Baseball has huge on- and off-the-field impact in the Dominican Republic
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Dominicans make up 11% of Major League Baseball rosters, many a product of this baseball-mad country's youth system, where children as young as 7 train in hopes of one day playing in the U.S. and lifting themselves and their families out of poverty.
Some back-to-school events go beyond backpacks and pencils and offer health care, groceries for entire families
PHOENIX – Some back-to-school events have moved beyond notebooks and backpacks and try to help the whole family with health care, groceries and haircuts. “If parents or grandparents aren’t happy and healthy, they can’t help their kids,” one partner said.
Supreme Court nixes Biden plan for $430 billion in student-loan relief
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Biden administration student-debt relief plan that would have aided more than 40 million people, 916,000 of whom live in Arizona and currently hold a total of $32.6 billion in loans.
How should fans ask for autographs at spring training? MLB players say politeness is a good start
GLENDALE – Major league players often find themselves in a mosh pit of autograph seekers during spring training and not everybody is coming out of the pack with a signature on their ball, cap or photo. However, players from the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, along with some experienced autograph seekers, say there are ways to improve the odds. Being polite is a good place to start.
Gavin Lux’s injury ignites more questions about Dodgers’ stranglehold on NL West
GLENDALE – Gavin Lux, like many young baseball players, dreamed of playing shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers. With that goal within his grasp, it was taken from him in an instant Monday when he tore his ACL and learned he was out for the season. The Dodgers now have a huge role to fill.
Hope springs anew: Diamondbacks pitchers and catchers report to spring training
SCOTTSDALE – Pitchers and catchers for the Arizona Diamondbacks reported to spring training for the 2023 season this week. The players are excited to be back in the clubhouse and eager to improve on last year’s 74-88 mark.
First lady Jill Biden visits Mesa Community College to talk college, jobs
MESA - First lady Jill Biden was met with nothing but praise and happy students Monday morning during her visit to Mesa Community College, where she applauded the city for its successful college scholarship program.
High school students learn about artificial intelligence and related career paths
TEMPE – DriveTime, an online used-car dealership and finance company based in Tempe, partnered with the Mark Cuban Foundation to host an AI boot camp for high school students in the Phoenix metro.
Day of the Dead, Hollywood style, comes to movie star cemetery
LOS ANGELES – Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, attracts thousands every year to Hollywood Forever. Families created altars for loved ones who have died, adorning them with photographs, decorations and some of the departed’s favorite things. The hope was, even in death, their family members might return and enjoy the tributes for one day of the year.
Mountain lions like P-22 are revered in California. They’re hunted in Arizona.
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles last weekend celebrated P-22 Day in honor of a cougar that roams Griffith Park – an icon in the fight to save mountain lions across the West, whether in a big-city park or in mountains and rangeland.
Migrants stuck in Mexico still rely on money from family to live
TAPACHULA, Mexico – While migrants remain trapped in Tapachula, in southern Mexico, the money they receive from family members is spent towards benefiting the city’s economy. But because of delays in issuing legal documentation – some migrants face economic instability and uncertain survival routes while working to survive.
College debt relief plan could mean $111.9 million for 10,000 in Arizona
WASHINGTON - More than 10,000 Arizonans could see $111.9 million in federal student loan debt erased as part of a $5.8 billion loan discharge announced this week for former students of the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges.
