Local officials and activists have been battling the Rosemont Mine for more than a decade—and it seems like Rosemont may have seized the upper hand in recent weeks, as the Army Corps of Engineers issued a long-awaited permit that the Canadian owners of the mine have been seeking for years.
It's a safe bet this is yet another impact of the 2016 election that put Donald Trump in the White House. The Trump administration's push to approve mines and damn the environmental consequences has been well established over the last two years.
But the fight isn't over yet. In this week's Skinny column, I look at where the legal fight goes now, with another lawsuit to block the destruction of the Santa Rita Mountains expected to be filed this week.
Elsewhere in this issue, we recap the wonder that was the South By Southwest festival. My ears are still ringing from my five days in Austin, which just goes to show you I'm not as young as I used to be.
We've got plenty more in our pages: Staff reporter Kathleen B. Kunz explores the key to protecting people from eviction; associate editor Jeff Gardner gives you a taste of what our water future looks like; sportswriter Christopher Boan tells you what you can expect from indoor football ahead of this week's Sugar Skulls game; columnist Tom Danehy says lefties should support free speech, not suppress it; arts writer Margaret Regan does a mini-tour of three galleries along Sixth Street; calendar editor Emily Dieckman discusses an entry in the Cine Mexico film fest; movie critic Bob Grimm says director Jordan Peele provides double the fun in Us; Chow writer Mark Whittaker gets a great burger on Fourth Avenue; Cannabis 520 columnist Nick Meyers reports the details of a 2020 legalization initiative are still a little cloudy; and, of course, there are the usual columns to help you figure out how to have some fun as spring unfolds here in the desert.
— Jim Nintzel Executive Editor
Hear Nintz talk about what's happening in Tucson's entertainment scene Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. during The Frank Show on KLPX, 96.1 FM. Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel airs at 4 p.m. Sunday on KXCI, 91.3 FM.
