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From teaching during SB 1070 to leading a state commission: meet Eva Masadiego

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From teaching during SB 1070 to leading a state commission: meet Eva Masadiego


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Growing up in a Mexican immigrant household, Eva Masadiego, the newly appointed executive director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, said she was taught the importance of getting an education to better serve her community.

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A daughter to parents from Colima and Jalisco, Mexico, Masadiego said she was inspired by her mixed-status immigrant family to dedicate her life’s work to helping immigrant communities.

Growing up as a native Californian, her true calling in social welfare and education came during her academic journey, as she navigated higher education in a different country and looked to Arizona as SB 1070 was being debated at the Senate, leading to one of the state’s strictest periods for undocumented immigrants.

The longtime Arizonan has measured up to the task, having previously worked as the Deputy Director of Operations for Gov. Katie Hobbs, at the City of Phoenix with the Youth and Education Office and with former councilmember Daniel Valenzuela.

Her work in education and advocacy in Phoenix has prepared her to get to the position she is in now, leading the non-profit cross-border organization that seeks to “improve the economic prosperity and quality of life for all Arizonans through strong, public/private collaborations in advocacy, trade, networking and information.”

An Arizona calling that stemmed from abroad

Masadiego’s parents made it through sixth grade while living in their respective Mexican towns. This always intrigued Masadiego, wanting to learn more about the system in Mexico. So much so that while a junior at UC Berkeley; she decided to study abroad in Mexico City at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

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Her time there, however, pushed her in a different direction: the Sonoran Desert.

While in Mexico City, she said she vividly remembers the unavoidable headlines and conversation surrounding Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070. It was talked about everywhere — on taxicab radios, in newspaper headlines, among university peers.

The legislation, passed in 2010, was known as the “show me your papers” law, which required police officers to inquire about the legal status of anyone they thought might be in the country illegally.

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She wasn’t an Arizonan and her parents were Mexican nationals, but her peers still looked to her and asked her to “answer on behalf of your country” and “answer on behalf of the state of Arizona.”

“It was really difficult for me to sit there as an American student of Mexican immigrant parents and be labeled as ‘that’s your country, that’s you,’” Masadiego said. “I thought to myself, ‘If I care about immigration, if I care about policy, if I care about working with immigrant communities, I have to be in Phoenix, Arizona.’”

Upon graduation from Berkeley in 2012, she signed up for the Teach for America program and soon became a teacher within the Balsz Elementary School District in east Phoenix.

“My parents thought, ‘Why would I move to Phoenix, Arizona? Don’t you know what’s happening?’ And of course, everyone talked about it. You didn’t have to be in Arizona to know what was happening with SB 1070,” Masadiego said.

But to her, this was the perfect job. In the classroom, she could work directly with immigrant and refugee populations. Outside of the classroom, she dedicated herself to advocacy work in the Valley, organizing and helping people register to vote.

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While teaching in east Phoenix, she surveyed her class and learned that 12 languages were spoken among her students. She developed a curriculum that centered around her students’ experiences, teaching them about immigration, civil rights issues and SB 1070 and other current events directly impacting them.

“I knew they would relate, being bilingual, coming from immigrant households, coming from not being born in this state and this country. I was able to have incredible conversations with my students and that really inspired me to remind myself that this is the work I wanted to do,” Masadiego said.

New bill compared to SB 1070: ‘Prepared to fight’: Arizona immigrant rights activists take HCR 2060 to court.

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LUCHA announces lawsuit to prevent passage of HCR 2060 immigration bill

Living United for Change in Arizona’s leadership announce a lawsuit to prevent the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 2060 on June 5, 2024.

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Education and advocacy at a state level

When Masadiego was teaching, she said she noticed many of her students were leaving the district and moving to Tolleson, Avondale and west Phoenix due to the affordable housing costs in those areas. There were many issues impacting her students and their families and she wanted to work with people who could effect change.

Her work with public officials began in 2015 when she joined the office of former Phoenix City Councilmember Daniel Valenzuela, who represented central and west Phoenix.

“It was always about how do I expand my reach and increase my impact,” Masadiego said.

During Masadiego’s time with his office, Valenzuela told The Arizona Republic that she was a strong advocate for the codePHX initiative which sought to raise funds for coding and robotic lessons for kids. It aimed to close the opportunity gender gap in tech education, he said.

“Her fingerprints were on any and all those things that we worked on at city council. Whether they were issues around public safety, economic development and of course educational initiatives that we put forth, they all had Eva’s influence, fortunately,” Valenzuela said.

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Her time spent working in government led to her being named the director of National Programs at New American Leaders, an organization that encourages people of immigrant backgrounds to run for office, where she said she was tasked with expanding the organization from four to 10 states.

