday that wearing masks in public is essential to prevent another wave of COVID-19 cases. “There is still a risk of transmission in our community,” said Dr. Joshua LaBaer, the executive director of ASU’s Biodesign Institute. “And especially now that.

PHOENIX – Maria Brown-Spence lost two people to cancer in six years – her grandmother in 2012, her significant other in 2018. Grief-stricken, she tried to get help but found few mental health resources for people who look like her. If it wasn’t the cost of the copay, it was the cultural distance between Brown-Spence.

PHOENIX – State lawmakers are one step closer to passing a bill that would require parents to give written permission for children to discuss sex and gender identity in the classroom and ban any formal sex education – including AIDS instruction – before the fifth grade. The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, calls.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Health Services on Monday opened an indoor drive-thru vaccination site at Dexcom’s regional distribution center in Mesa, providing more comfort for all involved as temperatures approach triple digits. The move comes on the heels of an announcement that the state’s five vaccine sites have administered 1 million doses since.

They call themselves the People of the Blue-Green Water. They’re the Havasupai, and they live at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, alongside an azure creek known for its swimming holes and waterfalls. It’s about an 8-mile hike or horseback ride to get there. The only other way in is to raft the Colorado River,.

WASHINGTON – Communion will be delivered with masks and gloves. Ramadan prayers are fine, but socializing at the mosque will be discouraged. Seders were virtual or held in small groups. As major religions observe a second holy season under the specter of COVID-19, faith leaders in Arizona find themselves juggling the spiritual needs of worshipers.

PHOENIX – A March report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention praised only two states for their efforts in getting vaccines to vulnerable communities. One of them was Arizona. But while the federal report shows strong outreach at the broader county level, ZIP code data from the state health department reveals disparities with.

WASHINGTON – The more than 840,000 COVID-19 cases in Arizona include coronavirus variants from the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Africa, California – and, as of last month, a new homegrown version. The Arizona variant, officially named B.1.243.1, was confirmed last month by researchers at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, who said it is similar to.

Health researchers on Wednesday urged caution despite the state’s lifting of restrictions on businesses and government, echoing a federal warning of a possible fourth wave of COVID-19 if Arizonans become too complacent. Dr. Joshua LaBaer, executive director of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, ticked off positive developments, bookended by warnings. Vaccinations are rising.

PHOENIX – The Translational Genomics Research Institute has launched a new project with the Arizona Department of Health Services to better understand how COVID-19 affects pets. There is no critical evidence to suggest pets can transmit the virus to humans, but pets can transmit the virus to other animals. So far, more than 120 pets.

PHOENIX – There are times when the residents in Marian Gutierrez’s group home are blissfully unaware: unaware of the pandemic gripping the globe, of the political turmoil it has caused and the lives it has stolen. Yet they aren’t exempt from the pain it has inflicted. While she cares for people living with dementia, Gutierrez,.

WASHINGTON – Traffic deaths in Arizona surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as the number of miles driven in the state appeared to be decreasing, according to preliminary statistics from 2020. There were 1,072 deaths on the state’s highways in 2020, the most in at least the past 10 years and a sharp increase from.

PHOENIX – It started with chain saws and a will to serve. When COVID-19 first struck the United States, the Navajo Nation was hit hard. Within months, infection rates across the reservation were the highest in the country, and death rates skyrocketed. Among those affected: about 5,000 United States veterans who live on the reservation,.

Citing 10 consecutive weeks of declining cases and rising vaccinations, Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday lifted COVID-19 restrictions on Arizona businesses and events through an executive order. The new order also prohibits the enforcement of county and city mask mandates on private entities but says “mask usage is still encouraged, especially in groups that are.

PHOENIX – Appointments to get a COVID-19 vaccination at state-run sites were booked within minutes of opening Wednesday morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. About 25,500 appointments at three vaccination sites in Maricopa County and about 900 at the University of Arizona site in Pima County were snapped up within 20 minutes.

WASHINGTON – Advocates said the billions in aid slated for Native Americans under the latest COVID-19 relief bill is welcome, but they told a House committee Tuesday that a one-shot infusion will not solve all the challenges facing tribes. “While the American Rescue Plan provides much-needed support to Indian Country’s ongoing requests, the pandemic is.

WASHINGTON – Arizona will begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations to state residents as young as 16, throwing open a process that for months has prioritized older and ailing residents and frontline workers. The announcement Monday comes as more than 2.9 million doses of vaccine have been administered to more than 1.8 million Arizonans, or 25% of.

WASHINGTON — Arizona school and health officials welcomed Friday’s announcement that COVID-safe social distancing for students can be reduced from 6 feet to 3, but they did not appear to be rushing to embrace the lower standard. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it issued the new guidance after studies showed that COVID-19.

PHOENIX – Atlanta police say it’s too early to say whether Tuesday’s shooting rampage, which left six women of Asian descent dead, was a hate crime. But there’s no question that hate is on the rise for many Asian Americans, who are frightened but not surprised by such attacks. The incident – authorities say a.

PHOENIX – Being an environmentally friendly consumer means more than recycling paper and avoiding plastic. For those who avoid fast fashion – cheap, trendy items that often come from sweatshops – thrift and resale/trade shops have offered a smart way to shop. Although the COVID-19 pandemic changed how such stores could operate, Goodwill locations and.

TEMPE – Sales of recreational marijuana are surging at Arizona retailers that, after selling medical marijuana for nearly a decade, now accommodate a crop of new customers the state estimates could push revenue to $1 billion in two years. Dispensaries in the state started recreational sales Jan. 22, after Arizona became one of four states.

WASHINGTON – Children from 6 months up to 12 years old could soon start getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Phoenix as part of a trial of the drug’s effectiveness on young people. Drug-maker Moderna announced this week that Phoenix will be one of the cities where it will test smaller doses of its COVID-19 vaccine,.

PHOENIX – Patients stand by for a phone call that could change their lives. They’re on a waitlist, but not for a kidney or heart transplant or some rare procedure. In this case, the wait is for basic health care. Even in the best of times, Phoenix Allies for Community Health has a line of.

Schools across the state reopened Monday, and many were offering in-person instruction for the first time since being shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic last year. Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman expressed confidence that things will get back on track for students this year. “But by and large, the majority of our schools across.

“I can look you in the eye and just about tell sincerity in somebody,” said Kiowa elder Dorothy WhiteHorse DeLaune, who built an enduring friendship with a young German actress on a New Mexico movie set. “I knew she was a special child, there was nothing snobby or anything,” WhiteHorse, 88, said of Helena Zengel,.

MEXICO CITY – The pandemic has dealt a severe blow to tourism in the U.S. and Mexico. But people from both countries have begun to cross the border, and for the same reason: They’re running away from COVID-19. Tourism is a significant source of income for Arizona and many other U.S. states, and for Mexico..

Four Arizona doctors on Friday assailed Gov. Doug Ducey’s plan to return to mostly normal operations as vaccinations against COVID-19 ramp up, warning that the coronavirus that causes the disease remains out of control. Ducey last week said he will begin allowing restaurants and other businesses to run at full capacity, and he has issued.

WASHINGTON – Arizona health officials said the state is already on track to meet President Joe Biden’s challenge of allowing all adults to register for COVID-19 vaccinations by May 1. The directive came Thursday night, the anniversary of the declaration of a COVID-19 pandemic, during Biden’s first nationally televised address as president. He mourned the.

PHOENIX – An escalation in firearms sales last year, driven in part by new gun owners, is prompting some health experts to call for more attention to gun safety and the relationship between owning weapons and injuries or suicide. In 2020, the FBI processed a record 39.7 million firearm background checks, one of the best.

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Thursday signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, a sweeping pandemic relief measure that will directly touch almost every Arizonan and will send billions in federal aid to the state. Republicans have assailed it as a wasteful, partisan measure, and that was reflected in the final House vote.

HERMOSILLO, Mexico – Four small, stainless steel canisters with perforated lids are lined along one wall in a chilly room on the second floor of the largest COVID-19 testing site in Sonora state. A few feet away, a golden retriever named Leia looks up expectantly at her handler, who’s decked head-to-toe in a blue protective.

PHOENIX – From adapting robots to decontaminate surfaces and deliver food to developing kiosks that can measure vital signs, experts across the globe are using innovative technology to solve complications brought on by COVID-19. In Arizona, the push for new technology has led to innovations to help curb loneliness, improve access to health care and.

PHOENIX – A new $10 million partnership will put medical students and other care providers under one roof to serve people of color and other underprivileged communities in Maricopa County. The partnership between Creighton University, St. Vincent de Paul and Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust was announced Thursday. For more than a decade, students in.

WASHINGTON – The Arizona Corporation Commission grilled a West Valley water company Wednesday, asking why it did not respond more aggressively after chemical agents were discovered in water from its wells five years ago. Commissioner Anna Tovar at one point during the hearing asked an official of Valley Utilities Water Co., “Do you care for.

PHOENIX – Gov. Doug Ducey on Wednesday issued an executive order requiring most of the state’s K-12 schools to get back to in-person instruction by March 15. Although Ducey said students need to get back into the classroom, other states are loosening or eliminating some COVID-19 restrictions, including mask mandates. Dr. Joshua LaBaer, the executive.

TEMPE – More than 16,000 Arizonans have died from COVID-19 over the past year, and many survivors haven’t had the chance to properly grieve their loved ones. On Monday, two organizations – Marked by COVID and the Floral Heart Project – came together to help Arizonans remember and pay their respects at a public memorial.

PHOENIX – More than 10.3 million acres of land were scorched by wildfires nationwide in 2020. Firefighters battling the harrowing flames often work shifts that exceed 24 hours, and they stay in close quarters in remote locations for weeks at a time, offering a prime opportunity for COVID-19 to spread. In addition, firefighters in urban.

PHOENIX – For the second time since 2019, the Arizona Department of Corrections has been found in contempt for its failure to follow health care guidelines designed to protect prisoners. In a ruling issued Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Roslyn Silver fined the Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation & Reentry $1.1 million for neglecting health.

WASHINGTON – Health officials confirmed COVID-19 in another 1,310 Arizonans Wednesday and reported that 43 more people died from the disease, according to the latest numbers from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Depressing numbers – but a vast improvement from just six weeks ago, when the daily average of new cases in one week.

