RJ Hamster
AZ Briefing: AZ high school wrestlers seek $6M after…
Read in browser AZ BriefingYOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUPWed Dec 17 2025 Good morning, Arizona. Here’s what our reporters are working on and what you should know about what’s happening across the state before you start your day.Two former Liberty High School wrestlers who raised allegations about a culture of sexual hazing on the school team have taken the first step in filing a lawsuit against the Peoria Unified School District and several top administrators and seek a combined $6 million in damages. Here’s what to know.Other big stories➤ For the week of Dec. 1, one restaurant in metro Phoenix was cited for four health violations. See which restaurants are considered Grade A and what the violations were for the restaurant cited.➤ An Arizona Republican wants to eliminate rural highway speed limits. Do you think it would be safer?➤ A community rallied around a Sunnyslope mechanic detained by ICE after misdemeanor charges. Friends and supporters have raised more than $12,000 for his expenses.➤ In a jailhouse interview with The Arizona Republic, Johnny Reedsaid he is still trying to understand the decision he made when he was younger. Now, the plea deal the Arizona man agreed to as a teenager becomes a risky life gamble.➤ Here’s a look at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, which began as Williams Air Force Base, where pilots trained starting in the 1940s.➤ News alerts in your inbox: Don’t miss the important news of the day. Sign up for azcentral newsletter alerts to be in the know. ➤ Today, you can expect it to be warm with a high near 76 degrees. Expect it to be clear at night with a low near 49 degrees. Get the full forecast here.BBQ joint and taproom named best new restaurant Brisket is served with sides of southern mac & cheese and pit beansDiannie Chavez/The RepublicA barbecue restaurant in downtown Phoenix is the winner of The Republic’s Best New Restaurant poll for 2025. Here’s why readers love the smoky menu.If you like our work, please consider becoming a subscriber.Today in historyHere are just some of the historic events on this date in the past.•On this day in 1957: A milestone of America’s intercontinental ballistic missile program, the U.S. launched its first fully successful test of an Atlas ICBM rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.•In 1979: President Jimmy Carter was the first to light the National Menorah, which became an annual event to celebrate Hanukkah. The first event was in Lafayette Park across the street from the White House, but the location was moved to the Ellipse in 1987.•In 1989: Fox first aired “The Simpsons,” premiering its three-season stint of short, animated cartoons on the Fox variety program, “The Tracey Ullman Show.” The antics of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson, along with many other characters in the fictional town of Springfield, led to “The Simpsons” holding multiple prime-time TV longevity records.•In 2012: For the second straight year, Billboard named Adele as Artist of the Year after her album, “21,” spent the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 sales chart during both years.•In 2014: More than half a century after the U.S. failed in its attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba, the two nations temporarily reestablished diplomatic relations severed amid the Cold War.•In 2020: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the nation’s highest recorded number of drug overdose deaths over a 12-month period that ended in May 2020 — over 81,000 people. Fatal overdoses involving synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl) spiked 38%, while methamphetamines shot up 35% and cocaine (some mixed with fentanyl or heroin) increased 27%.— Charlie White, USA TODAY NetworkTOP STORIES911 callers asked if they need mental health expertsPhoenix residents calling 911 will now be asked if they need a behavioral health expert to respond to an incident rather than a police officer.READ MORE Sign up for breaking news alerts and get real-time updates directly to your inbox.SIGN UP NOW Get world news FREESign up to receive GlobalPost, the leading daily newsletter devoted to world news. It’s free with your subscription.GET GLOBAL NEWS FREEPlay Your Way to a Relaxing BreakUnwind with crosswords and challenges that recharge you. USA TODAY PLAYCrosswords, Puzzles, Comics & HoroscopesSEE ALL GAMES |
