In a surprise turn of events yesterday in the ongoing racial profiling lawsuit against Sheriff Joe Arpaio (Melendres v. Arpaio), U.S. District Judge Mary Murguia recused herself from the case in response to a motion filed in February by the sheriff’s legal team. The motion claimed that because Murguia’s twin sister…
I have seen the future of newsprint, and it’s in The Slammer, literally. Indeed, with all the bitching and moaning in the bloody Fourth Estate about layoffs, the Web, and the end of newsprint, here’s a weekly newspaper that appears to be thriving at a dollar a pop, for sale in…
Our Republican Gov. Jan Brewer has effectively banned abortion for 24 hours with the stroke of her pen. Where are the Arizona Democrats? Asleep somewhere, dreaming of Janet Napolitano and Barack Obama gamboling in a field of poppies. And I don’t see any sign that they’ll be waking up any time…
Gilman’s vid, reposted by naui… As I mentioned in my blog post Monday on British Holocaust denier David Irving’s recent book signing party at Jerry’s Restaurant, Phoenix videographer Dennis Gilman was present and covered the local anarchist protest of the event. I promised to post his video when it was…
Loads of reporters have parachuted into Phoenix over the years to write up our power-mad top constable Sheriff Joe, and often they’ve told the easy story of the flamboyant law man who talks like a mafioso and treats county inmates worse than the hounds in his kennels. Thankfully, the New Yorker’s Bill…
You know your career as a historian has hit a new low when you’re hawking books out the back of a Phoenix diner better known for its hash browns than its literary events. This is the best the infamous British Holocaust denier David Irving can do these days, reserving the back…
Janet Napolitano’s Department of Homeland Security has just issued a press release announcing new, standardized 287(g) agreements that all law enforcement agencies participating in the program will have to sign, including Sheriff Joe’s MCSO, which boasts a massive 160-man 287(g)-trained force, the largest in the nation. “DHS and ICE will…
Remember just a couple of months ago, when Sheriff Joe was saying he “welcomed” a Justice Department probe into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, telling the press he intended to cooperate fully with any investigation, and saying explicitly that, “We have nothing to hide”? Now Joe’s squirming like a stuck…
These uber right wing Tea Parties continue to be a magnet for extremists and crazy folk of all stripes. Though I wasn’t able to make the recent hate-Obama rally that took place July 4 at the Arizona state Capitol, I have since discovered from info provided from some pals that…
The Norwegian video interview of Shawna Forde and a fella by the name of Todd Hezlitt Someone recently sent me a link to the blog Immigration Talk with a Mexican American, which in turn links to the blog Crooks & Liars and a Norwegian news video featuring the infamous Shawna…
Dennis Gilman asks the timely question: Which racist nativist will pop off next? My June 22 post last week on alleged kid-killer and minutewoman Shawna Forde received a number of comments from the immigrant-bashing side of the argument accusing me of painting their prejudiced movement with too broad of a brush…
Friday morning, I dropped by the offices of U.S. Attorney Diane Humetewa to attend a news conference announcing the indictment of identical twin white supremacists Dennis and Daniel Mahon for their alleged role in a 2004 mail bombing that injured three Scottsdale city workers, including Donald Logan, the city’s Director of Diversity and Dialogue…
President Obama’s remarks after the White House immigration summit today While it was gratifying to see President Barack Obama’s much-delayed summit on immigration take place today, and for the President to declare after the meeting that, “My administration is fully behind an effort to achieve comprehensive immigration reform,” the message…
Phoenix civil liberties activist Fronzo West is currently doing time in the Maricopa County jail for exercising his freedom of speech rights as enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Folks like to say we have freedom of speech in this country, and in theory, we do. But…
After reporting earlier this year on the slow, painful collapse of progressive radio with the implosion of left-wing network Nova M here in Phoenix and the padlocking of its short-lived replacement at 1190 AM, I’ve been deluged with phone calls and e-mails from loyal listeners of the lefty airwaves, asking…
Just when you thought our gun-lovin’ legislature had gone as far over the deep end into Mad Max territory as possible, our lawmakers up and make gun ownership mandatory for all lads and ladies 21 and above. Okay, so not explicitly, but under the bills proposed by the legislature’s firearm freaks, you’d better…
A Petri dish of right wing insanity and goofiness. That was my impression of the April 15 Tea Party that took place on the grounds of the Arizona state capitol and drew thousands in a mass fit of anti-Obama rage. Sure, not everyone there was a complete moon-howling loon. (After all,…
Today the Reverend Al Sharpton achieved what no one else has achieved before in Arizona’s civil rights struggle for the undocumented: the bringing together of African Americans and Latinos on the issues of racial profiling, immigration reform and the 287(g) program. After meeting with those who’ve suffered racial profiling at the…
KPHO Channel 5 has picked up on the story of Katherine Figueroa, the nine year-old girl robbed of her parents by the MCSO during its raid on Phoenix’s Lindstrom Family Auto Wash last Saturday. Her tearful testimony pleading for President Barack Obama’s help in springing her parents Sandra and Carlos from Tent City…
So I’ve just thumbed through a passel of recent White House statements and releases, looking for something about that big immigration meetup that President Barack Obama was supposed to have with Congressional leaders Wednesday, June 17. You know, the one originally scheduled for June 8, which I mentioned at the tail end…
It promises to be more scintillating than the Thrilla in Manila, though, sadly, this verbal donnybrook will mostly behind closed doors, according to the Rev. Al Sharpton’s camp.I’m talking about the news fresh from Rev. Al’s flack Rachel Noerdlinger that Sharpton’s taken up an invite from Joe Arpaio to visit…
Is Phoenix Suns forward Amar’e Stoudemire blind to the truth about Sheriff Joe Arpaio?Apparently so, and in more than one eye. According to recent news reports, Big Stat was sworn in this afternoon as a “special deputy” for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. For Sheriff Joe, it’s a publicity coup,…
