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States, feds weigh next steps amid ‘profound concerns’ over Lake Powell levels
WASHINGTON – Officials from the seven Colorado River basin states agreed Friday with a federal plan to sharply cut releases from Lake Powell, as both groups scramble to protect water supplies and power generation by propping up the lake’s level. The states were responding to a proposal two weeks ago from Tanya Trujillo, an assistant secretary for […]
COVID-related Medicaid coverage extended – for now – for 500,000 Arizonans
WASHINGTON – Federal officials threw a lifeline this week to as many as 500,000 Arizonans, just days before they were in danger of losing the Medicaid coverage they got under a COVID-19 public health emergency. That emergency declaration, which was set to expire Saturday, was extended Tuesday for another 90 days by Health and Human Services Secretary […]
With Title 42 winding down, worries rise about handling migrant surge
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration will stop using the pandemic-era Title 42 policy to turn people away at the border effective May 23, as COVID-19 cases decline and officials insist they are prepared to handle a potential migrant surge. More than 1.7 million migrants have been turned away since Title 42 was invoked in March […]
Arizona ports of entry get at least $315 million for upgrades, expansion
WASHINGTON – Arizona is set to receive at least $315 million for improvements to three ports of entry along the Mexican border, money that officials say is badly needed to ease cross-border trade while improving border security. The funds are Arizona’s share of the $3.4 billion in federal funding that will be used at 26 […]
Rising wages could not keep pace with inflation in Arizona in 2021
WASHINGTON – Wages rose 5.3% in the Phoenix metro area last year, but prices rose almost twice as fast, with rising fuel and food prices eroding workers’ buying power despite a surging economy. The situation in Arizona mirrored the U.S., where an average 5% increase in salary and wages was outstripped by a 7% rise […]
Electric jolt: Arizona to get millions to develop EV-charging network
WASHINGTON – Arizona stands to get up to $76.5 million over the next five years to develop electric vehicle charging stations along interstate corridors, in hopes of increasing EV ownership by reducing range anxiety for drivers. The grant is the state’s share of a five-year, $5 billion program unveiled Thursday by the U.S. Department of Transportation that […]
To stop the most onerous election restrictions from passing, Democrats are relying on GOP defectors
WASHINGTON – Arizona Democratic Party Chair Raquel Terán concedes that Democrats don’t have the numbers on their own to rebuff Republican election reform bills so she turned Thursday to an unlikely source for help: Republicans. Terán, speaking on a panel of Democratic leaders from swing states, said it will likely take help from across the […]
Abortion fight in Arizona heating up, even as Supreme Court weighs Roe
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court is expected to weaken or reverse its landmark Roe v. Wade abortion-rights ruling this year, but advocates on both sides of the issue in Arizona are not waiting for the court to act. Opponents have filed a half-dozen bills in the Legislature, including bills that mirror the laws the high […]