During that expansion, Megan Cagle, the Senior Director of Communications and Research at New American Leaders, said Masadiego worked closely with various nonprofit organizations, local advocacy groups and other individuals who worked in democracy reform across the country.

“She really did an amazing job of bringing everyone together and seeing where the needs were,” Cagle said.

Even with the setbacks caused by the pandemic, Masadiego said she was able to expand the organization to eight states.

Masadiego eventually went back to working with public officials in February 2023 when she was named Deputy Director of Operations for the Office of the Governor. In June 2024, she was asked to serve as the Executive Director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission.

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The organization works in tandem with the Arizona and Sonora governments and local organizations to improve relations across the border. This is done via advocacy, commerce, networking and information sharing.

“When I think about the history of the AMC (Arizona-Mexico Commission), the Arizona-Mexico Commission has done incredible work to build a strong partnership with the country of México and the state of Sonora,” Masadiego said.

From workforce to education programs, Masadiego said she wants to eventually be able to think about new partnerships and new ways to benefit both Phoenix and Sonora communities.

Reach La Voz reporter David Ulloa Jr. at david.ulloa@gannett.com.



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2026 NFL draft: 3 potential trades back from No. 3 for Arizona Cardinals

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2026 NFL draft: 3 potential trades back from No. 3 for Arizona Cardinals



Since the Arizona Cardinals want to trade back from the No. 3 picks, here are three deals that could work.

The Arizona Cardinals have the third pick in the 2026 NFL draft, which begins this week on Thursday. All the reports coming out are saying that they want to trade out of the pick to acquire more draft picks.

But what does a trade look like and who could be involved?

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The Kansas City Chiefs are involved in talks at some level. ESPN’s Adam Schefter expects trade talks to heat up this week.

NFL teams use a variation of a trade value chart when it comes to draft picks. Now, what a team actually is willing to give up can be influenced by potential competition with other teams, but we can’t count on that.

Here is the general trade value chart teams use.

Here are some potential deals that could be done.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have two first-round picks, which would be appealing to the Cardinals, who reportedly want to make a move for quarterback Ty Simpson, and the 29th pick might be just the spot to get him.

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The third overall pick is worth 514 points.

The Chiefs’ picks at No. 9 (387 points) and No. 29 (202 points) together are worth 589.

To make up the difference, the Cardinals could give up No. 65 (78 points) for a total of 592 points.

One deal could be:

  • Cardinals receive get No. 9 and No. 29 (589 points)
  • Chiefs receive No. 3 and No. 65 (592 points)

Another could be:

  • Cardinals receive No. 9, No. 29, No. 74 and 2027 third-round pick (653 points + value of future third-round pick, which is 36-78 points)
  • Chiefs receive No. 3 and No. 34 (689 points)

The Cardinals keep their third-round pick and the Chiefs essentially move back five spots from No. 29.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have the 12th and 20th picks but no pick in the second round.

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Pick No. 12 is 347 points and No. 20 is 269 for a total of 616.

This deal is close:

  • Cardinals receive No. 12, No. 20 (616 points)
  • Cowboys receive No. 3, No. 65 (592 points)

New Orleans Saints

The Saints are perhaps a dark horse to move up, although they do not have two first-round picks. They have the No. 8 pick, worth 406 points. Their second-round pick, at No. 42, is worth 142 points.

This deal could work:

  • Cardinals receive No. 8, No. 42 (548 points)
  • Saints receive No. 3, No. 104 (547 points)

Then the Cardinals could use their two second-round picks to then move back into Round 1 to get Ty Simpson.

They could trade No. 34, No. 42 and No. 65 (395 points) for No. 28, No. 38 and No. 106 (398 total points).

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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Dust returns to Phoenix area after hazy weekend – KTAR.com

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Dust returns to Phoenix area after hazy weekend – KTAR.com


PHOENIX — Breezy winds kicked up a blanket of dust across the Valley on Sunday, and forecasters say more is on the way this week.

Visibility in Phoenix became so bad on Sunday that Sky Harbor airport stopped flights for over an hour

The wind and dust peaked Sunday afternoon and gradually improved into the evening, said Michael Graves, an air quality meteorologist with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

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“You might’ve seen the mountains a bit obscured in the distance,” Graves told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Monday. “A lot of haze in the air.”

By Monday morning, skies had largely cleared and dust levels near the ground had dropped significantly.

Expect more gusty, dusty days this week

The relief may be short-lived.

ADEQ is watching for increased afternoon breezes Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, this time from the west and southwest. Though the winds are expected to be weaker than Sunday’s, Graves said forecasters cannot rule out dust.

