Phoenix nursery provides model solution for newborns exposed to opioids
In central Phoenix, Hushabye Nursery is home to babies born withdrawing from addictive substances they were exposed to in the womb. Across the country, cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome increased a startling 82% from 2010 to 2017, research shows. In Arizona, these cases increased 41% from 2017 to 2021.
Griner’s release raises questions about lingering impact of Russian penal colony imprisonment
As many celebrated the news of Brittney Griner’s release Thursday, others addressed the conditions of Russian penal colonies, raising questions about the lingering impact that could have on the WNBA star.
Maricopa County sees large spike in flu, Covid and RSV
Arizona's most populous county is warning of a significant rise in cases of the flu, Covid and other respiratory illnesses.
After midterms, GOP reconsidering antipathy to mail ballots
Republicans in Arizona and other parts of the country have handed Democrats an advantage in balloting due to former President Donald Trump's false claims about the risks of mail voting. Conservative conspiracy theorists urged GOP voters to wait until Election Day before casting their ballots and spun tales about how such a strategy would prevent Democrats from rigging voting machines to steal the [...]
Cannabis sales soar, but don’t threaten 5 C’s
Sales of marijuana in Arizona soared to $1.6 billion in 2021, just one year after recreational cannabis was legalized in the state, making Arizona second only to California for retail sales that year, according to an industry research group.
Husband, wife lawmakers will attend after long absences
Rep. Athena Salman, D-Tempe, and her husband Sen. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, will return to in-person meetings at the Legislature next session, according to Mendez. Salman and Mendez have avoided coming to the Capitol in-person since the onslaught of the Covid pandemic in March of 2020, but the other 88 lawmakers came back to work in person last year.
Lawmakers seek data on pot-related DUI
Arizona lawmakers are seeking to better understand drug-related DUI cases for future legislation that appropriately addresses marijuana and other drugs. The Legislature created the Driving Under the Influence Data Collection Study Committee, which met twice, once in October and once earlier this week.
Page wary of crisis on the Colorado River
As the once-mighty Colorado shrinks in the hands of a changing climate, communities that rely on it are starting to feel the pinch. Many large cities in the Southwest are well-positioned to weather the growing crisis, but some smaller ones have a perilous front row seat as the diminished river threatens to cut off their water supply completely. Page is one of them.
U.S. Supreme Court mulls anonymous jury case
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to take up an Arizona-based case weighing whether courts can use anonymous juries at their discretion.
Groups push statewide groundwater protection plan
An environmental lobbyist is crafting a sweeping groundwater protection bill that he hopes will pass in the next legislative session, but past attempts have failed.
WNBA star Griner freed in swap for Russian arms dealer Bout
Russia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday in a high-profile prisoner exchange, as the U.S. released notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. But the U.S. failed to win freedom for another American, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.
Border surge brings shift in migrant countries, challenges to U.S. policy
The surge of migrants at the southern border has included skyrocketing numbers from countries that were barely represented in previous years, presenting a challenge that experts say the U.S. is not equipped to address.