Search result for Erica Block

Haitian workers endure harsh living, working conditions in company settlement

Undocumented or stateless, after the Dominican Republic stripped their citizenship status, Haitian workers and those of Haitian descent find it difficult to leave harsh living and working conditions at Central Romana's sugar cane fields.


Group mentor program in Tucson teaches male youth about healthy relationships

TUCSON – A mentoring program is using talking circles, adventure outings and overnight camping trips to help young men develop positive and healthy relationships. The goal is to give every boy in middle and high school access to safe and trusted men.

Young men and their mentors gather around a campfire at a Boys to Men camping weekend. (Photo courtesy of Boys to Men Tucson)

House dads: Gallego’s paternity leave shows slowly growing acceptance

WASHINGTON - Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Phoenix, was not the first House member to take paternity leave, but that doesn't mean it was considered routine either. But experts say it's becoming more common in private workplaces, and is starting to be "normalized" in Congress.


Get on your soap box: Bisbee Coaster Races return with rich history

BISBEE – For the first time since 2019, Bisbee will hold its Fourth of July Coaster Races. Started in 1914, racers spend thousands of dollars to build soap box derby style cars that race down Tombstone Canyon into downtown Bisbee.

Coasters reach between 40-42 mph, and safety for all is always a priority, with required safety inspections, weigh-ins and brake checks. (Photo courtesy of City of Bisbee)

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)

What’s next in art? Da Vinci digital exhibit in Scottsdale example of growing trend

SCOTTSDALE – The Lighthouse Artspace Phoenix in Scottsdale has extended its run of “Leonardo: The Universal Man exhibit,” a 360-degree immersive art experience that uses music, narration and video. But the show is just the latest in a string of similar experiences. An ASU art history professor says this kind of projection mapping is art's next big trend.

The “Leonardo: The Universal Man” exhibit at Lighthouse Artspace Phoenix in Scottsdale debuted in March and was originally scheduled to run through June, but it will likely extend into July, a spokesman said. (Photo by Evelin Ruelas/Cronkite News)

Supreme Court says treaty does not require feds to secure Navajo water rights

WASHINGTON – A divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the federal government is not required to take "affirmative steps" to guarantee water for the Navajo Nation beyond the water rights that were granted in an 1868 treaty.


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.


GOP feuding ends, House gets back to work with votes on guns, gas stoves

WASHINGTON - The House resumed work Tuesday after a weeklong pause when 11 Republicans, including two from Arizona, backed away from obstruction aimed at GOP leaders, clearing the way for votes to block regulations on guns and gas stoves.


Biggs, Crane among GOP holdouts; analysts unsure what holdout is for

WASHINGTON - Two Arizona lawmakers were among a group of Republicans who said they hope to restore GOP unity - by voting against fellow Republicans. The rebels want concessions from House leaders, but critics call their Tuesday vote little more than a temper tantrum.


Defiant Republicans block gas stove bills in anger over debt ceiling

WASHINGTON - Conservative Republicans, including two from Arizona, took what was expected to be a routine party-line vote Tuesday on bills reining in federal bureaucrats and turned it into a referendum on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.


It’s a bird, it’s a plane … it’s a drone! Major League Drone Racing hosts first live preseason race

PEORIA – A new competitive sport is on the rise and it involves flying drones. Major League Drone Racing has entered their 2023 preseason with a race at Peoria Sports Complex on Saturday.

A drone flown by the Arizona Desert Hawks whizzes through the air during a preseason training race against the Phoenix Falcons last Saturday at the Peoria Sports Complex. (Photo by Joey Plishka/Cronkite News)