• 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”

• Slug: Tempe Healing Field Photos. Photos by Aryton Temcio.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

TEMPE – The Tempe Healing Field paid tribute Wednesday to the 23rd anniversary of 9/11. The annual display of flags and related events memorialize those who lost their lives during the 2001 terrorist attacks. Nearly 3,000 American flags covered the fields of Tempe Beach Park.

• Slug: Walz in Arizona. 920 words. By Doyal D’angelo
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Doyal D’angelo
Cronkite News

MESA – Vowing to prioritize reproductive rights and help fix the “epidemic” of mass shootings in the United States, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz rode a wave of energy at the Mesa Convention Center Tuesday during a campaign stop that preceded Vice President Kamala Harris’ debate with former President Donald Trump.

“No matter what he says, he will ban abortion,” Walz said. “He may try and change from hour to hour, but guess what, women don’t trust him.”

Continue reading “Tim Walz challenges Donald Trump’s stance on reproductive rights, mass shootings during Mesa campaign stop”

• Slug: Arizona Senate Critical. 420 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Phineas Hogan
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Democrats can’t keep control of the U.S. Senate unless Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego defeats Republican hopeful Kari Lake.

That’s the assessment of the party’s chief Senate strategist, Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich.

“We don’t hold the majority if we lose Arizona,” he told Cronkite News during a roundtable with a small group of regional reporters at the offices of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which he chairs. “It’s essential.”

Continue reading “Arizona is ‘essential’ in battle for U.S. Senate, says Democratic campaign chair as Ruben Gallego maintains lead over Kari Lake”

• Slug: Wildfire Governors. 800 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Kelechukwu Iruoma
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and 19 other Western governors are prodding Congress to move more urgently to address a wildfire crisis that has grown worse in recent years.

In Arizona last year, 1,837 fires burned 188,483 acres, according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. This year’s total is already worse: 1,704 fires on 252,929 acres, officials said, and the wildfire season isn’t over.

Continue reading “Governors prod Congress for more help on growing threat of wildfires in West”

• Slug: Trafficking Visa Update. 1,000 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Aaron Stigile
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – A major update to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) T visa application regulations, meant for survivors of human trafficking, went into effect late last month. Those who work in the field of human trafficking say they are already seeing positive effects, yet experts believe that some parts of the rule change complicate the process.

T visas, which may be available for survivors and victims of human trafficking who meet certain conditions, offer a pathway to citizenship. Those eligible must have experienced a “severe form of trafficking in persons” as defined by federal law, which includes sex trafficking and labor trafficking.

After three years with the T visa, survivors and victims are able to establish permanent residency, and the T nonimmigrant status is generally granted for four years.

Continue reading “T visa rule changes could help survivors of human trafficking seeking immigration status”

• Slug: Mixed-Status Families. 955 words.
• File photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Mia Osmonbekov
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Fear for his undocumented parents haunted Mario Montoya throughout his childhood in Mesa. Sometimes it turned to outright terror, like the time his mom got into a car crash.

“One of my first thoughts was … what if the police asked for her immigration status?” said Montoya, 26, who now studies law in Seattle. “What if I don’t see her again?”

Continue reading “Half-million mixed-status families in Arizona will face vastly different realities under Trump or Harris immigration policies”

EDS: All elements are available for download here. 

• Slug: News21-Fractured-Fighting Disinformation. 1,956 words. Note: An abridged version of 1,020 words is also available.
• With audio story and 10 photos.

By Eliana Alzate
News21

Note: Story has a strong focus on Hispanic communities.

AUSTIN, Texas – Disinformation has surged in the U.S. and beyond and become an especially powerful threat during election years. Experts say immigrant communities and people of color are particular targets, as bad actors exploit political fears and ideologies and find these voters where they congregate – on messaging apps such as WeChat and WhatsApp.

 

EDS: All elements are available for download here. 

• Slug: News21-Fractured-Rebuilding Trust. 2,712 words. Note: An abridged version of 1,028 words is also available.
• With 9 photos.

By Romie Avivi Stuhl
News21

Note: This story has strong Arizona ties.

