KJZZ's Stories You Don't Want to Miss

A group of Phoenix educators and community members held a demonstration on Monday calling on Arizona lawmakers to address a looming school funding crisis. We'll take a look at what’s life like now for those living and working in nursing homes. State Rep. John Kavanagh of Fountain Hills is sparking controversy for comments he made about Afghan refugees who are being housed in a hotel in Scottsdale. Plus the latest metro Phoenix, business and science news.

The Food and Drug Administration has announced it’s limiting the use of two types of monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19. The Colorado River is in dire straits because an ongoing drought driven by climate change is threatening its future, but one Arizona tribe is in a unique position: It has water to spare.  Phoenix council members started moving toward becoming a “Vision Zero” city. Plus the latest metro Phoenix, Fronteras Desk, and education news.

On Wednesday, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema joined West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin and 50 Senate Republicans to vote against changing the filibuster. A smash room in Phoenix is giving patients and their caregivers an outlet for their anger and depression. An Indigenous woman facing federal charges for blocking construction of former President Donald Trump’s border wall in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in 2020 was found not guilty Wednesday on religious freedom grounds. Plus the latest in metro Phoenix, science, tribal resources and Fronteras Desk news.

Arizona students returned to schools last week as the state was experiencing yet another spike of COVID-19, this time due to the highly infectious omicron variant. Since the pandemic began, more adults have been seeking information about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. And an initiative aimed at improving educational opportunities and addressing other community challenges in Maryvale addresses the issue of internet access. Plus the latest in Fronteras Desk, metro Phoenix and business news.

As the pandemic continues to strain the U.S. health care system, a growing number of providers in Arizona and across the country are offering patients a new option for treatment: the chance to be “hospitalized” in your own home. Mushing was once a way of life for some Flagstaff residents, who owned teams of huskies and held annual races in the Arizona high country. Homeownership is becoming out of reach for more and more Arizonans, so Habitat for Humanity is betting on new technology to cut construction costs. Plus the latest in metro Phoenix, Fronteras Desk and education news.

Big changes are coming to the former Metrocenter Mall in Phoenix. Arizona wildfires are burning hotter and bigger just about every year, in spite of federal efforts to thin fuel loads. Lake Mead is at historically low levels, and Arizona will take mandatory cuts to its Colorado River water supply starting in January. And what makes a movie a Christmas movie?  Plus the latest business, education and Fronteras Desk news.

A trial continues for one Indigenous protester facing federal charges for blocking construction machinery at a site in Arizona’s Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. One scientist wants you to be able to do more than applaud at a concert. COVID-19 intensive care unit bed use in Arizona is now at the highest level since mid-February. Plus the latest business, metro Phoenix and education news.

Phoenix will require more than 14,000 city employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Statements acknowledging Native American lands are becoming more common. For the first time, University of Arizona researchers say they’ve found a vaccine that can prevent Valley fever in pets. They’re hopeful it will protect humans someday, too.  Plus the latest Fronteras Desk, metro Phoenix and business news.

For the first time in nearly 20 months, visitors on non-essential trips started crossing into the United States along the border with Mexico on Monday. Many Arizona families have been waiting for this moment and rushed to get their young children inoculated as soon as possible. The Maricopa County Community College District sent an email to employees Monday announcing it will comply with a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Plus the latest in metro Phoenix and business news.

Much of the country is recovering from the most recent COVID-19 surge, but Arizona is still riding the wave, leading the U.S. with a 50% bump in cases over the past two weeks. Civil rights investigators are asking about the possessions of people living on the street in Phoenix as part of the Justice Department's investigation. More northbound travelers are expected as pandemic travel restrictions are lifted at the U.S.-Mexico border.  Plus the latest metro Phoenix, education and business news.