Grammy Award winner and founder of Righteous Babe Records, Ani DiFranco is no longer just the "Little Folksinger." She now adds author to her list of accomplishments with the release of her memoir No Walls and the Recurring Dream in 2019. DiFranco plays Fox Theatre. Genreless singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop is first up...

Since their formation in 1983—possessing elegant style, impressive technique and emotional breadth—this quartet has become one of the world's foremost chamber ensembles. Arizona Friends of Chamber Music presents The Shanghai Quartet. At Leo Rich Theater...

Hailing from a sector of deep space, Arizona EDM legend ILLEKTROLAB joins resident DJs Lunarfluxx and Atom Energy to celebrate Deeper's 1st Anniversary. At Bar Passé...

Imagine the brainchild of Dr. Seuss, Frank Zappa and Stanley Kubrick? Performing on an instrument, made out of steel pipes and a single bass string, That 1 Guy brings "earthshaking future funk" to Club Congress...

Speed-dating + kissing booths + star-crossed lovers everywhere? Yes, it's the Valentine's Day Eve installment of Opti Club. That's not all, POSIS8n mans the decks inside the club while Heartbreaker (Phoenix) joins Xam Renn and Nitro on the plaza. At Hotel Congress...

From the Black Forest of Germany, The Booze Bombs drop a Rock-a-Billy bombshell. At House of Bards...

The Billy Shaw Jr. Band supplies the foot-stomping soundtrack for GALentine's Ladies Night Out. Party with your besties at The Maverick...

Emitting the frequency of love, Love Hertz sees Seth Myles, Rex Garcia, I am Stranger and others team up for a full-spectrum night of EDM. At Irene's Holy Donuts...

Guillotines, Screech Of Death, Gutter Town and Single Finger Theory tell the status quo where to shove it. At Spark Project Collective...

Singer-songwriters Nancy & Neil McCallion perform original Americana acoustically at La Cocina...

"I think I better dance now." Connie Brannock's Tiny House of Funk unleashes a smackdown as part of the Oro Valley Concert Series. In the Oro Valley Marketplace...

The University of Arizona's Passports Office will hold a special passport day event on Feb. 22 to help Tucson residents apply for newly required, federally valid IDs.

Starting Oct. 1, U.S. citizens traveling domestically will be required to present a "real ID" in order to board a flight. State driver's licenses without a gold star, which will designate an ID is "REAL ID-compliant" will no longer be accepted.

Passports do fulfill the federal requirements and may be used to fly. There is also a passport card available that can be used to travel by ground or water into Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda, and can be used as a valid form of ID for domestic flights. These are the most cost-effective option.

The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the University of Arizona's Global Center, located at 615 N. Park Ave.

Attendees should bring the following with them to the event:

- The original copy of, or a certified copy of their proof of citizenship.
- A government-issued photo ID.
- A recent 2x2 inch passport photo. Those who don't have one can use the photo services on site for $10.
- Two separate payments. Applicants need a check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State for the passport application and optional expedite fees. A second check or money order payable to UA Passports, or a debit/credit payment, is also required for the execution ($35) and photo fees if needed. Cash will not be accepted.

Passport books for adults cost $110 and $80 for people 15 and younger. The passport cards cost $30 for adults and $15 for children 15 and younger.

Free parking for this event will be available on the west side of Tyndall Avenue and in the Tyndall Avenue parking garage.

Passport forms and photo services are available on site. For complete information about required documentation and fees, visit global.arizona.edu/passports or email [email protected].

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WASHINGTON – Arizona Republican Sen. Martha McSally officially kicked off the campaign to retain her seat this week, entering a race already awash in cash and which one national analyst calls the “marquee Senate race of the cycle.”

McSally currently trails likely Democratic challenger Mark Kelly in fundraising, bringing in $12.6 million by the end of last year to his $20.2 million. Together, they have outraised all but one Senate race in the country, and are already closing in on the $38 million raised for the entire 2018 Senate campaign in Arizona.

