Well, here's some fake news for you: In CNN's roundup of congressional Democrats calling for the impeachment of President Donal Trump, the crack news organization identifies "Rep. Raul Grijalva of New Mexico."

We know Silver City is attractive and all this time of the year, but we're pretty sure Raul is still representing Arizona's Third Congressional District.

(h/t `Tom Miller)

A landmark piece of legislation that would allow NCAA athletes to receive compensation for their name, likeness and image is one step closer to becoming law in California.

The proposed legislation cleared its first hurdle, with the California Senate voting 31-4 in favor of the act last week.

The legislation, which wouldn't take effect until 2023, has drawn harsh response from NCAA President Mark Emmert, who threatened sanctions and penalties for member institutions, should the piece get passed.

Emmert threatened the membership status of the state's universities in a letter sent to USA Today, calling the legislation an example of institutional overreach.

"We recognize all of the efforts that have been undertaken to develop this bill in the context of complex issues related to the current collegiate model that have been the subject of litigation and much national debate," Emmert wrote in his letter to the committee chairs. "Nonetheless, when contrasted with current NCAA rules, as drafted the bill threatens to alter materially the principles of intercollegiate athletics and create local differences that would make it impossible to host fair national championships. As a result, it likely would have a negative impact on the exact student-athletes it intends to assist."

A spokeswoman for Assembly member Kansen Chu (D-San Jose), who will chair Tuesday's hearing, said Emmert's letter prompted Chu to seek an amendment from the bill's author, Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). Late last week, wording was added that says "it is the intent of the Legislature to monitor" the NCAA working group and "revisit this issue to implement significant findings and recommendations of the NCAA working group in furtherance of the statutory changes proposed by this act."

...

Emmert wrote that even though the bill would not take effect until 2023, "passage of the bill now will create confusion among prospective and current student-athletes and our membership. The impact of a prematurely passed bill would be difficult to untangle."

The next step for the proposed changes is a hearing and vote by the State Assembly's Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media Committee on Tuesday, June 25.

From there, the legislation would head to the House Education Committee, which must vote on it by the close of the chamber's session on July 11. 

A 20-year-old Portland, Oregon native is bringing a fresh voice and vibe to the Tucson desert. Shekinah Camille comes in many forms. They are a singer, songwriter, musician, DJ, burlesque performer and avid voice for the black and queer communities.

Camille recently performed at the Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Tucson Convention Center. During the event, which celebrated the abolishment of slavery in Texas and most of America on June 19, 1865, Camille, who identifies as non-binary, brought intersectionality to the black community in Tucson by premiering a self-produced video. This video brought visibility to the queer black Tucson community through interviews with those within the community.

“I was tasked this year, which I thought was really cool, to create a presentation representing black, queer folks in Tucson. And it's because a lot of the time—in the black community—our queerness is kind of silenced and pushed aside and just, like tolerated and not celebrated,” Camille said.

Queer representation is something that hasn’t been introduced to Tucson’s annual Juneteenth festival until now.

“This year they decided that it's a good time to acknowledge and to represent queer voices in the black community. And also a lot of them are my friends.” Camille said. “I got a couple of folks together and we're just going to represent us and represent just beautiful, beautiful black queerness for the first time at Juneteenth.”

Camille brings that representation to their music as well. With influences such as Ella Fitzgerald, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Erykah Badu and Lalah Hathaway, Camille shares their experience through soulful, R&B melodies. Acoustic sounds mix with their voice as they grace the stage with a guitar as well.

“I feel that the way that I approach my music and my art and the things that I do that fill my heart are going to be representative of me. So I'm going to make sure that my children can live in a world where if they are gay, if they are non binary, if they're under the trans umbrella, if they are artists—if they don't want to be—like super rich corporate people and they just want to do like humble community work, I want to create a space for them where they can actually do that,” Camille said. “And it’s neither good or bad. It just is.”

Camille’s music also brings mental health into the picture. In their most recent single, “The Wave,” Camille describes their experience with depression.

“It was about not being able to control how I'm feeling, but letting go of the need to control it, which was causing my suffering ‘cause I knew I couldn't control the thoughts that were coming into my mind,” Camille said. “So essentially just riding the wave of life and of those emotions and taking that and just letting go.”

Kevin Hamilton, founder of the production business Southwest Soul Circuit and producer of “The Wave,” praises working with Camille.

