School choice, low taxes land Arizona in state freedom rankings’ top 10
WASHINGTON - Arizona's school choice laws, liberal land-use policies and rules for concealed-carry of guns combined to help boost it into the top 10 in a "Freedom in the 50 States" report, but not everyone agreed with the report's definition of what's best for freedom.
DHS relents, Mexican woman can visit terminally ill husband after pleas for clemency
An Arizona congressman is pleading with the Dept. of Homeland Security to allow a Mexican woman the chance to see her terminally ill husband one last time.
Critics call reported school gun plan ‘absurd,’ misuse of federal funds
WASHINGTON - A reported plan to let local schools use federal funds to buy guns and gun training sparked an immediate backlash from Arizona advocates and educators, who called the idea "absurd - and dangerous."
Millions are victims of hate crimes, though many never report them
Many victims of hate crimes are reluctant to report them, and reported crimes do not always lead to arrests, prosecutions or even a record of hate crimes.
A year after U.S. left Paris climate pact, mayors still cling to fight
WASHINGTON - Little has changed since last summer, when the U.S. pulled out of the Paris Accords on climate change and five Arizona cities joined hundreds around the country that vowed to live up to the Paris standards - but the Arizona cities appear to be sticking to their guns.
All in a (12-hour) day’s work: Lawmakers log long hours despite gridlock
WASHINGTON - With the House on recess for August and Congress gridlocked, it's easy to think that lawmakers aren't working hard but that confuses their work product with their work ethic, said one expert, who points to a study showing House members typically work 70 hour weeks.
Tweet retreat: Twitter purge trimmed lawmakers’ followers, impact small
WASHINGTON - When Twitter purged suspicious accounts last month, almost every member of Arizona's congressional delegation saw his or her followers drop, but the hits were small and experts say they will likely have little long-term impact, with some accounts already rebounding.
Ugly legacy of the ‘lynching era’ continues to resonate in America
The lynching era’s legacy can still be seen today. Senators introduced legislation in June to make lynchings a federal crime, saying it is long past due.
Free speech or hate speech? Americans struggle to decide when that line is crossed
Many people struggle with the boundary between offensive protest speech and hate speech.
Fall elections, recess mean immigration reform chances continue to dim
WASHINGTON - After a year of squabbling on immigration reform, and despite the nudge from the president, experts say it's increasingly unlikely that anything will get done by this Congress. Just like the last several Congresses.
Gallego: Latino and immigrant hate are ‘one and the same’
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, said Latinos have become entangled in rising anti-immigrant hate over the past couple decades.
ACLU drops suit against Gosar for blocking social media accounts
WASHINGTON - The Arizona chapter of American Civil Liberties Union withdrew a lawsuit it had filed against Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Prescott, after he blocked two constituents from his social media accounts, with both sides claiming victory in the dispute.
