Return to ‘the Rock’: Original Alcatraz occupier retraces steps during 50th anniversary
SAN FRANCISCO – Dennis Turner was one of the original activists who helped take back Alcatraz Island for Indigenous people in the fall of 1969. Last month, he and his family revisited “the Rock” on the 50th anniversary of the “Red Power” occupation.
Supreme Court to hear appeal of double-murderer on Arizona’s death row
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court will be asked Wednesday to consider whether a jury should hear double-murderer James McKinney's argument that trauma from a "horrific" childhood must be considered when weighing the death penalty. The ruling could affect as many as 19 others on death row.
ALL In launches initiative to help Latinx students bridge education gap
PHOENIX - Education activist Luis Avila, after working in education reform for more than 20 years, launched Arizona Latinos in Education on Monday, creating the ALL In initiative to help Latinx students have a fair shot at school.
Maricopa tapped for program aimed at HIV prevention for uninsured
WASHINGTON - Maricopa County is one of dozens of state and local governments tapped Tuesday to be part of a federal initiative to combat HIV infections, one step in an ambitious plan to end HIV in the U.S. by 2030.
Senators grill military chiefs over private housing ‘slumlords’ on bases
WASHINGTON - Lawmakers grilled military branch heads over poor living conditions in privately managed military housing complexes, with Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., comparing the private operators to "slumlords," as a new GAO report showed deep problems with program oversight.
Death row sentence overturned after lawyers ‘dropped the ball’ in case
WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court overturned an Arizona death row inmate's conviction for the 1994 sexual assault and murder of a 4-year-old Tucson girl, saying attorneys in his case "dropped the ball" by failing to challenge the state's evidence.
Groups say new federal law gives leg up in fight against animal cruelty
WASHINGTON - Arizona ranks high on the list of "most humane states," but officials and animal advocates are still welcoming a new federal law they said will let them fight animal cruelty that crosses state lines.
Trump creates panel on issue of missing, murdered indigenous women
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump authorized creation of an eight-member panel of federal officials Tuesday to coordinate the federal response to the problem of murdered and missing indigenous women.
Protesters demand end to Phoenix police crime-suppression sweeps on light rail
PHOENIX – The nonprofit group LUCHA gathered in front of Phoenix Valley Metro headquarters in downtown Phoenix to demand it stop working with the Phoenix Police Department.
#ElPasoStrong: Walmart near border reopens three months after mass shooting
EL PASO, Texas – Walmart associates return to work at the Cielo Vista Walmart three months after a gunman massacred 22 people and wounded 24 others.
Advocates chant ‘home is here’ as Supreme Court hears DACA challenge
WASHINGTON - Protesters from across the country, including several from Arizona, crowded the street outside the Supreme Court, chanting "si, se puede" and "home is here" as justices inside the court weighed the future of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Phoenix Shanti Group to close, but leaves legacy of AIDS/HIV treatment
PHOENIX – Phoenix’s longest-serving treatment center for HIV+ people in metro Phoenix is set to close in 2020.
