Pokémon Go has exploded since its release last week, bringing millions to the streets to catch 'em all. 
The game has become the top grossing app in the app store and caused some adventures: A few trainers have been mugged, one found a dead body and other gamers just can't believe how much they're exercising. 

On the UA campus many students (dare I say hundreds?) can be found roaming the mall and University Boulevard, staring into their phones and searching for Pokémon. The app, which layers gameplay onto the physical world, has become a cultural phenomenon.

That's all fine and good, but there are a few places everyone should agree to put away their Pokéballs—for instance, every memorial in existence. 

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has asked visitors to stop catching Pokémon on their premises, out of respect for the memorial. 

“Playing the game is not appropriate in the museum, which is a memorial to the victims of Nazism,” Andrew Hollinger, the museum’s communications director, told the Washington Post. “We are trying to find out if we can get the museum excluded from the game.” While the game has inadvertently caused many people to exercise as they hunt for eevee, pidgey and rattata, the game has also caused many people to forget their surroundings. 

Similar reports have come from the 9/11 Memorial and the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum.

To all the trainers out there: The search for Pikachu may be important, but don't let it cause you to forget about the rest of the world.

In fact, take some time to explore the parts of Tucson you're following Pokémon to without your phone in hand.

The Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway Blvd.) is hosting A Hard Day’s Night Sing-A-Long on Saturday, July 16 at 7:30 p.m. featuring the film that typifies the height of the Beatles' revolutionary career. The movie follows John, Paul, George, and Ringo as they prep for a London TV gig in the midst of shenanigans and screaming fans. Directed by Richard Lester, A Hard Day’s Night includes some of the Beatles' most famous tracks like, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “I Should Have Known Better,” “Tell Me Why,” and “If I Fell."

The 87-minute film will have all the lyrics to your favorite Beatles tunes displayed on screen for the optimal sing-a-long experience, and pre-show entertainment includes Beatles music videos and a costume contest. 10 bucks won't 'buy you love' but it is the general admission price, and children under 12 get in for $8. 

This remake of the Spice Girl's 1996 "Wannabe" video is just what the world needs.

The original song, released twenty years ago on July 7, has been transformed with international young artists to support the Project Everyone campaign and their U. N. Global Goals initiative. 


The Project Everyone campaign is a United Nations supported coalition of corporate and independent groups who are putting girls and women first when it comes to policies and plans. By listening to the voices of girls and women, the group will be pushing their goals and message to U. N. world leaders in September. 

The group believes in collective power and is encouraging everyone to use the hashtag #WhatIReallyReallyWant and share a photo of what they really, really want for girls and women. 

From the music video's YouTube description:

In 2015 world leaders promised to put girls and women first when they signed up to the Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty, fix climate change and tackle inequalities.
Girls and women are disproportionately affected by these challenges and are key to building resilient communities to withstand them.
That’s why we need to ensure World Leaders and the Secretary General of the United Nations listen to the voices of girls and women and put them first in policies and plans.

The video itself showcases the goals of equality education for all girls, ending child marriage, equal pay for equal work and ending violence against all women. 

So Instead of "get your act together and we could be just fine," how about you join the movement and make a difference. 

Gender should not prevent anyone from achieving their goals, so use your voice and power to tell the world what you really really want. 

Sylvia Sander, local private investigator, began fielding interviews with the homeless early this year as a volunteer. She said a common complaint of the many homeless people she met living in the downtown area concerned the issue of photographs, namely those taken by street photographers and tourists who snapped shots of individuals living on the streets without so much of a "may I?"

Curious about what the homeless would capture given the opportunity, Sander gave her two inaugural volunteers 35mm disposable cameras to capture daily life on the streets of Tucson. The results eventually gave rise to the Bright Eyes Project, a venture promoting awareness and compassion through the work of homeless photographers.

The project, supported by The Carlos G. Figueroa Foundation, will be having its first public showing on Sunday July 10 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Monterey Court (505 W. Miracle Mile) in Tucson (details here). The exhibition will feature the work of the Tucson homeless artists Sander contacted through the project, some of whom have since found residence off the streets. 

However, according to a Pima County count of homeless populations for 2016, there are still 381 persons living without shelter in Tucson, not including the over 1,300 other homeless individuals moving between temporary, transitional and emergency housing.

