Capitol Hill internships always paid off – this summer they’ll pay, too
WASHINGTON – Students heading to Washington for Capitol Hill internships this summer will see something that many haven't seen there in decades - a little pay for their long hours and hard work. Congress this year set aside money to pay interns, and most Arizona lawmakers said they plan to do so.
Lawmakers, business leaders wary of Trump threat to close Mexico border
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump repeated his threat to deal with a surge of migrants by closing the U.S.- Mexico border, a move that has been called a potential "economic catastrophe" for Arizona, which did $16.7 billion in trade with Mexico in fiscal 2018.
EPA plan to ease mercury standards raises ire of moms’ group, activists
WASHINGTON - A Phoenix mom joined dozens of activists who called the EPA's plan to relax standards on power plant emissions, like mercury, an "attack on American children," but one industry official said the ruls has cost billions for negligible benefits.
Advocates call for funding, data to find missing, murdered Native women
WASHINGTON - Advocates told a House subcommittee investigating the problem of missing and murdered indigineous women that the issue is conplicated by a lack of solid data, a shortage of funding and a legal maze that Native victims and families often face when trying to report crimes.
City officials weigh local impact of plan to trim immigrants’ benefits
WASHINGTON - A Trump administration plan to limit public assistance for legal immigrants simply "passes the buck down to cities who are going to have to figure out how to pay" for the lost benefits, officials were told at a National League of Cities conference.
Lawsuits, rallies protest Trump declaration of national border emergency
WASHINGTON - Hundreds gathered outside the White House to protest President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the southern border, a move the protesters called a "massive abuse of presidential power" that is not an actual emergency.
Officials testify on climate change’s outsized effect on Indian Country
WASHINGTON - An Inupiaq witness said melting glaciers led to erosion around rural villages. A Quinault Indian Nation member said treaty-protected fishing has dried up. And a Tohono O'odham official said floods are stronger and droughts longer. All were testifying on the effects of climate change on Indian Country.
Keel: State of Native nations ‘strong,’ but feds need to do their part
WASHINGTON - Tribal leaders Monday called on federal lawmakers to avoid another government shutdown, saying the 35-day shutdown that ended in January was felt across Indian Country, hitting everything from housing to tribes' efforts at economic development.
Trump call for unity appears to do little to sway divided Congress
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump used his first speech to a divided Congress to call for unity and a plea to "govern not as two parties, but as one nation." But the reaction to his State of the Union address fell largely along party lines, which was mirrored in the Arizona delegation's response.
Arizonans travel to D.C. for ‘powerful and electrifying’ Women’s March
WASHINGTON - The crowd was smaller and the emotions may have been less raw, but for thousands who turned out Saturday for the Women's March in Washington the event was still "powerful and electrifying," as one Arizona resident put it. It was echoed by "sister" marches around the country.
March for Life draws upbeat pro-life crowd on chilly Washington day
WASHINGTON - Arizonans joined tens of thousands in Washington at the 46th March for Life, an annual gathering to protest the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that recognized a woman's right to an abortion, but marchers this year were optimistic that the tide may be turning their way.
