Arizona life expectancy fell an ‘extraordinary’ 2.5 years in 2020

WASHINGTON - Arizona life expectancy fell by 2.5 years in 2020, one of the steepest drops in a nation that saw the biggest lifespan declines since World War II. Arizona life expectancy fell from 78.8 years in 2019 to 76.3 in 2020, below the U.S. average of 77 years for that year.


Imposing Northwestern-bound Mountain Ridge star Doost has a soft spot: mom

GLENDALE - Alexander Doost is an imposing 6-foot-6, 295 pound offensive lineman at Mountain Ridge High, who committed to Northwestern after receiving 18 offers from Power Five schools. However, he does have a soft spot. It’s for his mom, who passed away last year.


Joe who must not be named: Democrats steer clear of Biden in campaigns

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden's name is being invoked a lot in Arizona campaigns this year - by Republicans, who routinely criticize Biden, who is all but invisible on Democratic websites. Experts are not surprised, noting Biden's low approval ratings in a midterm election.


Court: Conviction in writing, not open court, violated defendant’s rights

WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court ruled Monday that a drug-smuggling defendant’s rights were violated when a district court handed down his conviction in writing and not in open court, denying him an opportunity to appear.


Once dead in the water, ASU’s swim program is thriving

TEMPE – Arizona State’s men’s swim team appeared to be dead in the water in 2008 when the athletic department, faced with budget constraints, decided to eliminate the program along with the school’s wrestling and men’s tennis teams. However, some former ASU swimmers stepped up to raise money to save a program that is thriving again.


Shorter showers or rip up your lawn?: Conserving water is mostly an outdoors job

PHOENIX – Saving water is critical to living in prolonged drought, but most of Arizona’s use is outdoors – three-quarters of it for agriculture. To really save water, experts say, we need to think bigger than turning off the faucet while brushing our teeth.


Final ISIS kidnapper sentenced to life for role in Kayla Mueller’s death

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A second ISIS militant was sentenced to life in prison Friday for the kidnapping and killing of Prescott native Kayla Mueller, a relief to her parents who pledged to continue fighting for her memory.


ASU’s Taryn VanThof pushing for lacrosse to become sanctioned high school sport in Arizona

TEMPE – Lacrosse is a club sport at the youth and high school levels in Arizona, but how feasible would it be to see it become an AIA sport? Arizona State’s new lacrosse coach Taryn VanThof wants to expand the game across the state.


Libraries drop fines, add services to entice readers to return

PHOENIX – Several libraries in the Valley have eliminated overdue fines and taken other steps to get more readers back in the fold and on the same page.


Complex PTSD finally has a name; now those living with it want acceptance

WASHINGTON - Complex PTSD was first identified in 1988 and just recognized by the World Health Organization in recent years. But even with that, sufferers say they still struggle to get the right diagnosis and treatment for what remains a little-understood disease.


Rollettes wheelchair dance team empowers women with disabilities

LOS ANGELES – The Rollettes Experience redefines what it means to be a strong resilient female through long-lasting friendships and seminars that empower, educate and connect women from across the world on a variety of topics.


‘Growing up in trauma’: Young migrants in Tapachula cling to fragments of childhood

TAPACHULA, Mexico – Thousands of migrants pass through Tapachula, Mexico, each in a journey northward, often bound for the U.S. One in three are children, which presents special risks.