Echoes of 1978? Arizona State football seeks first Big 12 conference win in spirit of 1978 upset vs. USC

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-ASU First Pac-10 Win, 1,400 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Kendall Flynn
Cronkite News

TEMPE – As Arizona State looks to earn its first Big 12 win at home against Kansas University on Saturday, the Sun Devils could benefit from a look at the program’s past and its first Pac-10 win and historic upset in 1978 against USC.

The Sun Devils had moved from the Western Atlantic Conference and were set to join the Pac-8, helping expand it to the Pac-10 for the 1978 season. Like the 2024 Sun Devils squad, the 1978 team lost its first conference game on the road to Washington State at 51-26.

While ASU’s Sept. 21 loss to Texas Tech in its Big 12 debut was more competitive at 30-22, losing in the season’s first conference game and as a new member can be daunting. Former senior defensive lineman for Arizona State Al Harris remembered this feeling all too well. Continue reading “Echoes of 1978? Arizona State football seeks first Big 12 conference win in spirit of 1978 upset vs. USC”

Donald Trump-backed SAVE Act elevates noncitizen voting claims, but experts say it’s rare

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Noncitizen Voting. 1,075 words.
  • File photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Mia Osmonbekov
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – The threat of a government shutdown thrust noncitizen voting, a long-standing Arizona political flashpoint, into the national spotlight after House Speaker Mike Johnson paired the government funding package with a controversial election integrity bill.

Backed by former President Donald Trump and four U.S. House representatives from Arizona, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.

Continue reading “Donald Trump-backed SAVE Act elevates noncitizen voting claims, but experts say it’s rare”

CORRECTION to Oct. 3 story on LA Olympics transportation

by Julia Thompson

EDS: Clients who used the Cronkite News story slugged LA Olympics Transportation, which moved Thursday, Oct. 3, under a LOS ANGELES dateline, are asked to run the following correction. The errors occurred in grafs 2, 8, 13, 17 and 21 of the original. A corrected version of the story has been posted here.

LOS ANGELES – An Oct. 3 Cronkite News story about Southern California transportation upgrades misspelled the last name of one of the subjects quoted. Sam Morrissey is vice president of transportation for LA28, the 2028 Olympic Games’ organizing committee. The story also included incorrect information about the LA Metro K Line. The Inglewood Transit Connector will have a station near the K Line. The K Line Northern Extension is expected to open for service in 2047.

Still going Strong: 10 years after ‘Jael Mary,’ former ASU star receiver inspires next generation at AZ Compass Prep

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-Jael Mary Jaelen Strong, 970 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Saleh Awward
Cronkite News

CHANDLER – The memory still lingers as if it happened yesterday, the details as crisp and clear as the summer sky.

Arizona State defied all odds, down 34-32 with the football at their 28-yard-line and just 23 seconds to go and no timeouts remaining. After a strike down the middle of the field from Mike Bercovici to Gary Chambers to the 45-yard line, the Sun Devils spiked the ball and had one final play left in store with seven seconds remaining.

Bercovici dropped back and let it fly for a Hail Mary, where Jaelen Strong high-pointed the ball over USC defenders and found himself in the end zone for a touchdown, upsetting the No. 16 Trojans on the road, 38-34. Continue reading “Still going Strong: 10 years after ‘Jael Mary,’ former ASU star receiver inspires next generation at AZ Compass Prep”

Strip clubs and shooting ranges: NCAA document details ASU football infractions, Antonio Pierce’s role as kingpin

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Infractions Details, 1,100 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Since June of 2021, the wrongdoings of former Arizona State and current Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce and his staff have plagued the institution’s football program. Now, years later, the full extent of Pierce and his staff’s misconduct have been revealed.

Unethical paid expenses for recruits, prohibited visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, visits to gentlemen’s clubs with recruits’ parents, and trips to shooting ranges with recruits are only a fraction of the many violations the NCAA discovered in their investigation, according to the NCAA’s public infractions decision released today.

