Tucson Sentinel @TucsonSentinel@mastodon.tucsonsentinel.com

Lift a glass & sing along: St. Patrick's Day playlist https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/arts/report/031524_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.
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In a small Tohono O’odham village, Maricopa County uses tech to make voting more secure https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031524_tohono_voting/in-small-tohono-oodham-village-maricopa-county-uses-tech-make-voting-more-secure/
A village on the Tohono O’odham Nation poses a big test of the county’s efforts to improve access to the ballot in rural areas.
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10 things to know about the real St. Patrick https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031524_st._patrick_facts/10-things-know-real-st-patrick/
On March 17, people will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by parading in green hats, sporting images of shamrocks and leprechauns, and Patrick’s picture will adorn greeting cards - but Patrick’s own writings reveal many interesting details about the life of this patron saint of Ireland.
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Growing secrecy limits government accountability https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031524_government_accountability/growing-secrecy-limits-government-accountability/
Reports have shown secrecy getting worse at the federal, state and local government levels, and data provides a fuller picture of government agencies hiding their work from the public they ostensibly serve.
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Human composting? Bill would legalize natural decomposition as burial alternative https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031524_natural_decomposition/human-composting-bill-would-legalize-natural-decomposition-as-burial-alternative/
Human composting - also called natural decomposition, which converts human remains into soil and gives grieving family members the opportunity to plant trees and gardens using their loved one’s remains - may soon be a new option in Arizona funeral care.
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U.S. House Speaker Johnson says IVF should be protected — just not by Congress https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031524_ivf_johnson/us-house-speaker-johnson-says-ivf-should-protected-just-not-by-congress/
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday that it’s up to states and not Congress to preserve access to in vitro fertilization, weighing in on a growing national debate and campaign issue.
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Experts urge whole-of-government approach to combatting wildfires https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031524_wildfire_response/experts-urge-whole-of-government-approach-combatting-wildfires/
Congress must help agencies cooperate on emergency management as climate change puts large swaths of the country under near-constant threat of wildfires, which have become so frequent responders have stopped referring to “fire season,” opting instead for the term “fire year.”
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There are no silver bullets to solve the homelessness crisis https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031524_homeless_solutions/there-are-no-silver-bullets-solve-homelessness-crisis/
Arizona has seen a year-over-year increase in its unhoused population since 2017, and stories of experiencing homelessness for years despite pleas for help are all too common to those who have made their life’s work to help the most needy among them - with no simple solutions.
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Working-class people rarely have a seat ‘at the legislative table’ in state capitols https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031524_working_legislators/working-class-people-rarely-have-seat-at-legislative-table-state-capitols/
Just 116 of the nearly 7,400 state legislators in the United States come from working-class backgrounds, and the dearth of working-class legislators raises concerns that economic challenges such as wage stagnation and the rising cost of living will get short shrift in state capitols.
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Black Americans three times as likely to experience kidney failure as whites https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031524_kidney_disparities/black-americans-three-times-as-likely-experience-kidney-failure-as-whites/
Black Americans are far more likely to experience kidney failure than other racial groups, and also experience high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease at higher rates, which can all contribute to the development of kidney disease.
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Real-time video offers rare glimpse of America’s troubled deportation flights https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031524_deportation_flights/real-time-video-offers-rare-glimpse-americas-troubled-deportation-flights/
A group of researchers working in the observation room at Seattle's Boeing Field offers a real-time window into the vast network of privately run deportation flights, a system that has generated troubling reports of passenger mistreatment and in-flight emergencies.
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The truth about St. Patrick’s Day https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/arts/report/031319_st_patrick/the-truth-st-patricks-day/
The Festival of St. Patrick began in the 17th century as a religious and cultural commemoration of the bishop who brought Christianity to Ireland. In Ireland, there’s still an important religious and cultural component to the holiday, even as it has simply become an excuse to wear green and heavily drink in the rest of the world.
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Waddell throws complete game, Lopez scores 4 as Pima softball wins 8th straight https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/sports/report/031324_pcc_softball/waddell-throws-complete-game-lopez-scores-4-as-pima-softball-wins-8th-straight/
The Pima Community College softball team (17-8) won their eighth straight game on Wednesday as it played in the TIG Invitational held at Lincoln Regional Park.
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Az Republicans shut down Democrats' vote on contraception access https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031424_contraception_rights/az-republicans-shut-down-democrats-vote-contraception-access/
Arizona Republicans unanimously blocked an effort by Democratic lawmakers to force a vote on legislation guaranteeing the right to access contraception in the Grand Canyon State.
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Az leaders misled public about scope of Medicaid fraud crisis https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031424_medicaid_fraud_crisis/az-leaders-misled-public-scope-medicaid-fraud-crisis/
Since Arizona officials announced an investigation into massive Medicaid billing fraud, they’ve maintained the abuse was mostly limited to a small share of the system, but the agency acknowledged this week that fraud also spread into the organizations which oversee 90% of services.
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Biden temporarily blocked from diverting border barrier funds https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031424_border_barrier_funds/biden-temporarily-blocked-from-diverting-border-barrier-funds/
The Biden administration is temporarily barred from redirecting $1.4 billion that Congress allocated for a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, with Judge Drew Tipton ruling the Biden administration’s “spending decisions run afoul” of administrative law.
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Thomure on tap to be next Tucson city manager https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031424_thomure_city_manager/thomure-tap-next-tucson-city-manager/
The Tucson City Council may not have to look far or wide to find a replacement for outgoing City Manager Mike Ortega, as they are set to discuss next week the appointment of Tim Thomure as the city's next top administrator.
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Solar projects in the Navajo & Hopi nations to electrify homes win federal funding https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031424_native_solar/solar-projects-navajo-hopi-nations-electrify-homes-win-federal-funding/
Two projects in Arizona have been preliminarily selected as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s funding for community-driven energy projects aimed at lowering energy costs and enhancing energy security in rural and remote communities across the nation.
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Az Democrats push for ‘strongest ever’ vehicle emissions standards, transition to EVs https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031424_vehicle_standards/az-democrats-push-strongest-ever-vehicle-emissions-standards-transition-evs/
Arizona Democrats are calling on President Joe Biden to pass the “strongest-ever” federal clean air regulations as Republican proposals in the state legislature continue to threaten efforts to reduce pollution.
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Consider the terms: Ford follows concerning trend of walking away from elected posts https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031324_pima_appointments_op/consider-terms-ford-follows-concerning-trend-walking-away-from-elected-posts/
Neither of them started it and both did well in office, however Councilmember Steve Kozachik's resignation followed by County Treasurer Beth Ford's two days later drives home an unwritten rule that terms in office are optional.
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