• Slug:BC-CNS-Convention Vance Arizona. 562 words.
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By Amaia J. Gavica
Cronkite News

MILWAUKEE – Cheers erupted from the Arizona delegation at the announcement Monday that Donald Trump had picked Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice president.

Some of the state’s Republican delegates conceded they don’t know much about Vance – a lawyer, best-selling author and former Trump denouncer who was elected less than two years ago – but said they trust the former president’s stamp of approval.

“I’m not that familiar with him, but I’m sure he’s great. If Trump picked him, I know he will be the best … person for the job,” said Joe Neglia, an at-large delegate from Tempe.

Continue reading “Arizona delegates support Donald Trump’s choice of JD Vance for vice president”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Summer Asthma Monsoon. 675 words.
• 2 photos, 2 illustrations available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Lauren De Young
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – A dust and rain storm rolled through the Valley Sunday night, building on a slow but thundering start to Arizona’s monsoon season. While some may look forward to the monsoon season, as the storms bring lower temperatures, those with asthma prepare for discomfort and distress.

During the Arizona monsoon, a weather season that typically lasts from June through September, thunderstorms and heavy rains pummel the state. These thunderstorms mix a “perfect recipe” that spells trouble for asthmatics, according to Dr. Janna Assar, a Banner Health family medicine physician.

Continue reading “Arizona’s monsoon season means danger for those with asthma. Here’s how to cope.”

• Slug: BC-CNS-School Phone Bans. 1,110 words.
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By Lauren De Young
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – As a middle school teacher, Dana Ramos didn’t restrict cell phone use in her classroom. Now, as principal of Lowell Elementary School, a K-8 school in Phoenix, Ramos has adopted guidelines to limit access to the devices during the school day.

Ramos has been an educator for 11 years, working first as a teacher and then as an administrator. She has witnessed the integration of technology into the classroom and seen the whole gamut with phone use.

“I’ve seen technology and cell phone usage be something that actually was really beneficial,” Ramos said. “Students who didn’t have a computer could go on Google on their phone and have access to homework assignments. I’ve seen it be useful with different kinds of projects where you might be using photos, or you might be using videos or taking audio.”

Continue reading “Arizona schools combat phone use in the classroom, see effect on youth mental health”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Heat Public Housing. 1,315 words.
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By Isabelle Marceles
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – On June 13, the federal government’s top official for public housing appeared with Tucson’s mayor at the Martin Luther King Apartments and announced emergency relief aimed at making it “as easy as possible” to help residents of public housing “afford air conditioning.”

The new program is meant to make it easier for local housing agencies to subsidize utility bills during extreme heat – and highs have topped 110 degrees in Tucson during the current heat wave.

But housing authorities in Arizona’s biggest cities haven’t rushed to implement the program. The Phoenix Housing Department has 2,126 tenants.

Continue reading “Tucson and Phoenix won’t push emergency utility relief to public housing tenants this summer”

EDS: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the views of delegate Mark Robert Gordon. The story below has been corrected, but clients who used previous versions are asked to run the correction found here.

• Slug: BC-CNS-Delegates Arizona Biden. 1,330 words.
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By Benjamin Adelberg
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – A 91-year-old Arizona Democrat called Friday for the 81-year-old president to drop his reelection bid, becoming the first Arizona delegate to abandon Joe Biden and expressing hopes that others follow his lead.

Roberto Reveles, a former president of the ACLU of Arizona, is the oldest of the Arizona Democrats who’ll vote on the party’s nominee next month.

Continue reading “Biden’s Arizona firewall starts to crack as oldest Democratic delegate in the state calls for him to quit presidential race”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Solar Farms. 590 words. By Amaia J. Gavica.
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WASHINGTON – For 31 straight days last summer, temperatures in Phoenix hit or topped 110 degrees, the longest such streak ever. That searing Arizona heat dehydrates crops and evaporates water the state needs to conserve.

Creating shade is one way to combat the problem.

By using solar panels, farmers can simultaneously protect their plants, save water and lower their energy bills – and some are doing just that with help from federal programs designed to encourage this sustainable method of growing.

Continue reading “Arizona farmers turn to solar panels to shade crops, save water and generate power”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Fake Elector Delegates. 895 words.
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By Grey Gartin and Keetra Bippus
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Three of the Arizona Republicans indicted as “fake electors” for their roles in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election will serve as delegates at the Republican National Convention in July. And they are defiant.

Arizona Republicans who picked them for the honor were well aware of the charges.

Continue reading “3 indicted in ‘fake electors’ scheme among Arizona delegates to RNC”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Schweikert Targeted. 1,300 words.
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By Alex Cunningham
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. David Schweikert eked out a win in 2022 by just 3,000 votes. With abortion likely on the ballot in November, Democrats are confident they can flip the Phoenix-area district this time around, and a half dozen have lined up to try.

