PHOENIX — Happy Friday! Temperatures will be in the double digits this weekend, so get out and enjoy the slowly cooling temperatures!

We’re staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Friday, September 12; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:

From Meteorologist Jorge Torres – Cooler air on the way

We’re wrapping up the week with a breezy and slightly cooler day! Highs in the Valley will top out near 100º this afternoon, with gusts up to 25 miles per hour. Then, get ready for an even cooler weekend ahead as temperatures dip back into the 90s!

Air Force Two landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Thursday to bring Charlie Kirk’s body home.

The conservative activist was shot and killed while speaking at a rally in Utah on Wednesday.

Vice President JD Vance flew to Utah to meet Kirk’s family and escort them back to Phoenix.

Kirk is the co-founder of Turning Point USA, which has its headquarters in Phoenix. Kirk and his family are residents of the Valley.

The procession carrying Charlie Kirk’s casket headed north up State Route 51 before turning off and stopping at Hansen Mortuary Chapel at 7th Street and Northern Avenue in north Phoenix.

Charlie Kirk body arrives in Phoenix on Air Force Two

A man is among three people who are dead after a crash on Interstate 10 just west of SR-85 in Buckeye.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety has confirmed the eastbound lanes of the freeway were blocked because of the crash between Palo Verde Parkway and SR-85.

Buckeye fire officials say they responded to a single-vehicle rollover crash just after 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

A man was pronounced dead at the scene. He has not yet been identified.

Four others, including a woman, a teenage boy, and two young children, were reportedly in critical condition when they were taken to the hospital.

DPS has since confirmed that two of the other victims have also since died, but officials did not disclose their ages.

Arizona’s fourth-hottest summer on record is proving fatal for even the most resilient desert species, as saguaros and rattlesnakes are dying in alarming numbers amid prolonged and extreme heat.

The saguaro cactus, a symbol of the Southwest and found only in the Sonoran Desert, is showing signs of stress and sharp population decline. Researchers at the Desert Botanical Garden say mortality rates have jumped from 1 to 2 percent annually to nearly 7 percent in recent years, due in large part to extended heat waves and high nighttime temperatures that interfere with many plants’ natural respiration.

Rattlesnakes are also facing conditions that may exceed their physical limits. Mike Cardwell, a consulting wildlife biologist who has tracked rattlesnakes in Arizona for more than 25 years, said two adult Western diamondbacks failed to emerge after the record heat in July 2023 — a first in his decades of study.

“Those snakes stayed underground during the hottest stretch and never came back up,” Cardwell said. “If it’s happening to rattlesnakes, it’s hard to imagine it’s not happening to other species as well.”

Even Arizona’s most resilient species facing pressure as summers get hotter

On a mission in the Arabian Sea, the five thousand-plus crew on the USS Carl Vinson went about their routine work.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Carl Forkner awoke to a pounding on his door. The intelligence officer, stationed just across the passageway, urged him to turn on the ship’s television.

What Forkner saw was not a scene from a Hollywood blockbuster, but the beginning of a new era for the United States and its military.

“I said, ‘Was this like a showing of a new Die-Hard movie or what?’” Forkner recalled. “He said, ‘No, that’s really happening right now. Probably ought to get ready, get dressed. I’m sure we’ll have a meeting in the Captain’s Office.’”

24 years later, USS Carl Vinson veteran remembers America’s first response

The Federal Communications Commission is alerting consumers about a new wave of scam calls and texts falsely claiming to offer 50% discounts on cable and streaming services from major providers like Comcast, Spectrum, and Prime.

Consumers across the country are reporting robocalls and voicemails with urgent messages claiming their supposed discount is about to expire. In one example provided by the FCC, a caller impersonating Comcast Xfinity said: “We’re reviewing your account, and it appears your 50 percent discount on your monthly bill is set to expire today. To confirm and secure your savings, call the number displayed on your caller ID immediately. This offer cannot be extended.”

According to complaints filed with the FCC, people who call back are pressured to act quickly to keep the fake discount. The scammers then claim the only way to secure the savings is to prepay for multiple months of service using gift cards.

The FCC emphasizes that pressure to act quickly and demands for gift card payments are clear warning signs of a scam.

Let ABC15 Know: FCC warns consumers about fake cable and streaming discount scams

PHOENIX — An Arizona man was sentenced to more than two years in prison for pointing a gun at a border patrol agent, officials said.

Erik Alberto Beal, 28, was sentenced to 32 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release for the incident on Tuesday, according the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

Prosecutors said that Beal previously pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer.

Details on why the Arizona man was sentenced

Last year, on April 11, two border patrol agents were looking for an undocumented migrant they saw cross into the United States near Beal’s home in Nogales.

The agents split up and were looking around the residence when a side door opened and a pit bull ran out at one of the agents. The agent proceeded to draw his service weapon, point it at the dog and begin shouting.

Prosecutors said that is when Beal exited the home, grabbed a handgun from his truck, loaded it and pointed it at the agents — who was in uniform.

A brief standoff took place between the two before the second border patrol agent arrived and pointed his service weapon at Beal. That is when Beal lowered his weapon.

PHOENIX — Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against an Apache Junction landlord over a weekslong power outage last summer.

According to the Tuesday announcement, the attorney general is suing the owners and operators of Arizuma County Estates after it had a five-week power outage during the summer in 2024.

The power outage began on July 22 after an electrical panel became overloaded and caught on fire.

The community is home to recreational vehicles (RVs) and park model homes.

“This case is an alarming example of a park owners’ indifference to the health and safety of their residents,” Mayes said in the announcement. “At a time when our state routinely faces record-breaking summer heat, landlords must be vigilant about their internal electric systems.

“And most importantly, landlords cannot ignore their duty to provide alternative electricity especially when their own neglect has caused them to violate their contractual and statutory obligations to provide reliable electricity.”

Why is Mayes suing the Apache Junction landlord?

The lawsuit accuses Arizuma County Estates of violating the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act (ACFA) by contracting with tenants under false pretenses and failing to inform them about the unreliable electrical system.

In addition, it states the community misled tenants regarding the progress of repairs, was the cause of delays and did not notify residents about said delays.

The lawsuit also alleges that the operators of Arizuma County Estates, Donald R. Thonger and Lyn M. Thonger, left the country for several weeks during the outage and did not provide on-site staff the needed authority to address concerns from residents nor the electrician in charge of the repairs.

The complaint claims that the community demonstrated unethical business practices under the ACFA by not providing adequate alternatives to residents, causing them to use their own money to escape the heat.

“My message to landlords is this: live up to the promises you’ve made to your tenants when renting to them and follow the law,” Mayes said. “If you don’t, I will hold you accountable.”

Anyone who believes they have been a victim to consumer fraud or unfair practices can file a complaint online. Those who would like a complaint form sent to them can contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at 602-542-5763, in Tucson at 520-628-6648 and outside the metro areas at 800-352-8431.