Sunday, August 26, 2018
McCain began his public life as an outsider, but he morphed into an Arizona icon with national and international reach by the end of his career.
He earned a reputation as a maverick, and he battled with President Donald Trump and the right-wing base over reforming health care and immigration and bolstering pro-business and property and land rights. McCain, the GOP’s nominee for president in 2008, believed in American involvement on foreign soil, robust health care for veterans and a pro-business approach to environmental rights.
Arizona leaders and residents responded to news of McCain’s death with sorrow and tributes.
President Trump, who often clashed with McCain, tweeted his condolences to the family. And Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, on Twitter, called his longtime Republican colleague a hero.
Gov. Doug Ducey, who ordered flags at half-staff, will choose a successor for McCain. He has not said who he will choose but would only say he would not select himself, according to azcentral.
The New York Times reported that McCain will lie in state at the Arizona Capitol and in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., and receive a full dress funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral.
Tags: Senator John McCain , RIP , legacy , history , Arizona , Senator , Image
Friday, August 24, 2018
For an update on the Backpage.com shutdown and a deep dive into what led to the website's closure, check out Elizabeth Nolan Brown's great reporting.
Backpage started as the literal back page of the Phoenix New Times. Co-founders Michael Lacey and James Larkin started the weekly paper in 1970. And from the get-go, they were radical.
Nolan Brown speaks with the two men, arrested in Backpage's closure last spring, and looks at the case against the media moguls and the history of the Phoenix New Times and Backpage.
In Arizona, that meant taking ample swipes at Sheriff Joe Arpaio—who would eventually demand years' worth of personal data on New Times readers and have Lacey and Larkin jailed for writing about it—as well as anyone who cozied up to Arpaio, Republican Sen. John McCain, or his wealthy wife, Cindy. The paper would report on the McCains for their involvement with savings-and-loan scammer Charles Keating; dredge up Cindy's dad's connection to mobsters and murdered Arizona Republic journalist Don Bolles; and out Cindy as an opioid addict who forged prescriptions and stole pills from the children's charity she founded.
"We weren't trying to curry favor," says Larkin. "We didn't line up with the establishments in any city that we were involved in….We didn't really care what politicians saw in us. And that's come back to haunt us."
Tags: Backpage , Phoenix New Times , sex workers , Image
Last summer, Senator John McCain shared with Americans the news our family already knew: he had been diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma, and the prognosis was serious. In the year since, John has surpassed expectations for his survival. But the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict. With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment. Our family is immensely grateful for the support and kindness of all his caregivers over the last year, and for the continuing outpouring of concern and affection from John's many friends and associates, and the many thousands of people who are keeping him in their prayers. God bless and thank you all.Congresswoman Martha McSally, the U.S. Senate candidate who snubbed McCain while celebrating the signing of the National Defense Authorization Act named for McCain while appearing alongside to McCain nemesis President Donald Trump earlier this month, issued this statement:
John McCain's life has been one of service and sacrifice. His strength and resolve enabled him to endure 5.5 years as a prisoner of war, and to continue to serve his country for decades. I have been praying for Senator McCain and his family during this difficult time, and continue to ask for God's grace and comfort for him and his family.Ann Kirkpatrick, the former congresswoman who ran against McCain in 2016 and is now seeking a seeking the Democratic nomination in Southern Arizona's Congressional District 2 in next week's primary, issued the following statement:
Thursday, August 23, 2018
But just as laws that hurt sex workers become more extreme, people are throwing more support behind political candidates who openly oppose such laws, support sex worker rights and even call for complete decriminalization of the industry.
A state Senate candidate in New York is doing just that. Twenty-seven-year-old Julia Salazar, who heads into a Sept. 13 primary against an eight-term incumbent, has attended sex worker advocacy meetings and even has a decriminalization platform on her website.
The Intercept goes deeper into Salazar's advocacy as well as looking at some of the other political candidates standing up for the human rights of sex workers.
