Maricopa County becomes largest county to approve Second Amendment sanctuary measure
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.
Healing arts: Recovering from sexual assault through creativity
PHOENIX – Every 73 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. Art as therapy, whether through visual, performance or other means, is being used as a recovery system from sexual assault.
New mental health center adds 192 beds to underserved Maryvale neighborhood
PHOENIX – The Valleywise Behavioral Health Center, which will provide nearly 200 beds and other patient services, has opened in the old Maryvale Hospital.
Ahead of ‘public charge’ change, advocates struggle to keep Hispanic families enrolled in benefits
PHOENIX – Advocates continue struggling to keep qualified Hispanic families enrolled in public programs like food stamps and cash assistance amid changes to the so-called public charge rule. The U.S. Supreme Court last month decided to let the rule take effect, and that happens on Feb. 24. It allows immigration officers to consider applicants’ use of public benefits, including Medicaid, in deciding to grant green cards, visas and changes in residency.
Biggs, Schweikert cross aisle as House trims president’s war powers
WASHINGTON - Arizona Reps. Andy Biggs and David Schweikert were among just 11 Republicans who crossed party lines Thursday as the House voted to limit the president's ability to pursue military action without approval from Congress.
Once almost a Suns player, Kobe Bryant’s ties to Suns run deep
PHOENIX – Through wins and losses, Kobe Bryant’s impact on Valley is far-reaching.
U.S., Arizona life expectancy fell, driven by deaths of younger people
WASHINGTON - After decades of increases, life expectancy in the U.S. ticked down slightly over three recent years, a drop blamed on a rise in "cause-specific" deaths like suicides and drug overdoses. The decline was mirrored in Arizona, but life expectancy remained higher than the national average.
As state looks to redistricting after 2020, painful lessons from 2010
TUCSON - Arizona is one of 18 states where independent panels, instead of lawmakers, draw congressional and legislative lines, but the last redistricting devolved into fights, threats and legal battles that show how high the stakes can be and how hard it is to keep deeply divisive politics out of it.
Minimum wage increase puts Arizona near top; advocates say more needed
WASHINGTON - Arizona's minimum wage rises from $11 to $12 an hour on New Year's Day, a move advocates said is "long overdue" but also a long way from solving the state's poverty issues.Business officials counter that the higher wage will only make jobs more scarce for people looking for work.
FDA’s sudden increase in legal tobacco age catches retailers off-guard
WASHINGTON - Retailers and local leaders said they were "caught with their pants down" by a Food and Drug Administration announcement last week that it had raised the legal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21.
Native American leaders determined to prevent repeat of last census undercount
PHOENIX – National and local organizations, including the Phoenix Indian Center, are working to ensure a more accurate count for Native Americans in the 2020 census.
Damming the Little Colorado River for power projects is opposed by tribes, environmentalists
PHOENIX – Two hydroelectric storage projects are being proposed for the Little Colorado River and environmental activists as well as the Hopi Tribe, and the Navajo Nation, are opposed.
