Los Angeles farmers markets team up with health department to fight food insecurity and support communities

LOS ANGELES – The L.A. County Department of Public Health provides low-income households with access to nutritious, healthy food, and helps strengthen communities.

Brian Griffith, right, sells oranges to patrons at the farmers market at Central Avenue and 43rd Street in Los Angeles. Griffith accepts Market Match funds, which help SNAP recipients extend their food budget. (Photo by Taylor Ens/Cronkite News)

Local food pantries are expecting a surge in customers if government shuts down and people lose their benefits

PHOENIX – If the government shuts down, millions of Americans are worried about losing SNAP and WIC nutrition benefits, but Arizona says that’s not going to happen here. Even so, food pantries are preparing to help more people needing assistance.

The kitchen of the West Valley Community Food Pantry in Glendale where food is sorted and packed for people who need it, on Sept. 27, 2023. (Photo by Adriana Gonzalez-Chavez/Cronkite News)

“We all just evaporate”: Extreme heat overwhelms Phoenix’s unhoused community

PHOENIX – Phoenix’s extreme heat takes its toll on the health of its unhoused or homeless community.

The homeless camp on W. Jefferson Street and S. 11th Avenue in Phoenix from Sept. 12, 2023. (Photo by Sam Volante/Cronkite News)

Maricopa County air quality raises health concerns with affected minority communities

PHOENIX – The American Lung Association gave Maricopa County an F rating for its air quality. This poor air quality has led to an increase in health concerns, particularly for marginalized communities.

The American Lung Association gave Maricopa County an F rating for its air quality. (File photo courtesy of Arizona Department of Environmental Quality)

Experts: Slight 2022 Arizona health insurance gains likely to vanish in 2023

WASHINGTON - The number of Arizonans with health insurance rose in 2022, a post-pandemic bump that experts say has likely turned sharply south in the year since, as COVID-19 benefits have been phased out.


A national caregiver shortage strains organizations and families across the Valley

PHOENIX – The need for family caregivers is on the rise, leaving families looking for education and solutions as the national caregiver shortage continues to grow.

Kathleen Allen lifts light weights during an exercise activity at the FSL ReCreación Center on Sept. 13, 2023. Allen suffered a brain aneurysm at 22 years old. She receives day care five days a week. (Photo by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)

DIY filtration boxes from ASU help prevent spread of COVID-19 in Phoenix cooling centers

PHOENIX – The ASU AIDE lab makes and distributes free filtration boxes to cooling centers across metro Phoenix, helping prevent the spread of COVID in the homeless community. These boxes are a cheap and effective way to improve air quality.

Student volunteers at the end of a "box-a-thon" build day in 2022 outside ASU’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change on the Tempe campus. (Photo by Steve Filmer/ASU News)

Advocates say Superintendent Tom Horne’s bathroom recommendation ‘others’ transgender students

PHOENIX – Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne advised Arizona schools not to “initiate a policy that allows biological boys to use bathrooms, locker rooms or shower facilities that are intended for girls.” Some schools already have policies in place that support trans students, and advocates say Horne’s recommendation is discriminatory.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is advising Arizona schools not to create policies that allow transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity. Some schools already have policies in place that support trans students. (Photo by Kiersten Edgett/Cronkite News)

As Arizonans remember loved ones lost to drug overdose, advocacy group stresses “Every death caused by overdose is preventable.”

PHOENIX – The Arizona advocacy group Sonoran Preservation Works commemorated International Overdose Awareness Day 2023 on Aug. 31, with a vigil held at the Desert West Community Center in Phoenix.

Overdose awareness day

Naloxone now available at pharmacies, libraries – and in high demand

PHOENIX – Naloxone is now available over the counter at thousands of pharmacies across the United States – though some local pharmacies' allocations can't keep up with demand. Recent nationwide opioid settlements with drug makers and pharmacies have led to programs such as free kits at Phoenix libraries. Many people know the drug by its brand name, Narcan, which delivers the medication via nasal spray.

Naloxone is now available over the counter at thousands of pharmacies across the United States – though some local pharmacies' allocations can't keep up with demand. Recent nationwide opioid settlements with drug makers and pharmacies have led to programs such as free kits at Phoenix libraries. Many people know the drug by its brand name, Narcan, which delivers the medication via nasal spray. (File photo by Meg Potter/Cronkite News)

Updated COVID-19 vaccine OK’d, experts urge people to roll up their sleeves

WASHINGTON - Federal officials Tuesday approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine for use by anyone age 6 months or older, and health officials are urging people to get the shot amid a fall surge in cases.


Kris Mayes, other attorneys general, recommend crackdown on vaping products targeting youth

PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and 32 other attorneys general from around the country are asking the Food and Drug Administration to ban flavored e-cigarettes and crack down on marketing that targets youth.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and 32 other attorneys general from around the country are asking the Food and Drug Administration to ban flavored e-cigarettes and crack down on marketing that targets youth. Photo taken at Stogies Smoke & Vape in downtown Phoenix on Sept. 7, 2023. (Photo by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)