Tucson Mayor Romero makes masks mandatory in public
AZPM
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero on Thursday made official her promise to put in place a mask restriction in the city to slow the spread of COVID-19, after previously announcing she would do so despite a state order that pre-empted local governments from implementing such rules.
Romero's proclamation says anyone older than 2 is required to wear a face covering in a public setting when physical distancing is "difficult or impossible." It also said businesses must require employees who interact with the public to require masks. It goes into effect Saturday, June 20.
She said enforcement of the order will be light, but police will be able to cite offenders, with a potential $50 fine for those who don't use a mask.
Among other exceptions it exempts people with certain health conditions and those eating or drinking while seated at a restaurant.
Arizona cities split on mask mandates to slow virus spread
AP
GLENDALE — Arizona’s number of COVID-19 cases jumped again Thursday, a day after Gov. Doug Ducey said local governments could require face masks. The Republican governor had rebuffed calls for a statewide mandate as Arizona became a national virus hotspot.
Mayors in some of the state's largest cities, including Tucson and Phoenix, said they would move quickly to require masks in public. The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 2,519 cases and 32 deaths Thursday. That brings the state's total to 43,443 cases and 1,271 deaths. The daily count broke a previous record set earlier this week.
Supreme Court rules against Trump administration bid to cancel DACA
AZPM
The Supreme Court has ruled against the Trump administration's bid to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, bringing some relief to hundreds of thousands of recipients of the program in the country who've been uncertain about the future of their immigration status.
The 5-4 decision released Thursday held that the attempt to end the program was arbitrary and capricious. The court said that the Trump administration does have the ability to end DACA but that the way it attempted to do so was a violation of the Administrative Procedures Act. As a result, the program will continue for now, and approximately 650,000 recipients will continue to be temporarily protected from deportation and retain authorization to work.
Learn more about the decision and the program here. Hear reactions from immigration experts and Arizona leaders here
Authorities expand Bighorn Fire evacuation area
AZPM
The evacuation area from the Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains continues to grow. On Thursday morning, evacuation alerts were issued for residents in the area of Peppersauce Canyon to Highjinks Rd./Campo Bonito area of Oracle as well as lower Catalina Highway/lower Mount Lemmon communities.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department told residents to evacuate immediately to a shelter or with family or friends outside of the affected area. It wasn’t immediately known how many homes were affected.
To learn more and see a map of the fire, click here
Other major fires continued to grow in in the Kaibab National Forest north of the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona and in east-central Arizona in the Tonto National Forest northeast of metro Phoenix. All three fires have caused evacuation of rural communities and partial or full closures of several highways.
Ex-politician pleads guilty to fraud in adoption scheme
AP
PHOENIX — A former elected official in metro Phoenix accused of running an illegal adoption scheme in three states involving women from the Marshall Islands has pleaded guilty to fraud charges.
Paul Petersen acknowledged submitting false applications to the Arizona’s Medicaid system for the mothers to receive state-funded health coverage. He faces a maximum of nearly 17 years in prison.
Petersen is a Republican who served as Maricopa County’s assessor until his resignation in January. He faces charges in Utah and Arkansas as part of the alleged scheme. His attorney says Petersen is scheduled to enter guilty pleas Friday in Utah and next week in Arkansas.
Arizona unemployment rate down 4.5 percentage points in May
AP
PHOENIX — A month after doubling as the state’s economy staggered under the coronavirus pandemic, Arizona’s unemployment dropped by 4.5 percentage points during May.
The state Office of Economic Opportunity reported that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May was 8.9%, down from 13.4% in April as business closures and other impacts from the pandemic took hold.
The office said nonfarm employment increased by 45,200 jobs between April and May with the private sector adding 58,900 jobs and the government sector losing 13,700 jobs. Many businesses reopened or expanded their operations after Gov. Doug Ducey lifted stay-home orders and other restrictions in mid-May.
Sheriff who refused to enforce restrictions tests positive for COVID-19
Tucson Sentinel
Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who said he wouldn't enforce statewide coronavirus measures, was confirmed to have COVID-19 after a mandatory test during a visit to the White House.
Lamb announced the news on the Pinal County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, saying that his line of work is "inherently dangerous." A booster of President Trump and a promoter of the administration's border polices, Lamb said in May his department was not going to actively enforce the state's stay-at-home orders.
Read more at tucsonsentinel.com.
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