WOODRUFF, Wis. – For two and a half hours on a rainy Thursday evening, Kathy Bernier did what she’s spent the past year doing: trying to restore faith in America’s electoral systems – and, along with it, faith in democracy. It was all part of her work as Wisconsin state director of Keep Our Republic, one of several initiatives nationwide working to rebuild public trust in elections. The initiatives range from cross-partisan groups working in the battleground states of Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan and Wisconsin to off-the-record meetings of conservatives in Republican strongholds such as Utah, Indiana and Texas. Don Henninger, the Republican co-lead of another Carter Center network, the Arizona Democracy Resilience Network, puts it this way: “It’s not an aisle anymore. It’s a canyon.”

• Slug: Apache Trout Delisted. 635 words.
• Photos available.

By Kelechukwu Iruoma
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland declared Wednesday that Arizona’s state fish, the Apache trout, will be removed from the endangered species list – a conservation success story decades in the making.

“After more than 50 years of devoted efforts among federal, state, tribal and nongovernmental organizations, the incredible recovery of the Apache trout reminds us of the transformational power that collaborative conservation efforts – grounded in Indigenous knowledge – can have on fish and wildlife,” Haaland said at an announcement event in Mesa.

Continue reading “Apache trout, Arizona’s state fish, dropped from endangered species list after 50-year comeback”

• Slug: Prop 139 Explainer. About 880 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Macy Markham
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – In November, Arizona voters will decide on a state constitutional amendment, Proposition 139, that would guarantee access to abortion up to the point of fetal viability.

That would mark a major shift. The state currently bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy – roughly nine weeks before the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb.

A group called Arizona Abortion Access collected 577,971 signatures, well over the 383,923 required to get the measure on the ballot. Continue reading “Proposition 139: What the Arizona ballot initiative would mean for abortion access”

• Slug: News21: Increasing Intimidation. 3,485 words.
• 7 Photos and 1 video available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Peggy Dodd, Pierce Gentry, Shelby Rickert and Olivia Talkington
News21

Editor’s Note: This story contains graphic language from threatening voicemails and emails sent to election officials across the U.S.

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – Exactly seven days had passed since the 2020 presidential election when Tina Barton sat down at her desk and saw the blinking light on her office phone.

It had already been a week from hell for the city clerk of Rochester Hills. Her office was responsible for administering an election that had grown increasingly contested, especially in her home state of Michigan. At one point, she’d worked for 36 hours straight.

She picked up the phone and hit the flashing button. A voice rang out that she would never forget.

Continue reading “‘Our No. 1 job is to make sure that they’re safe’: America confronts election intimidation”

• Slug: Biden Judge. About 450 words.
• File photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Lauren Bly
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will nominate Phoenix lawyer Sharad Desai to the federal bench, the White House said Wednesday, making him the second South Asian federal judge in Arizona – after his older sister.

Biden named Judge Roopali Desai to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which handles cases from nine western states, in 2022.

Continue reading “Phoenix lawyer tapped by Biden would be second South Asian federal judge in Arizona – after older sister, an appeals court judge”

• Slug: Migrant Belongings Rules. 445 words.
• File photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Mia Osmonbekov
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – U.S. Customs and Border Protection has directed agents to stop discarding migrants’ personal belongings, after a scathing report detailing how medicine, clothes, cell phones, cash and identity documents have been taken by authorities at holding facilities and never returned.

The new rules classify legal documents, contact information and religious items as “essential personal property” that cannot be stripped from migrants. Phones, cash, medical documents and items of sentimental value must be stored, with migrants given written instructions on how to retrieve their belongings.

Continue reading “After scathing GAO report, Border Patrol agents ordered to stop tossing out migrants’ belongings”

• Slug: DNC Wrap-up. 775 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Kelechukwu Iruoma
Cronkite News

CHICAGO – Arizona delegates left the Democratic National Convention electrified and eager to help Vice President Kamala Harris win the presidency.

“We are returning to Arizona with a lot of energy, excitement and enthusiasm,” said Yolanda Bejarano, chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. “Our country is on the line, our democracy is on the line and our rights are on the line.”

Continue reading “Arizona Democrats excited as Kamala Harris accepts presidential nomination, vow to help her win battleground state”

• Slug: DNC Ruben Gallego. 720 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Phineas Hogan
Cronkite News

CHICAGO – Democrats put a bright spotlight on Phoenix Rep. Ruben Gallego at their national convention, underscoring the importance of his race with Republican Kari Lake for an open U.S. Senate seat.

Both hope to succeed Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent who announced in March that she would not seek reelection. Democrats would struggle to keep their narrow majority if they lose in Arizona.

Continue reading “Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego, in tight Senate race with Kari Lake, showcased on final night of Democratic National Convention”