The Border Patrol arrested four undocumented border-crossers receiving medical attention at a humanitarian-aid station on Thursday evening, breaking with years of precedent.

A helicopter, 15 trucks, two quadrant vehicles and 30 armed agents descended on the medical-aid station, search warrants in hand, after tracking a group of migrants for 18 miles, according to the humanitarian-aid group, No More Deaths, which runs the humanitarian-aid station in Arivaca, Arizona, less than 15 miles from the Arizona-Mexico border.

“Right now, the No More Deaths humanitarian-aid station is not a place that is safe to provide humanitarian aid,” said Eva Lewis, volunteer with NMD. “There’s a lot of people in dire medical need who are coming through the desert, and it’s really important that those people have a place to seek medical aid without fear of incarceration and/or fear of deportation.”

The Pima County Medical Examiner has received 2,615 sets of human remains from 2001 through 2016 recovered in the Tucson Sector border region. Historically, the number of deaths peak during June and July due to extreme heat. In 2016, 31 percent of human remains were recovered during these hotter months.

Humanitarian groups along the entirety of the U.S.-Mexico border say the total number of deaths is around 7,000 since border policy toughened in 1998.

According to NMD, the group has had an unsigned written agreement with the Tucson Sector Border Patrol since 2013, with the federal agency pledging to not to interfere with the humanitarian camp that provides life-saving medical treatment to many migrants every year.

In the agreement, BP agreed to “respect the NMD camp as a medical facility under the international Red Cross standards, which prohibit government interference with humanitarian aid centers,” wrote John Fife, one of NMD’s founders, in a statement released on Facebook last night.

The Red Cross’ code of conduct, referred to in the agreement reads: “The right to receive humanitarian assistance, and to offer it, is a fundamental humanitarian principle which should be enjoyed by all citizens of all countries. As members of the international community, we recognize our obligation to provide humanitarian assistance wherever it is needed.”

The statement also reads that governments should recognize and respect the actions of humanitarian aid agencies.

“This was a targeted attack on humanitarian aid,” Lewis said. “This was an attempt to intimidate and prevent the camp from being able to function in a humanitarian role.”

As temperatures climb in the Old Pueblo, local summer film series are also heating up. This week, and in the weeks to follow, Tucson will play host to a myriad of continuing cinematic celebrations that are sure to spice up your summer.

The Loft Cinema:

Cult Classic Series (every Friday and Saturday at 10 p.m.): On Friday, June 16, and Saturday, June 17, The Loft shows Shaun of the Dead. Audiences are invited to enjoy the bloody hijinks of Shaun (co-writer Simon Pegg) and his buddy Ed (Nick Frost) in the wake of a zombie invasion in London.

4th Friday Films at MOCA (every fourth Friday of the month at 8 p.m.): This summer, the Loft and MOCA are teaming up to offer free screenings of films that celebrate the arts and artists. Guests are invited to bring their own picnic foods, or to stop by the food truck Bella Gelato for a refreshing summer treat. Friday, June 23, MOCA will host a free outdoor screening of Frida on the Cox Plaza.

Social Justice Summer (every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.): This series aims to pair hard-hitting social justice issues with cinema, as audiences are invited to explore important issues through film. Leading community experts will be present after every showing to hold community talkbacks. This Wednesday, June 21, the Global Justice Center will air a free screening of Mala Mala, which delves into the social climate of the trans community in Puerto Rico.

Rolling Reels: Rolling Reels is designed to provide cinematic experiences to underserved and rural communities in Southern Arizona. This month, the series will feature the flick Junior Bonner, a western classic, on Saturday, June 24 in Dragoon at the Amerind Museum. Admission to this series is free.

Mondo Mondays (every Monday at 8 p.m.): Diving directly into the strange, wonderful and unorthodox realms of mondo movies, this series is sure to deliver a weekly dose of weird. This Monday, June 19, enjoy the cinematic rollercoaster that is Super Fuzz; behold as a rookie cop (Terence Hill) haphazardly attempts to fight crime with his newfound superpowers.

Rocky Horror Picture Show: Break away from daily routine and treat yourself to one of The Loft's locally-renowned live showings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. This Saturday, June 17, at midnight, unleash your wild side and enjoy the show with shadow cast "Heavy Petting."

More details on all of above at loftcinema.org.

Cactus Drive-In Theatre

Cactus Drive-In Summer Showings (every Thursday in June at 8 p.m.): Indulge in the iconic drive-in experience at the Tanque Verde Swap Meet this Thursday, June 22. The Cactus Drive-In Theatre Foundation welcomes children of all ages to this week's showing of MoanaDevelopments under construction include the Sanctuary at Silverhawke and Viewpointe I at Vistoso Trails. There are three other notable developments that are set to begin construction soon, Disney's latest film about an adventurous young woman (Auli'i Cravalho) on a journey to save her people. More info at cactusdriveintheatre.com.

