Cover Story
Loaded Legislation
When President Barack Obama laid out a series of steps to expand background checks, increase mental-health funding and take other steps to reduce gun violence last month, Southern Arizona Congresswoman Martha McSally was among those critical of his proposals.
Cinema Clips: Son of Saul
A prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp serving in the Sonderkommando (prisoners forced to do grisly tasks for the Nazis) finds a young boy who initially survives the gas chamber, and makes it his mission to protect him as if he were his son. Geza Rohrig is heartbreaking as Saul, a broken man desperate to…
Dunbar/Spring Is About to Get a Vegan Restaurant and Neighborhood Market
Curious neighbors in Dunbar/Spring need wonder no more. The sky blue building with the bright yellow flags at 111 W. Fourth St. is definitely tough to miss, and soon you could find yourself stopping in for local produce, grains and fresh vegan cooking at reasonable, wholesale pricing. That’s because Zinman’s Food Shop is in it’s…
‘Powerpuff Girls’ Goes Undeniably Feminist, Beats Up Sexist Lumberjack
Like most women in their mid-20s, I’ve got a soft spot for the Powerpuff Girls. Those flying children were tough, cute and complete badasses. Their villains were ridiculous and ruthless. They exploded into existence because The Professor was an idiot who didn’t understand spacial relationships. I couldn’t get enough. I was obviously delighted when I found…
Cinema Clips: Southbound
Last year was a banner year for the horror genre (It Follows, Bone Tomahawk, We are Still Here) and 2016 gets off to a good and creepy genre start with this anthology offering. From the producers of the uneven V/H/S series, this consists of 4 short films tied together with themes of guilt and dread.…
Sanders, the Sixties and College Students
Bernie Sanders got an astounding 85 percent of the vote from 18 to 29 year olds in the New Hampshire primary. By any accounting, that’s an amazing stat. People have bemoaned the apathy of today’s college students, but for some reason, they’re Feeling the Bern, big time. Does it mean we’re at the beginning of…
The Huffington Post is SUPER Pissed Donald Trump Won New Hampshire’s GOP Primary
With the headline, “A Racist, Sexist, Demagogue Just Won the New Hampshire Primary,” The Huffington Post announced Donald Trump won the Republican primary in the state by a landslide. The billionaire reality TV star, and “all Mexican immigrants are rapists” believer got 98,309, or roughly 35 percent, of the votes. Surprisingly, Ohio Gov. John Kasich…
Cinema Clips: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
The zombie movie craze hits what I hope to be its low point with this crap attempt at horror comedy featuring a fairly faithful take on the Jane Austen classic mixed with the undead. Lily James, so delightful in Cinderella, plays Elizabeth Bennet, one of the esteemed Bennet sisters and zombie hunter. She sets her…
Comedians James Adomian and Anthony Atamanuik to Square Off as Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump at Rialto Theatre
It’s hard to imagine one election season encompassing the madness of pyramid conspiracy theories and reality TV stars turned viable candidates that this one has already, but here we are. Really, the whole thing has made a mockery of itself, so why not mock that mockery a little more and allow the pros to step…
We’re Giving Away Tickets to See an Eagles Tribute Band
Maybe you’re a big fan of the Eagles, maybe you’re looking for a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your honey or maybe you’re just all about events that benefit the Old Pueblo Rotary Foundation. Whatever the case, we’re giving away five pairs of tickets to Eagles tribute band One of These Nights’ Saturday performance. One…
Howe Gelb Announces End to Giant Sand, “I Guess That’s What it Takes to Get in Pitchfork”
Number one shape-shifter in indie rock: Go. If you didn’t come up with Howe Gelb in that mix, you may not have been paying much attention the past 30 years. We had a lengthy interview with Gelb this morning in the wake of Pitchfork’s announcement that Giant Sand is riding into the sunset. Gelb’s immediate response…
Learn to Use Acorns as Food Courtesy of the Sonoran Herbalist
John Slattery, the Sonoran Herbalist, is bringing his knowledge of our native flora back to the Food Conspiracy Co-op, and this time it’s all about the acorns. You might think of these little nuts as those annoying projectiles that fall from trees, ruining your perfectly manicured lawn (nature needs to stop getting in the way…
See Stars (Literally) This Valentine’s Weekend
This Valentine’s Day, you’ll probably be seeing metaphorical stars of love, but for those of us who aren’t, Pima County Parks and Rec will host a night of actual stargazing with their “Night Under the Stars” event. There are two opportunities to learn about the stars from pros and semi-pros alike: one the night of Feb. 12…
Habitat for Humanity Offering Home Repair for Veterans
The local chapter of Habitat for Humanity is looking for military veterans who need repairs done on their homes — at no cost to the homeowner. The program is meant to improve the safety, condition, livability, and accessibility of homes owned by veterans. Projects also work to upgrade the energy efficiency of homes in order to…
Tucson Police Arrests Suspect Who Possibly Vandalized the Fox Theatre
The Tucson Police Department has arrested a suspect for the unpleasant vandalism that temporarily disfigured the historic Fox Theatre last year. In the evening of April, 26, 2015, someone thought it was a good idea to graffiti the Fox’s front doors. Photos of the incident began emerging the next morning. It ended up costing $3,000 to…
Night of the Jaguar at Barrio Brewing Co. to Celebrate Everyone’s Favorite Feline
If you’re one of many Tucsonans who caught a mean case of jaguar fever after footage of the rare predator in the Santa Rita mountains was released last week, you can hang out with like-minded El Jefe fans and learn more about the native cat at an event hosted by the Center for Biological Diversity.…
XIXA’s Gabe Sullivan: “I’ve Been Immersed in the Greatest Music School There Is, and It Is Called Giant Sand”
In an interview with Q Magazine to promote XIXA’s new release Bloodline, guitarist Gabe Sullivan talks about what he learned from Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb: My first experience on stage with Howe Gelb was a 35 minute excursion of sweating bullets and sheer guessing. Brian Lopez, Sergio Mendoza and myself had spent weeks working on…
Preview Event: The Barrio Stories Project
Busy Wednesday night? Playground Bar & Lounge is hosting a free preview of the upcoming Barrio Stories performances by Borderlands Theater. The performances will feature “actors bringing to life the oral histories of the residents whose homes were lost to the construction of the convention center,” according to the event’s Facebook page. In the late…
Arizona’s Taxes Are Too High? Compared to What?
