• Slug: BC-CNS-Ballot Dispute,970
• 3 photos, video story available (thumbnails, captions below)

By Sarah Oven
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich told the Supreme Court Tuesday that voting laws struck down for reflecting the state’s “long and unhappy history of official discrimination” are really no more than “common-sense and commonplace” voting protections.

But critics argue that Arizona laws banning ballot-collection and out-of-precinct voting impose substantial burdens on Black, Latino and Native American voters who have been intentionally targeted for suppression by state lawmakers.

At stake is more than just the two Arizona laws – the high court’s ruling in the case will affect enforcement of a section of the Voting Rights Act that prohibits race-based restrictions on voting. Continue reading “Supreme Court hears Arizona voting law case with national implications”

• Slug: BC-CNS COVID Memorial, 975 words.
• 3 photos and captions below.

By Emma Richburg
Cronkite News

TEMPE – More than 16,000 Arizonans have died from COVID-19 over the past year, and many survivors haven’t had the chance to properly grieve their loved ones.

On Monday, two organizations – Marked by COVID and the Floral Heart Project – came together to help Arizonans remember and pay their respects at a public memorial at the Arizona Heritage Center in Papago Park.

The Arizona nonprofit Marked by COVID partnered with New York artist Kristina Libby, 36, to commemorate those thousands of lost lives with a visual art display called Heart Bleed, which will continue at the center through Saturday.

Heart Bleed features a 10-minute video that shows one rose petal dropping for each person who has died from COVID-19 in the state. Every two seconds in the video represents one day since the pandemic started last March. As the number of petals increases, they begin to resemble blood, which symbolizes the catastrophic number of COVID-19 deaths in Arizona. Continue reading “Art installation honors thousands of Arizonans who’ve died of COVID-19”

• Slug: Sports-Versatile Ayton, 1600 words.
• Photos available.

By Trevor Booth
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – When Phoenix Suns forward Frank Kaminsky walked into a postgame interview following his team’s recent 106-97 win over the Chicago Bulls, there was something different about his appearance.

The 7-footer, who claimed he is “not really into jewelry,” was wearing teammate Deandre Ayton’s custom-made chain around his neck, something he requested for reasons he did not specify.

“I just asked if I could put it on and he said, ‘Yes,’” Kaminsky said. “I feel a little responsible now with this thing on. I’ve never had this kind of jewelry on before … so I’m just trying to keep it clean until I give it back to him.”

Like his dazzling accessories, Ayton carries a lot of value for the resurgent Suns. Continue reading “The key to the Suns’ defensive success: a ‘versatile’ Deandre Ayton”

• Slug: BC-CNS Firefighters and COVID, 980 words.
• 1 photo and caption below.

By Sabrina Kenoun
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – More than 10.3 million acres of land were scorched by wildfires nationwide in 2020. Firefighters battling the harrowing flames often work shifts that exceed 24 hours, and they stay in close quarters in remote locations for weeks at a time, offering a prime opportunity for COVID-19 to spread.

In addition, firefighters in urban areas as well as in wildlands routinely are exposed to smoke, carbon monoxide, toxins from structure fires and other hazards to lung health.

Although there isn’t much data to indicate whether smoke inhalation affects the infection rate or severity of COVID-19 in firefighters, some experts are voicing concerns about lessened lung capacity upon recovery and other health issues. Continue reading “Inhaled smoke could raise risks of COVID-19 for firefighters, expert warns”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Mine Reversal,840
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below)

By Sarah Oven
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – The government Monday rescinded its approval for a proposed massive copper mine at Oak Flat, just days before it was to transfer thousands of acres of federal land for the project.

The Department of Agriculture said it ordered the rescission to allow for a “thorough review based on significant input from collaborators, partners and the public” after the Jan. 15 release of a final environmental impact statement on the project. Continue reading “Feds rescind OK for copper mine at Oak Flat, seek ‘thorough review’”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Pentagon Border,960
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below)

By Ryan Knappenberger
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon did not have reliable estimates for the cost of its work supporting Homeland Security efforts on the southwestern border and did not assess the impact of those efforts on military readiness, a new report says.

The report by the Government Accountability Office also chided the Defense Department for failing to fully report its border costs to Congress in 2019, and said the Pentagon and Homeland Security need to come to an agreement on the level of long-term support. Continue reading “GAO: Pentagon estimates of border duty costs, impact were unreliable”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Canyon Ban,860
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below)

By Haleigh Kochanski
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – The House voted Friday to permanently ban new mining claims on more than 1 million acres around Grand Canyon National Park, with supporters calling protection of the landmark canyon a “moral issue.”

The bill would make permanent a current mining moratorium that is scheduled to run through 2032. Supporters said a permanent ban is needed because the Grand Canyon is too valuable to risk possible damage from future mining. Continue reading “House OKs bill to ban mining on 1 million acres around Grand Canyon”

• BC-CNS Corrections Held in Contempt, 615 words.
• 1 photo and caption below.

By Sabrina Kenoun
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – For the second time since 2019, the Arizona Department of Corrections has been found in contempt for its failure to follow health care guidelines designed to protect prisoners.

In a ruling issued Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Roslyn Silver fined the Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation & Reentry $1.1 million for neglecting health care guidelines the department agreed to follow in 2015. The fine is to be paid this month. Continue reading “Arizona Department of Corrections fined $1.1 million for neglecting health care benchmarks”

• Slug: BC-CNS Black History Murals, 790 words
• 7 photos and captions below.
• Map of project here, Data visualization by Luis Torres/Cronkite News

By Victoria Hill
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Leaders who fought for equity and justice. Entertainers who shifted the sound of music. Inventors who brought water toys and traffic lights to America.

Arizona artists have painted the sweep of Black history at 28 businesses and organizations in downtown and central Phoenix. Malcolm X, Aretha Franklin, Angela Davis and Percy Julian are showcased among many African Americans – some iconic, others less celebrated but all with an impact on American life.

The art tribute represents each day of February’s Black History Month, but the project’s organizer, Gizette Knight, looks to the longevity of inclusion. Continue reading “28 paintings highlight famous – and less familiar – figures in Black history”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Gender Rights,870
• 2 photos, video story available (thumbnails, captions below)

By Jake Holter
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – The House voted Thursday to expand civil rights protections to include sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy, a move supporters said will grant those groups “the full equality under the law they deserve.”

But critics of the Equality Act blasted it as a measure that will trample on religious freedom and individual rights, and ultimately backfire on the people it aims to protect.

The 224-206 vote fell mostly on party lines, with just three Republicans joining all Democrats to support the bill. Many Republicans were like Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, who derided the bill as the “inequality act.” Continue reading “House passes LGBTQ rights bill; critics say it tramples religious rights”

• Slug: BC-CNS Oil and Gas Lease, 1,135 words.

By Joseph Perez
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Land, and specifically what to do with land, has been among the most divisive topics in U.S. history since the arrival of European settlers in 1492. More than 500 years later, little has changed.

On Jan. 20, the Biden administration ordered a 60-day pause on new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters after environmental activists sent a letter urging the administration to issue a permanent ban rather than a temporary one.

The order prompted an array of reactions, with some environmentalists hailing it as an important incremental step and others dismissing it as a toothless attempt to fight climate change. Among tribal leaders, reactions underscored how the relationship to land differs among tribes. Continue reading “Pause on leasing public land for oil and gas extraction draws mixed reaction”