• Slug: BC-CNS-The End of The Zone. 600 words.
• Photos, video story available.

By Jacob Snelgrove
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The city of Phoenix has met a court-ordered Nov. 4 deadline to remove all tents and makeshift structures from the area around the Human Services Campus known as “The Zone,” and business owners in the area are hopeful.

The Zone was a sprawling encampment of over 1,000 people experiencing homelessness near downtown Phoenix, just blocks from the state Capitol.

Continue reading “Business owners hopeful as Phoenix meets deadline to clean up ‘The Zone’”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Dia de los Muertos Families,740 words.
• 5 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Kate Duffy
Cronkite News

CHANDLER — On the second night of Dia de los Muertos, just inside the otherwise empty Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery, sisters Miriam Bryant and Ana Gomez sat with 11 of their closest family members and friends around three flower-covered grave sites.

Their mother is buried there, right next to Gomez’s husband and son.

Dia de los Muertos – also known as Day of the Dead – which spanned Wednesday and Thursday, is a Mexican holiday dedicated to remembering and honoring deceased relatives and loved ones. It is believed that the spirits of those who have died are able to visit their families on these days. Continue reading “‘They come visit with their spirit’: Families pay tribute to deceased loved ones for Dia de los Muertos”

• Slug: Sports-The Sweet Spot. Runtime 14:08.
• Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)

[Music bed under] 

TSS HOST: This is The Sweet Spot where we take a closer look at the week’s biggest sports stories in Arizona. I’m Benjamin Yates, and welcome to the eighth episode of The Sweet Spot! Continue reading “The Sweet Spot: Diamondbacks wrap it up, Sun Devils rack one up, Horizon High goes for three”

• Slug: BC-CNS-CN2Go Weekly Update. Runtime 12:17.
• Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)

[Music bed under] 

CN2Go Host: This is Cronkite News 2 Go. I’m your host, Deanna Pistono.

[Music fade in/under]

CN2Go Host: On today’s show we talk about the recent attack on ASU professor David Boyles, the Diamondbacks loss and how prescribed burns in Williams, Arizona help protect the landscape from potential wildfires. Continue reading “CN2Go Weekly Update: LGBTQ+ community upset by ASU response to attack on professor”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Prescribed Burns. 1,750 words.
• 12 photos available (thumbnails and captions below).
• Audio feature available by Kiersten Edgett/Cronkite News.

By Kate Duffy
Cronkite News

WILLIAMS – It was just before 8 a.m. on a clear fall day, when trucks carrying fire crews barreled down dirt roads into Kaibab National Forest.

Shortly after, the crews began to set over 2,300 acres of the ponderosa pine ecosystem ablaze.

The Kendrick Prescribed Fire Project was one of the first of many prescribed burns this fall and winter throughout Arizona with the goal of protecting forest lands and surrounding communities from the threat of potential catastrophic wildfires.

Continue reading “Fighting fire with fire: How prescribed burns protect forests in northern Arizona”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Election Threats,830 words.
• Photo, video story available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Renee Romo
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Death threats, poisoned pets, disinformation campaigns, bulletproof glass in election offices and family members that keep “go bags” handy in case they have to flee the house on a moment’s notice.

Those were just some of the ongoing threats that elections officials across the country told senators they face as they prepare for elections next week and into 2024.

“As a former county recorder myself, I can attest that the pre 2020 world for election administrators is gone,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes testified Wednesday. “We don’t feel safe in our work because of the harassment and threats that are based in lies.” Continue reading “Fontes, other officials tell Senate panel of ongoing threats to elections”

EDS: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Reproductive Freedom for All Arizona in the seventh graf. The story below has been corrected, but clients who used previous versions are asked to run the correction found here.

• Slug: BC-CNS-Abortion Fair,880 words.
• 6 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Oakley Seiter
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – An Arizona health care advocacy group reached out to people at the recent Arizona State Fair to ask registered voters to sign a petition supporting a ballot initiative that would amend the Arizona Constitution to establish abortion access as a fundamental right.

One of the groups’ volunteers, Janet Hamlin, was there to talk about why she has always supported a woman’s right to choose. Continue reading “Healthcare Rising Arizona collects signatures for abortion access petition at the Arizona State Fair”

• Slug: BC-CNS-GCU Fined,820 words.
• 2 file photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Alexandria Cullen
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Grand Canyon University said it “categorically denies” charges by the U.S. Department of Education that the school willfully misled prospective students about the costs of a doctoral degree, leaving those students deeply in debt.

