Recent Articles from Jack Fitzpatrick, Cronkite News Service
Technology could change the face of mining jobs at Resolution Copper
WASHINGTON – The small town of Superior has pinned its livelihood to copper, silver and gold mines for more than a century, but never has it had a prospect like this.
From state Senate to State Department: Jackson is new liaison to tribes
WASHINGTON – Former Arizona state Sen. Jack Jackson Jr. knew his job with the State Department would be a balancing act between representing the federal government and serving tribal communities.
Park Service balks at requirement to plan ahead for future shutdowns
WASHINGTON – The National Park Service is not interested in coming up with plans to let states pay to keep parks open should another government shutdown occur, a service official testified Thursday to a House subcommittee.
Arizona delegation splits as House passes ‘Keep Your Health Plan’ bill
WASHINGTON – Arizona Reps. Kyrsten Sinema and Ron Barber joined 37 other Democrats who crossed the aisle Friday and voted for a GOP-backed bill to let people keep their current insurance policies under the health care reform act.
McCain, Flake vote to ban workplace discrimination for sexual orientation
WASHINGTON – Arizona Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake joined an overwhelming majority of senators Thursday to pass a bill banning workplace discrimination based on an employee’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Arizona finishes 12th in national ranking on energy-efficiency policies
WASHINGTON – Arizona is the 12th-most energy-efficient state in the nation this year, the same position the state held last year, according to rankings released Wednesday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
Officials, lawmakers call for greater investment in wildfire prevention
WASHINGTON – For every dollar the government spends preventing wildfire damage, it could save cash-strapped agencies like the Forest Service another $5 on fighting increasingly large fires, a Senate committee was told Tuesday.
Report blames national parks maintenance backlog on Congress
Congress is letting maintenance backlogs grow in national parks like the Grand Canyon while continuing to add new sites that the National Park Service cannot afford to maintain, a report Tuesday charged.
Forget apps: In Congress, there’s a caucus for that, and Arizonans join up
WASHINGTON – Shipbuilding may not seem like a vital issue for arid, landlocked Arizona, but Rep. Trent Franks, R-Glendale, joined the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus – along with 23 other caucuses and working groups.
Visa backlog from shutdown could cause shortage of farm labor
This month’s federal government shutdown caused a backup in seasonal farmworkers’ visa applications that some groups say could lead to a labor shortage during the coming winter vegetable harvest.
Tusayan mayor criticizes Park Service for closing Grand Canyon, other parks
Tusayan Mayor Greg Bryan told House lawmakers Wednesday that closing Grand Canyon National Park has devastated his town’s economy, and he criticized federal government officials for not acting sooner to reopen it.
Northern Arizona tourism feeling impact of Grand Canyon shutdown
Grand Canyon river-rafting guides were having a good season this year. And then the calendar turned to October.