The Daily Blog

Jul 2

Gabrielle Giffords Makes First Public Appearance At Space Center Houston.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) made her first public appearance since being wounded in a tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona earlier this year in which numerous victims were hurt or had their lives taken, ABC News reports.

According to the outlet, Giffords attended a ceremony at Space Center Houston in Texas at which her husband astronaut Mark Kelly — who recently announced his retirement from NASA, effective October 1 — was awarded the Spaceflight Medal, which is given to shuttle members upon safely returning home from their missions.

ABC News reports:

Her hair was much shorter than in previously published photos. She was wearing glasses, a beige scarf, a light shirt, jeans and sneakers. She smiled and waved to the crowd.
Giffords and Kelly held hands for most of the event. She appeared to chat with people sitting around her, and laughed when the crew of STS-134, the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s last mission, was introduced. Kelly commanded the mission.

The Arizona congresswoman herself reportedly received a standing ovation at the event.

In announcing his plans to retire last week, Kelly said that he plans to spend more time by his wife’s side.

“As life takes unexpected turns we frequently come to a crossroads,” he wrote in a message posted on his Facebook page. “I am at this point today. Gabrielle is working hard every day on her mission of recovery. I want to be by her side. Stepping aside from my work in the Navy and at NASA will allow me to be with her and with my two daughters. I love them all very much and there is no doubt that we will move forward together. After some time off, I will look at new opportunities and am hopeful that one day I will again serve our country.”

The AP recently reported that Giffords and Kelly are working on a memoir together:

Kelly and Giffords are collaborating with author Jeffrey Zaslow, who worked on Randy Pausch’s million-selling “The Last Lecture” and Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s “Highest Duty.” Kelly praised Zaslow as a “good storyteller” and “the best writer” for the kind of book they wanted. Zaslow will interview friends, family members and colleagues of Kelly and Giffords.
“There are details of our personal lives together that I’d say I can count on one hand the people who know them. In some cases, it’s just Gabby and I (who know the details),” said Kelly, who met Giffords in 2003 and married her in 2007. Before the shooting, they had maintained independent lives, Kelly based in Houston and Giffords in Tucson.

Giffords will focus on her recovery, but Kelly said that the book will be part of that process and that Giffords will provide details of what “she remembers after Jan. 8 and her story before that.” While Kelly will be “the primary collaborator,” he said Giffords will be a “big part of this.” Giffords has been struggling to relearn how to speak and walk, and will be assisted by a 24-hour home health provider, according to the hospital.

Jun 20

Gabrielle Giffords Released From Hospital.

HOUSTON — Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has been released from a Houston hospital, five months after being shot in the head during a Tucson political event.

A release from the Houston hospital where Giffords has been undergoing rehab says the congresswoman is moving to her husband’s home in League City 26 miles south of Houston.

Apr 20

Arizona Gov. Brewer Vetoes Presidential ‘Birther’ Bill.

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Monday vetoed a bill that would have required President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove their U.S. citizenship before their names could appear on the state’s ballot.

The bill would have made Arizona the first state to pass such a requirement. Opponents had warned the bill would give another black eye to Arizona after last year’s controversy over the state’s illegal immigration enforcement law.

Brewer said in her veto letter that she was troubled that the bill empowered Arizona’s secretary of state to judge the qualifications of all candidates when they file to run for office.

“I do not support designating one person as the gatekeeper to the ballot for a candidate, which could lead to arbitrary or politically motivated decisions,” said Brewer, who was secretary of state until she became governor in 2009.”In addition, I never imagined being presented with a bill that could require candidates for president of the greatest and most powerful nation on Earth to submit their ‘early baptismal circumcision certificates’ among other records to the Arizona secretary of state,” she said. “This is a bridge too far.”

The certificates were among the documents a candidate could have submitted under the bill in place of a birth certificate.So-called “birthers” claim there’s no proof Obama was born in the United States, and he is therefore ineligible to be president. But Hawaii officials have certified Obama was born in that state.

The U.S. Constitution requires that presidential candidates be “natural-born” U.S. citizens, be at least 35 years old, and be a resident of the United States for at least 14 years. Opponents questioned whether Arizona’s bill would have added additional requirements.

The measure would have required that political parties and presidential candidates hand in affidavits stating a candidate’s citizenship and age. It also would have required the candidate’s birth certificate and a sworn statement saying where the candidate has lived for 14 years.

