Opening arguments in trial of Santa Cruz County rancher accused of murdering migrant man https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032624_kelly_trial/opening-arguments-trial-santa-cruz-county-rancher-accused-murdering-migrant-man/
Santa Cruz County prosecutors and defense attorneys presented opening arguments in a crowded courtroom Friday, marking an official start to the jury trial of George Alan Kelly – a Kino Springs resident charged with second-degree murder of Mexican citizen Gabriel Cuen Buitimea.
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Arizonans bought $1.4 billion of marijuana in 2023, led by recreational buyers https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032624_marijuana_sales/arizonans-bought-14-billion-marijuana-2023-led-by-recreational-buyers/
Arizona cannabis sales totaled more than $1.4 billion for the third consecutive year in 2023, as medical sales continued to tank and recreational buyers made up an overwhelming share of the sales.
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Vail School Board member seeks to challenge Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032624_christy_challenger/vail-school-board-member-seeks-challenge-pima-county-supervisor-steve-christy/
Vail School Board President Callie Tippett is “diligently collecting signatures” in an effort to unseat Supervisor Steve Christy in the July 30 GOP primary.
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New federal funding staves off migrant 'street releases' in Tucson https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032624_migrant_funding/new-federal-funding-staves-off-migrant-street-releases-tucson/
Updated: Just five days before a looming deadline, Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher said the county will continue to provide refuge for asylum seekers after Congress passed a Homeland Security funding bill, including nearly $650 million to support local governments sheltering migrants.
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Legislative attorney: SCOTUS might not strike down allowing 10 Commandments in Az classrooms https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032624_classroom_commandments/legislative-attorney-scotus-might-not-strike-down-allowing-10-commandments-az-classrooms/
The U.S. Supreme Court might strike down a Republican-proposed bill that would allow the display of the Ten Commandments in Arizona public school classrooms — but there’s also a chance that it might not.
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Why is it so difficult to teach sex ed in Arizona? https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032624_az_sex_ed/why-it-so-difficult-teach-sex-ed-arizona/
Advocates and educators contend that since repealing a decades-old Arizona law that prohibited discussing same-sex relationships in a positive light - referred to as the "no promo homo” bill - topics in sex education have become politicized and harder to teach.
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Dropping defense, Kari Lake asks judge to set damages she must pay in Richer's defamation suit https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032624_lake_richer_damages/dropping-defense-kari-lake-asks-judge-set-damages-she-must-pay-richers-defamation-suit/
Kari Lake is asking a court to quickly decide how much she will pay Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer in the defamation case he brought against her. He took the court filing as admission of liability, writing "Kari: You lied."
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New federal funding staves off migrant 'street releases' in Tucson https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032624_migrant_funding/new-federal-funding-staves-off-migrant-street-releases-tucson/
Just five days before a looming deadline, Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher said the county will continue to provide refuge for asylum seekers after Congress passed a Homeland Security funding bill, including nearly $650 million to support local governments sheltering migrants.
#Tucson #Arizona
Legislative attorney: SCOTUS might not strike down allowing Ten Commandments in Az classrooms https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032624_classroom_commandments/legislative-attorney-scotus-might-not-strike-down-allowing-ten-commandments-az-classrooms/
The U.S. Supreme Court might strike down a Republican-proposed bill that would allow the display of the Ten Commandments in Arizona public school classrooms — but there’s also a chance that it might not.
#Tucson #Arizona
AG Mayes OKs Tucson sales tax vote this summer https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032624_tucson_tax_election/ag-mayes-oks-tucson-sales-tax-vote-this-summer/
Despite an Arizona state law, the city of Tucson can move ahead with a planned July vote on a sales tax increase, Attorney General Kris Mayes said.
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AG Mayes OKs Tucson sales tax vote in August https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032624_tucson_tax_election/ag-mayes-oks-tucson-sales-tax-vote-august/
Despite an Arizona state law, the city of Tucson can move ahead with a planned August vote on a sales tax increase, Attorney General Kris Mayes said.
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At stake in mifepristone case: Abortion, FDA’s authority, and return to 1873 obscenity law https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/032624_scotus_mifepristone/at-stake-mifepristone-case-abortion-fdas-authority-and-return-1873-obscenity-law/
Lawyers from the conservative Christian group that won the case to overturn Roe v. Wade are returning to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday in pursuit of an urgent priority: shutting down access to abortion pills for women across the country.
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Tribes, feds spar before Supreme Court over who pays for health care https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/032624_tribes_scotus_health_care/tribes-feds-spar-before-supreme-court-over-who-pays-health-care/
Some Supreme Court justices expressed concern that giving tribes more money for health care would result in a big bill for the government after the San Carlos Apache said that federal government owes it $3 million for health care, one of two tribes arguing for more support.
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To boost Trump, GOP attorneys general charge into battle over state election rules https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/032624_gop_election_rules/to-boost-trump-gop-attorneys-general-charge-into-battle-over-state-election-rules/
With less than six months before voting begins, the legal jousting over the rules for the 2024 election is already underway. And former President Donald Trump’s campaign is getting support from allies who have stayed mostly under the national radar: red-state attorneys general.
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Top Republicans & Az Chamber of Commerce suing EPA over new pollution rules https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032624_epa_lawsuit/top-republicans-az-chamber-commerce-suing-epa-over-new-pollution-rules/
Republican lawmakers joined the Arizona Chamber of Commerce in challenging a federal rule aimed at reducing smokestack and diesel emissions, arguing that its new requirements are too stringent to implement and will be financially devastating for Arizona.
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Ohio man sentenced for threatening to kill an Arizona election official https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032524_election_threat_sentence/ohio-man-sentenced-threatening-kill-arizona-election-official/
An Ohio man was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after he was charged for leaving a series of voicemails threatening the life of an election official who worked for the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
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Unprecedented surge in ‘dark money’ floods 2024 elections https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/032624_dark_money/unprecedented-surge-dark-money-floods-2024-elections/
“Dark money” groups and shell companies are on track to steer more money from undisclosed sources to the 2023-2024 election than any prior cycle.
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‘Downwinder’ renewal left out of massive budget bill rushed through Congress https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/032524_downtrodden_downwinders/downwinder-renewal-left-out-massive-budget-bill-rushed-through-congress/
The $1.2 trillion budget package included everything from protection for gas stoves to restrictions on payments to the Chinese government - but not an extension for the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which compensates people who lived downwind from nuclear test sites.
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Mexico's lawsuit vs. Arizona gun dealers survives legal challenge https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032524_mx_gun_lawsuit/mexicos-lawsuit-vs-arizona-gun-dealers-survives-legal-challenge/
A lawsuit launched by the Mexican government against five Arizona gun dealers for failing to stop illegal firearms purchases will move forward, a federal judge ruled Monday.
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EPA's new auto emissions standard will speed transition to cleaner cars https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032524_emission_standards_op/epas-new-auto-emissions-standard-will-speed-transition-cleaner-cars/
The EPA released new emissions limits that mean more carbon emissions in the short run but indicate a substantial pivot toward electrification, as politics is inevitably an important consideration in regulating major industries.
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