AI-generated deepfakes could wreak havoc in elections, but Arizona officials are determined to avoid that

MILWAUKEE – Tech companies and elections officials are worried about the spread of AI-generated deepfakes and misinformation. At the Republican National Convention, a workshop presented by Microsoft explored the problem and some solutions.

This photo illustration from Nov. 17, 2023, shows a fact-checked image of news anchors where the claim about them was found to be false. In a Facebook video viewed by thousands, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer appears to hawk a diabetes drug. In another, “CBS Mornings” host Gayle King seems to endorse weight loss products. But the clips are doctored – the latest in a rash of deepfakes that hijack images of trusted news personalities and undermine confidence in the news media. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Arizona schools combat phone use in the classroom, see effect on youth mental health

PHOENIX – Across Arizona, classrooms and school districts have started limiting or banning cell phone use to combat student phone addiction. Educators have seen encouraging results.

Lowell Elementary School is a K-8 school in Phoenix that has adopted guidelines restricting the use of wireless communication devices in the classroom. (Photo by Stella Subasic/Cronkite News)

Nostalgia meets nightlife: Phoenix’s Cobra Arcade Bar, Stardust Pinbar highlight retro gaming resurgence

PHOENIX – Phoenix nightlife is thriving with retro gaming spaces such as Cobra Arcade Bar and Stardust Pinbar. Firebird Pinball repairs and restores arcade and pinball machines and has seen an increase in interest in nostalgic games.

“The Simpsons” Pinball Party game at Cobra Arcade Bar on June 26, 2024. (Photo by Stella Subasic/Cronkite News)

Dynamic duo: Twin sons of NBA veteran Matt Barnes impress as Section 7 standouts with teamwork, talent

GLENDALE – Carter and Isaiah Barnes, leveraging lessons from their NBA father, excelled at the Section 7 Basketball Tournament for Crespi High School.

Isaiah Barnes takes pride in his father's mentorship, rooted in 14 years of NBA playing experience. (Photo by Shirell Washington/Cronkite News)

As farmers age and the number of farms shrinks, new growers struggle to get started in the agriculture industry

WASHINGTON – New farmers struggle to find affordable land and markets for their produce as they try to break into the agriculture industry. The USDA offers programs to address some of the hardships.

A patch of cucumber plants on the Shamba AZ farm in north Phoenix. (Photo courtesy of Avrile Remy)

Boosting mental health through haircuts: ClipDart recreates barbershop, salon experience for Glendale older adults

GLENDALE – ClipDart is working to boost mental health for vulnerable community members through the power of quality haircuts. The nonprofit recreates an authentic barbershop and hair salon experience by bringing skilled barbers and hair stylists to people who can’t access these kinds of services.

David Rodriguez cuts Daniel Holguin’s hair, left, while Moraima Robledo gives Maria Castillo, right, a haircut at the Glendale Community Center on April 8, 2024. (Photo by Sam Ballesteros/Cronkite News)

Blood, sweat and stories: Preserving culture and history through lowriding

PHOENIX – There is a deeper story within the chrome and bright colors of the lowrider culture. A local car club member and Phoenix artists talk about the deeper meaning of lowrider culture and its role in preserving Chicano culture.

Lowriders in downtown Phoenix are adorned with Chicano, Mexican and Mexican American symbols, such as the serape, a traditional blanket, and the rosary, on April 13, 2024. (Photo by David Ulloa Jr./Cronkite News)

Thousands of college-bound Arizona students still in financial aid ‘limbo’ in wake of FAFSA snafus

WASHINGTON – Five months after the Department of Education rolled out a long-delayed new FAFSA, thousands of students still haven’t completed the form and many still await word on their college aid awards. College administrators are optimistic the problems will unwind through the summer, but Arizona rates remain far below the national average and the same time last year.

Brielle Giesemann, a high school coordinator for the Be A Leader Foundation, helps a student navigate the FAFSA during a FAFSA drive in 2018. (File photo by Stephanie Morse/Cronkite News)

Build-to-rent communities surge in Phoenix amid high home interest rates

PHOENIX – Build-to-rent properties create residential communities made up of single-family homes for rent that are less expensive than owning a home in a traditional housing development. This subset of the single-family rental class has grown in the West Valley, with young individuals in mind.

Mark-Taylor’s EVR Spur Cross build-to-rent community is in Queen Creek. (Photo courtesy of Mark-Taylor Investment Management)

Arizona concertgoers relieved as the Justice Department brings antitrust suit against Live Nation

WASHINGTON – Concertgoers in Arizona are relieved as the Department of Justice and 30 states bring an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who announced that Arizona joined the Department of Justice and 29 other states in suing Live Nation and Ticketmaster for anti-competitive business practices. (File photo by Mary Grace Grabill/Cronkite News)

Experts, beekeepers weigh in on local honey for seasonal allergies

SCOTTSDALE – The evidence that eating local honey can help with allergies is largely anecdotal; what's not in dispute is that local honey is both tastier and healthier than honey at the supermarket, beekeepers and experts agree.

Bees settle on a frame in their hive that has open larvae cells and capped worker brood comb. Photo taken in Scottsdale on March 20, 2024. (Photo by Emily Mai/Cronkite News)

Read On Arizona and partners provide youth reading education to support fight pandemic literacy loss

PHOENIX – Nonprofit organizations Read On Arizona and Read On Tempe work with partners to improve child literacy, as third grade test scores show pandemic literacy loss.

Nonprofit organizations Read On Arizona and Read On Tempe work in conjunction with partners to improve child literacy as third grade test scores show pandemic literacy loss. (File photo by Keerthi Vedantam/Cronkite News)