Cinema La Placita

Cinema La Placita Summer Series (every Thursday at 7:30 p.m.): Take a trip downtown and enjoy the Cinema La Placita's continuing outdoor summer film series. Learn to stop worrying and love this week's showing of Dr. Strangelove on Thursday, June 22. This suspenseful parody examines the comedy of errors that incur when an insane general triggers a path to a nuclear holocaust. In addition to the showing, audiences are invited to enjoy the cash bar and food truck on site. cinemalaplacita.com

The Temple of Music and Arts Film Series

Summer Classic Films at the Temple: The Arizona Theatre Company kicks off another great week of film classics at the Temple of Music and Arts in their summer film series (June 2-Aug. 6). Designed to attract audiences of all ages, this week offers a variety of classic silver screen gems. On 7 p.m. Friday, June 16, watch The Misfits, a western drama featuring Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. If you can't make it this Friday then fear not! On 2 p.m. Sunday, June 18 enjoy a showing of Auntie Mame, a comedy/drama staring Lucille Ball. Finally, at 7 p.m. next Friday, June 23 at 7 p.m., enjoy a screening of Giant, a drama featuring Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. arizonatheatre.org

The Fox

Film Noir Series: At 7:30 this Saturday, June 17, head on down to the Fox Theatre and view the latest flick in their continuing Film Noir Series: Murder My Sweet, staring Dick Powell, Mike Mazurki and Claire Trevor, features a brooding detective, a femme fatale and an unsolved mystery. foxtucson.com

In the last days of summer '09, Noel Gallagher, chief songwriter and guitarist of Manchester malcontents Oasis, had had enough. Alongside his singer bro Liam, Noel had ridden Oasis success far beyond what a working-class kid could imagine. He was done sparring with the press, with band management, and, most of all, his younger bro. Those fights became legendary, rituals of emotional and legal entanglements.

Their sound had been wrapped round the Union Jack, guitar-driven anthems that drew from The Beatles, with mid-tempo kick and snare, rolling tom-toms, and hung on hooks that brought karaoke to football stadiums. The bashers were loud, glam-tinged, and Liam’s undeniable voice carried more than a passing taste of Johnny Rotten at the end of each line. He'd lock his hand behind his back, wear a hoodie bearing the name some Manchester soccer club, and glorious stompers like "Rock and Roll Star" and "Cigarettes and Alcohol" had enough attitude to sway the boys and the girls, the men and the women, who followed the band everywhere. The entire catalog of Noel’s songs, most sung by Liam, even now belong to fans and not to the smug, opinionated, yet good-natured and damn funny eldest bro.

It's time for all the punks, the rap spitters, the jazz messengers, the acoustic alchemists, the singer-songwriters, the metalheads, the R&B crooners, EDM naval-gazers, the countrified outlaws and the indie stalwarts and all you purveyors of organized noise—er, musicians—to enter The Local Showdown.

In the spirit of overcoming Old Pueblo summertime desolation and its literal and metaphorical dust, join venerable institution The Rock and Tucson Weekly for what we're calling the First Annual Local Showdown. Check it, we’ve extended the submission date to June 22. So enter your act now to strut it out on a worthy stage, where, um, "Legends are Made,” with pro sound and lights to back you up. When all's said and done, you might just blastoff a launchpad of total greatness.

The Local Showdown is a summer-long showcase─”a killer kinda Battle of the Bands contest,” if you will─where local bands/musicians, from all genres and ages, battle it out before a panel of music aficionados to decide a winner.

At the end of the contest those who prevail reap spoils. Prizes include: A feature story in Tucson Weekly, professional studio recording & music video shoot (for a single), merch & marketing packages and a mini-tour (plus gas/food cards). Not to mention bragging rights.

The Showdown kicks off June 30 with subsequent rounds on July 8 & 22, Aug. 5 with semi-finals on Aug. 19. Finals will be held Sept. 9.

To enter into the competition simply submit a video or audio link (YouTube, SoundCloud, bandcamp, etc.) by June 22 to [email protected]. Only the first 150 submissions will be accepted.

Pre-sale tickets are $6 (with a cut to the bands). $8 at the door. All events to be held at The Rock, 136 N. Park Avenue, (520) 629-9211. Shows start at 6 p.m.