If candidates didn’t have a copy of their birth certificates, they could meet the requirement by providing baptismal or circumcision certificates, hospital birth records and other documents.

If it couldn’t be determined whether candidates who provided documents in place of their birth certificates were eligible to appear on the ballot, the secretary of state would have been able to set up a committee to help determine whether the requirements were met. The names of candidates could be kept off the ballot if the secretary of state didn’t believe the candidates met the citizenship requirement.

The bill didn’t explicitly provide an appeals process for a candidate whose name was kept off the ballot.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Carl Seel of Phoenix, declined immediate comment on Monday’s veto. But he previously said that the president’s birth record wouldn’t satisfy the requirements of his proposal and that Obama would have to provide other records, such as baptismal certificates and hospital records.

The measure, however, wasn’t intended as a swipe against the president — it was meant to maintain the integrity of elections, Seel said.

Apr 12

Arizona Immigration Law Ruling Refuses To Lift Ban On Enforcing Major Aspects Of Measure.

PHOENIX — A federal appeals court is refusing to lift a stay blocking major parts of a tough Arizona law targeting illegal immigrants from taking effect.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday turned down an appeal filed by Gov. Jan Brewer. The governor asked them to lift an injunction imposed by a federal judge in Phoenix the day before the law was to take effect on July 29, 2010.

The U.S Justice Department sued to block the law. It argued it violates the constitution because enforcing immigration law is a federal issue.

Brewer’s lawyers said the federal government hasn’t effectively enforced immigration law and that the state law will assist federal authorities.

The law would require police to check immigration status when enforcing other laws, among other provisions.

Mar 19

Ariz. Senate Rejects Illegal immigration Bills.

PHOENIX — The Arizona Senate soundly defeated five bills aimed at illegal immigration on Thursday in a marked departure from last year, when enactment of a tough local enforcement measure put the state at the heart of a fierce national debate over the issue.

Majority Republicans were split in their votes on the defeated bills, which included two measures intended to force a U.S. Supreme Court ruling against automatic citizenship for U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants. The other three dealt with health care, public services and everyday activities such as driving.

With business leaders urging lawmakers to put the issue aside to avoid damaging the still-ailing economy, “it’s time for us to take a timeout,” said Republican Sen. John McComish of Phoenix. “It’s something that the people don’t want us to be focusing on.”

Critics also said the bills rejected Thursday were over-reaching and flawed.

Supporters of the measures voiced frustration and said there could be political fallout for lawmakers who voted against them.

“The lack of political courage” is the only impediment to step up pressure on illegal immigration, said Republican Sen. Russell Pearce, the sponsor of the 2010 law.

The two bills on citizenship were defeated on votes of 12-18 and 11-19 as majority Republicans split on the issue. The chamber’s nine Democrats voted against all of the bills.

“I’m hopeful that now we can move on and focus on the business of the state,” Democratic Minority Leader David Schapira of Tempe said after the three-hour floor session.

One of the rejected bills would have required hospitals to contact federal immigration officials or local law enforcement if people being treated lack insurance and can’t demonstrate legal status.

Critics said that would burden hospitals, but Republican Sen. Steve Smith of Maricopa said his bill didn’t require much.

“Maybe you forgot it’s illegal to be in this country illegally,” he said during the vote on his bill. “We just ask them to report the crime, not be the judge and executioner.”

Also defeated was a bill to require schools to file reports on enrollments of illegal immigrant students.

The fifth bill was a sweeping measure sponsored by Pearce. It would have made it a crime for illegal immigrants to drive in Arizona. It also had provisions on registering vehicles, workplace hiring and various public benefits.

It would ban illegal immigrants from attending Arizona’s public universities and community colleges. The state does not now have a ban but it does require illegal immigrants to pay higher, non-resident tuition rates.

Pearce’s bill also would have required eviction of public housing tenants who let illegal immigrants live with them and make applicants for vehicle titles and registration prove they are in the country legally.

Pearce and other supporters said cracking down on illegal immigration would provide relief to taxpayers by cutting costs for education, health care and other services.

The 2010 law known as SB1070 resulted in protests, boycotts and legal challenges. A federal judge has put key provisions on hold.

Earlier Thursday, Gov. Jan Brewer said she didn’t have positions on the bills and she declined to wave off legislators from taking up the issue of illegal immigration again.