The Air Force is providing bottled water to some homeowners and businesses east of Luke Air Force Base in response to groundwater contaminated with potentially harmful substances used to fight fires. Sampling by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center and Valley Utilities Water Co. showed potentially harmful levels of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate in.

PHOENIX – Reminders to stay connected and reach out to loved ones have been constant during the pandemic. However, as shutdowns and quarantines continued, the safety precautions worsened a long term issue for LGBTQ seniors – loneliness. It’s a feeling Lavina Tomer, executive director of Southern Arizona Senior Pride in Tucson, knows all too well..

PHOENIX – Cancer screenings in the U.S. have plunged since the start of the pandemic almost a year ago, prompting health advocates to increase calls for the public to stop postponing these potentially life-saving procedures. More than one-third of adults have failed to receive recommended cancer screenings during the pandemic, according to “Cancer Won’t Wait.

Lupe Solis’ prayers were answered when she received her second dose of COVID-19 vaccine recently at the State Farm Stadium mass vaccination site in Glendale. Now the 77-year-old is being cautious and patient, waiting to worship in person again at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Mesa. “Prayer takes up a big part of our life,”.

PHOENIX – Nearly a year of isolation and widespread closures has harmed the mental and physical health of many Americans. But Arizona state parks saw record visitation over parts of 2020 – a positive sign to experts urging people to get moving and get outside as COVID-19 continues to spread. Doctors have long touted the.

PHOENIX – A House committee has passed a Republican sponsored bill that would allow Arizona business owners to decide whether to enforce mask mandates for employees and customers, a move supporters say promotes freedom and critics call a threat to health and safety. “It’s a simple bill – it restores the freedom and the liberties.

PHOENIX – Winter storms engulfing much of the U.S. are delaying shipments of COVID-19 vaccines and supplies, forcing delays to long-awaited appointments for some residents of Arizona. The delays are the latest obstacle for health officials in the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, which has had to overcome misinformation, skepticism and ongoing scheduling issues. Shipments of both.

PHOENIX – Could an over the counter capsule be a key in fighting COVID-19? More doctors say yes, and they’re urging health professionals to help eliminate vitamin D deficiencies – especially in patients of color and others disproportionately affected by the disease. “Patients, especially patients who are hospitalized for COVID-19, should be given vitamin D.

A blue haze swirled around Jaime Weidmann as the TV droned on. Another day, another high. But this day in 2016 would be different. Her boyfriend was fed up with her verbal abuse and refusal to get a job — Weidmann hadn’t worked in five years. Tired of enabling her marijuana addiction, he kicked her.

WASHINGTON – Health advocates welcomed Monday’s reopening of enrollment for Affordable Care Act coverage, saying the opportunity for more people to get or renew their health insurance could be “really good for Arizona.” The normal period for Americans to sign up for coverage ended Dec. 15, but President Joe Biden called for this special 90-day.

PHOENIX – Primary care physicians in Arizona say making COVID-19 vaccines available in their offices would help seniors who have struggled to make online appointments. “I’ve been wanting to offer a vaccine ever since COVID-19 really got started because I knew that was our only way out of this illness,” Dr. Andrew Carroll of Chandler.

WASHINGTON – Arizona delivered its 1 millionth COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday, a milestone that came just two months after the first doses were administered and “thrilled” state officials. But the state still has a way to go: The 224,542 Arizonans who have received the two shots needed to be fully protected represent just 3% of the.

PHOENIX – On a recent weekday morning, Liz Northcott, 78, logged onto her home computer, went to Arizona’s COVID-19 vaccination registration site and tried her best to make an appointment. Two frustrating hours later, she found a phone number to call instead. After finally getting through to a human on the phone, Northcott secured first-dose.

PHOENIX – A top Arizona health official on Wednesday said the number of COVID-19 cases in the state is “definitely trending in the right direction,” but he cautioned that “we need to keep following guidelines.” “We need to keep wearing masks, and we need to keep staying separated,” Dr. Joshua LaBaer, the director of the.

PHOENIX – In a downtown parking garage, a health care worker, dressed in protective gear, waits for cars to pull up for drive-thru HIV tests. Inside the building, volunteers assemble packages of at-home tests and condoms to be shipped across the state. Elsewhere in metro Phoenix, a van travels to neighborhoods whose residents may face.

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden called Arizona’s around-the-clock COVID-19 vaccination site at State Farm Stadium a “model for the nation” Monday, as the administration pushes its goal of administering 100 million shots in its first 100 days. The virtual tour for Biden, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, came as the Arizona Department of Health.

WASHINGTON – Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. but two recent reports say Arizona needs to do more to help people break free from using tobacco products. “We certainly need a lot more resources here in Arizona to help people quit smoking,” said JoAnna Strother, senior director of advocacy.

PHOENIX – From the importance of personal protective equipment to dealing with the harsh isolation of quarantined patients, the medical community learned countless lessons during the first year of COVID-19, a pandemic unprecedented in modern times. “Limiting it to one (lesson), it is how profound it is that social inequity kills people,” said Dr. Andrew.

PHOENIX – Since the onset of the pandemic, health experts have touted masks as the best way to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but wearing them in public met considerable resistance and was politicized in some places. That was true in Arizona, where Gov. Doug Ducey initially opposed mask mandates sought by local officials. “Until.

PHOENIX – As the daughter of a medical technician, Hanna Hyland was raised to put her faith in science. But Hyland, 18, also was raised as a person of color in a country with a health care system marred by historic instances of racism. When it comes to deciding whether to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

WASHINGTON – COVID-19 infections in Arizona appeared to be leveling off last week when officials confirmed that a variant of the virus, first found in the United Kingdom, had been found in the state. Not good news, but experts say things could be worse. “If this new variant had become dominant in early January, it.

PHOENIX – Arizona health officials on Monday opened the state’s second COVID-19 vaccination site, at ASU’s Phoenix Municipal Stadium, aiming to build on the success of the first site at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. Until more vaccine doses are available from the federal government, the Phoenix site will be limited to 500 shots a.

LOS ANGELES — Clayton Foster was living out of his car when he contracted COVID-19. The 67-year-old knew he faced higher risks of death or severe outcomes during the pandemic because of his chronic heart and bladder conditions, but for Foster and thousands of other homeless people across the Southwest, it’s been hard to protect.

WASHINGTON – Total deaths in Arizona rose 25% in 2020 over the previous year, with some counties seeing increases approaching 50% for the year in which COVID-19 became the leading killer in the state. While data on the causes of death is not expected until later this year, experts attribute the “exceptional increase” in deaths.

WASHINGTON – COVID-19 cases in Arizona may have reached a plateau after a deadly two-month surge, one expert said Wednesday, but that does not mean the pandemic is under control. Dr. Joshua LaBaer, executive director of Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, noted that the number of confirmed new cases of the virus dropped from a.

PHOENIX – Health care experts are calling on federal and state agencies to take action to provide better care for the estimated 100,000 Americans who suffer from sickle cell disease. Sickle cell is the most common inherited blood disorder in the U.S. and disproportionately affects African Americans, occurring in 1 out of every 365 births.

WASHINGTON – COVID-19 may now be the leading cause of death in Arizona, apparently surpassing both cancer and heart disease for the number of fatalities in a year, according to the latest data from the Arizona Department of Health Services. The COVID-19 death toll through Monday was 12,448, according to numbers reported by the state.

PHOENIX – Amid moves by some states to declare racism a public health issue, experts are looking to medical schools to identify strategies to improve care for people of color and eliminate disparities related to a patient’s race or ethnicity. Dr. David Acosta, chief diversity and inclusion officer with the Association of American Medical Colleges,.

PHOENIX – Three COVID-19 vaccines have made their way through trials in the United States since December. Vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna passed testing standards set by the Food and Drug Administration with the hope that millions will be distributed across the country in the coming months. The third vaccine, from AstraZeneca, is in the.

WASHINGTON – Almost half of the 24 executive orders President Joe Biden has signed in his first two days in office have dealt with COVID-19, which White House officials cite as proof that fighting the pandemic is the top priority for his administration. “The first order I’m going to be signing here … relates to.

WASHINGTON – The Arizona Department of Health Services said Friday it is expanding its COVID-19 vaccination programs, adding distribution at pharmacies and at a second state-run site in the East Valley and broadening the number of people eligible for the vaccine. The expansion comes as the state has already administered well over 200,000 doses of.

PHOENIX – Getting enough people vaccinated to stop the COVID-19 pandemic is a major logistical question. One strategy states are turning to is mass vaccination. In Arizona, that’s now happening around the clock at an NFL stadium. Since 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, State Farm Stadium in Glendale – home to the NFL Arizona Cardinals – has.

In 2014, veterinarian Jason Sweitzer started his 10-minute drive home from the clinic in Conejo Valley, California, where he routinely treated animals that had been stabbed, shot, abused and made to suffer other horrors. This time, his thoughts drifted to suicide. “No one else was on the road. What if my car just veered off.

PHOENIX – As vaccinations for COVID-19 continue nationwide, blood donation agencies are stepping up efforts to encourage those who’ve had the disease and recovered to donate their plasma to help treat the sick. January is National Blood Donor Month, a time when agencies typically work to recruit more donors as bad winter weather and seasonal.

PHOENIX – Stress, isolation and face mask requirements related to COVID-19 may be worsening symptoms for the estimated 1% of the world’s population who suffer from Tourette syndrome, research shows. The neurological disorder, named for a French doctor who first described the condition in 1885, is characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements or sounds. Common motor.

LOS ANGELES – Like music venues around the world, the Paramount ballroom has been forced to endure months of limited work, reduced revenue and a forced transition to the digital world – no easy task for the venerable Boyle Heights venue, which is nearly 100 years old and has a legacy of supporting underdog artists..

Next summer, California will begin closing its three youth detention centers and shift the responsibility of juvenile justice onto the state’s 58 counties, ending an 80-year history of detention facilities that have been criticized for wanton violence and widespread racial disparities. Under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in September, three Division of.

PHOENIX – Most of 2020 has been marred by uncertainty. The fickleness of daily routines. The indecision of divided leadership. The precariousness of an American lifeline, sports, as society once knew them. What lies beyond the scope of doubt, however, is that formerly marginalized voices are headed to the podium to ignite tangible, national growth..