“Arizona’s days of small-dollar Senate races are over,” said Mike Noble, chief of research at OH Predictive Insights. “We saw the amount of money spent last time and Arizona’s implications in the national tug of war … in Washington.”

Analysts said that while McSally “certainly has a challenge,” she should have more than enough money to get her message out before Election Day.

The Federal Election Commission reported that Kelly had raised more than any other Senate candidate in the country in 2019 and McSally was in sixth place on that list. Only the Senate race in Kentucky brought in more total money last year, with Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic challenger Amy McGrath raising $18 million and $16.9 million, respectively.

The Arizona race pits two well-known candidates with atypical political backgrounds against each other.

McSally is an Air Force veteran who was the first woman to fly a fighter jet in combat. She served two terms in the House from Tucson before deciding to run for Senate in 2018.

Kelly is a former Navy pilot and former astronaut who is married former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the Democrat who was representing Tucson in the House when she was severely wounded in a 2011 assassination attempt. He has not held elective office but has had a high-profile role working with Giffords’ national gun-safety group.

A December poll by OH Predictive Insights showed 47% of Arizona voters supporting Kelly, who had strong backing among women, and 44% of voters supporting McSally, who did well among male voters. The poll, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%, was closer than previous polls and was called a statistical dead heat by the firm.

Nathan Gonzales, an editor and publisher at Inside Elections, said it should come as no surprise that Arizona has become a battleground state, because of Republican struggles in the suburbs and Arizona Democrat Kyrsten Sinema’s defeat of McSally in the 2018 race for Senate.

After Sinema won that race to replace outgoing Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, Gov. Doug Ducey appointed McSally to fill the remaining term of the late Sen. John McCain, who died in 2018. McCain’s term expires in 2020.

It was no surprise that McSally would run again, and she made it official Tuesday with the release of a campaign video announcing her bid. That video highlighted her key messages of improving mental health care for veterans, tackling sexual assault and the opioid epidemic, and lowering prescription drug prices.

While McSally enters the race trailing Kelly in fundraising, Noble said she is “no slouch” in terms of fundraising, noting that she is “off to an even faster start than two years ago.”

Other analysts agreed, but said Kelly’s fundraising is still impressive, if not surprising.

“Mark Kelly is one of the best Senate fundraisers I’ve ever seen and he is building up a sizable cash-on-hand advantage,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Kelly reported having $13.6 million in cash on hand in his Dec. 31 FEC report, while McSally reported finishing 2019 with $7.7 million on hand.

While Kelly could have more money to spend in the general election, Kondik said McSally is raising money at an “impressive clip” and that spending by outside groups in the high-profile race could help “blunt that edge” that Kelly has.

McSally’s campaign manager Dylan Lefler said in a statement Wednesday while “more is always better,” the campaign is pleased with the amount that the senator has been able to raise for the race. He criticized the amount of out-of-state money going to Kelly’s campaign.

But Kelly had also raised $9.2 million in unitemized individual contributions, donations of $200 or less, while McSally raised $4.2 million, according to their FEC filings.

Kelly campaign manager Jen Cox said in a statement that the campaign “took off like a rocket at the beginning of last year and hasn’t slowed down.”

Mark Schmitt, director of a political reform program at New America, called Kelly’s fundraising an “impressive show of strength,” but not surprising given his well-known marriage to Giffords.

He said McSally might be in more trouble if she did not have access to President Donald Trump’s fundraising machine. But ultimately, he said, the fundraising numbers should not make much of a difference in the election.

“In high-profile races like this, both candidates are going to have enough money to be competitive,” Schmitt said. “Even if Kelly spends 10 million more than McSally does, that’s not what’s going to make the difference.”

Gonzales said in an email that money will continue to flow in to the race because the Senate majority is in play. While Kentucky may end up as the most expensive Senate race, it will not be as competitive as Arizona, he said.

It’s too early to write McSally off, Gonzales said, but she “certainly has a challenge.”

“The governor’s victory in 2018 was evidence that voters are willing to make a distinction between races, and that should concern McSally,” he said. “Even another Trump victory in Arizona doesn’t guarantee a win for her.”

