Friday, July 23, 2021
Thursday, July 22, 2021
The public is being warned to use extreme caution when traveling through the region, as strong storms are expected throughout southern Arizona.
Forecasts from the National Weather Service show an increased chance of strong thunderstorm development and heavy rainfall beginning Thursday.
A significant low-pressure disturbance is expected to move slowly across the state from east to west, possibly bringing multiple days of heavy rain and flash flooding through Saturday night.
This storm system is a nearly identical weather pattern to the powerful storm system from the 2006 monsoon.
Additional flood safety information is available at www.pima.gov/BeFloodSafe. Sandbag station location information is available here.
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in 28 years. They revealed the foundation of a championship team, but uncertainty looms as key players are headed to free agency, leaving more questions than answers for the near future.
The biggest question? Chris Paul, who has a player option for $44.2 million next season. If he declines it he will become an unrestricted free agent, allowing any team to make a pitch for the future Hall of Famer to join their team.
“ I mean, it will take a while to process this or whatnot, but it’s same mentality, get back to work. I ain’t retiring,” Paul said. “Right now we’re going to process this and figure this out. I think everything else will take care of itself.”
Given the uncertainty surrounding the Suns next season, they are at +1500 to win the NBA Finals. That is fifth-best behind the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, who are the favorites at +230.
Most analysts agree the Suns are going to need Paul on their roster next season if they hope to return to the NBA Finals. Even at 36, he contributed greatly to the team. He helped guide them to the second-best record in the NBA at 51-21, helped young players including Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton grow, and most importantly, helped form a winning culture for a franchise that had not made the playoffs in over a decade. For much of the season, he was the glue that kept the team together.
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Yee-haw, Tucson! It’s time to cast your ballots in the second round of voting in Best of Tucson® 2021: Legends of the West! Vote here for the Best of Tucson awards!
That’s right, pardner: We’re down to the final showdown! Earlier this summer, we took your nominations for Tucson’s best shops, parks, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, bands and all the other stuff that makes this dusty cowtown the place to be!
Now we have five nominees in hundreds of categories and it’s time to crown the final winners in the rootin’est, tootin’est issue of the year. Vote now through Sept. 1.
Peter Young was napping between blood draws when his ringing phone woke him.
He was lying in a hospital bed in Los Angeles as part of a five-day clinical trial that required his blood to be drawn every two hours. It’s not a job most people sign up for eagerly, but for Young, 27, it seemed like a dream opportunity. His full-time job is delivering food for Postmates.
“This will pay a lot more for the time I am spending than rideshare,” Young said. “I’m in a hospital bed right now. That’s why I was napping – because I am physically beat up.”
Young has been a part of the gig economy, working for rideshare and food delivery apps, for about four years. He used to drive for Uber and Lyft, but since the pandemic, he only has been delivering food. Although Young relies on the income from Postmates to survive, he said the job’s unreliability is taking a toll on his financial and mental well-being.
“I can’t plan for the future. I can’t be confident in what income I will have in six months, and that is really stressful.”
Gig workers are considered independent contractors rather than traditional employees, so they don’t receive such benefits as health insurance and retirement programs. Many, like Young, are freelance delivery workers or drivers called to service through such apps as Lyft and DoorDash.
Gig work can give people flexibility and freedom, but some experts believe it also exposes them to inconsistent, low pay and the possibility of exploitation for the sake of customer convenience. The work became even riskier during COVID-19, which put thousands of people out of jobs.
In response, efforts to unionize gig drivers are underway in several major cities. Strikes are planned for July 21 in Boston, San Francisco and elsewhere – coming amid a shortage of Uber and Lyft drivers across the country.
“While they don’t have long-term security from a particular organization and also a lot of the benefits the organizations provide people with, they exchange that for being able to have greater control over what kind of work they do when they do it and how they do it,” said Brianna Caza, associate professor in the department of management at University of North Carolina Greensboro.
A transition to food delivery in COVID-19
During the pandemic, many drivers for rideshare were unable to find work driving for Uber or Lyft because of the risks of getting COVID-19.
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
