Mayes: Ruling dropping preventive drugs from insurance would be devastating

WASHINGTON - Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes vowed Thursday to "fight like heck" against a federal court ruling that could overturn a mandate that health insurers provide HIV-preventive medication without charge.


State legislators host town hall on guardianship abuses and hear brutal realities of probate court

PHOENIX – Legislators outline a proposed bill that would provide healthier methods of guardianship in a town hall meeting at Arizona State University’s downtown Phoenix campus.

State legislators and disability advocates attend a legislative town hall to discuss Arizona’s guardianship process and offer alternatives for consideration in the next legislative session. (Photo by Evelin Ruelas/Cronkite News)

Blacks more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, less likely to be treated

PHOENIX - Black Americans are twice as likely as whites to develop Alzheimer’s disease and live with missed diagnoses and treatment gaps, studies reveal. While 10% of white adults have the disease, 19% of U.S. Black adults do, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.


From toilets to mattresses: Arizona officials warn motorists to “Secure Your Load” to prevent road debris

PHOENIX – Arizona safety officials say road debris is dangerous: The region saw more than 800 debris-related crashes last year, Maricopa County Supervisor Jack Sellers said. Gov. Katie Hobbs declared June 6 Arizona’s “Secure Your Load Day.”

Mesa Police Officer Sean Stoddard had a near-death experience while cleaning up road debris. His vehicle’s entire back end was crushed. (Photo By Evelin Ruelas/Cronkite News)

Study: Phoenix faces health crisis if heatwave, blackout hit at same time

WASHINGTON - Thousands would die, and hundreds of thousands would need emergency medical care if a blackout hit Phoenix at the same time as a multiday heat wave, a recent study says. But Valley officials say they plan for heat, and chances of those events coinciding are remote.


Eating disorders marked by diagnosis, treatment gap for men, women of color

PHOENIX – Mental health experts are finding it harder to diagnose eating disorders in men because of the lack of clinical research.

(Illustration by Emily Mai/Cronkite News)

Doctors, shelters stitch medical care help for El Paso migrants

EL PASO, Texas – A humanitarian matchup of medical, shelter and government workers reach out to try to help some of the thousands of migrants who cross into El Paso from its municipal twin, Ciudad Juárez in Chihuahua, Mexico. El Paso city officials estimate that an average 250 people daily – up to 1,000 daily during surges – make their way from half a dozen countries, mainly from South America.

A migrant waits in the intake room before being taken into an exam room at a clinic in El Paso. Advocates say hope and faith is a common denominator among migrants who leave home and make their way through hardships on their journey to the U.S. (Photo by Paula Soria/Cronkite News)

Arizona State University plans new medical school among efforts to address gaps in state health care

TEMPE – The Arizona Board of Regents asked Arizona’s three universities to create real-world solutions to the state’s health care crisis. ASU responded with plans for ASU Health, which includes a new medical school focused on medical engineering and technology.

ASU President Michael Crow, left, and Fred DuVal, chair elect of the Arizona Board of Regents, confer after the regents meeting where Crow announced a new medical school on Thursday, June 1, 2023. (Photo by Sophia Biazus/Cronkite News)

Former ASU pitcher Jake Borup awaits biggest save of his career: a heart transplant

PHOENIX – After suffering a massive heart attack last year, former ASU and Phillies pitcher Jake Borup awaits a heart transplant.

Jake Borup, who has six children, said he doesn’t “remember anything for about 40, 45 days” after he was admitted to the hospital following his heart attack. (Photo courtesy of Jake Borup)

Chef’s special: Anthony Pressley parlays 200-pound weight loss into cooking for world’s best boxers

PHOENIX – Anthony Pressley went from overweight at 400 pounds to a performance chef for world champion boxers such as Tyson Fury and Errol Spence Jr., using the same cooking techniques that helped him lose 200 pounds naturally.

An unsuccessful pursuit to be selected for 'Master Chef' inspired Anthony Pressley to pursue opportunities as a chef, where he combines his passions of food nutrition and combat sports. (Photo courtesy of Anthony Pressley)

Honor your ‘mother’: Working to keep traditional ways, types of Hopi corn

MAYER – Michael Kotutwa Johnson, a farmer from the Hopi Tribe, is focusing on bringing Hopi corn back to the dining table – not only for the health benefits but also to connect his people to their culture.

Michael Kotutwa Johnson says Hopi corn "has 10 to 15 times more mineral content" than supermarket corn. He hopes to share it with the Hopi people and believes they will see an improvement in health. (Photo by Sierra Alvarez/Cronkite News)

‘Blue Zone’ comes to south Phoenix to increase longevity

PHOENIX – Life expectancy in south Phoenix during the pandemic is lower than other neighborhoods. Early last year, the Blue Zone initiative was introduced to the city which capitalizes on the development and improvement to the environment and the health and well-being of those in the community.

A volunteer at the TigerMountain Foundation, Brandon Bates, tends to the soil at the TigerMountain Foundation community gardens on April 25, 2023. (Photo by Logan Camden/Cronkite News)