Romantic Comedy stars Vanessa Hollingshead

Maybe Laff’s should offer a prize for the first engagement of the evening. Valentines Day date night starts with dinner at 8, featuring dreamy “sirloin medallions with roasted garlic and bacon, smothered in a creamy Marsala sauce” or similarly salacious sounding chicken and salmon options. Sides include salad, vegetables and steamed basmati rice.

The main course, so to speak, are the laughs, delivered with style and sass by the estimable Vanessa Hollingshead. Classy and vulnerable under a veneer of New York brass, Hollingshead is an actor and playwright as well as a comedian. At age 18, she won a scholarship to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatrical Institute.

Her upbringing, though, was weird and awful, with occasional twists of psychedelic color. Spawned by self-absorbed, committed drug addicts in stereotypically hippie camouflage, Hollingshead has told interviewers that her mother rewarded her house housework with amphetamines. A tour of foster homes ensued. At least some prestige was involved: Her Father apparently introduced Timothy Leary and Sir Paul McCartney to LSD.

Once she learned she could make people laugh she worked as much as possible. Among her jokes, she’s created enough hilarious characters to populate a madhouse. Within two years, she began supporting herself with comedy. When personal tragedy took her off-track for a few years, she says, a cruise-ship booking eventually rescued her. Call it a Love Boat.

Reservations for Love and Laffter: Dinner Date at 8 are $30 via laffstucson.com/valentine. Beverages, tax and tip are added after the show, Hollingshead also performs at Laffs’ regular showtimes: 10:30 Friday, and 7:30 and 9 p.m. Reservations are $12.50 and $17.50 via Laffstucson.com

Minting Mishka

If you’ve been looking for a reason to revisit The Mint, here’s a great one. Author, guitarist, songwriter and comedian Mishka Shubaly performs there at 8 p.m., Wednesday, February 19. Admission is by donation.

The Mint's interior has benefited from some deft remodeling by its most recent owners. The bar feels lighter and roomier. The stage is smaller, but brighter and ideal for the Wednesday, 9 p.m. open mic hosted there most of the year by long-time Tucson comedian Joey Giron.

Shubaly released his 12th Amazon book last December in audiobook form,  It’s his fifth since his 2011 bestseller, The Long Run. Jeff Bezos is a fan. Titled This Van Could Be Your Life, the new work explores the meaning of family as revealed over a thousand-mile journey in a rickety van with seven family members in crisis.

Shubaly is best known in the comedy world for having composed the soundtrack for The Unbookables, a raunchy film frolic through the travails of Stanhope’s friends and acolytes on a tour of sketchy midwestern comedy clubs. Among the film's comedians is Kristine Levine, now co-host of The Frank Show on 96.1 KLPX. Levine frequents The Mint open mics, and Stanhope has made unannounced visits there to perform with friends.

Shubaly's official featured comedian is Ray Porter whose main hustle is narrating audiobooks. According to industry resource Audiofile, Porter can speak with 27 accents. That could be a whole set.

Comedy A – Z at The O

Ali Musa and Matt Ziemak, two of Tucson’s hardest working, and commensurately popular, local comedians, play on their names for the title of their show at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 15 at The O. Tickets are $5. It’s a chance for Tucson comedy fans to see them stretch into much longer sets than local showcases allow.

Ziemak co-hosts, with Rory Monserrat, the monthly comedy showcase Brew Ha Ha at Borderlands Brewery. He also co-hosts, with Green Shirt Guy Alex Kack, the popular concept show, The Switch, which moves from The Hut to Skybar starting Thursday, Feb. 27 at 9 p.m. The Switch invites audience members text fun words for the night's lineup of comedians to riff on. The show is free.

Register to vote by Feb. 18!

Thank goodness for Capitol Steps. Founded in the Reagan era, they’ve continued to remind us that politics can be funny, and that without the First Amendment, we might not be able to laugh about it. On Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m., the D.C. comedy troupe performs at the Fox Tucson Theatre to benefit the UArizona Hillel Foundation’s annual campaign. Tickets are $65 to $145 via foxtucson.com, and $180, which includes a $90 donation to the Hillel Annual Campaign, at uahillel.org.

