KJZZ's Stories You Don't Want to Miss

State legislatures don’t get as much attention during elections as the races for president and Congress — but they might have more impact in your daily life. It’s not the first time a question about abortion laws has appeared on ballots in the state. The Arizona Department of Administration has approved a waiver request to allow $15 million in funding to be used for school safety personnel. Plus the latest metro Phoenix, business, aging and Fronteras Desk news.

After Phoenix’s hottest summer ever, fall is now off to a record-breaking start. ASU announced it will close its Lake Havasu campus and implement a tuition surcharge for on-campus students due to what the university said is $24 million of state cuts to higher education. And what is it like to be a border resident right now? Plus the latest metro Phoenix, tribal natural resources and business news.

The series "Policing the Police" that looks at the U.S. Department of Justice investigation of the Phoenix police department continued all this week. Chronic absenteeism has increased in schools in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su was in Tucson this week, talking to local leaders and workers about the newly-proposed federal heat protections. Plus the latest tribal natural resources, business, health and metro Phoenix news.

KJZZ's "Policing the Police" series examines the U.S. Department of Justice civil rights investigation of Phoenix by section, as well as the city's efforts to self-impose reforms. When Arizona legislators passed the state budget this year, they changed the way they allocated poverty weight funds to K-12 schools. Coconino County hopes to reach residents who need immediate medical help by using vending machines. Plus the latest metro Phoenix, business, and tribal natural resources news.

Summer 2024 has been Phoenix’s hottest ever. In spite of that, fewer people appear to have died as a result of heat in Maricopa County this year compared to last. A new survey released by the Arizona Department of Education shows many teachers who didn’t return this year, left due to student behavior and discipline issues. The Apache trout, Arizona’s state fish, was removed from the federal endangered species list Wednesday. Plus the latest health, business, metro Phoenix and tribal natural resources news.

A three day court hearing wrapped Wednesday over whether a criminal case against Arizona’s so-called fake electors should be dismissed. Both Presidential candidates want to eliminate taxes on tips—but is it bad policy? A local ordinance passed in Pima County will require county contractors to follow regulations to protect their workers from extreme heat. Plus the latest science, metro Phoenix, and tribal natural resources news.

Phoenix leaders will soon meet behind closed doors to discuss how to respond to the Justice Department’s investigation into the city’s policing practices. The Scottsdale Unified School District has adopted a new policy regarding its booster organizations. Phoenix has set yet another heat record this summer. Plus the latest tribal natural resources, Fronteras Desk, metro Phoenix and politics news.

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the Republican Legislature’s description of an abortion rights ballot measure does not violate state law. An Apache-led nonprofit that has nearly exhausted its legal options to protect a sacred site from copper mining is traveling across the country on a prayer journey. Some workers at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport say they need more protections from extreme heat. Plus the latest Q&AZ, health, Fronteras Desk and metro Phoenix news.

Two competing ballot measures that will affect wages for tipped workers will be decided in November, despite efforts by backers of one measure to throw the other off the ballot. Customs and Border Protection is expanding the locations in Mexico where migrants can schedule a CBP One appointment along the U.S.-Mexico border. Arizona sent nearly $29 million in funding for low achieving K-12 schools back to the federal government after schools missed deadlines to use the money. Plus the latest metro Phoenix, politics and tribal natural resources news.

Democrats are making efforts to win an important voting bloc in the swing state of Arizona. The union representing asylum officers is backing a federal suit against the Biden administration for its asylum restrictions at the border. Energy Fuels is being accused of breaking a promise to notify stakeholders two weeks in advance before transporting uranium ore through the Navajo Nation. Plus the latest business, health, education, and metro Phoenix news.