Justices uphold law giving Native families priority to adopt Native youth
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a federal law that requires tribal families get priority in the adoption or foster placement of an Indigenous child, a law aimed at stopping what one justice called the "nightmare" of family separation.
Court says Title IX covers sexual orientation, reinstates suit against UArizona
WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Title IX protections prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex also protect against harassment on the basis of a person's perceived sexual orientation.
Activist on a roll: ADA lawsuits no surprise to disabled community advocate
PHOENIX – Two Southwest-based eye surgery centers reached a $1 million settlement with the Justice Department, which accused them of discriminating against disabled patients, a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
New Phoenix medical center to provide health care to people who are blind or visually impaired
PHOENIX – The Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Terros Health will work together to have members of the program and surrounding community get access to health care. The new center is scheduled to open this summer.
Blacks more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, less likely to be treated
PHOENIX - Black Americans are twice as likely as whites to develop Alzheimer’s disease and live with missed diagnoses and treatment gaps, studies reveal. While 10% of white adults have the disease, 19% of U.S. Black adults do, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Study: Phoenix faces health crisis if heatwave, blackout hit at same time
WASHINGTON - Thousands would die, and hundreds of thousands would need emergency medical care if a blackout hit Phoenix at the same time as a multiday heat wave, a recent study says. But Valley officials say they plan for heat, and chances of those events coinciding are remote.
Girls Ranch group home provides safe haven for teen moms
SCOTTSDALE — Girls Ranch, a licensed residential group home in Scottsdale, provides housing and comprehensive services to pregnant and parenting teens ages 12-18. Nonprofit Florence Crittenton, which runs Girls Ranch, helps these young mothers by offering child care, parenting skills and more.
Phoenix Police Department plans to recruit more female officers, diversify staff by 2030
PHOENIX – Phoenix signed the national 30x30 Initiative in January, pledging to recruit more female police officers and setting a goal of having 30% of its sworn Phoenix Police Department officers be female by 2030
Angels on Patrol aids police in helping crime victims
PHOENIX – Not every 911 call ends in an arrest, and many times police officers find themselves wanting to help crime victims and others in need without official resources to do so. That’s where Angels on Patrol comes in.
Gov. Katie Hobbs establishes missing and murdered Indigenous people task force
PHOENIX – Gov. Katie Hobbs signed an executive order in March establishing an Arizona Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Task Force. Incomplete data and a lack of collaboration among tribal and governmental entities have blocked addressing the issue.
‘Other’ no more: Census change could add MENA, Latino categories, more
WASHINGTON - The Census Bureau may change how it asks about race and ethnicity, a shift that could end what one advocate called the "painful irony" of Native Americans, Latinos and those of Middle Eastern or North African descent having to identify as white or "other."
Los Angeles homeless shelters are opening their doors to residents’ pets
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles homeless shelters recently discovered that they can get more people off the streets by allowing their pets on the property.