Tucson Sentinel @TucsonSentinel@mastodon.tucsonsentinel.com

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Colorado River senators meet quietly to facilitate states' water talks https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031423_river_caucus/colorado-river-senators-meet-quietly-facilitate-states-water-talks/
Senators from the seven Western states in the Colorado River basin - including Arizona Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly - have been quietly meeting “for about a year,” to facilitate difficult discussions between the states over the future of the river.
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Hundreds of frustrated Venezuelan migrants block bridge linking El Paso & Juárez https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031323_migrants_border_rush/hundreds-frustrated-venezuelan-migrants-block-bridge-linking-el-paso-juarez/
Frustrated by the failures of a U.S. government immigration app and a difficult existence on the streets of Juárez, hundreds of mostly Venezuelan migrants rushed to the top of the Paso del Norte Bridge to learn if a rumor about the border being temporarily opened was true.
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Tucson man gets 2 years in prison for trying to smuggle 22k round of rifle ammo across border https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/031323_ammo_smuggler_sentenced/tucson-man-gets-2-years-prison-trying-smuggle-22k-round-rifle-ammo-across-border/
Victor Acosta, 47, was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to smuggling 22 boxes of rifle ammunition, including rounds for AR-15s and AK-47-patterned rifles
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Pac to Pac: Courtney Ramey, Azuolas Tubelis lead Arizona men to second straight tournament title https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/sports/report/031323_pac_12_champs/pac-pac-courtney-ramey-azuolas-tubelis-lead-arizona-men-second-straight-tournament-title/
With 18 seconds left, University of Arizona guard Courtney Ramey nailed a stepback three to give Arizona a two-point lead that boosted the Wildcats to a 61-59 victory over the UCLA Bruins Saturday night to win their second consecutive Pac-12 Men’s Basketball conference title.
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Congress unanimously votes to require declassification of information on COVID-19 origins https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031323_covid_declassification/congress-unanimously-votes-require-declassification-information-covid-19-origins/
The divided 118th Congress approved its first bill Friday, after lawmakers in both the House and Senate voted unanimously to send President Joe Biden legislation that would require declassification of intelligence on the origins of COVID-19.
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Oro Valley growth plan to go to public, Marana council road trip https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031323_agenda_ov_op/oro-valley-growth-plan-go-public-marana-council-road-trip/
Oro Valley needs to go to the public and the public needs to involve itself. How and where a community grows is everything. It's traffic, climate, parks, community health, environment, crime, taxes, economic development.... Plus more in local government meetings this week.
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