By Marshall Baker
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – Carletta Tilousi was a young girl when she first heard about possible uranium mining near her home of Supai. Deep within the canyons near the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, this is where the Havasupai people reside.
From the day they were contacted about it, the Havasupai were resistant to uranium mining near their homelands.
By Sebastian Mondaca Sepulveda
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – With only eight games left in the regular season, Phoenix Rising FC is battling to secure a playoff spot in the USL Championship. Despite Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Sacramento Republic FC, the defending champions remain in seventh place in the Western Conference.
The loss comes after a stretch of promising form, including two consecutive wins and five clean sheets in their last six matches. Interim coach Diego Gómez, who took over after the firing of Danny Stone, has been instrumental in turning Rising’s season around.
The club started the year with high expectations following its inspiring underdog run to the USL Championship in 2023. However, early results fell far short of those expectations. Continue reading “Road to a repeat: Phoenix Rising FC fighting to hold playoff position after Sacramento setback”
By Aya Abdeen
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner and guard Diana Taurasi are the only two active Mercury players who were on the 2014 WNBA championship team.
Toward the end of a ceremony Friday to honor that group, Taurasi told the crowd at Footprint Center, “Let’s do it again.”
The Mercury have been trying to do it again ever since that 2014 championship, and this year’s club hopes to use that season as motivation to add the organization’s fourth WNBA trophy this season. Continue reading “‘Let’s do it again’: Phoenix Mercury aim to channel 2014 championship spirit for another title”
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.
Por Aaron Stigile
Cronkite Noticias
PHOENIX – A finales del mes pasado entró en vigor una importante actualización de las regulaciones de solicitud de visas T del Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglés), destinadas a los sobrevivientes de la trata de personas. Quienes trabajan en el campo de la trata de personas dicen que ya están viendo efectos positivos, pero los expertos creen que algunas partes del cambio de reglas complican el proceso.
Slug: News21-Fractured-Rise of AI. By Kyle Chouinard/News21. 2,794 words. Note: An abridged version of 1,100 words is also available.
With 7 photos.
CONCORD, N.H. — This year’s election marks the first amid the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, and that has regulators, lawmakers and voter advocates examining how best to regulate the technology to combat its misuse. Bills passed in New Hampshire and California seek to regulate deepfakes during election season, but other states and Congress have yet to take meaningful action. A robocall scheme in New Hampshire quickly became national news earlier this year, turning Americans’ concerns about the emerging technology of AI into a domestic case study for its misuse in elections.
By Anne-Marie Iemmolo
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – In the decade following the Phoenix Mercury’s 2014 championship win, the members of that team have continued their basketball legacies both on and off the court.
The Mercury celebrated the 10th anniversary of their third – and most recent – championship Friday after the team’s 88-69 home loss to the Connecticut Sun. It was the first time the team had reunited since Phoenix won the title 10 years ago.
The reunion featured current players Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, former Mercury players who were members of the 2014 team – including star forward Penny Taylor – along with Connecticut wing DeWanna Bonner, who was a member of two Mercury championship teams, including the 2014 squad. Continue reading “‘Forever family’: 2014 Phoenix Mercury championship team reunites to celebrate 10th anniversary”
By Gabrielle Wallace
Cronkite News
WASHINGTON – Survivors of nuclear testing and uranium mines are ramping up pressure on Congress to reauthorize a federal compensation program that expired in June.
Many of those afflicted since World War II are from the Navajo Nation, which is organizing a rally next week that will include prayers at the Capitol for radiation victims.
“I want Congress to realize that it’s important and we need to pass this bill because some people did not get any … compensation,” said Maggie Billiman, whose father, a Navajo Code Talker during World War II, died of stomach cancer that she attributes to fallout from nuclear tests that settled over their hometown in Arizona.
By James Morel
Cronkite News
TEMPE – A day after Kyler Murray’s near-perfect performance and domination of the Los Angeles Rams, running back James Conner and coach Jonathan Gannon took to the podium to sing the team’s praises.
Murray threw for 266 yards, with 130-yards worth of his passes being pulled in by the young rookie sensation Marvin Harrison Jr. Sunday at State Farm Stadium in a 41-10 rout.
Murray ended the game with a 158.3 quarterback passer rating, the highest score a quarterback can receive and a career high. Continue reading “‘One of the best’: Cardinals praise performances of Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison Jr. in blowout win”
By Hayden Larkin
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – With the 2024 election around the corner, droves of people are being pushed toward the polls this November. But and for many young voters, it has become difficult to remain engaged. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Tempe Alumnae Chapter urged college-aged voters to stay engaged and informed at its Youth Voter Forum on Sunday.