Four billion dollars more in Arizona’s state coffers would go a long way. I made the radical proposal the other day that we should add a billion dollars to our education budget to take us out of 49th place in per student funding and catapult us all the way up to 46th place, tied with…
Another Extraordinary Snapshot From Astronaut Scott Kelly
Day 311. When you think of beautiful things. Don't forget Earth. #GoodNight from @space_station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/5jOGJbWNHy — Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 2, 2016 Astronaut Scott Kelly, who is continuing his year in space aboard the International Space Station, delvers another extraordinary image via his Twitter feed.
Habanero Needs a Home
Remember when the Humane Society of Southern Arizona rescued 23 dogs from New Mexico? Some are now available for adoption, including Habanero! This cutie is two years old about as playful as they come. He is very treat motivated and is excited about learning commands and being rewarded. He would do great with an active…
Into the Mild: Santiago’s Mad Max University
Santiago, Chile Students live in the classrooms, all fences have been blocked off by tables. The police just gave up… it’s Mad Max in there! -My boss Many universities and high schools in Santiago were on strike for much of the last year. Each had different reasons for the strike, with the students striking at…
Update: Roosh Valizadeh Says His Meet-ups Weren’t Pro-Rape, Honest
Update Feb. 8, 6 p.m.: It turns out that the Return of Kings meet-ups weren’t actually ever advertised by the group to be pro-rape, according to an article posted by ROK member Rob Berne yesterday. From the horse’s mouth: Media reports resulted in a shut down of the meet ups planned among our followers…The Establishment intentionally took one article written…
Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll Calls It Quits
As Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll was thanking many of his friends for their support late yesterday afternoon, he told them that when he was growing up in Chicago, he always dreamed of being one of three things: A police officer, a priest or a politician. “Those first two had such high standards of admission…
Zona Politics: How Will Climate Change Affect the Oceans?
ZonaPol2-4-16Fin_1_1 from Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel on Vimeo. On this week’s episode of Zona Politics: UA professor of geosciences Joellen Russell talks about how climate change is affecting the world’s oceans. Then we talk with two writers who will be appearing at this year’s Festival of Books: Kathryn Ferguson, author of The Haunting of…
Need Some Fresh Air? Try These 3 Things to do Outside This Weekend
The recent storm brought wind and rain, but it also brought some beautiful weather for this upcoming weekend. Enjoy it: 1) Mount Lemmon SkyCenter SkyNights Program Check out the largest public viewing telescope in the Southwest any night this weekend. A five hour “tour of the universe” up on Mount Lemmon is $60. The event…
Union Workers in Tucson, Phoenix Go On Strike Against US Foods
More than 200 union members in Arizona employed by US Foods declared an unfair labor practice strike last night as negotiations for a new contract with one of the nation’s largest food service providers has been stalled for months. Members of the Teamsters Local 104 Union have been working without a contract since October 2015. The…
Casa Video Top 10
Listen up: I’d never say one needs an “excuse” to get themselves a bowl of buttery, wonderful popcorn—but if you find grease stains all over your tax documents, maybe the situation could use some work? It’s movie time. Here’s a list of the 10 movies most rented from Casa Video last week: 1. The Martian…
Club Camera Tucson Hosts Photography Workshops at Agua Caliente Park
If you’re looking to get out of those house and fine tune those photo skills all in one go, Club Camera Tucson has some events for you. Beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 5 and continuing throughout the month, the local camera club will be sponsoring three different workshops that will focus on different aspects of shooting…
Daily Physical Activity Bill Given Short Shrift at the Legislature, Again
Once again, Tucson’s Steve Gall pushed for a bill to promote daily physical activity in elementary schools. (Full disclosure: Steve is a friend who keeps me up-to-date on his volunteer work with kids in Tucson and his efforts to get some kind of state legislation passed promoting daily physical activity.) This year it’s HB 2066, a…
Arivaca Residents Monitor Border Patrol Checkpoint on HWY 286 to Document Possible Racial Profiling, Other Abuse
In the three decades Carlotta Wray has lived in Arivaca, she says she had never felt uncomfortable until Border Patrol interior checkpoints and immigration enforcement agents began to appear in the area. To either enter or leave the community—located 11 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border—she, and other Arivaca residents, have to pass through at least…
Yet Another Reason for the Current Teacher Shortage?