WASHINGTON – The numbers can be numbing. And that’s exactly what health officials fear. More than a half-million Arizonans have contracted COVID-19 and more than 8,700 have died from it so far, according to state data. The disease is surging again, with one week this month seeing an average of 7,770 new cases a day,.

PHOENIX – Staff Sgt. Terry Stallings served in the Army for 23 years. He was stationed across the globe, including posts in Iraq, Balad, Kuwait, Desert Storm, Mexico, Central America, Alaska, Portugal and Germany. After six combat deployments overseas, he returned home and was diagnosed with post- traumatic stress disorder. Veterans often rely on medications,.

WASHINGTON – After years of steady declines, enrollment in Affordable Care Act coverage ticked up in Arizona and held steady in the U.S. this year in what one advocate called a “pleasant surprise” after a challenging year. The six-week open enrollment period that ended last Tuesday showed enrollment going from 153,020 in Arizona for coverage.

WASHINGTON – A deadly epidemic has been on the rise this year in Arizona – but this one has drawn scant media attention. With the world focused on COVID-19, local and national experts say a growing number of opioid overdoses and deaths is being overlooked. “COVID-19 has taken up a lot of our space, but.

PHOENIX – Three nights after George Floyd suffocated when a white police officer in Minneapolis knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, Black Lives Matter supporters rallied in downtown Phoenix. From 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., hundreds of people were on the streets chanting, “What’s his name? George Floyd!” and “Hands up, don’t shoot!”.

Experts around the world are reporting increasing domestic violence during the pandemic. But in Arizona, some advocates say victims may not be in a position to seek help or move into a shelter. This is the story of one woman who found the courage to do just that and, along with her children, come out.

PHOENIX – When Coree Pledge decided to transition from female to male 11 years ago, he couldn’t find a doctor providing hormone replacement therapy in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama. So he drove six hours, one way, to find care in Atlanta. “After about a month of calling and research is when I focused on.

WASHINGTON – Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, said it can be hard to be socially distant when a large part of your job requires being social. From interacting with constituents, to boarding planes between D.C. and Arizona, to voting on the House floor, Lesko said it’s challenging for members of Congress to limit possible exposure to.

CAVE CREEK – Students and teachers at the Cave Creek Unified School District returned to in-person classes in early September, joining other schools as petri dishes for how classes could be handled during COVID-19. Weeks later, early results show the struggle – teachers leaving schools over health concerns, students in classrooms led by long-term substitute.

PHOENIX – Enthusiasm across Arizona was higher this election than in the 2016 presidential contest, and final results show the contrast was even more stark in Indian Country, where voters said they were especially motivated because of the COVID-19 pandemic and issues of race. A census analysis of 2018 data found American Indians were at.

WASHINGTON – The staff at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Scottsdale was planning to go ahead with its annual office Christmas party this year – but with social distancing and other COVID-19 precautions in place. As coronavirus cases continue to surge in Arizona and across the country, however, the Rev. Thomas Hallsten and parish.

WASHINGTON – Arizona health officials said they expect to get the first of more than 380,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine by Dec. 15 and will begin vaccinating health care workers and first responders shortly thereafter. Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ made that announcement Friday, as the state submitted its plans for.

LOS ANGELES – After the Lakers won their first NBA championship in 10 years, LA fans defied pandemic warnings to rampage through the streets in celebration, leading to vandalism and dozens of arrests. But when the NBA season tips off Dec. 22, Lakers fans won’t be able to watch the defending world champions play at.

PHOENIX – It’s been a quiet day on Zoom for Kylie Boyd and Alexandra Shilen. Occasionally, some student volunteers pop into their online room to check in or ask a brief question, then pop back out to hit the phones. On this fall afternoon, Boyd and Shilen are overseeing 13 volunteers who are calling residents.

WASHINGTON – With a shortage of beds, oxygen and staff, the Navajo Nation can no longer depend on regional aid and is sending critical patients farther afield for care, officials reported Thursday. That news came as area health care workers and Navajo government officials warned that the coming surge in COVID-19 cases would be worse.

PHOENIX – Research from Arizona and beyond suggests the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can spread erratically, making some infected people “superspreaders” and others dead ends for transmission. This can create clusters or “micro-hotspots” – neighborhoods, schools, towns or other small geographic areas where the virus runs rampant – even while communities next door remain relatively.

GILBERT – Nine months since closing down because of COVID-19, the Made With Love Market is back and bringing some much-needed exposure to small businesses in metro Phoenix. Made With Love Market came to be three years ago with the help of Maribeth Suvlette and her business partner, Cody, along with their shared love for.

WASHINGTON – Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey again rejected calls for tougher statewide COVID-19 restrictions Wednesday in the face of what experts called a pending “catastrophe,” opting instead for more funding for nurses and more pleas for personal responsibility. Ducey also ordered insurance companies to cover the costs of COVID-19 vaccinations, which could arrive in the.

The Mesa teachers association has urged Mesa Public Schools to halt in-person learning for its more than 63,000 students, citing rising COVID-19 infections in the state’s largest district. Remote learning is the safest option for the district, which operates 80 schools, Joshua Buckley, who heads the Mesa Education Association, said Wednesday. The association sent a.

WASHINGTON – Arizona reported a record 10,322 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, more than twice the previous high, as cases surged ahead of a holiday season that one health expert said could be a “real scary time.” State health officials were quick to point out that Tuesday’s numbers were artificially high because they encompassed a backlog.

PHOENIX – More than half of young adults 18 to 29 now live at home – the highest rate since the end of the Great Depression 80 years ago – and researchers say many were motivated by the pandemic. Many families already were multigenerational before the pandemic began in March, causing widespread job losses and.

WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden has said dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic will be one of the first orders of business for his administration, and the head of the Navajo Health Department will be there to advise him on it. Biden’s transition team added Dr. Jill Jim over the weekend to the panel of health.

PHOENIX – The number of COVID-19 infections in Arizona’s most populous county probably is far higher than what official counts show, according to a survey that found 1 in 10 residents have likely had the novel coronavirus that causes the disease. As health experts worry about a new spike in infections, a study by the.

PHOENIX – As cases of COVID-19 continue to surge in Arizona and the rest of the nation, the state’s three public universities are wrangling their approaches to the pandemic in similar but separate ways. Arizona State University developed a saliva-based test and aims to monitor the spread through frequent mass testing. The University of Arizona,.

WASHINGTON – The recent surge in COVID-19 cases could push hospital staff and hospital bed capacity to the limit in coming weeks, particularly if people are not careful over Thanksgiving, an Arizona hospital official said Tuesday. Marjorie Bessel, chief clinical officer for Banner Health, said its projections show the system will be using 125% of.

PHOENIX – Lack of representation of people of color in research and textbooks – as well as in white coats – has created gaps of inequality that cause Black patients to be misdiagnosed and undertreated in the field of dermatology, experts say. “Right now, the standard for dermatology is white skin,” said Dr. Chesahna Kindred,.

WASHINGTON – Thanksgiving travel is expected to be down sharply this year because of COVID-19, but as many as 50 million Americans are still expected to travel this week despite pleas from health experts to stay home. And those people who do travel could run into a bewildering array of restrictions when they reach their.

Health care workers across the country have risked their lives to care for COVID-19 patients, and Cronkite News reporters teamed up with the Guardian and Kaiser Health News to tell some of the stories of those who died because of exposure to the novel coronavirus that causes the deadly disease. The overall project was awarded.

WASHINGTON – Democratic mayors from across the state urged Gov. Doug Ducey on Friday to implement a statewide mask mandate, as COVID-19 cases surged past 4,000 for a second straight day and state hospitals neared capacity in their intensive care units. The call by mayors of Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff and Tolleson came two days after.

SAN CLEMENTE, California – High school athletes can’t play competitively this fall semester due to California’s pandemic restrictions, so some elite players are traveling to Arizona and other states to maintain their skills and continue developing a scouting profile for colleges. With some high school sports indefinitely on hold, California athletes on club or travel.

WASHINGTON – Arizona health officials on Thursday mandated that students wear face coverings in school, on buses and at school activities, an emergency order that school officials called a step in the right direction, but not enough. The order by Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ follows Gov. Doug Ducey’s order this.

PHOENIX – On a sun-drenched afternoon, Ana Brito arrives for a doctor’s appointment at Desert Mission Health Center, greeting staff members in Spanish. Nestled on a quiet street in north central Phoenix, the clinic is a one-stop shop for some of the city’s most vulnerable. Brito, 46, and her husband are uninsured, but the clinic.

PHOENIX – With Thanksgiving and the arrival of winter visitors drawing near, Gov. Doug Ducey announced new efforts to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 from travelers and assist Arizonans most affected by the disease. “I know many in our state are asking: When will it end? The answer is: That’s not on the horizon..

WASHINGTON – Arizona was in the bottom tier in three of six categories in a new American Lung Association report, which put the state dead-last for the number of patients who receive treatment after getting a diagnosis of lung cancer. The 2020 “State of Lung Cancer” report released Tuesday also said Arizona ranked 46th among.

PHOENIX – The halls at Manzanita Elementary School are emptier than they were a year ago. But school social worker Anthony Guillen says he’s far busier, as students struggle to deal with the increased stress and psychological toll brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a typical year at the north central Phoenix school, Guillen.

PHOENIX – Native American leaders are keeping close watch on the Supreme Court battle over whether to repeal all or parts of the Affordable Care Act, a move many say could devastate health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives. “In our vulnerable populations, particularly in the time of COVID-19 and its disproportionate impact on.

ANAHEIM, California – Nicholas Mikhail has been a dual-threat in soccer and football throughout his high school career in Southern California. Entering his senior year in 2020, he was prepared to improve his chances of being recruited by college teams. The pandemic, however, had other plans. After the California Interscholastic Federation postponed all seasons in.

WASHINGTON – With Santa Cruz County facing one of the highest rates of COVID-19 cases in the state, Tubac Fire Department Fire Chief Cheryl Horvath knew that a vaccine is what’s needed to bring an end to the pandemic. But a vaccine requires human volunteers as test subjects. Horvath had never taken part in a.

WASHINGTON – The hardest part of Suzanne Firstenberg’s day is when she changes the numbers on the board – each number representing an American who has died as a result of COVID-19. She climbs on a concrete ledge, pulls off a large poster with one number on it and replaces it with a higher number.

