• Slug: Republicans Defecting. 985 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Nash Darragh
Cronkite News

MESA – Election season is in full swing. Arizona is one of the most important states in this year’s presidential “race to 270.” The purple state contains 11 electoral votes that could make or break either campaign for former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans in Arizona who are publicly switching their support to Harris could have an impact.

“I remain registered as a Republican because I think it most closely identifies with where I’m at politically,” said Mesa Mayor John Giles, who has endorsed Harris. “There are absolutely things about the Biden-Harris administration that I have policy differences with. I think the fearmongering from the Trump campaign about Vice President Harris being a socialist or calling her Comrade Harris, you know, those are way overblown. I think she’s demonstrated that when it comes to governing and when it comes to problem solving, she will do that. She will compromise, and she’ll work with Republicans, and she’ll govern from the middle.”

Continue reading “After Mesa Mayor John Giles endorses Kamala Harris, some Arizona LDS members follow suit”

• Slug: Little Tokyo Endangered. 660 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Emery Davis
Cronkite News

LOS ANGELES – Following Little Tokyo’s designation as one of America’s most endangered historic places, the area is looking to return to its flourishing past.

Throughout its 140 years, Little Tokyo has faced many challenges, including racial discrimination and cultural erasure. However, it continued to celebrate thriving legacy businesses and provide a safe haven for Asian culture.

Continue reading “‘It needs to continue’: LA’s Little Tokyo ‘endangered’ designation spotlights community’s need for help”

• Slug: Museum Foot Traffic. 1,690 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Jalen Woody
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Arizona changes every day. The state’s count of new buildings and people grows daily. As the state changes, so do the museums, which are challenged by a constantly changing city with new possibilities, tastes and people.

Museums in Arizona continue to change their tactics to draw in new audiences. These attractions are expensive to run but must continue to innovate what they have. Otherwise they risk the chance of losing their core audience.

Continue reading “Innovation can be a challenge for museums. Here’s how 3 in Arizona are trying to bring in visitors”

• Slug: News21-Fractured-Language Barriers. 2,655 words. Note: An abridged version of 1,447 words is also available. 
• With audio story and 9 photos.

Note to CN clients: This story includes Arizona material.

By Celia Frazier
News21

LAS VEGAS – In the heart of Las Vegas’ Chinatown, residents gather for a celebration of the annual Dragon Boat Festival. Some stop in to grab shiny, red packages of premade zongzi.
Others grab flyers decorated with a colorful dragon boat and something else: a QR code taking them to information about how to vote – all translated into Chinese. As demographics shift, advocates from Nevada and Arizona to Alaska are fighting to make voting accessible for citizens who speak different languages. But challenges remain – from the cost of translating materials to outright resistance to the idea.

 

• Slug: Arizonans BMX Hall of Fame. 945 words.
• No photos.

By Brenden Paul
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Kim Hayashi rose to dominance thanks to her “go big” jumping style. Now she’ll “go big” into the USA BMX Hall of Fame this weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, alongside fellow Arizonan Debbie Kelley.

Hayashi and Kelley will be two of the eight members inducted into the USA BMX Hall of Fame Class of 2024, as voted on by over 500 BMX experts, including current Hall of Famers, BMX historians and selected members of the BMX media.

“It’s pretty humbling. It feels like a huge honor,” said Hayashi, 38, who lives in Chandler. “Especially when you look at the women’s side, there’s not a lot of female names up there (at the Hall of Fame). To see some of the people that I looked up to, some of the people that were my heroes, and seeing my name next to theirs is a huge honor.”

Continue reading “Track titans: Two Arizonans among inductees into 2024 USA BMX Hall of Fame class”

• Slug: News21-Fractured-Generation Democracy. 2,576 words. Note: An abridged version of 1,150 words is also available.
• With video story, audio story and 16 photos. Also available: “The Civic Duty,” a series of three video explainers.

By Delaney Chase and Emily Richardson
News21

Note: This story has a strong Arizona focus.

NEW YORK – With studies showing a decline in civics education and knowledge across the U.S., programs from Arizona to New York are working to engage the next generation in democracy. In New York, high school students who gathered this summer for “Democracy Camp” were asked to consider a question: “What is my role in an ideal democracy?” In Arizona, Camp O’Connor takes seventh and eighth graders on a five-day journey through the workings of government. “There’s space to be better,” says one young voter.

 

• Slug: Who Crosses Border. 880 words. By Mia Osmonbekov.
• File photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

WASHINGTON – Republicans have been warning that “military-aged” men have been crossing the Southwest border in threatening droves since President Joe Biden took office – especially from adversaries such as China and Russia.

