Observations vary by culture, but remembrance remains the heart of Día de los Muertos
PHOENIX – Although Día de los Muertos has been commercialized and thought to be the “Mexican Halloween,” it remains a day of remembrance. Those who celebrate also remember the origins of the holiday, which reach back to the Aztecs.
Valley animal shelters struggle to ease overcrowding amid economic instability
PHOENIX – Metro Phoenix is experiencing an animal housing crisis of overcrowded animal shelters. Maricopa County Animal Care and Control and the Arizona Humane Society are offering resources to pet owners and rolling out initiatives to get pets out of shelters and into permanent or foster homes.
Day of the Dead, Hollywood style, comes to movie star cemetery
LOS ANGELES – Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, attracts thousands every year to Hollywood Forever. Families created altars for loved ones who have died, adorning them with photographs, decorations and some of the departed’s favorite things. The hope was, even in death, their family members might return and enjoy the tributes for one day of the year.
Pain, action and hope: Activists have battled for police reform for decades
OAKLAND, Calif. – Activists are pushing for police reform, building on the struggles of the past to improve the future of policing in the U.S. To long-time activist Elaine Brown in Oakland, that means being willing to risk your job, to consistently confront the uncomfortable.
Yoga for addiction recovery and mental health expands among care providers
Within the past decade, behavioral and mental health providers have adopted yoga as a supplemental treatment tool for addiction recovery. With overdose deaths up by 30% in 2020, people are turning to less traditional methods, like practicing yoga, to get and stay clean.
Higher ed math: Proposition 308 would let Dreamers pay in-state tuition
WASHINGTON - Proposition 308 would let undocumented residents or Arizona pay in-state tuition to attend one of the state's universities. If approved, it would reverse a 2006 ballot measure that passed by a huge margin, but supporters say times have changed in Arizona.
Mountain lions like P-22 are revered in California. They’re hunted in Arizona.
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles last weekend celebrated P-22 Day in honor of a cougar that roams Griffith Park – an icon in the fight to save mountain lions across the West, whether in a big-city park or in mountains and rangeland.
Protesters push Biden on pledge to pardon pot possession convictions
WASHINGTON - Students from across the country rallied outside the White House Monday to demand that President Joe Biden deliver on a campaign promise to release prisoners convicted of marijuana possession.
‘YOU ROCK!!!’: Digital license plate messages let drivers express themselves
LOS ANGELES – Digital license plates are pricey compared to the regular metal plates, but they’re fun, have some practical value and could save motorists from that dreadful annual trek to their state’s department of motor vehicles.
Heat deaths hit record in Maricopa County, but there are ways to stay safe
PHOENIX – Higher temperatures in Maricopa County have led to a record number of heat-associated deaths, according to a report released this month. Experts say people – visitors and Arizonans alike – should reconsider how to prepare for the heat to stay safe while outdoors.
Lights out: Oracle State Park hosts a star viewing party to celebrate Arizona’s dark skies
ORACLE – Cronkite News visited Oracle State Park near Tucson to see why amateur astronomers love observing the cosmos at the International Dark Sky Park.
Civilian oversight of police is popular, but does it work? A ‘million dollar question’
Civilian oversight agencies tout themselves as a way to improve police-community relations. We look at three different approaches – plus, what works and what doesn’t.