Salazar’s platform outlines steps toward decriminalization that include
an end to raids on massage parlors; working with district attorneys to
stop charging sex workers with crimes; and creating a network of
optional social services to address workers’ needs, such as housing,
child care, syringe access, and job training. Her platform would also
make it easier for sex workers with criminal records to access housing
and jobs, along with repealing the exemption for sex workers under New
York’s rape shield law.
Tags: New York , Senate , Candidate , Julia Salazar , The Intercept , sex workers , rights , decriminalization , Image
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Police lined a waist-high barricade during a protest at Reid Park, on Saturday Aug. 18. On the inside of the barricade was Patriot Movement AZ (PMAZ), a group whose members support Trump and the most far-right political candidates, including Senate candidates Joe Arpaio and Kelli Ward. Many in the group brandished guns on their hips. They flew banners and signs calling for deporting immigrants, re-electing Trump and defending semi-automatic rifles.
And on the outside of the barricade, an eclectic group of counter protestors, gathered to denounce the group largely viewed as being white supremacist. Winged stilt walkers danced to a marching band. Clowns theatrically laughed and cried, falling to the ground before the men with guns. Counter-protestors ranged from punks with tattooed faces to parents wearing sun hats and birkenstalks, their children in toe.
A faction of counter protestors wearing all black, with helmets and handkerchiefs covering their faces, stood at the front and held two large signs: “Rest in Power Heather Heyer” and “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
They wouldn’t take questions from the press but were handing out a flyer that explained the garb as being necessary to protect their identities against alt-right retaliation. The flyer also said they are there to keep things safe, not to instigate violence.
PMAZ rented the two ramadas that day. On Facebook, they called the event “Tucson March Against Far Left Violence.” A shade tent housed their pulpit, with speakers blaring out their cause. At the picnic tables, they had supplies to keep their own children busy, with a few sitting around looking bored. A man sold shirts bearing slogans with anti-immigrant sentiments. “I hope you tell both sides of the story,” he said to me, as I walked by, taking photos.
“I’m coming after every la raza member involved with the Mexican government,” said Edna San Miguel, a primary Congressional candidate running in Rep. Raul Grijalva’s district. “The Mexican government is the greatest enemy to our nation.” She yelled into the microphone, pointing at the crowd outside the barricade, telling them they’re indoctrinated with hate.
A man with what looked like a billy club in his pocket took the mic as well. He pointed into the crowd and said he was ready to blow the heads off any one of the protestors who knocked him down. Another woman took the mic and repeatedly yelled at the protestors to "get a job."
Flipping the script and saying the left is violent has become a common tactic of PMAZ and other far-right groups. While they are not totally wrong (Vox reported anti fascist protestors assailing police and journalists during an Aug. 12 protest in Charlottesville, Virginia), members of PMAZ have repeatedly made local news for hateful and intimidating behavior.
The national “Patriot movement" goes back farther than the local one, which seems to have formed in support of Donald Trump. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, parts of group are composed of armed militias who believe in anti-government conspiracy theories with no basis in reality.
In March, two women affiliated with PMAZ received felony charges after going into a mosque, taking books out of a gated-off area and shouting anti-Muslim slurs at a man who approached them. One of the women had three of her children with her and encouraged them to join in the verbal attacks. This is just a portion of what happened during a Facebook live video, which has since been taken down. The Southern Poverty Law Center has a thorough (and disturbing) summary here.
PMAZ disavowed the women after the incident, in a Facebook post which read:
PMAZ stands firmly against racism, bigotry, and anyone who harasses people based on sexual orientation. Those representing PMAZ are at all times law-abiding, too.
The actions of one bad apple makes all of us look bad. It is extremely disappointing and while we cannot tell anyone how to behave, we also need to have clear separation and call out bad behaviors.
But this is not the only incident where PMAZ members have assailed people based on their skin color. The Arizona Republic reported on PMAZ members asking a Native American lawmaker if he was in the country legally.
Lawmakers said they were also questioned based on their appearance. Rep. Eric Descheenie, D-Chinle, said he was confronted by Trump supporters while helping defend a young student that he said was being harassed.