“It’s like a military invasion,” former President Donald Trump said at a rally in Tucson last week. “We are being conquered and we are being occupied by a foreign element. And you know, if you think about it, China has a 5 million man army.”

Continue reading “More migrants are coming from outside the Americas, but Donald Trump’s claims of ‘military invasion’ by China are unfounded”

• Slug: 100,000 Arizona voters. 550 words.
• 2 Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Miguel Ambriz
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – A day after asking the Arizona Supreme Court to decide what to do about 98,000 registered voters who’ve never proven their U.S. citizenship, Arizona election officials offered assurances Wednesday.

There’s no sign of widespread voting by non-citizens, they said. It’s a glitch involving driver’s licenses issued before the state began requiring proof of citizenship.

“The voters didn’t themselves do wrong in any way, shape or form,” Stephen Richer, the Maricopa County recorder, said in Washington after a McCain Institute forum on elections and disinformation.

Continue reading “Maricopa County election official rejects Trump claim that glitch involving 98,000 Arizona voters means someone is ‘trying to rig the election’”

EDS: This story has been updated to reflect that the Leona Group, which operates 28 charter schools in Arizona, declined to comment on the record. Please update grafs 14 and 15. 

• Slug: Homeless Money Unspent. 950 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Madeline Nguyen
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – The Arizona Department of Education is scrambling to urge schools to tap millions of dollars earmarked to help homeless students before the funds expire at the end of the month.

Three years ago, Arizona schools were allotted nearly $17 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic relief funds intended to provide resources ranging from temporary housing and transportation to prepaid debit cards. Continue reading “Millions in federal aid for homeless students in Arizona schools, unspent after 3 years, about to expire”

• Slug: Empowering Voters with Disabilities. 630 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Sienna Monea
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – As the November general election approaches, Arizona is taking a significant step toward ensuring that voters with disabilities are fully prepared to participate in the democratic process.

On Monday, First Place AZ and the Foundation for Blind Children co-hosted Spark the Spectrum, a workshop to equip voters with disabilities with the knowledge and tools needed for Election Day.

The event, which aligned with National Voter Registration Day, was designed to familiarize attendees with voting equipment, accommodations and the overall voting process. It also served as a reminder of the Oct. 7 voter registration deadline.

Continue reading “Spark the Spectrum empowers Arizona voters with disabilities after court ruling expands accessibility”

• Slug: Social Justice Art LA. 1,375 words.
• Photos available.

By Brandelyn Clark
Cronkite News

LOS ANGELES – In the heart of Los Angeles, art is more than a form of expression. Be it a blank brick wall or a stage under spotlights, artists here use every platform as a vehicle to amplify social discourse.

Corie Mattie, aka “LA Hope Dealer,” an LGBTQ+ artist, is turning the street into her canvas, calling out local and national injustices. She is challenging social norms one bold stroke at a time.

“I had to really take the things that speak to me. Being a woman, being gay and then there’s things that just aren’t fair,” Mattie said. “I have to speak out against it even if it doesn’t affect me. It’s just one of those things where I have to call attention to it.”

Continue reading “‘Activism and community building’: How LA artists spotlight social justice in their work”

• Slug: Parkland Survivors Endorsements. 1,150 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Miguel Ambriz
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – March For Our Lives, the group founded by survivors of a 2018 high school shooting rampage in Parkland, Florida, has thrown its weight behind Democrats in two contentious races in Arizona.

In the fight for an open U.S. Senate seat, the group is backing U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego of Phoenix over Kari Lake, and former state Sen. Kirsten Engel of Tucson, who is challenging first-term U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, a Tucson Republican.

Continue reading “Endorsements from Parkland survivors group elevates gun debate in Arizona races that pit Democrats against NRA-backed Republicans”

• Slug: Uranium Mine Environment. 1,095 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Marshall Baker
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Carletta Tilousi was a young girl when she first heard about possible uranium mining near her home of Supai. Deep within the canyons near the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, this is where the Havasupai people reside.

From the day they were contacted about it, the Havasupai were resistant to uranium mining near their homelands.

Continue reading “Havasupai Tribe continues to oppose controversial uranium mine as Energy Fuels assures safety”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was translated from English to Spanish using ChatGPT. A Cronkite News editor reviewed the translation. Find the original story here. See any errors? Please let us know. Contact julio.cisneros@asu.edu.

NOTA DEL EDITOR: Este reportaje fue traducido del inglés al español usando ChatGPT. Un editor de Cronkite Noticias revisó la traducción. Encuentra el reportaje original aquí. ¿Ves algún error? Por favor, déjanoslo saber. Contacta a julio.cisneros@asu.edu.

