Home Articles Resume About Contact

Articles

Cronkite News, Phoenix Articles

During my time at Cronkite News I covered a variety of topics. Most of my work was focused social justice and politics, however. I collaborated with fellow reporters on stories and juggled long-form stories as well as quick-turns. Here are some of my favorite stories, but feel free to check out my author page for more.

Cronkite News •

Veterans rally outside Arizona capital protesting job cuts

PHOENIX – Veterans laughed and teased each other outside the Arizona State Capitol, but the reason for their gathering wasn’t so chipper. Dozens joined with lawmakers and community advocates to denounce the federal government’s treatment of veterans. 


Their main message was loud and clear on the shirts many wore: “Stop Firing Vets.” 


“The same government that thanks us on Veterans Day turns its back on us the other 364 days of the year,” said Omar Algeciras, a 20-year Air Force veteran and...
Cronkite News •

Commission candidates, Arizonans upset over state’s increasing utility rates - Cronkite News

PHOENIX — Anna Cicero, a retired educator who lives in Chandler with her daughter and grandson, held her utility bill up while speaking behind a podium in the Rose Garden of the Arizona Capitol. She spoke passionately about the rising utility rates and their effects on her family.


“I can try to find cheaper eggs or just skip cholesterol,” Cicero said. “But I cannot switch to a cheaper electrical company.”


Cicero said she’s scared to check her bill every month. Two other concerned Arizonans...
Cronkite News •

National Indigenous Domestic Violence Hotline provides cultural care approach

PHOENIX — Seven days a week, 365 days a year, the StrongHearts Native Helpline provides care and services for Indigenous people experiencing domestic violence. On Sept. 24, it earned the title of National Indigenous Domestic Violence Hotline with new direct funding from the federal government.


The StrongHearts line was first established in 2017. The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center and the National Domestic Violence Hotline collaborated on its creation after identifying a service g...
Cronkite News •

Montezuma Castle National Monument closes after government shutdown

CAMPE VERDE — Yasmeen Mustafa approached the locked gates at Montezuma Castle National Monument and let out a deep, frustrated sigh as it dawned on her that the monument – and other national parks in Arizona, too – would have closures after the government shutdown began Wednesday.


“I really have no words to describe how I’m feeling right now,” she said. “I’m so upset.”


Wednesday marked the first day of her 10-day “dream trip” throughout the Southwest. Mustafa and her family planned to visi...
Cronkite News •

Arizona Supreme Court hears Prop. 211 arguments

PHOENIX — The fate of Proposition 211, an overwhelmingly popular law passed in 2022, was placed in the hands of the Arizona Supreme Court on Thursday.


The justices heard oral arguments from the Goldwater Institute, the plaintiff, and from the Arizona secretary of state, whose office defended the proposition.


Proposition 211, popularly known as the “Voter’s Right to Know Act,” passed with 72% of the vote. The Goldwater Institute, a public policy research organization, filed a lawsuit challe...
Cronkite News •

Arizonans mourn Charlie Kirk at Turning Point headquarters

PHOENIX — Shane Besore drove up at 2 p.m. Wednesday to the Turning Point USA headquarters with his head down and parked in a gravel lot.


A handful of others had already arrived at the headquarters of the organization Charlie Kirk cofounded to mourn and pay their respects to the right-wing media personality who was shot and killed at an event in Utah hours earlier.


Besore walked in a solemn silence, shoulders slumped, holding a red “Make America Great Again” hat. At the entrance, he placed...

Times of San Diego Articles

Throughout my internship with Times of San Diego, I covered breaking news, press releases, press conferences and enterprise stories. I covered a variety of topics, including health, crime and public safety, and state and local politics. Again, here are just a handful of the dozens of stories I put out during my internship. For more of my work, check out my author page.

Times of San Diego •

Automated license plate readers spark slew of privacy concerns in San Diego

Automated license plate recognition technology has long concerned San Diegans, especially when it comes to potential data breaches and who may be able to access the information.

The idea that federal law enforcement agencies could use automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, to target people for political speech, their immigration status or those seeking reproductive care, has heightened the alarm in recent weeks.

ALPRs collect data by capturing photos of license plates and scanning them int...
Times of San Diego •

Twentynine Palms Marines join National Guard deployment in LA

Approximately 700 Marines have been deployed to Los Angeles as a response to the ongoing protests there — despite strong opposition voiced by California politicians.

“Donald Trump’s decision to deploy Marines to Los Angeles is an astounding overreach of authoritarian power. The state of California has not requested the National Guard, much less the Marines, but Trump is sending them anyway,” said Democratic Rep. Mike Levin, who represents parts of San Diego and Orange County.