“I just encourage everyone to vote,” said Keisha Tatem, Alumnae Chapter president. “I vote because there were people at one point in time that could not vote, and some people lost their life to make sure everyone in America had the right to vote. And so I vote to honor them, but also because I want to be in control. I want to have some control over my future, and so it’s important to know that that’s what voting can give you.”
Continue reading “ASU voter forum encourages college-aged voters to engage ahead of 2024 election”
By Phineas Hogan
Cronkite News
WASHINGTON – Kari Lake has consistently underperformed Donald Trump in Arizona, an anemic showing that spells trouble for Republicans hoping to nab the state’s open U.S. Senate seat.
A Fox News poll of Arizona voters on Aug. 28 showed Lake lagging Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego by 15 percentage points, even as the former president remained virtually tied with Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race.
Other polls also find a persistent gap between Trump’s support and hers in Arizona, which bodes well for Democrats who would almost certainly lose control of the Senate without the Arizona seat.
By Tucker L. Sennett
Cronkite News
TEMPE – Kenny Dillingham was quieter than usual in his Monday afternoon press conference. While his team reaped the rewards of a long weekend after Thursday’s 31-28 win over Texas State, the coach stayed hard at work.
“Friday … I was in San Marcos, then went (from) San Marcos to San Antonio, saw five schools in San Antonio, then left San Antonio and went to El Paso,” he said about his recruiting journey. “Saturday we had a day off, so I got to hang out with the little guy.”
Such is the schedule of the modern college football coach. Between his team posting a 3-0 start for the first time since 2019 and being a dad, Dillingham doesn’t have time to slow down. His team doesn’t either. Continue reading “Old friends, tortillas and more: ASU prepares for Texas Tech in first conference clash in Big 12”
By Sean Brennan
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo wasn’t surprised to see first baseman Christian Walker put up a two-home-run performance recently against the Texas Rangers.
And he knew that second baseman Ketel Marte’s 3-for-4 day less than 24 hours later, which helped the team to a two-game sweep of Texas, was in the making.
Marte and Walker, two cornerstones of Arizona’s infield, missed significant time with injuries, but Lovullo could afford to be patient. Continue reading “D-backups: Arizona Diamondbacks reserves come up big during hunt for playoffs”
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.
Por Mia Osmonbekov
Cronkite Noticias
WASHINGTON — El temor por sus padres indocumentados persiguió a Mario Montoya durante toda su infancia en Mesa. A veces se convertía en terror absoluto, como la vez que su madre tuvo un accidente automovilístico.
“Uno de mis primeros pensamientos fue… ¿y si la policía le pregunta por su estatus migratorio?” dijo Montoya, de 26 años, que ahora estudia derecho en Seattle. “¿Y si no la vuelvo a ver?”.
Sus padres finalmente recibieron estatus legal hace unos meses, 11 años después de que el programa de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA) del presidente Barack Obama eliminara el riesgo de deportación para su hijo.
A nivel nacional, 22 millones de personas viven en hogares con estatus migratorio mixto, incluyendo más de medio millón en Arizona, según estimaciones de FWD.us, un grupo de defensa de la inmigración. En estos hogares, la ansiedad nunca desaparece, y el riesgo real de deportación puede depender de las elecciones.
El expresidente Donald Trump ha prometido lanzar “la mayor operación de deportación en la historia de nuestro país” y, eventualmente, reunir y expulsar a todos los que viven en el país sin documentos migratorios, una población calculada en 11 millones en un informe de abril del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional.
Una deportación a esa escala afectaría a otros 11 millones de estadounidenses que viven con esos inmigrantes indocumentados: hijos, hermanos y padres.
Cuando se le preguntó el mes pasado durante una visita a la frontera entre EE. UU. y México en Arizona si deportaría a inmigrantes indocumentados con un hijo o cónyuge que sea ciudadano estadounidense, Trump dijo a NBC News que “se harán provisiones, pero tenemos que sacar a los criminales”.
Montoya llama al plan “inhumano” y teme que Trump pueda cumplir sus promesas si gana nuevamente. “Va a estar más preparado que en su primer mandato para intentar hacer cumplir lo que quiere”, dijo.
La vicepresidenta Kamala Harris ha prometido aumentar la seguridad fronteriza, en respuesta a las preocupaciones de que los cruces ilegales alcanzaron niveles récord bajo la presidencia de Joe Biden.
En un mitin en Glendale el 9 de agosto, Harris le dijo a la multitud que su visión para la reforma migratoria “incluye una fuerte seguridad fronteriza y un camino hacia la ciudadanía basado en méritos”.
