Arizona

Shutdown may be ending, but here’s why deal doesn’t suit Mark Kelly, Ruben Gallego

Published

3 weeks ago

November 9, 2025

Press Room

Shutdown may be ending, but here’s why deal doesn’t suit Mark Kelly, Ruben Gallego

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is working on a deal to end the 40-day federal government shutdown.
The emerging agreement would fund the government through January but does not extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego of Arizona oppose the deal, citing the lack of health insurance subsidy extensions.

A faction of Senate Democrats joined with Republicans in preliminary steps to end the record-long federal government shutdown, although Arizona’s senators oppose the emerging deal.

On its 40^th day, enough Democrats appeared ready to begin the multi-step legislative process needed to end the shutdown that began Oct. 1.

“It looks like we’re getting very close to the shutdown ending,” President Donald Trump told reporters in Washington.

Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego each issued statements Nov. 9 against the short-term spending agreement.

“In the richest country in the world, families shouldn’t have to choose between putting food on the table and their health care,” Kelly said. “But that’s exactly what Donald Trump has done to Americans with this shutdown.”

Gallego signaled that he would not be moved by anything less than a deal to preserve the insurance subsidies that expire at the end of the year.

“I have been clear on this from the beginning: I will not turn my back on the 24 million Americans who will see their premiums more than double if we don’t extend these tax credits,” he said.

“At a time when prices are already too high, Americans are shopping for health insurance and experiencing such sticker shock that they are being forced to sign up for a crappy, overpriced plan or not signing up for insurance at all.”

The agreement, which could take several more days to finalize, appears to have enough Democratic support to allow it to move to a vote and would fund the government through January, along with several pieces of the annual budget bill that are supposed to be in place before the start of the federal fiscal year on Oct. 1.

It does not include any extension of the pandemic-era health insurance subsidies for those who buy coverage through the Affordable Care Act, which was the main Democratic demand. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who has been one of the three non-Republicans to consistently vote to end a shutdown, said Republicans had indicated they would allow a vote on the insurance issue.

“I think people were saying ‘We’re not going to get what we want,’ although we still have a chance,” he said, according to the New York Times.

The deal also includes a provision to bring back government workers fired by the Trump administration during the shutdown, said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, who told reporters that was instrumental in moving him to support it.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, remained against the deal, reflecting the deep division within his party.

“On Friday, we offered Republicans a compromise: a proposal that would extend the ACA tax credits for a year and open up the government at the same time,” he said.

“They once again said no, and when they said no on our compromise they showed they are against any health care reform. Instead, they passed the biggest health care cuts in our nation’s history — just to give tax breaks to billionaires.”

When will Adelita Grijalva get sworn in?

The process of approving the plan will require several Senate votes and will necessitate calling the House of Representatives back into session.

That could bring with it the belated swearing-in of Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Arizona, who has been kept officially out of office since she easily won the special election to fill the seat vacated by the March death of her father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz.

Grijalva’s arrival in the House is expected to provide the last needed signatory to force the House to vote on publicly releasing the investigative files for Jeffrey Epstein.

The disgraced financier killed himself amid allegations of sex trafficking underage girls to VIPs. Trump is widely believed to be mentioned in the files involving his former friend.

Food benefit cuts and flight cancellations

For weeks, the shutdown had enough exceptions that many Americans could perhaps overlook the stalemate, but it has become more impactful for millions with impending limits on the government’s food benefits program and the growing cancellations of hundreds of domestic flights each day.

Kelly maintained there “should’ve never been a shutdown in the first place, and I worked to find a solution with Republicans and this administration.”

He accused Trump of not caring “about rising costs, skyrocketing health care premiums, or working families struggling to put food on the table. He has spent more time working on his ballroom than working to open the government. He sued to block food assistance for hungry families.”

Gallego said it was “disgusting that Republicans have put the country in the place, where they are pitting working people against each other.”

“There’s a phrase in Spanish, ‘Con salud, lo hay todo; sin salud, no hay nada.’ It means ‘With good health you have it all; without your health, you have nothing.’”

Source link

Click to comment

Arizona

Tracking snap counts and Pro Football Focus grades from Arizona’s win at ASU

Published

14 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Press Room

Tracking snap counts and Pro Football Focus grades from Arizona’s win at ASU

Arizona has brought the Territorial Cup back to Tucson, winning the rivalry game with ASU for the third time in four seasons. And it did so despite some of the worst grades of the season for the team as a whole and the offense specifically.

