Taxpayers spend 22% more per patient to support private alternative to Medicare that promised to cost less https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/120424_medicare_advantage_op/taxpayers-spend-22-more-per-patient-support-private-alternative-medicare-that-promised-cost-less/
Medicare Advantage – the commercial alternative to traditional Medicare – is drawing down federal health care funds, costing taxpayers an extra 22% per enrollee to the tune of $83 billion a year.
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U.S. Education Dep't pings states, schools to set policies on cellphone use https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/120424_doe_cellphones/us-education-dept-pings-states-schools-set-policies-cellphone-use/
The U.S. Education Department called on every state, school and district to adopt policies on cellphone use in schools, but does not dictate exactly what those policies should be.
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Vote dilution an injury to Az voting rights? A federal judge has doubts https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/120424_vote_dilution/vote-dilution-injury-az-voting-rights-federal-judge-has-doubts/
U.S. District Judge Dominic Lanza will likely dismiss a lawsuit filed by three registered voters in Maricopa County - including Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda - challenging Arizona’s compliance with the National Voting Rights Act.
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Pima County to release sheriff’s recount results Friday https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/120324_sheriff_recount/pima-county-release-sheriffs-recount-results-friday/
The race for Pima County sheriff will be settled in court at 10 a.m. Friday.
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Phoenix woman gets 3 years for transporting unauthorized migrants in Az https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/120324_smuggler_sentenced/phoenix-woman-gets-3-years-transporting-unauthorized-migrants-az/
A 37-year-old Phoenix woman was sentenced to nearly three years in prison by a federal judge last month for agreeing to pick up three men in the U.S. without authorization and attempting to transport them further into Arizona.
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Your gift to the Sentinel's local nonprofit newsroom TRIPLED on #GivingNewsDay https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/120324_giving_newsday/your-gift-sentinels-local-nonprofit-newsroom-tripled-givingnewsday/
Give to real local journalism that matters — your donation TRIPLED before Dec. 31! Support the watchdog reporters of the nonprofit independent newsroom at the Tucson Sentinel.
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Your gift to the Sentinel's local nonprofit newsroom TRIPLED on #GivingNewsDay https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/120224_giving_newsday/your-gift-sentinels-local-nonprofit-newsroom-tripled-givingnewsday/
Give to real local journalism that matters — your donation TRIPLED before Dec. 31! Support the watchdog reporters of the nonprofit independent newsroom at the Tucson Sentinel.
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After years of funding with little headway, Indigenous women still missing & murdered at alarming rates https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/120324_mmiw_rates/after-years-funding-with-little-headway-indigenous-women-still-missing-murdered-alarming-rates/
Despite grants and numerous programs to help mitigate the issue, cases of missing or murdered Indigenous women continue at relatively high rates, and the extent of the problem is almost certainly underestimated.
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Following abortion rights election victory, lawsuit aims to overturn Az’s 15-week abortion ban https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/120324_abortion_lawsuit/following-abortion-rights-election-victory-lawsuit-aims-overturn-azs-15-week-abortion-ban/
After voters last month approved sweeping constitutional protections for abortion in Arizona, two local doctors and Planned Parenthood are suing to void the state’s 15-week gestational ban.
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Arizona high school basketball underclassmen & coaches reveal early recruiting realities https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/sports/report/120324_middle_school_recruiting/arizona-high-school-basketball-underclassmen-coaches-reveal-early-recruiting-realities/
Middle school athletes receiving offers from university sports programs before ever playing a high school game is becoming more common - but support for early recruiting is mixed.
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Door opens to potential predatory behavior as sportsbooks implement AI https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/sports/report/120324_ai_gambling/door-opens-potential-predatory-behavior-as-sportsbooks-implement-ai/
Sports gambling operators are using artificial intelligence to track and limit problem gambling exposure for their users, but the introduction of this technology and the use of personal data also raises questions about whether it could be used for the wrong reasons.
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Arizona voters said yes to abortion rights, but old restrictions are still on the books https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/120324_az_abortion/arizona-voters-said-yes-abortion-rights-but-old-restrictions-are-still-books/
Arizonans overwhelmingly voted to make abortion a fundamental right, but overturning the state’s current 15-week gestational ban — and multiple other anti-abortion laws still on the books — isn’t automatic.
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Az budget surplus grows to $660 million after strong income tax collections in October https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/120324_budget_surplus/az-budget-surplus-grows-660-million-after-strong-income-tax-collections-october/
State tax collections beat forecasts in October, growing more than 25% over the prior year and swelling the budget surplus to $660 million just months before lawmakers return to the Capitol and begin crafting a spending plan for 2026.
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U.S. Rep. Grijalva gives up role as top Democrat on Natural Resources Cmte https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/120224_grijalva_nat_resources/us-rep-grijalva-gives-up-role-as-top-democrat-natural-resources-cmte/
U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva announced Monday that he would not seek to hang onto his position as the ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee.
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Mexican man gets 7 years for smuggling dozens of rifles, ammo & machine gun parts https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/120224_gun_smuggler_sentenced/mexican-man-gets-7-years-smuggling-dozens-rifles-ammo-machine-gun-parts/
A 33-year-old Mexican man was sentenced to more than 7 years in prison for smuggling 67 weapons into Mexico, including a machine gun and dozens of semi-automatic assault rifles and pistols, as well as parts to make machine gun belts, dozen of magazines, and at least 20,000 rounds of ammunition.
#Tucson #Arizona
Marana to name municipal complex after Ed Honea, Pima County plans COVID relief spending https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/120224_agenda_honea_complex_op/marana-name-municipal-complex-after-ed-honea-pima-county-plans-covid-relief-spending/
Honea's death could have an effect on the Regional Transportation Plan's next round of funding, which may go to voters next Fall. The Marana mayor was a reliable, if cantankerous, regional partner. Plus, Pima County is planning how to spend the last tranche of COVID relief funding, and more in local government meetings.
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Man shot at Nogales border crossing indicted by grand jury for ammo smuggling https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/103024_nogales_ammo_smuggler_indicted/man-shot-nogales-border-crossing-indicted-by-grand-jury-ammo-smuggling/
A man shot and wounded by border officers in Nogales, Ariz., in October was indicted by a grand jury on three charges, including attempting to smuggle more than 3,000 rounds into Mexico, assault on a federal officer, and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.
#Tucson #Arizona
Candidates promised a bigger child tax credit. Will that actually happen? https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/120224_child_tax_credit/candidates-promised-bigger-child-tax-credit-will-that-actually-happen/
In the lead up to Election Day, presidential candidates had big ambitions for the future of the child tax credit, but the feasibility of those proposals is now being tested.
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Pima County considers $2M increase to jail health contract amid lawsuits & penalties https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/112924_naphcare_contract/pima-county-considers-2m-increase-jail-health-contract-amid-lawsuits-penalties/
The Pima County Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on whether to pay $2 million more to NaphCare, Inc., the provider responsible for medical services at the Pima County Jail and the subject of more than a dozen lawsuits in the last two years.
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Anti-fraud efforts meet real-world test during ACA enrollment period https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/120224_aca_fraud/anti-fraud-efforts-meet-real-world-test-during-aca-enrollment-period/
Unauthorized switching of Affordable Care Act plans appears to have tapered off in recent weeks, but will the changes curb fraud by rogue agents or brokerages without unduly slowing the process of enrolling or reducing the total number of sign-ups for 2025 coverage?
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