• Slug: BC-CNS-Teacher Shortage,590 words.
• Photo, graphic available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Adrienne Washington
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Nearly one-third of teaching positions in Arizona public and charter schools were still vacant one month into the school year, according to a new report, the most in eight years of data on school vacancies.

The Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association report for the 2023-24 school year said that 29.7% of teaching positions were still vacant in September, up from 26.6% at the same time last year. That translated into 2,230 vacant teaching positions through the first few weeks of this school year.

The report also said that 53.2% of teachers in the classroom this year do not meet the state’s standard certification requirements, but are allowed to teach under an alternative pathway. Continue reading “Nearly a third of teacher slots vacant for this school year, highest in eight years”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Affordable Housing,1140 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Alyssa Bickle
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – A bipartisan group of housing reform advocates, from current and former state lawmakers to government leaders, gathered last Thursday to talk about the lack of affordable housing in Arizona and solutions.

The event was organized by nonpartisan nonprofit Arizona Talks with the aim of facilitating civil dialogue about affordable housing. Most of the speakers touched on how the issue is a personal one and requires bipartisan solutions.

“We all have a housing story, even if you are unsheltered, we all understand the importance and value of housing,” said Joan Serviss, who leads the Arizona Department of Housing. Continue reading “‘Eternally complex problems’: Bipartisan advocates talk affordable housing”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Speaker Silenced,680 words.
• 2 file photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Renee Romo and Alexandria Cullen
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Arizona Reps. Andy Biggs and Eli Crane were among the eight conservative Republicans who voted with all House Democrats Tuesday to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the first time in history a sitting speaker has been removed.

The 216-210 vote could paralyze the House – it took 15 ballots for Republicans to elect McCarthy speaker earlier this year – at a time when Congress has a little more than six weeks to pass a fiscal 2024 budget or face another potential government shutdown. Continue reading “Biggs, Crane join Democrats in historic vote to oust McCarthy as speaker”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Salt River Fire. 390 words. By Deanna Pistono.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails and captions below).

By Deanna Pistono
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – A fire that broke out at a landfill at about 4 p.m. Saturday on the Salt River Indian Reservation, near N. Beeline Highway east of Scottsdale, had been reduced to a smolder by Tuesday afternoon.

After firefighters were done combating the blaze, said Chuck Kmet, emergency manager for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, a green waste contractor was hired to help further manage the remaining smolder.

Though the flame has been stifled, the lingering smoke may cause or exacerbate various health concerns, one expert said.

Continue reading “Smoke from the Salt River landfill fire could cause health problems”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Veteran Bingo. About 600 words. By Reagan Priest.
• Photos available (thumbnails and captions below).
• Video available.

By Reagan Priest
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Arizona veterans groups say state agencies are unfairly cracking down on electronic bingo cards, while state agencies say agents are only conducting inspections to prevent the use of illegal bingo machines.

At a news conference at the Arizona Capitol on Monday, several members of local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts were joined by Republican Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli, who said the departments of Revenue, Gaming, and Liquor are conducting raids and harassing organizations for their use of bingo technological aids.

Bingo technological aids, or BTAs, are electronic bingo cards that assist bingo players with disabilities and have been legal since 2017. The state says these organizations are not being penalized for using BTAs, but for using bingo gambling machines, which resemble slot machines and can be played without other players present.

Continue reading “Arizona veterans, state agencies battle over bingo machines deemed illegal under state gambling laws”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Witness Rejection,600 words.
• File photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Renee Romo
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court will hear the appeal of an Arizona man who said his right to confront his accuser was violated when the expert witness who tested the drugs in his case was replaced by another expert.

Jason Smith was convicted in part on the testimony of Greggory Longoni, who testified using reports filed by Elizabeth Rast, the Arizona Department of Public Safety forensic scientist who tested the drugs in Smith’s case. Rast had left the department before Smith’s case came to trial. Continue reading “Supreme Court to hear appeal over expert testimony in Yuma drug case”

• Slug: BC-CNS-LA Fights Food Insecurity. 750 words. By Taylor Ens.
• 3 photos available (thumbnails and captions available below).

By Taylor Ens
Cronkite News

LOS ANGELES – Every Thursday, people come to the Central Avenue farmers market at E. 43rd Street in downtown Los Angeles to find fresh produce from local growers – bright red tomatoes, vibrant broccoli and crisp cauliflower. The prices might discourage some low-income customers from shopping there, but this market is different.

At this farmers market, run by Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA), some low-income people can afford to buy fresh fruits and vegetables that could help make their homes more food-secure, thanks to a special program called Market Match.

Continue reading “Los Angeles farmers markets team up with health department to fight food insecurity and support communities”

EDS: WRITES THRU Friday walkup story to reflect Saturday’s approval of stopgap measure to avert a shutdown, changes tenses throughout. adds details on how Arizona delegation voted on the continuing resolution.

• Slug: BC-CNS-Shutdown Economy WRITETHRU,940 words.
• File photo, video story available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Renee Romo
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Congress approved a stopgap measure to keep the government open with just hours to spare Saturday night, heading off a shutdown that would have meant the loss of a paycheck for close to 50,000 federal workers and active-duty military in Arizona – and they’re not the only ones who would have felt the pinch.

Government contractors stop getting paid in a shutdown, small businesses could lose sales as nervous consumers cut spending and anyone who needs a government service, from processing a passport application to visiting a national park, would feel the shutdown firsthand. Continue reading “50,000 federal workers, military, in Arizona spared as shutdown averted”

• Slug: Sports-The Sweet Spot. Runtime 19:12.
• Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)

[Music bed under] 

YATES: This is The Sweet Spot where we take a closer look at the week’s biggest sports stories in Arizona. I’m Benjamin Yates, and welcome to our fourth episode of the Sweet Spot. We are excited to have everyone listening in to the show.

[Music fade in/under] Continue reading “The Sweet Spot: Basketball fever, a – literal – charity drive, a new kind of two-way player”

• Slug: BC-CNS-CN2Go Weekly Update. Runtime 12:57.
• Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)

[Music bed under] 

CN2Go Host: This is Cronkite News 2 Go. I’m your host, Kiersten Edgett.

[Music fade in/under]

CN2Go Host: On today’s show we talk about Biden’s visit to Arizona on Thursday, the recent record breaking heat’s effect on those experiencing homelessness, water levels in the greater Phoenix area, and how NASCAR Accelerator Charities allowed drivers to do laps around their famous race track. Continue reading “CN2Go Weekly Update: Extreme heat affecting people living in ‘The Zone’”