Mesa teachers union urges district to halt in-person classes

The Mesa Education Association, which represents teachers, has asked Mesa Public Schools to return to remote learning because of a surge in COVID-19 cases in Maricopa County. District officials say they’ll respond on Thursday.


How Arizona universities are riding the waves of COVID-19

PHOENIX – ASU, NAU and UArizona grapple with the coronavirus with similar but separate approaches to COVID-19 to tests, teaching and telling the public what they’re doing.


‘It’s creating a new normal’: A Navajo school district and its students fight to overcome amid COVID-19

PIÑON – Even in the best of times, Native American K-12 students have faced an uphill battle to getting a high school diploma. Now COVID has brought new challenges, but one district is doing everything it can to help its students persevere.


Schools welcome state mandate for masks in classrooms, buses, events

WASHINGTON - Arizona health officials on Thursday mandated that students wear face coverings in school, on buses and at school activities, an emergency order that school officials called a step in the right direction, but not enough.

school spending buses

Youth advocacy groups kept voters safe and informed on Election Day

LOS ANGELES – Young people stepped up on two fronts this Election Day: volunteering to replace older poll workers who feared exposure to COVID-19 and pushing more of their peers – an age group with historically low turnout – to register and vote.


Soldiering on: After layoff, guardsman wins ‘best warrior’ competition

WASHINGTON - Daniel D'Ippolito's situation was hardly unique he was laid off in March, one of thousands in Arizona who lost jobs to COVID-19. What he's done since is unique, becoming a national finalist in a grueling Army contest of skills and stamina.


COVID-19 and Veterans Day: Remember your mask as you remember our vets

WASHINGTON - Faced with the task of balancing Veterans Day with COVID-19 safety precautions, Arizona organizers have come up with everything from virtual events to "reverse" parades. But the all had the same goal: honoring America’s veterans.

Fallen heroes remembered on Memorial Day

Officials: COVID-19 keeps coming for Arizona, and the death toll could be ‘staggering’

PHOENIX – Health officials Wednesday warned of a “staggering” death toll in Arizona as cases of the novel coronavirus continue to rise unabated.


TikTok politics: Video-sharing app users move from hobby to headlines

WASHINGTON - TikTok users are finding the video-sharing platform is more than just a medium for frivolous clips. It can also be an effective way to share campaign messages of politicians - all without the interference of political ads or the politicians themselves.


Halloween 2020: A different kind of mask, but just as scary this year

WASHINGTON - When health officials said Arizona residents could enjoy trick-or-treating this year if they found "various creative ways" to distribute candy during a pandemic, they may not have anticipated the creativity the day's fans would show to have their holiday.


Ducey defends shift in guidelines for return to virtual schooling

WASHINGTON - The Ducey administration defended its decision Thursday to make it harder for Arizona schools to revert to virtual education, from in-person or hybrid schooling, in the face of surging COVID-19 cases.


Judicial Performance Review is a tool for Arizona voters, but it’s not often used

Voters in Maricopa and three other Arizona counties have the right to decide whether Superior Court judges should keep their jobs. But most voters don’t have a clue on how to make an informed decision, so they skip that part of the ballot. But there is a way to learn more.