Cover Story
Repeal the Deal
If this were a title fight in the ring, it would be a mismatch—lightweight versus heavyweight: the San Carlos Apache tribe, (reservation population of 10,000) versus the United States Congress and its tag-team partners, Australian-British mining conglomerate Resolution Copper (parent company Rio Tinto) and BHP Copper (BHP Billiton subsidiary). There’s a lot more than a…
K12 Inc.’s Dead Cat Bounce?
My knowledge of stock market terminology pretty much begins and ends with “bear market” and “bull market,” but I only had to hear the term “dead cat bounce” once for it to stick in my metaphor-friendly ears. Here’s the definition of the term: “A temporary recovery from a prolonged decline or bear market, followed by…
We’ve Got Tickets to the 710 Fire and Ice Dab Party
So exciting, right? We’re giving away tickets Thursday at 1 p.m. Enter and be by your email to find out if you won. About the event: 710 Fire and Ice Dab Party is presented by Counter Culture Events AZ. Medicated Area with Dab bar hosted by Desert Bloom Re-Leaf Center, Chewbies hosted by Firebrand Infusions,…
Johnny Gibson’s Downtown Market to Soft Open on July 13
The wait for a downtown grocery store is almost over because according to Johnny Gibson’s Downtown Market co-owner Christi Cisek, the new store will be opening to the public on Monday, July 13. After passing the final inspection for the space on July 8, Cisek says the long road to opening the market was finally fully in…
9th Circuit Upholds Most of Anti Mexican-American Studies Law But Discrimination Issue is Going to Trial
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has upheld most of the Arizona law that ended up banning the Mexican-American studies program. However, the ruling did say that portions of the statute violate the First Amendment, and that there are “genuine” issues regarding whether the enforcement of the law was “motivated at least in…
Hey Ducey: Arizona’s Prison System Ain’t Working, Don’t Give It More Money (Especially After the Kingman Riot)
The Quaker nonprofit American Friends Service Committee is asking Gov. Doug Ducey to stop negotiations with the for-profit prison company that runs the state prison in Kingman—you know, where there was a riot last week. After several days of craziness, nine prison staff and seven inmates were injured. The facility is so beat up, that roughly…
It’s Official: State Rep. Victoria Steele is Running for Congress & Hopes to Unseat McSally
State Rep. Victoria Steele is full-on running for Congress, and she really wants to unseat U.S. Rep. Martha McSally in Congressional District 2. Steele, a Democrat from Tucson, officially launched her campaign website earlier today and issued this statement: I am excited to share with you that I’m running for Congress. I have been your…
The Approved 2015-2016 TUSD Budget
I was out of town when the TUSD board passed the proposed 2015-2016 budget at its June 23 meeting. The vote was the usual 3-2 split. I didn’t see it covered in the Star, though maybe it was there and I missed it. But covered in the Star or no, it hasn’t been posted here, so…
Powered by a Pissed Off Panda
Tucson is ripe with stories. Important ones, happy ones, sad ones, funny ones and pissed off ones. With a population heavy with creative, humorous types, we are lucky to have skilled hands to take on every one of these tales. For the last 10 years, some of us here in Tucson have looked not to…
City Council Wants Doug Ducey to Restore Funding for Joint Technical Education Districts
At tomorrow’s meeting, the Tucson City Council is going to be chatting about a message they’d like to send Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona Legislature: restore funding for Joint Technical Education districts…now, please. The state’s budget cut about 7.5 percent of funding, or roughly $344, per student that enrolls in a JTED course, starting in 2016.…
More on Why No One Is Planning to Give Me a Few Million to Start an Education News Network
Friday I wrote a post about the wildly unequal funding of organizations promoting progressive education and those on the privatization/”education reform” side. The big bucks are flowing to the privatization crowd, mainly from what Diane Ravitch calls the Billionaire Boys Club, while progressive educators get the little money they have through contributions from small donors and by looking for…
Busy Next Tuesday? Catch Amy Schumer’s New Flick ‘Trainwreck’
If you’re into Amy Schumer, movies in Oro Valley or free stuff, get excited. We’ve got a ton (so so many) tickets to see the upcoming film Trainwreck. There is a catch. The passes (which each admit two people) are only good at AMC Foothills 15 (The Foothills Mall theater) on Tuesday, July 14…
Reed Needs a Home
Reed—1.5 years old—Domestic Medium Hair Mix—M—#800463 Reed is quite the character. Reed came to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona as a transfer back in February and is still looking for the purrfect home! This quirky guy is full of personality and he loves to follow you wherever you go. Reed loves company but also…
Forbes: Insurance Companies Slowly Getting with the Legal Weed Industry
More marijuana businesses may sooner-than-later be able to get property, casualty and other insurance coverage, according, to a write up by Forbes. Things haven’t been great on the insurance end, because, although many states have legalized medical marijuana and roughly a handful have legalized recreational marijuana, weed is still a controlled substance at a federal level,…
Agustin Kitchen Offers a Decadent Line-Up of Pork and Scotch on July 14
If you’re looking to take indulgence to the next level, you should head to Agustin Kitchen on Tuesday, July 14 for a special Dinner with Chefs event that’s all about pork and scotch. Agustin’s chef Ryan Clark will display a range of techniques with nine different tastes of pork prepared in cuisine styles from all…
Learn to Mesquite Sausage, Mesquite Crab Cakes and More at Loews Ventana Canyon
You may have noticed mesquite pods ripening on the trees around Tucson. You might have even joined the Desert Harvesters at Mercado San Agustin to learn how to mill mesquite into flour. In any case, you can deepen your knowledge and appreciation for the mesquite pod even further by heading to Loews Ventana Canyon for…
Is Someone Thinking About Giving Me a Few Million to Start an Education News Network? Not Likely.
