Cover Story
Defending the Union
Author Interview: Tom Prezelski Former Arizona state legislator Tom Prezelski’s first book Californio Lancers: The 1st Battalion of Native Cavalry in the Far West, 1863–1866, was published last year by University of Oklahoma Press. The book covers part of Mexican-American history that is often neglected about the more than 10,000 Mexican-Americans who served during the…
Into the Mild: The Adventures of Jason and Hobbes
Traveling alone can be tough. When all of my snooty friends couldn’t join me because they had families or careers they couldn’t walk away from, I had to get creative in my search for a companion. I left Tucson in June of 2014, traveling with a group of 500 soccer fanatics to watch the World…
Into the Mild: Journal From a Refugee Camp: Week Five
Lesbos Island, Greece – January 2016 This is part six of a journal I’m keeping during my month working at a refugee camp in Greece. Part five, covering working at a distribution tent and finding a full-time translation job, is here. Jan. 4 Today was my first full day as a Farsi interpreter at a…
Cinema Clips: Youth
From the previews, Youth looks like Cocoon minus the glowing aliens, a goofy old coot movie with Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel leering at pretty ladies in the swimming pool and complaining about their prostates. In actuality, it is far from being anything like Cocoon and, with the exception of some darkly humorous laughs and,…
El Salvador Could Become Murder Capital of the World But Obama Administration Still Supports Deporting Kids, Women
The Peace Corps announced Monday that it is temporarily suspending any programs in El Salvador because the Central American country is too dangerous, according to a write-up by the Huffington Post. In fact, El Salvador is well on its way to become the homicide capital of the world. Still, the Obama administration plans to continue deporting…
YWCA: Women Veterans Starting a Small Business Should Apply for This Scholarship
The YWCA of Southern Arizona announced today that scholarships for an eight-week business planning course are now available for women veterans, and other “underserved” entrepreneurs in the community. The Women’s Business Center of Southern Arizona, the Connie Hillman Family Foundation, as well as the U.S. Small Business Administration, are sponsoring the aid for the program,…
Cinema Clips: Moonwalkers
A great premise gets lost in the murk in this feature directing debut from Antoine Bardou-Jacquet. Playing off the myth that we never landed on the moon and Stanley Kubrick was hired to direct a moon landing film, Bardou-Jacquet aims for dark humor with clear nods to Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork…
Enjoy Nature and Do Some Good on MLK Day
Have next Monday off? Well, it’s time to lace up your walkin’ shoes because Saguaro National Park is waiving entrance fees for MLK Day. That sounds nice on its own, but those looking to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a more community-service driven way will also have their moment: The park is seeking…
If You Want To Vote in AZ’s Prez Primary, Get Registered With a Political Party Soon
In just a few weeks, voters will be deciding the winners of the New Hampshire and Iowa presidential contests—and who the hell knows what’s gonna happen? On the GOP side, Cruz and Trump are fighting it out in Iowa while The Donald still holds a commanding lead in New Hampshire—though polling guru Nate Silver thinks…
Rock Gods Read? Who Knew?
The recently late, long great David Bowie was, apparently, an avid reader. As part of a 2013 exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, he included a list of his 100 favorite books. I won’t print the complete list here. You can go to the LA Times article to see it. It’s a wide-ranging…
Grijalva: Obama’s State of the Union “Was One of the Best, If Not the Best”
Congressman Raul Grijalva tells The Range that he thought President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech last night was “one of the best, if not the best.” “I watched all eight and other than his first one, this was his best State of the Union,” Grijalva said. Grijalva said he was particularly impressed with…
Rialto Theatre and R Bar Plan Entire Week of David Bowie Tribute Events
Chances are, you found out on Monday which friends you could delete from your list if they were talking about anything other than the loss of rock legend and beloved weirdo David Bowie. You may have also seen some of the many tributes put out to honor the Thin White Duke. Well, aside from the…
At Least Ducey Mentioned Some Interest in Prison Sentencing Reform During State of the State
During his State of the State speech in Phoenix Monday, Gov. Doug Ducey expressed interest in prison sentencing reform, and reducing the state’s prison population. Ducey, who’s starting his second year in office, didn’t provide much detail, except that he would like to create a panel of substance abuse experts to look into drug abuse…
Super Citrus Saturday Offers the Opportunity to Give Back with Your Unwanted, Excess Fruit
Excess citrus got you down? This weekend, you can pick all that extra fruit off your productive trees and donate it to folks who need it when the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona hosts another Super Citrus Saturday event. As part of the food bank’s 2015 gleaning initiatives alone, over 88,000 pounds of fresh…
Lawsuit Alleging Border Patrol Detention Methods Are Inhumane Gets OK to Move Forward
A federal judge in Tucson is allowing a lawsuit against the Border Patrol’s alleged inhumane and unconstitutional detention methods to proceed, which means these accusations can now be looked into further. In June of last year, a coalition of immigration rights advocacy groups—including the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and the National Immigration Law…
State Rep. Victoria Steele Resigns To Focus on Congressional Run: Who Wants To Be a Lawmaker?
