WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1917, chapters from the Arizona Red Cross received word to start preparing for war. Here’s a photo of a typical Red Cross Health Center in Southern Arizona in the early part of the 20th century.

Did you know that while Arizona isn’t particularly known for its natural disasters, it is home to three active volcanoes? As you’ll see here, it’s also not entirely uncommon for tornadoes to touch down, but fear not—it’s sunny skies over Arizona today with almost zero chance of eruption.

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Phoenix Immigration Protests Turn Violent

More than 1,000 people took to the streets of Glendale and downtown Phoenix this week in immigration protests that later turned violent, resulting in damaged police vehicles, assaults on officers, and street closures. Take a look at the videos here.

Glendale police said the protests started peacefully but escalated in the evening. Authorities released footage of someone smashing a police cruiser window and reported protesters throwing rocks and chunks of cement at them. One police vehicle was briefly stolen before being abandoned.

The protests follow President Donald Trump’s recent immigration policies, including the executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship, which grants U.S. citizenship to individuals born in the country regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

Mayes Warns AZ Workers of Trump Buyout

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and 11 other Democratic attorneys general are warning federal employees to be cautious of the Trump administration’s mass buyout offer.

The offer, sent to more than 2 million federal workers, including 34,150 Arizonans, encourages them to resign by Thursday in exchange for pay through September, but critics argue it may be unenforceable without congressional approval.

Mayes called the move an attack on federal workers that could harm essential services in Arizona, urging employees to follow union guidance.

About 20,000 federal workers—1% of those eligible—have accepted the offer so far, falling short of the White House’s 5-10% target. Officials expect a last-minute surge in enrollments before the deadline.

Second Skydiving Death in Just Over a Week

A skydiver in Eloy died over the weekend after his parachute failed to open, marking the second fatal skydiving incident in the area in just over a week.

Shawn Bowen, 46, of Gilbert, was using a wingsuit-style apparatus when he exited the plane over Eloy, but his parachute did not deploy, resulting in a fatal impact, according to police. See what a wingsuit looks like here.

The accident follows the Jan. 24 death of Ann Wick, 55, whose parachute deployed but experienced complications before she crashed.

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➤ Statewide: Lawmakers are debating whether students using the SNAP food assistance program should be allowed to buy “junk food.” (See Details)

➤ Marana: A high school teacher was placed on leave after defying a Trump executive order that prohibits teaching gender ideology in public schools. The incident went viral after investigative journalist James O’Keefe covered it. (See Video)

➤ Statewide: A Republican congressman introduced a bill to abolish the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), citing it as another example of “the bloated federal government.” (More)

➤ Tucson: Firefighters rescued more than 45 animals, including several reptiles, from a house fire in the Drexel Heights Fire District. (See Video)

➤ Phoenix: Former independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema spent over $700,000 in the final three months of her term, much of it on expensive lodging in Saudi Arabia and some on Taylor Swift merchandise. (More)

➤ Sedona: A helicopter crew rescued a hiker who got lost for three hours on Thunder Mountain Trail. (More)

➤ Cochise County: Funding issues have stalled the construction of a much-needed new jail. (See Video)

➤ Devin Booker became the Phoenix Suns’ all-time scoring leader on Monday night, reaching 15,678 career points with a 24-point performance. (More)

➤ Arizona Cardinals passing game coordinator Spencer Whipple is leaving the team to become the Jacksonville Jaguars’ next quarterbacks coach. (More)

➤ The Big 12 revealed its 2025 football schedule yesterday. Arizona will host Hawaii to open up the season, while Arizona State will face Northern Arizona at home. (See Schedule)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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➤ An Arizona State University spinoff company developed a new roof coating that could keep roofs up to 40 degrees cooler. The company is testing the product and has seen some early success. (See Details)

➤ Noble Ground Coffee, a once-thriving coffee chain that expanded quickly throughout the state, abruptly closed all of its stores in Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, and Flagstaff. (More)

➤ Several new tenants have signed leases at The Trailhead shopping center in Peoria. The 40-acre marketplace is already anchored by a 63,000-square-foot Safeway, and will also be home to 350 family housing units, a church, and restaurants. (More)

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➤ A Sun City West lawmaker proposed a bill that would allow the state’s attorney general to sue other states and countries that contribute to Arizona’s poor air quality. (More)

➤ The Buckeye Police Department released aerial night-vision footage after they used a drone to capture a teenage suspect who fled on an electric motorcycle. (See Video)

➤ A list of Phoenix concerts and shows in 2025 includes appearances from Jerry Seinfeld in March, Morgan Wallen in July, and Hozier in October. (See Calendar)

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