As I write this, it's the final day of the Trump administration. There's no doubt in my mind that Trump has been the worst president of my lifetime and I'm overjoyed to see him go. By the time you read this, Democrat Joe Biden will have been sworn into office and Trump will be just another twice-impeached, one-term president who lost the popular vote two times. Here's hoping Biden's inauguration goes as smoothly as possibly under the circumstances and we can start working on repairing the damage that Trump and his flying monkeys have wrought over the last four years.
Still, we've got 99 problems, even if President Trump ain't one of them. While Pima County officials are doing their best to roll out vaccines, the virus is now spreading faster than ever before. Staff reporter Nicole Ludden fills you in on how January is shaping up to be the worst month yet in terms of total number of cases and deaths in Pima County in one story this week. Ludden walks you through how vaccine distribution is going in another.
Given those unhappy COVID numbers, the Weekly has been reluctant to encourage you to go out and do fun stuff—but we are making an exception this week for our friends at The Loft Cinema, who are staging screenings from the Sundance Film Festival at their open-air cinema. It's quite an honor to become a Sundance Satellite Screen and you can bet the selections will be challenging and rewarding movies. Associate editor Jeff Gardner has the details in this week's cover story. It's been a tough year for the Loft (and so many others) but let's hope the release of the vaccine means brighter days are ahead in 2021.
Elsewhere in the book: Columnist Tom Danehy looks at how Gov. Doug Ducey shouldn't claim the title of "Education Governor" just yet; The Skinny returns with a look at how Ducey stumbled into an easily avoidable fight with education advocates last week; Tucson Weedly columnist David Abbott looks at how Arizonans are higher than ever after purchasing 106 tons of marijuana products last year; and we've got a look at how the vote to impeach President Donald Trump broke down along party lines, an interview with Congressman Tom O'Halleran why he voted for impeachment as well as his hopes for the Biden administration and our usual collection of horoscopes, puzzles, comics and, of course, Dan Savage's incomparable sex-advice column.
Stay well!
— Jim Nintzel Executive Editor
Hear Nintz talk about the latest on the outbreak and other news at 8:30 Wednesday mornings on The Frank Show on KLPX, 91.1 FM.