Lots More Comedy

Thursday, Feb. 13, improv showcase for Improv 101 and 201 at 7:30 ($5), and a free public improv jam at 8:30, TIM Comedy Theatre (Tucson Improv Movement), and standup

Friday, Feb. 14, standup with The Amazing Cop Comic Jim Perry with locals Chris Haughton and Allana Erickson-Lopez, 7 p.m., Coyote Trail Stage, 8000 N. Silverbell Rd. ($10); long-form improv with Harold Team Alpha and The Dating Scene at 7:30 p.m. ($5) and The Soapbox at 9 p.m. ($7) at TIM Comedy Theatre (TIM)($10 for both shows). Family-friendly improv with Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (NBOJU) at 7:30 p.m. and Freeform Friday at 9 p.m., Unscrewed Theater ($5 and $8).

Saturday, Feb. 15,  improv with The Laugh Tracks and Game Show Show at 7:30 p.m., and Standup 101 Showcase and The Dating Scene at 9 p.m. at TIM ($7, both shows for $10, $2 off with Cat Card). Family-Friendly Improv with NBOJU at 7:30 p.m., and House Team Double Feature at 9 p.m., Unscrewed Theater ($5 and $8).

Free Open Mics

Sunday, Feb. 15, 6:30 p.m., The O, and 8 p.m., Chuckleheads in Bisbee.
Monday, Feb. 16, 7 p.m., Comedy at the Wench,
The Surly Wench Pub.
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 6:45 p.m., Neighborhood Comedy, The Music Box Lounge.
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m., The Screening Room; 8:30 p.m., The Mint; 9:30 p.m., The Rock.
Thursday, Feb. 19, 8 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe and 8:30 p.m., Rockabilly Grill.

Let the Sunshine In. The University of Arizona’s Department of French and Italian Studies is hosting a special screening of the 2017 romantic drama directed by Claire Denis (Beau Travail, 35 Shots of Rum). This French film tells of a battle of the sexes, centering on a 50-something Parisian artist played by Juliette Binoche. It won the SACD (Authors Society) Award at the Cannes Film Festival. This screening is part of the Tournées Film Festival, and will be introduced by Ania Wroblewski. 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13. At the Integrated Learning Center on the UA Campus, 1500 E. University Blvd., Bldg. 70, Room 130. Free and open to the public.

The Light Princess. This show, a musical adaptation of a George MacDonald fairytale, is full of magic and delight and everything you could ask for in a fairytale. When a king and queen desperate to have a child turn to a witch for help, their daughter is born without gravity (classic witch move). If they don’t get this girl grounded before her 16th birthday, the kingdom falls into the hands of the witch. Princes, wise men and a cast of other characters take the stage in this adaptation by award-winning duo Lila Rose Kaplan (book) and Mike Pettry (music & lyrics). 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 23. Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre at the Historic Y, 738 N. Fifth Ave. $30 GA, $28 seniors 55+, $15 student & teacher.

International World Market. This gem show is new to the Mercado District this year, and will be hosted alongside the African Art Village, which is making its annual return. They’ve got wholesale and resale prices with the ambiance of the Mercado District, which is always a win. Head on down to snag a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift, or perhaps take your Valentine here and let them pick out a gift themselves. (Even more perfect if you’re your own Valentine—treat yourself!) 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, to Sunday, Feb. 19. 279 S. Linda Ave.

Asian Lantern Festival. The Reid Park Zoo, Tianyu Arts & Culture Inc, UA Global and the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center are partnering to produce this cultural festival featuring more than 400 larger-than-life, interactive lanterns. Be transported across the world with Asian-inspired cuisine and culture, as well as live entertainment including dance, music and acrobatics. There are also weekly crafts and games like Mah Jong, Chinese Checkers and an origami station! 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, to Sunday, March 29. (Thursday through Sunday until March 1, then nightly from March 5 to March 29). Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. $18 adults, $16 kids 2 to 14, free for kids 1 and younger, $2 off for members.

