THE LATEST
Report: Child care woes cost Arizona economy $1.8 billion a year
Arizona parents representing various geographic areas, income levels, and racial and ethnic backgrounds reported changing jobs, turning down jobs, decreasing their hours, forgoing promotions or leaving the workforce entirely as a result of inconsistent or unaffordable care.
State leaders’ decade of neglect imperiled fragile child care system. The pandemic nearly made it collapse.
A $1.2 billion infusion of federal funding has kept an already fragile Arizona child care sector from failing, giving state leaders a shot at reforming a broken system of their own making, and perhaps bringing hope for the stability that parents and providers have craved for years.
AN AZCIR SERIES on mental health
A place that should know better
Arnold v. Sarn, a class action lawsuit that called for services for people with serious mental illness regardless of cost, celebrates its fortieth birthday this year. The litigation ended in 2014 with a settlement agreement that largely replaced “shall” with “may,” encouraging the system to try its best while softening requirements, and permanently doing away with a court monitor—the last remnant of robust accountability that had been in place for decades. Now Charles “Chick” Arnold, the lead plaintiff, says the agreement should have been more aggressive.
Patient deaths at Arizona State Hospital raise questions about staffing levels, lack of oversight
The state agency that oversees Arizona’s psychiatric hospital says patient safety is a top priority. But, in October, two patients fatally injured themselves in as many weeks.
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EDUCATION
Public information lacking as COVID-19 surges in Arizona classrooms
School districts are required to report COVID-19 infections to county health officials, who in turn must submit data to the state. But the information is seldom relayed back to parents—or the public at large—in a clear and thorough way, an AZCIR analysis has found.
Health
Valley fever vaccine for dogs shows promising results, first step toward human trials
A Valley fever vaccine for dogs appears to provide a safe and effective defense against the fungal illness that sickens thousands of pets in Arizona each year, and it also marks a significant milestone that could lead to a similar vaccine for humans.
Elections
State, county policies impact rejected ballot rates in November election
Election officials didn’t count 27,327 ballots cast by Arizona voters in the November election, rejecting more than twice the 10,457 votes that flipped the state for President-elect Joe Biden in what was the closest raw vote margin of any state in the nation. The uncounted votes, which are legally rejected by officials for reasons such…
Coronavirus
Arizona doctors wary of controversial ivermectin treatment for COVID-19
Experts say absent credible studies, ivermectin is an unproven treatment for COVID-19 and can cause dangerous side effects. The drug is approved by the FDA as an antiparasitic for humans and animals. Now one group is urging Gov. Doug Ducey to make ivermectin immediately available to populations at high risk for COVID-19.
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ENVIRONMENT
Law enforcement
Few Joe Arpaio immigrant victims claim unlawful detention compensation
Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio defied a federal court order by allowing his deputies to nab scores of immigrants. President Donald Trump pardoned him. Now the immigrant victims are eligible for compensation. But where are they?
