Tucson Sentinel @TucsonSentinel@mastodon.tucsonsentinel.com

Rio Verde Foothills poised to sue Maricopa County over water woes https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031623_rio_verde_lawsuit/rio-verde-foothills-poised-sue-maricopa-county-over-water-woes/
Residents of Rio Verde Foothills will likely sue Maricopa County over its inaction in solving the community’s ongoing water crisis after the county Board of Supervisors rejected a proposal which would have seen Scottsdale sell water to the county for distribution to the subdivision.
#Tucson #Arizona

Lift a glass & sing along: St. Patrick's Day playlist https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/arts/report/031623_st_pats_playlist/lift-glass-sing-along-st-patricks-day-playlist/
Whether it's the lilting strains of a classic folk song or the pounding of three-chord punk rock — or the omnipresent U2 — the music of the small island of Ireland has influenced artists throughout the world. So raise a glass of Guinness, tap your toe or even get up and dance a bit as we celebrate St. Patrick's Day with song.
#Tucson #Arizona

States to receive $2.5B from feds for electric vehicle charging infrastructure https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031523_ev_charger_investment/states-receive-25b-from-feds-electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure/
The federal government will send $2.5 billion over the next five years to states, local governments and tribes to build electric vehicle charging infrastructure as part of the new Charging and Fueling Infrastructure grant program.
#Tucson #Arizona

Arizona agencies possibly exposed in LastPass data breach https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031523_data_breach/arizona-agencies-possibly-exposed-lastpass-data-breach/
Multiple state agencies, including the Arizona Department of Homeland Security and state’s Medicaid provider, may have had their passwords and login credentials exposed in a breach of the popular password management software LastPass.
#Tucson #Arizona

Hobbs, Fontes, Maricopa County clap back at Lake’s appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031523_lake_appeal_response/hobbs-fontes-maricopa-county-clap-back-lakes-appeal-arizona-supreme-court/
Maricopa County, Adrian Fontes and Katie Hobbs filed biting responses to failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s petition asking the Arizona Supreme Court to take up her election case, and Hobbs and Fontes asked for sanction for bringing a suit based on frivolous claims.
#Tucson #Arizona

Sweeping bill to address Arizona’s housing crisis shot down https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031523_housing_bill_demise/sweeping-bill-address-arizonas-housing-crisis-shot-down/
In a rare show of bipartisan agreement, the Arizona state Senate voted down a bill aimed at addressing the housing crisis on the grounds it doesn’t actually increase affordable housing and strips away powers from cities and towns to guide development to meet local needs.
#Tucson #Arizona

Biden boosts gun control with tougher background checks https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031523_background_checks/biden-boosts-gun-control-with-tougher-background-checks/
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Tuesday expanding the number of background checks conducted before gun sales, imposing harsher penalties on violations of federal firearms law and directing a study of how firearm manufacturers market to minors.
#Tucson #Arizona

Arizona school advocates worry about keeping counselors as federal funding set to expire https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031523_counselor_funding/arizona-school-advocates-worry-keeping-counselors-as-federal-funding-set-expire/
Some of the pandemic relief funding from the federal government will expire later this year, and Arizona school advocates worry extra counselors brought on by schools using the funding may be let go if a way isn't found to keep the positions.
#Tucson #Arizona

Facing drought, Western states seek to deny groundwater to foreigners https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031523_drought_groundwater_targets/facing-drought-western-states-seek-deny-groundwater-foreigners/
As the American West battles its worst megadrought in over 1,200 years, lawmakers in Arizona, California, Texas, Utah and Washington state are rethinking how groundwater is used and who gets access to it — with some even targeting foreign-owned companies.
#Tucson #Arizona

EPA unveils first federal limits on 'forever chemicals' in drinking water https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031523_pfas_regulations/epa-unveils-first-federal-limits-forever-chemicals-drinking-water/
U.S. drinking water standards will for the first time include limits on the presence of cancer-causing substances known as PFAS, according to new regulations that will be overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency.
#Tucson #Arizona

