Commentary
Federal aid for low-income Arizonans will save lives
This summer, Maricopa County saw the most heat-related deaths on record, nearing 500 fatalities. In one particularly grueling week, 150 heat-related deaths were recorded. As we confront the reality of Arizona’s temperatures reaching unprecedented highs year after year, the necessity for proactive measures becomes increasingly evident. In response, the White House, recognizing the urgent need […]
Climate grief and the stark choice that confronts us
If the five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, Americans can be found at all points along the continuum when it comes to global climate change and the environmental crisis that accompanies it. Like many who’ve contemplated a grim healthcare diagnosis that seems to belie of how they feel in the […]
Recommended reads to quell reeling minds
Every few days, news stories emerge that are unsettling at best, horrifyingly terrible at worst. After a period of pandemic, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the political turmoil since 2016, more (yes more) mass shootings, and the developments in the Middle East, I feel like I am walking around with an unaddressed case of post-traumatic […]
This Thanksgiving, we’re thankful for finding a sense of purpose
Thanksgiving is a time when we are able to reflect on what we are grateful for, but defining what that is has become markedly difficult for a growing number of young adults. According to a recent Gallup report titled “The Voices of Gen Z,” the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have made it difficult for […]
We want to help more tribal communities get connected, but we need Congress to act
Today, school-aged children on local tribal lands are boarding buses to and from school with an internet connection that allows them to do their homework and make productive use of the four-hour roundtrip commute. For many, this is the first reliable internet connection they’ve ever had, and it’s key to closing the homework gap in […]
Democracy is on fire. Consider this your wake-up call.
For the better half of a decade now, I have had friends, some family members and even casual acquaintances give me the same excuse. Maybe you’ve heard it, too. It goes something like this: You know the news is really depressing and I just can’t handle it, so I have just quit watching. Or folks […]
On Veterans Day, a 24-note bugle tune serves as a powerful reminder
Promptly at 5 p.m., every day, rain or shine, blizzard or heat, a volunteer bugler wearing a period World War I U.S. Army uniform stands at attention near the flagpole at the National World War One Memorial not far from the White House in Washington D.C. On a brilliant autumn day, I watched as a Black soldier attired […]
Justine Wadsack’s ballot pics give her a ‘glass houses problem’
What in the name of Sidney Powell is Arizona state Sen. Justine Wadsack doing seemingly illegally posting pictures of somebody’s ballot on social media? Wadsack tweeted/X-ed/Twixed a ballot, purporting it to be hers. It was all filled out as a guide to tell her supporters how to vote and otherwise sane people exactly how not to vote. […]
It’s time for the EPA to get tough on our biggest roadway polluters: heavy-duty trucks
The transportation sector is driving climate change…quite literally. Tailpipe emissions from heavy duty trucks are a leading cause of air and climate pollution in the United States, and to drive the matter a bit closer to home, Maricopa County receives a “F” grade for particle and ozone pollution. The pollution from trucks is dangerous to […]
Women’s lives, like mine, hang in the balance if medication abortion is banned
This week, Vice President Kamala Harris visited my alma mater, Northern Arizona University, as part of her “Fight for Our Freedoms” college tour to discuss key issues that disproportionately impact young people across America, including reproductive freedom. This issue is deeply personal to me, which is why I’m sharing my story of how receiving an abortion […]
We live in a dangerous world, and America needs serious leaders, not a chaotic clown show
We received a tragic and sobering wake-up call this weekend that the world indeed remains a very dangerous place; peace and security are never guaranteed; and forces of violence, war, and terrorism will continue to target stability around the globe. As Robert Gates, the former U.S. Secretary of Defense for George W. Bush and Barack […]
MAGA malignancy arrives in a Colorado courtroom
A Colorado judge fears for her safety. In the context of history, that’s an extraordinary situation, but as part of the Trumpist erosion of constitutional order, it’s routine. It’s how the ascendant fascist forces on the American right do their thing. Physical intimidation from former President Donald Trump and his followers is present throughout their […]