“I believe that illegal immigration is an important subject to the populace in Arizona and is something that probably needs to be further addressed,” said Brewer, a Republican who signed SB1070 into law.Dozens of CEOs of major employers and business groups signed a letter distributed Wednesday by the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, saying that passage of additional legislation on illegal immigration would damage the economy and tourism.

Arizona should instead push for federal action on immigration and border issues, according to the letter signed by heads of construction companies, hospitals, real estate developers and US Airways.

“Arizona’s lawmakers and citizens are right to be concerned about illegal immigration,” the letter said. “But we must acknowledge that when Arizona goes it alone on this issue, unintended consequences inevitably occur.”

Jan 17

Arizona Shooting Victim Arrested After Threat.

PHOENIX — One of the Arizona shooting victims was arrested Saturday and then taken for a psychiatric evaluation after authorities said he took a picture of a tea party leader at televised town hall meeting and yelled: “you’re dead.”

James Eric Fuller, 63, objected to something Trent Humphries said during the forum taped for a special edition of ABC’s “This Week” with Christiane Amanpour, Pima County sheriff’s spokesman Jason Ogan said. Fuller was in the front row and apparently became upset when Humphries suggested that any conversations about gun control should be delayed until all the dead were buried, KGUN-TV in Tucson reported.

Fuller was arrested on misdemeanor disorderly conduct and threat charges, Ogan said. While Fuller was being escorted out, deputies decided he needed a mental health evaluation and he was taken to a hospital, where he remained Saturday evening.

The hospital will determine when he will be released, Ogan said.

Fuller was one of 19 people shot at a Safeway store Jan. 8. Six people died and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords remains in critical condition with a bullet wound to the head.Fuller described the shootings as “a bad crime drama” in an interview on CBS’ “The Early Show.” He said he felt a bullet that hit his knee but didn’t know he had also been struck in the back. Fuller, a naval air veteran, drove himself to Northwest Hospital after being shot, according to the Arizona Daily Star. He was later taken to University Medical Center where he was released two days later.

The show was videotaped at St. Odilia’s Catholic Church in Tucson. Victims, witnesses, emergency responders and some of those hailed as heroes after the shooting discussed the tragedy.

The special will air Sunday on “This Week” with Christiane Amanpour.

Sep 4

(Sept. 2) — An Arizona forest ranger whose helpful tip led to the capture of a dangerous prison escapee and his accomplice may be prevented from receiving a hefty reward for his efforts.

Officials from the U.S. Marshals Service and the privately run prison offered a $40,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of John McCluskey and Casslyn Welch. Welch, who is both McCluskey’s cousin and his fiancee, helped McCluskey escape from a state prison July 30 along with two others by tossing him wire-cutting equipment through a fence, The Arizona Republic reported.Welch and McCluskey, who was serving time for attempted murder, were the subjects of an intense manhunt.
Ethics guidelines at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the U.S. Forest Service, may prevent the ranger from accepting a gift of more than $25.

Apache Sitgreaves National Forest spokeswoman Pam Baltimore told AOL News Friday afternoon that she hopes for a final decision from the USDA after the holiday weekend.”If it’s a negative response from them as far as federal policy dictates, there’s nothing we can do,” Baltimore told The Associated Press earlier this week. She said she would like to give the money to the ranger, whose name has not been made public.

The ranger spotted the couple in an Arizona campground in the Apache Sitgreaves forest Aug. 19 while on patrol and called in their license plate after deciding they were acting suspiciously. His hunch turned out to be correct; the license plate had been reported stolen from a car in New Mexico, where McCluskey is wanted for the murder of an Oklahoma couple. A SWAT team later closed in on the pair, who have repeatedly referred to themselves as “Bonnie and Clyde.”

Two other tipsters helped nab the other escapees last month in Colorado and Wyoming and will split $12,500 of the reward money, Fidencio Rivera, chief deputy U.S. marshal for Arizona, told the AP. The ranger’s reward would be $27,500, if he is able to receive it.After his arrest, McCluskey told authorities he should have killed the forest ranger when he had the chance, according to multiple reports.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture may make a decision later today. The agency could not be reached for comment.

“We’re not trying to prevent, from the Forest Service standpoint, our employee getting it,” Baltimore told the AP. “It’s just a fact of life that that’s who we work for, and policies are in place.”

McCluskey and Welch have been charged with kidnapping, escape, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and other charges. U.S. Marshal David Gonzales told CNN they are linked to a white supremacist group.

