Arizona is launching PFAS mitigation efforts ahead of the EPA deadline. But critics say it isn’t enough

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: PFAS Water Contamination. About 1,000 words.
  • 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Amelia Monroe
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – An estimated 97% of Americans have detectable levels of invasive “forever chemicals” in their bloodstreams – many are unaware that they’re drinking them.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – or PFAS – are man-made synthetic chemicals manufactured and commercialized since the 1940s. This class of chemicals includes roughly 14,000 variations, widely used in consumer and industrial products – nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, cosmetics and firefighter foam – due to their grease-, oil- and water-resistant properties.

Continue reading “Arizona is launching PFAS mitigation efforts ahead of the EPA deadline. But critics say it isn’t enough”

Prop. 479 seeks to continue half-cent sales tax that helps fund Maricopa County public transit, roads

by Julia Thompson

EDS: An earlier version of this story miscast what $14.9 billion in tax revenue through 2045 would fund. The error occurred in the fifth graf the original. The story below has been corrected, but clients who used previous versions are asked to run the correction found here.

  • Slug: Prop. 479. 800 words.
  • File photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Hayden Larkin
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – With Proposition 479, a continuation of a half-cent sales tax in Maricopa County for transportation funding, on the ballot in November, Valley Metro and other groups are advocating for the continuation, while opponents say the tax on consumer goods is unneeded for a service few people use.

Public transit has provided Maricopa County residents with access to ease of travel. Light rail expansions, short-term rental bikes and scooters and public buses have all become viable options for city-dwelling Arizonans. With these options becoming more available, voters and groups are butting heads over the taxation and costs of expanding these transit systems. Some places in Maricopa County also may not have the means to afford certain forms of public transit to be able to expand into their cities.

Continue reading “Prop. 479 seeks to continue half-cent sales tax that helps fund Maricopa County public transit, roads”

Future of ACA, health insurance coverage at stake in presidential election

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: Health Care Election. 1,160 words.
  • 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Madeline Nguyen
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Maria Losoya isn’t a doctor. She can’t treat patients, and she can’t do surgeries. But in southern Arizona’s border communities, she performs a special kind of life-saving health care. She’s an expert at navigating the health insurance marketplace – in English and Spanish.

It’s a strength that has made Losoya a trusted face in her home of Santa Cruz County, where nearly one in three residents were uninsured in 2022 – the highest rate in the state, according to the National Institutes of Health. Day and night, community members call Losoya from hospital rooms to see how they can afford the treatment they need, from emergency care to chemotherapy.

Continue reading “Future of ACA, health insurance coverage at stake in presidential election”

How mental health affects maternal mortality in Arizona

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Mental Health Maternal Mortality. 920 words.  
  • 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).
  • Story voiceover available.

By Nicollette Valenzuela
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – “Can we skip straight to the empowerment session?” shouts someone from a crowd at a small, dimly lit shop with a fluorescent pink glow. The “empowerment session” gathers more than 30 participants every Tuesday night at The Daily Mix Nutrition store in Avondale.

After a battle with postpartum depression, Yormheri Munguia, the store’s owner, and Jennie Parra, a women’s transformation coach, recently started the Women’s Empowerment workout.

Continue reading “How mental health affects maternal mortality in Arizona”

‘Better, not bigger’: New entrance, ticket policy among changes for 2024 WM Phoenix Open

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports–WM Phoenix Open Changes, 570 words.
  • 2 photos available.

By Keller Brown
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – Following a chaotic 2024 tournament that received national scrutiny, organizers of the WM Phoenix Open announced sweeping changes to the PGA Tour’s most popular event.

A second entrance, higher ticket prices and wider walkways are among the changes for the tournament dubbed “The Greatest Show on Grass,” which often attracts close to 500,000 fans each year.

The goal is to make it “better, not bigger,” Matt Mooney, the 2025 WM Phoenix Open chairman, said Wednesday. Continue reading “‘Better, not bigger’: New entrance, ticket policy among changes for 2024 WM Phoenix Open”

Photo essay: Michigan State celebrates return of Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports–Suns Photo Essay, 1,200 words.
  • 17 photos available.