Brew Ha Ha returns to Borderlands brewery this month after a brief hiatus to sort schedules. The show, which thrived on a monthly Tuesday for more than a year, moves to 8 to 10 p.m. Monday, June 19, and continues the third Monday of every month.

Brew Ha Ha co-host Matt Ziemak says, “There are a lot of talented comics in Arizona and we try and bring the top tier ones out. We try and get at least one out of town comic on each show.”

Headliner June 19 is LA comic Chris Thayer, who’s performed on Comedy Central and VICELAND. Locals Kevin William Lee, Amber Frame, Jacob Breckenridge and Michael Celi round things out.

Borderlands president Mike Mallozzi says, “I think there's a burgeoning comedy scene in Tucson but they're not getting a lot of love.” Before moving to Tucson, Mallozzi lived in Chicago with, he says, “… a bunch of thespians."Some were involved in Second City and iO and other comedy joints.

“I grew a real appreciation for the art form.”

“Yeah he’s super cool and he gets it,” Ziemak,says. “He had comedy shows there before.” Ziemak created the show in 2015 with fellow comedian Nick Cerami.

Mallozzi encourages other venue owners to try comedy. “It’s something that needs to be supported, but you have to work with your organizers.” He relates a time that some customers felt uncomfortable about a rape joke. “We're part of (the YWCA’s) We Stand Together. It creates a safe space for people to feel free from harassment. I think a lot of venues would have just dropped the whole event at that point. I just told them, ‘Look, we know comedy pushes the envelope but here’s the deal. We can’t have this kind of comedy. Our space is a Safe Space.”

“And I think no matter where you go it's going to take time to build an audience. You're not going to have it by the sixth time, either.”

Drop Everything!

You need to get Demitri Martin tickets if you don’t have them. An author and staff writer at Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Martin became a regular on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. His show is at 8 p.m., Friday, June 23, at The Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St. Tickets are $28 to $47, online at rialtotheatre.org, or at the box office.

Your Weekly guide to having fun in the Old Pueblo.

Food & Booze

2nd Annual Tucson 23: A Mexican Food Festival. This festival celebrates Visit Tucson's "Best 23 Miles of Mexican Food in America." Ticket prices include menu samplings from over 25 local wineries, breweries and local Mexican restaurants. There will also be weekend stay-cation packages, food demo for cooking education, live music and more. Come stuff your face with the best-tasting Mexican food north of the border! 6 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17. JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa, 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd. $49.

Brew at the Zoo. Bearded dragons, bears and beer—just three of many things awaiting you at this year's Brew at the Zoo. This event features local vendors, live music, as well as games and prizes. Enjoy a longneck with Reid Park's “long-necks.” All proceeds from the event benefit the Zoo Project Fund, which works to maintain and improve the Reid Park Zoo. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 E. Zoo Court. $20-$45.

The Surf-a-palooza. Hang 10 and catch a wave down to Hotel Congress! Surfapalooza is this summer's premiere surf party with fun for the whole family. Celebrate surf rock with music from Shrimp Chaperone, Grave Danger and The Boogienauts. Experience a night of seemingly endless summer vibes with seaside snacks and cold brews. 6-10 p.m. Saturday, June 17. Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Free.

Tasting the Wines of Southern France. Sample wines from Bordeaux, Rhone Valley, Languedoc, Provence, Cahors and some lesser known areas. Maynards Market happy hour is in full swing during the tasting. 6-8 p.m. Friday, June 16. Maynards Market & Kitchen, 400 N. Toole Ave., Suite 100. $10.

Mystery and Magic Dinner Theater Playhouse. Ever wanted to solve a whodunit? Or get sawn in half? All in the same evening? Now's your chance. Five Palms Restaurant plays host to the most exciting dinner theater experience in Tucson. Enjoy the three-act play, magic by Ross the Magician and after-show dance party. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Dinner and show begins at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 16-17. Five Palms Restaurant, 3500 E. Sunrise Drive. $75.

Health & Fitness

Hula Workout Class. Want a more fun way to get your cardio workout in? This class is for you! Jam out to Hawaiian and Tahitian music, shake those hips and burn off the calories from all those frozen summer treats. 6-7 p.m. Tuesdays. Movement Culture, 435 E. Ninth St. $10 per class.

Tour de V3s. Have some Ice cream and try indoor rock climbing in a drop-in instructional clinic. Experienced climbers can expect to get tips on improving. Climbers can also attempt to do all of the boulder problems of a certain grade. This event is for anyone looking to socialize and improve their rock climbing skills. 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, June 20. The BLOC climbing+fitness, 8975 E. Tanque Verde Road, suite 155. $5.

It's here! After two long weeks of vote tallying, the second and final round of Best of Tucson is up and awaiting your attention.

