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THIS IS YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2GO BRIEFING.

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I’M EMMA VANDENEINDE (  go to story ) 

Police shootings in Arizona will now lead to investigations

A new bill in Arizona is requiring investigations for all police shootings and deadly use of force scenarios.

A HOUSE COMMITTEE HAS VOTED UNANIMOUSLY THAT ALL POLICE SHOOTINGS AND ANY OTHER USE OF DEADLY FORCE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT BE INVESTIGATED BY A NEW DIVISION OF THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY OR AN OUTSIDE AGENCY OR REGIONAL TASK FORCE. 

THE NEW BILL WAS CREATED WITH THE HELP OF MAJOR ARIZONA LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND REPUBLICAN HOUSE SPEAKER RUSTY BOWERS. (BOW-ers) 

SOME ARIZONA LAWMAKERS SUCH AS, DEMOCRATIC MINORITY LEADER REGINALD BOLDING, HAVE PUSHED FOR THIS BEFORE. BOLDING RESPONDED TO THE BILL’S INITIAL APPROVAL STATING, “THE KEY ASPECT OF THE PROPOSAL HAS TO BE REFORM AND (TO) REBUILD AND RESTORE COMMUNITY TRUST.” 

THIS IS THE FIRST  VOTE IN A LONG LEGISLATIVE PROCESS WHICH WOULD REQUIRE THE BILL TO FIRST PASS THE FULL HOUSE AND THEN BE CONSIDERED BY THE SENATE.  

Early voting now requires an excuse in Arizona

An Arizona panel decided that you now need an excuse in order to participate in early voting

ARIZONA REPUBLICANS THIS WEEK ADVANCED LEGISLATION TO UNWIND THE STATE’S POPULAR EARLY VOTING SYSTEM BY REQUIRING THAT VOTERS HAVE A REASON AND MAKE A REQUEST TO VOTE BY MAIL. 

THE MEASURE COMES AFTER 90% OF BALLOTS IN ARIZONA WERE TAKEN IN BY MAIL FOR THE 2020 ELECTION. THE HOPE IS TO GET MORE PEOPLE OUT TO THE POLLS ON ELECTION DAY.

THE BILL WAS APPROVED ALONG  PARTY-LINES IN  THE SENATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE, AND WILL GO TO THE FULL SENATE FOR DEBATE IN THE COMING WEEKS.

UArizona hires first female police chief

Paula Balafas is the new police chief for UArizona, and she is the first woman to hold the position.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA’S HISTORY, THE SCHOOL HAS HIRED A FEMALE POLICE CHIEF. 

PAULA BALAFAS [BAH-la-fas] HAS 32 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SERVING HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITIES. SHE RECENTLY WORKED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO.

BALAFAS WILL BEGIN HER JOB EARLY NEXT MONTH. SHE REPLACES BRIAN SEASTONE WHO RETIRED AFTER 41 YEARS ON THE JOB.

Arizona Indian Festival continues despite decline in cultural tourism 

The Arizona American Indian Tourism Association put on the Arizona Indian Festival with a goal to revitalize and bring awareness to the importance of cultural tourism in the state.  

THE PANDEMIC HAS MEANT A MASSIVE DROP IN TOURISM SPENDING IN ARIZONA. THE ARIZONA OFFICE OF TOURISM FINDS THAT TRAVEL 

SPENDING DECLINED FROM MORE THAN 25 BILLION IN 2019 TO 15 BILLION IN 2020… CULTURAL TOURISM TOOK A BIG PART OF THAT HIT … WHEN MANY TRIBAL LANDMARKS AND ATTRACTIONS SHUT DOWN DURING THE PANDEMIC

CRONKITE NEWS REPORTER MCKENZIE ALLEN-CHARMLEY WAS AT THE ARIZONA INDIAN FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND AND EXPLAINS HOW TRIBES ARE TRYING TO BRING TOURISM DOLLARS BACK.

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WITH DANCING, SINGING, FOOD, ART AND CULTURAL EXHIBITIONS, THE ARIZONA AMERICAN INDIAN ASSOCIATION RECENTLY BROUGHT TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE 22 TRIBES IN THE STATE TO REVITALIZE AND BRING AWARENESS TO CULTURAL TOURISM.

