In rare bipartisan agreement, House and Senate push to lift ban on felons with drug-related convictions receiving SNAP benefits

WASHINGTON — The Farm Bill advancing in the U.S. House would lift the 28-year ban on felons with drug-related convictions receiving SNAP benefits. Ex-offenders and prison advocates say this will make rehabilitation and returning to life after incarceration easier.

The number of Arizonans in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – or food stamps – surged in the past year, as the pandemic hit the economy. But a new report says not everyone eligible for SNAP is able to access the system, and advocates worry that may still be happening despite increasing need. (Photo by USDA/Creative Commons)

Supreme Court dashes Arizona death row inmate’s hope to avoid death penalty in 1992 double murder

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Danny Lee Jones, on Arizona death row since 1993, won’t be resentenced despite claims his lawyer didn’t do enough to win sympathy at sentencing.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Danny Lee Jones, on Arizona death row since 1993, won’t be resentenced despite claims his lawyer didn’t do enough to win sympathy at sentencing. (File photo by Haley Smilow/Cronkite News)

Sedona parking lot program to ease homelessness on hold until November election

SEDONA – Sedona has been looking for solutions to its homelessness problem, and city leaders think the Safe Place to Park Program could be a step in the right direction. However, residents against the program stalled the measure by pushing it to a public vote in November.

Jodi Jackson is a prime candidate for the Safe Place to Park Program. She currently lives out of an RV and works at a laundromat in Sedona. Photo taken in Sedona on April 3, 2024. (Photo by Emily Mai/Cronkite News)

Globe detective, private investigator work to solve missing-person case

GLOBE – After Natalie Jo Sebastian went missing in Globe in December, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office got to work. Sebastian’s husband also hired a private investigator, who has been feeding leads to the detective.

A sign about Natalie Jo Sebastian’s disappearance is outside of Dave’s Fast Stop on April 9, 2024. (Photo by Mariah Temprendola/Cronkite News)

Indigenous advocates work to combat fake sober living homes in Arizona

PHOENIX – After Arizona legislation targeting fake sober living homes failed, tribal advocates across the state are working to combat the $2.8 billion Medicaid scheme that targets vulnerable Indigenous individuals.


Minneapolis to Phoenix: George Floyd protest offerings displayed at ASU Art Museum

TEMPE – ASU Art Museum partnered with Arizona State University’s Center for Work and Democracy and the George Floyd Global Memorial following a professor’s acquisition of a collection of offerings gathered during the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis.

Nana Osei-Kofi looks at signs displayed at the “Twin Flames” exhibit in Tempe on Feb. 2, 2024. “It is an honor to be able to steward what other people have offered as their protest, as their pain, as their own,” says Jeanelle Austin, executive director of the George Floyd Global Memorial. (Photo by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)

Older adults face homelessness at high rates. Here’s how governments, organizations are responding

PHOENIX – With the help of federal funding, the Justa Center and city of Phoenix are working to help older adults experiencing homelessness, including helping people find long-term housing solutions.

The Justa Center in downtown Phoenix has worked for years to assist unhoused older adults in the community. (Photo by Crystal N. Aguilar/Cronkite News)

Ketamine: An alternative to police force or a silent killer?

Paramedics use ketamine to subdue agitated people during law enforcement encounters. But in Aurora, Colorado, investigators found “a pattern and practice of using ketamine in violation of the law,” including in the death of Elijah McClain.

An ambulance in Denver, Colorado photographed on March 14, 2013. (Photo by Mark Mauno)

Myth of ‘superhuman strength’ in Black people persists in deadly encounters with police

The term “superhuman strength” is a post-Civil War relic applied to Black men, often to justify racist violence. But a new investigation into police force shows that it still appears in officers’ accounts of deadly, non-shooting encounters.


‘Power to evoke change’: Phoenix-based Artists 4 Liberation uses art to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza

PHOENIX – based Artists 4 Liberation holds community events and rallies in support of Palestinians. The human-rights advocacy group uses art as a means to raise awareness and fight for marginalized groups across the globe.

Bianey Luna, Christina Valles and E Rizo, members of Artists 4 Liberation pose for the camera with the name of the human-rights advocacy organization written on their hands on March 21, 2024. (Photo illustration by Kayla Mae Jackson/Cronkite News)

State asks Supreme Court to reject new trial for Arizona death row inmate

WASHINGTON - State officials told the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday that a lower court gave too much weight to mitigating factors when it ordered a new sentencing for Danny Lee Jones in a pair of brutal 1992 murders in Bullhead City.


Behind the smile: How a nonprofit organization and a postpartum depression pill seek to help fight a silent battle

PHOENIX — A nonprofit organization, a Mrs. Arizona International, and a new $16,000 pill seek to help those suffering with postpartum depression.

Carolyn Larsen plays with her two kids on Feb. 15. (Photo by Jack Orleans/Cronkite News)