PHOENIX – New field. New season. New outlook. With a newly renovated soccer facility and a dynamic mix of new and returning players, the Arizona State women’s soccer team appears ready to make a rapid improvement in 2021 and beyond. When the Sun Devils restart play next year, they will do so in new physical.

PHOENIX – The most recent album from Hataalii, a Navajo Nation indie-rock artist, closes with a pair of instrumental tracks called “Rain.” The songs, the artist said, are inspired by the relief that rains bring in hot summer months and the idea that all struggles subside with time. The message connects to something his grandmother.

PHOENIX – Telehealth can help treat people with depression or other mental-health issues but patients need to guard their privacy and consider whether the treatment is right for them, health advocates said. June Rolph, a board-certified nurse practitioner in Phoenix, said patients may feel more emotionally removed from the therapeutic process in a video session.

WASHINGTON – When the Supreme Court takes up the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act – again – Tuesday, Tucson resident Alicia DeWitt will be watching the case closely. Without the ACA, DeWitt said she would not have been able to get health insurance to pay for surgery to remove a brain tumor, and would.

PHOENIX – As the presidential election hangs in the balance, protests erupt at ballot counting stations and controversies swirl about getting every vote tallied, one group in particular faces significant challenges that can leave them out of the process. About 38 million people with disabilities, or one-sixth of the electorate, were eligible to vote this.

LOS ANGELES – Since the pandemic changed the way American Christians gather, churchgoers have endured record heat and the din of nearby traffic as they filled parking lots and outdoor spaces to practice their faith. Across the Southwest, churches have had to adapt to the threat of COVID-19, with many moving to online or outdoor.

WASHINGTON – State officials repeated calls for Arizonans to take commonsense health measures, as the state passed two grim milestones this week in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Arizona Department of Health Services reported that the state surpassed 6,000 coronavirus-related deaths Tuesday, one day before it reported that total cases had topped the.

PHOENIX – Health officials Wednesday warned of a “staggering” death toll in Arizona as cases of the novel coronavirus continue to rise unabated, citing fatigue over COVID-19 and crowded holiday gatherings as potential dangers. Dr. Joshua LaBaer, executive director of Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, said its team attributes a resurgence of cases in Arizona.

PHOENIX – Amid an otherwise relaxing Halloween weekend, Kliff Kingsbury’s biggest scare proved to be breaking news on the virus front, not spooky costumes. And this time, it hit home hard. Two Arizona players tested positive for COVID-19 during the team’s bye week – starting outside linebacker Devon Kennard, who revealed on Twitter that he.

PHOENIX – In the wake of George Floyd’s death last May and subsequent demands for social justice for Black Americans, corporations are pledging to improve hiring practices, institute antiracism training and provide more advancement opportunities for people of color. Others have taken a different approach – vowing to specifically address health disparities that leave Black.

PHOENIX — The Red Sea no longer parted at State Farm Stadium, it just socially distanced. When the Cardinals beat the previously undefeated Seattle Seahawks in a 37-34 overtime thriller on Sunday night, they were able to do so in front of 1,200 fans. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced new norms, including fanless sporting events..

WASHINGTON – The Ducey administration defended its decision Thursday to toughen guidelines for when Arizona schools should revert to virtual education, from in-person or hybrid schooling, in the face of surging COVID-19 cases. Gov. Doug Ducey said the recommendation that schools return to online teaching once three different transmission criteria are in the “substantial” category.

WASHINGTON – Payson Mayor Tom Morrisey thinks mask-wearing is one of the best ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 in his town – but he doesn’t want to force residents to do it. Payson is one of a number of local governments that have lifted facemask ordinances in recent weeks, even as infections in.

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers won their first World Series since 1988 Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, leaving Los Angeles sports fans eager for an official celebration despite the rising cases of COVID-19 in the county. Thousands of fans gathered downtown, at Dodger Stadium and in other parts of LA to watch Mookie.

PHOENIX – The ugly truth was laid bare when an international team of researchers ran their final model on plastic pollution in the Pacific. The results would reveal just how much the world would have to reduce plastic waste to prevent more than 8 million metric tons from entering the oceans, lakes and rivers every.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump name-dropped Arizona early in Thursday’s presidential debate, claiming the “very big spike” in COVID-19 cases in the state is “now gone.” Except that it’s not. New cases are up – twice in the past week they topped 1,000 – the rate of positive tests rose as did hospitalizations – although.

PHOENIX – Thomas Silvera and Dina Hawthorne-Silvera lost their son, Elijah, when he was just 3. He had a severe anaphylactic reaction to a grilled cheese sandwich he was given at a day care center in New York City in 2017. Since then, the couple have run the nonprofit Elijah-Alavi Foundation to advocate for and.

With some Arizona districts opening their campuses and welcoming students back into physical classrooms, many parents in Maricopa County want information on how to keep kids safe from COVID-19 outbreaks. The county is home to 58 school districts that serve more than 700,000 students. Since the start of the school year in August, Maricopa County.

PHOENIX – Arizona is experiencing a COVID-19 surge similar to the one it saw in mid-June, and a vaccine that will get the population closer to herd immunity is in the distant future, the director of ASU’s Biodesign Institute said Wednesday. “We are very close for a seven-day trailing average to crossing the 1,000 new.

PHOENIX – Many Arizona schools stuck with virtual instruction this fall as the COVID-19 pandemic persists, but for the 148,000 children who take part in special education programs, the new online environment can be a particular challenge. When school started back in August, June Krafft was busy at home running from room to room, making.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump was welcomed by boisterous MAGA-hatted crowds in Prescott and Tucson on Monday, the last stops on a Western swing as the campaign entered its final two weeks. But not everyone was putting out the welcome mat. Democrats in the state criticized what they called the president’s “super spreader” events during.

GLENDALE – The horror took place about a decade ago, but the scene regularly replayed on a loop in Ashley Losch’s mind. On that day, Losch, a Glendale firefighter and paramedic, entered a home and saw three gunshot victims: a 1-year-old, a 3-year-old and their father, who shot them both before killing himself. She walked.

PHOENIX – Grant McCagg went about his typical scouting routine during an Ottawa 67’s game at TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario on March 10th. McCagg, a retired NHL scout and now president of Recrutes.ca, arrived with pen and notebook in hand at the fan-packed arena and took his seat in a press box filled.

WASHINGTON – In a typical year, there would be nothing unusual about longtime Arizona concert promoter Steve Chilton scrambling all over a venue to prepare for a show. But this is not a typical year. And the concert Chilton is pulling together this weekend is far from typical. “I’ll be on my couch,” he said..

WASHINGTON – Arizona schools have long struggled with teacher shortages but the problem was made worse this year by COVID-19, which has led to more teachers quitting or taking leave, school officials said. Just over 28% of teaching slots were still vacant several weeks into the 2020-2021 school year, up from 21% last year, according.

LOS ANGELES – Napa Valley is no stranger to natural disasters. Year after year, the world renowned wine region faces flames. In 2019, wind and the Kincade Fire brought smoke and blackouts. In 2018, the County Fire affected a small part of the valley – the same year the enormous Camp Fire devastated other parts.

PHOENIX – A prominent health expert expressed worry Wednesday about rising COVID-19 numbers across Arizona, saying the trend is reminiscent of early summer conditions that preceded a spike in cases and rollback of measures to reopen businesses. “This is a moment to sort of stop and take measure and think hard about: What can we.

WASHINGTON – Battling wildfires while battling the COVID-19 pandemic “definitely added a new challenge” for Arizona fire officials this year, but it’s a challenge many say they have met. Exact numbers are hard to come by, but calls to fire departments around the state found most officials reporting only a handful of positive test results.

WASHINGTON – Advocates fear that years of steady improvements in the level of “food insecurity” among Arizona children could be reversed this year by the economic toll of COVID-19, a shift that could have long-lasting effects. The group Feeding America estimated that 19% of children in Arizona in 2018 were food insecure – defined as.

WASHINGTON – A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report Friday credited mask mandates and business restrictions for slowing the spread of COVID-19 in Arizona, reversing an early summer spike blamed on an early easing of restrictions. The study, in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, tracked cases in the state from Jan. 22.

LOS ANGELES – Arizonans got the green light to return to public gyms on Aug. 27, but Californians in Los Angeles County and 17 other counties are awaiting a decision in the California Fitness Alliance’s lawsuit to resume indoor workouts. The coalition formed in March in response to closures ordered to slow the spread of.

PEORIA – With only 26 days until the election and polls consistently showing the Trump campaign trailing in Arizona, Vice President Mike Pence visited a military and tactical gear company Thursday for a “Make America Great Again” campaign event. Pence began by calling his Wednesday night debate with Democrat Kamala Harris a “debate between two.

PHOENIX – The coronavirus has hit all types of people in every kind of community over the past seven months. University of Arizona football coach Kevin Sumlin knows that firsthand. He now advises his players to be vigilant in protecting themselves against the coronavirus using his own experience as Arizona announced Sumlin tested positive for.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story mischaracterized the status of COVID-19 cases in the facilities. The numbers cited are cumulative cases. This story has been updated. A full description of the correction can be found here. PHOENIX – La Palma Correctional Center, a privately run immigration detention center in Eloy, has recorded the most.

PHOENIX – A measure passed by the U.S. House aims to remove barriers that Native Americans face in accessing public health data – something advocates say is key to providing a clearer picture of how COVID-19 and other diseases are disproportionately affecting tribes. Experts said Native Americans have been denied access to some state and.

PHOENIX – Republican Sen. Martha McSally and Democratic challenger Mark Kelly, two military veterans battling for a congressional seat in Arizona that is drawing the attention of the nation, debated over the country’s COVID-19 response, jobs and immigration and President Trump’s attacks on Arizona Sen. John McCain. Kelly and McSally wielded the usual disdain of.

WASHINGTON – Arizona Rep. Lorenzo Sierra, D-Avondale, was being treated in the intensive care unit of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Monday for “complications related to COVID-19,” one day after being hospitalized with the virus in Washington. Sierra and his wife, Rhonda Cagle, both began showing symptoms of the disease while visiting family in Washington.

PHOENIX – Colorectal cancer has received a great deal of attention since actor Chadwick Boseman lost his four-year battle to the disease in August. It’s the second-leading cause of cancer death among Native Americans, prompting calls for increased screenings to improve detection and treatment of colorectal disease. Donald Haverkamp, an epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers.

