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News councils, which generally include a mix of journalists and citizens as members, cannot force news operations to cooperate in their investigations. They don’t have legal powers to compel witnesses or gather facts, and they lack authority to enforce any penalty, correction or retraction. Though supporters see councils as a way to encourage accurate and fair reporting, opponents have raised objections ranging from personal pique at outsider meddling to an old claim that such private reviews are a first step toward government interference with a free press.

On Jan. 21, the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources shut down operations when it ran out of money. However, the mines department’s governing board transferred custody of the department’s files and physical resources to the Arizona Geological Survey for one year, or until the Legislature takes further action, such as approving Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposal to consolidate the two agencies.

As the mayor of Cave Creek, I empathize with what Gov. Jan Brewer and state legislators are facing with the state’s budget deficit. Taxes can be raised only so high and spending cut only so deep before Arizonans’ quality of life suffers.

As a 25-year veteran of the gaming industry, I’ve seen how racinos alter the course of gaming and gaming regulation within a state. Although I have yet to see a bill this year that would allow race tracks to add slot machines and table games, my greatest concern is the ripple effect that will occur in the wake of such legislation.

Tucson – like Dallas before it, and Columbine, and Virginia Tech, and … the list is as endless as the tears those names evoke – has become more than just the site of senseless slaughter. It has become a rallying cry, a cause. In the weeks since the Jan. 8 mass shooting, many politicians and other well-intentioned people have seized upon Tucson to teach the entire population of the United States the lesson that the tone of our political discourse must moderate.

The toxic substance is widely available in smoke shops and liquor stores, as well as in wide supply on the Internet, advertised as “state legal.” Along with that description, companies promoting Spice should add “unsafe” and “potentially lethal” on the packaging.

I don't understand how people who profess to represent me just decide to kick me in the teeth and watch me bleed? Sending a request to the President asking to waive the requirement for States to maintain eligibility for public health benefits is doing just that to me, and others like me.

Last month, the Mecklenburg County (N.C.) Board of Commissioners awarded SPX Corp. a $3.1 million grant over five years to build a 230,000 square-foot office building in Charlotte and purchase two new aircrafts.

The shrill sound of too much of what passes for current national political discussion is a wake-up call to all Americans that the harshness of our political rhetoric has reached potentially dangerous levels.

As the Legislature faces the unenviable task of tackling our economic and budget crisis, the League of Arizona Cities and Towns remains committed to being a positive partner with Gov. Jan Brewer and state lawmakers to move Arizona forward.