For the uninitiated: Best of Tucson® is our annual celebration of everything local. We start with an initial (completely write-in) round of voting to find our who your favorites are. We tally the votes, make a list of your top five (or so) most loved people/places/businesses in each category and then open the ballot up for Tucson to decide who of the finalists really is the best.

Start looking over the ballot, and get your votes in by midnight on July 31. Or else!

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Having trouble voting? Your name is your password. You have to type your name the exact same way each year when you want to vote in Best of Tucson. If the ballot won't let you in because your "email address is already associated with an account on this site," try a couple variations of your name. Can't figure it out? Direct your Bat-Signal to [email protected].

It's been five years since TUSD's Mexican American Studies program was dismantled by order of Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal. The lawsuit challenging Huppenthal's order and the statute he based it on is coming to trial in Tucson's DeConcini U.S. Courthouse, beginning the week of June 26 through June 30. It will continue the week of July 17 through July 21. The courtroom is open to the public. The trial will run from 9am to 5pm.

If the lawyers defending Mexican American Studies win in whole or in part, the statute created to make MAS illegal could be thrown out, or the statute could remain but Huppenthal's decision that MAS was in violation of the law would be voided.

TUSD's Mexican American Studies program began in 1998 and continued without a great deal of public fanfare until 2006 when labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta gave a speech to the Tucson High student body. Her speech contained three words, "Republicans hate Latinos" which set off a firestorm of outrage among Republican politicians and commentators in Arizona and around the country. Among those who picked up the anti-MAS banner was Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, who turned the steps of the TUSD administration building into his home away from home, making regular visits to condemn the program. In 2010, the legislature passed HB 2281, a bill whose apparent purpose was to make MAS illegal. Horne's successor to the Superintendent position, John Huppenthal, decided MAS violated the newly created statute and had to be dismantled or $14 million a year would be withheld from TUSD's state funding. In 2012, the board voted to accept his decision, and the Mexican American Studies program ceased to exist.

A lawsuit was filed challenging the constitutionality of the statute and legality of Huppenthal's decision. U.S. Circuit Court Judge Wallace Tashima found the statute to be mostly constitutional. The lawyers working on the suit appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court, which decided that portions of the statute could be considered unconstitutional and the lawsuit had to be brought to trial in Judge Tashima's courtroom.

That's where we are now. Both Huppenthal and Horne will be called to testify at the trial, Huppenthal during the first part of the trial in June and Horne during the final part in July.

Gabby Giffords, whose congressional career was cut short in a mass shooting, responds to today's shooting at a gathering of Republican members of Congress:

It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or a Republican, nor if you're a senator or a representative, nor a staffer or a sworn officer. If you serve the institution of Congress, you're connected to your colleagues, current and former, by a shared sense of service to ideals far greater than yourself.

This shooting is an attack on all who serve and on all who participate in our democracy.

I am heartbroken for the pain of Congressman Scalise, the other victims, and their family, friends, and colleagues who survived. I am thankful for the great courage of the Capitol Police, who were my protectors after I was shot and became my friends. I also know the courage it takes to recover from a shooting like this, and I know Steve and everyone there this morning have such courage in great supply.

May all Americans come together today with prayers for the survivors, love for their friends and family, and the courage to go about everyday making this country its best. Our nation is resilient, and we always come back stronger.

Was a slow Sunday night on 4th Avenue. Most of the shops were shuttered as party goers migrated to Congress Street. The green butt cheeks illuminated above the Flycatcher was enough incentive to stop and go inside. Good thing.


Tucson's B4Skin was a clever, funny, flirty, punked-up girl group who flaunted hero costumes and incorporated swinging nunchucks and trampoline bouncing into their show. They were saucy too, booty patting and playing with each others hair.

Then the stage was cleared and a small table with a single beat machine was placed in its center. A guy in a t-shirt with a striped sock over his head and glasses strolled on stage, like some Adult Swim commercial. Dadsdad grooved to his live-mixed beats. His techno beats were banging, and naturally attracted eccentrics. A group of guys formed a circle outside on the sidewalk and danced. Funny as hell.

Oakland, California's Planet Booty kicked its show open with some funk-pop. Their music sounded like a mixture of Bruno Mars and LMFAO—funky groovy playful pop, y'all. The trio energized the crowd like pros. The audience danced, unable to keep their asses in seats. Singers Josh Cantero and Dylan Germick hypnotized; when the latter body rolled, the crowd body rolled.

Wallflowers and dance machines let loose on the dance floor. If you weren't dancing, then you weren't there. The show was fun, entertaining and free.