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Court to hear appeal over Biden-backed lithium mine opposed by tribes, environmentalists
A U.S. appeals court will consider challenges Tuesday to a huge lithium mine in Nevada in a case that pits environmentalists and Native Americans against President Joe Biden's plans to combat climate change and could have broad implications for mining operations across the West.
US push to lower wildfire risk across the West stumbles in places
Using chainsaws, heavy machinery and controlled burns, the Biden administration is trying to turn the tide on worsening wildfires in the U.S. West through a multi-billion dollar cleanup of forests choked with dead trees and undergrowth.
Arizona becomes first state to stop agencies from taking foster children’s federal benefits
A new law signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs Monday makes Arizona the first state in the nation to stop child welfare agencies from seizing millions of dollars from foster care children’s federal benefits.
At graduations, Native American students seek acceptance of tribal regalia
For Native American students, tribal regalia is often passed down through generations and worn at graduations to signify connection with the community. Disputes over such attire have spurred laws making it illegal to prevent Native American students from wearing regalia in nearly a dozen states including Arizona, Oregon, South Dakota, North Dakota and Washington.
Planned Senate bill would counteract Mining Law ruling
A Democratic U.S. senator is looking to Congress to ensure mining companies can use established mineral claims to dump waste on neighboring federal lands as they always had before a federal appeals court adopted a stricter interpretation of a 150-year-old law.
Democratic Party files suit to keep No Labels Party off ballot
The Arizona Democratic Party filed suit Thursday to keep the No Labels Party off the 2024 ballot, conceding it fears its presence "will make it more difficult to elect Democratic Party candidates.''
Republicans aim to ban ranked choice voting
Legislative Republicans are working to outlaw ranked choice voting despite the fact the practice isn’t used in Arizona.
Scientists: Largest US reservoirs moving in right direction
Parts of California are under water, the Rocky Mountains are bracing for more snow, flood warnings are in place in Nevada, and water is being released from some Arizona reservoirs to make room for an expected bountiful spring runoff.
Bills would fund research of psilocybin mushrooms to treat PTSD, depression
Arizona lawmakers are giving a big thumbs up to the party drug known as Ecstasy and turning on to hallucinogenic magic mushrooms, too. But don’t take this wrong – they’re not pushing the drugs for the usual recreational uses. Instead, bills that would fund a $30 million research program to study psilocybin mushrooms in treating post-traumatic stress syndrome and depression, and another to le[...]
Documentary film works to preserve the legacy of Arizonan Stewart Udall
John de Graaf says there was a time when a list of Arizona political icons would have included Barry Goldwater, John McCain and at least one other – Stewart Udall. But de Graaf worries that Udall, an Interior secretary widely recognized as the modern father of conservation, is being forgotten, a slight that he hopes to reverse with a recently released documentary.
Shah’s bill would criminalize sale, purchase of items made from kangaroos
Got kangaroo parts? You may if you have certain kinds of sports shoes. And a proposed new state law would make the sale and purchase of such items made with what has been called "k-leather'' a crime.
Pandemic, culture wars revive ‘school choice’ policy push
With memories fresh from pandemic-era school closures and curriculum battles — particularly over how matters of gender and race are taught — legions of parents are trekking to the marble floors of their state Capitols to fight to create education savings accounts, also known as ESAs. Such accounts exist in Arizona and West Virginia, though Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs argues the dollars would be b[...]
