RJ Hamster
AZ Briefing: Inspectors hit Scottsdale Italian restaurant with 5…
PLAY | Shopping | eNewspaper![]()
AZ Briefing
YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP
Tue Dec 23 2025
Christopher Howley
Digital Producer
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.
Maricopa County health inspectorscited a metro Phoenix restaurant for five health violations during the week of Dec. 8. Violations included bare-hand contact with ice cubes for drinks, a dishwasher not sanitizing properly and a clogged sink with standing water.
See all the inspection notes from restaurants across the Valley.
Other big stories
➤ A Republican lawmaker wants Arizona researchers to investigate criticism of President Donald Trump, referring to it as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Here’s what to know.
➤ At Turning Point’s sold-out AmericaFest conference in downtown Phoenix, three months after Charlie Kirkwas assassinated, conservatives debated the future of their movement. Here are 5 takeaways.
➤ Attorney General Kris Mayes’ officewill drop charges against one person in her case alleging coordinated interference trying to keep Donald Trump in office after he lost the 2020 presidential election.
➤ Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport is introducing a new parking system to the Terminal 3 garage to help guide drivers to open spots and improve traffic flow. Here’s your guide.
➤ 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 77 degrees. Expect it to be cloudy at night with a low near 59 degrees. Get the full forecast here.
Try the burgers, pastries and pasta at these new restaurants

The bacon avocado burger, and Viva Mexico burger, photographed at La Hamburguesa food truck Nov. 28, 2025, in Phoenix.
Megan Mendoza/The Republic
Of all the new restaurants that opened recently in metro Phoenix, put an Italian trattoria, a burger joint and a breakfast stop on your dining list.
If you like our work, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Today in history
Here are just some of the historic events on this date in the past.•On this day in 1947: At Bell Telephone Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey, physicists made the world’s first transistor, a key component in electronics that led to integrated circuits and helped fuel the technological revolution. It had two gold contacts near each other that were lightly touching a germanium semiconductor on a metal plate connected to an electrical current. For their work, John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley were awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize for Physics. The transistors were smaller, used less power and generated less heat than previous vacuum tubes. Innovation led to smaller and smaller transistors, eventually on silicon chips as semiconductors.•In 1950: Pope Pius XII said the tomb of St. Peter, one of Jesus Christ’s 12 original disciples, had been located beneath the main altar of the Vatican Basilica.•In 1954: Surgeons at Brigham Hospital in Boston performed the world’s first successful human organ transplant, a kidney, from one identical twin, Ronald Herrick, to his brother Richard. Dr. Joseph Murray shared a 1990 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for transplantation using radiotherapy and immunosuppressants to avoid organ rejection. The transplant team – Murray, Drs. J. Hartwell Harrison, John Merrill, David Hume, Benjamin Miller and George Thorn – also received a 1961 Amory Prize, which recognizes major contributions to reproductive biology.•In 1970: During a New York City “topping-out” ceremony, ironworkers used cranes to hoist an American flag, structural steel and a Christmas tree for the north tower of the World Trade Center’s twin towers, which stood at more than 1,350 feet. Two months prior, it had surpassed the Empire State Building to become the world’s tallest building, though its skyscraper record only lasted a couple years until the Sears Tower in Chicago surpassed it.•In 1979: New York native Peggy Guggenheim, an art collector who inherited her father’s mining wealth, died at 81 in Italy. The socialite-turned-bohemian financially supported artists like Jackson Pollock and donated her collection to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, an organization named for her uncle that owns the Guggenheim Museums. Her father, Benjamin, was one of 1,496 people who died in 1912 when the Titanic sank.•In 2021: The Food and Drug Administration approved emergency-use authorization for Merck’s antiviral pill, Molnupiravir, for treatment of COVID-19 in adults who test positive and were at an increased risk of the disease becoming severe. However, the FDA said Pfizer’s Paxlovid remained the preferred option amid supply concerns.
— Charlie White, USA TODAY Network
TOP STORIES
What’s next in the PV Ritz-Carlton bankruptcy case?
Any liens on the property will be attached to the sale proceeds, meaning villa owners are able to secure clean, insurable titles for their properties.
Why was Nicki Minaj at Turning Point? What she said in AZ
The rapper, who has embraced President Donald Trump and his “Make America Great Again” movement, said being a Republican is in vogue.
Bari Weiss will destroy ’60 Minutes’ one story at a time
Bari Weiss, CBS News editor-in-chief, yanked a “60 Minutes” story critical of Trump administration. Is it “corporate censorship”? Sure looks that way.
2-year-old drowns in family pool 3 days before Christmas
Tempe police are investigating the drowning of a 2-year-old girl in the family swimming pool.
Tempe to tackle safety issues with electric bikes, scooters
A new subcommittee and its partners plan to analyze injury and crash data involving e-bikes and scooters to strengthen safety regulations.
![]()
Sign up for breaking news alerts and get real-time updates directly to your inbox.SIGN UP NOW

Get world news FREE
Sign up to receive GlobalPost, the leading daily newsletter devoted to world news. It’s free with your subscription.GET GLOBAL NEWS FREE
Play Your Way to a Relaxing Break
Unwind with crosswords and challenges that recharge you.
Crosswords, Puzzles, Comics & Horoscopes
Newsletters | eNewspaper | Crosswords
Problem viewing email? View in browser
Unsubscribe • Manage Newsletters • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights • Privacy Notice • Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy • Feedback