AP (New)

Attendance Clerk Katrice Grant speaks to siblings Melanie Pacheco, 8, left, and Marilynn Pacheco, 5...
Associated Press

Native American students miss school at higher rates. It only got worse during the pandemic

SAN CARLOS, Ariz. (AP) — After missing 40 days of school last year, Tommy Betom, 10, is on track this year for much better attendance. The importance of showing up has been stressed repeatedly at school — and at home. When he went to school last year, he often came home saying the teacher was […]
20 hours ago
Associated Press

Arizona grand jury indicts pair for alleged school voucher fraud

PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona grand jury has indicted two out-of-state residents for allegedly applying to the state’s private school voucher program as parents to 50 children – 43 of whom did not exist – and receiving more than $110,000. The duo collected the money by submitting false, forged or fraudulent documents and spent it […]
23 hours ago
Aliento CEO Reyna Montoya poses for a photo after speaking at an immigration forum on Capitol Hill ...
Associated Press

DACA recipients worry their protection from deportation won’t last another Trump term

PHOENIX (AP) — Reyna Montoya was 10 when she and her family fled violence in Tijuana and illegally immigrated to the U.S. Growing up in Arizona, she worried even a minor traffic violation could lead to her deportation. She didn’t feel relief until 11 years later in 2012, when she received a letter confirming she […]
2 days ago
Associated Press

Arizona executions to resume, breaking 2-year pause during review of state death penalty procedures

PHOENIX (AP) — Executions will resume in Arizona following a two-year pause, the state’s top prosecutor says. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Wednesday that she will soon seek an execution warrant for Aaron Brian Gunches, who is on death row after being convicted of killing […]
6 days ago
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, right, and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes sign off on election results ...
Associated Press

Legal challenges loom as abortion is enshrined in Arizona’s constitution

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona top officials certified the state’s election results Monday, including voters’ approval of a measure that expands abortion access from 15 weeks to the point of fetal viability. The victory for reproductive rights groups sets the stage for their next battle: challenging other laws on the books in Arizona they say are […]
8 days ago
Associated Press

County official in Arizona pleads guilty to embezzling over $38M in public funds

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — An elected official for an Arizona county has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $38 million in public funds that she used to renovate her luxurious Southwestern ranch home, maintain the family cattle business and buy at least 20 vehicles, including an Airstream camper van. Elizabeth Gutfahr, who was Santa Cruz […]
11 days ago
FILE - Vehicles wait in line to enter the United States through the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry ...
Associated Press

Democratic Arizona governor says she’ll work with Trump on border security if it won’t harm families

PHOENIX (AP) — Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said Monday she is willing to work with President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration on border security issues like stopping fentanyl trafficking, but not in areas that she said could harm Arizona families such as mass deportation. Hobbs traveled to the Arizona-Mexico border on Monday to trumpet her […]
15 days ago
Associated Press

Arizona state Senate candidate killed in a car crash a day after conceding

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A Democratic candidate for the Arizona state Senate was killed when his vehicle was hit by a suspected drunk driver Friday morning, a day after he conceded the race to his GOP rival. John McLean, 68, was driving a Toyota RAV4 in his hometown of Tucson at about 6 a.m. when […]
18 days ago
Associated Press

Environmentalists concerned after protected Mexican wolf dies in Arizona

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A federally protected female Mexican wolf was found dead in an area near the northern Arizona city of Flagstaff, alarming environmentalists who worry someone may have deliberately killed the animal. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Arizona Game and Fish Department announced in a joint statement Friday that the animal […]
18 days ago
Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., waves to the crowd as he leaves th...
Associated Press

Ruben Gallego did better than most Democrats. He says his party needs to stoke working class roots

PHOENIX (AP) — Building authentic connections with working-class voters can help Democrats find their way back to power in Washington, incoming Democratic Sen.-elect Ruben Gallego of Arizona said Friday. Taking stock of election results that showed him doing significantly better than other Arizona Democrats, Gallego said he put a lot of work into telling his […]
18 days ago
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs rallies a crowd of about 75 volunteers ahead of their canvass in a competi...
Associated Press

Heftier GOP majorities in Arizona Legislature could imperil Democratic governor’s agenda

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs had hoped fellow Democrats would make enough gains during this month’s election to flip one or both chambers of a state Legislature Republicans narrowly controlled, easing the path for her policy agenda ahead of a 2026 reelection campaign. Instead, the opposite happened. Rather than lose their legislative majorities […]
18 days ago
FILE - Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., speaks during a news conference, June 15, 2023, on Capitol Hil...
Associated Press

Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani wins reelection to Arizona US House seat

PHOENIX (AP) — Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani won reelection to a U.S. House seat in southeastern Arizona in a rematch that pitted him against the Democrat he narrowly beat two years ago. Ciscomani defeated Democrat Kirsten Engel in the race for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, which runs from Tucson east to the New Mexico state […]
20 days ago
FILE - Arizona Rep. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, left, and his attorney Timothy La Sota appear virt...
Associated Press

Judge recuses himself in Arizona fake elector case after urging response to attacks on Kamala Harris