BOARD MEMBER DOROTHY GISHIE IS GRATEFUL FOR NATIVE COMMUNITIES TO HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER THEIR NARRATIVES.

<sot Dorothy Gishie/ AAITA Board Member Navajo/runs 0:00 hits 0:00-0:00 >

“As Native American Indigenous tribes we’re wanting to take more of a role in inviting people to our different communities because we want to tell our stories we know what our historical histories are, we know what our cultures are.”

HOWEVER, COVID-19 WAS AN IMMENSE BURDEN ON THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND ESPECIALLY ITS CULTURAL SECTORS. 

<sot McKenzie Allen-Charmley/ Cronkite News /runs 0:00 hits 0:00-0:00 >

“Many reservations and their tourist attractions were shut down due to the pandemic and left many communities without essential revenue from tourism.”

ARIZONA’S TRAVEL ECONOMY WHICH INCLUDES NATIVE TOURISM, LOST BILLIONS IN REVENUE, DROPPING A TOTAL OF 41% FROM 2019 TO 2020. THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE ARIZONA OFFICE OF TOURISM. 

NATIVE COMMUNITIES WERE ESPECIALLY AFFECTED. HOPI VENDOR BONNIE SECAKUKU SAYS HER TRIBE FACED HARDSHIP..

<sot Bonnie Secakuku/ Vendor Hopi /runs 0:00 hits 0:00-0:00 >

“Its been really a hard struggle. That’s probably been the most impactful thing is not being able to come visit and learn who we are and the people who survive of this economically are left without a job.”

THE FESTIVAL PROVIDED A BRIDGE BETWEEN  NATIVE CULTURES AND THE PUBLIC. FESTIVAL GO-ERS LIKE KARIN SHINN SAY THEY APPRECIATE THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

<sot Karin Shinn/ Event Attendee /runs 0:00 hits 0:00-0:00 >

“It’s important to be informative of other cultures. Especially the Indigenous people. We definitely have to pay homage to everything that they have contributed.”

NAVAJO AND HOPI ARTIST SHAUN ROGERS SAYS THE EVENT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE BOTH CULTURAL TOURISM AND COMMUNITY.

<sot Shaun Rogers/ Artist Navajo/Hopi /runs 0:00 hits 0:00-0:00 >

“To share our culture it feels good. Because a lot of people can’t make it out to the Hopi reservation and see the dances and see those what we do out there. Therefore when we bring it out to you guys here in the city it helps you and then you get a more of a depth of what we are what we do what we pray for what we sing for.”

IN SCOTTSDALE, MCKENZIE ALLEN-CHARMLEY, CRONKITE NEWS.

(NAT SOUND DANCING/SINGING/DRUMS FADE TO BLK)

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ANCHOR TAG: MANY TRIBES AND THEIR TOURIST DESTINATIONS ARE OPEN FOR THE TOURISM SEASON HOWEVER, TRIBAL OFFICIALS  RECOMMENDED CALLING AHEAD TO SEE IF ANY COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS ARE IN PLACE.

UArizona creates video game archive for research

Two humanities professors at the University of Arizona have collected more than a quarter of a million games to study game culture.

TWO HUMANITIES PROFESSORS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA HAVE CREATED AN ARCHIVE OF GAMES.

OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, THEY’VE COLLECTED MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A MILLION BOARD GAMES AND VIDEO GAMES, THAT GO BACK AS FAR AS THE LATE 40s. THEIR GOAL IS TO PLAY THE GAMES AND STUDY GAME CULTURE. 

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WE HAD HELP TODAY FROM  MCKENZIE ALLEN-CHARMLEY AND THANKS TO JUSTIN TORRES, WHO PRODUCED TODAY’S SHOW.

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YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORIES YOU HEARD IN TODAY’S NEWS UPDATE, BY GOING TO CRONKITENEWS-DOT-AZPBS-DOT-ORG. 

THAT’S ALL FOR YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2 GO. I’M EMMA VANDENEINDE . 

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