Good afternoon. It should start getting sunny again on Friday, with a high of 61°. Saturday should be sunny and clear with a high of 68°.
🌵 The head of Arizona’s Republican party resigned in response to a recording where he offered Kari Lake money to stay out of politics.
In what he claimed was a heavily edited recording, Chairman Jeff DeWit said unnamed interests were “willing to put their money where their mouth is in a big way” if Lake would stay out of office for a “couple” years. Lake is running for U.S. Senate. DeWit said that Lake told him to resign, or she would release additional recordings.
- NPR: After seeming to bribe Senate hopeful Kari Lake not to run, Arizona GOP Chair resigns
- AZPM: Arizona GOP head resigns over leaked recording trying to bribe Kari Lake
🌵 Two Tucson siblings were sentenced for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack.
Felicia Konold, 29, received 45 days in prison and Cory Konold, 28, will serve 30 days. The siblings pled guilty to a felony charge of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder. The Konolds were at the attack with a group that included members of the white nationalist Proud Boys group. The group pushed past barriers and prevented police from sealing entrances to the Capitol.
- KVOA: Tucson siblings sentenced in Jan. 6 Capitol breach
- Tucson Sentinel: Tucson’s Felicia Konold sentenced to 45 days for ‘crazed’ role in Jan. 6 Capitol riot
🌵 Arizona lawmakers secured the final funding needed to widen a 26-mile stretch of I-10.
The project will widen the only remaining four-lane section of I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix, where the interstate passes through the Gila River Indian Community between Chandler and Casa Grande. The last $95 million of what will be a $1 billion project was secured through a federal transportation grant. Politicians and tribal leaders heralded the project as a bipartisan, multi-governmental effort.
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🌵 Tucson’s first medical respite center for people without housing is opening.
Casa de Respiro, located east of Davis-Monthan on S. Palo Verde Rd., provides a place for homeless people to recover following hospital visits. The facility is a partnership between three Tucson service organizations, and can host up to 10 women and 36 men.
🌵 Lastly, the federal government denied an attempt to reintroduce jaguars in Arizona.
The Center for Biological Diversity had asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to consider reintroducing jaguars as an experimental population. Fish and Wildlife declined, saying it was unlikely that a new jaguar population could succeed without extensive human intervention. The Center for Biological Diversity disputes the results and said it would continue to fight for jaguar recovery.