House dads: Gallego’s paternity leave shows slowly growing acceptance
WASHINGTON - Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Phoenix, was not the first House member to take paternity leave, but that doesn't mean it was considered routine either. But experts say it's becoming more common in private workplaces, and is starting to be "normalized" in Congress.
From hot issues to hot dogs, politicians turn to Threads to reach voters
WASHINGTON - Among the 100 million users who reportedly signed up last month for Threads, Meta's new social media platform, were Arizona politicians from both state and federal office and from both sides of the aisle.
Cut and confidence: Chicanos Por la Causa offers free back-to-school haircuts to boost confidence, help families
PHOENIX – Chicanos Por La Causa Community Center offered free haircuts for families to ensure everyone can look their best for the beginning of the school year.
With pay lagging, school districts try other enticements to get teachers
WASHINGTON - Chino Valley Unified School District is building tiny houses in hopes of attracting teachers, just one of the ways school districts around Arizona are scrambling to attract and retain teachers in a state that offers some of the lowest salaries in the nation.
‘Very personal project’: Repurposed shipping containers provide alternative shelter for those experiencing homelessness
PHOENIX – The city of Phoenix has teamed up with nonprofit St. Vincent de Paul and metal fabrication company Steel + Spark to provide another shelter option using shipping containers.
Valleywise Health expands access for young adults experiencing serious mental issues
PHOENIX – Valleywise Health is opening a second First Episode Center, an outpatient behavioral health center for young adults experiencing their first serious mental health episode. It can’t come soon enough. There is a dire need for programs that address mental health in young adults not just in Maricopa County but across the country, said Dr. Aris Mosley, a psychiatrist and medical director of the Valleywise Health First Episode Center in Avondale.
Some back-to-school events go beyond backpacks and pencils and offer health care, groceries for entire families
PHOENIX – Some back-to-school events have moved beyond notebooks and backpacks and try to help the whole family with health care, groceries and haircuts. “If parents or grandparents aren’t happy and healthy, they can’t help their kids,” one partner said.
Latest student debt-relief plan could mean $1 billion for 20,000 in Arizona
WASHINGTON – More than 20,000 Arizona residents would see $1 billion in student debt erased under a Biden administration plan unveiled just two weeks after the Supreme Court struck down a previous debt-forgiveness plan.
Weaving a culture: Navajo artists at Folklife Festival mix art, history
WASHINGTON - For some, a rug is something to step on and art is something to hang on the wall. For Diné weaver Kevin Aspaas, his creations are part of the culture. Aspaas was one of two Navajo artists sharing that culture at the Smithsonian Institution's annual Folklife Festival.
Another summer, another lifeguard shortage, as pools cut hours, openings
A $3,000 incentive program brought a boom in lifeguard applications to the city of Phoenix this year, but not enough lifeguards and pool managers to open more than 18 of the city's 29 pools this summer.
Supreme Court nixes Biden plan for $430 billion in student-loan relief
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Biden administration student-debt relief plan that would have aided more than 40 million people, 916,000 of whom live in Arizona and currently hold a total of $32.6 billion in loans.
Supreme Court rules race-based college admissions unconstitutional
WASHNGTON - A divided Supreme Court said that race-based college admissions policies are unconstitutional violations of the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. Arizona universities do not believe it will affect them, but advocates called it "a shameful day."