They asked Descheenie, a Navajo lawmaker, if he was in the United States illegally.
“I’m indigenous to these lands,” Descheenie said. “My ancestors fought and died on these lands. I just told them, ‘Don’t ask me that question.’”
In a YouTube video from the incident, some of the groups members incessantly yelled at a group of people, including young children, “Get legal or get out of America.”
A few protestors did try to talk to the other side, asking questions about why they believe something so unfathomable to the other.
Tammie Duncan, a Trump supporter, said she came down from her home in Las Vegas because a friend invited her to the event. She said she primarily supports Trump because of his stance on immigration, adding that she has two degrees but has trouble finding a job. She declined to say what field her degrees were in. She said she doesn’t think Trump is racist.
PMAZ did let some people take the stage who were not with their group.
Vana Lewis, a Tohono O'odham tribal member, took the microphone with a message of peace. She’s a member of both the Culture of Peace Alliance and their Nonviolent Legacy Project. In an interview after she addressed the crowd, she said a man of Mexican heritage who was with PMAZ had asked her to speak.
“I came with a message of peace, to neutralize the situation,” Lewis said “People have a built up aggression. Therefore, it’s going to come out in places like this where we don’t really need that to actually make stable change or hear each other out.”
She says even though it’s hard to find unity in such opposing views, we are all human, and if we remember that, negotiation is possible.
“Everybody needs a doctor. Everybody needs a home to sleep in,” she said. “So what do we do to make it all happen and come together? It’s hard to negotiate with something like this when we allow racism and we allow hate to come into our hearts. The bottom line is we’re all human and we’re all worthy of some human rights and basic necessities.”
Tags: Reid Park , protest , police , barricade , Patriot Movement AZ , PMAZ , Left , Right , opposition , Image
In a recent BradBlog post, Friedman wrote about the latest from the hackers convention, DEF CON, in Las Vegas. If this doesn't scare you, you're not paying attention (or you figure vote tampering is going to help your side). He also has a podcast you can link to with more detailed information and interviews.
[W]e head straight out to Las Vegas for today's BradCast, where the 26th annual hackers convention, DEF CON, held its 2nd annual Vote Hacking Village.
After every voting system on display at last year's event was hacked within minutes by conference attendees, organizers tried to make it a bit more difficult this year. They made unverifiable electronic voting systems, optical-scan paper ballot tabulators and electronic pollbooks from a number of companies —- almost all of which will be in wide use across the country once again for this November's crucial midterms —- available for investigation and penetration. Once again, the hackers in attendance made short order of pretty much all of them.
Stunning vulnerabilities were discovered, including some that officials have known about (and ignored or tried to keep secret for years) while others were revealed for the first time. Things like Chinese pop song files were found on one system used in actual elections recently, along with a host of other disturbing findings, which we summarize today.
Tags: Election integrity , Brad Friedman , DEF CON , Voting machines , Image
Friday, August 17, 2018
Banner - UMC Tucson was named number one in Tucson, number three in all of Arizona and ranked nationally in three specialties: number 36 for gynecology, 49th for pulmonology and 50th for nephrology.
"We are honored that U.S. News has recognized the hard work and dedication of our caregivers, educators and researchers at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson. Our team's continuing commitment to our patients and our community is unparalleled," said Sarah Frost, interim CEO of Banner – University Medical Center Tucson.
This year U.S. News and World Report ranked more than 4,500 medical centers across the country, with 25 specialties.
Banner - UMC Phoenix ranked number two nationally, and placed among the best in five categories including geriatrics, pulmonology, nephrology, cardiology and heart surgery, and neurology and neurosurgery.
"To be among the medical centers recognized in five specialty areas is a significant accomplishment, and is a testament to the work that our team does every day in support of building the relationship between our college and Banner," said Guy Reed, dean of the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix. "Let us continue to raise the bar for our students and patients, the community, and one another."
Read the full report here.
Tags: Banner - UMC , hospital , ranking , healthcare , education , UA , Tucson , Phoenix , Image
Research has shown that mothers are penalized in the workplace as it is assumed that they are less focused or dedicated because of their children.