State Rep. Victoria Steele (D-LD9) resigned from the Arizona Legislature yesterday, saying she wanted to focus on her congressional campaign. Steele hopes to challenge freshman Congresswoman Martha McSally (R-CD2), but first she has to win the Democratic primary race against former state lawmaker Matt Heinz. In a press release, Steele said the decision was “not…
The Deadbeat Dads Ducey Didn’t Talk About in the State of the State Address
Toward the end of his State of the State Address, Gov. Ducey said he’s going to get tough on deadbeat dads. For fathers out there who aren’t meeting their obligations, we also have a plan. I’m talking to deadbeat dads. For too long, you’ve been able to remain anonymous – able to skirt your financial and…
“And the Stars Look Very Different Today”: NASA Remembers David Bowie
'And the stars look very different today.' RIP David Bowie. In Honor, @Cmdr_Hadfield's version of Space Oddity: https://t.co/tVUTooNr3m — NASA (@NASA) January 11, 2016 NASA has resurrected retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield’s cover of “Space Oddity” to say farewell to the late David Bowie.
Into the Mild: Journal From a Refugee Camp, Week Four
Lesvos Island, Greece – December 2015 – January 2016 This is part five of a journal I’m keeping during my month working at a refugee camp in Greece. Part four, covering a week of shore rescues and work as an interpreter, is here. Dec. 28 The day has finally come to spend the rest of…
Craig Barrett Makes $190,000 As a K12 Inc. Board Member
Over the years, I’ve written many posts about the shoddy corporate practices and poor student performance at schools run by K12 Inc., the for-profit, publicly traded online education corporation (Its Arizona charter school, Arizona Virtual Academy, has 4,600 students sitting behind their computers at home, if, that is, they actually take the time and effort…
Give Us Your Best of Tucson Category Suggestions
“Best of Tucson? Didn’t we just finish up with that?” Yep. Best of Tucson is one of our biggest issues every year, and that means it’s on our minds about 10 months out of the year. We’re just about ready to look over last year’s ballot, cut out the categories nobody cares about, and add…
New Waffle-Centric Food Truck, Wafflelicious, to Hit Tucson Streets on Friday
Recently, a friend described waffles to me as a crispier, but ultimately less satisfying pancake. However, if you’ve had a hot, freshly-made waffle, you know that they’re definitely in a league of their own. While pondering the absolute wrongness of my friend, let’s all rejoice in the fact that Tucson is getting a brand new…
Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly Endorse Hillary For Prez: Only Candidate With “Determination and Toughness To Stand Up To the Corporate Gun Lobby”
Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly capped a week in the spotlight of the gun-violence debate by jumping aboard the Hillary Clinton bandwagon. Giffords posted her argument in favor of Clinton on Medium. An excerpt: Most of the people running for president talk a lot about how tough they are. But most of them have shown…
David Bowie Dies at Age 69: He Really Made the Grade
David Bowie died at the young age of 69 yesterday, taken far too young by cancer. Frequent collaborator Tony Visconti says that his final album, Blackstar, was Bowie’s way of saying goodbye. From Visconti’s Facebook page: He always did what he wanted to do. And he wanted to do it his way and he wanted…
Mark Kelly: “It’s Really Satisfying To See All of This Come Together After Working on This Issue for Such a Long Time”
Ahead of yesterday’s town hall meeting with President Barack Obama on the topic of gun violence, retired astronaut Mark Kelly and former congresswoman Gabby Giffords talked with some Arizona reporters. Thinking about the years that have passed since Tucson’s 2011 mass shooting, Kelly said “it’s kind of unbelievable to think that five years have gone…
Casa Video Top 10
What’s it going to be: A weekend out on the town or curled up at home watching some movies? I mean technically if you stop by Casa Video’s new Film Bar before checking out your movies, you’re doing both. Think about it. Here’s your weekly Casa Video Top 10, a list of the movies you and everybody else wanted…
GOP State Lawmaker Wants to Punish Anyone Who Films Within 20 Feet of Law Enforcement Without Their Permission
A Republican state lawmaker wants to prohibit people from video recording law enforcement agents up-close without their permission. The bill proposed by by state Sen. John Kavanagh would make it a crime to film cops without their consent within 20 feet of “law enforcement activity,” according to a report by the Arizona Capitol Times. A…
Astronaut Scott Kelly Remembers Anniversary of Jan. 8 Shooting with a Moment of Silence with NASA Colleagues
5yrs ago on @space_station I got awful news from Earth. Recognizing the victims & my sis-in-law @GabbyGiffords today https://t.co/O2TtQJDLY9 — Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 8, 2016 NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who is completing a year in space aboard the International Space Station, asked his colleagues to participate in a moment of silence in space-to-ground communications.