By Brendan Pricco
Cronkite News

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Mat Ishbia is known around Arizona as the billionaire owner of the Phoenix Suns, who open their season Wednesday night at the Los Angeles Clippers’ new Intuit Dome. However, if you travel across the country to the spirited and picturesque college town of East Lansing, Michigan, he is known for his connection with the Michigan State Spartans.

Before conquering the business world, Ishbia was a 5-foot-10, 175-pound walk-on point guard attending his home state university: Michigan State. In his three-year career, he appeared in 48 total games, often in garbage time when the game had already been decided. The most significant minute of his collegiate career came on April 4, 2000.

Tom Izzo called Ishbia’s name in the final minute of Michigan State’s national championship victory over Florida. Not only did Ishbia log a minute, he made sure to etch his name into the box score with a shot attempt: a miss. Continue reading “Photo essay: Michigan State celebrates return of Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia”

New faces, same goal: GCU women’s basketball looks promising heading into final WAC season

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports–GCU WBB Preview, 1,200 words.
  • 2 photos available.

By Kendall Flynn
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Grand Canyon women’s basketball team welcomed seven new players to its roster. Despite the influx of talented newcomers, the Lopes are still working on meshing as a herd, which is something they will need to do quickly as the season officially begins Nov. 4.

GCU is hoping an infusion of fresh talent will give the Lopes a boost as they prepare for their final year in the Western Athletic Conference. Next year, GCU will join the West Coast Conference, meaning if the Lopes hope to capture their first WAC title, it’s now or never.

Looking at the Lopes’ record of 25-8 and 16-8 in the WAC last season, it’s no wonder the team had record-breaking achievements, including the most wins in their Division I-era season and the second-most home victories. However, the Lopes fell short in the first round of the WAC Tournament and went another season without an NCAA Tournament berth. Continue reading “New faces, same goal: GCU women’s basketball looks promising heading into final WAC season”

Don’t ‘become a pickle’: Long-term psychological effects of youth gambling concern addiction experts

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports–Youth Gambling Effects, 950 words.
  • Photo available.

By Breden Paul
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – When Marc Lefkowitz was in his 20s, he struggled with a gambling problem. Now, after nearly 40 years of abstaining from gambling, he hopes to help today’s younger generation overcome their addiction the same way he did.

“When I grew up, you were a degenerate if you gambled on a regular basis,” said Lefkowitz, an internationally certified gambling counselor with over 25 years of experience. “Now it’s so socially acceptable.”

Many factors can contribute to teen gambling. Stress relief is one component of gambling’s appeal to the younger generation, according to Lefkowitz. He also points to teens experiencing problems in school and, most commonly, genetic issues, where addiction runs in a person’s family. Continue reading “Don’t ‘become a pickle’: Long-term psychological effects of youth gambling concern addiction experts”

Arizona State researcher Terry Shoemaker explores how sports and religion share common ground

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports–Sports and Religion, 650 words.
  • Photo available.
  • Video available (Video by Deron Orr Jr./Cronkite News)

By Anne-Marie Iemmolo
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Terry Shoemaker’s trip to a Baltimore cemetery inspired his research on sport and religion for years to come.

Shoemaker, a research scholar and religious studies professor at Arizona State, recently published his book “Religions and Sports: The Basics,” which covers the connections between religious and sporting activities.

“To study these two things, either comparatively or as if they’re overlapping, gives us a sense of what humans do and why they do it,” Shoemaker said in an interview with Cronkite News. Continue reading “Arizona State researcher Terry Shoemaker explores how sports and religion share common ground”

Arizona, Colorado put future NFL draft picks to the test in Tucson with swarm of scouts in attendance

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports–NFL Prospect Arizona Colorado, 880 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Saleh Awwad
Cronkite News

TUCSON – The Arizona Wildcats’ showdown against the Colorado Buffaloes and Deion Sanders in Tucson quickly turned into a lopsided dud Saturday, but for NFL fans watching, the game featured a surplus of names expected to be called at the 2025 draft.

