Politics – Pima Post

7Apr

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Arizona News, IG, News, Pima News, Politics, Top Stories

Fraud and loathing in Pima County

The Pima County Courthouse in downtown Tucson. (Michael Barera/Wikimedia Commons License) By JOSHUA BAILEYPima Post Last year, Pima County suffered a loss of nearly $43,000 due to a fraudulent account that used county taxpayers' funds, as per a fiscal report by the state's Auditor General released in March. The report stated the account was created by an employee of a construction company contracted by the county, and the procurement department failed to obtain a tax form to change the account's log-in credentials for an online money transfer service, leading to the loss. The audit report also highlighted issues with the county's verification procedures and recommended measures such as staff training and creating a monitoring system for vendors. The report further revealed ...

Two weeks notice: midterm election looms, here are your AZ debates

25Oct

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

2022 Midterm Election Cycle, Arizona News, IG, News, Politics, Top Stories, US News

Two weeks notice: midterm election looms, here are your AZ debates

This combination of photos shows Arizona Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters, left, and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., before a televised debate in Phoenix, Oct. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)Members of the media watch Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, left, and his Republican challenger Blake Masters, right, during a debate in Phoenix, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)Republican Senate challenger Blake Masters smiles on stage prior to a televised debate with Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly and Libertarian candidate Marc Victor in Phoenix, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, left, smiles as he stands on stage with Republican challenger Blake Masters, right, prior to a televised debate in Phoenix, Thursday, Oc...

A ‘coward’ and a ‘conspiracy theorist’ walk into a bar and ask for your vote

25Oct

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

2022 Midterm Election Cycle, Arizona News, News, Politics, Top Stories, US News

A ‘coward’ and a ‘conspiracy theorist’ walk into a bar and ask for your vote

Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake arrives to a former President Donald Trump rally, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs speaks at a roundtable event in Phoenix, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. Hobbs announced Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, that her office's review of signatures turned in a week ago to refer the expansion of the state's private school voucher law to the ballot came up short of the nearly 119,000 that were needed. Hobbs is a Democrat running for governor who opposed the plan. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Pima Post The Citizens Clean Elections Commission sponsors statewide and legislative debates. This Arizona election cycle has not lacked drama. Much of the dramatics were stirred up over the gubernatorial...

27Sep

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Arizona News, Health, News, Pima News, Politics, Top Stories

Pima College adding travel rider to cover out-of-network services, namely abortion

Pima College announced Monday that it is in the final stages of adding a travel rider to the college's plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona that will cover $5,000 of expenses tied to travel and lodging to receive covered services that they are unable to receive locally. Terminating a pregnancy is not the only service covered by the new insurance coverage, although it was the focal point of the announcement from Chancellor Lee Lambert. Phil Burdick, Vice Chancellor of External Relations, was able to give us additional details that weren't included in the email announcement sent college-wide Monday. The services are expected to be available beginning October 1. Pima college had 2,368 employees at the end of the pay period ending on September 9. Slightly fewer than half of al...

BRIEF: Snowden granted Russian citizenship

26Sep

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Briefs, News, Politics, Top Stories, US News, World News

BRIEF: Snowden granted Russian citizenship

Edward Snowden receives the Sam Adams award for Intelligence Integrity on November 7, 2013, in Moscow. (Photo courtesy McZusatz under Attribution 3.0 Unported) Multiple sources are reporting Edward Snowden has been granted Russian citizenship. It has been 9 years since material leaked by Snowden was used by The Guardian in 2013 to reveal a top-secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) granted an order requiring Verizon to hand over data on all telephone calls in their system to the FBI over a 3-month period. According to the Guardian, "Under the terms of the blanket order, the numbers of both parties on a call are handed over, as is location data, call duration, unique identifiers, and the time and duration of all calls. The contents of the conversation itself are n...

BP reaches $2.75M deal over Indiana refinery pollution

15Sep

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

AP, Business, News, Politics, Science, Top Stories, US News

BP reaches $2.75M deal over Indiana refinery pollution

FILE - The BP Whiting refinery in East Chicago, Ind., is shown on Sept. 21, 2017. Oil titan BP reached a $2.75 million settlement Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, over air pollution from its largest refinery after environmentalists complained of repeated emissions violations at the Whiting facility in Indiana. (DroneBase via AP, File) By JOHN FLESHERAP Environmental Writer TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Oil titan BP reached a $2.75 million settlement Thursday over air pollution from its largest refinery after environmentalists complained of repeated emissions violations at the Whiting facility in Indiana. The agreement is the second in the past year between advocacy groups and BP involving the refinery on the southwestern Lake Michigan shoreline between Hammond, Indiana, and Chicago. Both ...

Official: Idaho computer chip plant makes US more resilient

15Sep

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

AP, Business, News, Politics, Science, Top Stories, US News

Official: Idaho computer chip plant makes US more resilient

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony for Micron's planned $15 billion semiconductor plant in Boise, Idaho, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, and said that America needs to start making things with American parts and American labor. Granholm took part Monday in the groundbreaking for what by the end of the decade is expected to be the largest chipmaking cleanroom in the United States, covering 10 football fields and creating 17,000 American jobs. (AP Photo/Keith Ridler) By KEITH RIDLERAssociated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Chipmaker Micron's planned $15 billion investment in a new factory in the company's hometown of Boise will help protect the United States from the vulnerabilities of a globalized semiconductor market, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm sa...

Schumer sending $15M to Democrats, Senate Campaign Committee

13Sep

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

AP, Arizona News, News, Politics, Top Stories, US News

Schumer sending $15M to Democrats, Senate Campaign Committee

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., listens during a news conference at the Capitol,, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)President Joe Biden listens as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., speaks before Biden signs the Democrats' landmark climate change and health care bill in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol,, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) By LISA MASCAROAP Congressional Correspondent Sep 13, 2022 3:02 AM - 376 words By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — In a show of support for keeping a Democratic Se...

Flagstaff increasing its minimum wage to $16.80 per hour

13Sep

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

AP, Arizona News, Business, News, Politics, Top Stories

Flagstaff increasing its minimum wage to $16.80 per hour

Associated Press Sep 13, 2022 12:14 PM - 130 words Eds: CORRECTS: 1st sentence in summary. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The city of Flagstaff is increasing its minimum wage to $16.80 per hour starting Jan. 1, a raise of $1.30. Voters passed a minimum wage act in November 2016 that stipulated the city’s minimum wage would be increased annually by the increase in the cost of living beginning in 2023. The hike will be measured by the percentage increase as of August of the preceding year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the consumer price index numbers for August 2022 and it was 8.3% greater than for August 2021. Flagstaff officials said Tuesday that the minimum wage applies to all employees who work — or are expected to work — at least 25 hours within the c...

Democrat Katie Hobbs says no to Arizona governor debate

12Sep

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

AP, Arizona News, News, Politics, Top Stories, US News

Democrat Katie Hobbs says no to Arizona governor debate

FILE - Arizona Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs speaks to the media before dropping off her primary election ballot, Tuesday, July 21, 2022, in Scottsdale, Ariz. On Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, Hobbs declined to agree to a televised debate with Republican Kari Lake as both seek the Arizona governor's office, instead proposing individual interviews with the moderator. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)FILE - Kari Lake, Republican candidate for Arizona governor, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. Democrat Katie Hobbs on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, declined to agree to a televised debate with Lake as both seek the Arizona governor's office, instead proposing individual interviews with the moderator. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File) By...