Sep 1

Arizona: I buy the speculation on Matt Leinart’s shaky status. I still think it’s more likely Leinart is on the opening day roster than he isn’t. But he’s not doing himself any favors by speaking out against the decision to give Derek Anderson snaps with the first unit over him — either with the coaching staff or in the team-chemistry department. In the end, whether the Cardinals cut him — which is possible — could come down to a factor few people outside the team would think is even fathomable at this point.

The two rookie quarterbacks, fifth-round pick John Skelton from Fordham and free-agent Max Hall from BYU, have been so impressive in training camp that the Cardinals probably don’t want to risk losing them by putting one on the practice squad. It’ll be interesting to see who goes after Leinart in the coming days. If Pete Carroll hadn’t dealt for Charlie Whitehurst in the offseason, I’d have put him at the front of the line.

Aug 29

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (Aug. 29) — A gunman entered a western Arizona home and fatally shot five people, including the mother of his two children, before fleeing with the kids to Southern California where he killed himself, police said Sunday.

In all, six people died. Officers responding to the home said they found four people dead and two others wounded. One of the injured died of his wounds early Sunday at a local hospital, police said.

The alleged gunman, identified as 26-year-old Brian Diez, was found dead hours later at a residence in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The two children - a 4-year-old and a 13-month-old - were unharmed at the house with relatives, police said.

Lake Havasu City Police Department/APPolice in Arizona said Brian Diez, 26, shot and killed five people, including the mother of his two children, before taking his own life this weekend.Police went to the Lake Havasu City home after dispatchers received an emergency call at 11:57 p.m. Saturday from a woman who said an intruder had shot several people.
Police identified the dead as 23-year-old Deborah Langstaff, 24-year-old Primo Verdone, 42-year-old Russell Nyland and 20-year-old Ashley Nyland. Wounded were 20-year-old Brock Kelson and 44-year-old Deborah Nyland.

Kelson and Deborah Nyland were taken to a local hospital, where Kelson died early Sunday, police said.

At about 3:30 a.m., San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputies were sent to the Rancho Cucamonga home about a reported suicide. Deputies found Diez dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.Diez fathered the two children with Deborah Langstaff during a long-term relationship, but the couple had been estranged, Lake Havasu City police said.

The city of about 52,000 lies on the shores of a lake formed from a Colorado River dam built in 1938. It is perhaps best known as the home of the relocated London Bridge and as a spring break destination for college students.

Aug 11

RIMROCK, Ariz. (Aug. 10) — Skeletal remains found Tuesday near a central Arizona campground are believed to be that of a toddler reported missing in the area more than two weeks ago, and authorities say foul play is suspected.

The remains were found at the bottom of a wash less than 2 miles from the Beaver Creek Campground, where 2-year-old Sylar Newton of Flagstaff was last seen the night of July 24, Yavapai County sheriff’s spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn said.

The body likely came to a rest there because of recent flash flooding, D’Evelyn said.

He said foul play is suspected and a criminal investigation is under way. No suspects have been named.

D’Evelyn released no further details, such as cause of death, but an autopsy will be conducted.It’s the second time this month that a 2-year-old boy has been found dead in Yavapai County, but authorities say the cases are unrelated. The body of Emmett Trapp was found in a mine pit Aug. 4, two days after he wandered away from home.

Sylar was staying at the campground near Rimrock with his custodial mother and her family when he was reported missing. Rimrock is about 40 miles south of Flagstaff.

The investigation took a grim turn last week when D’Evelyn said investigators didn’t believe Sylar wandered off on his own, as his custodial mother said, but was taken from the area and feared dead.

“It’s going to take some time to sort all of this out,” D’Evelyn said Tuesday.
A dayslong search of the campsite area, including landfills and trash bins, turned up no sign of the boy.

Authorities still are looking into custodial issues involving Sylar, the woman who was caring for him, and his biological mother.

Matt Gramelspacher, a friend who answered the phone at the Jasper, Ind., home of Sylar’s biological mother, Charity Newton, said Tuesday she was not able to answer questions and directed all queries to law enforcement.

In the other case, authorities said 2-year-old Emmett Trapp walked 3 miles barefoot through brush and steep terrain into a mine pit, where he was found dead. He was still clad in the pajama top and diaper he was wearing when he wandered away from his home two days earlier.

Emmett’s mother told authorities she and her four children were at home in Dewey-Humboldt - about 85 miles north of Phoenix - when she awoke from a nap Monday night and couldn’t find Emmett.

The boy apparently had wandered off with the family dog, but the dog returned when called.