The comments were in response to the department’s announcement Tuesday that it will fine the school $37.7 million for lying about the costs of its doctoral programs to “more than 7,500 … students,” who wound up paying 25% more than they were told a degree would cost.

The department said it is the largest fine imposed against a school for misrepresentation. Continue reading “GCU pushes back against $37.7 million fine over claims it ‘lied’ about costs”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Downtown Changes. 550 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails and captions below).

By Jacob Snelgrove
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Downtown has gone through significant changes since the last time the Arizona Diamondbacks were in the World Series, in 2001.

The Diamondbacks are hosting several World Series games at Chase Field this year, but in 2001 the stadium was Bank One Ballpark and just 3 years old.

In 2001, the downtown sidewalks were near-empty due to the lack of hotels, bars and restaurants in the area.

Continue reading “Downtown Phoenix has transformed since 2001, the last time the Diamondbacks hosted the World Series”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Abortion Reversal,720 words.
• File photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Renee Romo
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court said a group of Arizona physicians can challenge the state’s ban on abortions for genetic abnormalities, a law the doctors say could land them in jail because it is impermissibly vague.

The ruling Monday by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reverses a lower court that had dismissed the suit, saying the physicians did not have standing to sue after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to an abortion that was recognized in Roe v. Wade.

But the circuit court said the physicians can sue. It agreed that the doctors have been harmed by the law, the so-called Reason Regulations, because they are “over-complying with the laws because it is unclear what conduct falls within the laws’ grasp.” Continue reading “Physicians can challenge genetic-abnormality abortion ban, court rules”

• Slug: BC-CNS-World Series Merch. 490 words. By Reagan Priest.
• Photo available (thumbnail and caption below).
• Video available.

By Reagan Priest
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Arizona Diamondbacks merchandise is flying off the shelves with the World Series now in the state, but fans should beware of counterfeit merch, according to government agencies.

The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center is warning fans to be wary of team merch that isn’t legitimate. The center enforces intellectual property law in the U.S. and works closely with major sports organizations to protect consumers from scams.

Continue reading “Arizona Diamondbacks World Series merch is flying off shelves, but beware of counterfeit swag”

• Slug: BC-CNS-No Mower,590 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Adrienne Washington
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Gas-powered lawn equipment in Arizona emitted 445,908 tons of carbon dioxide in 2020, the polluting equivalent of putting 98,162 cars on the road, a new report says.

The report Monday by the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund also said gas-powered lawn mowers, blowers and trimmers contributed 985 tons of nitrogen oxides and 333 tons of fine particulate matter to the air that year, the most recent for which numbers are available. Continue reading “That green lawn may not be so green: Gas-powered mowers are heavy polluters”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Halloween Suns Baseball. 875 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail and caption below).
• Data table available.

By Zach Bradshaw
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The city is revving up for a sports and American holiday confluence.

On Tuesday, Game 4 of the World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers will overlap downtown with a Phoenix Suns game. Tuesday is also Oct. 31 – Halloween.

The capacity of Chase Field is 48,633 people, while Footprint Center’s capacity is 17,071 people. Chase Field has sold out for games 3, 4 and 5. Footprint Center was sold out for the most recent Suns home game against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 28.

Continue reading “Phoenix to ramp up police presence as World Series, Halloween, Suns game converge”

EDS: This is a partner story from KUNC. If you choose to use it, please fill out this form to help their tracking.

• Slug: BC-CNS-River Reprieve,870 words.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Alex Hager
KUNC

A wet winter and a temporary water conservation agreement have eased some pressure on Colorado River policymakers, which is reflected in a new Bureau of Reclamation proposal that says the risk of critically low reservoirs remains but is “much lower.”

The bureau’s Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, released this week, outlines water management plans until 2026 and reflects a shift away from short-term crisis management toward a more permanent rewrite of rules for how the river is shared. Continue reading “River reprieve: Wet winter, conservation deal ease Colorado planning for now”

• Slug: Sports-The Sweet Spot. Runtime 17:09.
• Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)

[Music bed under] 

TSS HOST: This is The Sweet Spot, where we take a closer look at the week’s biggest sports stories in Arizona. I’m Brandon Tran and welcome to yet another dose of weekly sports stories from across the Valley!