Pierce, a former NFL linebacker who won a Super Bowl title in 2008 with the New York Giants, served in various positions with the ASU program from 2018-2021, including associate head coach, defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator. Continue reading “Strip clubs and shooting ranges: NCAA document details ASU football infractions, Antonio Pierce’s role as kingpin”

And you get a car! And you get a car! NIL collective helps 7 ASU football players secure Mach-E Mustangs

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: Sports-ASU NIL Cars, 600 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Dane Palmer
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Arizona State safety Myles Rowser was surprised during practice Thursday when he looked up at the Mountain America Stadium concourse and saw a row of cars.

He was even more surprised afterward when he learned one of the new Ford Mustang Mach-E cars was for him.

“I’m honestly super excited,” Rowser said. “This was something I didn’t even know about. They said, ‘Come upstairs and put on a jersey after practice’ and now I’m here looking at a brand new car.” Continue reading “And you get a car! And you get a car! NIL collective helps 7 ASU football players secure Mach-E Mustangs”

Arizona organizations look to help Indigenous communities with voting obstacles ahead of November

by Julia Thompson

EDS: An earlier version of this story miscast when Native Americans in Arizona gained the right to vote. The error occurred in the first and second grafs of the original. The story below has been corrected, but clients who used previous versions are asked to run the correction found here.

  • Slug: Indigenous Voting Obstacles. 1,100 words.
  • Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Marshall Baker
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Indian Citizenship Act was signed into law in June 1924, granting Indigenous people born in the United States citizenship and paving the way to their right to vote. Although this was 100 years ago, today Indigenous people in Arizona still face many challenges when it comes to the electoral process at the federal, state and local levels.

It wasn’t until 1948, when the Arizona Supreme Court weighed in, that Indigenous people gained the right to vote in the state, though Native Americans still faced many suppression tactics. Even after the Voting Rights Act was passed by Congress in 1965, reinforcing Indigenous voting rights, English literacy tests were given as a requirement to vote until the 1970s.

Continue reading “Arizona organizations look to help Indigenous communities with voting obstacles ahead of November”

Southern California transportation upgrades will support sustainable 2028 Olympics in LA

by Julia Thompson

EDS: An earlier version of this story misspelled Sam Morrissey’s last name. It also included incorrect information about the LA Metro K Line. The errors occurred in grafs 2, 8, 13, 17 and 21. The story below has been corrected, but clients who used previous versions are asked to run the correction found here.

  • Slug: LA Olympics Transportation. 800 words.
  • 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Emery Davis
Cronkite News

LOS ANGELES – Ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games, the City of Angels is already preparing for its turn with the torch by improving public transport in support of a “transit-first” Games.

“Public transportation will be the best option for spectators to take because it will be built into the Games plan to serve as the most reliable and efficient way to get to your destination while minimizing traffic in highly congested areas,” Sam Morrissey said in a statement. Morrissey is vice president of transportation for LA28, the Games’ organizing committee.

Additional public transportation will not only benefit spectators of the Games but also Southern California residents.

Continue reading “Southern California transportation upgrades will support sustainable 2028 Olympics in LA”

California panel calls attention to ties between Southwest climate crisis and cancer disparities

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Cancer Disparities Climate. 865 words.
  • Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Brandelyn Clark
Cronkite News

LOS ANGELES – Last month, experts examined cancer in medically underserved communities at the 17th annual American Association for Cancer Research Conference in Los Angeles. One panel was dedicated to the intersections of climate change and cancer disparities.

The panelists said there is a need for a more equitable approach to environmental justice and cancer care among marginalized communities.

Continue reading “California panel calls attention to ties between Southwest climate crisis and cancer disparities”

Experts say women of color will massively influence the 2024 election

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: Women of Color Politics. 930 words.
  • File photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Sienna Monea
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – As the 2024 presidential election approaches, women of color are emerging as one of the most influential voting blocs in the United States. Their growing political power is reshaping policy debates and driving grassroots activism across the country.

