Arizona's Morning News

Back on this day in 1969, the Woodstock festival opened for the first time. The festival was originally meant to raise funds for a recording studio and rock and roll retreat near the town of Woodstock. It would go on to become one of the most iconic festivals of all time.

On today's episode of the Sharper point commentary, Jim talks about the sentencing of Isaac Damon King. Back in 2015, 24-year-old DPS trooper Tyler Edenhofer was shot and killed by Isaac Damon King. Yesterday, King was sentenced to 35 years for the killing.

U.S. Senator Mark Kelly joined the show to talk about immigration, inflation and what's happening in D.C. What are his thoughts on the federal enforcements? 

Back on this day in 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. The law gave an income to the elderly and was meant to combat unemployment. Much of the law has been unchanged since it's creation, back on this day in 1935.

On today's sharper point commentary, Jim Sharpe talks about the new addition to Scottsdale Fire: Electric Bikes. They are using these bikes to get to stranded or mising hikers.

Back on this day in 2008 Michael Phelps wins three gold medals. Each of these were done in record time.

On today's Sharper Point Commentary, Jim Sharpe talks about the deportation efforts of Kelly Yu gaining bipartisan support to keep her in Arizona. He says it is refreshing seeing people working across party lines to find common-ground solutions. 

Chip Lupo, Wallethub Analyst, joined the show to talk about inflation in Phoenix. He says the decrease of inflation from 2022 to now is remarkable.

Lisa Everett, Republican chair (LD-29) and Brent Peak, co-chair of the progressive Northwest Valley Indivisible Group joined the show to speak about their efforts to stop the deportation of Kelly Yu. Yu is a Peoria business owner who was taken to the Eloy Dentention Center after showing up for one of her immigration hearings.

Back on this day in 1990, the largest T-Rex skeleton was discovered in South Dakota. The skeleton was 65 million years old 

On today's sharper point commentary, Jim Sharpe talks about a new Rent Cafe study that shows where you can get the most square footage for an apartment, if your rent is $1,500. In the Valley, Scottsdale is the only city that offers less space than the national average for the cost of $1,500.

Rent Cafe recently did a study, looking at how much square feet you can get in an apartment for $1500. The result show that in the valley, that rent budget doesn't even get you 1000 sq ft. Which cities are the best in terms of price per sq ft?

The Dragon Bravo fire has become the 7th largest widlfire in Arizona history. Jim Cross joined the show to discuss the progress fire fighters are making on containing the blaze that has been burning since July 12th.

How should you keep your kids safe during these extreme heat warnings? Dr. Jaron Smith explained what strategies you can use and what you should be on the lookout for during he intense summer heat. 

Back on this day in 1934, Alcatraz opened it's doors for the first time. Alcatraz was created for federal prisoners who were thought as the most dangerous and is located in the middle of the San Fransisco Bay. 

On today's sharper point commentary, Jim Sharpe discusses the new police report that came out regarding the death of Trigg Kiser, who drowned in his Chandler pool a few months ago. The report shows that Trigg's father, Brady, was distracted by an NBA finals game while his son was in the pool.

Evan Taylor, UofA Associate Professor of Economics, joined the show to talk about mortgage rates and possible moves of the Federal Reserve. What will it take to change Arizona's real estate scene?

Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, is set to meet with President Trump this week after failing to meet last week's deadline to end the Ukraine- Russia war. ABC News Correspondent, Steven Portnoy, gives the latest details and possible outcomes of the meeting.

Back on this day in 1974, Richard Nixon resigned. After feeling the pressure of impeachment due to the Watergate affair, Richard Nixon decided to resign and made a 16-minute televised address.

Nixon resigned amid mounting public pressure after he was impeached for his role in the Watergate Scandal.

On Tuesday, a 58-year-old woman slipped and fell in the canal in Gila Bend and began yelling for help. She was stranded for 18 hours when a group of ADOT workers came to her rescue. This week's sharper point commentary dives into this story 

Arizona state senator Analise Ortiz has been accused of doxxing ICE agents on social media by posting their raid locations. This has led to Senator Warren Petersen asking the U.S. attorney for Arizona to launch an investigation into potential violations of federal law. Senator Ortiz joined Arizona's Morning News to tell her side of the story. 

Motgage rates are down and unemployment benefits are on the rise. ABC's Caleb Silver joins Arizona's Morning News to disucss why, and explain how the Bank of England is dropping interest rates.

Senator Analise Ortiz has recently come under fire after social media posts showing that she was warning poeple of ICE's location. Senator Warren Peterson joined Arizona's Morning News to talk about why these posts are problematic and if she is committing a crime.

