Briefs
AZGOP’s senator of the year: 9/11 ‘never added up’ and was an ‘inside job’
On the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Tucson Republican state Sen. Justine Wadsack shared a fake transcript from United Flight 93 and liked multiple posts on social media alluding to the events of the day being a “false flag” and an “inside job.” “It was an inside job, a false flag, to […]
Food and Drug Administration approves COVID boosters for upcoming season
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the latest round of COVID-19 boosters, as public health officials brace for another cold and flu season. An advisory panel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to vote on recommendations Tuesday, the final step in the process before people will […]
Arizona Senate plans to sue Biden to block the Grand Canyon national monument
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen announced Friday that he is giving the “greenlight” to the Arizona Senate to file a lawsuit against the Biden administration for last month’s designation of a national monument near the Grand Canyon, which he said was an unconstitutional “land grab.” “President Biden’s attempt to cloak his unconstitutional land grab in […]
Congress and nonprofit working to put women’s suffrage monument on National Mall
As Congress considers a bill to place a women’s suffrage monument on the National Mall, a nonprofit is working to raise the estimated $50 million needed to build it. The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation, the nonprofit backing the effort, launched a donation campaign Tuesday in an effort to raise funds for a memorial honoring […]
Effort to recall GOP lawmaker Justine Wadsack fails
A controversial freshman Republican state senator won’t face a recall election, as an effort to force Justine Wadsack to stand for another election before her term ends in 2024 failed to gather enough signatures, backers said Tuesday. “I applaud every one of our volunteers for the extraordinary work done during the hottest summer on record,” […]
First-year students jump at NAU, including a record number of Indigenous students
As Arizona’s three universities welcomed students back for the school year last month, Northern Arizona University saw the largest number of first-year Arizona resident students in its history, including an influx of first-time Indigenous students. NAU had a 47% increase in new Indigenous students this fall semester, bringing NAU’s total Indigenous student enrollment to an […]
Biden launches AZ ad highlighting high-tech jobs as part of national blitz
Joe Biden launched his first Arizona-specific ad for his 2024 re-election campaign on Monday focusing on how his economic agenda has brought high-paying and manufacturing jobs to the Grand Canyon State. Arizona was key to Joe Biden’s victory in 2020, and his 10,000-vote victory over Donald Trump was the second-closest battleground state Biden won that […]
Republicans clash over presidential primary election plans
The Arizona Republican Party is refusing to call a meeting to consider opting out of the state-run 2024 Presidential Preference Election, outraging the Maricopa County Republican Party, which last week called at the AZGOP to run its own presidential primary election. The deadline for parties to opt out of the state-run election is 5 p.m […]
Arizona Mirror wins 9 awards for its coverage of Indigenous communities, LGBTQ issues, more
The Arizona Mirror took home nine awards in the Arizona Newspaper Association’s annual Better Newspapers Contest, led by its coverage of Indigenous communities. Shondiin Silversmith, who covers Indigenous affairs for the Mirror, was awarded top honors for her coverage of Arizona’s Native American communities and the issues that impact them. She won a first place […]
Americans are worried about democracy. You wouldn’t know it from the GOP debate.
There’s a growing feeling, among both experts and ordinary Americans, that our democracy isn’t functioning well — and even that it’s under threat. “American democracy is cracking,” the Washington Post reported August 18. “I’m terrified,” one democracy expert told the paper. “I think we are in bad shape, and I don’t know a way out.” […]
Arizona synagogues, Jewish organizations, targeted in ‘swatting’ hoaxes
Arizona is one of 12 states that have been the target of hoax calls to police or suicide hotlines where a man on the line says he aims to kill himself and others with a bomb, prompting a police response in an online form of harassment known as “swatting.” The Arizona chapter of the Anti-Defamation […]
Arizona pilot for secure ballot paper won’t move forward as planned
Cochise County will only be able to work with one company to test security features on ballots in Arizona as part of a state pilot this year — and it’s not the company with political connections that pushed for the work. Cochise County supervisors on Tuesday voted 1-2 against extending the time period for a […]