Health

High suicide rates in ‘tough guy’ construction trade prompt industry to start talking

PHOENIX – Construction has the highest suicide rate of any occupation in the country. The male-dominated industry is labor-intensive and requires long hours, often leaving workers to cope with both mental and physical pain. Industry leaders and organizers are now working to destigmatize mental health conversations on and off the jobsite.

Tall modern building with blue glass and white panels, seen from below against a cloudy sky.

Left Behind: Deported Migrants Navigate Uncertainty in Nogales

NOGALES – Phoenix-based nonprofit Esperanza en la Frontera provides food and necessities to deported migrants and displaced families from the United States who are camped in an abandoned basketball court in Nogales, Mexico.

Arizona’s Apache Generating Station is one of 66 coal plants to get EPA exemption from Biden-era toxic air pollution caps

WASHINGTON — The Apache Generating Station, an Arizona power plant that uses coal, received an EPA exemption from Biden-era standards on toxic air pollution. President Donald Trump loosened regulations and 66 plants nationwide received exemptions. Most power companies are phasing out coal by 2032, though that could change if Trump eases carbon emission standards.

Aerial view of an industrial plant with three tall smokestacks in a desert landscape.

Muslim-led clinics serve as a resource for South Los Angeles and beyond

LOS ANGELES – Amid growing disparities and food insecurity, UMMA Health, a Muslim community-based health organization (MCBHO), and a growing national network of Muslim clinics serve those left behind by the system.

State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas speaking into a microphone at a podium.

Trucks with uranium cross Navajo Nation, reviving long-standing fears

PHOENIX — After a six month pause, Energy Fuels starts the rehauling of uranium ore through the Navajo Nation up into its White Mesa Mill. While the tribe has an agreement in place, some community members say they will continue the fight to protect their land and people.

Aerial view of a forest with a cleared area containing industrial structures and tanks.

Is Arizona’s lack of measles cases a fluke, given its low vaccination rate?

WASHINGTON – Arizona has a lower vaccination rate than many of its neighboring states. So why hasn’t the measles outbreak hit Arizona?

A health professional gives a vaccine to a child sitting on a woman's lap.

‘We know we have work to do’: New Phoenix mural raises HIV/AIDS awareness

PHOENIX – Phoenix has unveiled a new mural at Parsons Center to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and to provide public health information through a QR code. The initiative supports the city's goal to eliminate new HIV diagnoses by 2030 and fight stigma surrounding the disease.

NOAA cuts could hamper forecasts for haboobs, monsoons and wildfires in Arizona, raising extreme weather risks

WASHINGTON – NOAA, which handles weather forecasts and atmospheric information, faces cuts under President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE. Many Arizonans — including construction workers, concrete workers and homeless people — may be impacted by worse forecasts for monsoons, haboobs and wildfires.

For older adults taking medications, summer heat can be especially dangerous

PHOENIX – Older adults are more vulnerable to heat, not just because of their age and risk of chronic conditions, but the multiple medications they might be taking. Experts and research recommend more awareness for providers and patients.

People in a corridor during an event, one signing a clipboard.

Online cooking show, lifestyle blog encourage Indigenous ingredients in everyday meals

PHOENIX – Connecting Indigenous people with the food they ate before European foods were introduced into their diets is a movement gaining popularity. Two entrepreneurs are teaching others to incorporate Native foods into their daily meals.

Three women preparing food in a kitchen, one grinding grains while another holds beans over a colander, with bowls of grains on the countertop.

Measles cases are increasing in West Texas, spurring health warnings and a vaccine debate

SEMINOLE, TX – As the measles outbreak that began in rural Gaines County in West Texas quickly surpassed 300 cases, clinics saw a surge in patients and hospitalizations. Mennonite communities, which have a substantial presence in the region, continued to navigate vaccine decisions. The federal funding cuts and leadership rhetoric further complicated the public health response.

Healthcare worker administering a vaccine to a person in a clinic setting.

Rural and low-income children face steep barriers to critical eye care in Arizona

PHOENIX – Lack of vision care in childhood has lifelong consequences. Many Arizona children struggle with vision problems that go undetected due to limited access to pediatric eye care, specifically among low-income families and those on public insurance.