In a public letter to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, the American Civil Liberties Union calls the governor’s new plan for an anti-drug-trafficking border Strike Force “seriously concerning” and potentially “devastating.” Ducey, who campaigned on a promise of mitigating cross-border human and drug trafficking, says he’s making good on this promise…
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson recently promised Arizonans during a tele-town hall that, if elected, he could get a double-fenced, 2,000 mile wall built on the U.S.-Mexico border within a year. One of his rivals for the GOP nomination, billionaire Donald Trump, would like a wall, too, and he also…
Arizona Congressman Trent Franks got a little frustrated with Attorney General Loretta Lynch during this week’s House Judiciary Committee meeting. During their exchange, Franks asked her about Planned Parenthood, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and, of course, “born-alive abortion survivors.” Franks has made a name for himself as a tireless…
Despite Governor Doug Ducey’s intended ban on Syrian refugees, Arizona’s actually been one of the friendliest states to refugees in the United States for the last 40 years. Since 1975, 74,453 refugees arrived in Arizona, according to the Arizona Refugee Resettlement Program. A 2010 article in the New York Times…
In a shocking, hateful rant, an extremist Tempe pastor attacked the victims of the Paris attack, blaming them for their own senseless murders because they were “devil worshipers.” Pastor Steven Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe also denounced France as a “sinful nation” in a Sunday sermon and…
A crowd of Phoenicians chanting “We reject racism!” descended on Governor Doug Ducey’s office today after he pledged to resist President Barack Obama’s plans to resettle thousands of refugees in Arizona over the next year. “We can not sit idly in our offices safe and sound while xenophobia and racism…
Following attacks in Paris that left at least 129 people dead, Arizona U.S. Senator John McCain is calling for an international coalition — which includes at least 10,000 American troops — to fight the Islamic State on the ground in the Middle East. “We can win, we should win, and…
Congressman Ruben Gallego is Arizona’s latest elected official to throw his weight behind a presidential candidate — he announced this morning that he officially endorses former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for president. Citing “a sea change in how Americans view progressive issues,” and a desire to continue the…
Grand Canyon University announced today that it is reversing a long-standing policy and will now extend equal health and employment benefits to its same-sex married employees. The decision comes after months of public and media scrutiny, and a promise by GCU president Brian Mueller to revisit the official policy. In…
Republican Presidential candidate Ben Carson told Arizonans that if elected president, he would seal the entire U.S.-Mexico border with a double-fenced wall within a year of taking office. His statement came in response to a question asked during a live half-hour telephone town hall meeting: “How practically and quickly can…
If you were worried that the Democrats’ second presidential debate will infringe on your fun weekend plans, we’re here to help, because as everyone knows, politics and drinking games are a great combination. Here are the details: the two-hour debate starts at 7 and will be co-hosted by CBS News,…
A big crowd of fast-food workers and their supporters marched through downtown Phoenix Tuesday afternoon demanding a $15-an-hour minimum wage and union rights. “In today’s economy and with the cost of living, $15 an hour is the bare minimum needed to get by,” said Gilbert Romero, one of the organizers…
Immigration advocates used words like “frustrated” to describe their reaction to the news that a federal appeals court has dealt another setback to President Barack Obama’s plan to shield millions from deportation. In a 2-1 ruling issued Monday night, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided to uphold a…
In what is increasingly looking like a tit-for-tat game of politics, mere days after Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva formally introduced federal legislation declaring 1.7 million acres around the Grand Canyon a national monument, his colleague, Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar, introduced another piece of legislation intended to undermine it. In a…
Supporters of a municipal identification card that Phoenix residents could use to access city services or use as a valid proof of identity say Phoenix City Council members have the votes to approve the plan but have refused to do it. “At this point, there is very little excuse for…
Masked protesters marched up and down Camelback Road waving shredded American flags, shouting expletives, and flipping off passing drivers as part of a worldwide show of discontent organized by hacktivist collective Anonymous. Phoenix authorities warned nearby businesses of possible violence and a squad of bicycle-mounted police officers hovered nearby, but…
A conservative non-profit group that helped drive former Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne from office today called on the U.S. Attorney for Arizona to investigate Arizona Corporation Commission Chair Susan Bitter Smith for possible federal crimes. In a press conference held outside the U.S. Attorney’s office in downtown Phoenix, Tyler…
Once again, Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar has harsh words for those who disagree with him; though unlike in the past, his latest comments aren’t directed at the Pope or Planned Parenthood, or what appears to be his favorite target, the Environmental Protection Agency. This time he’s going after a Congressional…
After many citizens across Arizona learned that Planned Parenthood Arizona was purposefully excluded from the State Employees Charitable Campaign, they channelled their fury into swift and proactive responses. One state employee, Aanya Rispoli, started an online petition demanding Governor Doug Ducey and the SECC put Planned Parenthood back on the…
Arizona Senator John McCain thinks this year’s Republican presidential candidates need to “man up” and be less picky about their demands for televised national debates. “I think their complaints are legitimate, but come on, man, up and move on. I think it’s OK if the temperature isn’t exactly 67 degrees,”…
Migrant advocates today announced a November 20 march against deportations and family separations on the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s executive action on immigration. Last November , the president announced a series of orders on immigration that he said were meant to prioritize the deportation of “felons, not families.” But…
For the first time in more than 30 years, Arizona state employees cannot voluntarily make a charitable donation from their paychecks to Planned Parenthood Arizona through the State Employee Charitable Campaign. The SECC is the government entity that helps state employees contribute to local non-profits through payroll deductions or one-time…