No one would be foolish enough to give me a couple million to start an online education news network. I’m the wrong guy for the job, in spades. But it would be nice if someone on the progressive side of education got that kind of money to put together a slick, comprehensive website to cover…
Wired: A-10 Warthog “Is Ruthlessly Effective, and the Grunts on the Ground Absolutely Love It Because It Keeps Them Safe”
Wired comes out with a stirring defense of the A-10 Warthog after a GAO report showed the Air Force didn’t take a very serious look at the savings and costs of retiring the plane: The Air Force claims shutting down the A-10 program would save $4.2 billion over five years, but a new report from the…
“I’m Gabby Giffords and I Used To Be in Congress. But Don’t Hold That Against Me!”
Woman’s Day’s Susan Spencer profiles Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly: This spring, I sat down with Gabby and Mark in their homey kitchen. Nelson, a former service dog with a fondness for chewing water bottles, settled near us. Like many couples, Mark and Gabby have a sweet shorthand, complete with gentle teasing that makes Gabby…
Results Are In: Yes, Scale-Back of Operations at Cherrybell Mail Center Is a Terrible Idea
Residents had until Tuesday to give city officials feedback on what the scale-back of operations at the Cherrybell mail center is looking like in Southern Arizona. And, no, it is not very promising. Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and Vice Mayor Richard Fimbres received more than 1,700 testimonials to read from business owners, seniors and others who…
Second Coming: Jacco Gardner
Jacco Gardner With Dinner and Wight Lhite 9 p.m., Thursday, July 2 Flycatcher, 340 E. Sixth St. $7 advance / $10 day of 798-1298 theflycatchertucson.com Jacco Gardner has a keen understanding of the adage that a musician has his entire life to work on a debut album, but just a year or two to record…
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Power
Here’s the thing about citizens initiatives: anyone can file them—it’s free—but to see one successfully land on the ballot, you need a shitload of money. That’s why the Marijuana Policy Project’s Barrett Marson is quite confident the group’s Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is going to prevail in 2016. The group has already accumulated…
Patriotism Personified
“I climbed a tree to see FDR.” That’s by far the most common refrain actor/writer James Gooden has heard in the years he has been performing “The Fireside Chats with FDR,” which will be featured this weekend for three performances at the Comedy Playhouse. Gooden says there have always been plenty of audience members who…
Dust Devil
After the racially motivated killing of nine members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the terrorist was captured and incarcerated. He is alive.