According to the UA, research has shown that mothers in the U.S. are subject to a net wage penalty of 5-7 percent per child and they are often placed in "mommy-track" jobs, characterized by fewer opportunities for career advancement and financial security.
Men, on the other hand, benefit at work once they have children, as they are viewed as the family breadwinner.
This phenomenon is known as the motherhood penalty and fatherhood premium. Researchers at the University of Arizona studied how this changes for married versus single parents.
UA Sociology doctoral student Jurgita Abromaviciute conducted an experimental study and found that when parents are not married, the motherhood penalty and fatherhood premium disappear.
Abromaviciute discussed her research in a UA press release.
"When a woman is known to be single and when she has children, then in addition to being a caregiver, she's also a breadwinner. So, in addition to caregiving, she now also has to provide for her family and she has no one to fall back on. My research shows that single mothers are not perceived as less competent or less committed than single childless women, and they are not less likely to be hired or promoted compared to their childless counterparts. In other words, while the motherhood penalty holds for married mothers, it disappears in the subsample of single mothers."It is important to note that while single mothers do not suffer from the motherhood penalty, they also do not receive the fatherhood premium. However, neither do single fathers, research found.
"Single fathers, in addition to being breadwinners, are caregivers to their offspring," Abromaviciute said in a UA press release. "Likely, this triggers an assumption that they are more focused on their family than a married father might be, which eliminates the fatherhood premium."
When conducting her research, Abromaviciute asked 160 college students to evaluate job applications including resumes and notes from a human resources interviewer, for fake applicants with comparable experience all applying for an upper management position with a communication company.
The students were aware of the applicants' gender, whether they were married and if they had children.
"For the subsample of single mothers and single fathers, there's no premium or penalty," she said, "which suggests that marital status operates as a strong status cue that, combined with gender and parenthood status, leads evaluators to make assumptions about one's anticipated performance at work.”
Abromaviciute said that she hopes to continue her research with a broader demographic of study participants and across a broader representation of possible jobs.
Tags: single moms , parents , wage gap , UA , research , parenting , motherhood , fatherhood , study , Image
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Arizona ranks second lowest on highway spending per driver, only beat by Michigan, according to a new report by financial news site 24/7 Wall Street. The state spends an annual $239 per driver on state highways.
"While the article doesn't draw a direct connection between per capita spending and the quality of state infrastructure, it does demonstrate how poorly Arizona funds its transportation infrastructure," wrote Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry in a memorandum, highlighting the report.
He also wrote that the Pima County is still looking at ways to fund transportation needs and that the state gas tax would be the best source. The tax that everyone pays when they fill up their tank is meant to fund road repair. But the state has been sweeping those funds for years to cover other needs, like paying for highway patrol.
As well, Arizona's gas tax is below the national average, and the state hasn't raised it since 1991. In the interim, 44 other states have, according to The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan nonprofit.
Huckelberry wrote that he will continue to advocate for increasing transportation spending at local, state and national levels.
Tags: news , highways , driving , Arizona , cars , potholes , funding , Image
This grant enables NAMI of Southern Arizona to expand stigma reduction education and advocacy for youth mental health statewide. The program also works to increase help-seeking for mental issues among youth ages 10 to 24.
“With suicide now the second leading cause of death for ages 10 to 24, we want young people to know they are not alone and there is hope for their future” said H. Clarke Romans, executive director of NAMI Southern Arizona. “Stigma is still the greatest deterrent to seeking help.”
This NAMI funding comes in addition to a recent block grant received from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The block grant is to bring an educational program called “Ending the Silence” to schools in Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz and Pinal Counties.
Since 1983, NAMI has worked to treat mental illness in a professional and medical fashion, stating, “These mental disorders are like any other medical condition; they are common AND treatable.”
Schools and other youth-serving organizations can contact NAMI Southern Arizona to request the 50-minute “Ending the Silence” presentation for their students by calling 622-5582 or emailing [email protected].
Tags: grant , mental health , mental illness , end the stigma , NAMI , schools , youth , Image
