KJZZ's Stories You Don't Want to Miss

The ambitious executive immigration plan known as DACA is now likely heading back to the U.S. Supreme Court. After years of hearing complaints about light rail security, one Phoenix council member wants to consider barriers to keep out people who don’t pay fares. SRP has invested $2.6 million to fund 36 research and development projects at Arizona’s three state universities. Plus the latest tribal natural resources, education, metro Phoenix and science news.

The lawsuit against the City of Phoenix to disband its largest homeless encampment, known as the ‘Zone,’ is still ongoing. Over the past several weeks, health insurance giant Humana has reported an uptick in older adults being hospitalized for COVID-19. Arizona is channeling $40 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding toward tutoring students falling behind in school. Plus the latest in business, tribal natural resources and Fronteras Desk news.

The University of Arizona’s Agricultural Extension is helping farmers transition to the farms of the future. The Buckeye Elementary School District is implementing a new program at two of its campuses this year. The Department of Justice and the state of Arizona have reached an agreement on how to handle remediation efforts from the shipping container border wall. Plus the latest science, business and tribal natural resources news.

The National Park Service says annual visitor spending in Arizona topped $1 billion. The telecommunications network for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is reinvesting in its residents a year after a major disruption in service. And we have the answer for why Phoenix’s official weather readings are taken at Sky Harbor Airport. Plus the latest science, Fronteras Desk and education news.

The Laveen Elementary School District is under scrutiny after a video was released showing a superintendent physically restraining a fifth-grade student. The federal government is rolling back some restrictions on Colorado River water after a wet winter boosted reservoir levels. It’s not just saguaros — the heat is withering all types of plants in Phoenix. Plus the latest science, tribal natural resources and Fronteras Desk news.

President Joe Biden has designated more than 1,500 square miles to the north and south of Grand Canyon National Park as a new national monument. U.S. House Republicans were back in southern Arizona this week for a remote congressional hearing about what they call a crisis at the border created by the Biden administration. More than 30 bills that would affect the LGBTQ community were introduced in the Arizona Legislature this year, but few of them passed. Plus the latest metro Phoenix, science, business and education news.

A new suit alleges Customs and Border Protection is illegally turning away asylum seekers who don’t have an appointment through the CBP One smartphone app. The Creighton Elementary School District in Phoenix is in the midst of an investigation into its special education program. After months of negotiations, state lawmakers finally struck a deal that will allow Maricopa County voters to decide whether or not to extend a half-cent sales tax earmarked for transportation projects. Plus the latest business, tribal natural resources, science and metro Phoenix news.

Gov. Katie Hobbs has released new cost estimates for Arizona’s school voucher program, as part of an effort to get lawmakers to limit the program’s growth. The Wood for Life project is helping Arizona forests while also providing fuel for Native American communities in several other western states. A bill introduced this week by Congressman  Raul Grijalva and other lawmakers would strengthen federal protections for workers exposed to extreme heat. Plus the latest science, metro Phoenix and business news.

The longest stretch of 110 degree days in Phoenix history continues. A Phoenix firm has proposed building a dam on a tributary of the Little Colorado River for hydroelectric power. It’s been a little more than two months since the pandemic-era protocol Title 42 came to an end at the U.S.-Mexico border. So what does it look like now? Plus the latest science, business, education and metro Phoenix news.

What began as a pilot project to address some of the plastic waste in Tucson has exploded into something much more. Short-term rentals are becoming increasingly prevalent in Arizona, and full-time homeowners, especially in the state’s most touristy areas, are growing increasingly frustrated by the noise and nuisance. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne says Arizona’s 50-50 dual language model is illegal. Plus the latest science and metro Phoenix news.