Josh Ortega
News Reporter, Washington, D.C.Josh Ortega is a California native and Army veteran who expects to graduate in spring 2021 with a bachelor’s degree. He serves as the business editor for the Downtown Devil in Phoenix.
Latest from Josh Ortega
Study: Post-9/11 vets more likely to be employed, and in steadier jobs
WASHINGTON - Post-9/11 veterans are not only more likely to be employed than the general population, they are also more likely to be in jobs that are immune to recession, according to a recent report by the Census Bureau.
ACA enrollment uptick a ‘pleasant surprise’ after years of declines
WASHINGTON – After years of steady declines, enrollment in Affordable Care Act coverage ticked up in Arizona and held steady in the U.S. this year in what one advocate called a "pleasant surprise" after a challenging year.
State posts new COVID-19 case record, as possible holiday surge looms
WASHINGTON - Arizona reported a record 10,322 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, more than twice the previous high, as cases surged ahead of a holiday season that one health expert said could be a "real scary time."
Holiday travel down this year, but millions still hit roads, airports
WASHINGTON - Thanksgiving travel is expected to be down sharply this year because of COVID-19, but as many as 50 million Americans are still expected to travel this week despite pleas from health experts to stay home.
Arizona comes up short on report on lung cancer screening, treatment
WASHINGTON - Arizona was in the bottom tier in three of six categories in a new American Lung Association report, which put the state dead-last for the number of patients who receive treatment after getting a diagnosis of lung cancer.
COVID-19 vaccine test subjects weighed risks, rolled up their sleeves
WASHINGTON - Tubac Fire Chief Cheryl Horvath and Rep. Amish Shah, D-Phoenix, don't have much in common, but both wanted to help fight COVID-19. So they signed up to be test subjects in clinical vaccine trials, just two of the thousands of volunteers nationwide.
Soldiering on: After layoff, guardsman wins ‘best warrior’ competition
WASHINGTON - Daniel D'Ippolito's situation was hardly unique he was laid off in March, one of thousands in Arizona who lost jobs to COVID-19. What he's done since is unique, becoming a national finalist in a grueling Army contest of skills and stamina.
State tops 250,000 COVID-19 cases, 6,000 deaths, renewing safety calls
WASHINGTON - Health officials repeated calls for Arizonans to take commonsense health measures, as the state passed two grim COVID-19 milestones this week, topping 6,000 deaths Tuesday and 250,000 total cases on Wednesday.
As COVID-19 cases surge anew, some towns lift mask mandates
WASHINGTON - Payson Mayor Tom Morrisey thinks mask-wearing is one of the best ways to stop COVID-19 - but he doesn't want to force residents to do it. Payson is one of a number of towns that lifted mask mandates recently, despite a surge in cases statewide.
Air Trump: Cost of trips to campaign events still hard to pin down
WASHINGTON - When Air Force One touches down Wednesday for two Trump campaign stops in Arizona, it will be the jet's 20th campaign trip in eight days. But watchdog groups say it is very difficult to find out how much of the travel bill taxpayers are being stuck with.
University of Arizona team cheers success of asteroid-contact mission
WASHINGTON - After years of work, $800 million and 200 million miles in space, it all came down to six seconds - the time OSIRIS-REx spent on the surface of near-Earth asteroid to collect a small sample before heading back to Earth and its University of Arizona designers.
Trump stops in Prescott, Tucson draw GOP crowds, Democratic jeers
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump was met by boisterous MAGA-hatted crowds in Prescott and Tucson on Monday, the final stops on a Western swing as the campaign entered its final weeks. But not everyone was putting out the welcome mat.
Census: Number of Arizonans without health insurance rose again in 2019
WASHINGTON - The number of Arizonans without health insurance jumped to more than 800,000 last year, the third consecutive year of increases for the state, the Census Bureau said. And experts say the number will likely get worse this year because of COVID-19 .
Maricopa official: Disinformation poses threat to election security
WASHINGTON - Election officials need to be as concerned about voting disinformation as they are about people tampering with ballots themselves, a Maricopa County official said Wednesday during a forum on securing the election.
Coconino official joins plea for continued federal support of rural counties
WASHINGTON - Coconino County Supervisor Liz Archuleta urged federal officials Wednesday to honor their commitments to fund rural counties, where increased demand for services from COVID-19 comes "at a time when we are stretched very thin to provide them."
Officials take steps to head off flu, as state continues COVID-19 fight
WASHINGTON - State officials Monday laid out a plan for "aggressively" combating the upcoming influenza season as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, with the first step being to urge people to get a flu shot as soon as possible.