WASHINGTON – News that President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 led to well-wishes from Arizona lawmakers Friday, a scrambling of the president’s planned visits to the state next week – and some grumbling about the lack of safeguards at previous Trump rallies. The White House announced Friday morning that Trump and first lady Melania.

President Donald Trump repeatedly has touted hydroxychloroquine as a possible “game changer” in the fight against COVID-19, and in May he told reporters he has taken it as a precaution. But his physician did not prescribe the antimalaria drug after the president tested positive on Thursday, instead giving him an antibody cocktail, according to White.

PHOENIX – Although most cases of COVID-19 appear to be mild with a recovery time of a few weeks, health experts are seeing more patients who suffer symptoms for months or get better only to relapse down the road. These “long-haulers” may face organ damage or such debilitating symptoms that even climbing a flight of.

WASHINGTON – Arizona officials hailed a COVID-19 milestone Thursday, when the final county in the state crossed a coronavirus transmission threshold that lets some shuttered businesses begin the process of reopening. The Arizona Department of Health Services said Graham County moved from the “substantial” to “moderate” transmission category, in which businesses such as restaurants, waterparks.

PHOENIX – A highly anticipated football game between Chaparral and Saguaro high schools was canceled Wednesday after a Chaparral player tested positive for COVID-19. The Scottsdale Unified School District confirmed the news about the game schedule for Friday in a release. Later, parents expressed concern about the fairness of the decision. “It puts the team.

PHOENIX – Once it was decided that high school football games would be played in Arizona amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the next decision to be made was whether fans would be allowed to fill stadiums. That decision was left up to each school district, which will base decisions on the COVID-19 numbers in its area..

PHOENIX – Arizona ranks close to last in the nation when it comes to available mental health care providers – a problem that’s been underscored during a pandemic that is increasing anxiety and depression. Heather Ross, a clinical assistant professor at Arizona State University who advises Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego on health policy issues, said.

WASHINGTON – A “life-changing” diabetes program for Native Americans will expire Dec. 11 if Congress doesn’t take action, advocates said. Hopi Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma said it is “critical” that lawmakers reauthorize the Special Diabetes Program for Indians, which serves tribes across Arizona and the nation. “There is no doubt that our program has changed the.

MANY FARMS – On a hazy weekday morning, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and about two dozen masked volunteers pull into the parking lot of a local chapter house. For as far as the eye can see, cars and trucks line up along Indian Route 59. The volunteers, including representatives from World Central Kitchen, hustle.

PHOENIX – They’re often labeled the “model minority,” a misconception surrounding the nation’s 20 million Asian Americans that assumes financial stability, high levels of education and better health across the board. But experts say that myth can mask higher rates of some chronic illnesses and hinder efforts to improve early detection and treatment of certain.

Gov. Doug Ducey emphasized his commitment to keeping the state open in a “safe and healthy way” during a news conference Thursday, with no current plans for “dramatic changes” to be made despite “a gradual rise in cases.” “Arizona’s economy is open, Arizona’s educational institutions are open, Arizona’s tourism institutions are open,” the second-term Republican.

PHOENIX – For the past six months, high school athletes have been left holding their breath. Ever since the World Health Organization (WHO) classified COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, the future of Valley sports in the fall has been uncertain. “One day we’re playing, one day we’re not … now we are playing.

WASHINGTON – COVID-19 may be getting the headlines but it’s not the top health care issue on the minds of voters in a number of battleground states, including Arizona, according to a poll released Thursday. The poll by the Commonwealth Fund found voters in seven of 10 battleground states said they were more likely to.

WASHINGTON – The number of Arizonans without health insurance jumped to more than 800,000 last year, the third consecutive year of increases for the state, according to the latest data from the Census Bureau. The number of uninsured also rose nationwide, but not as sharply as in Arizona. Nationally, the share of people without insurance.

PHOENIX – The Whiteriver Indian Hospital in eastern Arizona is combating health disparities among Native Americans by teaching new mothers strong breastfeeding practices, which research shows improves such ailments as obesity and Type 1 diabetes in kids. The medical center on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation is one of about 10 hospitals under the Indian.

PHOENIX – With the presidents and chancellors of Big Ten universities voting to resume football last week, players and fans called on Pac-12 Conference Commissioner Larry Scott to join other Power Five conferences and allow the football season to kick off. However, Scott said in a statement that universities in California and Oregon do not.

PHOENIX – In March, teams in the NBA and NHL were closing in on the playoffs, spring training was in full swing in Arizona’s Cactus League and Florida’s Grapefruit League. March Madness was about to unfold as college basketball teams competed in conference tournaments. Then it all came to a stunning, abrupt halt because of.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Interscholastic Association’s decision to adjust a key COVID-19 metric opens the door for more high school football teams to start football on Sept. 30 and follows an outcry by parents upset by the original positive case ratio. The AIA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee announced Thursday that the ability to safely participate.

PHOENIX – Arizona has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 in young people in the nation – driven in part, experts say, by a large population of children of color, who are more likely to have underlying health conditions that make them susceptible to the disease. As of Sept. 10, youth made up 10%.

David Mayer is on a mission, a longstanding quest to prevent those from dying at the hands of medical mistakes. A retired doctor and CEO of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, Mayer’s decades-long crusade has him crisscrossing the continental United States, meeting those dealt the unimaginable blow of losing their loved one to an error..

PHOENIX – As researchers race to produce an effective COVID-19 vaccine, medical professionals are urging Latinos and Black people, who are at higher risk of contracting and dying from the disease, to participate in clinical trials. But because of a long history of racism and unethical experimentation, people of color may be hesitant to roll.

WASHINGTON – Federal health officials told a Senate panel Wednesday that limited amounts of a COVID-19 vaccine could be available as early as November – but that doesn’t mean Arizonans are willing to try it. A poll this week of likely Arizona voters showed them evenly split, with 38% saying they would get vaccinated and.

PHOENIX – Ivanka Trump on Wednesday made a case for her father’s reelection, saying he is committed to business deregulation, tax cuts and supporting businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic, and she praised Arizona as a model for its response to the deadly disease. Ivanka Trump spoke at an in-person business roundtable in downtown Phoenix hosted.

TEMPE – Arizona State University researchers are working on a home-based coronavirus test that could deliver results within 10 minutes rather than 24 to 48 hours, university officials said Wednesday. Researchers want to create a rapid, saliva-based test that can “quickly determine whether the virus is present,” said Dr. Joshua LaBaer, director of the ASU.

WASHINGTON – Just more than two in five Arizona adults got a flu shot last year, a number state officials are desperate to improve on before the onset of both influenza and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic this fall. State officials late last month announced plans to increase Medicaid funding for flu shots, let some pharmacists.

PHOENIX – Refugees living in Arizona are struggling to navigate the impacts of COVID-19. In response, nonprofit organizations boosted assistance programs after they noticed more refugees losing their jobs or having their hours cut. Families say they also are struggling with complicated government aid applications written in a language in which they may not be.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, students are adjusting to their new normal when it comes to online classes, virtual events and social distancing to prevent the spread of the disease. But for deaf and hard of hearing students in Arizona public schools, as well as for many more enrolled in private schools, these adjustments introduce new.

SCOTTSDALE – Signs of a new normal for Arizona sports were apparent even in the parking lot outside Casino Arizona Field on Friday night, when for the time since COVID-19 swept the world, an Arizona professional sporting event took place before a live crowd. Cars of fans attending the Phoenix Rising FC and Las Vegas.

Surrounded by choking smoke and fire-scorched trees near Oroville, California Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters Friday that wildfires ravaging the West this summer are a direct result of climate change, and he called for swift and serious changes to federal environmental policy. Oroville, about 70 miles north of Sacramento, has been ravaged by the North.

LOS ANGELES – The death of “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, 43, after a four-year private battle with colon cancer has raised fresh concerns about how the illness disparately harms Black men, and it highlights what some experts call a shocking rise in the number of younger patients. For fans who emulated the man and.

PHOENIX – Arizona State University President Michael Crow defended the accuracy of the school’s updates on COVID-19 infection rates during a virtual news conference Wednesday, promising that cumulative numbers of cases would be added to the data sets going forward. Crow was joined by other ASU officials after the school’s numbers were questioned by news.

PHOENIX – Phoenix Rising FC will make history Friday as the first professional sports team in Arizona to allow fans to experience in-stadium live sports since the COVID-19 shutdown. The Rising announced that the club will start allowing a limited number of fans – about 1,000 season-ticket holders – to attend home matches at Casino.

PHOENIX – Only one new case of COVID-19 was reported across the Navajo Nation in the previous 24 hours, the lowest number of daily cases on the reservation since an initial spike in May, tribal leaders said Tuesday in a virtual town hall. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said the sole case was in the.

Editor’s Note: Coronavirus has devastated Native American communities and put a spotlight on some long-standing problems in Indian Country that have made this pandemic that much worse. But at the grassroots level, everyday heroes have stepped up to help. Part of a series. PHOENIX – In March, Tawny Jodie was preparing to travel to Israel.

PHOENIX – The Labor Day weekend is starting, the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, and travelers are flying out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which has furiously prepared for an uptick in passengers. The airport has installed germ-zapping tech on escalators, placed the now-ubiquitous social distancing signs on floors and throughout terminals and has workers.

PHOENIX – On the heels of Arizona reporting at least 13 positive COVID-19 cases among its sports teams, Arizona State said it has no plans to release athlete-specific data. Seven Pac-12 schools share athlete results. Another, Colorado, has released limited findings, while UCLA numbers have been reported by L.A. County’s public health department. Only ASU,.

Most kids entering juvenile detention have been disadvantaged by poverty and lack of resources, and more than 70% have mental health disorders that often go unseen and untreated, experts say. Mental health resources vary widely among states and often fail to treat underlying issues said Charlene Taylor, a senior researcher for the National Council on.

PHOENIX – As Arizona bars have reopened after months of being shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, owners and managers are struggling to comply with state health department regulations that require logistical twists. One Phoenix bar owner has adapted by moving operations outdoors while another said he has three bars with different limitations. “You’re allowed.

