LOS ANGELES – A day after a written plea from the Southern Cal football team for a resumption of college sports in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said state guidelines do not restrict participation in Pac-12 football.

“I want to make this crystal clear,” Newsom told reporters Wednesday. “Nothing in the state guidelines deny the ability for the Pac-12 to resume. Quite the contrary. That has been a misinterpretation of facts.”

On May 12, the California Collegiate Athletic Association suspended all NCAA sports competitions until Jan. 1, and training was restricted to groups of 12 or fewer athletes.

The association has not yet revised its Aug. 6 policy update, which announced a spring return to competition “when it is deemed safe and appropriate.”

Newsom clarified rules for Pac-12 participation by USC the day after USC football players sent their letter, which mentioned the recent development of rapid testing for COVID-19. The players on Tuesday also took to social media to voice their concerns, using the hashtag #LetUsPlay and imploring Newsom to allow competition to resume.

The Pac-12 and Big 10 are the only Power Five conferences not playing; the ACC, Big 12 and SEC already have started abbreviated seasons. Starting quarterback Kedon Slovis, who was a 2018 PrepStar All-Western Region at Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, posted about the team’s frustrations Tuesday on Instagram.

“My teammates and I have sat by for two weeks watching other teams across the country play the game that we love safely,” wrote Slovis, who was coached by Kurt Warner at Desert Mountain, where he threw for 2,542 yards and 50 touchdowns. “Most of these schools have a fraction of the resources that our school and conference have provided to play safely. You are the only thing holding us back.”

USC Athletics declined to comment on the players’ letter, which was written on SC Football letterhead and signed by “the USC Football Players.”

On Sept. 8, USC officials announced a return to workouts for football and men’s water polo, top-ranked sports for the Trojans, for the first time since Aug. 26. The football schedule’s games still are marked “postponed.”

University of Southern California also reported on Aug. 26 that eight football and water polo players tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which has killed nearly 15,000 Californians since February. Los Angeles County, home to nearly 10 million people, reported 38 deaths and 1,160 new cases on Thursday, according to the county’s Department of Public Health.

“Gavin Newsom, our request of you is that you work with us, urgently and purposefully,” USC football players wrote. “To find a path forward for us to resume competitions later this fall so that we can have the same opportunity as other teams around the country.”

Apart from being able to compete, these players may be missing out on scouting opportunities and the chance to profit from their name, image and likenesses under new NCAA rule. Athletes in their senior years were watching their final years of competitive football slip away.

This led to the partnership between the Pac-12 and Quidel Corp. to bring innovative rapid-result test machines to Pac-12 campuses. This test is designed to constantly monitor the health of athletes as they compete and use sports facilities. It is expected to provide results in only 15 minutes and will arrive on campuses by the end of September.

The new testing technology, called Sophia 2, is a key component in the USC football team’s letter to Newsom. They cited the advancement as a reason that Pac-12 football should be allowed to return.

“With the Pac-12’s commitment to daily testing via its new partnership with the Quidel Corporation,” the letter said. “And the continued dedication to comprehensive health and safety protocols locally on our campus, we feel comfortable proceeding with this season.”

USC believes that the Pac-12 and Quidel are providing sufficient protection from the virus. Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott praised Quidel in a webinar on Sept. 3 for their advancements in coronavirus testing technology and the opportunity it presents for the Pac-12.

Scott acknowledged the challenge of containing COVID-19 in Los Angeles County and the considerable restrictions imposed by public health officials.

“There are no state restrictions on our ability to play sports in light of our adherence to strict health and safety protocols and stringent testing requirements,” he said in a statement Wednesday night.

If Scott announces the resumption of Pac-12 football, the next step will be choosing a starting date to the season. They targeted a date around Halloween, but the proper health precautions must first be established.

Dozens of official actions have been taken against students who violated COVID-19 safety precautions and hosted social gatherings off-campus.

The university and the Tucson Police Department administered 20 red tags, 19 citations and 24 Code of Conduct violations over the weekend for student parties, according to UA President Robert C. Robbins, who shared the numbers during a press conference this morning.

Robbins and other university leaders point to this behavior as the reason COVID-19 is spreading among the community, not the essential in-person classes that are currently taking place.

