2020 census: Middle Easterners and North Africans don’t fit the box
PHOENIX – For one historically underrepresented group in the United States, the 2020 census was supposed to be their chance to finally have their voices heard. Until it wasn’t.
With execution on hold, Navajo inmate presses court on jury bias claim
PHOENIX - A federal appeals court panel grappled Friday with how - or why - convicted Navajo double-murderer Lezmond Mitchell could question jurors from his trial 16 years ago about possible racial bias in their deliberations.
Justices seem skeptical of death-row inmate’s claim for new hearing
WASHINGTON - Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical Wednesday of the notion that Arizona double-murderer James Erin McKinney should get a new sentencing hearing, asking if that would not be a "windfall" for McKinney at the expense of his victims' families.
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.
