Analysts: Arizona will be ‘one of the keys’ to presidency, Senate in 2024

Two recent reports identify Arizona as one of four or five battleground states for the 2024 election, with one analyst saying the state could be "one of the keys to the presidency" as well as control of the Senate.

As the sun sets at the Maricopa County Elections Department elections center in Phoenix, people are making last-minute stops to vote before the polls close at 7 p.m.. (Photo by Sophie Oppfelt/Cronkite News)

Economic growth in Dominican Republic fueled by investment and migrant labor

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic is one of the fastest-growing countries in Latin America thanks to a boom in tourism and foreign investment. But it relies heavily on migrant labor from Haitians, who are often mistreated inside the Dominican Republic.

New construction abounds in the capital city of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Here, a skyscraper is under construction on March 6, 2023. (Photo by TJ L’Heureux/Cronkite Borderlands Project)

Mixed record for Phoenix police’s 12 community boards meant to build trust with marginalized groups

PHOENIX – Phoenix police department touts 12 boards as a way it builds trust with marginalized communities, but it releases little information about what they do.

City officials, including Police Chief Jeri Williams and Mayor Kate Gallego (second and third from left), listen to residents’ complaints about police behavior. (File photo by Tyler Dunn/Cronkite News)

A year later, uncertainty from Dobbs lingers over Arizona abortion care

WASHINGTON Clinics are open, the law is clear and Arizona abortion numbers are climbing to levels of last year, before the Supreme Court overturned the right to an abortion. It may feel like a return to normal, but Arizona abortion providers say there is "an environment of fear."


Quarters bounce: Cities win appeals of Census’ count of group quarters

WASHINGTON - Five Arizona cities managed to add 10,000 residents in the past year, without a moving truck in sight: They successfully challenged the Census Bureau's count in 2020 of residents in group living quarters such as dorms, prisons, group homes and more.


A year after Dobbs decision, medication abortions are largely unscathed

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruling that up-ended abortion services in the U.S. a year ago left one form of abortion largely untouched - medication abortions, which account for nearly half of all procedures in Arizona.


LGBTQIA+ inclusive adult sports leagues changing the game for Arizona’s queer athletes

PHOENIX – Queer-identifying athletes have found a way to participate in safe and respectful athletic environments through inclusive adult leagues in Arizona and across the country.

Inclusive adult sports leagues provide a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community to compete without discrimination, bullying and harassment. (Photo by Christoph Soeder/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Kaiser says he’s stepping away from Legislature, but not from policy

WASHINGTON - State Sen. Steve Kaiser hopes his abrupt decision to step down will let him generate change from outside the Legislature - but he's not done quite yet, delaying his final day from last week to this Thursday so he "tie up loose ends” on a refugee workforce bill.


Arizona’s defunct border wall leaves trail of runaway costs, error-filled invoices and questions about state’s oversight

PHOENIX – Records show Arizona’s defunct border wall cost twice the initial estimate and raise questions about the state’s oversight of the controversial, $194 million project.

The first containers were placed in Yuma County in August 2022. They were taken down four months later. (Photo by Alex Appel/Howard Center for Investigative Journalism)

With no ethics board, Phoenix residents who file complaints face obstacles, silence and secrecy

PHOENIX – Six years ago, Phoenix City Council created an ethics commission to review complaints. But the city still hasn’t appointed anyone to it, so those who file complaints face nothing but frustration.

Phoenix is the only city among the 10 largest U.S. cities that does not have an ethics board or commission. (Photo by Emma Peterson/Howard Center for Investigative Journalism)

Phoenix’s neighborhood planning boards lean on members with ties to real estate industry

PHOENIX – Village Planning Committees give residents input on zoning but many members have ties to real estate interests, an analysis found.

Construction has begun at the Aura Trinsic development site at Third Avenue and Coolidge Street. When finished, the development will feature 218 luxury units in a four-story structure. (Photo by Emma Peterson/Howard Center for Investigative Journalism)

Putting the rough in the diamond: Lawmakers meet for annual baseball game

WASHINGTON - When lawmakers faced off for the annual Congressional Baseball Game, it wasn't to show off their athleticism. It was to raise money for charity and have fun, but mostly it was to relax and relate to each other in a friendlier atmosphere, if only for a night.