Robbins described a party he witnessed last weekend that drew more than 300 college students. He said the gathering was dispersed and student sanctions resulted from the incident.

“This kind of behavior will negatively affect everyone,” he said.

Beginning in late August, the university has been tracking a gradual increase in COVID-19 prevalence among students. Robbins reported 79 new cases from 1,300 tests performed this past week, which puts them at a 6.1 percent positivity rate.

Over the previous 10 days, the university had a 11 percent positivity rate. When the state of Arizona went into lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic, there was a 10 percent positivity rate in testing.

While the drop to 6.1 percent is a noticeable improvement, Robbins said the university needs to stick with their heavy-handed mitigation strategy. The university will remain in an “only essential classes in person” phase for this upcoming week, which brings about 5,000 students to the campus for a traditional in-person learning experience.

PHOENIX – As researchers race to produce an effective COVID-19 vaccine, medical professionals are urging Latinos and Black people, who are at higher risk of contracting and dying from the disease, to participate in clinical trials.

But because of a long history of racism and unethical experimentation, people of color may be hesitant to roll up their sleeves.

WASHINGTON – If there was any doubt that Arizona will be a battleground in this fall’s presidential election, a look at the travel itineraries this week of the first and second families should clear it up.

President Donald Trump was in Phoenix Monday. Daughter Ivanka Trump was there Wednesday. Second lady Karen Pence was in Phoenix Thursday and in Yuma Friday, when she was joined by Vice President Mike Pence.

Senior Trump campaign adviser Steve Cortes said it’s not a coincidence, but proof that Arizona is a “toss-up state” and that the campaign is taking voters there “extremely seriously.”

WASHINGTON – Arizona’s unemployment rate plummeted last month to almost pre-pandemic levels, falling from 10.7% in July to 5.9% in August, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While state officials hailed the drop as a sign that the economy is on the rebound, economists warned the new number may reflect a drop in the overall workforce as much as increase in employment. One expert said “that’s actually bad news, not good news” If it’s a sign that people have given up on getting a job.

With 233 new cases reported today, the number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 214,000 as of Monday, Sept. 21, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

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Pima County had seen 24,647 of the state’s 214,251 confirmed cases.

With two new deaths today, a total of 5,478 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, including 615 deaths in Pima County, according to the Sept. 21 report.

The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline from July peaks. ADHS reported that as of Sept. 20, 472 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, the lowest that number as been since April 8, when 338 people were hospitalized. The number of hospitalized COVID patients peaked at 3,517 on July 13.

A total of 829 people visited emergency rooms on Sept. 20 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.

A total of 119 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Sept. 20. The number of COVID patients in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.

On a week-by-week basis in Pima County, the number of positive COVID tests peaked the week ending July 4 with 2,396 cases, according to a Sept. 17 report from the Pima County Health Department. While a vocal minority continues to insist that masks do no good, the spread of the virus began to decline within weeks of Pima County’s mask mandate, as more people began wearing them in public, although the level of new cases has creeped back up in recent weeks with the return of UA students. For the week ending Aug. 29, 507 new cases were reported; for the week ending Sept. 5, a total of 667 cases were reported; for the week ending Sept. 12, 584 cases were reported. (Recent weeks are subject to revision.)

Deaths in Pima County are down from a peak of 55 in the week ending July 4 to 19 for the week ending Aug. 15, 13 in the week ending Aug. 22, 10 in the week ending Aug. 29 and three in the week ending Sept. 5. (As above, these numbers are subject to revision as recent deaths may not have been reported.)

Hospitalization peaked the week ending July 18 with 237 COVID patients admitted to Pima County hospitals. For the week ending Aug. 29, 38 COVID patients were admitted to Pima County hospitals; in the week ending Sept. 5, 24 patients were admitted to Pima County hospitals; and in the week ending Sept. 12, 16 patients were admitted. (Numbers are subject to revision.)

Get a Flu Shot

The Arizona Department of Health Services is implementing an aggressive plan of action during this flu season by distributing free flu shots vaccination to all Arizonans through doctor’s offices, pharmacies, local health departments and community healthcare centers statewide.