“I wouldn’t say windstorm,” Graves said. “I would just say we’ve got some waves coming in. They’re going to increase our afternoon breeziness.”

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It’s enough to kick up dry, exposed dirt, which could create pockets of dust. There is a slight chance of broader regional dust transport, Graves said.

It will impact people with asthma, COPD or respiratory conditions the most. Graves advised those with issues to monitor conditions and stay indoors during the dustiest hours.

“If you’re going to be outside, be outside during the times when it’s less dusty or hazy,” Graves said.

Graves noted that spring weather systems typically pass to the north of the Phoenix area, delivering wind and slight temperature drops but little to no rain, a pattern likely to continue.

KTAR News reporter Kellen Shover contributed to this report.

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Trying to beat the heat: Addressing rising temperatures in Southern Arizona

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Trying to beat the heat: Addressing rising temperatures in Southern Arizona


The University of Arizona and Tucson are known for yearlong warm weather, but when is it too much? With temperature reaching record highs in March, the city of Tucson has already reported increased temperatures for this year. 

In the wake of the third annual Southern Arizona Heat Summit, integrating voices throughout the City of Tucson, community stakeholders and experts from UA gather to speak about possible solutions and policies to address rising temperatures and extreme heat. 

The summit strives to ensure that the lived experiences of Southern Arizona residents are voiced. The first summit commenced in 2024, in response to the declaration of an extreme heat emergency in Arizona by Gov. Katie Hobbs, as part of a larger plan called Arizona’s Extreme Heat Response Plan. 

With representation from organizations such as the American Red Cross, the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, Arizona Jobs with Justice, Tucson Indian Center and many more, the summit emphasized the importance of the perspective and concerns of stakeholder groups throughout the community. 

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The summit included a variety of UA experts, including faculty representing the School of Geography, Development and Environment; the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy; the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture.

One particular project, led by Ladd Keith at the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning, is a part of the Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory, which is funded by the United States’ Department of Energy to explore extreme heat throughout Arizona. SW-IFL works in collaboration with other national laboratories including those at ASU and NAU. 

The team works to analyze extreme heat in the southwest and rural areas, and how communities deal with heat by conducting interviews. The team has also prescribed policy to Pima County and the City of Tucson regarding more effective strategies to combat rising temperatures, such as green stormwater infrastructure. 

Anne-Lise Boyer, a post-doctoral researcher with the Climate Assessment for the Southwest, shared that the team particularly analyzed extreme heat in three parts: heat mitigation, heat management and heat governance.

Mitigation deals with prevention through strategies such as green infrastructure and planting trees, while management includes cooling sensors and heat warning systems. Governance allows these measures to be enacted through policy.

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In Tucson, some of the most meaningful work the team has engaged in has been drafting the City of Tucson’s Heat Action Roadmap in 2024, which outlines goals to mitigate and mandate extreme heat and its impacts while prioritizing community voices.  

The goals of the roadmap include informing and educating citizens of Tucson on the adverse effects of extreme heat and cooling people’s homes and neighborhoods by incorporating heat risk in regional planning. These steps are essential to practicing heat management, especially as the city of Tucson grows. 

“I think the most interesting thing about being based in Tucson is that because the heat has been here for a long time, it’s like a laboratory in itself,” Boyer said. “We have all this research and all this collaboration happening with local actors because it’s a pressing issue in Arizona.”

As the annual heat summit recurs, new ideas and perspectives continue to be shared throughout the community. Boyer shared that this year, the Southern Arizona Heat Summit focused on the youth perspective, highlighting middle school and high school students and how heat impacts their everyday lives. Many students spoke about how heat shaped their lives at home, school and sports.

“That’s one of the goals, to have community members participate and give their input in how they wish the city will deal with the heat,” Boyer said. 

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Boyer and Kirsten Lake, a program coordinator for the SW-IFL team, also shared how the impacts of extreme heat impact some neighborhoods and communities in Tucson more than others, and that their research often evaluates these factors to determine where heat management efforts would make the greatest impact.

“Its important when you’re putting into effect some of these measures, that you make sure you put it where it’s going to make the biggest difference,” Lake said.

The work of the SW-IFL team is not just locally known. The Brookhaven National Lab based in New York deployed a specialized truck to Tucson to collect information on the atmosphere and rising temperatures. The SW-IFL team hosted the Brookhaven team.

Additionally, Keith’s work has led to a guidebook called “Planning for Urban Heat Resilience” which focuses on the adverse effects extreme heat poses to marginalized communities across the country. 

“It is so different from place to place and neighborhood to neighborhood because you have to take the whole context into account,” Boyer said. “They recommend first to document the heat impacts in your communities.”

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