TEMPE – Arizona State University President Michael Crow told students Thursday that the school is prepared to go remote if needed, and they were working to address the spread of illness. During the hourlong online forum, students from across the university’s campuses raised concerns ranging from their medical privacy to tuition refunds if in-person instruction.

In August, fans were told Pac-12 athletics would have to wait until the spring of 2021 to resume. On Thursday, a decision was made that could change that. “This agreement is a major step in the safe return of sports competition in the Pac-12,” commissioner Larry Scott said. The conference’s partnership with Quidel Corporation, a.

PHOENIX – High school football is back. The Executive Board of the Arizona Interscholastic Association voted Wednesday to endorse the latest guidelines proposed by the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee for the safe implementation of a return to sport and activity. Football, as well as other fall sports, will continue as scheduled. Football can begin practice.

PHOENIX – For more than three decades, André House just west of downtown has provided food, showers, temporary housing and other services to Arizonans experiencing homelessness or poverty. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of families seeking such services has almost doubled, said Ash Uss, the faith-based nonprofit’s coordinator of advocacy and.

WASHINGTON – State officials Monday laid out a plan for “aggressively” combating the upcoming influenza season as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, with the first step being to urge people to get a flu shot as soon as possible. The state plans to increase funding for Medicaid recipients to get flu shots, combine flu-shot sites with.

For decades, researchers have looked to human genetics for linkages to mental illness, such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Patterns of inheritance are murky, but it is clear that “stuff runs in families,” says Dr. Douglas Gray, a psychiatrist and researcher at the University of Utah School of Medicine. His 2018 study – published.

WASHINGTON – Arizona passed 200,000 COVID-19 cases this week and the death toll from the disease topped 5,000 Saturday, but despite those somber milestones experts said the numbers are all moving in the right direction – for now. Rates of infection and death are down sharply from just a month ago and hospital bed availability.

PHOENIX – A month ago, the Arizona Coyotes left their families behind to begin the long-awaited postseason journey at the NHL bubble in Edmonton, Canada. The Coyotes, one of 24 teams to qualify for the National Hockey League’s Phase 4 Return to Play, were quarantined in preparation for the expanded postseason format. As part of.

School environments that rely on harsh punishments to control classrooms often leave children with learning and behavioral disabilities more likely to be suspended, fall behind in school and enter the juvenile justice system. Although they made up less than 13% of all public school students in the 2015-16 school year, according to the most recent.

This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center. Allie Smith was three months shy of high school graduation when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and students were sent home to finish the year remotely. The problem is, Smith doesn’t really have a home. The 18-year-old is one of an estimated 1.5 million students classified by the.

Children in the justice system face towering impediments to their legal right to education, often hindering the development of thousands of the nation’s most vulnerable and underserved students. The lack of consistent and uniform policies, along with a dearth of available data, conceal how – or if – young people learn in juvenile detention facilities..

More than 1,600 incarcerated children across the country have tested positive for COVID-19 as of mid-August, leaving experts and youth advocates raising questions whether authorities are prepared to handle this and future public health crises.  Joshua Rovner, a lead researcher for the Sentencing Project, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy center, is tracking the number of reported.

This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center. At the beginning of the pandemic, Tiffany Cordaway’s biggest struggle was finding a place to shower. She worked two jobs in Northern California, disinfecting medical equipment during the day and caring for an elderly couple overnight. When she finally clocked out, she just wanted to clean up..

This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center. Four months after Congress rushed $4 billion to help the nation’s homeless population cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, most of those funds still have not made their way to local communities, the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism found, and even those with access to the money have.

This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center. PHOENIX – Nearly 200 tents stand inches apart on the scorching gravel lots, many covered in blankets for an extra layer of relief from the desert sun. Outside, their occupants sit on hot ground or in folding chairs, nearby palm trees providing no shade. Despite 12-foot-square sections.

When Arizona native Kristin Urquiza wrote her dad’s obituary after his June 30 death from COVID-19, the Democratic National Convention was probably the furthest thing from her mind. But that’s where Urquiza found herself Monday night, telling a national audience that her dad’s “only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid.

PHOENIX – Arizona has failed to conduct robust contact tracing, which was considered a vital tool to slowing the spread of COVID-19 and proved effective in other parts of the world, public health experts say. And it’s not just Arizona. Contact tracing has “largely failed in the United States” because of long waits for test.

PHOENIX – High school athletic directors and football coaches are eager to kick off the season – assuming the season even happens – but the COVID-19 pandemic likely means no fans in the stands, tough safety protocols for players on the field and tighter budgets for high school sports. That could lead to cuts to.

PHOENIX – After winning the title of Miss Navajo Nation in September, Shaandiin Parrish immediately got to work on the cultural preservation and advocacy efforts central to the role. At times, she attended five or more events in a single day, traveling across the 27,000-square-mile reservation to speak to elementary school students and attend conferences..

Editor’s Note: Coronavirus has devastated Native American communities and put a spotlight on some long-standing problems in Indian Country that have made this pandemic that much worse. But at the grassroots level, everyday heroes have stepped up to help. One in a series. SCOTTSDALE – Indigenous tribes have their own cultures, languages and customs, but.

PHOENIX – Black-owned businesses were particularly hard-hit when the spread of COVID-19 shut down or restricted nonessential activity throughout the country last spring, leaving many to wonder whether they could survive the plummet in daily customers. COVID-19 had shuttered 41% of Black-owned businesses by April, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, compared with.

PHOENIX – When Ray Anderson, Arizona State’s vice president for university athletics, first heard about the possible long-term heart issues connected to coronavirus, it immediately made him think of his father’s sudden death from a heart attack when Anderson was just 9 years old. Anderson feared a similar outcome might await an ASU athlete if.

PHOENIX – Former ASU Men’s basketball player Eric Jacobsen continues to make a living overseas, even as it remains uncertain when that happens. Jacobsen has agreed to re-sign with the Sendai 89ers in the B2 League in Japan, according to a report from asia-basket.com. The 6’10” power forward, who graduated from ASU in 2016, is.

WASHINGTON – The number of people on Arizona’s Medicaid rolls topped 2 million this summer, after a five-month surge in enrollment that coincided with COVID-19’s hit to the state’s health and its economy. Almost 1.88 million people were covered by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System – the state’s Medicaid program – on March.

PHOENIX – As social distancing and isolation continue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many states across the country are reporting an increase in reported drug overdoses and suicides, including Arizona. The Arizona Department of Health Services has observed an increase in deaths due to suicide and drug overdose during the COVID-19 epidemic, according to Dr. Cara.

PHOENIX – Singing, dancing, socializing, sharing food – the elements that make powwows an essential part of preserving Indigenous culture are the same ones that make them a coronavirus risk. Native communities throughout the country have cancelled the traditional gatherings indefinitely as a result. But Tiny Rosales, a member of the Ojibwe tribe, has found.

Editor’s Note: Coronavirus has devastated Native American communities and put a spotlight on some long-standing problems in Indian Country that have made this pandemic that much worse. But at the grassroots level, everyday heroes have stepped up to help. Part of a series. PHOENIX – Before COVID-19, Joshuaa Allison-Burbank spent his days traversing the Navajo.

The latest police data show reported crimes fell in Phoenix and Tucson during the second quarter of the year, a period in which Arizonans were largely confined to their homes by the governor’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order. But while property crimes in both cities fell, violent crime in Phoenix rose sharply in the quarter, driven largely.

PHOENIX – In the six months Maria Chávez’s husband has been detained at La Palma Correctional Center, he has been quarantined twice after being exposed to suspected cases of COVID-19. And quarantine, for him, has meant solitary confinement. Andrés gets 20 minutes a day outside his cell, Chávez said, which he first uses to call.

PHOENIX – By now, you’ve probably heard it more times than you can count: One of the simplest ways to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection is to wash your hands. But for the nearly one in three Navajo Nation households without indoor plumbing, that’s easier said than done. “People (here) call it a luxury.

Tracking coronavirus pandemic could soon be a bit easier because of one simple fact: Everyone poops. Around the world, wastewater plants have become unlikely sentinels in the fight against the virus, allowing scientists to track the disease’s spread at the community level. The practice of testing sewage samples is spreading across western U.S. states as.

Editor’s Note: Coronavirus has devastated Native American communities and put a spotlight on some long-standing problems in Indian Country that have made this pandemic that much worse. But at the grassroots level, everyday heroes have stepped up to help. Part of a series. PHOENIX – From a traditional hogan in a remote area on the.

PHOENIX – Six months after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Arizona, the disease is well on its way to becoming the third-leading cause of death in the state this year, following cancer and heart disease, according to state data. As of Sunday, July 26, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported 3,305.

PHOENIX – Research into sports-related concussions started with football injuries but has since spread to other activities where hits and falls are routine, such as hockey, soccer and cheerleading. The long-term effects of concussions, however, are still being studied. It is a subject important to Stephanie Cahill. She played club volleyball from 14 to 16.

PHOENIX – Thousands of gallons of wasted milk. Unpredictable, zigzagging prices. Abrupt dips and surges in demand. The past four months have been a roller coaster for Arizona dairy farms, as the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way some of their biggest clients did business. The ride isn’t over yet: Arizona is a COVID-19 hotspot,.

PHOENIX – As Arizona State University prepares to re-open its campuses in the fall, school leadership has warned students that off-campus parties are subject to the school’s health and conduct policies, which say the university can intervene with off-campus activity if it threatens community health. Some social media users already have responded by asserting students.

PHOENIX – Phoenix Rising FC found itself on the positive end of an unfortunate situation. The team was scheduled to play New Mexico United on Aug. 8 in New Mexico, but travel restrictions and a mandatory 14-day quarantine because of the coronavirus have halted those plans. The teams are still scheduled to play, but the.

PHOENIX – April Reed remembers what it used to be like before the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed. Reed remembers her father, who wears hearing aids, telling her how he was turned away from a job interview. She remembers a colleague hoping every day that the bus would be wheelchair-accessible when it came by,.

PHOENIX – A research center in east Tucson is one of the 87 clinics in the country chosen to participate in phase 3 of a COVID-19 vaccine trial, the Arizona Daily Star reported. The Quality of Life Medical and Research Center is actively recruiting Arizona volunteers to participate in the trial and national study, it.

