Good morning, Tucson. We’ve hardly broken the ice yet the temperature is already climbing. Here’s your news roundup for June 4, 2024.
Tue ☀️ 100° • Wed ☀️ 105° • Thu ☀️ 108°
NWS Midtown forecast
🌵 An investigation by the Arizona Republic details widespread Medicaid fraud within substance abuse treatment programs.
Vulnerable Native Americans were targeted in scams estimated to have cost Arizona’s Medicaid programs $2.3 billion. In one instance, intoxicated people were rounded up in New Mexico and driven to Phoenix, where they were enrolled in treatment centers and told to apply for Medicaid benefits.
🌵 The Biden administration is considering setting a daily quota for migrants seeking asylum.
Border crossings are down at the moment, mostly due to high temperatures and enforcement efforts by Mexican authorities. The quota may be designed to prevent spikes in crossings when cooler weather arrives near Election Day. Most asylum seekers are processed and then released into the U.S., where they must wait years for court hearings.
🌵 A grand jury dropped charges against a man shot by an off-duty Tucson police officer.
Matthew Laswell called 911 during a mental health crisis because he believed that people were breaking into his home. An off-duty Tucson police officer on the scene shot Laswell, who was holding two knives. A grand jury declined to indict Laswell. The officer, Noah Wade, has since returned to duty.
For just $5/month, you can help us build a long-lasting Tucson news service.
🌵 What’s happening at the old Mayfield Florist on Tucson Boulevard?
A coffee shop and retail space named Sonoran House is moving in. The company’s website calls it a “coffee and shopping experience in the heart of the desert.” Want us to figure out what’s being built somewhere, or what new business is moving in? Email us at mail@microburst.news.
🌵 Lastly, watch a bobcat battle a rattlesnake at Saguaro National Park.
In a Facebook post, park officials said that wildlife seek shade near the visitor’s center as temperatures climb. A bobcat searching for a morning snack came across a rattlesnake, which was less than thrilled about the prospect of becoming a meal. The nimble kitty can be seen swiping at the snake as it retreats to the underbrush.