Arizona, a battleground state, has seen substantial change to the racial and ethnic composition of its electorate. According to the Center for American Women and Politics, Black women became the second-largest group in voter turnout in the U.S. in 2022, behind White voters and ahead of Asian American/Pacific Islander and Latino voters. In recent elections, the number of women voting exceeded the number of men. Black voters play a crucial role in several key battleground states this year.

Continue reading “Experts say women of color will massively influence the 2024 election”

Bernice King, ASU celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy for 60th anniversary of Arizona visit

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: Bernice King. 630 words.
  • Photos available.

By Hayden Larkin
Cronkite News

TEMPE – An often-forgotten piece of the Civil Rights Movement is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s visit to Arizona in 1964 to champion the Civil Rights Act. In honor of the 60th anniversary of this event, Arizona State University, in collaboration with the Tempe Center for the Arts, spearheaded this celebration with a keynote lecture by Bernice King, the youngest of King’s children.

She urged people to engage with her father’s strategies of nonviolence to change the minds of others.

Continue reading “Bernice King, ASU celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy for 60th anniversary of Arizona visit”

Summer grind: AZ Compass Prep stars Miikka Muurinen, Kaden House enjoy hectic year-round schedules

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-Summer 5-Star Recruits, 2,000 words.
  • Photos available.

By Dylan Ackermann
Cronkite News

CHANDLER – Grand Canyon men’s basketball coach Bryce Drew knows a thing or two about the role summer plays for a top recruit.

Named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball and the 1994 Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year during his senior season at Valparaiso High School, Drew credits productive summers as the key to having success during the high school season and in future careers.

However, the 16th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft doesn’t recall his high school summers being this intense. Continue reading “Summer grind: AZ Compass Prep stars Miikka Muurinen, Kaden House enjoy hectic year-round schedules”

Harassment, racism claims overshadow growth of WNBA, including Portland expansion

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-WNBA Expansion, 1,600 words.
  • Photos available.

By Kendall Flynn
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – With harassment and racism suddenly serving as the soundtrack to the increasingly popular WNBA, the league hopes its recent news of expansion will shift the narrative.

The WNBA announced its return to Portland recently, giving the Phoenix Mercury a new opponent on the West Coast starting in 2026. The Rip City will be the WNBA’s 15th franchise, and it will join the Golden State Valkyries and Toronto in the league’s planned expansion from 12 teams.

“As we’ve seen throughout our 2024 record-breaking season, the demand for the W brand of basketball is unprecedented,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said while announcing the Portland expansion on Sept. 18. “We’re selling out games at historic pace, setting ratings records, introducing our veterans and new stars to new fans and the world.” Continue reading “Harassment, racism claims overshadow growth of WNBA, including Portland expansion”

BLK Arizona Run Club builds community in the Valley, one step at a time

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-BLK Run Club, 575 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Keller Brown
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Even with the scorching heat pummeling down on Arizona residents, hundreds of people still come out every Sunday morning to run on Tempe Town Lake because of the sense of community that BLK Arizona Run Club provides.

Every Sunday starts at 7:30 a.m. with a group stretch, with the runners surrounded by Black-owned business vendors. From fresh lemonade to granola bars, attendees are enticed by healthy options before, during and after running along the lake.

Emanuel Jones, a fitness trainer who founded the club in the beginning of June, created it to give opportunities for connections and community, and potentially even more. That includes possible romantic connections. Continue reading “BLK Arizona Run Club builds community in the Valley, one step at a time”

‘We should be in Milwaukee’: Mike Hazen, Torey Lovullo lament end of Diamondbacks season

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-Arizona Diamondbacks Reflection, 800 words.
  • Photos available.

By Sean Brennan
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – A day after they were eliminated from the postseason, the mood in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ clubhouse mirrored the vacant Chase Field seats above.

Aside from designated hitter Joc Pederson quietly clearing out his stall, the clubhouse was empty with only the palpable sense of frustration and disappointment hanging in the air.

