Gabrielle Giffords was back in Washington to present an award named in her honor to a "rising star" of Democratic politics. Arizona lawmakers at the event called Giffords "without question, our hero." Read more»

Some worried when the Supreme Court upheld Michigan's ban on race as a factor in college admissions it would hurt minority enrollment in other states. But Arizona's universities have seen a steady rise in those numbers, even after a voter-approved ban on race-based decisions. Read more»

Indian gaming revenue in Arizona grew by 3 percent in 2012, even though no new facilities came online and the number of games in the state actually declined that year. Read more»

Almost three in four babies born in Coconino County in 2011 were born to unmarried women, the highest rate in the nation, if Census Bureau estimates are correct. Experts question that number, but most agree that births to single moms is an issue for the state. Read more»

Arizona congressmen Thursday renewed calls for the Pentagon to drop its “absolutely ridiculous” plan to retire the A-10 fighter, saying the replacement F-35 is 10 times as costly and does not protect ground forces as well. Read more»

Jamie Blason, a deputy county attorney in Maricopa County, was recognized Wednesday by the Justice Department for her work giving a voice to victims of violence. Read more»

Officials are trying to figure ways to control about 350 bison roaming the north of Grand Canyon National Park, damaging plants and water sources there. The herd had been managed through hunts, but have been out of reach since wandering in to the hunting-free park. Read more»

Immigration reform advocates, many from Arizona, rallied in front of the White House where they called on the president to "to stop the deportation machine" that is splitting up families. It came just days before a planned weekend of marches and rallies across the country. Read more»

For Pam Simon, gun violence was something that happened to other people – until she was one of 13 wounded in a January 2011 attack on former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords that killed six. Simon was honored by the White House for her work since then on gun control. Read more»

Two Navajo Nation officials split Thursday on a plan to divide a former Army depot in New Mexico between the Navajo and the Zuni tribes, with one opponent calling it a surrender of tribal land. Read more»

Democrats claim to have enough supporters in the GOP-controlled House to pass a "discharge petition" to force a vote on a reform bill that has been stalled since last summer. Read more»

The dean of Arizona State University’s teachers college told a Senate panel Tuesday that better academic performance in kindergarten through high school begins with better teacher-preparedness programs at higher education institutions. Read more»

A federal judge’s order backing Arizona and Kansas laws that require proof of citizenship for voter registration is “not the American way” and must be challenged, opponents said Thursday. The comments came after a U.S. district judge in Kansas ordered the Election Assistance Commission to include the two states’ proof-of-citizenship requirement on federal voter registration forms. Read more» 1

Arizona's congressional delegation had predictable reactions to the federal budget proposed last week — split on party lines. Democrats are “more likely to see value in stressing what the budget does for their district.". Republicans, on the other hand, find that their districts are looking for a “dumping on ‘big-spending’ Obama” tack. Read more»

An Arizona man joined dozens of advocates who “cast ballots” Thursday in what was billed as a mock election for immigration reform outside the U.S. Capitol office of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Read more»