PHOENIX – As the coronavirus pandemic disrupted practice schedules and cut short seasons, Ray Anderson challenged Arizona State coaches to find a way to make their programs stronger. Swimming and diving coach Bob Bowman came up with a unique solution: He is having every member of his team redshirt for the 2020-21 season. “The biggest.

PHOENIX – As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the state, testing sites have experienced inconsistencies in the number of Arizonans seeking tests and in the time it takes to get results. Some testing sites, such as one in west Phoenix and another in south Phoenix, have appointments available and wait times as short as.

When he announced an extension Thursday of his order closing bars, gyms, movie theaters and more, Gov. Doug Ducey acknowledged that “businesses and employees have sacrificed” as the state fights the spread of COVID-19. But some of those businesses are tired of sacrificing. A lawsuit filed with the Arizona Supreme Court by 50 owners of.

PHOENIX – After Gov. Doug Ducey unveiled his plan Thursday for schools to reopen, the Arizona Interscholastic Association continued to prepare for a season of fall sports. Ducey’s plan calls for school districts and charter schools to begin distance-learning by the first day of their traditional instructional calendar. Schools will then use data from public.

PHOENIX – Arizona schools must open their doors to at least some of their students on Aug. 17, state officials said Thursday, but districts will have the flexibility to offer alternative schooling to students who want to stay home. The announcement by Gov. Doug Ducey and State Schools Superintendent Kathy Hoffman follows weeks of uncertainty.

PHOENIX – Gyms, bars, nightclubs and more will remain closed past next week as the state continues to fight a disease that is “highly contagious and in every part of the state,” Gov. Doug Ducey said Thursday. But even as he urged people to stay home and practice safe hygiene, Ducey declined to require the.

PHOENIX – The WNBA and NBA have allowed players to choose a variety of social justice messages they would like on the back of their jerseys once regular season basketball resumes. The Phoenix Mercury will be honoring the life of Breonna Taylor by showcasing her name on the back of every player’s uniform when their.

PHOENIX – Gov. Doug Ducey has asked Arizona’s congressional delegation to focus on unemployment and other matters important to Arizonans in the next federal COVID-19 relief package. Ducey’s July 21 letter seeks funds to guarantee the unemployed will be eligible to receive at least 100% of their weekly earnings, and to replenish the state’s $1.

PHOENIX – Phoenix Suns center Aron Baynes learned quickly that the coronavirus is no joke. “It put me on my butt for a good week,” he told Stadium on Wednesday. “I slept for four days straight.” Baynes revealed Wednesday he had tested positive for COVID-19 after it was reported Monday by the Arizona Republic that.

Navajo leaders said the tribe could begin moving toward the phased reopening of the reservation as early as next week, but they continued to urge members to take precautions to keep the number of COVID-19 cases trending downward. Despite the optimism, the Navajo Nation already announced it will continue a reservation-wide weekend lockdown for at.

PHOENIX – Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement Tuesday that fans will not be allowed to attend college sporting events in the state of New York during the fall shed light on an interesting discrepancy between New York and Arizona. One has a lot of colleges. The other does not. New York has 102 schools that sport.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks caught their first glimpse of pandemic baseball. Cardboard cutouts and piped in fan noise were among the oddities as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 9-2 in an exhibition game Sunday at Dodger Stadium. It was the first time Diamondbacks fans saw the team in game action since March.

GILBERT – Arizona on Saturday set a record for coronavirus-related deaths reported in one day, with 147, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. This comes on the heels of Thursday’s publication of an internal White House document declaring Arizona a “red zone” for rising cases. States were deemed to be in the red.

PHOENIX – Arizona is one of 18 states in the coronavirus “red zone” that should take stricter action to curb the rapid spread of COVID-19, according to an internal White House report unveiled Thursday. The document, first reported by the Washington-based nonprofit Center for Public Integrity, categorizes states as being in the red zone if.

PHOENIX – Coach Monty Williams and the Phoenix Suns continue to prepare for the NBA restart at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The team has held several intrasquad practices but has not yet scrimmaged or played simulated games against other teams. Until that happens, Williams said the team’s readiness for the restart is unknown. “I.

PHOENIX — Melissa Calles used to walk her dog to the park every day, and she was part of a dance group. Life changed for the 26-year-old Phoenix resident on May 15 when she fell ill. After tests, her doctor informed her she had COVID-19. “I lost my sense of smell, that was the first.

As COVID-19 began to spread across the Southwest in March, lawyers representing incarcerated Arizonans reported “unsanitary conditions,” “inadequate medical staffing and treatment” and a “failure to take strong and sensible precautionary measures” in state prisons. The combination left prisoners “highly vulnerable to outbreaks,” the attorneys wrote in a letter to the state before asking a.

PHOENIX – Gov. Doug Ducey extended the state’s eviction moratorium and announced an additional $5 million for renters and measures to prevent foreclosure as the state continues to grapple with unemployment and housing problems caused by COVID-19. “Today’s plan protects families and individuals impacted by COVID-19 while empowering them to keep making rent payments,” Ducey.

PHOENIX – On the same day the NFL Players Association reported 72 positive tests for league athletes, it shared a map that tagged Phoenix as the No. 2 hotspot for the virus among the 32 metropolitan areas where the NFL plays. The NFLPA has voiced concerns about players reporting to training camp on July 28.

PHOENIX – Strewn across parking lots, in rivers and washing up on beaches, disposable face masks, gloves and other personal protection equipment are turning up everywhere except where they should be – in the landfill. With the production and use of PPE surging during the COVID-19 pandemic, many experts are worried this new type of.

PHOENIX — Arizona’s U.S. senators are pushing legislation to renew a federal program that fights diabetes in Indian Country – an initiative tribal leaders say is vital amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Special Diabetes Program for Indians is critical in our fight against diabetes and viruses such as COVID-19,” Navajo President Jonathan Nez said in.

PHOENIX – The head of Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute painted a glum picture Wednesday of current COVID-19 trends in the state, but he also suggested that the trend could be slowly improving. Joshua LaBaer, executive director of the Biodesign Institute, noted that virus cases are soaring across the country, and that Arizona is one.

PHOENIX – Phoenix Rising FC is set to play its first away match of the season Thursday. The opponent is Orange County FC in California, which was shut down Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. This included a number of things, but maybe most important, restaurants. “There are three things a football player needs: a good.

Bertha spent 17 days in her bedroom after testing positive for COVID-19. There, she made the soup and the “hot, hot tea” that helped her endure the headaches and coughing fits associated with the contagious respiratory disease. Bertha, an agricultural worker, said she couldn’t risk going to the kitchen or other parts of the house.

WASHINGTON – Arizona’s interstate highways are in generally good shape, but they experienced the highest rate of fatalities in the nation in 2018, according to a national report released Tuesday. The report by The Road Information Program said that Arizona recorded 1.09 highway deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled on the state’s interstate highways.

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Mercury have been inside the WNBA’s “bubble” at IMG Academy for about a week now and, despite the chatter from other players on social media, they seem to be adjusting well. Mercury guard Diana Taurasi sounded excited when asked how life inside the bubble was treating her. “It’s really like the.

PHOENIX – Advocates are concerned the looming end of the state’s eviction moratorium will put thousands of Arizonans at risk of homelessness. Gov. Doug Ducey put a pause on evictions for small business, nonprofits and renters until July 22, but when that window closes, the number of people living without shelter could shoot up, advocates.

PHOENIX – On the heels of a report that the NFL Players Association is concerned about opening training camps in “hot spot cities,” season ticket holders for the Arizona Cardinals are awaiting news on their options for 2020. The Washington Post reported the NFLPA is concerned about beginning practices in places that have been hit.

PHOENIX – Boutique fitness clubs are suing to stay open after a judge last week denied a lawsuit by another gym owner challenging Gov. Doug Ducey’s executive order closing gyms and bars. Ducey’s June 29 order shuttered gyms and bars for 30 days, which led several popular fitness franchises to challenge the order in court..

PHOENIX – With the Suns inside the NBA’s Orlando “bubble” for almost a week now, Devin Booker is adjusting to a new lifestyle pace. While some players have shared images on social media of fishing or participating in other activities, Booker told reporters on a Zoom call Monday that his days “just consist of practice.

Here is a timeline of COVID-19 developments and the responses by Gov. Doug Ducey, Arizona health officials and Navajo leaders. As the pandemic continues to unfold, the timeline will be updated. Here are the latest numbers for COVID-19 related illnesses and deaths in Arizona: Cronkite News reporter Sarah Donahue contributed to this report.

PHOENIX – From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts have pointed to smoking as one of several risk factors that could worsen the disease and potentially lead to death. Now an analysis of available research shows just how dangerous tobacco use might be during COVID-19 – nearly doubling the risk of disease progression.

TUCSON – A day after he imposed new restrictions to curb the steep increase in COVID-19 cases in the state, Gov. Doug Ducey was still coming under fire Friday for not doing enough. Mayors of Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Tempe and Tolleson said in a letter to the governor that they were “deeply concerned with the.

PHOENIX – Following the lead of the Big Ten and others, the Pac-12 Conference announced its football teams will play only conference games in 2020. “Arizona State University and Sun Devil Athletics support the Pac-12’s announcement of a strictly conference schedule for the 2020 football and fall sports season,” said Ray Anderson, ASU’s vice president.

PHOENIX — Even before the smoke, Neko Wilson’s anxiety was high. As a 38-year-old with hypertension and asthma, he had been pushing for weeks to get information about COVID-19. As people around Wilson began contracting the deadly disease, he sought masks and testing, fearing for his health and possibly his life. Then smoke from the.

PHOENIX – Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs led a group of Republican lawmakers Thursday who demanded that schools reopen as usual in the fall, the latest salvo in a days-long campaign by the Trump administration on the issue. “It would be more harmful to keep children locked out of schools and less harmful and less risky.

PHOENIX – Gov. Doug Ducey stood by Arizona’s past and present response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic, despite harsh criticism from other politicians and growing concern from health experts as the number of deaths in the state topped 2,000. “My decisions are not going to be influenced by any attempt to please the press, and.

PHOENIX – When his high school coach reached out for a jersey donation, Arizona Cardinals kicker Zane Gonzalez was on board. Soon, however, he decided it wasn’t enough. As he watched the COVID-19 pandemic affect families financially in his hometown of Deer Park, Texas, Gonzalez, a former standout at Arizona State, decided to provide scholarships.