• Nombre: CN-VISAT. 1293 palabras.
• 2 fotos disponibles

Por Aaron Stigile
Cronkite Noticias

PHOENIX – A finales del mes pasado entró en vigor una importante actualización de las regulaciones de solicitud de visas T del Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglés), destinadas a los sobrevivientes de la trata de personas. Quienes trabajan en el campo de la trata de personas dicen que ya están viendo efectos positivos, pero los expertos creen que algunas partes del cambio de reglas complican el proceso.

Continue reading “El cambio en la normativa de visas de trata podría ayudar a los sobrevivientes migrantes”

Slug: News21-Fractured-Rise of AI. By Kyle Chouinard/News21. 2,794 words. Note: An abridged version of 1,100 words is also available.

With 7 photos.

CONCORD, N.H. — This year’s election marks the first amid the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, and that has regulators, lawmakers and voter advocates examining how best to regulate the technology to combat its misuse. Bills passed in New Hampshire and California seek to regulate deepfakes during election season, but other states and Congress have yet to take meaningful action. A robocall scheme in New Hampshire quickly became national news earlier this year, turning Americans’ concerns about the emerging technology of AI into a domestic case study for its misuse in elections.

 

• Slug: RECA Navajo Rally. 600 words.
• File photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Gabrielle Wallace
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Survivors of nuclear testing and uranium mines are ramping up pressure on Congress to reauthorize a federal compensation program that expired in June.

Many of those afflicted since World War II are from the Navajo Nation, which is organizing a rally next week that will include prayers at the Capitol for radiation victims.

“I want Congress to realize that it’s important and we need to pass this bill because some people did not get any … compensation,” said Maggie Billiman, whose father, a Navajo Code Talker during World War II, died of stomach cancer that she attributes to fallout from nuclear tests that settled over their hometown in Arizona.

Continue reading “Navajos will press U.S. House to revive aid for victims of bomb fallout and uranium mines”

• Slug: Young Voter Forum. 750 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).
• Embeddable chart available.

By Hayden Larkin
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – With the 2024 election around the corner, droves of people are being pushed toward the polls this November. But and for many young voters, it has become difficult to remain engaged. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Tempe Alumnae Chapter urged college-aged voters to stay engaged and informed at its Youth Voter Forum on Sunday.

“I just encourage everyone to vote,” said Keisha Tatem, Alumnae Chapter president. “I vote because there were people at one point in time that could not vote, and some people lost their life to make sure everyone in America had the right to vote. And so I vote to honor them, but also because I want to be in control. I want to have some control over my future, and so it’s important to know that that’s what voting can give you.”

Continue reading “ASU voter forum encourages college-aged voters to engage ahead of 2024 election”

• Slug: Anti-Lake Trump Voters. 1,300 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Phineas Hogan
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Kari Lake has consistently underperformed Donald Trump in Arizona, an anemic showing that spells trouble for Republicans hoping to nab the state’s open U.S. Senate seat.

A Fox News poll of Arizona voters on Aug. 28 showed Lake lagging Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego by 15 percentage points, even as the former president remained virtually tied with Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race.

Other polls also find a persistent gap between Trump’s support and hers in Arizona, which bodes well for Democrats who would almost certainly lose control of the Senate without the Arizona seat.

Continue reading “Kari Lake has Donald Trump’s stamp of approval but Arizona polls show her lagging, with implications for U.S. Senate race”

• Slug: Fractured-Trump’s Legacy. By Lillie Boudreaux and Ismael Lele/News21. 2,956 words. Note: An abridged version of 1,268 words is also available.
• With video story and 17 photos.

By Lillie Boudreaux and Ismael Lele
News21

In Tuesday’s debate, Vice President Kamala Harris sought to remind voters of Donald Trump’s role in the Capitol insurrection, the criminal charges he’s faced and of his ties with autocrats, saying he “admires dictators.” Harris, in short, put Trump himself in the spotlight. It’s been a common refrain this election year: Democracy itself is at stake. From political pundits to worried voters, many have insisted that should Trump take office again, he will destroy the very foundations upon which the country was built. What is the lasting impact of Trump, and Trumpism, on American democracy? And what might the future hold if he wins in November? News21 takes a look.

 

• Slug: 15-Week Abortion Explainer. 1,180 words.
• File photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Macy Markham
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON — States have imposed a wide range of abortion rules since the Supreme Court ended constitutional protection more than two years ago.

Half the states allow abortion through viability or set no restrictions tied to gestational age. Voters in Arizona and nine other states will decide whether to move in that direction in November.

Fourteen states ban abortion entirely.

Continue reading “Arizona’s 15-week abortion ban: What it means for pregnant women and how it compares to other states”