Tucson Sentinel @TucsonSentinel@mastodon.tucsonsentinel.com

Arizona tries again to ensure that manual audits of election results get done https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061825_election_audit/arizona-tries-again-ensure-that-manual-audits-election-results-get-done/
In Arizona, where distrust in elections runs high, many people agree that a manual check of election results could help boost confidence. And state law requires counties to do such audits. Yet they aren’t always happening.
#Tucson #Arizona

Judge swats Trump’s passport rule in win for trans, nonbinary travelers https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/061825_trans_passports/judge-swats-trumps-passport-rule-win-trans-nonbinary-travelers/
A federal judge in Massachusetts extended a preliminary injunction barring President Trump from enforcing his gender identity policy on passports and granted class certification to trans and nonbinary plaintiffs challenging the administration's directive.
#Tucson #Arizona

Trump pardons for Jan. 6 defendants, white-collar criminals wipe out $1.3 billion in legal debts https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/061825_trump_pardons/trump-pardons-jan-6-defendants-white-collar-criminals-wipe-out-13-billion-legal-debts/
The White House’s mass clemency campaign — whose beneficiaries include white-collar criminals and people convicted in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — has so far deleted more than $1.3 billion in debts to victims and the federal government.
#Tucson #Arizona

Bipartisan Az Senate budget clears 1st hurdle, leaves both parties wanting more https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061825_az_senate_budget/bipartisan-az-senate-budget-clears-1st-hurdle-leaves-both-parties-wanting-more/
Arizona senators from both parties expressed displeasure with the Senate’s budget proposal, but the chamber’s Appropriations Committee chairman told them that was a sign of a well-negotiated bipartisan plan.
#Tucson #Arizona

LGBTQ+ asylum seeker alleges abuse at Arizona immigration detention center https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061825_detention_abuse/lgbtq-asylum-seeker-alleges-abuse-arizona-immigration-detention-center/
An openly gay Russian dissident being held in an Arizona immigration detention center says he has been threatened and abused by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials as he faces deportation to Russia, where he fears torture or execution.
#Tucson #Arizona

Evidence-free Medicaid fraud claims come to Arizona as GOP pushes health care cuts https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061825_az_fraud_claims/evidence-free-medicaid-fraud-claims-come-arizona-as-gop-pushes-health-care-cuts/
A Republican state senator and a pro-Trump group accused Arizona’s Democratic governor of presiding over a massive health care fraud scheme. But Sen. Janae Shamp and the MAGA group she claimed made the discovery produced no evidence.
#Tucson #Arizona

Supreme Court upholds Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/061825_scotus_trans_care/supreme-court-upholds-tennessee-ban-gender-affirming-care-minors/
The Supreme Court ruled that Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth should remain in place, and does not violate the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause — a finding that experts worry will set new precedent for how transgender people can be treated.
#Tucson #Arizona

Bipartisan Arizona Senate budget clears first hurdle, leaves both parties wanting more https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061825_az_senate_budget/bipartisan-arizona-senate-budget-clears-first-hurdle-leaves-both-parties-wanting-more/
Arizona senators from both parties expressed displeasure with the Senate’s budget proposal, but the chamber’s Appropriations Committee chairman told them that was a sign of a well-negotiated bipartisan plan.
#Tucson #Arizona

Az Republicans split on extending Prop. 123 school funding as deadline approaches https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061825_prop_123_deadline/az-republicans-split-extending-prop-123-school-funding-as-deadline-approaches/
A major public school funding plan is set to expire in less than two weeks, but Arizona lawmakers have yet to figure out a solution — and public education advocates are unhappy with the current proposal that GOP lawmakers are pushing.
#Tucson #Arizona

Early voting starts in Southern Az CD7 special election https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061825_early_voting_cd7/early-voting-starts-southern-az-cd7-special-election/
Early voting began Wednesday in the Congressional District 7 primary election that voters will decide on July 15.
#Tucson #Arizona