The UA’s team grade of 69.1 ranked third-lowest in 2025, ironically ahead of two of the other wins in the current 5-game streak. The offensive grade of 62.6 was also better than only the recent wins over Kansas (57.2) and Colorado (55.5).

Defensively it was a different story. Arizona graded at 76.1, which was 6th-best, and its 90.3 run defense grade was the best of 2025.

For the season, Arizona’s overall grade of 87.5 ranks 39^th in FBS. The defense is tied for 21^st at 91.5. Compare those to a season ago when the Wildcats ranked 98^th nationally and their defense was 118^th out of 134 FBS schools.

Below are the snap counts and individual grades of all players who appeared on offense or defense at ASU:

Top overall grades (min. 20 snaps): S Dalton Johnson (83.3), S Genesis Smith (71.7), QB Noah Fifita (71.2), RT Matthew Lado (71.2), LB Riley Wilson (69.0)

Top pass blocking: RG Alexander Doost (85.5), LG Chubba Maae (81.6), RB Ismail Mahdi (76.2)

Top run blocking: RT Matthew Lado (66.2), WR Kris Hutson (62.7), WR Tre Spivey (61.9)

Top pass rushing: LB Chase Kennedy (62.7), CB Treydan Stukes (60.0), CB Michael Dansby (59.7)

Top run defense: Johnson (92.7), CB Ayden Garnes (77.0), Wilson (75.2)

Top tackling: Smith (82.9), Garnes (81.1), LB Taye Brown (79.1)

Top coverage: Dansby (71.4), Johnson (71.3), Smith (68.7)

Source link

Arizona

Wrong-way driver caught on cam, ASU battles Arizona for Territorial Cup | Nightly Roundup

Published

1 day ago

November 28, 2025

Press Room

Wrong-way driver caught on cam, ASU battles Arizona for Territorial Cup | Nightly Roundup

article

PHOENIX – From the terrifying moment caught on camera of a wrong-way driver on I-10, to the duel in the desert as ASU takes on Arizona for the rivalry game, here’s a look at your top stories on FOX10Phoenix.com for Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.

1. Wrong-way driver caught on camera

What we know:

During the late night hours of Thanksgiving, a white pickup truck was seen heading the wrong way on Interstate 10’s HOV lane near Baseline Road.

2. Man found lying near roadway prompts hit-and-run investigation

3. Suspect in custody after shooting at South Phoenix apartment

4. Officers use less-lethal means to detain road rage suspect

5. ASU vs. U of A: Fans gear up for rivalry game

A peak at your weather this weekend

Get the Full Forecast

Nightly RoundupPhoenixNews

Source link

Arizona

Arizona pair celebrates decade of friendship that started with wrong text

Published

2 days ago

November 28, 2025

Press Room

Arizona pair celebrates decade of friendship that started with wrong text

MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — What began as a mistaken text message has blossomed into a 10-year Thanksgiving tradition that continues to capture hearts worldwide.

Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench are celebrating their tenth consecutive Thanksgiving together, a friendship that started in 2016 when Dench accidentally texted the then-17-year-old Hinton, thinking she was inviting her grandson to dinner.

“There are no accidents. It was meant to be,” Dench said.

The mix-up occurred when Dench sent a Thanksgiving dinner invitation to the wrong phone number. When Hinton responded asking who was texting, Dench replied it was grandma.

“I get this text back saying who is this and I said its grandma and the next message was well send me a picture,” Dench said.

Friendship grows through life’s challenges

What could have been a forgettable mistake transformed into an annual reunion. The pair have supported each other through significant life events, including the death of Dench’s husband in 2020 and her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment last year.

“We just all clicked. It was amazing. We spent hours talking. There was no generation gap. It was just fun and joyful and exciting,” Dench said.

“I love it to spend thanksgiving with so many different types of people,” Hinton said.

The friendship has provided mutual support during difficult times.

“I was able to talk with Jamal and he’s always given me encouragement and I’ve been very blessed,” Dench said.

“It feels like a best friend. She feels like someone you can talk to about anything. So when you go through anything I call her all the time. She answers her phone,” Hinton said.

Both consider each other family now.

“Jamal will always be in my inner circle of family,” Dench said.

“Family she’s family no matter what,” Hinton said.

This year’s celebration was sponsored by Green Giant.

Last year, the pair met virtually while Dench was battling cancer, making this year’s in-person reunion particularly meaningful.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Source link