Back on this day in 1782, George Washington created the Purple Heart. It was only awarded to three soldiers during the Revolutionary War, and General MacArthur revived the order to honor military heroes.

On today's Sharper Point Commentary, Jim Sharpe goes through a list of the best places to live in the valley. They were ranked on various quality of life factors, like average commute time, rents, median home prices, etc. 

Today, Jim and LaDona review a list of the best places to live in Arizona, and why each city ranks where they do. US World and Report analyzed 800 places in the US and ranked them based on various quality of life factors. 

In Georgia's Fort Stewart, a former soldier opened fire with his personal handgun and shot at five. They are expected to recover. ABC News Consultant Brad Garrett joined the show to discuss the event. 

How does the extreme heat effect children's classroom productivity?  ASU Professor Allison Poulos studied how student's moods are before and after recess, and how schools can give young children that time for fun amid the extreme heat of Arizona. 

Back on this day in 2009 screenwriter and director John Hughes passed away. He gave us many classics including, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "The Breakfast Club", "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", and "Home Alone". KTAR Timeline is brought to you by Beatitudes Campus. 

On today's Sharper Point commentary, Jim Sharpe talks about some interesting statistics regarding national crime. From 2023 to 2024 the violent crime rate fell 4%. He talks about what factors may be contributing to this drop in the crime rate. 

The overall violent crime was down 4% from 2023 to 2024 and also dropped in the first six months of the year. ABC News Correspondent Jim Rayn joined the show to discuss what may be contributing to this drop. 

San Tan Valley has been talking about incorporating and becoming Arizona's newest town, and voters there went to the polls to determine their fate. Tyler Hudgins of Incorporate San Tan Valley joined the show to talk about what the benefits of becoming a town would be. 

At Camp Tonotozona, ASU Football is gearing up for the beginning of the new season. Arizona Sports own Vince Marotta joined the show to talk about what sets Coach Kenny Dillingham apart and what to expect from the Sun Devils this year. 

Back on this day in 1861 Abraham Lincoln imposed the first Federal Income Tax. It was an effort to fund the Civil War effort, and lawmakers agreed to impose a 3% tax on incomes over $800.  KTAR Timeline is brought to you by Beatitudes Campus. 

On today's Sharper Point commentary, Jim Sharpe talks about the extreme heat warning that is in effect. It is recommended to avoid strenuous activities outside during these extreme conditions. 

On today's Tech Tuesday, ABC's Mike Dobuski joins the show to discuss big tech cutting 100000 jobs because of AI and new age verification requirements for websites in the United Kingdom. 

An extreme heat warning is in effect. Each year comes with new records of daily highs being set. Our own Colton Krolak joins the show to give the details on the forecast for the rest of the week to come. 

Back on this day in 1901, Jazz Legend Louis Armstrong was born.  KTAR Timeline is brought to you by Beatitudes Campus. 

On today's Sharper Point Commentary, Jim Sharpe discusses the invoice Governor Katie Hobbs sent to the federal government. The bill totals $750,000,000 and involves border security spending.  

University of Arizona Professor Jeffrey Burgess joined the show to talk about his recent released study on "PFAS", or "Forever Chemicals" in the blood of firefighters. He also discussed findings in the study that found lower levels of "PFAS" in firefighters who regularly donated plasma. 

On Friday, President Donald Trump fired Bureau of Labor Statistics Chief Erika McEntarfer after the Bureau released new data that showed job growth as being much slower than originally projected. The President has not provided any evidence that the Bureau of Labor Statistics edited this data to "make him look bad" as he claims. ABC News Steve Roberts joined the show to discuss how this is similar to his "Alternative Facts" doctrine that the President has operated under before, and he emphasizes the need for independent, verifiable data. 

Back on this day in 1981 MTV was launched. Music Television was created and focused on music videos and had several hit reality tv series including "The Osbournes."

On today's Sharper Point Commentary, Jim Sharpe talks about scammers selling fake tickets and events.  He talks about the best ways to buy tickets and warns people to avoid using third party vendors. 

Gary Miller, sergeant with MCSO's MASH Unit, joined the show to talk about the work the Sheriff's department is doing for animals collected as evidence. The MASH program works to rehabilitate the animals and works with inmates to help run the program. 

Chuck Todd, political analyst, talks about the latest political headlines. President Trump's tariffs are being questioned by the courts on how constituional the emergency tariffs are.

Scammers are now selling fake tickets and events. Jim Ryan, ABC News Correspondent, joined the show to talk about how these scammers are successful through third party vendors.