Gabby Giffords: “Today, Five Years After I Was Shot, We Are Making Progress”
Gabby Giffords, the former congresswoman who survived an assassination attempt five years ago, has an op-ed in today’s Washington Post supporting the Obama administration’s latest executive actions on gun violence: The president’s reasonable proposal addresses a lethal problem: People who are in the business of selling guns can avoid the current requirement to conduct background…
Do Republicans Hate Children?
This post is an homage to the famous line from Will Rogers, who died 80 years ago: “All I know is what I read in the papers.” And it tips its hat to Dolores Huerta’s statement, “Republicans hate Latinos.” Actually, Huerta didn’t assert that Republicans hate Latinos; she commented that based on the actions of…
House Speaker David Gowan Sure Does Put a Lot of Miles on State-Owned Cars at Your Expense
Hank Stephenson of the Arizona Capitol Times breaks a blockbuster story about how House Speaker and congressional candidate David Gowan has been using a state vehicle to travel across his would-be congressional district: In the weeks surrounding his congressional campaign announcement, Gowan was zig-zagging across the massive CD1, which is nearly as large as the…
New York Times: Deportation of Central American Families ‘A Shameful Round-Up of Refugees’
More voices are joining criticism against the Obama administration’s campaign to apprehend and deport hundreds of women, youth and children from Central America. This morning, the New York Times Editorial Board came out to ask, why is the federal government removing migrants who pose no threat to national security? During the first weekend of 2016,…
Mark Kelly: Obama’s Exec Actions on Guns “Is the Stuff of Common Sense”
Former astronaut Mark Kelly, who runs Americans for Responsible Solutions with his wife, Gabby Giffords, wrote an op-ed for CNN explaining why he supported the president’s announcement this week that he would take executive action to expand background checks, provide more resources for the mentally ill and increase funding for the ATF, among other steps:…
Into the Mild: Refugees Are Being Sold Fake Life Jackets? That’s Just the Beginning
Lesbos Island, Greece By now you’ve likely heard the news that refugees coming to Greece are being sold fake life jackets. I’ve personally seen this, and it’s every bit as despicable as your gut reaction tells you it is. Unfortunately, the life jackets are the tip of the iceburg. If smugglers sell water-absorbent life jackets…
Cinema Clips: The Revenant
For the second year in a row, director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu has delivered the year’s best film. The best movie of 2015 is The Revenant, an eye-popping western thriller that gives Leonardo DiCaprio the role that should finally score him that first Oscar. The innovative Inarritu was also responsible for last year’s Birdman. DiCaprio gives…
Let’s All Not Be Surprised That Diane Douglas Opposes Recreational Marijuana Legalization
In a few months, we will find out whether any of the initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana proposed by several different groups—including the Marijuana Policy Project and Arizonans for Mindful Regulation—will be up for vote this November. If MPP’s measure is the one to make it through, marijuana sales could raise at least $40 million…
Environmental Groups to Fish & Wildlife: Protect Monarch Butterflies or We’ll Sue You
Two environmental organizations want to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service if the agency doesn’t make an official decision soon on whether to add monarch butterflies to the Endangered Species Act or not. (They prefer the species be protected.) In August 2014, the Center for Biological Diversity and Center for Food Safety advocated for…
Want Discounted Diamondbacks Spring Training Tickets? Buy ’em Friday.
Remember the days of driving south to “Tucson Electric Park” to catch a Diamondbacks spring training game? Well, I can’t bring those days back but I can help you slightly offset the cost of driving up to Phoenix to relive those glory days. Get your credit card ready, because Tucsonans can grab up discounted tickets…
Chef Erika Bostick Preserves Winter Veggies with Homemade Giardiniera (RECIPE)
In this week’s Chow feature, chef Erika Bostick of The Coronet talked about some of her favorite uses for the veggies in season now. From harmonious salads to clever starchy substitutes, Bostick crafts vegetable-centric dishes that highlight the labors of local farmers right. After taking over operations at Agustin Kitchen, she sought to add color…
Cinema Clips: Hateful Eight
Quentin Tarantino returns to form after the just-okay Django Unchained with yet another masterpiece, a grandiose western potboiler that boasts his best dialogue in years and an Oscar caliber performance from Jennifer Jason Leigh. I didn’t dislike Django, but I thought there was something a little off and sluggish about it. It definitely left me…
Guest Opinion
Former U.S. Representative Ron Barber writes in to talk about the state of gun violence in our country.