Another day, another story about teacher shortages. Today it’s the Vail school district, a sweetheart place to work if there ever was one. Top achievement scores, kids from homes with enough income and education to arrive at school prepared and motivated, a well respected superintendent. Yet Vail has had teacher vacancies all year, and fewer people…
Local Musicians Band Together to Support Bernie Sanders at 3 Concerts
No matter who you’re planning to vote for in the 2016 presidential election, you have to admit that the photo finish ending for the Democratic leg of the Iowa caucus was pretty intense. With the race for Iowan delegates veering too close to call right up until the end, it looks like the primary is…
Women’s Stories Project Documentary
Suze Rutherford will be in Tucson Friday, Feb. 5 to discuss her work documenting efforts to bring women’s voices to an all-male council of elders in Pankisi Gorge.
Flame Off, Flame On!
Every year, local and visiting artists gather for the Flame Off, a live flame-working competition founded by local glass blower Tom Philabaum.
Foodies and Gourmands, Unite!
Experience the tastes and sips of Southern Arizona at the Tucson Botanical Gardens
The Motherhood Archives
Filmmaker Irene Lusztig will be presenting her most recent film at the Exploded View Gallery/ Microcinema.
Black Panthers Film
Revisit the Civil Rights era with a screening of acclaimed documentary, The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution.
Editor’s Note
Mari contemplates the future of newspapers and the local journalism community.
Making Art Work
Tucson has a lot going for it—transcendent lighting, relative affordability, perfect refried beans, Rococo clouds.
Dust Devil
I didn’t know how to voice my anger then.
Baila Ballet
In the Ballet Tucson studios, seven young ballerinas are panting.
Police Dispatch
A random gas-station patron on a Sunday morning was brutally unkind to an attendant—actually making her cry—for absolutely no discernible reason.
Reality Sucks
45 Years is a well made, masterfully performed movie that basically states seemingly secure and pleasant lives can be ruined without warning or discretion, even when we are elderly.
Police Dispatch
When a north-side man confronted his neighbor about a constantly barking canine, the neighbor verbally assaulted the man and scared him with a gun—then said the gun was fake and passively offered the aphorism, “Dogs will be dogs.”
Festival Philosophy: Gem and Jam
Certain critics like to compare anything with burgeoning popularity to a bubble that is about to burst, like the housing market or ’90s-era Internet real estate.
Healthy Sex
It’s been about one year since Planned Parenthood Arizona got involved in the Tucson Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition—an initiative that, among other goals, is bringing sex education to Sunnyside Unified School District by this fall.
Slow Growth: Vetiver
Andy Cabic has been at it for a while. Under the moniker Vetiver, he had his coming out in the freak folk explosion of the early oughts alongside tourmates Joanna Newsom and Devendra Banhart.
Senate Stretch
Democratic Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick is hoping to challenge U.S. Sen. John McCain this year, provided he survives the GOP primary.
B-Sides: Anthony Fierro Memorial
Although the Tucson community lost Anthony Fierro nearly a month ago, his absence is still strongly felt both at his former workplace, Hotel Congress, and, of course, among his family and friends here and abroad.
The Skinny
Once again, U.S. Rep. McSally shows she has no equal when it comes to raising money and Legislative candidates are getting into gear.
B-Sides: Viva La Pixies
The Flycatcher has hosted so many cover shows lately that it’s almost hard to keep up
Media Watch
Cord cutting has become something of a dirty word in the cable industry. But Access Tucson is hopeful its severed ties with the city will lead to an entirely new lease on life.
B-Sides: Harrison Fjord
If you haven’t been keeping up with the Phoenix music scene lately, this week you have a chance to see three of the Valley’s top acts live in Tucson at two different concerts at Club Congress.
Danehy
Questions, questions and more questions (and a few answers).
Grass Party
Backers of a proposed ballot initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Arizona launched a Phoenix Open-inspired billboard.
TQ&A
Cecily Crebbs is a DJ, mother and Tucson resident of 25 years, but most of all, she is a writer.
Funny Tea: Curly Wolf
You could say it all started with Lindsay Lohan—yes, that Lindsay Lohan.