The empty feeling was both warranted and predictable given how things ended. Continue reading “‘We should be in Milwaukee’: Mike Hazen, Torey Lovullo lament end of Diamondbacks season”

Tucson Congressman Raúl Grijalva, sidelined by cancer since February, says next term will be his last

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: Grijalva Retirement. 485 words.
  • File photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Jackson Sutter
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Tucson Congressman Raúl Grijalva, diagnosed with cancer early this year and absent from the U.S. Capitol since February, says his next term will be his last.

He’s seeking a 12th term next month and on Monday, the 76-year-old Democrat told KOLD-TV in Tucson that he won’t run again after that.

Continue reading “Tucson Congressman Raúl Grijalva, sidelined by cancer since February, says next term will be his last”

Vice President Kamala Harris touts failed bipartisan border bill as immigration solution in Arizona speech

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: Harris Border. 830 words. By Nash Darragh.
  • Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Nash Darragh
Cronkite News

DOUGLAS – Border security and stability were main themes in the gymnasium at Cochise College on Friday during a visit by Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris along with other prominent Democrats.

“I strongly supported the comprehensive border security bill written last year, as you know, by a bipartisan group of senators, including one of the most conservative members of the United States’ Congress,” Harris said. “That bill would have hired 1,500 more border agents and officers. It would have paid for 100 inspection machines to detect fentanyl that is killing tens of thousands of Americans every year.”

Continue reading “Vice President Kamala Harris touts failed bipartisan border bill as immigration solution in Arizona speech”

“Arizona es ‘esencial’ en la lucha por el Senado de EE. UU., dice jefe de campaña”

by Julio Cisneros

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was translated from English to Spanish using ChatGPT. A Cronkite News editor reviewed the translation. Find the original story here. See any errors? Please let us know. Contact julio.cisneros@asu.edu.

NOTA DEL EDITOR: Este reportaje fue traducido del inglés al español usando ChatGPT. Un editor de Cronkite Noticias revisó la traducción. Encuentra el reportaje original aquí. ¿Ves algún error? Por favor, déjanoslo saber. Contacta a julio.cisneros@asu.edu.

  • NOMBRE: CNGallLake. 596 palabras.
  • 1 foto disponible

Por Phineas Hogan
Cronkite Noticias

WASHINGTON – Los demócratas no podrán mantener el control del Senado de EE. UU. a menos que el congresista de Arizona, Ruben Gallego, derrote a la candidata republicana Kari Lake.

Continue reading ““Arizona es ‘esencial’ en la lucha por el Senado de EE. UU., dice jefe de campaña””

March Madness sensation Jack Gohlke competes at Isaiah Thomas tournament, takes hoop dreams overseas

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Jack Gohlke Journey, 1,575 words.
  • Photos available.

By Dylan Ackermann
Cronkite News

TACOMA – Jack Gohlke’s journey since he drilled 10 3-point shots to lead 14th seeded Oakland University to a Cinderella upset of third-seeded Kentucky in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament began as a nationwide tour.

And now it has taken an international turn.

Gohlke’s first stop took place during Final Four festivities in the 3-Point Contest at GCU’s Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix April 4, then he was off to State Farm Stadium in nearby Glendale for the Reese’s NABC All-Star Game the following day. Continue reading “March Madness sensation Jack Gohlke competes at Isaiah Thomas tournament, takes hoop dreams overseas”

Optimism surrounds Arizona State men’s basketball team as new season approaches

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Men’s Basketball, 675 words.
  • Photo available.

By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Shawn Philips and Adam Miller are just entering their 20s, but in the Arizona State locker room, they are now considered the old heads. Philips and Miller are two of only four players remaining from last year’s ASU men’s basketball team who will embark on another campaign in the desert.

Despite massive roster upheaval – for a second consecutive offseason – coach Bobby Hurley is optimistic as the new-look Sun Devils head into their first season in the Big 12 Conference in 2024-25.

“I think we have a good mixture of experienced and skilled guys,” Hurley said. “Our shooting should be vastly improved compared to last year or just our overall ability to put the ball in the basket.” Continue reading “Optimism surrounds Arizona State men’s basketball team as new season approaches”