The American Legion, a veterans service organization, is calling for the resignations of U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki and two others, largely due to the allegations of veterans dying on a waiting list at the Phoenix VA health care system.”The disturbing reports coming from the Phoenix VA Medical…
Much of Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne’s executive office staff is involved in “substantial campaigning” for his 2014 re-election, “while on state time and utilizing State resources.” This, according to a litigation hold letter made public Monday by Chandler attorney Tom Ryan, who represents former AG employee and ex-Horne campaign…
There are a lot of people in Arizona who’d rather live somewhere else.According to polling done by Gallup, 38 percent of the Arizonans they polled said they’d like to move to another state. Only 11 other states had higher percentages of people who wanted to leave…
Phoenix fast food workers were outside a South Phoenix Burger King this morning calling for a $15 hourly wage.Arizona’s minimum wage is currently $7.90 an hour, while Democrats in Congress are currently trying to get the federal minimum wage up to $10.10…
***Please see updates at the end of the post*** The MCSO remains quiet on the name of the 40-year-old ex-MCSO deputy who apparently barricaded himself in his home late Sunday night until surrendering around 1:30 a.m. And the Phoenix Police Department is referring all questions to the MCSO. But reliable…
A little more than a month after someone with measles flew into Phoenix, health officials say it looks like an outbreak has been avoided.There have been multiple measles outbreaks in places along the West Coast this year, including more than 20 cases in Orange County, California, and more than 400…
If you spend enough time on the highways around Phoenix, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that it’s hard to go for a drive without witnessing an act of sheer stupidity from another driver.That said, we revisited the state’s driver manual, and picked out 10 things everyone needs to relearn, now:…
To paraphrase Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, at the end of the day, Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne will always be the guy in the red hat who’s in a car with a woman who’s not his wife. Granted, I’m no fan of Monty. But the county attorney, who is…
In case you missed any news action this week, we’ve got you covered.Here’s our recap of the most-read news stories of the week:…
The American Civil Liberties Union named the three people who will serve on the “community advisory board” in the Melendres v. Arpaio racial-profiling case.This board, established by Judge G. Murray Snow’s order, can relay to Arpaio’s monitor any concerns about possible violations of the injunction against the Sheriff’s Office, and…
Phoenix VA Health Care System director Sharon Helman and two other VA employees have been placed on leave while the investigation continues into whether 40 veterans died on a “secret waiting list.”Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki released a statement indicating that Helman, Phoenix VA associate director Lance Robinson, and…
Drunk driving is bad.With that out of the way, here’s where police will be setting up “saturation patrols” around the Valley, looking for impaired drivers this weekend:…
At the end of the week, we bring you a roundup of visitors to the desert’s own Fourth Avenue Jail. To be considered for our Maricopa County mugshots of the week, get arrested, strike a pose, and we’ll take care of the rest.This week, our alleged offenders set a bad…
Arizona State University is one of 55 higher-education institutions nationwide that’s being investigated for possible improper handling of sexual violence and harassment complaints.The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights today released the list of all the schools under investigation, something it’s never done before. The investigations are being…
There’s going to be a new design for Arizona driver’s licenses, starting June 16.As you can see from the sample above, it’s hideous…
Governor Jan Brewer has signed a bill that will make it a felony offense to share someone else’s nude pictures without his or her permission.Several other states have considered or passed similar laws recently, but the penalties passed in Arizona’s law are tougher than most: If the person in the…
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office pulled off its 81st workplace raid, and as usual, the employees are the ones facing punishment, not the employers.Five people were arrested at different locations, including employees of a restaurant, landscaping service, and a country club…
Is there a pecking order at the places where you see day laborers awaiting to be hired? What’s the hierarchy? Are all those dudes Mexican or are some Central and South American, and if so, who has priority when the random contractor comes by to pick up a worker for…
It was the winter of our discontent, 2009. A season of bank failures, massive layoffs, and $5-a-gallon gasoline. Finally, a fractured country could agree on at least one thing: This had to change. So President Barack Obama set out to deactivate the next bomb awaiting the U.S. economy, the one…
So here’s a joke that was, until just recently, on the public Facebook page for Phoenix Police Officer Clint Brookins: “How many cops does it take to get a suspect downstairs?” “None, he fell.” The joke could be written off as dark humor, as could many of Brookins’ other posts…
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne’s office has been in crisis mode this week over allegations that his staffers have been doing campaign work on the public dime. First, on Monday, the resignation note of AG staffer and Horne campaign volunteer Sarah Beattie was leaked to the Arizona Capitol Times. In…
Arizona’s Republican U.S. senators, John McCain and Jeff Flake, helped kill Democrats’ proposal to increase the federal minimum wage in a procedural vote today.Their votes weren’t exactly surprising, as only one Republican senator voted with the Democrats to proceed with the bill…