PHOENIX – The isolating effects of business shutdowns and stay-home orders may be taking an especially high toll on an already vulnerable demographic – LGBTQ youth, who suffer disproportionately from behavioral health problems because of discrimination, harassment or lack of emotional support. For these teens, social distancing could worsen such mental health conditions as depression.

PHOENIX – Arizona health care advocates said they are bracing for a flood of people seeking contraceptive care after the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that employers can deny the coverage on religious or moral grounds. The 7-2 ruling upholds a sweeping exception to the Affordable Care Act, which originally required employers to include contraceptive coverage.

PHOENIX – Arizona led the U.S. in the growth of confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday, and if states were viewed as their own countries, the Grand Canyon State would lead the world, according to an alarming analysis by The New York Times. State officials pushed back against that characterization Wednesday, but Arizona doctors fear the situation.

PHOENIX – A White House panel of parents, teachers and school administrators said Tuesday that reopening schools this fall should be the nation’s top priority, for the wellbeing of students and parents and as a move to “stabilize our society.” But while the panel pushed for schools reopening “quickly and beautifully in the fall,” as.

PHOENIX – A Maricopa County judge on Tuesday refused to block Gov. Doug Ducey’s order closing gyms across the state, ruling that Mountainside Fitness could not show that the abrupt shutdown order violated the law. Mountainside CEO Tom Hatten said in a statement that the company’s 18 gyms would close at 2 p.m. Tuesday in.

PHOENIX — As the number of Arizonans who have contracted COVID-19 has raced past 100,000, testing for the novel coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease has become a priority. Some of that testing now is being done through saliva, a process that’s easier and less expensive. Arizona’s first saliva test – designed by scientists at.

PHOENIX – Arizona’s number of COVID-19 cases has doubled in the past two weeks to surge past 100,000 confirmed cases, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. It took from February to June 21 for Arizona to reach 50,000 coronavirus cases; it has taken only about two weeks to double that number. Gov. Doug.

PHOENIX – Jenaye Coleman, a former Division I lacrosse player at Marquette University, saw many teammates experience gruesome knee injuries in practice and games. During her four years playing on artificial turf, it created a dark cloud of fear about stepping onto the field. “Once we saw probably like, I don’t know, four girls tear.

PHOENIX – With grocery stores picked over by panicked shoppers and relief checks slow to arrive in mailboxes, Arizonans are coming together to distribute goods and services to those in need through grassroots “mutual aid” groups that target the most vulnerable. The idea of mutual aid is not new, and it’s not the same as.

PHOENIX – When Gov. Doug Ducey announced this week that school reopenings would be pushed back to Aug. 17 because of concerns over COVID-19 infections, it raised as many questions as it answered for parents and school administrators. While they now have a start date, school leaders are faced with the task of reopening in.

PHOENIX – In many Arizona towns, this Fourth will be a first. The first time fireworks are replaced by sparklers. The first time fireworks displays become a drive-through or an online event. The first time that holiday events are observed with masks from a socially responsible distance. But Fourth of July event organizers like Judy.

PHOENIX – As Arizona broke records Wednesday for new COVID-19 cases and deaths reported in a single day, Vice President Mike Pence flew in to assure Gov. Doug Ducey that the federal government “will spare no expense” in helping the state. Pence’s trip originally included a visit to Tucson and a rally with supporters, but.

PHOENIX – The news that gyms would be shut down as part of Gov. Doug Ducey’s latest executive order to slow the spread of COVID-19 has blindsided those who work in the fitness industry. “We had just been getting things going,” said Maddi Briguglio, a personal trainer at Jab Fitness in Tempe. “Clients had just.

PHOENIX – The number of new COVID-19 cases on the Navajo Nation is on a downward trend, but tribal leaders said Tuesday that does not mean they are ready to ease up on health restrictions. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in a Facebook live town hall that the tribe will continue its 57-hour weekend.

PHOENIX – Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday ordered the shutdown of Arizona’s bars, gyms, water parks, movie theaters and river tubing for 30 days. The executive order takes effect at 8 p.m. and lasts through July 27. “Our expectation is that next week our numbers will be worse, it will take several weeks for the.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks announced their 60-man roster for their upcoming summer training camp Monday, but the biggest news was which player on that list would not be joining the team. Mike Leake, a key rotation piece and pending free agent, notified the club that he will exercise his ability to opt out of.

PHOENIX – A global pandemic and then weeks of flight restrictions have left many of the 370,000 Chinese students who study in the U.S. caught in a dilemma – stay put, or pay thousands to try to get home. Yang Jiao graduated from Arizona State University in May but has been stuck in the United.

PHOENIX – Several Scottsdale bars and restaurants labeled “bad actors” by Gov. Doug Ducey have shut down temporarily, and they’re pushing back on his allegations that they disregarded safety protocols meant to curb the spread of COVID-19. Ducey labeled eight Scottsdale establishments “bad actors” at a news conference Thursday. The admonishment came after city authorities.

PHOENIX – Changes in lifestyle associated with COVID-19 have heightened concerns among health professionals about anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating and other eating disorders. But one demographic is drawing particular attention: Black women, who have long been overlooked in this specialized area of treatment. “We’re underserved. We’re poorly served. We’re served through bias and ignorance,” said Shelby.

PHOENIX – The 2020-21 school year for Maricopa County community colleges may not include sports, as administrators from the district await a decision to be made next week by Chancellor Steven Gonzales. Despite reports of the cancellation being completed Thursday morning, Matt Hasson, the chief communications officer for the Maricopa County Community Colleges District, said.

PHOENIX – A somber Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday addressed Arizona’s record surge in COVID-19 cases, urging individuals to slow down and “do the right thing” but taking no new actions. “This is Arizona’s first wave and it will not be our last wave,” he said in a teleconference. “Where we are right now and.

PHOENIX – First it was the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Coyotes. Now, just as sports were beginning to start up again, players on the Phoenix Rising and Grand Canyon University men’s basketball team have tested positive for COVID-19. Phoenix Rising FC General Manager Bobby Dulle announced Wednesday that four players on the team tested positive.

TEMPE – Arizonans will face a 14-day quarantine if they travel to New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, whose governors announced the restriction Wednesday to keep people from COVID-19 “hot spots” from bringing the infection with them. The quarantine, which took effect at midnight Wednesday, applied to nine states with positive virus test rates above.

PHOENIX – When Major League Baseball canceled the remainder of spring training games on March 12 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, it was with the initial hope of holding Opening Day for the 2020 season on April 9. That hope never manifested as the spread of the coronavirus forced the league and its players.

Arizona on Wednesday broke its record for the number of COVID-19 deaths reported in a single day, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported. The 79 deaths did not occur on the same day, but they represent the most reported in a single day. The record comes as federal experts are warning about a surge.

PHOENIX – Arizona set a record Tuesday for the number of new COVID-19 cases in a day, the second record in less than a week, with 3,591 new cases confirmed by the Arizona Department of Health Services. The department also reported 42 deaths since Monday, one of the highest death tolls since the first case.

PHOENIX – President Donald Trump’s scheduled rally in Phoenix on Tuesday will go ahead as planned, and Mayor Kate Gallego has pledged not to enforce local face mask requirements. The announcements came as Arizona’s COVID-19 cases surpassed 50,000 over the weekend. On Friday, Phoenix City Council approved requirements of wearing face masks but Gallego told.

PHOENIX – For many people who are deaf or hard of hearing, lip reading, facial expressions and body language are vital to communication, but protective face masks and remote work and school meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 have made it more difficult. More than 1.1 million people in Arizona are hard of hearing,.

PHOENIX – Face masks will be required in Phoenix for people who are outside the home or in restaurants and businesses starting Saturday, June 20, after a 7-2 City Council vote in favor of the policy. “We are in the midst of a pandemic,” Mayor Kate Gallego said Friday, the same day health officials reported.

PHOENIX – With COVID-19 taking an especially heavy toll on Native Americans, tribal leaders and mental health experts have stepped up efforts to address the emotional suffering brought on by ongoing lockdowns and so much loss. “Please stay connected with relatives and neighbors by phone or video chat and remind them that they have support,”.

PHOENIX – Tom Zemites hasn’t let the COVID-19 pandemic stop him from pursuing his hobby – fishing. “I’ve probably fished more than five times,” the Chandler resident said. “I fished at Fool Hollow up by Show Low a couple times, fished Willow Springs twice. And then, we’ve fished right over here at ASU Research Park,.

PHOENIX – Gila River Hotels & Casinos has shut down for two weeks to review safety standards and disinfect properties after the COVID-19 related death last week of a security employee. “The decision came after a careful evaluation of the growing enterprise’s current safety plan with the Gila River Indian Community Council and feedback from.

PHOENIX – Gov. Doug Ducey is recommending Arizonans wear masks in public to slow the spread of COVID-19, but he stopped short of issuing a statewide mandate. Instead, Ducey on Wednesday said city and county governments can implement and enforce their own mandates. After entering the news conference wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer.

PHOENIX – With COVID-19 cases rising by more than 1,000 a day since June 10, more than 800 Arizona medical professionals have signed letters urging the state to require the use of face masks in public. Lee Ann Kelley, president of the Maricopa County Medical Society, told Cronkite News on Wednesday that wearing masks in.

PHOENIX – Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona rose by nearly 2,400 on Monday alone, breaking Friday’s record of 1,600 by almost 50%, according to data from the Arizona Department of Health Services. As of Tuesday, June 16, health officials reported 39,097 cases of COVID-19 and 1,219 deaths in the state. There have been 489,286 tests.

PHOENIX – Arizona State, determined not to suffer a similar fate as the University of Houston, is testing all its athletes for COVID-19 as part of the protocol for them to return to campus. Members of ASU’s athletic administration detailed plans for resuming voluntary workouts in a Zoom call with news media on Friday. Athletes.

PHOENIX – Since the reopening of Arizona last month, several businesses have closed their doors once again, citing exposure to COVID-19 among employees. On Saturday, ABC 15 news reported that in the previous seven days, popular Phoenix area restaurants have announced closures, including Chelsea’s Kitchen, the Porch, Hash Kitchen, SanTan Brewing, Spirit House, Floridino’s Pizza.

PHOENIX – The disproportionate impact COVID-1