Opponents confident of meeting deadline to block school voucher expansion
PHOENIX - Organizers of a petition drive to put the state's expanded empowerment scholarship accounts on the 2024 ballot are confident they can collect the needed signatures before this weekend, when the vast expansion of the school voucher program would take effect.
Pretty in ink: Woman-owned LA studio making tattoos more accessible, inclusive
LOS ANGELES – Milla Press, 24, opened Girlxfriend LA, a tattoo studio with the goal of an unconventionally feminine atmosphere that makes a diverse set of clients feel welcome, included and supported.
British community in Phoenix mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth II
PHOENIX – The British community in Arizona is small but closely connected, according to David Wimberley, owner of George & Dragon. Wimberley, a British migrant, was at home when a friend called with the news: Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday. She was 96.
Too fast, too furious: Dangerous street takeovers stymie police, anger neighbors
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Civilian Oversight Commission held a hearing to discuss the issue of street takeovers. Officers said they were so overwhelmed by the hundreds of carloads of people that can show up and the potential for violence that an entire station of officers wouldn’t be enough to deal with a major street takeover.
Lunch crunch: Inflation has schools scrambling to afford student meals
WASHINGTON - School districts across Arizona are dealing with their own math problem: How to economically deliver lunches and breakfasts for schoolchildren when inflation has driven up the cost of food by more than 10% over the last year.
Both sides find something wanting in Biden’s student-debt relief plan
WASHINGTON - There are nearly 900,000 Arizonans who could benefit from a White House plan for student debt relief - and almost as many opinions about whether it's good or not, with conservatives saying it goes too far and progressives saying it does not go far enough.
Tribal boarding schools much improved, but legacy of old schools remains
WASHINGTON - The abuses of tribal boarding schools are in the past, but the schools are not, entirely. Arizona, once home to 47 federal Indian boarding schools, has eight tribal boarding schools today. They aren't perfect, advocates say, but a far cry from past horrors.
Tempe streetcar opens as Valley Metro expands light rail west and south
TEMPE – Valley Metro is expanding the reach of public transportation across the Phoenix area, including a recently opened streetcar in Tempe and light rail expansions northwest to Metrocenter mall and south to Baseline Road.
‘Five-alarm crisis’: Teachers face mental health crisis due to low pay, pandemic stress, scant support
Navigating low salaries, pandemic worries and burnout: Many teachers will tell you this is the job description of modern educators. The result is an expanding mental health crisis among U.S. teachers – a problem so dire that many are leaving the profession.
Journey to reach Mexico fraught with danger and uncertainty for migrants
Migrants detail their journeys to Tapachula, Mexico, and the challenges encountered on the way. Tapachula has been an immigration bottleneck for years as tens of thousands of migrants arrive and must wait for documents allowing them to continue north.
Rise of the robotexts: As new rules curbed spam calls, texts took off
WASHINGTON - Federal regulations aimed at blocking robocalls appear to have had some effect over the past year, but robotexts have skyrocketed in their place, according to a recent report from the Arizona Public Interest Research Group.
More than a hotline: 988 meant to ease access to mental health services
PHOENIX – The 988 mental health hotline goes live July 16, providing an easy-to-remember and faster way to get help during a crisis. But some advocates worry the hotline needs more funding and staff.