Levin sent a let...
Times of San Diego •

Linda Vista resident, U.S. citizen detained by ICE, raises awareness after court hearing

Dozens gathered Thursday morning in support of “Blue” Wong, a longtime activist and a United States citizen who was detained by ICE earlier this month.

Wong was detained on July 2 following an ICE raid in Linda Vista. A total of three U.S. citizens were detained in the incident, including Wong.

Wong did not provide her first name because she wants to “level the playing field.” She knows very little about the officers who took her into custody. 

Video footage from the day shows Blue standing...
Times of San Diego •

Three fires break out in San Diego County, largest near Camp Pendleton

Three fires broke out almost simultaneously across San Diego County on Thursday, with one growing to 200 acres.

The Basilone Fire broke out in North County near Camp Pendleton around 1:15 p.m., as did the Dennery Fire in San Ysidro.

The Jamacha Fire in East County broke out closer to 1 p.m. in the Rancho San Diego area. 

As of 4 p.m., none of the fires have led to evacuation orders. Two remain small, while the other, the Basilone Fire, has grown.

That blaze started at two acres, but has no...
Times of San Diego •

County ordinance protects ex-convicts trying to find jobs

San Diego County is working to make sure that previously incarcerated people who have paid their debts to society can truly walk free and pursue job opportunities without the hindrance of their past.

The Fair Chance Act went into effect statewide on Jan. 1, 2018. The law prohibits employers from asking job candidates about their conviction history before making a job offer. It’s often referred to as a “ban the box” law because it essentially bans the criminal record checkbox from job applicatio...
Times of San Diego •

San Diego police admit license plate reader data breach in early days of program

The San Diego Police Department’s automated license plate recognition database was searched nearly 13,000 times during the early weeks of its implementation in 2023 and 2024, a concern many had leading up to the city’s adoption of the technology.

Privacy advocates’ alarm stemmed from the potential for data breaches and cross-agency data sharing from automated license plate readers, often referred to as ALPRs.

In a memorandum to the city’s Privacy Advisory Board on Friday, the department admitt...
Times of San Diego •

Families demand that San Diego County 'show us the evidence' on jail in-custody deaths

Saving Lives in Custody, a local nonprofit fighting for answers to deaths in San Diego County jails, held a press conference Thursday asking the Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board to take action.

Saving Lives in Custody was joined by the family members and loved ones of individuals who died while in a county jail.  Leaders of the nonprofit demanded attention from the review board, or CLERB, which investigates citizen complaints against the San Diego County Sheriff’s and probation offices. 
“...
Times of San Diego •

'Busiest week of the year' for local water sports businesses around July 4th

Many San Diegans will flock to the outdoors, especially the beach, for Fourth of July-related festivities, but what does the holiday look like for those who run water sports and activities businesses?

For scuba diving, kayaking and paddle boarding shops, this week is one of the busiest all year. While San Diego’s temperate year-round climate makes it easy to enjoy water sports almost anytime, the summer months are still the busy season.

Kids are out of school, college students are home and to...

AZ Big Media Work

As an editorial intern with AZ Big Media, I helped with line editing, interview transcriptions, Q&A articles and stories for the AZRE magazine. I covered lifestyle stories such as concerts, music festivals and restaurant openings, as well as real estate news for Arizona. 

AZ Big Media •

ASU Health and Mayo Clinic investments fuel healthcare development - AZ Big Media

Healthcare facilities drive development in cities in numerous ways. Hospitals and health campuses need construction crews to build the campus, creating jobs in that sector. Once construction is complete, hospital staffing needs continue to increase employment as well. Beyond creating a powerful economic engine, these centers of healing provide hope to people when they need it most.


While the entire Valley is seeing a surge of medical infrastructure, the recently announced ASU Health Headquart...
AZ Big Media •

How Billy Cundiff transitioned from NFL to CRE - AZ Big Media

Before Billy Cundiff was kickstarting development projects, he was kicking off football games in the NFL. Prior to his retirement in 2015, Cundiff played for multiple teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens — and was voted to the 2011 Pro Bowl as the AFC placekicker.  


Today, Cundiff is managing director of development for Greystar, where he handles all ground-up activities in Arizona and Southern Nevada. Cundiff sat down with the AZ Big Podcast to talk about...
AZ Big Media •

10 places to check out for a celebratory graduation dinner - AZ Big Media

It’s almost graduation season in Arizona. As May rolls around, so do high school and college graduation ceremonies, and people are looking to celebrate. Whether it’s a nice dinner after walking the stage or hosting a party for the graduate, here are some of the places to check out for a celebratory graduation dinner.