MJ Terms
Know what you’re talkin’ about.
Police Dispatch
A woman walked randomly right into a Starbucks coffee shop and shoplifted a mass of cups straight off the display case … perhaps thinking they’d make easy (and free) holiday gifts.
Police Dispatch
University of Arizona police found a young victim of frat-party hijinks who was publicly intoxicated, underage, urinating outside, and impaired enough to act belligerent toward them—and the officers still almost let him escape jail … until he pushed it a tad too far.
Tres Por Uno
Fernando Gil wanted to maximize the impact of the money he was sending home to relatives in San Antonio de las Minas, in Baja California, so he decided to take advantage of Mexico’s “Tres por Uno” program. “For immigrants like me to be able to send U.S. dollars into Mexico to help our families grow…
Human Rights Direct
Our friends at the Confluencenter are bringing the UA and Old Pueblo communities together once again with a Show and Tell.
The Skinny
Pima County Supe Ally Miller just can’t find good help and Pima County Supe Ally Miller’s pal will have to start paying for her parking spot
Five Years of Mayhem
Musical Mayhem Cabaret celebrates their five-year anniversary on Sunday.
Media Watch
In the Dec. 30 Media Watch, Danny Vinik, the man who runs Brink Media and put together the deal with the city to replace the old Access Tucson model, said in regards to the changing landscape of the industry, “Television is dying. Your paper is dying. Everything in the next 10 or 15 years will…
Into the Wild
In partnrship witth the Reid Park Zoo, animal expert Jack Hanna returns to Tucson with his show Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild Live
Danehy
On Monday, Jan. 18, the basketball arena at McKale Center on the UA campus will be jumping from before noon until late in the evening. The 12th annual MLK Day Basketball Classic will pit high-school teams from all over Southern Arizona in a hoop jamboree that starts with the Immaculate Heart girls taking on the…
Sweet Zines Are Made of Trees
As an artist, Orion Frantz’s identity is mutable. His work is defined by an enthusiasm for experimentation and for constantly expanding.
Desert Fringe
When Yassi Jahanmir and Sara Tiffany became friends as kids singing in the Tucson Girls Chorus, it’s a safe bet they weren’t conspiring to create a Tucson theater entity. However, they have done just that with the Tucson Fringe Theater Festival, which will unleash its fifth anything-goes event Jan. 15 through 17. This year, there are 17…
Fresh Take: Erika Bostick
Veggies are delicious at The Coronet.
Movie Mayhem
One last 2015 year-in-review.
B-Sides: Good Friends Great Enemies
Phoenix-based Good Friends Great Enemies are taking a trip down to Tucson to present their jazzy form of indie rock live.
B-Sides: The Dustbowl Revival
Get yourself a nice big slice of Americana with California’s bluegrass outfit The Dustbowl Revival. Touring in support of their July 2015 release, With a Lamp Shade On, the American roots group melds musical styling from Appalachia to New Orleans and more to create a unique olde tyme sound. It’s with that bluesy, folksy persuasion…
B-Sides: Cafe Jaleo
Unless you’re planning a time travelling vacation back to pre-embargo Havana, it might be a good idea to head to the Rialto Theatre.
Sounds Good: Dana Fehr
While keeping the reigns in on all of those moods and genres can seem daunting, audio engineer Dana Fehr ensures one important thing remains consistent: quality sound.
Candy Kane Returns
Thanks to the Boondocks and the good people of the Southern Arizona Blues Heritage Foundation, blues and rockabilly performer Candy Kane returns to Tucson.
Editor’s Note
Remember Jan. 8, 2011.
Arizona Welcomes Refugees
Disgusted by our governor as much as we are? Want to welcome refugees who are making a home in Tucson? Go to the Arizona Welcomes Refugees Weekly Potluck on Thursdays, 7 to 8 p.m. at Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St. Share a meal with recent refugee families and help plan for…
Rainer Shine: Rainer Ptacek
A CD of unreleased tracks by Tucson luminaries is helping to send Rainer’s daughter, Lily Ptacek, to college.