Tucson City Council votes to make it illegal to camp in washes https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061725_wash_camping/tucson-city-council-votes-make-it-illegal-camp-washes/
The Tucson City Council voted 5-1 Tuesday in favor of a measure making it a misdemeanor to camp in city washes, after multiple failed attempts to pass the ordinance.
#Tucson #Arizona

Pima Supes OK selling county land for $3.6B Project Blue data center https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061725_project_blue_data/pima-supes-ok-selling-county-land-36b-project-blue-data-center/
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to allow a developer to purchase public land for a planned $3.6 billion data center just southeast of Tucson, and approved a rezoning of the parcel to allow for the construction project.
#Tucson #Arizona

Pima County residents will see changes in voting system for CD7 special election https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061725_pima_voting_changes/pima-county-residents-will-see-changes-voting-system-cd7-special-election/
Pima County voters will see several changes in the upcoming congressional election as Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cazares-Kelly rolls out new vote-by-mail envelopes, 24-hour drop boxes and a new online dashboard for the July 15 primary election in CD 7.
#Tucson #Arizona

With only 8% built, Texas quietly defunds state border wall program https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/061725_tx_border_wall/with-only-8-built-texas-quietly-defunds-state-border-wall-program/
Four years after Gov. Greg Abbott announced Texas would be the first state to build its own border wall, lawmakers have quietly stopped funding the project, leaving only scattered segments covering a small fraction of the border.
#Tucson #Arizona

In Arizona, other states where voters enshrined abortion rights, legislative tussles persist https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061725_abortion_bills/in-arizona-other-states-where-voters-enshrined-abortion-rights-legislative-tussles-persist/
Voters approved measures protecting abortion rights in seven states last fall, while similar measures failed in three others - but lawmakers in those states, including Arizona, filed at least 168 bills in the last few months, some to expand abortion access, some to set new restrictions.
#Tucson #Arizona

‘They’re taking Shirly’: An Army sergeant thought his family was safe. Then ICE deported his wife https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/061725_military_deportations/theyre-taking-shirly-army-sergeant-thought-his-family-was-safe-then-ice-deported-his-wife/
There is no guaranteed path to citizenship for undocumented military family members - and no guaranteed protections against deportation - for the estimated 80,000 undocumented spouses or parents of military members are living in the U.S.
#Tucson #Arizona

ICE arrests at L.A. churches stoke fear in Arizona that migrant raids at houses of worship are ramping up https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061725_ice_churches/ice-arrests-la-churches-stoke-fear-arizona-that-migrant-raids-houses-worship-are-ramping-up/
Immigration raids at houses of worship remain infrequent. But arrests at two Los Angeles-area churches have stoked fear among migrants and an uproar among advocates, and although no reports have surfaced of churches in Arizona being targeted, many were already on edge.
#Tucson #Arizona

Velazquez: Solar changed my life; Congress shouldn’t make it harder for others to follow https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/061725_velazquez_op/velazquez-solar-changed-my-life-congress-shouldnt-make-it-harder-others-follow/
The U.S. House recently advanced legislation to eliminate solar federal tax credits at the end of 2025, though the credits are often the difference between dreaming of solar and being able to afford it.
#Tucson #Arizona

U.S. Senate GOP wants to hike debt limit by $5 trillion in mega-bill https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/061725_debt_limit/us-senate-gop-wants-hike-debt-limit-by-5-trillion-mega-bill/
U.S. Senate Republicans unveiled that they plan to raise the country’s debt limit by $5 trillion in the “big, beautiful bill,” a full $1 trillion more than House GOP lawmakers proposed in their version.
#Tucson #Arizona

Az Senate introduces bipartisan budget after House goes solo with its ‘fantasyland’ plan https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061725_az_senate_budget/az-senate-introduces-bipartisan-budget-after-house-goes-solo-with-its-fantasyland-plan/
Senate Republicans introduced their budget proposal Monday, which they spent weeks negotiating with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, though they have a long way to go to come to a consensus with Republicans who lead the Arizona House of Representatives.
#Tucson #Arizona