DEEPER DIVE: Read all the Ranking Arizona Top 10 lists here


INDUSTRY INSIGHTS: Want more news like this? Get our free newsletter here


Elephanté in Scottsdale: This Italian...
AZ Big Media •

M3F: A music festival for good - AZ Big Media

M3F, also known as the McDowell Mountain Music Festival, returns to Steele Indian School Park for its 21st year on March 7 and 8 with headliners LCD Soundsystem and Justice. Wepsac Construction sponsors the two-day festival where all proceeds go directly back to the community through a variety of Arizona beneficiaries. Tickets are still available here.


“Every ticket counts,” says Rachel Blanchard, the festival director for M3F Fund.


The M3F beneficiaries fall under four categories: commun...

Cronkite News, Washington, D.C. Articles

During my time at the Cronkite News Washington Bureau, I covered a variety of topics. Most of my work was focused on politics or Indigenous communities, but I also covered sustainability and social justice. I learned to cover new beats and work with fellow reporters to produce multiple longer-form stories and quick turns. Click on the stories below to be redirected to the full-length versions. Here are some of my favorite stories, but feel free to check out my author page for more.

Cronkite News •

Despite more funding and focus, missing and murdered Native women in Arizona are undercounted

WASHINGTON – Despite grants and numerous programs to help mitigate the issue, cases of missing or murdered Indigenous women continue at relatively high rates.

The extent of the problem is almost certainly underestimated.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System showed a dozen missing Indigenous women from Arizona as of mid-2020. They’d been missing, on average, for 21 years. But the Arizona-based Navajo Nation alone lists 22 missing women. Some of the cases date to the 1970s.

Advo...
Cronkite News •

Trump’s pick for Pentagon chief, Fox News host Pete Hegseth, raises eyebrows

WASHINGTON – Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly was among the combat veterans and Democrats expressing deep skepticism at Donald Trump’s choice of a defense secretary with no national security experience.

“Typically you expect someone in that role to have implemented or made policy – defense policy,” Kelly, a Navy combat pilot, said Wednesday of the president-elect’s pick, conservative Fox News host Pete Hegseth.

Resumes of defense secretaries in recent decades included stints as CIA director, secretary...
Cronkite News •

Does Kamala Harris’ defeat mean the US isn’t ready for a female president?

WASHINGTON – Women have led the governments of nearly a third of the countries on Earth as presidents, prime ministers and chancellors. Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat kept the 235-year-old glass ceiling in the United States unbroken.

“It absolutely will happen,” said Jean Sinzdak, associate director of the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics.

Just not yet.

In Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in last month as the 66th president and the first woman on that list. Margaret Tha...
Cronkite News •

2024 presidential election in Arizona: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump battled for crucial swing state

WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump has been reelected, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Associated Press called the race at 3:35 a.m. Wednesday, Arizona time, after a Trump victory in Wisconsin put him over the top.

The 45th and soon to be 47th president is the first convicted felon elected commander in chief. Grover Cleveland was the only other former president returned to office, in the election of 1892.

Arizona was one of seven battlegrounds this year and by the time Tru...
Cronkite News •

Arizona oil wells leak methane, tribes and ADEQ have grants to plug them

WASHINGTON – Many oil and gas wells across Arizona with no known owners leak methane into the environment, which tribal, state and federal agencies are responsible for cleaning up.

These wells – referred to as “orphaned” – are often not properly maintained and can lead to surface and groundwater contamination causing pollution, health issues and threats to wildlife.

“For over a century, oil and gas companies have set up their drilling operations across Arizona, taken what they wanted and then...
Cronkite News •

Biden issues formal apology for atrocities at Indigenous federal boarding schools

LAVEEN VILLAGE – President Joe Biden on Friday formally apologized for the 150 years of abuse and harm suffered by Indigenous children that were put into the federal boarding school system.

“I believe it is important that we do know there was generations of Native children stolen, taken away to places they didn’t know, with people they never met, who spoke a language they never heard,” Biden said during a visit to the Gila River Indian Community in front of an emotional crowd. “The federal gove...
Cronkite News •

Arizona tribes await congressional action on federal diabetes program

WASHINGTON – Federal funding expires at the end of the year for a program that has reduced diabetes among Native Americans. Congress has yet to act, leaving providers and patients worried.

Diabetes is especially prevalent among Native Americans. In Arizona, 27% of Indigenous adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, compared to 10% of the White population, according to 2021 data from the Center for the Future of Arizona.

“It would be very devastating to many tribal communities if the program w...
Cronkite News •

Congress nears deal on Arizona tribal rights to Colorado River water

WASHINGTON – Seven states that rely on the Colorado River each got a cut of its water under a deal struck over a century ago – a deal that excluded the Hopi, the Navajo and other tribal nations.

After years of pressure and negotiation, Congress is moving to rectify what the tribes have long seen as an injustice that has caused enormous hardship.

“We’re closer than we’ve ever been before in reaching a final settlement,” Bryan Newland, assistant secretary for Indian Affairs with the Department o...