Search result for Erica Block

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)

Ranchers hail, environmentalists fear Supreme Court clean water ruling

WASHINGTON - Ranchers and GOP lawmakers say a Supreme Court ruling that narrows which waters are subject to federal regulation is a win for private property rights, But environmentalist call the ruling in Sackett v. EPA "disastrous for Arizona, where water is rare."


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.

Arizona Department of Public Safety Capt. Paul Etnire is part of Arizona’s newly formed Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Task Force. He speaks about the issue via video on March 28, 2023. (Video screengrab by Alexia Stanbridge/Cronkite News)

‘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."


Who needs a beach? College sand volleyball thriving in Arizona, with GCU leading way

PHOENIX – Arizona’s climate makes beach volleyball a viable year-round sport. Three major colleges have taken advantage to build sustainable programs, making the state one of the best non-coastal states in the country for the sport.

Allison Hansen celebrates winning a point during a GCU beach volleyball match but could also be celebrating the team's selection to the NCAA tournament. (Photo courtesy of GCU Athletics)

Arizona State women’s golf readies for regionals on heels of Beth Coulter’s second-place Pac-12 finish

PHOENIX – Beth Coulter’s second-place individual finish at Pac-12s and strong seasons from Paula Schulz-Hannsen and Ashley Menne set ASU up for a potential return to Nationals in Scottsdale.

Arizona State women's golfer Beth Coulter shot a 5-under par last week at the Pac-12 Women's Championships to finish second overall in the tournament. (Photo courtesy of ASU Athletics)

State challenges Biden – again – on COVID-19 vaccine mandate for contractors

WASHINGTON - Legislative leaders said they will appeal a federal court ruling that said President Joe Biden had the authority to require COVID-19 vaccinations for workers on federal contracts in Arizona.


Transfer portal forces reflection, changes for Arizona men’s and women’s basketball programs

TUCSON – After a subpar March Madness performance by the Arizona men’s and women’s basketball programs, it did not take long for players to take advantage of the transfer portal and choose to find a new home for next season.

Arizona’s Kerr Kriisa is among the players the Wildcats are losing to the transfer portal and said on his podcast, “It’s sad to leave Tucson but it is what it is.” (File photo by Wesley Johnson/Cronkite News)

EPA’s ‘Waters’ rule fluid, as courts block enforcement in 26 states

After a years of fighting between administrations over the Clean Water Act, the on-again, off-again struggle over the Waters of the United States rule is on again. And off again, depending on where you live. Arizona is one of 24 states where the rule is in effect.


Text ‘join’ to get COVID-19, health updates in rural Arizona

PHOENIX – The Center for Rural Health at the University of Arizona sent texts about COVID-19 to 3,000 subscribers living in rural areas during the pandemic. Since then, the texts evolved to include other health-care issues for POC and other underserved communities.

A person holds an iPhone with iMessages on the screen.

Native hoop dance coaches preserve history, tradition with new generation

PHOENIX – Indigenous intertribal hoop dance combines tradition and history with individuality and creativity. We tell the story of three dancers who are sharing their passion for the dance with the next generation.

Gianna Begay, who is Navajo and Anishinaabe, is an intermediate student in the Native American Hoop Dance Class at Ballet Arizona in Phoenix. Photo taken Feb. 8, 2023. (Photo by Izabella Hernandez/Cronkite News)