Farah Eltohamy expects to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in spring 2021 and a master’s degree in spring 2022. As a digital reporter for Cronkite News, she focuses primarily on how politics and public policy affect marginalized communities.
PHOENIX - For any teen, a driver’s license is a rite of passage. But for Black teens in America, the freedom that comes with car keys also comes with “the talk”: The time when Black parents sit their children down to explain what to do if stopped by a police officer.
Six months after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Arizona, the disease is on pace to become the third-leading cause of death in the state this year, following only cancer and heart disease, according to state data.
Rep. David Schweikert, R-Fountain Hills, has admitted to 11 counts of campaign finance violations, misuse of office funds and other charges, and has agreed to a reprimand and a $50,000 fine , the House Ethics Committee said Thursday.
PHOENIX - President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will exclude undocumented immigrants in the 2020 Census when it comes to allocating seats in Congress, a move critics called unconstitutional and unenforceable.
PHOENIX - The federal government is not accepting new applications for protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, despite a federal court order that it resume doing so, but is instead "reviewing the court decision" before moving forward.
PHOENIX - Medical experts told members of Congress Wednesday that the deaths of two children in Customs and Border Protection custody could have been prevented, but called the deaths "symptoms of a more extensive system that requires much improvement."
PHOENIX - The head of the private company that runs a migrant detention center in Eloy told a House panel Monday he is "immensely proud" of its operations, even as lawmakers questioned its response to the COVID-19 crisis.
PHOENIX - Arizona health care advocates said they are bracing for a flood of people seeking contraceptive care after the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that employers can deny the coverage on religious or moral grounds.
PHOENIX – The number of new COVID-19 cases on the Navajo Nation is on a downward trend, but tribal leaders said that does not mean they are ready to ease up on health restrictions. They plan to continue 57-hour weekend lockdown for the next three weeks, as the tribe works to bring numbers even lower.
Movie theaters, bars, water parks and other places where large crowds can gather were ordered to close in response to troubling growth of illness and reports of crowds at river-tubing and outdoor recreation areas in Arizona this past weekend.
PHOENIX - President Donald Trump toured a new section of border wall in Yuma, crediting it not only for reducing border crossings and drugs but also for helping prevent "a coronavirus catastrophe" on the southern border, a claim derided by Democrats at time when COVID-19 infections are surging.
PHOENIX - President Donald Trump is set to visit Yuma Tuesday to mark the completion of 216 miles of border wall - well shy of the 450 miles he vowed to have built by the end of this year. But experts note that, with elections this fall, the administration has a powerful incentive to keep pressing ahead.
PHOENIX - Advocates and DACA recipients celebrated the Supreme Court ruling Thursday that upheld the deferred deprotation program the Trump administration tried to end. But how long that celebration will last is unclear, as the court said the administration still has the authority to end DACA.
PHOENIX - The Trump administration has unveiled its furthest-reaching plan yet to change asylum law in the U.S., redefining the meaning of "persecution" and raising the bar for refugees seeking protection under the Convention Against Torture, among other changes.
Surging numbers of COVID-19 cases in Arizona have pushed some hospital intensive-care units to their limits in recent weeks, but health experts around the state said hospitals still have room to adapt - for now.
PHOENIX - The Phoenix City Council approved a sharp increase in funding for a new police oversight office Monday, after first making sure that the extra funds would not cut into a planned 1% pay raise for city workers.
PHOENIX - The Phoenix City Council narrowly rejected a plan Wednesday that would have sharply increased funding for a newly established civilian oversight committee for the police department.
PHOENIX – President Donald Trump's pledge to deploy "thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers" to put down protests was seen as either a promise or a threat, depending on which Arizona lawmaker was reacting to his comments.
After days of clashes between protesters and police, Arizona spent a relatively quiet night Sunday under a statewide dusk-to-dawn curfew that was ordered by Gov. Doug Ducey Sunday. It's unclear how much impact the curfew order had - and it's also unclear how strictly it will be enforced.
PHOENIX - Faced with the challenge of balancing one of the holiest days of the with safety concerns sparked by COVID-19, Arizona Muslims came up with some novel ways to observe Eid al-Fitr, from parading in their cars to praying in masks on prayer rugs that were 6 feet apart.
PHOENIX - The city of Buckeye got bumped from the top spot for population growth rate in 2019, but its 56.6% population increase since 2010 was still enough to make it the second-fastest growing city in the nation for the decade. Phoenix, meanwhile, had the nation's biggest gains over the decade.
PHOENIX - About half of low-income Latino households and just as many Latino-owned businesses said they have not received any support from the massive COVID-19 relief bills, according to a nationwide poll released Wednesday.
PHOENIX - COVID-19 has hit refugee communities harder than most, but in spite of that - or maybe because of it - support from aid groups is as strong as ever, working to provide refugee families with information, support financial aid, even computers to help their children continue their schooling from home.
PHOENIX – Gov. Doug Ducey orders travelers from out-of-state to take precautions, more drive-thru testing promised and additional updates from around Arizona.
PHOENIX – Navajo Nation calls for resources, ASU launches drive-thru testing and more in today’s COVID-19 report.
PHOENIX – Low self-response rates and other factors will be a major issue for underserved communities in the 2020 census, which already is underway.
PHOENIX – Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, battling Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination, called on thousands of supporters days ahead of the 11th Democratic debate, which will be in Phoenix.
PHOENIX — Local activist groups weigh in on Gov. Doug Ducey’s budget plan to provide all Arizona state troopers with body cameras in the next fiscal year.
PHOENIX – New state legislation will improve procedures for voters in Maricopa County.
PHOENIX – The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors declares the county a sanctuary for gun rights, drawing an array of criticism from those concerned about gun violence and regulation.
PHOENIX – In his 10th visit to Arizona in five years, President Donald Trump lashed out at Democrats, extolled the state of the economy and dismissed the idea that the Grand Canyon State could turn from red to blue.
PHOENIX – President Trump will rally supporters Wednesday night at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.
PHOENIX – Democratic presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg held his largest campaign rally in Phoenix on Saturday.
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.