Across the two teams, five projected 2025 first-round NFL Draft picks took the field at Arizona Stadium, according to ESPN’s latest mock draft.

Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea and Arizona defensive back Tacario Davis matched up against Colorado’s two-way phenom Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Continue reading “Arizona, Colorado put future NFL draft picks to the test in Tucson with swarm of scouts in attendance”

These police officers had red flags in their past, then used force in a case that ended in death

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Lethal Restraint-Repeat Offenders. 1,485 words.
  • Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By James Brown, Jr., Nathan Collins and Taylor Stevens
Howard Center for Investigative Journalism

Sometimes second chances can prove deadly.

A police officer in Minnesota was suspended for threatening to shoot a passenger in the head after an unauthorized high-speed chase. In Paterson, New Jersey, an officer threw a handcuffed woman to the ground and strangled her. And in Little Rock, Arkansas, a patrol officer was allowed to rack up 36 sustained misconduct allegations and at least 65 days of suspension.

Each officer went on to be involved in a deadly encounter with the public. Not in shootings, but in cases where the force – whether physical restraints, blows or weapons such as a Taser – is often referred to as “less lethal.”
Continue reading “These police officers had red flags in their past, then used force in a case that ended in death”

Maricopa County combats heat with its heat-relief network; Phoenix reports serving 35,000

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Heat-Relief Centers. 880 words.
  • Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Jalen Woody
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – In the middle of the desert, in Maricopa County, summer is the most brutal time. This year, temperatures reached 100 degrees or over for 142 days, according to the National Weather Service.

To combat heat struggles, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) implemented a heat-relief network of centers to provide everyone with the care needed to brave some of the hottest temperatures in the United States.

Continue reading “Maricopa County combats heat with its heat-relief network; Phoenix reports serving 35,000”

Arizona companies building tech to reduce carbon emissions

by Adnan Alam

EDS: An earlier version of this story included several errors, which occurred in grafs 10, 11, 30 and 31 of the original and in a photo caption. The story and caption below have been corrected, but clients who used previous versions are asked to run the correction found here.

  • Slug: Carbon Capture. 900 words.
  • Photos available (thumbnails, captions available below).

By Kelechukwu Iruoma
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – As climate change continues to wreak havoc, companies in Arizona are developing technologies intended to pull greenhouse gas from the air.

Arizona’s unusually intense summer heat – with triple-digit temperatures continuing into October – plus frequent wildfires and decreased flow in the Colorado River are all linked to greenhouse gas buildup, scientists say.

Continue reading “Arizona companies building tech to reduce carbon emissions”

The Great Stair Climb: Bisbee 1000 pays tribute to mining town’s boom days

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports–Bisbee Great Stair Climb, 970 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Keller Brown
Cronkite News

BISBEE – Once the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco with a population of about 23,000 people in the early 1900s, this once-booming mining community has transitioned into what today is a quirky artists enclave and tourist attraction.

But the town of about 5,000 tucked into the Mule Mountains not far from the U.S.-Mexico border still celebrates its rich history each year through the equally quirky Bisbee 1000: The Great Stair Climb.

It is a foot race (or walk) over a 4.5-mile course that winds through town and incorporates nine of the community’s many staircases, requiring contestants to climb more than 1,000 stairs along the way. Continue reading “The Great Stair Climb: Bisbee 1000 pays tribute to mining town’s boom days”

Nights to remember: Phoenix Rising FC honors Fan Appreciation Night in final home game of season

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports–Phoenix Rising Fans, 960 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Sebastian Mondaca Sepulveda
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Fan Appreciation Night is also known as a moment to honor fans for the support they’ve provided the entire season.

For Phoenix Rising FC, it means more than just honoring supporters, but paying it forward despite the adversity they faced throughout the season.