“Shekinah’s one of the best people I’ve ever worked with—very intuitive when it comes to creating,” Hamilton said.

For now, “The Wave” is only available through physical copies. While they plan to release it online eventually, Camille has reasons as to why they’re waiting.

“The decision not to stream it honestly really comes from me looking at the way a lot of artists release their music and the ways in which I value my music,” Camille said. “And the reason I do my music isn't to become famous and to reach success and to reach all these listeners. I just want [to] truly impact every person that hears it.”

Camille is also working on their debut studio album.

“I have technically all of the songs written and the demos are recorded. I just need to get into the studio and you know, record them,” Camille said. “I can't make art that doesn't speak to the humanity of folks because that's where I do it from.”

For our pets edition this year readers submitted their best dressed pets and here at Weekly headquarters, we wanted to get in on the action! So, here are the wonderful fluffy, scaly and all around cute pets of the Tucson Weekly.

Find more Claytoonz here.

El Dia de San Juan Fiesta. Monsoons are a weather phenomenon worth celebrating, to say the least. And John the Baptist is a guy with a birthday worth celebrating. And June 24 is a day to celebrate both! This festival features live bands and folkloric dancers performing on stage and celebrates the traditional culture and history of Tucson, along with the renewed life that comes with the "chubasco." There's a traditional procession starting at the Mission Gardens (946 S. Avenida del Convento) through Barrio Sin Nombre and to the MSA Annex, where the party kicks off with food, music, vendors, games and a blessing. 6 to 10 p.m. Monday, June 24. MSA Annex, 267 S. Avenida del Convento. Free. Details here.

Em Bowen and Friends: The Liberal Agenda, a feminist comedy show. In celebration of Pride Month, Crooked Tooth Brewing Company is hosting a special comedy event. Hosted by local comedian, educator and writer Em Bowen, the show will include Mo Urban, Chinna Garza, Amber Frame and Noel Hennessey. 8 p.m. at 228 E. 6th St. Details here. 

2.8 Million Gallon Release. As part of the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project, 2.8 million gallons of water per day will be released into the Santa Cruz river bed. The water is hoped to bring a consistently flowing river to the heart of Tucson, and this is something that has people celebrating. Hispanic Access Foundation, Watershed Management Group, 40 Pastors from the Tucson Evangelical Pastoral Association and Por la Creación Faith-based Alliance are celebrating from noon to 5:30 p.m. with tours at the Living Lab and Learning Center at Watershed Management Group and Mission Gardens. Hotel McCoy is celebrating the new river right in their neighborhood with a celebration from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The water is set to be released at 4:30 p.m. and can be viewed at 1580 S. Santa Cruz Lane. Details here.

This L.A. power duo's fifth studio album, The Beast You Are (Gold Metal Records, 2019), depicts the struggle for dominance of will over power. Brashly declaring that "Complacency Is Killing You," Big Business bring their frantic low-end attack to Club Congress. Manguera hoses everyone down. Details here.

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Drawing from traditional jazz, swing and the American songbook, Tucson Jazz Institute hosts JAZZ JAMbalaya. At Sheraton Tucson Hotel. Details here.

This Summer, Yoga Oasis is hosting evening yoga classes at the Westward Look Resort and Spa. The monthly rooftop classes are held during sunset for 360 degree views of the mountains and city. Don't worry about the heat - misters will keep you cool during the all-levels hour-long practice. Bring your own mat, classes are just $6, and there are apres-yoga drink specials at the Lookout Bar & Grill.

Dates:
June 9 with Tanya Witman
July 21 with Lori Huggins
August 18 with Nancy Gutierrez
7 to 8 p.m.

Bring your own mat!

The Loft Cinema hosts a free showing of The Sandlot this Friday, June 21 at 7:30 p.m on "Hippie Hill" in Himmel Park.

When shy Scotty Smalls is pulled in for a game of baseball by the local kids, he doesn't know that he's in for the summer of his childhood. He borrows his step-dad's ball signed by the legendary Babe Ruth for the game one day, and accidentally hits it in to scary Mr. Myrtle's yard. Scarier yet is his enormous dog, "The Beast," who the boys have to get the baseball from.

The Sandlot is the quintessential summer movie, about childhood, adventure and belonging.

Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on, and grab a Sonoran dog from You Sly Dog's food truck or some dessert from Sarge's Cheesecakes to snack on during the movie. (Directed by David M. Evans, 1993, 101 min. Rated PG so it's perfect for kids).

A boy-free stage at Hotel McCoy

Tucson comedians tell no jokes on their private Facebook page. It’s all about stage time, except when interrupted every few weeks by the kind of dustup typical of that medium. Last week a flurry of emotional debate circled around how few local women are seen on local comedy stages. When comedian Autumn Horvat called out a particular local open mic on the matter, a feeding frenzy ensued. 

No one denied that local comedy lineups rarely include more than zero to one woman, but men defended the status quo objectively: Women are a small fraction of Tucson’s comedian population, and even they are frequently unavailable for shows. 

“I think that just going up as a woman is more of a challenge,” Horvat says. “I think people are conditioned to think men are funny, but women have to prove themselves. I feel like some men in our scene already have decided that we aren’t funny and they won’t listen to us.” 

Wait. Men don’t listen? 

“I also feel like men have an easier time getting started,” Horvat adds. “Other men will (mentor) them, take new male comics under their wings, pay attention to their sets and offer them tips.”

With women comics, she adds, that situation often feels like a dating dynamic. Also, some men apparently still have a problem relating to women who may be as smart and funny as them. We feel a facepalm coming on.

Chad Lehrman, a Tucson show promoter who also runs a local comedy series, is very aware of the issue. He already had planned a comedy show to address it: Comedians Who Are Not Boys, at 8 p.m. Friday, June 28 at Hotel McCoy.

He invited Horvat to book the comedians and host the show. “I just named it Comedians Who Aren’t Boys at the McCoy because it rhymed,” Lehrman says, not even wincing. “I wasn’t sure, but Autumn liked it.”

Asked if he thought women are more difficult to book, he answers with a firm and simple “no.” He notes, too, that there are more women than ever now on the national scene. “There’s more of everybody though,” he says, “Indians, Asians, gay comics and women.”

As part of the McCoy Hotel’s Last Friday, Last Laugh series, the Comedians Who Are Not Boys show is free. The bar is open and a food truck is available. Besides Horvat, who also hosts, the lineup includes Mo Urban of The C*nt Show and The Dating Game, and Priscilla Fernandez, host of the long-running Retro Game show at Hotel Congress. Others are Chinna Garza, Rebecca Tingley, Nicole Riesgo and Cierra Renee Miranda.

Jill “Yes, She’s Jimmy’s Sister” Kimmel comes to The O

Since we’re on the topic, Jill Kimmel has life stories to share about being a woman in comedy. She’s a mother of two teenage children, and the first to say that all by itself motherhood is a barrier to the open-mic training and travel required to be a comedian. 

“If I didn’t have my parents (to take care of the children), I don’t think I would have been able to start doing comedy, to go out on the road and do it full time,” Kimmel says.

A Phoenix native, Kimmel performs at The O, 2000 N. Oracle Road, at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 22. Tickets are $10 on Eventbrite or at the door.

Asked to describe her own comedy, she quickly denies political content but doesn’t turn down a comparison to Roseanne Barr. 

“She always was the overweight housewife talking about her relationships and raising kids and being married and how horrible it was,” Kimmel says. “I’m not talking about politics, I’m not insulting people, I’m talking about myself, my life. Every time I go somewhere I haven’t been, people tell me I’m not going to be young enough, cool enough, sexy enough. But no matter where I go, people relate to a 40-year-old woman who’s divorced, back in the dating pool, has children in school, has lost weight, gained weight.... It’s just a lot of stuff that’s very relatable. (People) go ‘Yeah, that happened to me. Oh my God!’ I love that!”

Kimmel has worked with Jimmy Fallon, Norm Macdonald and Jeffrey Ross. She’s performed at Stand Up Live, the Improv comedy club and The Comedy Store, among other well-known venues. She creates the weekly segment “What A Mouth” on the “Lu Valentino Show.”

Kimmel suggests that women who don’t get booked enough should start their own shows. She names Tucson comics Mo Urban and Roxy Merrari as examples who have not only benefitted from their own shows but have used them to lift up other women comedians. Autumn Horvat, for example, got her start on Merrari’s Comedy at the Wench series.

For others, she advises, “Just be seen more and network more. I find that the women … booked on shows are the ones who hustle. They’re out there, they’re working and networking. They’re nice and they’re funny.”