Tucson Politics

  A group of 21 Democratic attorneys general  - including Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes - sued the Trump administration Thursday over the U.S. Education Department’s efforts this week to cut more than 1,300 employees.

  U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva died Thursday morning at the age of 77, his office and daughter said. Grijalva, in Congress since 2003, was treated for lung cancer last year, and said he would not seek to run for office again after November's election.

  Tucson voters just told the city "hell no" to a half-cent more in sales taxes to address police and housing needs. OK, now the leaders of the opposition on the Left and Right should work toward addressing our community's biggest concerns.

  Elon Musk is unexpectedly doing a good deed. Connecting cell phones to Starlink means the lives of migrants in Southern Arizona's deserts may be saved.

  Immigration was the biggest factor in population growth for many booming Sun Belt counties as well as for the agricultural Midwest - and played a significant impact between mid-2020 and mid-2024 in fast-growing states such as Arizona, Florida and Texas.

  A settlement that will provide reliable and safe water for the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe has been introduced in Congress, where it must be approved to take effect.

  The Department of Homeland Security told Pima County they are withholding about $7 million in funds owed for migrant shelters, essentially accusing the county of using federal dollars to encourage people to come to the U.S. to seek asylum.

  Republican politicians who accuse public school teachers of indoctrinating students with a “woke agenda” are pushing to bring religious chaplains into the same schools to provide counseling to students.

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture is cancelling roughly $1 billion in already-promised spending on local food purchases for schools and food banks nationwide, including $21 million in funding for schools and food banks to buy from Arizona farmers.

  The federal government has halted election security activities and ended funding for the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, that alerts state officials of election security threats across state lines.

  A decisive majority of Arizona voters agreed to make abortion a constitutional right last year, but dozens of anti-abortion laws remain enshrined in state law and GOP lawmakers are forging ahead with new restrictions.

  Updated: Tucson voters resoundingly rejected a half-cent sales tax measure that would have increased spending on public safety and social services. With the initial vote count showing a 53,000 to 23,000 margin against the measure, Prop. 414 was defeated Tuesday.

  Updated: Tucson voters had until 7 p.m. Tuesday to cast their ballots in the special election for Prop. 414, aka the Safe & Vibrant City Initiative.

  Arizona U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego sent a letter to the GSA expressing their concern about President Trump’s intended closure of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Phoenix, urging them to reconsider this decision and provide clarity.

  Abandoning the Biden-era program that allowed thousands to schedule asylum appointments at U.S. border crossings, U.S. Customs and Border Protection released a new version of their CBP One application on Monday.

  Arizona state Representative Teresa Martinez defended her bill that would require state and local governments to cooperate with and enforce all federal immigration action, regardless of constitutionality or local priorities, and would expire at the end of Trump’s presidency.

  The U.S. Education Department on Monday warned 60 colleges and universities  - including ASU - they could face repercussions if they fail “to protect Jewish students on campus.”

  Two Arizona lawmakers and President Donald Trump’s nominee for a top Pentagon job spoke at a conspiracy theory convention over the weekend, appearing alongside a man who claims God is telling him to sell cryptocurrency.

  President Donald Trump’s effort to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs is squeezing research at Arizona universities on wildfire prevention, air pollution, public health and in other areas with little or no connection to DEI.

  Rep. Alexander Kolodin wants to fortify what he called “free speech” protections for people who harass government employees - but lawmakers rejected the proposal that critics said would embolden domestic abusers and people who seek to torment unelected government employees.

  Tucson voters have until 7 p.m. Tuesday to cast their ballots in the special election for Prop. 414, aka the Safe & Vibrant City Initiative.

  The city of Tucson is hosting two public meetings this month for community members to give feedback on an updated draft of “Plan Tucson 2025,” a long-term blueprint for the future of the city’s growth and development.

  107 employees at three Tucson Sector Border Patrol facilities tasked with holding migrants were informed they are losing their jobs with a federal contractor, a sign of decreasing need and a crunch in federal spending.

  President Trump’s tariffs on goods went into effect Tuesday - and though by Wednesday some were already delayed, Arizona farmers are bracing for increased financial stress as key agricultural imports become more expensive, while exports potentially face higher taxes.

  In Arizona – home to roughly 34,000 federal employees – President Donald Trump’s orders could impact a massive workforce of health care professionals and the individuals who rely on their services.