The district includes many of Arizona’s wealthiest suburbs, and Schweikert, a Republican, has emphasized sound fiscal policy and low taxes throughout his seven terms in Congress.

Continue reading “Democrats see abortion rights as a potent issue as they aim to topple seven-term U.S. Rep. David Schweikert”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Border Use of Force. 1,080 words.
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By Benjamin Adelberg
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reported a sharp drop in the use of force against migrants at the southern border since last summer – 27% for the 12 months that ended May 31 – compared to a year earlier.

]Migrant advocates are skeptical.

The Government Accountability Office found significant underreporting in a report issued last July. One practice GAO spotlighted was counting an incident as a single event even when it involved numerous CBP officers and dozens of migrants.

Continue reading “Customs and Border Protection data shows sharp drop in use of force, but accuracy is questioned by migrant advocates”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Abortion Anniversary VP. 1,200 words.
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By Morgan Kubasko and Lauren De Young
Cronkite News

Marking two years since the Supreme Court struck down federal abortion rights, protesters marched on the court Monday, and Vice President Kamala Harris stumped in Phoenix to put a spotlight on the tussle over abortion in Arizona.

“Our work right now is absolutely directly going to affect the people of Arizona, the people of our country, but will have an impact on people around the world. That’s what’s in our hands right now,” Harris said at a reproductive freedom campaign event in Phoenix.
Continue reading “In Phoenix, VP Kamala Harris puts focus on abortion rights as advocates mark two years post-Roe v. Wade”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Fentanyl Report Graphic Short. 250 words.
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By Madeline Bates
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The fentanyl and opioid crisis cost Arizona an estimated $58 billion for 2023, according to a Common Sense Institute Arizona report published Monday. The nonpartisan think tank’s report included the costs of fatalities, opioid use disorder, hospitalizations and border security.

The report analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Arizona Department of Health Services and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, among others.

Continue reading “Common Sense Institute Arizona report estimates fentanyl, opioid crisis cost Arizona $58 billion in 2023”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Missing Bullet. 1,886 words.
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By Xavier Brathwaite
Howard Center for Investigative Journalism

A new investigation by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University and The Texas Observer reveals San Antonio police lost a bullet after logging it in as evidence in the shooting death of an 8-month-old baby. The SAPD has a history of problems with evidence handling, the report found.

Eight-month-old Rosalinda Martinez died in April of last year after a July 2023 indictment says she was shot during a fight between her parents over a handgun. San Antonio police collected evidence from the crime scene.

Police arrested Ruby Mora and Alejandro Martinez, the baby’s parents, for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and reckless bodily injury to their child, according to court records. Mora was arrested on April 18, 2023, and Alejandro was booked a month later on May 7. Both Mora and Martinez are in jail and awaiting trial in Bexar County Court.

But San Antonio police have lost a crucial piece of evidence: a bullet.
Continue reading “How police in Texas lost a bullet tied to the shooting death of a baby”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Tribal Teacher Shortage. 680 words.
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By Alexander MacDonald
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Teachers have been in short supply across Arizona. Nowhere is that felt more than at schools run by Native American tribes.

Arizona has 34 such schools, plus 20 others operated by the Bureau of Indian Education, or BIE. Most of the tribally controlled schools are in remote parts of the state, far from towns or metropolitan areas. That makes finding teachers tough, and the pay and benefits tribes can offer – often less than other schools – makes it even more challenging.

Continue reading “Bill aims to ease teacher shortage at tribal schools by granting federal pensions to educators”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Congress Baseball. 690 words.
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By Amaia J. Gavica
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Republicans and Democrats took the field at Nationals Park with plenty of competitive drive at the annual Congressional Baseball Game, and with one unifying desire: don’t pull a hamstring.

Injuries were mostly kept to a minimum, except for egos left badly bruised on the Democratic side at the end of a 31-11 blowout Wednesday night interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters and climate activists.

The team in red, which included Tucson Republican Juan Ciscomani, enjoyed late-inning rallies fueled by so-so pitching and fielding by the Democrats in blue.

Rep. Greg Stanton of Phoenix delivered a few solid defensive plays as the Democrats’ third baseman.

Continue reading “20-run win for Republicans in Congressional Baseball Game with Arizona lawmakers in supporting roles”

• Slug: BC-CNS-DOJ Phoenix Police. 1,140 words.
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By Brianna Chappie
Cronkite News

The U.S. Department of Justice issued a report Thursday accusing the Phoenix Police Department of routinely using excessive force, including deadly force; violating the rights of lawful protesters; and targeting people of color.

The report comes after a nearly three-year investigation, which was initiated after a series of incidents raised questions about police conduct in Phoenix.

“Our findings today reveal very significant and severe violations of federal law and the Constitution,” said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, announcing the findings.
Continue reading “DOJ report says Phoenix Police used excessive force; agency calls out discrimination, ‘longstanding dysfunction’”