Despite slight uptick, millennials still face homeownership challenges
WASHINGTON - Millennial homeownership rose slightly in 2017, but was still lower than the rate boasted by Generation X and Baby Boomers at the same age, as the recession and student loans have put millennials behind previous generations in their ability to build wealth for the future.
Help wanted, and wanted, and wanted: Census to hire 57,000 in Arizona
WASHINGTON - The Census Bureau wants you - specifically 57,000 of you, the number of people needed to fill jobs in Arizona alone for the decennial census in 2020.It's part of a push to hire 500,000 workers nationwide, for enumerators who will go door to door, but for other jobs as well.
Experts: Tariffs on French cheese, wines, more will cost U.S. consumers
WASHINGTON - When France decided to tax America's tech companies, the Trump administration hit the French where it hurts - in exports of cheese, Champagne and handbags.But trade experts and Arizona business owners say U.S. consumers and small businesses will end up paying the price.
Navajo Generating Station, coal mine face years of breakdown, cleanup
WASHINGTON - They may have turned out the lights, but the party's not over at the Navajo Generating Station and Kayenta coal mine. The facilities' owners face years of decommissioning and cleanup and possible decades of environmental monitoring of the sites, which closed for good this fall.
Minimum wage increase puts Arizona near top; advocates say more needed
WASHINGTON - Arizona's minimum wage rises from $11 to $12 an hour on New Year's Day, a move advocates said is "long overdue" but also a long way from solving the state's poverty issues.Business officials counter that the higher wage will only make jobs more scarce for people looking for work.
New overtime rule could affect up to 20,000 Arizona workers in new year
WASHINGTON - As many as 20,000 Arizona workers could be guaranteed overtime pay when they do overtime work under a Labor Department rule that takes effect Jan. 1, the first change to the rule since 2004. But critics say that's still only a fraction of the workers who need protection.
FDA’s sudden increase in legal tobacco age catches retailers off-guard
WASHINGTON - Retailers and local leaders said they were "caught with their pants down" by a Food and Drug Administration announcement last week that it had raised the legal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21.
Trump administration’s push for U.S. uranium production opposed near Grand Canyon
TUSAYAN – President Donald Trump has listed uranium as a “critical mineral,” which may encourage domestic uranium mining. The Nuclear Fuel Working Group has not issued recommendations yet, but uranium mining companies want quotas lax oversight, while environmental activists push for a ban on uranium mining near the Grand Canyon.
Native American leaders determined to prevent repeat of last census undercount
PHOENIX – National and local organizations, including the Phoenix Indian Center, are working to ensure a more accurate count for Native Americans in the 2020 census.
Jury still out, but officials hopeful about ridesharing to medical care
WASHINGTON - Uber to parties, Uber to work, sure. But to the doctor's office? For some Arizona Medicaid recipients, the answer may be yes, and the state will pick up the tab.The first-in-the-nation program is just six months old, but state officials are enthusiastic about its prospects.
A moving story: Arizona still nets a gain of residents from other states
WASHINGTON - Arizona continues to be a net importer of people, taking in 2.2 million new residents from other states from 2010 to 2018, while losing 1.7 million to other states in that period.They came from Maine to Hawaii and they went to every state, according to Census Bureau data.
House overwhelmingly approves new trade agreement with Canada, Mexico
WASHINGTON - Just hours after a bitterly partisan impeachment vote, the House turned around Thursday and gave overwhelming bipartisan approval to a new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that could affect billions of dollars in annual trade for Arizona.