Ha prometido firmar el proyecto de ley fronterizo bipartidista que Trump ayudó a rechazar en mayo.
Ese proyecto de ley habría agregado $20 mil millones al presupuesto de Seguridad Nacional, habría dificultado la solicitud y obtención de asilo, y habría permitido a las autoridades cerrar la frontera cuando los cruces ilegales aumentaran.
No ofrecía ninguna protección especial para los inmigrantes indocumentados, ni extendía el programa DACA que ayudó a Montoya y a cientos de miles de otros traídos al país ilegalmente cuando eran niños.
“En este momento, no tengo fe en ningún partido cuando se trata de derechos de inmigración”, dijo Kevin Carreño Wissar, de 21 años, estudiante del Glendale Community College nacido en Chihuahua, México.
Wissar dijo que llegó a los Estados Unidos a los 6 años. El próximo año será elegible para solicitar una tarjeta verde – residencia legal – después de una década de espera.
“En mi mundo ideal, simplemente querría que hubiera una forma para que cualquier persona aquí que se considere indocumentada tenga un camino real hacia la ciudadanía”, dijo.
No es la única preocupación inminente para las familias con estatus migratorio mixto en Arizona.
Los republicanos en la Legislatura han puesto una medida llamada Proposición 314 en la boleta de noviembre que convertiría en delito estatal cruzar la frontera ilegalmente. Si se aprueba, la policía podría arrestar a cualquiera que no pueda probar ciudadanía estadounidense o residencia legal, y los tribunales estatales podrían ordenar deportaciones. Los tribunales federales han bloqueado leyes similares en Texas y otros estados.
Los defensores de los inmigrantes señalan el historial de Trump como presidente como evidencia de que buscaría implementar políticas duras si fuera reelegido.
Bajo una política de “tolerancia cero” que comenzó en el verano de 2018, las autoridades federales separaron a 5,000 niños de sus padres. Las denegaciones de visas se dispararon bajo su administración. Durante la pandemia de COVID-19, Trump utilizó una autoridad de emergencia de salud pública conocida como Título 42 para ordenar expulsiones masivas y rechazar a los solicitantes de asilo.
Si Harris gana, “no esperamos que sucedan esas cosas ridículas”, dijo Yunuen Trujillo, abogada directora de la Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. “Basado en lo que (Trump) hizo en el pasado, también significaba que, si había una denegación, incluso si era por una razón ridícula, sabes que esa persona podría ser transferida a ICE para procedimientos de deportación”.
Lynn Marcus, directora de la clínica de derecho migratorio en la Facultad de Derecho de la University of Arizona, coincidió en que Harris “buscaría evitar la separación familiar ya que ha enfatizado mantener a las familias unidas”.
“La posición de Trump siempre ha sido que el estado de derecho es primordial y para él eso significa reunir y deportar a todos los que son deportables sin tener en cuenta las circunstancias individuales o los lazos con ciudadanos estadounidenses”, dijo.
Los adultos indocumentados tienen pocas opciones para buscar la naturalización sin salir del país.
“Hay un gran riesgo de que si sales del país pierdas tu trabajo, quedes varado en el extranjero, te quedes sin dinero, o estés en riesgo de violencia por parte de los carteles”, dijo Marcus. Es “un impedimento significativo para las personas que de otro modo calificarían para obtener una tarjeta verde”.
Aparte de las familias militares, la libertad condicional –permanecer legalmente en EE.UU. mientras se espera la naturalización– generalmente no es una opción.
La iniciativa “Keeping Families Together” (Mantener a las familias juntas) de Biden, presentada el mes pasado, extendería la libertad condicional a unos 500,000 cónyuges indocumentados y 50,000 hijastros indocumentados de ciudadanos estadounidenses. Un juez federal en Texas detuvo temporalmente la política a finales del mes pasado.
Según los Servicios de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de EE. UU., las personas a las que está dirigida la nueva política han vivido en EE. UU. durante un promedio de 23 años.
“Uno de los mayores mitos es que si una persona (indocumentada) está casada con un ciudadano estadounidense, eso es una defensa contra la deportación o pueden solicitar una tarjeta verde y obtenerla”, dijo Marcus.
–30–
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.
Por Macy Markham
Cronkite Noticias
WASHINGTON – En noviembre, los votantes de Arizona decidirán sobre una enmienda constitucional estatal, la Propuesta 139, que garantizaría el acceso al aborto hasta el punto de viabilidad fetal. Eso marcaría un cambio importante. Actualmente, el estado prohíbe el aborto después de 15 semanas de embarazo, aproximadamente nueve semanas antes del punto en que un feto puede sobrevivir fuera del útero.
