Arizona
Arizona activists rally to protect public land from new mining, drilling policies
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Take a drive down any dirt road in any forest, near any mountain range in Arizona, and you are likely to see a beautiful, natural view.
But, there are also minerals in these lands, and the new Interior Secretary has made it clear: He wants more mining, drilling and chopping.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said, “In North Dakota, we created a prosperous economy by sustainably developing our natural resources.” One of his first acts as Secretary was to sign orders to “encourage energy exploration and production on federal lands and waters.” Now, even some national monuments that had been off-limits are open for review by the mining and energy sectors.
Arizona’s Family spoke with Taylor McKinnon from the Center for Biological Diversity about the impact this could have on Arizona’s public land. When asked why it is problematic to open these spaces back up for review he said all of these lands were designated as protected for a reason.
“Each of these places was protected in the first place because there are values, cultural sites, important habitats, and iconic landscapes that people like to visit that weren’t compatible with energy development,” McKinnon said.
He says the energy and mining industries leave the landscape scarred forever. “Once an area is mined, it’ll never be the same again.”
Arizona’s backcountry faces rising threat from growing outdoor tourism trends
McKinnon and other public lands advocates believe Arizona is a target because it has so much federal land. Nearly 40% of the state is owned by the federal government.
From the Grand Canyon to the Sonoran Desert, these spaces draw tourists from across the country—tourists that spend billions of dollars every year in our hotels and restaurants. Which ultimately has a huge impact on the state of Arizona.
Dozens of people gathered in front of the State Capitol to urge lawmakers to protect public spaces from mining, development and private ownership. The group held signs with sayings such as, “Public lands in public hands.” They say this fight is too important for them to stay quiet.
Tina Mollica who was at the rally said, “As soon as the executive order went out that they were firing the park rangers, I was infuriated.”
The people rallying in front of the capitol are hoping that, in the end, public support for enjoying nature outweighs the support for exploiting nature’s resources.
“I want my grandchildren and their children to enjoy some of the things we’ve been able to enjoy,” another attendee Mary Marmor said.
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PAGE, AZ (AZFamily) — A person accused of making terroristic threats toward a northern Arizona medical facility was arrested Friday morning.
Just after 10:30 p.m., police received a report of a person calling the facility and threatening to kill staff and Native Americans, according to the Page Police Department.
Authorities said staff placed the facility on lockdown until officers identified the suspect and arrested them outside their home.
The suspect was booked on charges of disorderly conduct, threatening and intimidating, and making terroristic threats. Police have not publicly identified the person.
“The Page Police Department is grateful for and supports the medical staff’s decision to put the medical facility into lockdown until the suspect was arrested and the situation was rendered safe,” the department said in a Facebook post.
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In these four-round projections, the Arizona Cardinals don’t get a tackle until the fourth round.
We are just days away from the 2026 NFL draft, and that means some final mock drafts. What direction will the draft take the Arizona Cardinals?
Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy put together a four-round mock draft for the Cardinals. They go defense early but rebuild the offense for 2026 and moving forward, including landing their potential franchise quarterback.
Cardinals 4-round mock draft
Here are the players in the first four rounds Popejoy projects for Arizona.
- Round 1: Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese
- Round 2: Alabama QB Ty Simpson
- Round 3: Clemson WR Antonio Williams
- Round 4: Florida OT Austin Barber
What we think of the picks
The Cardinals want to trade out of the third pick and draft a tackle, so not getting a tackle until Round 4 seems unlikely, although they did meet with Barber. They do have options at right tackle for 2026 already on the roster.
Reese would be a great pick if they don’t trade back, as they badly need pass-rushing help off the edge.
Drafting Simpson seems inevitable at this point, so it has to be in a mock draft, although the feeling is they will need to go up into Round 1 again to get him.
Williams has speed and is almost six feet tall, but he does have short arms.
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.
Due to significant injuries to the CB position last year which includes a shoulder surgery for Terrion Arnold, the Lions CB position scored a 6/10 need on my Lions Defensive Draft Need Rankings. Thus, an early-round selection of a young, healthy prospect like Keith Abney would not come as a surprise. He enters the draft with very low medical concern level.
Here is the excerpt from my medical report on Keith Abney:
(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information are unverified and subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
Keith Abney, CB (21) – Arizona State
Projected round 2-3. #43 on Jeff Risdon board Feb 19.
Concern level 0/10
There is an isolated report of a hand injury but no corroborating information. Even if the hand injury is true, that’s of minimal to no long-term concern.
His availability in his final two seasons has been perfect. Overall, Abney appears to be medically clean and is at an excellent age.
He finished college with 6 INT and 21 PBU.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD
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