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HOST: On today’s show, we are going to look at some of the similarities and differences between the 2023 and 2001 Diamondbacks World Series teams, as well as how sports card businesses have benefited from this year’s World Series matchup. We also have a mid-season update on the Arizona Cardinals, an overview of the dominance of Centennial football and a recap of the first ever AIA organized sanctions girls Flag Football playoffs. Continue reading “The Sweet Spot: Diamondbacks rise, Cardinals fall, Centennial dominates and flag football arrives”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Tree Event,450 words.
• 8 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Hunter Fore
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Valley-based nonprofit organization Trees Matter helps communities add trees to their neighborhoods.

The organization teamed up with Salt River Project in early October to give free trees to SRP customers in the Maryvale area.

Trees Matter holds regular events to promote tree education and tree planting. The tree shade program brings free trees to Valley neighborhoods that are lacking in trees and shade.

Before SRP customers can receive their trees, they must attend a workshop, where they learn about how to plant trees, how to care for them and why it’s important to have increased canopy coverage in their area. Each year, the program distributes over 5,000 trees and educates over 4,000 Valley residents. Continue reading “Trees Matter gives out free trees to increase Valley canopy coverage”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Medical Relief,1060 words.
• 6 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Angelina Steel
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Millions of dollars worth of medical supplies sit tucked away in a warehouse on W. 14th Street in Tempe. Among them are eight large pallets filled with medical relief supplies waiting to be shipped to the Middle East.

This warehouse is the Phoenix distribution center for Project C.U.R.E., an organization that was founded in 1987 in Colorado to address the staggering shortage of medical resources around the world. Its most recent project: sending medical supplies that could provide emergency relief to civilians in the middle of the Israeli-Hamas conflict. Continue reading “Local organization donating millions of dollars worth of medical aid to the civilians caught in the Israel-Hamas conflict”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Urban Beautification,790 words.
• 6 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Zach Bradshaw
Cronkite News

FLAGSTAFF – Arizona’s arts and culture sector generated $1.1 billion in statewide economic activity in 2022, according to the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

Over 11,000 employees are employed by statewide nonprofit arts and culture organizations, contributing to $15.4 million in tax revenues, the commission said, citing an Americans for the Arts survey.

An example of arts and culture initiatives in Arizona can be seen on the streets of Flagstaff. The city is devoting thousands of tax dollars to several programs to beautify its urban environments, according to city documents.

The Beautification in Action program, which started in 2010, uses local tax dollars to fund grants approved by the city’s Beautification & Public Art Commission. The grants pay for the creation and installation of public art, landscapes, gateways, streetscapes and other tools intended to enhance community aesthetics and make the environment greener. Continue reading “Flagstaff devotes thousands of tax dollars to urban beautification programs to ‘enliven the city’”

• Slug: BC-CNS-House Makeover,700 words.
• File photo, video story available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Alexandria Cullen
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Arizona lawmakers voted on party lines Wednesday as the House elected a new speaker, ending three weeks of what one representative called “weeks of political paralysis and dysfunction” in Congress.

The 220-209 vote to elect Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., also ended three weeks of GOP division that began with the ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was voted out by all Democrats and eight Republicans – including Arizona Reps. Andy Biggs of Gilbert and Eli Crane of Oro Valley.

But Biggs and Crane joined all other House Republicans to elect Johnson, who said “let’s get back to work” – just three weeks before the next potential government shutdown and with pressing demands for aid to Israel and Ukraine. Continue reading “Arizona lawmakers vote on party lines to elect speaker, get back to work”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Tribal Infrastructure,800 words.
• 2 photos, video story available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Lux Butler
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – The chairman of the Hopi tribe told a Senate panel Wednesday that promises of federal funding remain just that – promises – for smaller tribes for whom the money is inaccessible because of bureaucratic and financial hurdles.

The remarks by Hopi Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma were part of a Senate Indian Affairs Committee roundtable on challenges tribes are facing in getting projects approved under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act and others. Other tribal leaders from across the country shared similar frustrations. Continue reading “Hopi leader tells panel that red tape, financial hurdles put aid out of reach”