The overlap with COVID produces greater challenges than a typical flu season and preventing the flu is more important than ever. More than 4,000 people were hospitalized with flu symptoms in Arizona last year and roughly 700 people die from the illness each year, according to state health officials.

The state will reimburse Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System providers offering free flu shots to AHCCCS members, while giving AHCCCS members a $10 gift card for their troubles after they've been vaccinated.

Get tested: Pima County has several testing centers, UA offering antibody testing

Pima County has three free testing centers with easy-to-schedule appointments—often with same-day availability—with results in 48 to 72 hours.

You’ll have a nasal swab test at the Kino Event Center, 2805 E. Ajo Way, and the Udall Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road. The center at the northside Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road, involves a saliva test designed by ASU.

Schedule an appointment at pima.gov/covid19testing.

The centers are also tied into Pima County’s developing contact tracing operation, which aims to be able to identify potential clusters and warn people if they have been in contact with someone who is COVID-positive.

Meanwhile, the FDA has approved the University of Arizona’s antibody test. As a result, the testing has now been opened to all Arizonans as the state attempts to get a handle on how many people have been exposed to COVID-19 but were asymptomatic or otherwise did not get a test while they were ill.

To sign up for testing, visit https://covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu/home.

—with additional reporting from Kathleen B. Kunz, Austin Counts, Jeff Gardner and Mike Truelsen

After a double-whammy of COVID and summer fires, Sabino Canyon recreation area is partially reopening today, Monday, Sept. 21. While the Recreation Area itself will open, the shuttle and the visitor center will remain closed. The Forest Service says they are working to open these amenities "as soon as possible."

"We've worked to implement emergency treatments so we can provide as many recreation opportunities to the public as possible," said CJ Woodard, Santa Catalina District ranger. "Visitors should be aware that Sabino Canyon looks different after the fire due to mitigation measures implemented by the [Burned Area Emergency Response] team. Hazards still exist in the burn scar and the general forest, so I implore visitors to be safe, heed the signs, and be vigilant."

In addition to Sabino reopening, various trails are also reopening throughout the Santa Catalinas, but end when they approach the Bighorn burn scar area:

- Oracle Ridge Trail #1 (3.2 miles)
- Brush Corral Trail #19 (1.75 miles)
- Mint Spring Trail #20 (0.3 mile)
- Box Camp Trail #22 (3.5 miles)
- Sabino West Fork Trail #24 (1 mile)
- Esperero Trail #25 (3.3 miles)
- Finger Rock Trail #42 (1.5 miles)
- Pima Canyon Trail #62 (2.4 miles)
- Ventana Trail #98 (2 miles)
- Pontatoc Trail #410 (2 miles)
- Guthrie trail #704A (0.5 mile)
- Arizona Trail (32.5 miles)

WASHINGTON – When President Donald Trump sits down to pick a Supreme Court nominee to take the seat of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday, Phoenix native Bridget Bade will be on the list.

Trump added Bade 10 days ago, along with 19 others, to his short list of potential Supreme Court justices, bringing the total list of possible candidates to about 40. Others on the latest list included Republican senators, former solicitors general and high-profile attorneys who argue regularly before the high court.

Bade may be on the shortlist, but she also has a relatively short judicial resume.

Tucson's favorite darkly psychedelic caballeros are back with the lead single to their second LP Genesis, set to release Feb. 19, 2021. While the new single "Genesis of Gaea" covers similar ground to their previous work – a smoky combination of rock, cumbia and psychedelia – the track lingers more with layered vocals and subtle piano.

But perhaps most exciting is a hint at a narrative theme for the full album. "Genesis of Gaea" features a wild visualizer of archaic symbols both religious and mathematical, fitting with the song's lyrics about water and wine, tearing and ascension.

“The song has a sort of latent uneasiness, a darkness to contrast the melodic passages,” said XIXA co-bandleader and songwriter Brian Lopez. “The song also delves into the Art of Deception as a means to sow disorder and chaos, the age old battle of good and evil, that’s a thematic cloud throughout the entire album and surely a relevant topic in today's current affairs.”

According to the band, the new album will see them delving deeper into Peruvian chicha, extracting and refining their core, and giving voice to their most primal instincts – perfect for a mystical night lost in the warm borderlands.