A short drive around the downtown and university areas reveal a grim reality for hundreds of homeless Tucsonans huddling under patches of shade in De Anza Park and beyond. With temperatures at a steady one-hundred-and-miserable for the rest of the foreseeable future, it behooves us to lend a hand to those who must endure the heat out of necessity and hard times. 

If you can spare a moment, some supplies or even a case of water, take a look at the 2016 list of summer sun respite sites around town. Points of contact are listed for each site and some may take donations or volunteers during the summer months. Additionally, the Community Emergency Medical Responders (C-EMRs), an organization under the auspices of volunteer MDs, trains street-based medical volunteers to facilitate healthcare for the homeless also takes donations here. 

For more information on the Carlos G. Figueroa Foundation or the Bright Eyes project, visit their Facebook pages or thecarlosgfigueroafoundation.com.

The Loft Cinema and MOCA bring you an evening of fiber art goodness on Wednesday, July 6 with a special screening of the art film Yarn, a documentary following the work of four textile artists around the world as they enhance public spaces through knit and crochet creations. 

The film is narrated by writer and former Tucsonan Barbara Kingsolver and the screening will feature some serious "yarn-storming" of the theatre by Tucson Handweavers & Spinners Guild and Textile Tagger, Kristin Wolfe. 

The event will start at 7:30 p.m. at the Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway Blvd.) For more information on the screening and the film, visit the Loft website. 

We're just about half way done with the second round of Best of Tucson voting. While (technically) every category is still anybody's game (well, any of the finalists), some races really are incredibly close. 

These are the most competitive categories in each section:

Best Art Classes
Interestingly, this category was pretty quiet in Round 1. Now that the finals have hit the ASDM Art Institute, Creative Juice Art Bar, the Drawing Studio, Pima Community College and Sonoran Glass School are all pulling in a ton of votes. Each contender is pretty different, but it's up to you to pick the best place to pursue an artistic education.

Best Hotel
Tucson is a city of beautiful places, and our local hotels make sure visitors realize that. The Arizona Inn, Downtown Clifton, Hacienda Del Sol, Hotel Congress and Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa are our finalists in this category. Where do you tell your visitors they should stay?

Best Games Store
I've said it before: It seems like Tucson has an abundance of board game stores. Whether you're an Agricola superstar or the person who always finishes last in Sorry!, a good local game store is a handy resources come Hanukkah, homebody houseguests or Sunday nights at home. So, you need a board game. Where are you going to go? Amazing Discoveries, Heroes and Villains, Tucson Games and Gadgets, Isle of Games or Yikes Toys, probably. 

Best Tattoo Parlor
We know Tucson loves Tattoos—that was pretty much the entire premise around last year's Best of Tucson. But getting an ugly tattoo is a lot worse than getting a bad hair cut. So, where to go? Our readers reccomend Black Rose Tattooers, Enchanted Dragon Tattoos, Haunted Hands, Sacred Art Tattoo Studio and Tattoo Artistry.

The Galleria at the YW is currently featuring a group art exhibition with more than 20 artists entitled Cactus and Clouds. 

The exhibition just opened June 29 and will run through Aug. 27. An artist’s reception featuring DJ Buttafly will be held Friday, July 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition and reception can be found in the YWCA’s Frances McClelland Leadership Center (525 N. Bonita Ave.). Regular gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Galleria invites artists they believe are doing something important, and thought provoking. Most, but not all, of the artists featured are women. The Galleria aims to explore themes that connect to their mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

Tucson and its surrounding communities will be offering the public plenty of ways to celebrate their independence this July 4.

All events take place on July 4 unless marked otherwise: 

Marana will be holding its annual Star Spangled Spectacular at Crossroads at Sliverbell District Park (7548 N. Silverbell Road). The festivities will take place between 5 and 9:30 p.m., with something for the whole family. Kids will enjoy inflatable play equipment, airbrush tattoos, games put on by Parks and Recreation, and the park's playground. Parents will enjoy Catalina Brewing Company’s beer garden. There will be two stages with live music playing all night long. The Star Spangled Spectacular will feature 35 vendors, 22 of which will serve food. Of course the event would not be complete without a fireworks show, which claims to be the most spectacular in
Southern Arizona.

Oro Valley’s Fourth of July Celebration takes place at the James D. Kriegh Park (23 W. Calle Concordia) from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Free activities for kids include face painting, tie-dye t-shirts, patriotic crafts, climbing walls and jumping castles. Residents can enjoy a selection of 10 food
trucks and live entertainment all night long. At 9 p.m. there will be a fireworks show provided by Hilton El Conquistador Resort. The town of Oro Valley asks that you please leave your pets at home.

