RJ Hamster
AZ Briefing: I-17 flex lanes project is complete for…
Read in browser AZ BriefingYOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUPFri Dec 19 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.If you’re heading to Flagstaff for a white Christmas this year, the Arizona Department of Transportation has a present for you.The I-17 flex lanes project between Phoenix and Flagstaff is open. Here’s what to know.Other big stories➤ These are the pets up for adoption in metro Phoenix shelters this week. Meet Tito, Sloopy, Clap Clap Kitty Cat, and The National Park Pups.➤ Erika Kirk said she will not shy away from a fight on the first day of Turning Point’s sold-out AmericaFest conference in Phoenix.➤ Experts say the time between model years is a good time for buyers to negotiate lower prices at dealerships. These are the best new cars to snag a deal on.➤ The Tucson City Council voted to raise taxes on public utilities, hospitality and pawn shops as the city sees continued revenue shortfalls. Here’s why Tucson’s mayor is blaming Trump.➤ Turning Point USA’s four-day AmericaFest is the first conference since its co-founder, Charlie Kirk, was shot and killed by an assassin’s bullet. See photos from Day 1 as AmericaFest kicked off in Phoenix.➤ 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 and sunny with a high near 78 degrees. Expect it to be clear to partly cloudy at night with a low near 50 degrees. Get the full forecast here.California restaurant chain opening its 1st Arizona location Starfish Scottsdale, an Orange County-based pan-Asian restaurant, is opening its first Arizona location in Scottsdale in early 2026.Provided by Starfish ScottsdaleA southern California restaurant group is opening first location in Arizona. The owners say Scottsdale reminds them of Orange County. Here’s what to know .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 1972: The three-person crew of NASA’s Apollo 17 mission returned to Earth after their 13-day trip to the moon and back, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near American Samoa. It was the Apollo program’s sixth and last lunar-landing mission. Harrison “Jack” Schmitt, a geologist and lunar module pilot, became the first scientist to walk on the moon. Commander Eugene Cernan, a U.S. Navy captain and engineer, was the last human to step on the moon for at least several decades. Ronald Evans, also a Navy captain, was the pilot of the command module.•In 1974: Though some legislators had raised ethical concerns about longtime former New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller’s previous gifts and forgiven loans to people who remained working in public service, Congress confirmed Rockefeller, President Gerald Ford’s pick for vice president. President Richard Nixon, who resigned four months prior during the Watergate scandal, had chosen Ford, the House minority leader. Ford became the first to assume the presidency rather than be elected.•In 1995: The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs federally recognized the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi as a Native American tribe. The Potawatomi Tribe was among several who, through government treaties, had been forced to relocate west of the Mississippi River and ceded vast amounts of their land in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio after President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Some Potawatomi fled the federal relocation area back to their native land, establishing a reservation in Fulton, Michigan.•In 1999: From Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA launched Space Shuttle Discovery, the third mission to work on the Hubble Space Telescope since Discovery had taken it into space in April 1990. During this nearly eight-day mission, the crew repaired Hubble’s gyroscopes and upgraded some systems.•In 2013: The European Space Agency launched Gaia for a more than decadelong mission that used its gigapixel camera to take a stellar census of over a billion stars in the Milky Way and other galaxies. It created a 3D map of much of the Milky Way, discovered new extrasolar planets and showed many other celestial bodies.•In 2020: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommended adults get Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. A day prior, the Food and Drug Administration had granted emergency-use authorization for the Moderna shot.— Charlie White, USA TODAY NetworkTOP STORIESReality TV star’s over-the-top Scottsdale restaurant is openA reality TV star has opened her first Arizona restaurant. It’s dramatically overdone and wildly opulent. Here’s what’s on the menu and a peek inside.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 |