Continue reading “Propuesta 139 sobre el aborto para las mujeres de Arizona “
By Tyler Bednar
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – The 2024 Arizona Diamondbacks have experienced a whirlwind of a season. Coming off a miracle postseason run in 2023 that culminated with a trip to the World Series, the team started cold through the first two months of play, accumulating a 25-32 record. Now, with three weeks left before the playoffs, Arizona is back to its winning ways and eyes even more postseason magic.
With 16 games remaining in the regular season, the team is 82-64, first in the National League wild-card race, which the Diamondbacks lead over the San Diego Padres and New York Mets.
“Just staying positive,” starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt said of manager Torey Lovullo’s message to the team as it embraces the season’s final stretch. “Playing the game that we’ve played all year and being consistent, I think that’s kind of what we’ve tried to do all year, and we’re certainly looking forward to doing it, even though it’s kind of later in the season.
By Ethan Desjardine
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – As the NFL wrapped up the opening week of the 2024 season, the prominence of Black quarterbacks continues to rise, solidifying their impact in the league and shaping the future of the most popular professional league in American sports.
The league saw a record number of African-American signal callers starting Week 1, with 15 of the 32 teams choosing Black quarterbacks to lead their offense, breaking the previous record set last season when 14 began the season as starters.
Black quarterbacks are not just starting at the most important position in sports, however – they are dominating.
By Jalen Witness Weathers
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – The NFL regular season is off to a familiar start for the Arizona Cardinals, who sit at 0-1 for the third straight year. After finishing 4-13 in each of the past two seasons, their Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills raises questions about whether this year will be different or more of the same.
With 17 games in an NFL regular season, every matchup matters. The Cardinals face a win total of 6.5, according to FanDuel, and to prove Las Vegas and bettors wrong, Kyler Murray & Co. must reach seven victories – something they haven’t achieved since their 11-6 campaign in 2021.
In the past decade, the Cardinals have never posted fewer than seven wins in three consecutive seasons. With a relatively easier schedule this season – they rank 24th in strength of schedule – Arizona plans to maintain its streak, starting with a much-needed victory Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
By Alex Sanchez
Cronkite News
TEMPE – For Emmanuel Taban, basketball is more than just a game – it’s an escape, a lifeline that has been guided by mentors like his grandmother and his seventh-grade art teacher Wilie Muñoz, whose belief in Taban recently pushed him to take the next step in his journey.
The 6-foot-7 forward, a Kenyan refugee whose grandmother raised him, traveled to the U.S. in the spring of 2004 before moving to Phoenix in 2008. Last weekend, he was one of the many hopefuls who showed up for the Valley Suns’ open tryouts at the Sun Devil Fitness Complex. The new G League affiliate of the Phoenix Suns, the Valley Suns open their inaugural season Nov. 8.
“My seventh-grade art teacher sent me the flyer (for the tryout) and said she would pay the buy-in fee if I wanted to do it,” Taban said of Muñoz. “It’s surreal, I cried when she sent me the message. Continue reading “From Kenya to Valley Suns hopeful, Emmanuel Taban uses teacher’s motivation to reach his dream”
By Connor Moreno
Cronkite News
PHOENIX — Twenty-one days. It’s not a lot of time. It’s three quarters of a month; six percent of a year.
But it was enough time for rookie guard Celeste Taylor to secure a roster spot with the Phoenix Mercury for the rest of the season. All it took was three seven-day contracts, each day more important than the last.
How would Taylor describe those three weeks? Emotional, anxious and impactful.
Taylor was signed to a rest-of-season contract with the Mercury on Sept. 6 after appearing in 10 games with the team and averaging 3.3 points, 1.8 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game.
Of all the feelings and difficulties of her unique rookie season, Taylor’s initial reaction to the contract was one of fulfillment.
“(I feel) accomplished working through the things I had to work through to get to where I’m at,” Taylor said.
By Dylan Ackermann
Cronkite News
TACOMA – NBA free agency has been underway for more than two months, and many players are still searching for their next home.
Among them, only one has finished in the top five in MVP voting, top three in points per game in a season, earned All-NBA Second Team honors and is a two-time All-Star: former Phoenix Suns guard Isaiah Thomas.
Since signing a one-year deal with the Wizards in the 2019 offseason, Thomas has not secured a contract before the start of the regular season. Over the past four seasons, he has played just 31 games, with the 2022-2023 season being a complete absence.
For someone who, as Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard put it, “pretty much reached the pinnacle of being at the best,” Thomas, at 35 years old, is not ready to ride off into the sunset just yet.
