Concert, theater owners call pandemic relief fund efforts a ‘disaster’
WASHINGTON - Arizona business owners said a federal program aimed at helping theaters and concert venues shuttered by COVID-19 "has been a disaster," taking until this month to deliver the first grants from a fund that was approved last year.
‘Boots on the ground’: How Phoenix plans to help small businesses
PHOENIX – During Tuesday’s Phoenix City Council meeting, members approved a variety of ways to spend $193 million the city received last month from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Ducey to terminate federal unemployment benefits for Arizonans
PHOENIX – Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and about half of other state governors have decided to prematurely end the increased unemployment benefits that President Joe Biden had promised would be in place until Sept. 4. Starting July 10, Ducey will end the extra $300 per week benefit for Arizonans.
Unfinished border barriers harm environment, National Park Service, Arizona rancher say
ORGAN PIPE CACTUS NATIONAL MONUMENT – Rancher Kelly Glenn-Kimbro and the National Park Service’s Rijk Morawe agree that Trump’s border wall has failed to secure the southern border and has significantly damaged habitat.
Cities wait, worry over state budget that poses ‘huge hit’ to revenues
WASHINGTON - With less than four weeks remaining in this fiscal year, local governments in Arizona are anxiously watching state budget negotiations that they fear could end up delivering a "huge hit" to city and town finances.
Uber, DoorDash settle state claim, end breaks for Black businesses
WASHINGTON - Uber Eats, Postmates and DoorDash said they will no longer waive delivery fees for customers who order from Black-owned restaurants in Arizona, to settle charges by the state that the deals violated the Arizona Civil Rights Act.
‘So extra’: How Phoenix boutique Mucho Más got bigger during the pandemic
Mucho Más is a boutique in central Phoenix that found success when the owners expanded their business in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vaccinated and restless, holiday travelers return at near-2019 levels
WASHINGTON - Travel experts say that with more people getting vaccinated and the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic easing, they expect the number of Memorial Day travelers to bounce back to almost pre-pandemic levels this holiday weekend.
Vet touts Arizona efforts to help veterans get jobs, despite COVID-19
WASHINGTON - A employment program for veterans that began in the days after 9/11 paid off last year when the COVID-19 pandemic rattled employment for vets in the state and across the country, an advocate told House lawmakers Wednesday.
Safer shopping: Scottsdale mother invents recyclable shopping cart liner
Andi Barness-Rubin, a Scottsdale mother of three, created Cart Safe, a recyclable shopping cart liner, during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the user from bacteria.
Native-owned SkyDance Brewing moving to its own location
Oklahoma’s first Native American-owned brewing company, inspired by the recipes of the owner’s father, will open an independent location this summer.
Initial response strong to special Affordable Care Act open enrollment
WASHINGTON - A special open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act coverage drew 528,005 new enrollees nationwide in its first six weeks, with 9,569 of those consumers in Arizona, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
