Arizona Sen. Sinema sides with GOP on bill blocking student debt relief plan https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/060223_sinema_student_loans/arizona-sen-sinema-sides-with-gop-bill-blocking-student-debt-relief-plan/
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema joined two Democrats and all Senate Republicans Thursday to narrowly approve a bill overturning a federal program that would provide student debt relief to 16 million people, including more than 300,000 in Arizona.
#Tucson #Arizona
Environmentalists argue against livestock grazing in Sonoran Desert National Monument https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/060223_sonoran_grazing/environmentalists-argue-against-livestock-grazing-sonoran-desert-national-monument/
A federal judge heard arguments for competing summary judgment motions in a fight over the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s 2020 decision to allow cattle grazing on the Sonoran Desert National Monument.
#Tucson #Arizona
Gov. Hobbs flies LGBTQ pride flags on the Az executive tower for first time ever https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/060223_exec_tower_pride_flags/gov-hobbs-flies-lgbtq-pride-flags-az-executive-tower-first-time-ever/
Gov. Katie Hobbs decorated the Ninth Floor balcony with four pride flags to kick off the start of the official month-long celebration of LGBTQ communities across the country, the first time pride flags are flying from Arizona’s executive tower.
#Tucson #Arizona
Arizona resident Edward Vallejo gets 3 years for his role in Jan. 6 attack https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/060223_vallejo_jan_6_sentence/arizona-resident-edward-vallejo-gets-3-years-his-role-jan-6-attack/
Arizona resident Edward Vallejo was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison and three years of supervised release, a fraction of the sentence prosecutors sought for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
#Tucson #Arizona
U.S. Senate sends Biden debt limit legislation ahead of Monday default deadline https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/060223_senate_debt_limit/us-senate-sends-biden-debt-limit-legislation-ahead-monday-default-deadline/
The bipartisan debt limit bill is on its way to President Joe Biden after the U.S. Senate voted Thursday to clear the measure for his signature, though many senators said the legislation was far from perfect, and opted to support it despite their reservations over some of its provisions.
#Tucson #Arizona
Texas presses federal judge to end DACA program https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/060223_daca_ending/texas-presses-federal-judge-end-daca-program/
Having already declared an Obama-era policy that shields around 600,000 immigrants from deportation illegal, a federal judge indicated in a hearing Thursday he will also rule in a challenge led by Texas against a new version rolled out by President Joe Biden.
#Tucson #Arizona
Arizona school voucher program growth explodes to $900 million for the upcoming school year https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/060123_school_vouchers/arizona-school-voucher-program-growth-explodes-900-million-upcoming-school-year/
Arizona's universal school voucher program that was estimated to cost only $65 million is now poised to cost the state $900 million over the next year, exceeding its available funding by hundreds of millions of dollars.
#Tucson #Arizona
Arizona school voucher program growth explodes to $900 million for the upcoming school year https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/060123_school_vouchers/arizona-school-voucher-program-growth-explodes-900-million-upcoming-school-year/
Arizona's universal school voucher program that was estimated to cost only $65 million is now poised to cost the state $900 million over the next year, exceeding its available funding by hundreds of millions of dollars.
#Tucson #Arizona
U.S. Senate votes to block student loan relief, White House will veto https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/060123_senate_student_loans/us-senate-votes-block-student-loan-relief-white-house-will-veto/
The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to overturn the Biden administration’s one-time student debt relief plan that is on hold due to a pending Supreme Court decision, though President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the resolution.
#Tucson #Arizona
Claytoonz: Rich white drug dealers https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/060123_claytoonz_pharma/claytoonz-rich-white-drug-dealers/
The Sackler family, the owners of Purdue Pharma, reached a settlement in federal court yesterday that will give them full immunity from all civil legal claims, current and future, over their role in the company’s prescription opioids business.
