PHOENIX – Gov. Katie Hobbs announced on Tuesday that she appointed legal expert Lee Stein to the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR).

Stein joins the governing board for the state’s public universities with 25 years of legal experience, previously serving as an assistant U.S. attorney and special assistant attorney general in Arizona’s Attorney Generals Office.

As a trial lawyer, Stein has experience in white collar lawsuits and government investigations. He has been involved in cases including SEC investigations, environment and wildlife, and fraud cases.

“I am humbled by Governor Hobbs’ confidence in me,” Stein said in a press release. “I fully appreciate the importance of higher education to the state and I am looking forward to doing my part to ensure that the universities continue to provide an accessible and high quality education to Arizona students.”

Stein has represented university students accused of misconduct in the past along with Title IX litigation.

“Mr. Stein’s tenacity, self-determination and extensive experience will be instrumental in advancing higher education in our state and elevating the values that make our universities exceptional,” ABOR Chair Cecilia Mata said in a press release. “I look forward to working with him to advance the interests of Arizona’s public universities and gaining his perspectives on the unique challenges and opportunities in the evolving space of higher education.”

Who is Lee Stein?

An Arizona native, Stein graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelors in political science before earning his Juris Doctor at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law in 1988.

Stein is filling the vacancy left by Regent Bob Herbold, who resigned in February due to health reasons. Stein will finish Herbold’s term, which lasts until January 2028.

Along with his law career Stein served as a member for former U.S. Sen. John McCain’s Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee and as an adjunct professor at ASU and U of A.

“With a dedication to public service and a deep appreciation for Arizona’s universities, I have no doubt that Mr. Stein will be an effective member of the Board and will help ensure accessible and attainable higher education for everyone while safeguarding the integrity of our world-class public universities.” Hobbs said.

ABOR’s jurisdiction includes ASU, U of A and Northern Arizona University.

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Maricopa County Superior Court judge temporarily blocked on Monday some rules for ballot-drop locations that supporters said helped protect voters from intimidation.

This all centers around Democrat Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’ Election Procedure Manual that debuted in December 2023.

Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill said the manual’s harassment rules expanded on the criminal law, which Fontes isn’t allowed to do.

She also said voter intimidation is already illegal and that the rules were too broad and restricted free speech.

The judge pointed to items in the manual like cracking down on “unspecified ‘disruptive’ behavior,” “unspecified ‘aggressive’ behavior,” somebody raising their voice, using offensive language and questioning voters or poll workers in a “harassing manner,” the ruling stated.

The rules were also for those outside the 75-foot election boundary, which she said hindered free speech.

Fontes is likely to appeal.

Complaints were made during Arizona’s 2022 election season that people wearing masks and carrying guns were intimidating voters who bring ballots to drop boxes in Arizona.

The manual said election officials may restrict activities that interfere with access to ballot drop-off locations.

In a footnote, the manual gave examples of voter intimidation or harassment, including intentionally following someone delivering ballots to a drop box.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The Arizona Cardinals are coming off two consecutive 4-13 seasons. It’s hard to believe things could get much worse inside that stadium yet here we are looking at one of the most off-putting culinary concoctions any stadium concession stand has ever considered: the cotton candy burrito.

According to the tiny sign there the cotton candy burrito contains ice cream and candy wrapped in cotton candy and a look inside confirms as much. It’s sugar wrapped in sugar and the combination of ice cream, Arizona heat and cotton candy seems like a recipe for disaster without even considering the health concerns. If there’s really any structural integrity to this thing then it’s must be like stuffing the contents of a trick-or-treat bag into a football, which by the way sounds like something that would incredibly easy to throw.

What are we even doing here? This is the exact kind of thing that deserves Dr. Ian Malcolm’s scorn. The Arizona Cardinals’s concessions operator were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.

What’s worse is that these aren’t even new. You can learn how to make one in this YouTube video from 2018. Or you might have seen one at this ice cream shop in Las Vegas, which is “home to the cotton candy burrito.”

Maybe the Cardinals won’t be so bad this year. Maybe they’ll improve. Whatever happens on the field, at least fans will be able to go home with that familiar feeling of regret.