Feds approve 35,000 more work visas, as firms struggle to fill open jobs
WASHINGTON - Arizona businesses welcomed the federal government's release this week of another 35,000 H-2B visas for temporary guest workers, as a tight U.S. labor market has left companies scrambling to fill vacancies.
More funds sought for drone inspections of transportation infrastructure
TEMPE – New legislation sponsored by Rep. Greg Stanton of Phoenix could give more funding to state, local and tribal governments to use drones to inspect roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
Arizona remittances to Mexico continued to surge through pandemic
WASHINGTON - The economic upheaval of the pandemic did little to slow the amount of money sent home to Mexico by workers in Arizona, with those payments growing faster in 2020 than at any point the past nine years, bank data shows.
Experts fear state is not prepared to handle surge in Alzheimer’s cases
WASHINGTON - Arizona is in the midst of a surge in Alzheimer's patients that is rising at the fastest rate in the nation, a crisis that advocates fear the state is not prepared to cope with.
As metro Phoenix home prices rise, so does the number of people forced to rent
PHOENIX – Rising home prices in the Phoenix area are driving more people to rent rather than buy, and renters are worried that they won’t be able to keep pace with increasing rents.
Arizona arts commission gave grants to 30 artists. Here’s how they’re using them.
PHOENIX – Dozens of Arizona artists are expanding their creative horizons, thanks to 30 $5,000 research and development grants from the Arizona Commission on the Arts. The grants were for artists at any stage of their careers to help them experiment with techniques, create new works and more.
As gas prices stay high, station owners continue to lose profit margins
LOS ANGELES – With fuel selling for over $4 a gallon on average across the country, it is easy to blame gas station owners. Although prices remain close to record highs, retailers are seeing fewer profits than ever. Here’s where all the money goes.
Arizona unemployment hit ‘historic’ low of 3.3% in March, new data shows
WASHINGTON - Arizona's unemployment rate fell to 3.3% in March, one of 17 states where the White House said joblessness reached "historic lows." It was lower than the national rate and the lowest in Arizona in a half-century, according to data released Friday.
Nogales sees border-crossing delays as trucks flee Texas border logjam
WASHINGTON - Commercial truckers were coping with longer-than-normal delays at the Nogales border crossing Thursday, as trucks trying to escape a logjam at the Texas border headed west to Arizona instead.
U.S. inflation rose at fastest rate in 40 years, Valley grew even faster
WASHINGTON - The U.S. cost of living surged 8.5% over the past 12 months, the fastest one-year increase in more than 40 years, driven by skyrocketing gas, food and housing prices, and Phoenix-area consumers have seen even sharper increases in recent months, new data shows.
Maricopa County Fair returns after two-year pandemic hiatus
PHOENIX – The Maricopa County Fair, which runs through Sunday at the Arizona Exposition and State Fairgrounds, features a carnival, food and craft vendors, livestock events, music and live entertainment.
Cyber experts were braced for Russian attacks before Biden’s warning
WASHINGTON - When President Joe Biden said businesses have a "patriotic obligation" to protect their networks from likely Russian cyberattacks, Arizona cybersecurity officials agreed with a nod - and a shrug. They were already on high alert and had seen an uptick in attacks.