#Tucson #Arizona
Millions in federal funding set to restore public lands across western states https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/060123_public_lands_funding/millions-federal-funding-set-restore-public-lands-across-western-states/
The Bureau of Land Management announced that it is receiving $161 million in federal funding to restore several landscapes across the western United States, an effort the agency says will create jobs and recreational opportunities while improving water quality and critical habitats.
#Tucson #Arizona
The Bee is not to be: Final Arizona spellers out of National Spelling Bee https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/060123_national_spelling_bee/the-bee-not-be-final-arizona-spellers-out-national-spelling-bee/
The last of Arizona's three spellers at the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee were eliminated Wednesday afternoon, end of two days of competition that began with 229 spellers from every state and a handful of foreign countries.
#Tucson #Arizona
GOP-led states plan new voter data systems to replace one they rejected. Good luck with that. https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/060123_gop_voter_system/gop-led-states-plan-new-voter-data-systems-replace-one-they-rejected-good-luck-with-that/
So far this year, seven Republican-led states have left the Electronic Registration Information Center, an interstate compact for sharing voter registration data, and amid the exodus, some states have said they plan to create their own data-sharing networks to replace ERIC.
#Tucson #Arizona
Arizona delegation in rare agreement on debt limit bill – nobody likes it https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/060123_arizona_debt_limit/arizona-delegation-rare-agreement-debt-limit-bill-8211-nobody-likes-it/
The House approved a debt-limit bill that was almost universally disliked, but one which some lawmakers said they would vote for because failing to do so could spark a default - including Arizona lawmakers, where party lines were blurred by supporters and opponents of the bill.
#Tucson #Arizona
U.S. House approves debt limit package, sending it to Senate days before default deadline https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/060123_house_debt_limit/us-house-approves-debt-limit-package-sending-it-senate-days-before-default-deadline/
The U.S. House took a broadly bipartisan vote Wednesday night on the debt limit package, sending it to the U.S. Senate where lawmakers are expected to vote quickly to clear the measure.
#Tucson #Arizona
As Medicaid purge begins, 'staggering numbers' of Americans lose coverage https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/060123_medicaid_purge/as-medicaid-purge-begins-staggering-numbers-americans-lose-coverage/
More than 600,000 Americans have lost Medicaid coverage since pandemic protections ended on April 1, as states are deciding who stays and who goes - and the overwhelming majority of people who have lost coverage were dropped because of technicalities.
#Tucson #Arizona
Border Patrol chief announces retirement by June https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/053123_ortiz_retiring/border-patrol-chief-announces-retirement-by-june/
The head of the U.S. Border Patrol announced his retirement Tuesday, following a tenure marked by the pandemic-era restriction known as Title 42 and thousands of migrant encounters by agents across the U.S.-Mexico border.
#Tucson #Arizona
Chad Campbell, former Arizona Dem legislative leader, will be Katie Hobbs’ new chief of staff https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/053123_campbell_hobbs/chad-campbell-former-arizona-dem-legislative-leader-will-katie-hobbs-new-chief-staff/
After several staff shake ups in the past few months, Gov. Katie Hobbs has hired former Arizona House of Representatives Democratic Leader Chad Campbell as her new chief of staff.
#Tucson #Arizona
Chad Campbell, former Arizona Dem legislative leader, will be Katie Hobbs’ new chief of staff https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/053123_campbell_hobbs/chad-campbell-former-arizona-dem-legislative-leader-will-katie-hobbs-new-chief-staff/
After several staff shake ups in the past few months, Gov. Katie Hobbs has hired former Arizona House of Representatives Democratic Leader Chad Campbell as her new chief of staff.
#Tucson #Arizona
Arizona appeals court says some marijuana sales convictions can be expunged https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/053123_marijuana_sales_convictions/arizona-appeals-court-says-some-marijuana-sales-convictions-can-expunged/
Some convictions for marijuana sales are eligible for expungement under Proposition 207 - which legalized the drug for adult use - the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled, ruling voters must have meant to include transportation of marijuana for sales to be eligible for expungement.
#Tucson #Arizona
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