Summer Love: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Do not be so quick to dismiss young adult fiction. Most of it is probably pretty tepid, sure, and you’re right to generally assume that if they’re making a movie out of it, the book had to be a massive hit and therefore lacking in nuance and complexity. But by this point, hasn’t the relative…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I read your column of a couple of years ago about Chicanos loving the Aztecs, and it had me both cracking up and intellectually fortified with your ideas. The last portion of the column you added: “But, hey: If you want to change your name from José González to Nezahualcoyotl Moctezuma and go…
Self-worth
Along the busy street of Broadway Boulevard, there is an unassuming house. Juxtaposed with the traffic, the only thing that hints to something happening inside is a single, rainbow-colored streamer. This is the home of the Accessible Network for Coordinated Housing Opportunities and Resilience, known better as the ANCHOR Project. Still in its early stages,…
Rules and Order
A recent routine traffic stop that led to the involvement of Border Patrol and an undocumented father’s apprehension raised a lot of red flags among immigration rights advocates and the community. After 12-year-old José Escobar Perez pleaded to city council members last Tuesday evening to help his dad Roman, it made some people wonder if…
B-Sides: Fourth of July Music Guide
DOG BLESS AMERICA Everyone’s favorite helmeted rock star is bringing his one man band guitar party back to the Old Pueblo to kick of fourth of July festivities one day early. While the experimental musician will entertain the crowd with his unique blend of blues, punk and rock and roll, the event will also host…
The Skinny
Maps and Legends U.S. Supreme Court rejects GOP lawmakers’ effort to gerrymander congressional districts In a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected arguments Monday that the state lawmakers had the exclusive power to draw congressional district boundaries and upheld the right of the voters to create the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. Justice Ruth Bader…
Letter to the Editor
About that Big Bloated Bond package: $815 million is the largest bond package ever in Pima County by 50 percent. Debt Service (interest) will be at least $350 million more at the lowest interest rates and could make the bonds’ actual costs $1.5 billion, according to dissenting members of the Bond Advisory Committee. Maintenance and…
Guest Opinion
Fifty years ago this month a grand home was needlessly destroyed. It was built by William Corbett and located just north of Alameda and west of Main Avenue at 1 Paseo Redondo. It had stone foundations, thick masonry walls and unique architectural details. Mr. Corbett was a pioneer businessman in hardware and began a famous…
Media Watch
Hannah Levin rocks your ride home, KXCI style Among Tucson’s national accolades of late—the New York Times singling out a certain style of architecture; recognition for its improving foodie scene—was a note in the Chicago Tribune that referred to community radio station KXCI FM 91.3 as a benchmark for the model, and for presenting quality…
Danehy
And so it continues … The Tohono O’Odham Nation filed a lawsuit in federal court last week, asking for an injunction so that the tribe’s $200 million casino, already well under construction in Glendale, can open on time in December. This was in response to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s ordering of Department of Gaming Director…
Sonoran Smoke
It seems people are quick to assume that Arizona, which isn’t traditionally known for barbecue, isn’t a place where you can even find good barbecue. Chef Danny Perez says that’s just not true. Although our state might not be steeped in a long, rich BBQ legacy like Texas, North Carolina or Missouri, Perez says he…
Pleasure Activist
Last week I discussed the problem with the word “foreplay.” Here’s a recap: compartmentalizing sexual activities into the categories of foreplay versus the main feature reinforces a very narrow definition of sex as “penetrative intercourse.” More importantly, it implicitly devalues other sexual activities as side-props. In fact, any sexual or erotic activity can be the…
Let’s Glass
The Sonoran Glass School Fourth of July Party is Saturday, from 5 to 10 p.m. at 633 W. 18th St. According to the good folks of SGS, glass is America’s first industry, so you can help celebrate that fact by cooling down with a water balloon fight, watching glassblowing demos, creating glass art projects in…
Paper Flower
We’re not going to pretend that we have a soft spot for Tucson artist Marcy Miranda Janes and her amazingly detailed paper cuts. The show, Fierce Flowers – Las Flores Feroces, features Janes with Chanamacux and opens Saturday, July 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. It runs through July 25 at Contreras Gallery and Jewelry,…
Fresh Cut Records: Lathe Cut
Mike Dixon is a very busy man, between owning five companies and working for the record label Joyful Noise out of Indianapolis. He’s a man on a mission and that mission is to help independent bands release their music on lathe cut vinyl records with minimal monetary investment. With the popularity of vinyl records growing…
Storytelling Love
Here’s an early preview since the July Odyssey Storytelling event is when we go to press next week on Thursday, July 9, 7 p.m. at the Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St. Always fun and interesting, and sometimes mind blowing, the evening’s theme is Independence. From organizers: It’s your first sleepover, your new driver’s license,…
Editor’s Note
Last week’s Supreme Court decision that makes same-sex marriage legal in every state of the country seemed to be a well-orchestrated ruling as Pride festivals were taking place in big and large cities throughout the nation (except here because we are sane when it comes to dealing with summer heat, so we celebrate Pride in…
Police Dispatch
San Xavier Beat May 6, 1:07 a.m. A drunk young man, incited to fury by a simple lack of computer access, showed no discrimination when expressing his great ire—directing it both physically and verbally toward himself, law enforcement, fellow criminals and even inanimate objects (specifically a TV), according to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department report.…
Letter to the Editor
Under the symantics pretext of investigating the origins of the fifteen dollar, $15.00, minimum wage initiative, I believe you were blatantly AOL, ” absent without leave” as editor. My inference is you scanned, but did not read the ‘Opinion’ peice by Mr.Danehy, you needed filler and said, ” go with it “. I am appalled.…
Bike Monkey
You have bike, so isn’t it time you learned how to fix it when things go wrong. BICAS will show you the way at their beginning bike fix it class on Sunday, July 5 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Tucson’s community bike repair show and education center, 44 W. 6th St. Learn the…
