Nonessential border travel ban to be lifted after nearly 20 months
WASHINGTON - Fully vaccinated non-essential travelers will be allowed to cross the U.S. border from Mexico starting in November, ending nearly 20 months of pandemic restrictions that were choking businesses in border communities.
DHS to end workplace raids, turn focus on companies exploiting workers
WASHINGTON - The Department of Homeland Security said it will stop raiding workplaces to search for undocumented immigrants and will focus instead on "unscrupulous employers who exploit the vulnerability" of undocumented labor.
Coalition targets illegal tobacco trade, with Arizona among top states in contraband
PHOENIX – The Arizona Chamber of Commerce is joining Philip Morris International in a partnership called United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade, which aims to stop illicit trade through public-private partnerships and policy changes.
Robocalls dip as FCC rules kick in; advocates say more should be done
WASHINGTON - Robocalls to Arizonans dropped by more than 3 million in July, to about 84.4 million for the month, as a new federal mandate took effect that requires phone companies to implement anti-robocall measures. But advocates say phone carriers could do more.
Homebuyer ‘love letters’ risk fair housing violations, but some feel risk is worth it
Arizona homebuyers are sending "love letters" to the sellers of their dream homes. But such communications may run afoul of fair housing laws.
Expanded Child Tax Credit program did a ‘world of good,’ politicians say
PHOENIX – Since its rollout in July, the expanded Child Tax Credit program has received praise from government officials and advocates who call it a solution to “combating economic hardship and poverty in Arizona.”
Jobs fair for veterans returns to Phoenix as unemployment rate falls to new low
Unemployment rates for military veterans in August were at a low of 3.8%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More employers are realizing that military skills are what they’re looking for.
Border communities face another month of ‘nonessential’ travel limits
WASHINGTON - The ban on non-essential travel on land crossings between the U.S. and Mexico will be extended another month, a "disheartening" development for border towns and businesses that have already had to cope with the travel limitation for 18 months.
Preserving the force of Navajo language: Dubbing ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’
FLAGSTAFF – Star Wars: A New Hope” was dubbed into the 700-year-old language of the Navajo in 2013 and now streams for subscribers of Disney+. The museum director who launched the dub sees it as a method of language preservation, with parallels between the tribe and “Star Wars.
Maricopa County agencies push to spend federal relief funds on affordable housing
PHOENIX – Maricopa County received more than $2.2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds that are available to help metro Phoenix end homelessness.
Poverty rate climbed in 2020, but pandemic assistance blunted losses
WASHINGTON - The U.S. poverty rate rose from 10.5% to 11.4% last year, reversing years of steady declines, but that increase in poverty was offset by pandemic relief funds and other benefits, according to new Census Bureau data.
Brnovich joins Ducey, vows to block Biden’s business vaccine mandate
WASHINGTON - The Biden administration plan to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in large companies is likely weeks away from being implemented, but Arizona officials are already lining up with pledges to stop it.
