In a blog item last week, I discussed a YouTube video sent out by Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne’s GOP primary rival, former Arizona Gaming Director Mark Brnovich. The video talked about his family life and included some heartfelt comments from his wife, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Susan Brnovich…
The percentage of Arizonans who call themselves “conservative” is down, and the percentage who call themselves “moderates” is up, according to Gallup’s annual poll on the subject.Gallup’s done this poll for years now, and this is the first time in at least five years that moderates outnumbered the conservatives…
It might not be hard to believe, but it turns out that a real estate investment company wasn’t really producing the 60 percent returns it advertised after the real estate bubble burst.The Department of Justice alleges Michael Stewart, 66, of Phoenix and John Packard, 63, of Long Beach, California, perpetrated…
In Legislative District 25, where the Republican primary is what primarily matters, the word on the street has been that orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ralph Heap, GOP primary challenger to state Senator Bob Worsley, is the cat’s paw of Mesa’s Pearce clan. Back in 2012, Worsley bested recalled, disgraced former state…
Arizona’s list of illegal drugs soon could include kratom, an herbal product that’s been used as medicine in certain Asian countries for centuries.Kratom’s been for sale legally in certain stores around Phoenix for several years now, but the annual proposed update of Arizona’s banned drugs includes the alkaloids in kratom.UPDATE…
Fantasy football fans, time to rejoice: All fantasy sports competitions may soon become legal in Arizona.Although fantasy sports competitions are legal under federal law, Arizona is one of five states where they are prohibited because it’s considered a “game of chance,” which is illegal under Arizona’s gambling laws. But Senate…
A study of financial data shows Arizonans generally are not in good financial shape, compared to the rest of the country.For example, about 32 percent of Arizonans, the fourth-hightest rate in the country don’t have three months’ worth of savings to cover expenses…
Arizona’s one of the few states where the levels of very religious and nonreligious people are about the same, according to poll results.In Gallup’s annual survey of religion across the country, researchers found that about 36 percent in Arizona say religion’s a big part of their lives and that they…
A Washington Post opinion piece penned by a pair of Yale University law professors argues that anti-gay legislation enacted in Russia isn’t that different from laws in some American states.Russia’s ban on promoting homosexual propaganda in front of children isn’t that different from the so-called “no promo homo” laws in…
If you want to hide data on your computer, a free open-source program called “True Crypt” apparently is one way to do it. According to the booking sheet of suspected child-porn suspect James DeSilva, forensics detectives from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office were stumped when they tried to see what…
The Humane Society of the United States is supporting four Arizona bills this legislative session designed to protect animals.Although the Humane Society generally gives Arizona good reviews for its animal-welfare laws, the organization’s president and CEO Wayne Pacelle is in town today for a “Humane Lobby Day.”…
Some Republican lawmakers still are trying to nullify federal gun laws they feel are unconstitutional.Senate Bill 1294 declares, “All federal acts, laws, orders, rules and regulations that are in violation of the second amendment of the United States Constitution, that are unauthorized by the Constitution and that violate the Second…
As promised, Democratic Representative Ruben Gallego has submitted a bill that would legalize marijuana possession in Arizona.Twelve other Democrats signed on to sponsor or co-sponsor the bill, House Bill 2558…
Phoenix is one of many cities around the country in which environmentalists plan on holding “vigils” to protest the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.Mind you, the proposed path of the pipeline doesn’t come within 1,000 miles of Phoenix…
Members of the state library association, county governments, and library districts around the state are warning about proposed legislation they say could gut library funding statewide.House Bill 2379, proposed by Republican Representative Justin Olson, would put a cap on the taxing capabilities of “special districts” around the state, which includes…
Sheriff Joe Arpaio cracks the whip, and his neutered poodles in the press jump through the hoops. From female chain gangs and inmate coloring contests to investigating President Obama’s birth certificate and putting inmates on bread and water for defacing American flag stickers, Arpaio’s pre-packaged tales fill news holes in…
Heather Rene Guffin, the CEO of a timeshare-marketing firm, was arrested at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport last week following an altercation with customs agents. As of Friday, the 35-year-old expatriate was stuck in Phoenix, hoping a federal judge would rule that she can return to her husband and kids…
Thanks to the language differences among Anglos, Mexicans, and various Native American tribes, there are a whole lot of places around Arizona that no one really seems to know how to pronounce.Check out 10 such places, along with our best ideas for how they’re supposed to be pronounced:…
The team Governor Jan Brewer assigned to process and review the thousands of cases ignored by Child Protective Services reports that the root cause of the failure is that “demand exceeds capacity.”The “CARE Team” led by Charles Flanagan — who’s since been tasked with running the new agency that includes…
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:…
Although Catherine Miranda was the front-runner for an appointment to her late husband’s seat on Maricopa County Community Colleges governing board, it was longtime community leader Alfredo Gutierrez who nabbed the post today. Gutierrez is a former state senator, a past gubernatorial candidate, and has been in Arizona’s political arena…
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne’s hopes of settling his campaign finance case have been dashed for now, as Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk today filed a notice with the administrative law court, signaling that discussions between the two sides on Thursday did not end in a resolution. “No settlement was…