Rising’s efforts started Thursday at home by hosting a fan event, Rising Together, an open training session for attendees to watch the team train and be part of the squad. Continue reading “Nights to remember: Phoenix Rising FC honors Fan Appreciation Night in final home game of season”

Buying championships: How NBA’s second apron changes team building for owners, general managers

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports–NBA Second Apron, 1,400 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Keller Brown
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns currently rank first in total team payroll heading into the 2024-25 season, with three big names on their roster making a majority of that money. Over $150 million in payroll is dedicated to players who were acquired by trading draft picks and combining player salaries to acquire the already highly paid players.

Team-building philosophies vary from team to team. Some organizations have an owner who is willing to shell out any amount of money necessary to compete, such as Mat Ishbia and the Suns, as well as Wyc Grousbeck and the Boston Celtics, who are the reigning NBA champions and have a payroll of $199 million.

This trend may come to a halt, however, due to new rules put in place regarding “aprons” in the salary cap. Continue reading “Buying championships: How NBA’s second apron changes team building for owners, general managers”

For Mike Budenholzer and Phoenix Suns, talk ‘really doesn’t matter’ ahead of 2024-25 NBA season

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports–Suns Season Preview, 800 words.
  • 2 photos available.

By Connor Moreno
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – When Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić invites teammates to his summer training spot in Split, Croatia, the typical response is a sarcastic, “Yeah, I’ll be there” – the kind of response one would give to politely decline.

Not from coach Mike Budenholzer, though.

“I didn’t doubt it,” Nurkić said of Budenholzer accepting his invitation this past offseason. “But also, it’s the NBA. People say a lot of things that you want to hear. When I came to (training) camp, he was all about his words. Continue reading “For Mike Budenholzer and Phoenix Suns, talk ‘really doesn’t matter’ ahead of 2024-25 NBA season”

GCU men’s basketball balances experience, youth in final WAC championship pursuit

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports–GCU MBB Preview, 1,200 words.
  • 2 photos available.
  • Video available.

By Kendall Flynn
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Maybe not older, but wiser.

That might be the best way to describe Grand Canyon’s men’s basketball team. Half the roster is made up of underclassmen, but there also is a wealth of experience as the Lopes chase a fourth – and final – Western Athletic Conference basketball championship.

GCU has four true freshmen on the roster this season, including the program’s first top-100 signee in forward Sammie Yeanay, who comes to the Lopes as ESPN’s highest-ranked player in the top 100 to choose to play outside a Power 6 basketball conference. Continue reading “GCU men’s basketball balances experience, youth in final WAC championship pursuit”

Arizona Wildcats hope to regroup amid three-game skid, injury setbacks

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: Sports–Arizona Wildcats Football Struggles, 740 words.
  • 4 photos available.

By Tom Forbes
Cronkite News

TUCSON – The University of Arizona was eyeing a chance to take down Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes during a sold-out homecoming weekend in Tucson Saturday.

Instead, the Wildcats might be watching their season slip away.

Arizona fell 34-7, their third straight loss, tumbling to 10th place in the Big 12 standings and putting coach Brent Brennan’s team in a fight just to reach six wins and bowl eligibility. Continue reading “Arizona Wildcats hope to regroup amid three-game skid, injury setbacks”

Arizona Humane Society and Soldier’s Best Friend aid military families with pets, service animals

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: Military Pets. 620 words.
  • Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Sienna Monea and Nash Darragh
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Two Arizona-based organizations, Soldier’s Best Friend and the Arizona Humane Society (AHS), are supporting military families by ensuring both the mental health of veterans and the well-being of their pets and service animals while they serve and beyond.

Project Active Duty is an AHS program launched in response to the 9/11 attacks. Partnered with PetSmart Charities and Credit Union West to provide foster care for the pets of deployed service members from all military branches, the initiative offers peace of mind to those on active duty who know their pets will be waiting for them when they return home.

Continue reading “Arizona Humane Society and Soldier’s Best Friend aid military families with pets, service animals”