Arizona GOP leaders win permission to defend abortion law in court https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031523_gop_abortion_defense/arizona-gop-leaders-win-permission-defend-abortion-law-court/
Arizona Republican legislative leaders have been given the go-ahead by a federal judge to defend a 2021 abortion law in court after Attorney General Kris Mayes said she wouldn’t.
#Tucson #Arizona

Aztec women get No. 7 seed for NJCAA Division II nat'l tournament https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/sports/report/031423_pcc_womens_basketball/aztec-women-get-no-7-seed-njcaa-division-ii-natl-tournament/
The Pima Community College women’s basketball team is heading back to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament next week in Port Huron, Mich., as the NJCAA announced the seedings and brackets.
#Tucson #Arizona

Paid not to farm? Expanded Colorado River program divides farm community https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031423_fallowing_fields/paid-not-farm-expanded-colorado-river-program-divides-farm-community/
With water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead at record lows, federal officials are ready to spend tens of millions of dollars to get farmers and other water users to conserve in 2023 and keep the reservoirs from falling farther.
#Tucson #Arizona

Sláinte! St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Tucson https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/arts/report/031323_st_patricks_roundup/slainte-st-patricks-day-celebrations-tucson/
If you have no idea where to go for St. Paddy's Day, well you're in luck. Here's a list of Tucson places to visit — responsibly.
#Tucson #Arizona

Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse differs from last financial crisis https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031423_bank_collapse/silicon-valley-banks-collapse-differs-from-last-financial-crisis/
After the largest U.S. bank failure in more than a decade, the federal government blamed the bank failures in part on the 2018 law that rolled back regulations for smaller and medium-sized banks, and rushed to reassure Americans that the U.S. banking system was stable.
#Tucson #Arizona

Arizona AG Kris Mayes & 22 other attorneys general defend DACA https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031423_mayes_daca_defense/arizona-ag-kris-mayes-22-other-attorneys-general-defend-daca/
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes joined nearly two dozen other states last week in defending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on behalf of more than 30,000 Arizonans DACA recipients.
#Tucson #Arizona

Feds move to rein In prior authorization, a system that harms and frustrates patients https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031423_prior_authorization/feds-move-rein-prior-authorization-system-that-harms-and-frustrates-patients/
Prior authorization was designed decades ago to prevent expensive tests or procedures that are not needed but now prevents patients from getting the vital care they need - now, the federal government has proposed changes that would speed up the pre-certification process.
#Tucson #Arizona

States consider ending right on red to address rising pedestrian deaths https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031423_right_on_red/states-consider-ending-right-red-address-rising-pedestrian-deaths/
As states have seen traffic fatalities and pedestrian deaths climb in recent years, many jurisdictions are reconsidering right turns on red, and safety advocates transportation planners to reconsider a custom so ingrained that few drivers remember a time when it wasn't allowed.
#Tucson #Arizona

As March Madness looms, growth in legalized sports betting may pose a threat to college athletes https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031423_sports_betting_athletes_op/as-march-madness-looms-growth-legalized-sports-betting-may-pose-threat-college-athletes/
Analysts estimate the anticipated growth in sports gambling may reach over US$167 billion by 2029 - and many are concerned the increase of sports betting could potentially put athletes in danger of threats from disgruntled gamblers who blame them for their gambling losses.
#Tucson #Arizona

Virtual tour of Anne Frank’s house offers new way to teach about Holocaust https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031423_anne_frank_vr/virtual-tour-anne-franks-house-offers-new-way-teach-holocaust/
The Arizona Jewish Historical Society is opening a new interactive activity as part of its exhibit “Stories of Survival: An Immersive Journey Through the Holocaust,” utilizing virtual reality to guide visitors through the Netherlands home of Anne Frank.
#Tucson #Arizona