The intersection of North La Cañada Drive and West River Road is switching to a leading left arrow beginning Thursday, Feb. 13.

Pima County Signals and Lighting will perform the change for all left turn arrows beginning at 6 a.m. Work is expected to last until 7 a.m.

According to the county, the change “allows more flexibility to better distribute the signal timing for all directions with leading left turn arrows.”

Advanced traffic control signs with flags will be in place in all directions, and motorists should expect a slight delay.

WASHINGTON – Arizona officials said they will fight to make sure that Davis-Monthan Air Force Base does not take a hit as a result of the Pentagon’s decision to retire 44 A-10 fighter jets, a mainstay at the Tucson base.

The reduction was included in the fiscal 2021 budget unveiled Monday by the Trump administration, which said it plans to retire 44 “of the oldest and least ready” A-10s as the Air Force shifts to newer-generation aircraft.

The Pentagon said in a statement Tuesday that even with the retirements, the Air Force plans to have more than 200 upgraded A-10s in the mix as part of a “completely modernized” fleet.

“The Air Force sustains our commitment to the Air Force’s most effective close air support platform, the A-10, with $161M (million) to continue the re-winging and avionics upgrades of the aircraft,” the statement said.

The Pentagon said last year that it planned to retire “the oldest and least ready aircraft en route to a completely modernized and combat-capable fleet of 218 A-10s – in seven squadrons – that will continue to fly through the 2030s.”

It did not say where those squadrons would be based, however, which raised eyebrows among some Arizona lawmakers.

“I am actively engaging with the Air Force to ensure that there is no negative impact to our squadrons at DM (Davis-Monthan),” said Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Tucson, in a statement released by her office Tuesday.

Kirkpatrick plans to introduce a resolution asking Congress to continue funding the A-10, which her resolution says “is imperative to national security” and “the least expensive combat plane” for the Air Force to keep.

The A-10 has a long connection with Davis-Monthan, where its pilots are trained and deployed, according to the resolution, which said that there were 84 A-10s based at Davis-Monthan as of January.

State lawmakers have fought this fight before.

The Air Force said in 2014 that it planned to retire the A-10 by 2016 as a budget-cutting move, replacing it with F-16s in the short term and the newer F-35s that were then coming on line.

That plan was blasted at the time by then-Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, as “absolutely ridiculous.”

The Pentagon eventually backtracked on the A-10, a decades-old fighter nicknamed the “warthog.” Slow, ungainly and heavily armored, the jet excels in ground support roles and was heralded for its effectiveness in ground battles like those waged against ISIS.

Sen. Martha McSally, R-Arizona, a retired Air Force colonel and former A-10 pilot, at the time emphasized the aircraft’s “irreplaceable capabilities” and “the importance of A-10s to our troops’ lives and national security.”

McSally – the first U.S. woman to fly a jet in combat and the first to command a fighter squadron in combat – did not respond to requests for comment on the Pentagon’s latest A-10 moves.

Officials at Davis-Monthan declined to comment, referring calls to the Pentagon. But Kirkpatrick said the A-10 still has a future in the Air Force.

“The A-10 has been the backbone of the close air support mission for more than 40 years,” her resolution says. “The close air support as provided by the A-10 has proven invaluable on the battlefield.”

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The Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner recently released the post-mortem examination of the remains of a 66-year-old man found in a wilderness area adjacent to Pima Canyon Trail on Dec. 30, 2019. The remains were discovered with damage from scavengers and environmental conditions.

The post-mortem included examination of the human remains as well as the stomach contents of three mountain lions, which were found nearby and killed. 
Because a police investigation of the death remains active, the Medical Examiner’s office will not reveal the suspected cause of death, however, a toxicology report tested positive for oxycodone and opioids. Only one of the slain mountain lions' stomachs contained discernible human remains.

According to the report, predation and environmental elements can be attributed to the "observed taphonomic damage."

With fingerprint and dental comparisons, the remains are believed to belong to Steven Mark Brashear.

The Office of the Medical Examiner will not provide additional comments at this time.