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge recused himself Tuesday from presiding over Arizona’s fake electors case after an email surfaced in which he told fellow judges to speak out against attacks on Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for the presidency. In the Aug. 29 email, Maricopa County Judge Bruce Cohen lamented that he didn’t speak […]
21 days ago
Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., speaks during a watch party on ele...
Associated Press

Democrat Ruben Gallego wins Arizona US Senate race against Republican Kari Lake

PHOENIX (AP) — Democrat Ruben Gallego has been elected Arizona’s first Latino U.S. senator, defeating Republican Kari Lake and preventing Republicans from further padding their Senate majority. Gallego’s victory continues a string of Democratic successes in a state that was reliably Republican until Donald Trump was elected president in 2016. Arizona voters had rejected Trump-endorsed […]
22 days ago
FILE - Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Ways and M...
Associated Press

Republican David Schweikert wins reelection in affluent Arizona congressional district

PHOENIX (AP) — Republican David Schweikert has won an eighth term in an affluent congressional district in the Phoenix area by fending off a challenge from a Democratic former state lawmaker. Schweikert defeated Amish Shah, an emergency room doctor, in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, which includes north Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and Paradise Valley. While […]
23 days ago
Joey Logano (22) makes a pit stop during a NASCAR Cup Series Championship auto race at Phoenix Race...
Associated Press

Joey Logano wins Phoenix finale for 3rd NASCAR Cup championship in 1-2 finish for Team Penske

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Joey Logano won his third NACAR championship on Sunday with a relentless drive at Phoenix Raceway that gave Team Penske its third major motorsports title in less than a month. Logano held off Penske teammate Ryan Blaney over the final 20 laps to beat him to the Cup Series title by […]
23 days ago
Arizona 2nd Congressional District Republican Rep. Eli Crane waves to supporters as he is introduce...
Associated Press

Republican US Rep. Eli Crane wins second term in vast Arizona congressional district

PHOENIX (AP) — Republican Eli Crane has won reelection in a Republican-leaning congressional district covering vast swaths of rural Arizona. Crane faced a spirited challenge from Democrat Jonathan Nez, the former Navajo Nation president, in the 2nd District race. Nez was vying to become the first Native American to represent Arizona in Congress. The district […]
24 days ago
Associated Press

ACLU asks Arizona Supreme Court to extend ‘curing’ deadline after vote-count delays

PHOENIX (AP) — Voter rights groups on Saturday petitioned the Arizona Supreme Court to extend the deadline for voters to fix problems with their mail-in ballots following delays in vote counting and notifying voters about problems. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Campaign Legal Center asked the state’s high court in an emergency petition […]
24 days ago
FILE - Maricopa County Recorder candidate Arizona state Rep. Justin Heap, R-Phoenix, speaks during ...
Associated Press

Arizona Republican lawmaker Justin Heap is elected recorder for the state’s most populous county

PHOENIX (AP) — Republican Arizona legislator Justin Heap has been elected to oversee elections in the state’s most populous county. The Associated Press called the race on Friday evening. The Maricopa County recorder-elect has criticized how elections are administered in the jurisdiction of some 4.5 million, calling them insecure. Heap’s victorious path started with his […]
24 days ago
Associated Press

Arizona regulators fine natural gas utility $2 million over defective piping

PHOENIX (AP) — A natural gas utility with more than 2 million customers in Arizona, Nevada and parts of California is being fined $2 million by regulators in Arizona over concerns about piping that is known to degrade in the heat. The Arizona Corporation Commission announced Friday that it reached a consent agreement with Southwest […]
25 days ago
Northern Arizona University's Jonny Bottorff took advantage of new NIL money making opportunities a...
Associated Press

Money in NCAA sports has changed life for a few. For many athletes, college degree remains the prize

PHOENIX (AP) — Sponsorship deals were far from Jonny Bottorff’s mind when he transferred to Northern Arizona University on a football scholarship. As money-making opportunities for college athletes have boomed since then, the offensive lineman has earned a few hundred dollars through name, image and likeness deals, but nothing that has changed his life. Bottorff, […]
26 days ago
Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Kari Lake speaks to the media before voting, Tuesday, Nov. 5, ...
Associated Press

Arizona high court won’t review Kari Lake’s appeal over 2022 governor’s race defeat

PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Supreme Court has declined to hear Republican Kari Lake’s latest appeal over her defeat in the 2022 governor’s race, marking yet another loss in her attempt to overturn the race’s outcome. The court made its refusal to take up the former TV anchor’s appeal public on Thursday without explaining its […]
26 days ago
Associated Press

5 are killed when small jet crashes into vehicle after taking off in suburban Phoenix

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — A small jet crashed into a vehicle Tuesday after taking off from a suburban Phoenix airport, killing five people, police said. The plane crashed while taking off from Falcon Field Airport in Mesa, police there said in a statement. The Honda HA-420 light business jet struck the vehicle outside airport property […]
28 days ago
Associated Press

Appeals court says Arizona should release list of voters with unverified citizenship

PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Court of Appeals on Monday affirmed a decision by a lower court that required the Secretary of State’s office to release a list of tens of thousands of voters who were mistakenly classified as having access to Arizona’s full ballot because of a coding glitch. The court rejected an appeal […]
29 days ago