Arizona
Heat-related deaths in Phoenix, Arizona, have nearly doubled this year
Heat-related deaths in hottest major US city have almost doubled compared with the same period last year, after Phoenix experienced its hottest ever June on record.
The number of possible heat deaths reported by the Maricopa county medical examiner was 175 as of 29 June – a staggering 84% increase over the same period last year.
That current total comprises 162 suspected deaths under investigation and 13 confirmed heat deaths.
The death toll from extreme heat has been rising every year in Maricopa county, where Phoenix, the Arizona state capital and America’s fifth largest city, is located.
Deaths are concentrated in Phoenix despite city and statewide efforts to tackle the rise in heat mortality and morbidity.
Last year, Phoenix suffered a month of consecutive days over 110F (43C) and a record 645 heat deaths in the county – a 700% rise over the past decade. But the unprecedented July heatwave followed a cooler-than-normal June, which could partly explain the surge in early season heat-related deaths recorded so far this year.
The average temperature – a measure which takes into account the daily highs and lows – made June 2024 the hottest ever recorded in the city. This was driven in large part by multiple record warm lows or night-time temperatures towards the end of the month, when moisture from a tropical system sat over the region, trapping the daytime heat and limiting cooling.
The night-time low on 27 June was 95F – which broke the record for the warmest overnight June low, which was 93F and set in 1990. The hotter nights are particularly alarming for public health experts because heat is cumulative, and the body cannot start to properly recover until the temperature drops below 80F.
Dangerously hot temperatures are forecast for Maricopa county and the entire south-west United States, with a heat dome – a strong area of high pressure and warm air – expected to linger until the middle of next week, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in a post on X.
With no rain forecast, temperatures could top 115F in Phoenix over the next few days, with records likely to be broken in parts of California and Las Vegas, according to Gabriel Lojero, a meteorologist at the NWS Phoenix.
“The heat is going to be very severe across the majority of the south-west with an excessive heat warning in place for most of the region. The heatwave will be especially severe over the July 4 weekend when more people are doing outdoor activities,” said Lojero.
Heat deaths are rising across the US – and globally – with official counts likely to be a significant underestimate as many medical examiners have yet to develop processes that match Maricopa county’s.
So far this year, heat has also killed at least two people in Idaho and at least five in Kansas City, according to reports from local health officials.
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Investigating suspected heat deaths takes time.
Of the 13 confirmed heat deaths in Maricopa county so far this year, 46% of the people were Black, Latino or Indigenous American; 69% were men and 31% were women. At least two deaths took place indoors. In one case, the deceased’s air conditioning was turned off, in the other case it was not functioning, according to preliminary investigations.
Paramedics have responded to 424 heat-related emergency calls so far this year, according to the Phoenix fire department.
It’s not clear what impact the city’s decision to evict a large homeless encampment from downtown – where many services are located – will have on heat deaths, as 45% of last year’s fatalities involved unsheltered people. So far this year, 31% of the confirmed deaths involved unhoused people. It’s unclear whether some unhoused people have left due to Phoenix’s increasingly draconian crackdown on homelessness.
In May, advocates condemned Phoenix for effectively criminalizing homelessness after the Democrat-run city council voted unanimously to ban people from sleeping, cooking or camping at city buildings, parks and parking lots, and also within 500ft of schools, daycare centers, shelters and parks.
The tent ban can now be enforced after the US supreme court last week ruled that it was not unconstitutional for cities to arrest and fine people for sleeping in public spaces, even when no shelter space exists. Phoenix “will continue to offer shelter and services when possible, and will ask for compliance before resorting to an arrest”, according to the city attorney Julie Kriegh.
The region is accustomed to a hot desert climate, but daytime and night temperatures are rising due to global heating. The deadly consequences have been exacerbated by decades of unchecked urban development that created a sprawling heat island, which the city is trying to tackle with a variety of programs.
Arizona
Haitian man detained at Arizona ICE facility dies in US custody, brother says
FLORENCE, AZ (AP) — A Haitian man confined at an Arizona immigration detention center for months died at a hospital Monday after a tooth infection was left untreated, the man’s brother said Wednesday.
Emmanuel Damas, 56, told medical personnel at the Florence Correctional Center that he had a toothache in mid-February, but he was not sent to a dentist, said Damas’ brother, Presly Nelson.
Nelson believes the staff at the facility did not take his brother’s complaints seriously, even though it was a treatable condition. Nelson said he would expect such a death in countries with less access to health care, but not in the United States.
“As a country — I’m an American now — I think we can do better than that,” Nelson said.
Damas is among at least nine people who have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody this year.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. ICE had said it hoped to issue a news release Wednesday.
Earlier Wednesday, ICE officials announced the death of Mexican national Alberto Gutierrez-Reyes, who had been in a California ICE detention center and died in the hospital Feb. 27 after reporting chest pain and shortness of breath.
Chandler City Council member Christine Ellis, a Haitian American who is a registered nurse, said she was contacted by Damas’ family after his death.
“As a medical person, I am absolutely appalled that there were medical-licensed people that were working there and allowed those things to happen,” Ellis said. “It does not make sense to me.”
A report from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office listed Damas’ cause of death as “pending” as of Wednesday.
Damas was taken into ICE custody in September and was soon transferred to the medium-security Florence Correctional Center, where he was held for several months, including after his asylum application was denied, Ellis said.
CoreCivic, a for-profit corrections company that runs the Florence facility, did not respond to emails seeking comment.
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Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Arizona
3 men sentenced in Arizona for multi-million dollar scam against Amazon
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Three Valley men have been sentenced for their roles in what prosecutors described as a “sophisticated fraud scheme” against an online shopping giant.
In a news release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Mughith Faisal, 29, of Glendale, was sentenced on Feb. 5 to 18 months in prison. His brother, Basheer Faisal, 28, of Glendale, was also recently ordered to spend 18 months in prison.
The feds said a third defendant in the case, Abdullah Alwan, 28, of Surprise, was sentenced to six months in prison after the trio pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
Prosecutors said the three were also each ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution to Amazon.
According to federal officials, Alwan worked in Amazon’s logistics division and left the company in 2021 when he reportedly used his knowledge to manipulate rates for transportation deliveries assigned to Amazon’s third-party carriers.
The feds said Basheer and Mughith Faisal used “Blue Line Transport” to knowingly get to increased transport rates that Alwan would then input into Amazon’s system, ripping them off out of $4.5 million.
The FBI’s Phoenix Division helped in the investigation, which was then prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
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Copyright 2026 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
Arizona
Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 3, 2026
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Tuesday, March 3, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers
07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers
2-0-8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers
02-05-18-27-41
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Triple Twist numbers
11-14-17-19-23-24
Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results
What time is the Powerball drawing?
Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?
In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.
How to play the Powerball
To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.
You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.
To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:
- 5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
- 5 white balls = $1 million.
- 4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
- 4 white balls = $100.
- 3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
- 3 white balls = $7.
- 2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
- 1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
- 1 red Powerball = $4.
There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:
Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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