The Stars and Stripes Extravaganza is a ticketed public event in Oro Valley hosted by Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort (10000 N. Oracle Road) The event kicks off with a classic barbecue buffet from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., followed by classic July Fourth desserts like apple pie. There will be a 30 minute fireworks show at 9 p.m. Tickets are $55 for adults and $25 for children ages 5-12, children under four are get in for free. The Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort will have reduced rates for the holiday weekend, with prices starting at $139 with a two night minimum. Hotel guests will receive a discount on tickets for the extravaganza: $49 for adults and $20 for children 5-12.

The Tucson Pima Arts Council is inviting you to celebrate your favorite artists and organizations by nominating them for 2016 Lumies Arts and Business Awards. 
TPAC honors "luminaries" each year for the profound impact they've made on Southern Arizona communities through the arts. 

According to the TPAC their seven awards include:

Arts Education Award: Awarded to an individual or organization that has demonstrated excellence in arts education and/or youth work. May apply to a program for youth and/or adults.
Arts and Cultural Advocate: Awarded to an individual or organization that has significantly contributed to the Tucson and Pima County cultural community and has raised the visibility of Southern Arizona's arts and culture sector. This may include work through direct advocacy efforts as well as promoting the value of the arts.
Business Award: Awarded to a private-sector business that actively supports and promotes local arts organizations, programs, and individual artists through advocacy and/or community outreach and involvement initiatives, such as work-place based gallery exhibitions, volunteerism, scholarships, and a variety of other activities that promotes the value of arts and culture in our community.
Artist Award: Awarded to an individual artist who has demonstrated excellence, originality, and ingenuity in the local arts and culture sector.
Arts Organization Award: Awarded to a public or private arts organization that has demonstrated excellence in serving the people of Tucson and Pima County. This may include exemplary work across disciplines, as well as advocating for and promoting the value of arts and culture in Southern Arizona.
The David Hoyt Johnson Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts: Awarded to an individual, organization, or arts administrator who has demonstrated excellence, resilience, integrity, and resourcefulness in the arts and culture sector.
Emerging Artist or Arts Organization: Award to an individual, collective, or organization with three years or less of operating experience that has demonstrated excellence in Southern Arizona's arts and culture sector. May apply to a program for or by youth.

Winners will be announced and nominees will be honored at the their gala event on Friday, Sept. 16 at the Rialto Theatre. 

For more information and to nominate and individual or organization click here. 

Nominations will be accepted until Monday, August 5. 

In response to the state's shit show of a presidential preference election back in March, U.S. Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick and Ruben Gallego, alongside several community advocates, will host a voting rights forum in Phoenix on Wednesday. 

To refresh your memory: Thousands of voters, mostly in Maricopa County, were either turned down at polling places because they were incorrectly registered as independents, or waited for hours and hours due to a massive cutback in voting locations. 

At the panel, Kirkpatrick, Gallego and representatives of the African-American, Latino/Mexican American communities, the state's Department of Education, as well as other statewide leaders will discuss the need for local, state and federal efforts "to fully engage voters and prevent the March debacle from repeating in November's general election or in future election years," a press release from Kirkpatrick's office says. 

The forum will also address the need for restoring the Voting Rights Act, which was weakened in 2013 by the Supreme Court’s ruling in Shelby County v. Holder—a ruling that has been called “a dagger in the heart of the Voting Rights Act.” In that decision, Chief Justice Roberts acknowledged the persistence of voter discrimination and invited Congress to come up with a new coverage formula based on current conditions. Two bipartisan bills in Congress would do so, but leaders in the House and Senate will not take up either bill. 

Among the panelists are, Cloves Campbell Jr., executive director of Arizona Commission of African-American Affairs, Debora Colbert, chair of Rep. Gallego’s African-American Advisory Council; Alex Gomez, co-director of Living United for a Change in Arizona, Dr. Ann Hart, chair of Women in NAACP, deputy associate superintendent of Arizona Department of Education
Francisco Heredia, national field director for Mi Familia Vota, John Lewis, former executive director of Intertribal Council of Arizona, and Daniel Ortega Jr., civil rights attorney and former chair of National Council of La Raza, according to the press release, which adds that the lineup is still being worked out.

Tucsonans, if you're able to attend, do so.

The forum takes place Wednesday, June 29 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church, 7040 S. 40th Street (remember, this is in Phoenix).